C H A P T E R   14 :   B L A C K O U T   T I M E

"I'll help you find them." I told Logan. "If only I could remember... but there's a blank space in my memory and as much as I try I can't color it."

"Don't try too hard, Felicia." Jean advised. "You're still weak, you need to--"

Of course she had to mention my state in front of Logan.

"I'm not gonna take a nap while our school is in danger." I interrupted, astonishing us all with my words. I was finally including myself in this world. The human being had a funny way to work; only in face of danger did we allow ourselves to admit what was most obvious.

"We're glad you want to help us, Felicia, but you can't push yourself too much." Logan agreed. "This is not your responsibility and besides... everything that has happened yesterday--"

"Today is a new day." I cut again. "I'm strong, remember?"

Logan quieted down but gave me a firm nod. He was not the only one with the ability to use words against its original speaker.

"We've already asked Rylan this. Don't tell anyone about the attack or the spy. We don't want to scare the other students off by saying there's a spy among us, not to mention such thing can alert the spy and make everything worse."

"Don't worry." I said as I walked out of the door. "I'm great at hiding things."

***

After a much-needed refreshing bath and a change of clothes, I made my way outside to face whatever was awaiting me. Maybe people wouldn't pay me much attention. Maybe I was more insignificant than what I thought and for once I hoped so. For once wearing an Invisibility Cloak would be nice.

As soon as I opened up the door and my feet stepped outside, all my hopes fell down. My ears caught pieces of talks here and there and I was being mentioned everywhere. Gossip was awesome until it targeted us.

A guy wolf whistled when I passed by him. Another was even more audacious and meowed. My fists clenched but I held my head up high. They could choose to mock me and I could choose not to feel mocked.

Glances were shared and every part of me was being measured and analysed at a new level. The scrutiny was excruciating, I felt like a bug trapped in a jar, like a frog being dissected. I was in observation mode once again and they were scientists examining me under their microscopes, tourists desperate to take a closer look at the most famous object in a museum. I was Mona Lisa and everyone wanted a freaking selfie with me.

"Hey, Felicia!" A boy said, coming towards me with some friends. "Or should I say Devil in Heels? Or even Kit Kat? Why don't you suit up for us? We'd love to see you in action."

"Yes, we could throw you a party." Another added. "Isn't it true that you love to crash them to steal? Tell us, have you stolen anything in here yet?"

"How did Professor X even let you stay here?" A girl asked, crossing her arms over her chest. I was being bombarded from all sides and there was no place to take cover. My natural ability to retaliate was passive. Or was it just waiting for the right moment to go aggressive? "For God's sake, you're a wanted criminal. You're dangerous!"

"Oh, I'm sure she is!" Another guy intervened with a smirk. "Tell us, Felicia, do you scratch? Do you... meow?"

"Yeah, meow for us, Kitten!" Someone else said, and suddenly there was a chorus of people chanting it. The words fell on me like the rumble of thunder. I didn't want to meow. I wanted to roar. But I kept quiet.

"Now I see why you have those private lessons with Wolverine." Tara Cooper stated. "You have similar features."

"Can we see your claws? Or are you going to keep denying them?"

I smirked. Finally. For a change I let my nails come out without resistence. I was learning that when I didn't fight against them they didn't hurt as much. I showed them around, enjoying how several students gulped upon their menace. For the first time, a sense of pride invaded me when I exhibited them.

I looked around with no fear. I was bigger than this. I felt like Tony Stark when he revealed to the world he was Iron Man.

"If you don't want to get on these darlings' worst side, I advise you to be careful with your words. Charles gave me a second chance because he trusts me. That's all that matters to me. My old habits stayed in New York. You don't have to worry about me, I don't bite. Nor scratch. I'll behave if you do too. I'm sure I'm the not the only one here who made mistakes. Who got lost several times along the way. It's part of the path. But it doesn't have to define how you get to the finish line. I'm not asking for your comprehension or support or anything. Just... get something better to do with your time than judging, because when you judge you aren't defining the person you're judging. You're defining yourselves and I doubt any of you want to be known as foolish, shallow people. You're more than that. Act accordingly. It's easy to judge at first sight. What's hard is to accept at second."

Everyone stood still and quiet, my words weighting on their conscience. I made my claws retract and my words advance.

"So, yes, I am Black Cat. But I am also Felicia Hardy. We live in a world full of alter egos and I hope you can understand the difference. I'm not the same person that I was, so please allow me to have that difference. And yes, I broke the law. Several times. I didn't pay for it and I probably should have. But I'm here now and I'm trying to be better, so don't ignore my change or my effort."

"Felicia's right." I heard Logan say. I didn't even know he had been listening to me. He was leaning against the manor's door frame with his arms firmly crossed over his chest and his eyes unwaveringly crossing with mine. He approached us quickly and I focused on remaining calm. Logan put all of me on alert. I hated knowing he was so aware of me, and maybe he disliked the opposite too. "We're a school for those nobody else believed in. When society and life refused to see us as we were and decided to see us as they wanted, this school was here to welcome us and give us the chance to choose how we wanted to be seen. It offered us redemption without asking for our life in return. I commited crimes too, you all know that. I did things I'm not proud of, things far worse than stealing jewelry. Things I'll forever regret and pay for. Yet you still accepted me, 'cause that's what we do. We don't give up on each other. We don't break from within."

Logan looked at me briefly, and then glanced at the students around him with his infamous-Wolverine-stare-nobody-dared-to-defy. "I trust you to hear Felicia out and not shut her down. I know you're better than this. I'm only going to say this once. No police, no judgement, no hatred. Now go back to your classes to see if you can find something better to do with your lives."

It still surprised me the effect Logan had on these students. The mix of admiration, fear and respect they had for him. Everyone quickly scattered, including Tara, who eyed me enviously before leaving.

"That was completely unnecessary." I said once we were alone.

"A 'thank you, professor Logan' would be enough." Logan grumbled, and I threw my hands up in the air. Yes, I was thankful. But he should have let me handle this on my own.

"I could have dealt with this alone. Now they're all going to think I'm under your protection or something. They're not gonna see me as me but as someone under your shadow, as someone who needs defending. From a teacher. Which basically is the disgrace of every student."

Logan rolled his eyes like wind making fallen, bronzed leaves fly.

"I couldn't care less about that. I said what I had to say and it was not to please you. They needed to hear it. So for once just accept a damn help and forget about the world's opinion. We have more urgent problems."

I crossed my arms over my chest and wondered if my heart was crossed too. By whom.

"You don't need to remind me of that. I'm the one who got hit by a freaking UFO. Wait... what if it was Thor's hammer or something?"

Logan sighed, exasperated. I drained his batteries while simply trying to charge them. Why did my words have a tendency to contradict my thoughts?

"Are you incapable of being serious even when the situation is serious?"

"Yes." I answered him. "The same way you're incapable of being funny when the situation is hilarious."

"Stop being so flippant, Felicia." He warned, but I couldn't stop. Logan always made me react in an in-your-face attitude. Clashing with him stopped me from clashing with me. It made me feel... alive. Finally.

"Or what, you'll tell Jean?" I wanted to stop, I knew I was being immature. I wanted to be better than this. I didn't want to give him any more reasons to hate me.

His eyes narrowed.

"I'll cut you some slack because of everything you've been going through, Felicia. But this reaction is not going to help anyone. You can't go on lashing out at someone every time someone lashes out on you."

"Stop the moralizing, Logan, you're just like me. I hate to admit it but it's true, isn't it? We're made from the same toxin."

I could see the anger burning behind his eyes. I had hit him hard on his soft spot.

"Then I suggest you find an antidote fast before either one of us infects somebody else." He said, leaving me staring at his back. I clenched my fists. Logan always managed to put me out of myself, and perhaps that was good. Perhaps that's why it bothered me so much.

I went into my room, sat on my bed and started drawing furiously. The reason I was mad was because hearing Logan publicly defend me and support me made me disconcerted. It meant something. He had been worried about me, my reputation and wellbeing and he had protected me not caring what anyone would say. And I didn't handle it well because every damn time someone cared enough I either not cared or I cared too much. Everyone always ended up hurt. Specially me. So I pushed people away before they had a chance to stay and decide they wanted to go. I made the inevitable call before they would.

I didn't know how to handle the humanity in Logan. His feral, animalistic instincts were so much easier. So much more relatable. I had to act against mine too, it was a struggle keeping them under control. I was an exception yet again. While everyone feared the wild beast in Logan, I feared the human in Wolverine.

He was awakening in me something that should at all costs stay buried.

"Felicia!" Someone opened the room's door and I closed the notebook abruptly. It were Bianca, Bobby, Rogue, Kitty and Dyani. The Fantastic Five. "How are you? We've heard..."

I extended my fingers and let my claws come out in answer. Now that everyone knew, why hiding them?

"Woow." Dyani whistled. "Impressive."

"But how are you?" Bobby asked, worry in his baby blue eyes.

"Was anyone mean to you?" Rogue inquired. "Cause if they were..." And she let the gesture of taking off her gloves make the rest of the talking. I shook my head.

"I'm the one who's being mean to people who don't deserve it. Sometimes I... I don't know how to be any other way. It's like a part of me will always be a villain."

"Look on the bright side, everyone loves villains!" Dyani exclaimed. "Who remembers Batman or Luke against the Joker and Darth Vader?"

I smiled. This girl always managed to find the funny in the serious too.

"You are no villain, Felicia." Rogue said. "We all have powers that can kill. And we all choose not to. That's the place where heroes are born."

"Besides, there are a lot of stories of how the Black Cat has helped people in need." Kitty added. "Knowing you makes me believe they are true."

"Of course they are true." Bianca grinned. I had no idea what I had done to deserve this girl's faith. "Felicia's a badass. If anyone accuses you or insults you just remind them you probably helped more people than they did. Also, once the excitement of the discovery fades away, they'll forget about it. People can be stupid. But they're also quick at being stupid somewhere else."

I smiled at all of them. Their support kept me from falling. This time, I said the words.

"Thank you, guys. You're the best."

They all smiled at me. Dyani smirked.

"Cheer up, Felicia! The best is yet to come."

As soon as she finished talking, the entire school heard a bang.

Not again.

***

The school was under attack. Nobody had told me, and nobody needed to. I could literally feel it in my bones.

Just like every Star Wars character, I had a bad feeling about this.

"What was that?" Bianca questioned as we all ran towards the window. Outside, every student was looking in every direction, trying to understand where the sound had come from, and how close it was. It was very close. Closer than it should.

But nothing was in sight yet.

"An explosion." I felt the dumb need to state. My system was all tingling, restless. All my senses were trying to tell me something, and I didn't know which one to hear first. "And I don't think it's the last one."

Like fools, we all exited my room and ran outside. Towards the danger and not away from it, just like the crazy people we were.

We watched the sky, but it was clean. The forest, but it was empty. And then everything came at once.

"Get down!" I shouted and to my surprise, they all obeyed me. We fell down to the grass messily and some seconds later a ball of fire passed right over where we had just been, coming from nowhere.

"Stand back!" Bobby demanded, ice rays coming out of his hands to freeze the fire before it burnt someone. I got up quickly and looked around. It was as if someone had just unleashed Hell on Earth. More and more flames fell from the sky, burning trees and tables but not actually hitting anyone. This was a calculated attack. And I still couldn't spot the attacker.

My senses were being overwhelmed. The scorched smell, the smoke in my eyes and lungs, all the whispers chaotically tossed around.

"What is happening?" I heard someone cry out nearby. It was a young girl too close to a tree dangerously close from falling. I ran towards her with nothing else on my mind. I took her in my arms and rolled with her in the grass at the same time a pair of arms grabbed the tree preventing it from falling over us. I raised myself without letting go of the girl's hand and looked at our savior. It was a very tall, very muscular and very metalized guy.

"Thanks." I told him and he nodded before his eyes diverted to Kitty and the others who were running towards us while Bobby continued his 'Frozen on Ice' show.

"Piotr!" Kitty exclaimed. "Do you know what's going on?"

"Are you okay?" He ignored her question, his eyes roaming over her small form besides him. I had never seen concern in metal form before, but it was obvious this burly guy cared a lot about Kitty. I had seen him around school once or twice. Alter ego: Colossus.

"I..." She seemed taken aback by his urgency. "Yes."

"We're being attacked." He informed as soon as her wellbeing was clarified. Safety first. "I think we should head back inside before we get roasted."

"That's what they want." I blurted out. "The blasts of fire are not hitting anyone intentionally. If you analyze their pattern, they started far away from the mansion and each new one comes closer, following our own movements. They're trying to make us retreat into the mansion, trap us between it and the fields. They're squeezing us into a small space to keep us from dispersing and escaping."

They all stared at me, amazed. I rolled my eyes.

"Beauty without brains is like a gun without bullets."

"They're wrong about us then." Rogue was the first to react. "We're not cowards. We will not run away."

I wanted to tell her sometimes running away required great courage, but refrained from doing so purely because another ball of fire came in our direction. Bobby threw himself in front of us to freeze it mid-air, and as soon as we were safe Rogue jumped on him. He took her in one arm using the other to continue freezing what he could. Wonder Couple.

"EVERYONE!" Logan's voice boomed from the door as he got out in a hurry. "Come inside NOW! IT'S A DAMN ORDER!"

I shook my head and shouted back at him. "IT'S WHAT THEY WANT!"

Even so far away his gaze still burnt through me.

"FELICIA! This is not the time to disobey me! Everyone inside! NOW!"

But there was no time.

"Pyro, that is enough. I think we have proven our point. We have them exactly where we wanted." A voice was heard above all others, as if someone had just pressed mute on the entire world. It was a metallic, foreigner voice, with an accent I couldn't locate. Seconds later, the speaker literally materialized itself in front of us, and he wasn't alone.

Circus had just come to town.

In front of me stood suddenly a world of color and cosplaying. There was a tall, old man with a purple helmet and a fancy suit. He was clearly the leader, since he inhaled control and exhaled power. Next to him, a drop-dead gorgeous blond woman in a white suit, a devilish smirk on her perfectly painted lips. On the side, a man bigger than a mountain with a tomato head. A woman that could easily feature in Avatar due to her blue, naked body. She had red hair and yellow eyes and I wondered which country she was rooting for. Probably Romania or something. A young woman wearing all green, including her hair. And a pretty normal looking guy if it wasn't for his hands on fire.

Stupid relief washed over me when I realized this was not Lewis doing.

"How did they appear coming out of nowhere? Can they turn invisible or something?" I muttered.

"It was the blondie." Dyani answered. "The White Queen. She can mess with people's minds and choose what we see or don't see."

Hum, if that's the case, would she be so kind as to offer me the wonderful sight of a shirtless Captain America?

All of their attentive, veiled eyes wandered over us but mine stood fixed on the blondie. I felt her presence in my mind but I tried remaining still. This was not the time to be reckless.

And then the X-Men came out of the mansion to join Logan, Jean, Storm and Scott stood by his side, Charles in the front.

"Erik." Professor X said, very slowly, very carefully, almost painfully. Like he was ripping something out of himself.

"My name is Magneto." The other man stated as Charles moved his wheelchair towards him. Jean, Logan, Storm and Scott gestured for us to retreat, but no student moved, afraid such thing would make Suicide Squad go nuts. Magneto's eyes diverted from Charles to us and when they passed through me I felt like Titanic crashing against a hidden iceberg. "You can go." He said to us. "We're not here to fight. If we were, the grass would be less green by now."

My fists clenched at the unspoken threat. We moved backwards, the X-Men forming a barrier between us and them. They were mutants for sure, and known ones, it seemed. A single nail of mine could cut the tension in the air.

"Can someone clear me up?" I whispered to my friends. "I'm a little lost here."

"From left to right: Juggernaut, Polaris, Magneto, Emma Frost, Mystique and... Pyro." Bobby muttered and I felt electrocuted. So many powerful names. Polaris as in Alex's Polaris? Emma Frost as in the mind reader with the power to cloak? It made sense if she was the blondie I kept feeling lurking in the shadows of my brain. And Magneto as in let's-rule-the-world-and-play-God-because-he-works-too-slowly?

"I'll be calling them Sinister Six." I decided, but Rogue shook her head.

"They're the Brotherhood of Mutants."

My eyes widened, Lewis had mentioned that name during Storm's class, and still no sight of him. But I still had the feeling he had nothing to do with them.

"What are they doing here?" Bianca asked, but no one answered her. Bobby had his teeth gritted and his fists clenched while on a death stare battle with Pyro. Clearly they needed enemy counselor.

"What do you want, Erik?" Charles inquired. His tone was calm and I couldn't see his face but I bet it was unreadable. It was just... this Magneto looked at him like he was an open book. Charles was like the bedside table book Magneto picked up when he couldn't sleep.

"To recruit, of course. You have a school full of mutants and I cherish you for that, Charles. You give them a home. I want to give them the world. You give them a goal. I intend to give them the outcome. You are the cause, and I am the effect."

"I'm sure you know I can't let you do that." Charles argued. I walked silently closer to the X-Men to look over at Logan. His eyes were narrowed, evaluating danger. His warrior chip was ready to be plugged in; his mentality of battle needed only the general's order.

"Well, I'm not asking for your permission, friend."

Charles reacted like Magneto had just called him 'My Little Pony'. It left him all muddled. Clearly they had some issues that needed to be fixed. Couldn't they just argue over a football game like old friends did? Did they seriously had to have all this apparatus? I swear some people were such attention seekers.

"Why are you doing this, Erik?" He opted to ask. "Can't you get enough members on your own?"

"Not as well trained as yours. You do the hard work by making them contestants. Then I make the easy work by turning them into champions. Life is a game of survival, Charles. You put these kids in the run, you make them plausible candidates society would have continuously rejected if it could. I admire you for that. But they're wasting their potential here. All these youngsters... so much raw power. They could be everything with me, but if they settle for you they'll always be nothing. I need them. I think they need me too. I can show them greatness because I'm not afraid they'll overpower me. I'm not afraid of their power or its consequences. I can face them. And they can too." Typical talk of a dictator. Magneto's glassy eyes travelled through us. When they landed on me again, I felt like the metal inside my body was resonating in his brain. Calling for him.

Oh fuck, this guy could control metal and I was screwed.

"Don't you feel that here you are being prevented from reaching your true potential?" He questioned, speaking to all of us like a prophet to his believers. "That you could be so much more? Come with me and I'll show you all the power you've been missing. You have it in you already. You just need a new teacher. My name is Magneto. We're the Brotherhood of Mutants. And you just received an invitation."

For some reason, that was Logan's limit. His claws came out of him with no effort and every will.

"Sorry, but we'll have to refuse." He said, and then threw himself to Juggernaut. Of course he just had to jump to the biggest guy, because he was stupid like that. Or... brave like that.

All Magneto did was raise a hand and Logan was thrown in the air like a rag doll. The sound of his body falling harshly on the ground hurt like it had happened to me.

"Magneto wasn't talking to you, Logan." Emma said while he got up, more furious than ever. I guess being humiliated in front of the whole school didn't help measuring his anger. "You weren't invited." Then her head turned to Scott and she winked. Unbelievable. "But you are, hun. It's nice to see you since, you know... the last time."

Scott's only reaction was to press his lips firmly, but Jean's face was a mask of distaste. So this was why she hated Emma. As if Logan wasn't enough, she also wanted to keep Scott on a short leash.

"I will have to ask you to leave now." Charles intervened before anyone could counterattack. "We are not interested in your proposal."

"That's not up to you to decide." Magneto declared, his eyes on the students again. "Join me, and you'll never have boundaries again. Chains are for the faint of heart."

"Well, at least we have one." Scott spoke up, just before he took his glasses off and a blast of red energy was shot in Magneto's direction. Cyclops came alive, but Polaris moved her fingers and the blast was swallowed by a force field.

This is going to be legen... wait for it... dary! I was fangirling for the enemy and I knew I shouldn't be, but dammit, their powers rocked. And then the X-Men came into action.

Logan threw himself onto Juggernaut again, claws clashing against the harsh body of the other man. Jean and Emma were both immobile, their eyes narrowed, immersed in some kind of mental battle. Scott continued to charge against Polaris, blasts of energy against electrical fields, and I wondered how Alex would react to seeing his older brother fighting the girl he loved. Storm was freaking flying! She made wind carry her into the air to fight other mutants that came from the forest, making clear these guys had backup and every intention to win. Pyro continued on his mass destruction by throwing balls of fire, and Bobby turned to Iceman to fight him.

And Professor X and Magneto just stood face to face like no one was around them. They had a history. And none of them wanted to end the story and put the book down.

As for the rest of us, we had no other option but to jump into battle as well. Life didn't bother asking if we wanted to be soldiers. I extended my fingers, my claws coming out in a rush due to its thirst for blood. This time, I didn't fight it. I used it to my advantage because there was no way I was going to let these party crashers take over my school.

Cats were territorial too.

I threw myself to a mutant three times bigger than me. He smiled, clearly underestimating me, and I smiled as well before slashing his chest. I let my senses and emotions guide me like Logan had taught me. I used the right amount of anger and combined it with my martial arts skills. I felt like a dancer among statues.

I looked around, mesmerized. I had never seen the X-Men in their full strength but it was something worth watching. Storm was fearless and dangerous, Cyclops combative and fierce. And now that I saw him in his natural state, I understood what everyone kept saying about Wolverine. He was Hell shaped on a person, brutal and lethal. All I could see was claws, and the next second blood. He was intimidating. Yet there was something about him fighting so savagely that just turned me--

Someone hit me from behind and I turned around to finish them quickly. No one interrupted my wolf watching and lived to tell the tale.

Around me, Iceman was freezing Pyro's attacks with bravery, Rogue took her gloves out to touch as many as she could, Bianca used her sound waves to shake the ground or hurt the opponents' ears, maddening their minds and Kitty phased through Colossus while he fought to surprise their adversaries and end them together. They were another Wonder Couple and their combat skills would make Logan proud. Everywhere every student was fighting as they could. None was to be underestimated, for fighting for protection and survival were the strongest human instincts.

I fought with every soul I had and the more I fought the least exhausted I felt. It was like every punch, every kick, every strike brought me back to life. I felt part of a family. And I wasn't ready to lose it again.

I heard whimpers of pain near me and my head quickly snapped in its direction. Strong, big mutants were surrounding some much smaller kids, ready to attack them without mercy. I felt venom boil in my veins, for I hated seeing the strong go after the weak.

Landing a last roundhouse kick to my opponent's jaw that left him unconscious, I quickly ran towards the circle, elbowing and kicking my way in. I put myself in between the kids and the bigger mutants, and smiled at the latter.

"If you want to have fun, you should have called me." I said viciously, and my claws came out. "Black Cats may bring bad luck but they also bring along lots of fun."

"You should remain still if you don't want to break a nail." One of them mocked.

"Oh, I'm not worried about that. My nails are unbreakable, as for your skulls... well, I'll be sure to test that theory very soon."

"You're just a girl." Another snorted. "What are you going to do, fight like one?"

I put a big grin on my face. He said it like it was an insult. I'd show him how big of a compliment it actually was.

"That's exactly what I'm going to do." And then I threw myself to them, Logan's words echoing in my mind. I never thought I'd actually listen to him in a situation of danger, but, oh well, I had to admit. He was a good teacher.

I dusted my hands off when they all stood in the ground knocked out. I turned to the kids behind me. They hadn't left my side.

"And that, kids, is how a woman fights."

"T-Thanks." They said while a group of students ran towards us frantically, and I instantly recognized them. They were the same group that had mocked me in the morning. Oh, sweet irony.

"I... you... you saved my brother." One of them said, dumbfounded.

"And my sister." Another added, ashamedly looking to the ground.

"Well, the Black Cat doesn't just steal jewels, you know?" I winked at them. They smiled, relieved and thankful.

"We're sorry for this morning, we..."

I shrugged it off.

"Water under the bridge."

"Thank you... watch out!" One of them said and I turned around in the air and threw a taekwondo 360 spinning hook kick to my newcomer oppponent's head. He fell to the ground immediately.

"Stay with me." I told the younger kids. "I'll watch your back." Then I turned to the older ones. "And yours if you want to."

They all nodded eagerly. I smirked. It's Blackout time.

A/N: Picture shows the characters of the Brotherhood of Mutants. Here's the cast:

Ian McKellen as Magneto (Erik Magnus Lehnsherr, born Max Eisenhardt)

January Jones as Emma Frost (aka White Queen)

Rebecca Romijn as Mystique (‎Raven Darkholme)

Emma Dumont as Polaris (Lorna Dane)

Aaron Stanford as Pyro (John Allerdyce)

Vinnie Jones as Juggernaut (Cain Marko)