Emma stared at the woman. “Shaw, he made you to look like me?”

Rogue snorted. “Daddy always wanted a daughter. Pity he tried to fuck me and it made him senile." Rogue laughed as Emma’s face went pale. “Oh, you didn’t know. See, it’s all up here. I got his memories once. He thought he could absorb my power with his own, but yeah, that didn’t work out. See he was a sick fuck. Made little Emma clones only twelve years old. Nice and juicy little peaches for him to eat, I’ve seen it.” Rogue laughed and squirmed. “I’ve seen it all,“ she dropped down into a whisper. “All the plans and schemes. The end of things, and the darkness as it rises, and oh it will.” As Juggernaut looked at her she squirmed once more and shot forwards, her hands grabbing Emma by the neck.

“But you won’t see it.” As expecting the rush of power she stared at Emma, who was smirking.

As her skin crystallised she grabbed Rogue’s hands and headbutted her. “Your powers don’t work on anything inorganic. I saw how you need skin contact. Now Shaw isn’t the only one going to fuck you.”

Emma stood as Rogue landed on her ass. “You stay out of this. If I die, it doesn’t matter, kill her and make sure this place stops existing.”

Juggernaut shrugged and nodded. “Your funeral.” and moved over towards the jet, where Pietro waited.

“You okay big guy?” Pietro asked.

Cain nodded at him, “I don’t like it here, too much pain, too much suffering.” Pietro agreed, shivering. He could feel the dark oppressive aura as well and it was as if a thick cold mist was rising from the dam. Surprisingly, he hoped that Peter was okay inside. Wanda would be crushed if anything happened to him. He snorted, he was still a dick though.

⁂

Rogue laughed and moved away, “Your funeral, our funeral, his funeral. Once the Apocalypse comes, we all die together.”

Emma shook her head. “Quite finished? I’m already bored of you and I guess when Shaw cloned me he forgot to clone my personality as well.” Rogue snarled, “Charming,” Emma stood, examining her nails. “I am waiting, unless you want me to die of boredom, You should attack.”

Rogue could feel it was a trap, but nothing in her memories told her what to expect from Emma in her crystal form. Even the knowledge she did have told her she should have been able to drain her dry but it failed.

“Fine!” Emma said impatiently, “If you're such a coward then I guess I’ll end this.” With a wave of her hand, Emma lifted Rogue and smashed her into, and straight, through a tree. “You see, Shaw knew I was the White Queen, but he could never remember why, and once I got a good grip of my powers, he never would.” With a flick, Rogue smashed through another tree. “I’m not just a telepath darling, but quite the telekinetic as well. Pity you can’t absorb that one.”

Rogue just laughed, “Trees don’t hurt hon.” As she brushed off the splinters she flew up and disappeared with a sonic boom.

“Well, that was boring. She is definitely not a clone of me. Imagine running away, and that hair, ugh.” Emma let her mind seek out Rogues, feeling for where she was hiding. “There.”

Well. Hurry up. I have a date with a dazzling young man after this, and if you think Shaw has defeated him, you’re sadly mistaken.

STAY OUT!

Emma laughed. There are only two, maybe three telepaths powerful enough to make me, darling, and none of them are here. So why don’t you come back down and make me, you prissy stuck-up excuse for a Mutant.

Rogue's head pulsed and she could feel the different minds being expunged from her own.

Eugh, so messy. You take their lives as well as their powers. No wonder Shaw kept you on a leash. Well, let’s see who the real Rogue is, shall we?

Rogue screamed as Emma peeled her mind like an onion. Pulling away the very interesting memories she got from Carol, she made a mental note to bed Peter. As she dove through Rogue's mind she eliminated every person Rogue had ever absorbed. As she delved deeper, she eventually found the scared little girl, hiding in the dark from her father.

Emma walked around her in the mental mindscape, well well well, kissed a boy at twelve and almost killed him. Father beat you and you ran away only to meet one of Shaw's little groups. And then Shaw fed you to a cloned Selene and Shaw hybrid. You poor thing, but still not enough for me to let you live.

Rogue screamed in her mind as Emma stripped her way piece by piece but the pain and the torture suddenly stopped. Emma tutted as she thought of Peter. He would probably say something if she just killed her, and so she scowled and instead, began to work.

In her mind, Rogue could feel Emma’s anger bubbling away and she felt the sudden rush of power. Rogue was blasted away and Anne Marie was brought back to life. Emma stitched and rebuilt memories, a happy family, a loving father and then a tragic accident. Anne Marie had a family, who missed her and loved her, and she should get back to them.

As Anne Marie landed on the ground a diamond Emma walked over to her, sneering. “You are lucky. I was going to kill you but it seems I have more of a conscience than I thought. It even has a name.” Looking over to the jet, she saw Pietro hanging around the door hesitantly. “You, grab something to move her. Her powers won’t work on anything thicker than cloth, so as long as you bundle her up, you’ll be safe.”

Moving towards the dam entrance she felt Juggernaut following her.

“I do not need a babysitter, and certainly not one of Selene's.”

He grunted, “You feel that? Bad juju.”

Emma frowned, and as she extended her telepathic senses into the damn he was right. A thick cloud of what she would only describe as evil hung in the air. As soon as she touched it, it popped, like a refreshing wave of summer chasing away the chill of winter.

“Rest got hurt from being stupid. Don’t be stupid, shiny lady.” was all he said as he followed behind.

At least he was polite, she thought and as the pair entered the dam complex they found the remains of the bodies.

Whatever had attacked had been cut into pieces. The smoking ends of limbs and chunks of bodies smouldered as the last of the Extremis burned within them. It was an easy path to follow and soon Cain and Emma found the room with Logan slumped outside. Emma frowned as she approached the unconscious Logan.

“Cain. Does your helmet protect you from telepathic abilities?”

Cain rapped his knuckles on it as it made a hollow clunking noise. “My brother isn’t too nice.”

She nodded. Shaw had an almost weekly rant about that 'bald-headed bastard'.

She knelt and pressed two fingers to Logan's neck. “He’s fine, just overwhelmed. Now, do be a dear and open the door.”

As Cain wound up a fist and connected, the door exploded into a million pieces.

Emma made a kiss face, “Thank you, darling,” and they entered the room.

Emma saw a redhead, wrapped in bright red clothing arguing with Peter.

“I don’t care if you needed it, you took my powers. Now, give them back.”

The redhead, who Emma thought was very cute, pouted and crossed her arms. “Helios doesn’t want to.” She turned her back on him, crossing her arms and huffing.

“You took a Symbiote? Jean, you are in so much trouble. It's.“ Peter pointed a finger at her and was about to start shouting when he saw his audience. “Oh hey Emma, uh, thought we agreed you’d stay outside.”

“I maybe thought you might need my help, not be in the middle of a domestic. I can leave. After all, she does look desperate. Don't most of your arguments devolve into sexual orgies at some point?”

Jean turned and raised an eyebrow at her. “I’m not the one wearing thigh highs and hotpants,” she tutted at Emma’s attire.

“Jealous darling? I mean, some of us can pull off thigh highs while a full body suit is better for others, but Peter, is Shaw?”

He nodded. “Dead, thankfully. The three?”

It was Emma’s turn to nod. “One proved difficult. You’re needed. Erik and your lady friend have been hurt.”

Peter glared at Jean, “Thanks a lot, Jean. Without my powers, there’s nothing I can do. Get Pietro to take them to Gwen immediately, don’t even stop at the mansion.”

Emma nodded. “There, he’s taking off now. Scott and the rest are all injured as well, but he knows what to do.”

Peter sighed and relaxed. “We need to decide what to do with this place, I mean, we can’t exactly leave a secret base of clones and machinery here. Some nutcase will find it and next thing we’ll have a clone army trying to take over New York. Again.” Peter clenched a fist. “What the hell did you do to me, Jean? I can’t even feel my powers let alone use them.”

“I took enough to cleanse myself of Charles’s influence and then a Symbiote was created and bonded to me. It must have drained you too much,” she shrugged.

“And you don’t see the problem with that?”

She curled a lip and shrugged again. “You were so insistent on helping, and when we took it you got all mad. There is no pleasing you, or well, there is but we are not interested if you are going to be so indignant.” Jean huffed.

“And we could have discussed that,” he shouted, “after we’d dealt with the death base.” He shook his head. “Fine, Emma, Jean, and well Cain I guess, it’s up to you. I can’t do anything and without my powers, I’m a liability.” He emphasised the last part as he stared at Jean. “You need to decide, and uh, where's Logan?” He could hear the man groaning in the corridor. “You left him? On his own, and defenceless? What the hell is wrong with you three?”

Emma waved a hand, “There is no one else in the base Peter, calm down. I checked, and other than the four of us there are no active minds in the base. There are about a few dozen hundred clones, but all sleeping.” Emma stated matter of factly. Peter could only run a hand over his face.

“Then decide. Emma, as his successor, whether you like it or not this is all yours now. Jean, I guess as the most powerful here, you too, and well Cain, I can’t really stop you. So I’m going to check on Logan make it quick though, if Carol’s hurt I want to make sure she’s okay.”

Emma looked at Jean, “isn’t he so bossy when he’s angry?” Jean giggled. “But so very sexy.” Jean blushed and bit her lip. She still had Peter’s naked form in her head and was trying to keep her thoughts away from what she really wanted.

“So, with Shaw’s little sex dungeon, and the shit he’s been doing here.” Emma lifted a hand and snapped her fingers. “I made the decision. They are all snuffed out. I don’t care if Peter thinks you're more powerful, you don’t get a choice. I want this place empty and destroyed. Nobody gets to benefit from this ghoulish hellhole.”

Jean and Cain both nodded.

Out in the corridor, Peter was trying unsuccessfully to lift Logan.

“What the hell are you made from?” He asked the barely conscious Logan.

“Badassium,” he mumbled.

Peter snorted, someone had been talking to Pietro. “Funny. Can you help?” Cain nodded and lifted the prone man in his arms.

“Maybe some clothes though,” Cain pointed out. Peter noticed that Logan was naked, except for a hastily tied uniform around his waist. Returning to the chamber he found another of the X-clones uniforms. With Cain holding him up, Peter slid it up far enough to cover his dignity. Cain nodded, happy he wasn’t carrying a naked man back to the plane.

“Now, let’s get the hell out of here.” As Jean and Emma nodded, Peter could hear the explosions coming from below. “Uh, did one of you set off charges?”

Jean looked at her feet and mumbled. “Emma said she wanted it destroyed.”

Peter stared at her with his mouth open.

“At least wait until we’re outside. Dammit!” and he began to run.