I still have the dreams, sometimes. The sting of the electric cattle prod against my skin as I cower in the corner of a cage. Its sparks illuminate the darkness, giving me flashes of the faces of the devils that torture me for amusement as we cross the sea. Other than their laughter and the spark of their instrument, all I can hear is the groaning of the cargo container against the water. Around my neck, the collar suppressing my mutant abilities constricts tightly. I only have enough breath to survive. None to talk to the other mutants in the cages around me. None to scream in pain as the prod comes down again. I had been scared in the past, wandering through the European forests alone. But there is nothing like staring your slavers in the face as they inflict pain for sport. The nightmares come and go. Ever since I moved into Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, they have become less and less frequent. Building a family around yourself can heal a lot of ills, and my X-Men family has done that. At least until recently. When stories began appearing on the news about abducted kids, my trek across the ocean once again krept into my dreams. When Professor Xavier began to openly muse that it was mutant children disappearing, I was on that ship damn near every night. They stopped last week when Professor X told Shadowcat and I that we’d be going to New York to track the kidnappers down. Even the chance to take down the people who imprisoned me and took Rahne from me has me running at a high motor. Rahne. The name still hurts to think about. She was better than me in every way, and she’s more than likely a slave to some depraved lunatic. But if I have anything to do with it, it’ll never happen to anyone again. I’m gonna make sure of that. “You understand this is a recon mission, first and foremost,” Scott Summers, better known as Cyclops, says to Kitty and I. Scott is like the big brother I never had, but he can certainly be a hardass more often than not. I know it rubs Kitty the wrong way, but it’s never bothered me much. Scott has the weight of the world on his shoulders. The X-Men are the most visible group of mutants on the planet, and it’s a planet that doesn’t love mutants all that much. “If you can help it, I don’t want you interfering. Verify our suspicions and get back to us.” “Understood,” Kitty Pryde, one of my very best friends and teammate, nods. While the two of us are some of the youngest members of the team, she’s already become one of the keystone members. She’s relished the opportunity. Not that I haven’t. But I’ve always had a mischievous streak that doesn’t always jive well with Scott’s no nonsense form of leadership. Logan enjoys it, sure, but Logan isn’t the leader of the team. Still, as a circus performer, I guess it’s in my blood. I like to have fun and make people smile. “Kurt?” Cyclop’s crimson gaze falls on me. “Da, I understand,” I nod to him and smile. It seems to make him at ease. It’s of course a lie. I’m not going to let an opportunity to take down the men who ruined my life slip through my fingers. Scott doesn’t understand. Kitty doesn’t understand. Hell, Professor X barely does. None of them understand what it feels like to have been hunted like a wild animal with the person you love running beside you. They don’t know what it’s like to be treated like a dog in a cage. I do, and it fills me with righteous anger every time I think about it. “We have a contact with SHIELD in the city,” Professor Charles Xavier adds as he moves forward towards the two of us. Charles Xavier is like my second adoptive father. The man has more nurturing care than should be humanly possible. There are over one hundred children at this school, and he knows and loves every single one of them like they are his own. There’s no better face for mutant kind on the planet. “She’ll make contact once the two of your are settled in your apartment. Remember, your cover is a young couple right out of college. Kurt, is your image enducer working correctly?” “Da, professor,” I nod. I’m what society would call an obvious mutant. It’s hard to be blue, furry, and with a tail and be considered otherwise. Luckily, Hank McCoy had developed a holographic image projector to hide his own furry visage. “I had it set to Channing Tatum to mess vith the younger students, but I will change it to the default setting for the mission.” “Very good. We’re counting on you two,” Xavier smiles warmly at Kitty and I. That’s what I’ll miss the most about being away from the school. Even in the thick of a crisis with the Brotherhood, it still feels like home. Xavier still feels like the patriarch of this great big freaky family. New York’s not going to have that. “And remember New York is on the verge of exploding,” Scott adds in. “We need to try and keep a low profile.” Scott isn’t being hyperbolic either. Ever since the death of the Green Goblin and the disappearance of Spider-Man, the city has transformed into the wild west. It’s the reason the mutant slavers have moved in. They see a vulnerability and are pouncing at the opportunity to make a profit off the city’s misery. They’re bottom feeders, and I’ll make sure they’re treated as such. “We won’t let you down, Professor,” Kitty says determined, flashing a sly smile at me. The two of us are on the same page with this one. She wants to finish this mission on our own without any help. The two of us can do it. We know we can. She has the knowledge of New York, and I know how these guys operate. There’s no stopping us. “I know you won’t,” Charles Xavier’s calm and confident voice floats through the air. “Now go pack and be ready, X-Men. We have a mission to complete.”