FicWad

Revolution

Chapter 12: Turmoil

Tabitha shifted uncomfortably and Wanda wondered why she was compelled to talk to her of all people. Didn't she have a family that would listen to her? Maybe she didn't, maybe that's why she came to the Brotherhood's house. "You can tell me," Wanda encouraged. She had not had female friends before, or any friends during her life in the captivity of a mental institution. Yet she remembered in her false memories having school friends like anyone else. Yet she couldn't really remember their names. She reasoned that they must have grown apart and settled for the possibility of making new friends in the future, though outside of the Brotherhood she never got around to having even regular acquaintances. And here was someone looking to her in need of the support and understanding of a friend.

Tabitha nodded and reasoned that she might as well get it over with. "I think I'm losing my mind," that came out wrong. She didn't want to sound random, very much less offensive.

"Stress?" Wanda suggested. If Tabitha denied it and confessed love troubles looking for advice, Wanda was sure she would draw a blank.

"It's hard to explain, but I think something's messing with my head," Tabitha tried to elaborate. "I'm probably better off heading to the institute and asking professor X for an examination, but I'm scared."

"Of what?" Wanda inquired with true puzzlement. "I don't think the X-Men would hurt you."

"I know and it's illogical," Tabitha confessed. "That's my point, that's why I'm here. I know it sounds odd, but I really think there's something, or someone trying to take over my mind. I thought that if I surrounded myself with people constantly I would be able to keep my head in the here and now, but I can't. Then there were those things that Lance was talking to Pietro about earlier, about what happened at the amusement park."

Wanda had heard the story and she immediately knew what Tabitha was talking about. "You mean what happened to Gambit? You think that it might be happening to you?" Tabitha nodded silently and Wanda had to take a moment to think about it. If whoever was behind this could control a person's mind, then instilling an illogical yet irresistible sense of fear to keep that person from seeking help was also a possibility. "If that's the case, then you really should go to the institute. I don't like the X-Men, but they could help you."

Tabitha nodded, she knew that the conversation would get to this point and was glad that Wanda seemed so open to the possibility so far. Albeit there was more that she was yet to say, "I have a favor to ask of you." That was the real reason why Tabitha had gone to talk to Wanda. "I can create explosives, as you already know..." she stated as if it had some relation to what she was going to ask. "You're a powerful mutant so, knowing what to expect, you shouldn't have any trouble."

Wanda's eyes went wide in realization. "Are you losing control? Do you think you'll go on the attack?"

"Not just yet," Tabitha hoped. "But I know that going to the institute is what's best and I can't get myself to do it."

"The favor..." a theory started to take shape in Wanda's mind.

"Yes," Tabitha confirmed. "I wanted to ask you to take me to the institute, by force if necessary. If I get scared, illogically panicked beyond reason, then I might try to attack you and get away. Don't let me," she requested, almost pleadingly, "I don't want to lose myself."

There was something about Tabitha's words that struck a cord with Wanda. 'I don't want to lose myself...' those words rung out clearly in her mind in her own voice, but it was a younger voice filled with the echo of deja vu. Wanda pushed herself to focus on reality. She couldn't help it but to feel identified with that phrase, but she didn't know why. "I'll do it," she agreed. "I'll get you to the institute even if I have to drag you there."

Tabitha smiled with both relief and the weariness of a coming battle in her eyes, "thank you."

xoxox xox xoxox

When the next morning came at the Brotherhood house, breakfast was interrupted by an earthquake. It didn't last long, but Lance had ducked under the table with such speed that even Pietro was impressed. "What? Are you afraid of earthquakes now?" The speedy mutant teased.

Lance tried to pick up the broken pieces of his embarrassed dignity and crawled out from under the table. "Just joking," he lied. Tabitha gave Lance a curious look, but didn't say anything.

After breakfast, Tabitha and Wanda left, thankfully on foot, much to Lance's relief. In truth, they knew that the jeep would probably just end up being a battle victim or a possible escape route that they didn't want to make available. The two young women were doing alright, save for the annoyance of the heat, but it had been present for so many days that people were starting to slowly adapt, or at least resign themselves to a scorching summer.

Todd had curiously followed the girls, hopping from one form of camouflage to another, hiding behind cars parked on the sides of the road, newsstands and trashcans. Tabitha started to shiver just as they were getting closer to the institute and Wanda tried to make small talk, though she didn't think she was particularly good at it. Tabitha made responses at first, but her replies became shorter until she was only nodding or shaking her head.

Finally, with the look of a scared deer in the headlights, Tabitha broke into a run. She was swiftly stopped by Wanda, who linked arms with the other girl and dragged her forward with a few words of encouragement. Todd found their behavior to be very peculiar. Tabby was afraid of something that Wanda seemed intent on dragging her towards. Yet Wanda's words were comforting and sisterly, rather than threatening or forceful. Tabitha kept nodding and muttering things along the lines of "you're right..." and "I need to do this..." plus the occasional "don't leave me alone in there." It made Todd even more curious about where 'there' was.

Shaking despite the heat, Tabitha tried to go for another run. She attempted to break free from Wanda's grip and when she was not released, she resorted to attacking with an explosive. Panicked, Tabitha ran away as Wanda jumped back to dodge the small bomb. Todd was shocked; he jumped out from behind a row of potted plants that were on display in front of a flower shop, a few loose leaves and petals stuck to his hair.

Tabitha didn't have time to stop and bumped right into Todd causing them both to fall down on the street. "Don't let her get away!" Wanda shouted, but Tabitha was already on her feet and running as fast as her legs could carry her, with frightened passer-bys hastily scrambling out of the way of the rampaging mutant.

Wanda was quick to give chase, using her abilities to lift Tabitha off the ground. Tabitha screamed and Wanda dropped her, thinking that she was accidentally hurting her, though in truth the agonized exclamation was not due to any sort of physical affliction, but rooted in a baseless unreasonable fear of the people that Tabitha's logical mind knew could help her. Once again, Tabitha was on the run, she headed towards an alleyway which led to a dead end. Making use of an explosive, she demolished the wall that separated the alleys of both streets and made it into the street at the other side, running aimlessly.

Tabitha's feet carried her to the park where she stopped next to the fountain to catch her breath. Tears were running down her face. Wanda wouldn't want to help her now, who could put up with her when she was so crazy? How could she get help like this? Whatever was out there would take over her mind, would make her lose herself... it would kill her. She fell on her knees next to the fountain with a surge of frustration and anger directed at herself and at her mysterious unseen foe.

"There she is!" Todd called out as he rushed towards Tabitha. "Hey Tabby, I don't know why you and Wanda are fighting, but I'm sure we can talk it out, so let's all stay calm!" Never mind that Todd himself was in a panic. He considered Tabitha a friend, especially after their antics in their short lived job at the fancy cafe; she was the one who gave him the extra push to get the job in the first place. He didn't want to see his crush and his friend fighting.

"We're not fighting, I'm helping her!" Wanda argued. "Tabitha, we're going, you know you need to go!"

"No!" Tabitha cried, her terror once more overcoming her sense of reason. She threw explosives wildly, destroying the fountain. At least there wasn't anyone out at the warm sunny park at the time, though the noise of the explosions caught the attention of a few people that stopped to look from a safe distance.

"Now, now, let's all calm down, yo!" Todd nervously insisted. "Babycakes, where is it that you want to go? Maybe I could go with you instead," he offered.

"Just stay out of the way, Toad. I'm not the one who needs to go to the institute, Tabitha is and I promised to take her there by force if I had to!" Wanda's hands glowed as she lifted Tabitha into the air once more. She didn't feel comfortable with this approach. It was effective, but she worried that she would hurt Tabitha and her screams of terrified agony along with her haunted tortured expression and tears flowing down her face were haunting.

"Honey," Todd tried to soothe Wanda. "I don't think Tabitha wants to go to the institute... and why would you want to take her there, yo?" Todd's confusion only grew.

"Let me go!" Tabitha screamed so loudly that her throat strained and her voice cracked. Her expression was feral and wild and she released explosives all around.

Wanda tried to shield Tabitha, Todd and herself, but when the smoke cleared, Tabitha was laying on the ground unconscious, her body battered and bruised. "Tabitha!" Wanda didn't notice her own injuries, but they weren't too serious anyway. She turned her head towards where Todd had been. There was a growing pool of blood under his limp body. "Todd!" She shouted his name in desperation. Wanda didn't know what to do, Tabitha and Todd were injured, they could die. "Help!" She cried out to no one in particular. She felt her mind strain as panic and guilt settled in, even though it wasn't really her fault. This was only the fault of whatever was so cruelly affecting Tabitha. "Help! Help! Help... Aah!"

xoxox xox xoxox

At the institute, Xavier let out a pained yelp and held his head. He had been speaking to Logan, Hank and Ororo in the library. Their theorizing was interrupted as they focused their alarmed eyes on the professor. "Calm down!" Xavier urged with his mind, also automatically speaking the words with instinctual emphasis. "Calm down, where are you? The park? We're on our way, stay calm, you must not lose control! No, they need you, focus!" Xavier took a long ragged breath and addressed the urgent stares that were on him. "We have an emergency at the park, they need immediate medical attention!"

There wasn't a split second to waste. Never mind land transportation, the helicopter was at the park in mere moments, though it still felt like an eternity for Wanda. With desperate tears running down her eyes, she tried to provide first aid as best she could until the X-Men got there. Her words were a jumbled mess as she pleaded for the lives of her friends. She didn't care that she was getting help from the X-Men, she didn't care what her father, or brother, or anyone would say. She just wanted them to be saved.

xoxox xox xoxox

It took several hours for the turmoil to die down. Tabitha and Todd, who had gotten the worse of it, were both in stable condition resting at the infirmary at the institute. Wanda remained with them for the most part, until Jean coaxed her into stepping out for a moment to calm down. Much calmer now, Wanda looked over her friends sleeping faces and let out a breath of relief, they were on the road to recovery at least.

Tabitha had been sedated; it was the only thing left to do when she woke up in a panic and tried to blow up the whole place. Xavier was planning to try to talk to her subconsciously to help her conquer her fears and regain control over herself. Until that was accomplished, she would sleep and rest her mind in preparation. Wanda walked out of the infirmary, leaving Ororo to watch over Tabitha and Todd. She stopped at the doorway where Xavier and Logan waited. "You wanted an explanation, I assume?"

Logan said nothing, as he felt it would be redundant and instead took Wanda's question as a rhetorical one. Xavier, who also needed some mental rest himself after Wanda's less than gentle psychic contact; nodded kindly and spoke in a soft fatherly voice. "Let's talk in the sitting room." Wanda nodded in acceptance and followed them.

To be Continued

Pretty wild chapter, wasn't it?