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Introduction:

Once upon a time, there was a funny little man named Gateway who had done alot of bad things in his life. So he decided that in atonement, he must do something good....he rescued a child from a monster. After naming her Penance, he left in the care of Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters. At Xavier's, Penance, or Yvette as she was found to be, lived in reletive peace. She was given lots of apples to eat, and she even, sorta, made friends . If those friends happened to be mutants, well, Penance was a mutant herself . She had a power that allowed her to absorb light and make her body diamond- hard. She became very sensitive to light as a result of it. But not many people payed much attention to Penny. In fact, most of the time they ignored her. Which really wasn't a very good idea.

Part 1
The day was sunny and bright, with few clouds in the sky. The flowers bloomed and spread color around. The birds twittered high up in the tree branches, while the squirrels scolded them from the ground. In short, it was perfect. But what else could you expect in the bio-sphere?
Emma Frost sat cross legged in the gazebo, addressing the crowd of students in front of her. "This will be a normal training session. The object of the game is to hunt and "kill". To kill, you must touch the other person's shoulder. The last standing team wins. Losers return to the gazebo. Any questions?"
"Why return here?" The imperious voice of Monet St. Croix, M, rang out. "I would much rather leave the bio-sphere entirely. There are things I wish to accomplish before lunch."
"yeah, what?" Jubilation Lee, Jubilee, asked nastily, "Gonna go stare at a wall for a few hours? Color in your diary? 'Phone your brother?"
"You dont' know anything, you....." M said scathingly to Jubilee.
"Enough!" snapped Emma.
Jubilee and M subsided with nothing more than a glare and a stuck out tongue. Everett Thomas, Synch, smothered a laugh as Jubilee made a face behind M's back. Paige Gutherie, Husk, raised her hand.
"Ms. Frost, ma'am? What if one person on a team is out and the other isn't?"
"Then the remaining teammate plays on alone." Emma replied, "Any more questions? No? Then you may pick your teams."
"Cool!" Jubilee yelled as she ran to Synch, "I'm on your team, Ev!" An arm suddenly grabbed her from behind.
"Uh uh, chica, you an mi amigo here, that ain't fair!" Angelo Espinoza, Skin, said.
"I'll give ya fair, ya......" Jubilee started as she shook off Skin's arm.
"Jubilee, join my team!" Husk yelled across to her, and she left, grumbling under her breath at Skin. M and Jonothon Starsmore, Chamber, completed the final team.
"You have one minute to get ready before the game starts," Emma said as she set her timer.
"What have ye got the wee ones at now, Emma lass?" The cheerful voice of Sean Cassidy, Banshee, rang out. Emma frowned. She should have sensed Banshee, but she....hadn't.
"I'm training them, Sean. They are here to learn after all!" Emma snapped.
"All the proper safety measures have been taken?" Sean continued blithely.
"Of course Sean. I AM a professional." Emma said with gritted teeth.
"Good, good, good. So ye're all set for a day o' fun and adventure then! I'll just be on me way now," Banshee said jovially, slapping Synch on the back. Synch froze, a change coming over his face and a glazed look entering his eyes.
Emma's head snapped up and she stared intently at Synch. "Are you all right, Everett?
"Whu...? Yes, yes of course I'm all right." He said distractedly.
"Are you sure?" Emma persisted.
"Yes. It's just that Mr. Cassidy's tap wasn't exactly a tap." He answered jokingly.
"Oh, 'tis sorry I be, lad! Sometimes I dont' know me own strength!" Banshee said remorsefully as he left.
Emma stared after him searchingly. Something had passed from him to Synch. She didnt' know what, or why..........but somehow she had the feeling that it was very very important.
"Can we start now, Ms. Frost?" Jubilee asked impatiently.
Emma dragged her attention back with a force of will. "Yes. Begin now." She said, resolving to find out what happened at the earliest opportunity.
Little did she know that neither Banshee nor Synch intended to give her the opportunity.

Part two
The silent, enigmatic girl named Penance sat forgotten on a log. This was her favorite spot, the place where she found peace. And butterflies. Penance loved butterflies. They had such pretty colors, and if she stood quite still, they even landed on her nose and tickled.
Penance loved apples too, but she never found them on the log. She got those from the one they called "Jubilee" and the other one, "Chamber". They had the most colorfull lights around them, something they called "auras", and they were such pretty rainbow colors.
One of Penance's favorite things to do was to watch the others. When she saw them come outside, she was so happy that she stayed quiet and hid, lest she frighten them away. She knew that they were afraid of her, ever since she almost killed one of them.
The one called Banshee came out too, but he didnt' go to the others, not at first. He went to the edge of the forest and a huge dark light, as different from the auras as light from day, engulfed him and he collapsed. Penance became frightened, and her body turned razor sharp in reaction. The man got up. He saw her in the trees, and his entire face changed. He came close to her, and reached out to touch her......but her skin kept him from it. He looked at her in anger, and spoke to her, but Penance couldn't hear him (she never heard anything) and she ran away in confusion. His aura wasn't pretty anymore, the rainbow colors were gone and blacks and browns and grey's remained.
In one of her queer turns of mind, Penance relized that this wasn't the Banshee one. This was something else in Banshee, something evil that wanted to enslave her. And Penance did not like being enslaved. Once she had been...but she escaped, and she didn't ever want to go back to that. She needed to warn the others, as best she could, before the thing went to them.
Penace was too late. She felt it deep in her bones before she saw the light. The one called Synch looked exactly like Banshee......he was no longer Synch, but was now another one of the light creatures.
Angry at herself for her failure to warn the others, she withdrew deep into the shadows, her body shrinking closer to her, her skin growing razor sharp, her face growing hard. The others knew nothing, but she knew. It was her duty to protect the ones who had rescued her, and she would do it. Even it it meant she had to die.

Part three
Jubilee hid in the bushes near the stream, making sure to cover her tracks behind her. {As is that matters with Ev out there!} She thought, thinking vengefully of what she'd do to Skin later.
A stick broke somewhere nearby, and Jubilee immediately tensed. Only Synch could have tracked her here, and she did not want him near enough to latch onto her powers. Dropping onto all fours, she silently crept out of the bushes....and straight into Synch.
"Going somewhere Lee?" He asked with a grim smile.
"Aw, Ev! Why'd ya have to come after me?" Jubilee groaned "Can't you just go get Chamber or M?"
"Now, now, Lee, that wouldn't be fair!" He said, shaking a finger at her "Be a good girl and give in gracefully."
"Give in?!" Jubilee yelped "When I was with the Xmen, we NEVER gave in!" With barely a thought, she threw out a hand and fireworks lept torwards Synch. Synch absorbed it, then sent it back in a rainbow shower that knocked Jubilee off her feet and into the stream.
"I believe that you are the next thing to caught, Ms. Lee," He said "Need a hand up?"
"If you say I told you so, I'll.....," Jubilee began as she reached up to grasp his hand........
Penance lept out from the shadows, her claws reaching out to rake Synch's arm. With a small scream, Jubilee fell back into the stream. Synch dropped to the ground, using his powers to synch to Penance's power, and cover ing his face. Penance ripped and teared at him with all the ferocity she could.
"Ms. Frost! Ms. Frost! HELP!" Jubilee yelled as she scrambled out of the water.
Emma appeared and took in the scene with a glance. "Penance, STOP! " She yelled, stabbing deep into the girl's mind in an attempt to calm her. Penance gave her one agitated look before she lept away into the trees, disappering before she touched them.
Emma turned torwards Synch and said impeccably "Got to the Medi-Lab . Now." She turned torwards the crowd of students that had come when Jubilee had screamed. "Skin, go with him."
"Really, Ms. Frost, I"m quite alright. I synched to her powers, and Penance never even scratched me." Synch said as he got up and dusted himself off.
"Go. Now." Emma said. She waited until Synch and Skin had left before continuing. "You are all dismissed. I would suggest that you finish the reports that are due on Comparative Biology." She turned and marched off, the rest following her.
Penance watched from the shadows.

Part four
As darkness fell, the campus settled. Penance paused at the edge of the girl's dormitory. Halfway up, a light went out, and she took off. Digging her claws into the bricks, she climbed up and hesitated at the open window. She cocked her head and searched the room as best she could before sliding in. She stood outlined in the shadows, her body absorbing the light, leaving her in darkness. She moved to the edge of Jubilee's bed and put her claws over the girl's face, her own face confused. She'd expected Jubilee to have the same light as the other two, but Jubilee's was the same as always, bright rainbow colors. Yet, Penance had seen another kind of light here, at the windows.......
Jubilee woke up with a start. Penance stood abover her with the claws over her faces, posied to close across her throat. "Penny? What are you doing?" She whispered in fear.
Suddenly, Penance whirled so fast that her hand was a blur of motion, and sliced open Skin's throat as he appeared next to her. His skin contracted to cover the cut, but he was too slow, and with a little moan he collapsed in on himself. The body evaporated and all that remained was a tiny circle of black light that slowly dimmed and went out.
Emma burst into the room and took in the scene in a glance. "What the hell happened here?!"
"MsFrost, PennycameintomyroomthenSkintriedtokillmesoPennykilled Skin!" She said in one breath as she struggled out of her blankets.
"What?!" Emma said, startled "But if Penance attacked Skin...She also attacked Synch this afternoon! We have to find the others!"
"Why, Emma, if 'tis us ye be lookin' for, ye won't have to look far!" Banshee's voice said from the doorway. Ranged behind him were Synch, M, Husk, and chamber.
Somehow Emma thought that she might be in just a bit of trouble.

Part five
Penance never hesitated when she needed to do something. Experience had taught her that to hesitate was to endanger yourself. So when she saw the bad light at the door, she didn't hesitate.....she attacked.
Leaping from the bed, she landed right in front of them, and raked her claws down. Unfortunately, it was the one who could synch to her powers and it didn't hurt him, but she had the effect of scattering them. She clawed and ripped in the midst of them, sending them all to opposite ends of the room. She lost sight of Synch, but Husk appeared in front of her, tearing off her skin to show granite under. Penance turned on her, but with a vicious laugh, Husk shrugged her off and threw her into a wall. The wall shuddered under Penance's weight and a crack appeared from the ceiling to the floor. Penance used the wall for leverage and lept again at Husk, her momentum throwing them both against the opposite wall and completely falling through it. Husk threw her off and pounded on her with her granite fists, but Penance's skin held firm,and Husk's couldn't do any more than bruise her until she turned back to her normal state.
Penance threw her claw torwards Husk, but missed and threw it into the wall instead. The claw went threw the middle of the wall, in the softer area, and stuck. Penance desperately tried to draw it out, but it was stuck fast and wouldn't budge. Husk edged closer and her mouth opened to taunt her again. Penance got a blinding idea and moved her other claw so fast that Husk didn't have a warning. She shoved her claw down into Husk's throat and with a ripping sound, tore out the softer inside. Husk's head fell to the floor, and her body collapsed in on itself, the light inside dimming.
Penance stood inside what was left of the hall and Jubilee's room, working her arm out of the wall. Everybody was gone, but Penance saw the window was smashed and she could hear the sounds of explosions outside. With one of her graceful leaps, she dived through the window and climbed down the side of the building to go see who might need some help.

Part six
Jubilee dove behind the bed when Penance lept at the others. She knew exactly what Penance could do with those claws, and she didnt' intend to be anywhere around them when Penance was this angry. And just like she suspected, they scattered the minute that Penance started flashing her claws. {Stupid things!} She thought cunningly {Don't they relize that they are sooooo much easier to pick off one by one?}
Just as Jubilee prepared to come out and help Penance with Husk, Emma was attacked by M and they both flew out the window. Chamber had disappeared, Husk was occupied by Penance, Banshee was working some kind of spell in the air.......and Synch was headed right for her.
Jubilee jumped out from behind the bed, her fingers pointed like a gun, sparks flying around her. "Where do you think YOUR going, ya copy cat? " She said bravely.
"Lee, stop this. It won't hurt a bit to join me, trust me on this. All I gotta do is touch you, and YOU can have all this power and fun too!"
"Power? Fun? In being a vampire? I don't think so! What did you do with Ev?" She snarled.
"Everett and the rest are all in a safe place, but dont' think you'll ever see them again. As soon as I get you and Penance is killed by Husk, our master will kill you all." He said. NOT the answer Jubilee was looking for.
"Dont' bet on it, ya reject! Eat my sparks!" She shot out a shower of sparks, but Synch laughed at her and sent them back in a much more powerful blast. Jubilee went flying backwards and went through the already smashed window. She fell through the air and landed in the stream again, hitting her head on a rock and barely retaining consciousness. {Stupid, Lee, really really stupid. You know that he can do that! Start thinking!} She though to herself with anger.
Synch landed next to the stream and started looking for her, checking the water and looking for her passage on the bank. Jubilee swan underwater to an overhanging tree branch, then swung herself up lightly into the tree. She inched her way off it, and just as she touched the ground, the entire branch broke off and she plunged to the ground. Synch's head jerked up and he came trotting closer to her with a look of anticipation on his face.
Jubilee shook her head and tried not to cry. {This is impossible! There's no way I can beat him, he can top everything I do!} She thought despairingly. Her hand moved and she hit it with the edge of the tree branch. "OW!" She yelped, backing away, and sucking on her bruise. Synch's smile grew wider and he came closer to her, his eyes searching in the darkness and his ears cocked for another sound.
An idea hit Jubilee. If she couldn't hit Synch with her power, then she should improvise and use the next best thing.....a sharpened tree branch that could peirce skin. She grabbed the branch in one hand and hid it behing her back, then stood up and waited until Synch's eyes fell on her. "I've decided to give up. If you want to absorb me, or kill me, or whatever, I don't care. I'm not strong enough to defeat you." She said, trying her best to sound sincere.
Synch came all the way to her without a clue. "I'm so glad you've decided to see reason, Lee. I always said that you were a smart girl." He stood in front of her with an evil smile and reached out to touch her arm..........With a lightning quick move, Jubilee ducked under his arm and brought out her stick at the same time, shoving it deep into his stomach and enjoying the look of surprise on his face. "If you had really been Ev, you would have known: When I was with the Xmen, I never gave up...and I don't intend to start now!"
Synch collapsed in on himself and the light dimmed.
Far away, Jubilee heard the sound of a fight. {M and Ms. Frost} She thought {Only M could be so destructive} She jogged away as fast as she could on a twisted ankle to help Ms. Frost, passing by Penance but not realizing it.

Part seven
{When Penance moves} Emma thought dimly {She really moves} Diving to the side, Emma avoided Synch as he came torwards her. She has seen Jubilee hide, and she hoped that she stayed there. Already Penance was fighting, with Husk, but she couldn't find Chamber or M........
"Hello, Ms Frost. Wouldn't you agree that today is a good day for you to die?" The cultured voice of M said from behind her. Emma turned around and saw M standing behing her with a huge knife in her hand.
"Going to kill me? I thought that you were attempting to subjugate the entire team." Emma said calmly.
"You know very well that we cannot absorb you, Ms. Frost. The very nature of you power keeps us from it." M said.
"Ah, but you absorbed Monet, and I have always suspected that that child had more power than I ever did." Emma said, inching her way across the floor, putting as much space between her and M.
"Yes, we did, and yes, she does. She, however, does not have the potential to open the portals between the dream relm and the natural relm." M said, with a blank face. She started to advance on Emma.
"And your saying I do? That wouldnt' matter at all, unless you happened to have stashed the children into the dream relm....." Emma said in a quiet voice, realizing that the dream world was exactly where the children were.
"You don't have to worry about that! You just have to die!" M said with an angry face. She took the knife and threw it an Emma, but Emma dived under it and came up on the other side of M. M flew at her with enough momentum to push her out the window, and Emma fell down to the ground. She caught at tree branches, leaves, anything to stop her downward flight.
With a sharp pain, Emma landed on the ground. The noise of her passage passed, leaving nothing behing but the sound of the wind. Emma bent over her side in pain, and her wrist hung limply. {Great!} She thought {I'm now out of my own fight with a broken rib and a broken wrist!}
"Die, Ms. Frost," A voice said above her. M landed lightly on the ground next to her and approached, the knife gone but her fist cocked and ready. Emma closed her eyes and attempted to control the girls mind, but like Synch earlier, nothing happened. Emma sighed and M's fist connected with her face, breaking her nose and sending her backwards into the trees.
"That is IT, child!" Emma said, blood dripping down her face. She stared at M and concentrated, focusing her energy.....then sent a psionic lightning bolt straight from her head to connect with M's stomach. The girl dropped like a stone, her mind going into meltdown, and her heart stopping to beat. Emma took out the letter opener in her pocket and bending down, neatly slit M's throat. The body evaporated and the lights went out.
"Ms. Frost, I got a question for yer. That's wasn't very nice, now was it?" asked Chamber, appearing out of the mist. He stood there, his psionic energy coloring the air around him, and watched her.
"Well, Chamber, if there was a very powerful person attempting to kill you, wouldn't you use all the tricks you know?" Emma said as she dived to the side to avoid Chamber's blast. The blast never came though, because Chamber suddenly went up in fireworks, outlining the girl standing behing him. Emma grabbed a branch and stood up slowly, wincing at her rib. "Jubilee. I never knew you had it in you."
"Next time, Ms. Frost," Jubilee said quietly, staring at the smoking husk that was all that was left of "Chamber", "Next time you have to save yourself."
"And the next time might be sooner than ye think," Banshee's voice said. He appeared out of the darkness, shadows streaming off him, half visible as if he stood in two dimensions at once. He walked over to Chamber and admired what was left. "You, dear child, are a wonder with you powers. I will be sorry when it comes time to eat your soul."
"So you are a soul eater. I wondered." Emma said.
"Yes, I am. I have all of your students, and even the one called "Banshee". I have everything you've ever worked for. And you , Emma, you are going to die." Banshee said.
"What exactly is a soul eater?" Asked Jubilee. Emma waved her hand at Jubilee, telling her without words to shut up. Jubilee ignored her. "I mean, you come here, looking like Irish, put imposters in our school, and we can't find a trace of the real ones. You have powers like we do, but your imposters are really stupid. So just what are you?"
"I, child, am an eater of souls. I spend my life searching the globe for the wonderous challange of taking the souls of humans. Your kind are so stimulating to my palate. I came here to take the souls of you children because as mutants, you are much more of a challange to one of my ability than those of no powers. Your friends are still alive, and you will be joining them soon. They are tied to this body, oh yes, that was an extremely hard spell to create. Having five souls tied to this body is a tricky thing to do. Oh, and your powers won't work on me.......I have a sheild that prevents mutant powers such as yours and Ms. Frost's from working on me." Banshee said with a pleased face.
"Y'know, there is just one thing that is always bothering me. " Jubilee said thoughtfully, staring off behind Banshee's shoulder, "And that is how come you would be world conquerers can be so stupid! GET HIM PENNY!"
Banshee spun around in time to see Penance leap from the shadows with her claws extended, ripping his face off and tearing out his stomach.
With a blinding flash of light, Banshee disappeared. Penance was thrown backwards into the trees, her head striking and the tree cracking under her weight. Jubilee dropped to the ground, and Emma threw up a Psi Sheild.
When the light faded, Banshee, Synch, Skin, Husk, Chamber, and M were set out in a circle design with a circle of light like a halo over each of them.

Part eight
The day was perfect, with no clouds and a light blue sky. But what else could you expect in the bio-sphere?
Emma sat on the grass near the shattered gazebo. Her wrist was sprained, not broken, though she complained that it felt the same, and her splintered rib had been taped up. Around her sat her students, their faces alert and paying attention.
"We've done this before. The way to get someone out is to touch their shoulders. Are there any questions before we begin?" Emma said.
Jubilee raised her hand. "Uh, Ms. Frost, do we, like, have to touch each other? Can't we just, like, say 'your out' or something?"
M and Synch turned to glare at Jubilee. She raised her hands in front of her. "Hey, it was just a suggestion!"
"Begin, children." Emma said. Everyone scattered, Synch eyeing Jubilee in a way that seemed to say 'your first, brat'.
A slight tap on her shoulder caused Emma to turn around. There, behind her, sat Penance. She cocked her head, and Penance copied her movement. Emma reached into a bag nearby and took out an apple, handing it to Penance. With a very small smile, Penance took the apple and disappeared into the shadows.
This time nobody forgot about her.