Chapter 2

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“23, who… is this person?” Twilight asks, holding tightly to Spike in her arms.

“And… and did she seriously just one shot Magneto?” Rainbow Dash stares, her jaw hanging wide open.

I blink, before taking a deep breath and indicate to the other mutant. “Girls, meet Rogue. She’s one of the X-Men. Her power lets her drain energy from any living being she touches. And, with mutants, it lets her absorb their powers temporarily.”

Well, normally, but Rogue in Wolverine and the X-Men never showed signs of having flight or super strength, so she hasn’t unintentionally gained those powers after draining Captain Marvel’s powers yet.

“But, why is she in Canterlot?” Rainbow glances from her to myself.

“If I had to guess, like Magneto, she mistook the reports of the magic from the Formal to be mutant related and was sent here to either recruit you guys into the X-Men or at least make sure the MRD weren’t after you,” I turn to Rogue, arms folded. “Am I close?”

Rogue nods… before glancing down at Magneto for some reason. “Cerebro detected a mutant here, so I got sent to check it out.”

I blink, frowning. “Jean used Cerebro? Why?”

Rogue glances to me, looking slightly puzzled. “Jean? Why would Jean be the one to use Cerebro? She’s still missing. Emma Frost did it.”

I snarl, my claws coming out.

“23?!” Twilight cries, confused.

“Who are you?” I snarl loudly.

“Wha-what’s wrong, kid?” Rogue backs up a little. “What’d I say?”

“Emma Frost is dead!” I clench my teeth. “She died in Neigh York, stopping the Pheonix. And, as for any real mutants around here, I got here less than ten minutes ago, so there’s no way Jean could’ve used Cerebro to find me and the real Rogue get here that quickly. The Black Bird’s fast, but she’s nowhere near that fast!”

Rogue looks shocked for a moment, before frowning in annoyance. “That’s what happened? Dang. Guess that plan didn’t work, huh?”

“Sadly, it would appear we were lacking information,” Magneto says, sitting up, causing the girls to cry out in alarm.

There’s a sudden rush of air and a guy with sleek silver hair, wearing a green one-piece outfit with a silver lightning bolt on the left side going down the right of just chest is standing next to the mutant of magnetism as he stands up, putting his helmet back on.

“Quicksilver, too?” Rarity’s hand flies to her mouth.

“These girls aren’t mutants, Magneto!” I clench my fists tightly. “They’re just humans who use magic. There’s no more a reason for you to be in Canterlot! Now, beat it!”

“No reason to remain in this city?” Magneto gives a smirk. “My dear, that is where you are quite wrong. Those claws of yours give me plenty of reason to hang around and learn more, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I said,” I thrust my arms to my sides, bracing, “beat it!”

“Or what, short stack?” Quicksilver laughs, folding his arms. “There’s three of us and you’ve metal claws. How do you see this working in your favour, in any case?”

I snort. “My dad wouldn’t give up against those odds, and neither will I.”

Magneto gets a look of recognition in his eyes.

Mystique, however, wavers. “Your… your dad?”

I hold up my right fist. “Wolverine. Maybe you’ve heard of him?”

“What?!” come the cries, not just of the girls that do not happen to also be an Alicorn pony princess, but Quicksilver too.

Mystique’s face has gone pale.

This is a dirty card to play, but I’m just me against these three.

I can throw all the bravado I want, logically, Quicksilver was right. I can’t win this on my own and the girls aren’t experienced enough with their magic to help me out in any meaningful way.

I need to use what knowledge I can to keep them occupied until either the MRD get here and we can use them as an escape while they distract Magneto and vice versa or someone calls the cops.

Damnit, why couldn’t it have actually been Rogue here instead of Mystique playing up an act for her boss?

I look to Mystique and nod. “I’m his clone. Guess who made me?”

Her eyes widen further. “No, they… they didn’t…”

I nod again. “They did. I’m the result of Weapon X cloning Wolverine after you escape at the cost of James’ existence.”

Magneto glances at Mystique, puzzled. “Mystique, what’s she talking about?”

Mystique says nothing, putting her hands over her mouth, shaking her head as she drops to her knees.

Before anyone can react, Quicksilver cries out in pain and falls to the ground.

We all look to him, puzzled, before Magneto’s helmet goes flying off and someone grabs his head from behind.

He cries out too, dropping forward, face down.

Standing behind him are two girls. One is a girl of around eighteen, with long brown hair, wearing a yellow and blue outfit, with a red X on her belt.

The one next to her is…

“Wait, Rogue again?” Dash points at the girl.

I sniff the air, before frowning. “Well, her scent’s different, so, I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess you’re the real Rogue.”

I stand straight, sheathing my claws.

Rogue nods, while Kitty Pryde is staring at me in shock, pointing.

“Are you serious? Logan’s your dad? When in the world did that happen? Who would even wanna do it with him?”

I feel a tiny flicker of annoyance, but growl and rub my temples. “Going to assume you didn’t hear me mentioning the whole being a clone part due to phasing through the ground at the time. I have no biological mother.”

Mystique gives a short gasp, looking up at me from the ground. “You… you have no mother?”

I fold my arms. “Didn’t I make that clear when I said Weapon X cloned me from Wolverine? Get with the program, already.”

“Okay. Would someone mind explaining just what in tarnation is going on around here?!” Applejack yells, fists at her sides.

“After all the odd reports here in Canterlot, Jean looked into the matter and found a single mutant here in Canterlot,” Rogue says, reaching into her jacket pocket and pulling out what looks like a more advanced version of the Mutant Powers Restraining Collar that Logan used to help that mutant girl stop losing control when the MRD were hunting her down through a crowded suburb.

“I would say, guess she meant you… but you just said you’ve been here less than ten minutes,” Kitty points to me. “So, if you’re not the mutant, who is?”

Beats me. No human here in Canterlot, aside from the Humane Seven, ever showed any sign of anything that would suggest they’re not…

Wait a minute.

“She said the girl had blue skin, Kitty,” Rogue says, standing up after having fastened a collar on Quicksilver. “This girl is tanned at best and I get the feeling this blue girl,” she indicates to Rainbow, “is the girl we’re looking for.”

I shake my head. “If I’m right, no, she’s not… but I have an idea who is.”

“Huh?” the girls and Spike all stare at me in shock.

“23, how could you know? You’ve never been here before, remember?” Twilight asks, very perplexed.

I shake my head. “That’s a long story, Twilight and for another time anyway. For now, I need to compare notes with Rogue and Kitty, figure out what we’re going to do with these three,” I point to the mutants on the ground, “and you need to explain everything to the girls about the Sirens.”

“Sirens?” five confused voices ask as their owners turn to the princess.

Twilight matching my gaze for a moment, before she nods. “Right.”

“Lend me a phone,” I look to the other five. “Should you get any sense the MRD are coming for you, call me and we’ll get there, soon as possible.”

Pinkie happily hands me her phone and the seven head off, while I turn to Rogue and Kitty.

“Okay,” I pocket Pinkie’s phone and fold my arms. “Short version: I found myself in that lavender girl’s universe, with no memory how I got there and came here to warn you all what I could.”

“And just what were you going to warn us about?” Rogue asks, glancing at the prone two on the ground. “Them?”

I shake my head. “I was as surprised as anyone that they were here. Raven, seriously,” I look to the blue skinned mutant, “Magneto and Quicksilver were banished from Genosha after attacking it to make the mutants there fight in a war they wanted no part in. Why are you still with them?”

We wait as she seems to try getting a hold of herself. “I… I don’t know where else to go.”

“You could’ve gone to Genosha, couldn’t you?” Kitty asks, putting her hands on her hips. “I doubt you were banished too.”

Even though she did play a part in the attack on Genosha, but, if Quicksilver’s sister was willing to forgive him until he chose to stand with Magneto, I don’t see why she wouldn’t have offered the same to Mystique.

“The man I love is gone forever,” Mystique looks to me. “And now, he has a daughter whom isn’t mine. What else am I supposed to do?”

“How about what you’ve been doing?” I clench a fist. “You warned Wolverine about Weapon X going after Christy Nord. Do that. Keep undermining Weapon X until they’ve paid the price for taking the man you loved away from you! For crying out loud! If you can go toe to toe against Wolverine, Weapon X doesn’t stand a chance against you if you get serious!”

Mystique just stares at me, as if the concept had never entered her mind until just now.

Guess Magneto kept her too busy.

“Uh, why’re you talking as if we’re just going to let her go?” Kitty asks, folding her arms. “She works with Magneto? We can’t just let her go.”

“We’re better off if I we do,” I turn around, before glancing over my shoulder at the blue woman. “And, Mystique?”

“Ye-yes?” she asks.

“Visit your kids at least once in a while, will you?” I ask, walking out the alley.

The “Huh?” from Kitty I hear is followed by Rogue saying not to question it and just help her get Magento and Quicksilver hidden for the time being.

We’ll worry about that later. For now, we have a mutant to make sure the MRD don’t go after who can’t protect herself right now, no matter how great and powerful she is.

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“That’s her? Seriously?” Kitty asks as we kneel by the windows looking into Canterlot High’s gym and the students all crowded in there.

“Yep,” I say, watching the blue girl with silvery-blue and white hair flourish said hair while flanked by her two partners for the contest.

Trixie Lulamoon.

Honestly never would’ve pegged her as a mutant, but, it would be the only way to explain her magic teleportation during the events of Forgotten Friendship.

Question is, what is her mutant ability? Is it just teleportation or does her power let her make magic tricks somewhat real magic, similar to how Wanda’s powers are like magic?

“And how do you plan on bringing up her being a mutant without if being a bi deal, exactly, Laura?” Kitty looks at me.

I hiss. “Don’t call me Laura! I told you, call me 23!”

In the time it’s taken for the events of the movie to get to the party for all those participating in the Battle of the Bands, Rogue and Kitty have brought me properly up to speed.

It’s been about two months since the events of the Phoenix in Neigh York.

In that time, the X-Men have been getting organized, Jean, Scott and Storm getting Xavier’s school ready for students to start returning.

Sure, Logan may now be the leader of the X-Men, but the other three are better as the faces of the school.

It’s slow going, especially since the parents of ex-students are still unsure how safe it is to send their kids back to the school that blew up.

How they’re going to explain the Phoenix was the cause of that without letting it slip it was inside Jean at the time, and, with it defeated in Neigh York, there’s no threat from it anymore will be interesting to say the least.

As for Magneto, Quicksilver and Mystique?

We loaded Magneto and his son onto the Black Bird, which Forge had flown here and put them in the cargo area for now.

The plan is to take them back to the mansion as it’ll be less horrible than handing them over to the MRD.

And Mystique?

She left, likely now with the sole goal of making Weapon X’s lives miserable... though she will likely require Logan’s help from time to time and I wouldn’t be surprised if I’ll somehow get roped in on occasion, too... not that I’d object to beating some Weapon X heads,

As for just now?

Yeah, I can’t explain that.

I hadn’t really given it any thought back in Equestria, as no one questioned my choosing to go by a number instead of a direct name… but I’m just not comfortable with being called Laura.

Now, I could just got with the obvious reasons: 1. I wasn’t originally her, so don’t feel right going by her name or 2. Since, while I don’t remember who I used to be, I know I was a guy, so being called a girl’s name would just sound weird… it’s more than that.

I don’t know why, but, every time someone has directly called me Laura, be it intentionally or by accident, I’ve gotten a sick feeling in my stomach… and that feeling is somewhat still there as I look at Trixie, but I’ve no idea why.

“There’re your friends from earlier,” Rogue nods as Twilight and the other step into the centre of the gym to confront Adagio… the sight of whom is just making my skin crawl, for some reason.

“Talk about throwing down the gauntlet,” Adagio says and I find myself clenching a fist, my claws slowly coming out. “This group is obviously serious about winning.”

She laughs.

I see Trixie in a crop top and shorts, her eyes wide as she stands as if she’d been running towards me, the version of Laura I know from Wolverine and the X-Men is standing before her, claws stabbing through Trixie’s chest, blood seeping out, Adagio, dressed in robe fit for royalty standing behind her, wings flared, leering at me.

“You must obviously be serious about winning,” the Siren says mockingly and laughs.

I see red.

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“These girls are special,” Adagio grinned wickedly as the seven girls and dog hurried out of the gym while everyone else argued.

Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass filled the room, followed by a scream of pure, unbridled, hate filled rage.

“Adagio!”

Everyone in the room turned to see a girl had just crashed through one of the gym’s windows.

She was dressed kind of like a motor cyclist, mostly leather. She had tanned skin, brown hair and green eyes… the latter of which were locked on the leader of the Sirens and filled with murderous intent.

“Uh, who’s that?” Sonata asked uncertainly.

“I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID TO TRIXIE!” the girl screamed, causing some heads to turn to the magician in confusion, which she seemed to be sharing in equal measure… not that anyone had more than a second to be confused by that statement.

The girl rushed forward, bent forward, her fists clenched either side of her as a pair of metal claws shot out from her knuckles… and all three Sirens’ blood run cold.

However, just before the girl could get to Adagio, it seeming Aria and Sonata didn’t even register to her, another girl with brown hair, wearing a yellow and blue outfit seemed to just come out of the floor and grabbed the clawed girl from behind… and was struggling to barely hold the first girl back.

“She has to die!” the clawed girl shrieked with rage, glancing back briefly at the one holding her, before looking back to Adagio, the look of pure malice actually filling the Siren with true terror. “All the suffering she caused. All the lives she ruined! I’m going to fucking kill her with my own bare ha—uh.”

Though it had hardly registered to anyone, another person had jumped through the broken window and, while the girl who came up from the floor had struggled to hold the clawed girl back, a young woman wearing a yellow and green body suit, yellow gloves, yellow boots, a belt with a red and black X symbol and a brown jacket rushed through the crowd towards the pair.

Her hair was brown, like the girl who’d come out of the floor, save a small bit at the front, that was transparent white.

She’d reached the two struggling girls, removed one of her gloves, for what reason Adagio had no idea, then put her hand on the raging girl’s head.

Soon as she did, the raging girl’s face had looked pained for a second, before going blank and she passed out.

“ARGH!” the woman cried out, holding her head, as if in pain, before she looked over her shoulder at Adagio… with that same murderous look in her eyes.

The woman grabbed Adagio by the front of her shirt, pulling her close, pure rage plastered over her face… before a look of recognition entered her eyes and she let the Siren goes, taking a deep breath as she put a hand to her head.

There was a stunned silence for several moments.

After what felt like hours, the woman with the bit of transparent white hair turned to the girl who’d come out of the floor and put the now unconscious girl with claws over her shoulder, clearly intenting to help the other girl carry the unconscious one out.

“Go back to your contest or whatever,” she said with a southern accent. “We’ve got this one covered.”

Everyone watched as the two carried the clearly mentally unstable girl out of the room.

“Dagi, what was that?” Sonata asked the Siren leader, worry clear in her voice.

“What the hell did you do to piss off that mutant so much she’d wanna kill you?” Aria asked, just as perplexed.

“I… I honestly have no idea,” Adagio admitted, trying to stop her body from shaking. “I’ve never even seen her before in my life… but those claws were familiar.”

“Too familiar,” Aria nodded, eyeing the door the three had left in. “Let’s just hope that guy doesn’t have some unexplainable vendetta against us too.”

Author's Note

As i promised in the previous update to An Apple Over A Berry Barrel, here's the first of 2-3 updates i'm planning on doing for this fic, the second of which i hope to get written and uploaded tomorrow.

So, at first, Rogue was a trick by Magneto and Mystique to get some info from the girls they thought were mutants but weren't... only for the real Rogue to arrive with Kitty Pryde to help the scenario... but what in the world just happened?

Things seemed to be going fine at first there, 23 had gotten Twilight to go with the others to continue the events of Rainbow Rocks and she'd been able to get things sorted with the two X-Men so they were all three on the same page and, of all people, Trixie is revealed to actually be a mutant... until 23 lost it and almost actually killed Adagio.

Never mind how much that would screw up the timeline alone, 23 would've murdered someone. an evil someone, yes, but still murdered her.

For someone who isn't actually X-23, she was sure okay at that moment with committing one of the worst crimes you can.

and what in the world was with that vision she had of Adagio laughing as another X-23, the one or MC knows is from that world, kills Trixie?

You'll have to wait til next chapter, as I need to have dinner, plus, I wanna try and get a shiny Marked Comfey from Pokemon Violet before the event ends tomorow, as i don't want to miss a chance of getting a Hisuian Sligoo, espically if i can get it shiny, in Violet.

So, will 23 still want to kill Adagio when she wakes up... or will she just have even more questions that don't seem to have answers?

Are the Sirens going to hold off on their plans for fear of what 23 will do if she and Adagio are in close proximity again or are they going to feel assured enough that Rogue and Kitty will keep 23 at bay?

Look forward to finding out.

Truth be told, orignally, i was just going to have it actually be Rogue who beat Magento, having gotten to a hiding Quicksilver first and using his stolen speed to get the jump on Magneto... before i realized it would be more fun for 23 do a call back to when Logan knew Mystique was pretending to be Angel in Wolverine and the X-Men.

of course, she couldn't do so exactly the same, as 23 wouldn't know the difference between Rogue and Mystique's scents like Logan did Mystique and Angel's, so, Mystique needed to mess up in a way that would get 23 suspicious of her identify.

After all, since 23 knows the show's, she'd be aware of smaller details certain other characters may not, like Emma being dead after giving up her life to release the Phoenix into the atmosphere for it to dissipate.

I'm gonna go now before i ramble on some more so i can get my dinner.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter and, til next time (fingers crossed it's tomorrow), stay save, stay clean and goodnight everybody