X-men: Syren's Story

**Disclaimer**



So, I would just like to say up front, that this is not serious writing; as in, I didn't take this seriously.  I am not looking for some sort of accolade nor am I trying to jump on the bandwagon of the popularity of the recent movies.  I have been writing/creating this story since sometime in 1992; it has been my therapy, so to speak.  I love the comics and have been an avid reader since the late 80’s.  So this is written in the true spirit of the comics and not the movies.  Any similarities that might appear between this writing and the movies, is purely by coincidence and not intentional.

Also, the main character in this story is NOT a Marvel creation, so true Marvel fans may not enjoy this read.  Plus, the character name was created before the introduction of the character Siryn, Banshee’s daughter and is in no way related.  Seeing as this was purely for my own entertainment (at the time) I simply chose not to change the name.

So, if you enjoy this little spin off, great and if not, that is ok too; I can fully understand.  The only suggestion I can offer is, if you are a woman who happens to enjoy X-men, then read this story and imagine yourself as the main character and you will enjoy the ride, as this was written from a woman’s point of view! ;)



This is a journal of the days gone by in the life of one woman through the eyes of a friend. 

By Scott Summers a.k.a. Cyclops



Some time in May, 1995, it began in a church.  Sitting there quietly, listening to the preacher talk, a girl in the congregation began to feel strange.



Anxiety began to consume her for no apparent reason.  Her head pounded as if something were trying to escape. The congregation stood.  She tried to do the same but stayed in her seat and held her head as she gritted her teeth.  Thinking she would pass out she forced herself from her seat and tried to make her way past other members. 

As she moved out into the aisle, her body became rigid and she froze as her mind seemed to be fighting a battle she knew nothing about.  Searing pain and then she screamed.  People turned to look at her but she did not notice them.  It felt as though a surge of power ran through her body and slowly the feeling of the floor beneath her feet was no more.

Screams of  “She’s possessed!” rang through her ears.  There was a great commotion, but it was hard to determine who was more scared, the crowd or her.  She screamed again and then dropped to the floor.  Death looked as though it had gripped her; she lay motionless.  Finally she roused, wearily trying to pick herself up.

Silence was all that could be heard from the crowd, then somewhere in the distance the quiet sobbing of her mother reached her ears.  Without looking about her, she ran; ran out the doors and as far down the street as she could go.



All mutants’ first experience with their powers is frightening, but this one was different. Most discover their powers slowly as they experience puberty.  Sabrine was 19, nearly 20 years old.  Well beyond the age of powers manifesting. Because hers appeared so late, they did so in a kind of explosion that she was unable to control.

News of this spread as it tends to do when mutants are discovered.  This one unfortunately, like many others, had reached the ears of a certain mutant group called The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.  They enjoyed preying on the vulnerable, ready to pounce upon the next new initiate to baptize them into their world of evil.

It is a difficult task, but we the X-Men, tried to monitor the discovery of new mutants and the activities of the Brotherhood.  In Sabrine’s case, her experience had been quite public and fortunately reached our ears.  Considering the seriousness and the unusually late manifestation of her powers, we felt it was in her best interest that we paid her a visit promptly.

We flew to a small town in Missouri, where she lived with her parents, a brother and a sister.  Perhaps it was fate, but just as we pulled up in our rented Lexus, the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants was busy paying her a visit.

  Parents and siblings were screaming and crying while being held against their will and tortured with the laughter of Sabrine’s kidnappers.  Terrified and restrained she seemed to be submitting to her captors.  The battle was short as we out numbered them, though in the end we had a hard time explaining to the rental agency as to why the car was crushed.

Sabrine was shaken and upset.  It was difficult to get her to calm down after the incident. When she had relaxed enough to where she could communicate, Professor Charles Xavior stepped in.  He spoke with Sabrine and her parents explaining what we could offer her. A school that would help her explore her powers and teach her to control them.  He called it “a school for the gifted”, where she would be with others in the same position as herself.  She would be among friends and persecution would be left outside the doors of the school. 

Sabrine was not one to make a decision without consideration, but everyone felt that we were pressed for time, so with her parents encouragement and support, she agreed and transferred to the Xavior mansion that day and has not looked back.  Still keeping in contact with her family she’s trained and become one of the most important members of our team as we help to protect humans and other mutants alike.

When she first arrived she was scared and awkward.  Quite different from the person I now know.  The professor began with the basic IQ and academia tests.  The tests showed she was average, even poorly educated, which is not at all close to how intelligent she really is.  She was given a physical examination, which proved to show she was somewhat out of shape but healthy otherwise.  Then began the tests of her mutant abilities to see exactly what they consisted of.

It was discovered that she had incredible strength, (comparable to Rogue’s, though lacking Rogue’s indestructibility) which was driven by her emotions through her Sympathetic Nervous System.  In fact, through extensive study it was found that her emotions are her driving force for all of her mutant powers.  She has the power of flight and great agility.  She is strongest when she feels anger, which is natural and feels weak when she is scared. 

Of course, with all mutant powers, this has its draw backs.  Her emotions were enhanced, feeling them doubly than a normal human, making them difficult to control.  They controlled her.  Anger was her most difficult emotion to deal with, but with time and determination she learned to control it and to gather her strength from it.. 

Normally it takes a mutant several years to completely explore and learn how to control their powers.  Sabrine accomplished it within months.  It was as though her mind had been opened; knowledge and power flooded in.  She began to learn other trades just as quickly; accomplishing tumbling, gymnastics, martial arts and weaponry at amazing speeds. 

Psychic ability was questioned, but when tested nothing registered.  Yet she was able to block her mind from being probed, even by the Professor’s powerful mind. 

Her most unusual power though is her voice, since a reasonable connection between that and her power based emotions could not be found.  She has a scream ten times worse than Banshee’s, reaching decibel levels far beyond the breaking of glass. Her Sound Pressure and Sound Power are at a higher level.  The pressure level is so high as to cause physical pain(~ 134 dB) , so much so as to temporarily cease mutant ability or even human physical ability, in essence freezing you in place with a mental pain restricting you from movement or any use of your mutant powers.  It feels like the worst migraine you can imagine.

Her Sound Power registered at the same level as a siren (~1,000 w or 150 dB).  From trial and error it was found that although that scream of hers was an extremely powerful weapon in battle, she could not wield it against the enemy without it affecting her other team members.  It was her decision to use it only as a last measure.

Though her voice is powerful and destructive, it is what I found most fascinating about her. This voice that could make you scream in pain was also so beautiful as to make you cry from joy.  Her voice was melodious and when she sang, it was clear and enchanting, like the fabled Sirens that lured men from their ships. It seemed fated that she should choose the name Syren for herself.  It fitted.  Syren, an enchantress, which later we discovered had a much truer meaning then we imagined.



Remy looked at the 20 year old girl who had only come to them six months earlier.  She had seemed somewhat plain and very shy when she first arrived.  She was still shy but plain she was not.  Along with everything she had absorbed and learned, she had matured as well, mentally and physically.  And she glowed from it.  She was healthy and strong.  This, combined with her sweet, quiet nature made her extremely attractive to the Cajun thief of hearts.

She had beautiful long, golden brown hair. She had become lean and muscular and it suited her well.  When you looked into her face all you could see was her large brown eyes with long curling lashes. 

He enjoyed watching her as he could see that she was self-conscious of his stare.  This time, he decided, he would take his time.  He’d watched her flower into the beauty he saw now and was eager to see what other surprises she had.

Syren was aware of Remy’s constant stares, glances and grins, but she was unsure of how to take his flirtations.  “Have dinner with me tonight, chere.” He finally said to her.  Syren’s interaction with X-Men members had been minimal, as it is when you are busy learning about yourself.  Her experiences in relationship matters were slim and what she knew about Remy was the same. 

He was attractive, very attractive actually; as women on the outside seemed to flock to him.  He was charming, witty and seemed intent on paying her great attention.  Compliments flowed from his poetic lips.  She eventually agreed.



I objected to this pairing immediately.  Remy LeBeau, also known as Gambit, was our most amorous team member and a wolf, pure and simple, when it came to women.  Syren was new and it was important that she kept her mind on her job, as training on the inside, as good as it is, is still not the same as the real world. Besides, Gambit’s past history of being a thief was hardly a good role model.  I feared she was being lead astray.

Perhaps a month went by.  Syren and Rogue had become good friends.  It soon became apparent to Syren, Rogue’s feelings for Remy, which was another talent of hers.  Because her emotions are so strong, she was easily able to detect the emotions in others. 

Syren began to suspect Remy of having feelings for Rogue as well.  She saw something others did not when the two were together.  Because of Rogue’s condition though, it was impossible for them to ever be together.  It had changed Syren’s feelings toward Remy though and she told him that she thought it best if they did not continue to see each other.



Perhaps he didn’t believe her.  That grin of his told her she would be changing her mind.  It was possible.  He was nearly irresistible.  She would never forget the way his kiss felt on her lips, passionate and inviting.  How could she say no to that handsome face?  But when she saw how Rogue looked at Remy, she determined herself to resist.  Remy was not so obliging however.

Syren found she was far too often alone with the Cajun.  It was very clear that it was done quite on purpose.  The man was relentless, but somehow she couldn’t seem to stay angry at him long enough to convince him she was serious about keeping their relationship as friends.  When he pushed and she resisted and he pushed further until it infuriated her, he always brought out his charming smile, a little wink and was able to smooth things over.

What was hardest was that she really did like him and he darn well knew that.  Eventually though, as Syren continued to resist Remy’s advances, trying hard to avoid being alone with him and flat out refusing to let him kiss her again by having to be physically brutal with him, he began to get the message.  She was relieved.



She had come to the realization that everyone else already knew; Remy was a wolf.  I think he did truly care about her though.  He always made sure to watch out for her on missions.  If she seemed to be having trouble dealing with something, he was quick to help.  Also, I don’t think Syren realized really how persistent Gambit could be.  When it came to women, Gambit always got what he wanted.  But with Syren, if he felt he’d pushed her too far, he backed off.  This was quite unlike the normal Remy LeBeau.

The constant trials Syren encountered with Gambit, I think more than anything, brought Syren out of her shell.  He caused her to be more verbally aggressive and she was forced to speak her mind, when before her shyness would not have allowed her to do so.  She soon found her tongue, and she was quick witted. Now, the once shy and quiet young girl was becoming bolder, more outspoken.  Did I think it was a good thing?  No, of course not.  One more mouth in the group was not needed.  Of course, she did not really reach this status until after she’d begun to see someone else.

Syren was learning our ways, going out on missions with us from time to time.  She showed intelligence and ability to keep calm in an excited situation.  Perhaps this was why she had now caught the eye of another, without him even realizing. 

Her first time out with Wolverine I imagine was quite an experience.  Logan was a man of action, wild and fierce.  I imagine she’d not seen anyone quite like him before.  He certainly got her attention.  Previously, Syren had stayed well out of Wolverine’s way.  She knew how moody and out of control he could be.  I think though that it was her new confidence that caused her to do what no one else would have dared to.

  One evening Wolverine was sulking in the darkness of one of the many Xavier mansion hallways.  No, sulking is not the right word, brooding.  Another one of our many fights over Jean had set him off.  Forgive me, but I don’t much care for the man hitting on my girl.  I was here first.



Syren herself was feeling a bit stressed after going another round with Gambit.  She wandered down one of the halls, one that just happened to be occupied by someone else at the moment.  Wolverine was at the end of the hall, in the dark, drinking a Bud.  Her first thought was to turn away. She’d heard arguments between him and Cyclops earlier and she could guess what about. Something caught her eye though.  Perhaps it was the way the bit of moonlight coming through the windows light hit his face.  Was it sadness she saw there?  She found herself walking towards him.  She knew that he noticed her, but he made no movements.

Of course he noticed her.  He could smell her before she even saw him.  For a fleeting moment he thought what a nice smell she had, but the thought quickly disappeared as Cyclops’ face flashed through his mind.

“Hello.” Her gentle voice spoke.  He had no intention of replying, but something in the tone had actually soothed him for a moment.

“Hi.”  He replied dryly.  Syren listened to his voice and wondered to herself just exactly what was she doing?

“Are you alright?” Was all she could find to say.

“Sure.”

“You just seem to be upset.”  She stuttered a bit, trying to keep the conversation going.

“Well, if anyone here would know, I guess that would be me.” He shrugged her off.

“I’m sorry.” Syren sighed.  “It’s none of my business.”

“Don’t sweat it kid.” He told her as she was walking away.

Something inside Syren made her stop.  Wolverine was the only one at the mansion that was so closed off.  She felt sorry for him.  In fact, she felt that he was probably feeling very much like she often used to and this made her feel that she wanted to help him.  She decided she’d try.

“You’re afraid aren’t you?”  She ventured.

“What’s that?”  He’d not really been listening.

Syren repeated herself, knowing full well he did hear her.

“You just pegged me wrong.” He told her firmly.

“You’re afraid to really open yourself to anyone.  That’s why you persist with Jean isn’t it?  She has a legitimate excuse to reject you.”

Wolverine turned and looked at her for the first time.  It was a cold stare as his eyes narrowed. “None of your business is an understatement; catch my drift.”  He turned from her and walked away.

“You won’t be happy until you let her go Wolverine.  Jean loves Scott too much: she will never make you happy.  She is a fantasy.”  Syren called after him, surprised that she even let those words escape her mouth.  What the hell was she doing?

Wolverine came at her with a swiftness and fierceness Syren had not experienced before.  His powerful hands gripped at her arms painfully as his breath heaved in her face.

“Never speak to me again!” He growled at her in his deep voice.

For a moment Syren froze, but she calmed herself, as she had trained herself to do.  “Not speak the truth?”  She asked in a tone that showed her calmness.

“What do you know about truth?” He demanded.

“I know what I see.” She said with determination.  “I see you finding it comfortable to imagine yourself in love with Jean because she can’t ever be in love with you.  It’s easier for you that way.”

“You have no idea how I feel about anything!  And you have no idea how dangerous it is for you to even be trying to talk to me about it!”  He let go of her arms and turned his back to her again, walking away.

Syren rubbed where his grip had been, trying to work circulation back through her arms.  As she looked at him walking away, everything she’d heard about Wolverine came back to her.  There was no talking to him, he will never change and Cyclops favorite, he’s just an animal and not a team player.

“You feel comfortable with Jean.  She is warm and compassionate.  No matter how many times she must push you away, she’s still there the moment you need her.”  Syren called after him.

Wolverine sighed, tired of feeling angry. “Look, just drop it will you.”

Syren walked towards him.  “She makes you feel good.  She makes you feel that you are a good person.  It’s understandable.  What’s not is why you continue to pine for her?  Because it’s quite clear to everyone else that she would never love anyone else but Scott and I know you aren’t stupid. 

“Well, maybe you’re right.  But it doesn’t change anything does it?  Look.  Don’t analyze me, ok.  I can take care of myself.”  This time Wolverine left quickly, not giving Syren a chance to catch up with him.



The next day Danger Room practice went as usual.  Everyday Syren went there.  She was dedicated to her training and she enjoyed the interaction with the others.  Today though, she just kept her mouth shut and did her best.  It wasn’t easy working along side Wolverine after what had happened.  What ever made her think she could talk with him?  No one talks with Wolverine, sometimes not even Jean.  And why did she say what she had said?  It was crazy.  But it just came out.

Logan found himself watching the young girl who had invaded his privacy the night before.  She sure had a lot of nerve.  She’s new, he told himself.  She’ll learn to leave me alone.  She sure got the message last night.  Yet, he felt guilty.  Maybe because he’d hurt her with his grip.  That was wrong.  He should never have touched her.

Logan found himself waiting around as the others were leaving after practice.  He wanted to settle this.  When Syren was alone, he decided to speak to her.

“Hey!” He called to her.

Syren looked around.  Surely that wasn’t her he was calling to, but everyone else was gone.  She saw him walking towards her and she took a deep breath, preparing herself for what he might say.

“Hey.  I just wanted to say I’m sorry.”

Syren gave him a little smile as relief came over her.  “I should really be saying that to you.”

“Nah...well, yeah.  It’s none of your damn business.  But...I am sorry if I hurt you.”  Wolverine pointed towards her arm.

“Oh, I’m alright.” She lied.  Her arms still felt sore.

“Good.” He said, feeling it finished.  He started to walk away but Syren stopped him.

“You want to have some lunch?”

“No.” He said quickly, surprised.

“Why not?” Syren questioned.

“Look, I wasn’t trying to start a friendship here.  I just wanted everything cleared up.”

“Well, I’m not interested in being friends either,” She said haughtily, “I’m interested in getting some lunch.”

“Yeah, that’s what all you girls say.”  Was that just a joke that escaped from his mouth? Cool it Logan.

“Which ones?  The 13 year old junior high students?”

“Very funny.” He said dryly.

“Come on and stop whining.  You have to eat anyway.”

“Fine, but you’re making it.” He gave in.  Actually, he was hungry.



Syren set a plate down in front of him that contained peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. 

“What’s this?” He couldn’t believe she just made P,B & J for lunch.

“Lunch.” She said.

“You eat this stuff?” He sounded disgusted.

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“I like it.  Sorry, does it not suit your taste?  I guess you’re used to bars of steel for lunch.”

“Yeah, if I don’t get my iron I get cranky.”

“That I can believe.”

Jubilee just happened to be walking into the kitchen. 

“Here ya go.”  Wolverine handed her the plate of sandwiches. “Syren made you peanut butter and jelly.  See ya later!”  He called as he slipped out.

“Syren, you eat this stuff?” Jubilee asked.



So, Syren’s first encounter was not all that special.  Well, actually, it wasn’t too much different from what the rest of us got to go through.  Wolverine was difficult.  I wondered at times why he was even with the X-Men.  He hated authority and often did just whatever pleased him.  I had decided that the only thing keeping him around was Jean, which made him even more annoying.

It was around this time that everyone was noticing the change in Syren.  She was strong in her personality now.  She was no longer the frightened girl that had come here for protection.  She was an independent woman and a real fighting machine when it came to her job. Perhaps she had found her calling.  She certainly enjoyed her work. 

She was a bull and her and Rogue often fought side by side, which was really something to see.  Rogue with her immeasurable strength and Syren too, who could exert great strength, the two made a pair hard for our enemies to reckon with.  Syren was interesting to watch though as she fought.  She was powerful, but there was grace to her movements.  We wondered what it would be like if their two strengths were combined.  We were soon to find out.



Feb. 1996, we received an urgent distress call from Russia.  A long time friend there, Colossus, pleaded with us for help.  Omega Red, a military built 10%human, 90% machine, had gotten loose from his confinement.  This was not going to be an easy trip.  Omega Red was indestructible and he had one thought in his mechanical brain, KILL.

February in Russia; it was going to be cold.  We loaded up and prepared ourselves for a real battle.  When we arrived, Peter met us and briefed us on the situation.  There was no time to lose.  He was out and several hundred people had already lost their lives.



Omega Red stood tall, blonde hair blowing in the freezing cold wind, steely tentacles swaying around him.  Mutants must be destroyed.  This was what he was built for.  But he had learned that some mutants looked like humans.  How do you tell the difference?  You don’t.  Kill them all.

The X-Men had other plans though.  First one off the jet was Cyclops and he met Omega Red with a blast from his optics.  The red beam hit him with such force that it knocked him back several yards.  The rest off boarded and were ready for the fight.

Omega Red was down, but it was only for a moment.  He stood and began making his way towards the X-Men.  Real mutants.  He must kill!  There was only a slight black mark on his chest of steel where Cyclops had blasted him.  It had no affect.

Wolverine wasted no time.  His was on him in a second, claws out.  He slashed at the gray monster, but his claws did not penetrate the steel.  Damn!  Adamantium!  The fool humans, what were they thinking? 

One of Omega Red’s long tentacles reached out from behind him and grabbed Wolverine with the claw at the end.  Wolverine slashed fiercely at the metal as Omega Red sent him flying.  Just as he was about to pounce on the figure he had tossed, Jean stepped up with a psychic wall, protecting Wolverine from Omega Red’s attack.  It gave Storm the chance to send up a gust of wind, pushing him back a great distance.  He tumbled through the snow, trying to grab hold of anything that would stop him flaying about. 

Wolverine was up, but it was clear they needed a plan.  This was ever more apparent as they watched Omega Red catch hold of his bearings and begin making his way back towards them.

“How was he imprisoned before?”  Cyclops asked Colossus.

“He was frozen in ice.  Someone purposefully released him.”

“I can guess who too.”  Wolverine growled as Magneto came to mind.

“How did he survive encased in ice?”  Syren asked.

“No time.  Rogue, do you think you could hold him long enough to let Storm put him back on ice?” Cyclops asked quickly.

She didn’t even think about it.  “Ya got it.”  She said and the next moment she was in the air off to meet the enemy.  She landed in Omega Red’s path, who was making a b-line to the X-Men.

“Hey, sugar, where you goin’?”  Omega Red reached to grab her, but Rogue was in the air and over his head in a flash.  She grabbed him from behind and wheeled him around with a force that would send anyone else into next week.  Omega Red was not to be defeated though.  Out came one tentacle, then two, three and four.  He had six.  He would use them all if he needed.  They were soon prying her away from him.  Colossus came running up to help her.  Perhaps their strength combined...he was too late.  It only took one tentacle to keep him at bay.

Both came flying back towards the X-Men, Colossus skidded through the snow and Rogue flew by over their heads.  She was up in a second though, unharmed.

“He’s tough.”  She heaved.

“He’s too strong.” Colossus conceded.

“There has got to be a way to stop him.”  Jean said.

“Well, we better think of it fast because he is coming this way.”  Wolverine said.

For certain the steel body and red eyes were making their way fast towards them.

“Rogue, what if our powers were combined, do you think you could hold him?’ Syren asked suddenly.

“It might work.”  She said.

“Syren, it’s dangerous.” Jean warned her.

“I’ll be alright.”  She answered.  Jean was worried for Rogue too.  She and Professor X had been noticing Syren’s increasing strength in her mind as well as with her abilities.  It was hard to say what might happen.  There was no time though.  Something had to be done.

Rogue removed her gloves and placed her hands on Syren’s neck.  Slowly she began to feel Syren’s power enter her, slower than usual.  Then it came in a rush.  Rogue couldn’t stop it, nor could she let go.  Syren’s eyes shut in agony and fear tore through Rogue.

Suddenly Rogue let out an ear piercing scream and shot up into the air from the force of Syren’s power flowing into her.  She tried to let Syren go before she left the ground, but not before she had carried Syren with her a short ways.  Syren dropped to the ground.  Just then, Omega Red had reached them.

The X-Men were stunned by what they saw.  They had never seen Rogue react in that way.  Before they even realized, Omega Red had hold of Syren who was helpless on the ground.  He felt her weakness and wrapped one of his tentacles around her and began to squeeze.  He would crush her.

Syren screamed out in pain.  Wolverine was on him in flash, tearing at him with his claws, though he knew they would do no good.  Colossus was on top of him too, as Jean tried to release Syren with her mind from Omega Red’s grip.  But where was Rogue?

Rogue was soaring up through the air, clutching at her head which pounded relentlessly inside.  No, not again! She thought.  All she could do was scream.  She felt like she was going to explode.  Well, if she was, she was taking that monster with her.  It took all of her strength to direct herself to head towards the ground where the fight was going on.

The X-men’s efforts were at least keeping Syren from being crushed to death, but they could not get her released.  Then a screech was heard coming from the sky.  Rogue was heading towards them with amazing speed.  Wolverine backed off, but Colossus did not get out of the way in time.  The impact of Rogue hitting Omega Red sent him flying through the air.  The tentacle that was holding onto Syren released its grip, as Rogue and Omega Red made a long deep trench into the earth.

“Storm! Now!” Cyclops yelled as they were running to catch up with them.  Jean was at Syren’s side who was unconscious.  Storm wasted no time.  She flew to where Rogue was holding Omega Red to the ground, still screaming.  Wind began to blow and increased to great speeds.  They blew across Omega Red and he could feel his joints and wires starting to freeze.  He fought desperately to free himself, but he could not seem to pry this thing off him that had pinned him to the ground.

Storm was afraid for Rogue, but Rogue seemed to take no notice of the cold.  She seemed to be holding on for dear life, screeching like a banshee.  Omega Red’s tentacles were the first to freeze up.  Once that was accomplished they had him.  Slowly ice began to build around him.  Colossus stepped in and pulled Rogue away from the defeated monster.  She passed out in his arms as he brought her to safety.  Storm finished her job until Omega Red was encased in six feet of ice on all sides.  It was over.

But there were two unconscious team members and one of them seriously injured.

“I think she’s bleeding internally!” Jean called to Scott, who rushed over.

“Alright, get her and Rogue onto the jet now.  We’re heading back.”  He turned to Colossus.  “Sorry Peter, but we have to go.”

“Please, go.  And thank you.  When I finish taking care of things here, I will come to you.  Take care of them both and see that they get well.”

“We will!”  Cyclops promised as he stepped up into the Black Bird.

Jean had taken a quick look at Rogue.  She seemed physically alright, she was just unconscious, so she turned her attention to Syren.  The Black Bird had a fully loaded medical center and she was in contact with Beast the moment they were in the air.

“I’m going to get an x-ray now.  She is coughing up blood.”

“Check to make sure it is not her stomach.  If her stomach is ruptured, the acid will eat away at her insides.”  Beast advised.

A few minutes and Jean had her answer.  “No, it’s her left lung and her spleen is ruptured.  But it seems her lung has only collapsed.  The blood was probably from bruising and she has stopped coughing it up.”

“How bad is the spleen?”

“She will need surgery.”

“Administer a blood coagulant to keep her spleen in check and get her on some oxygen.  I will be waiting for you.  Beast, out!”

“Will she be ok?” Jubilee asked Beast, trying not cry.  Syren had become a sister to her.  She never looked down on her or made her feel like she didn’t belong.  Syren even practiced a few times in the Danger Room with her and she always made time for her.  She hated the thought of losing her friend.

“Have I ever let you down?” Beast asked and then disappeared into the infirmary.



When the group arrived back the Professor had a quick check on Rogue and then advised she be taken to his office to rest.  When she came to, he was waiting there for her. 

“How are you feeling?” He asked.

Rogue was motionless for a minute.  She searched her mind carefully, but everything felt normal.  Besides feeling a bit exhausted, she was fine.

“I’m alright.”  She said with relief in her voice.

“You were scared though.”  He said.

“Yeah, I was afraid she was comin’ back.” 

Professor X knew who she was.  “I searched your mind while you were sleeping.  She is not there.”

“It sure felt like she was.” Rogue said confused.

“How long were you in contact with Syren?”

“Longer than I should have been.  I was afraid I was gonna kill her.”

“Rogue, when I searched your mind, I found no residual memories from Syren there.”

Rogue thought for a moment.  “Ya know, you’re right.  I didn’ absorb any memories from her.  There’s nothin’.  It’s almost like I was absorbin’ emptiness.”  Rogues eyes grew big.

Prof. X smiled at her.  “You did a good job Rogue, both you and Syren.”

“Is she gonna be alright?” Rogue asked concerned.

“Beast is taking care of her right now.  I’m sure she is going to be fine.”



Everyone was relieved to hear it was the truth too.  Beast came out saying that she was in ICU at the moment, but her surgery had gone well.  She needed a lot of rest though.

A few days passed before anyone was allowed to see her and then she had a steady stream of visitors.  Even Colossus himself had stopped by to thank her.  He told of Omega Red being put back into confinement under heavy security and in a highly classified location.

The one person who did not make his way there was Wolverine.  Not that it was a big surprise.  Actually, the surprise came later when he paid her a late night visit, to see how she was.



Syren lay in her hospital bed, resting peacefully.  Logan watched her as she slept.  It had taken a lot of courage to do what she did, he thought; a lot more than what most people had.  She gave herself heart and soul into being here and he had to give her credit for that.

Syren’s eyes opened.  She looked over and was surprised to see Wolverine standing a little ways from her bed, watching her.

“What are you doing here?” She asked him.

Oops, he’d been caught.  “Just checking up on you, making sure you were alright.”

“Ah.  I thought we weren’t going to be friends.”  She said with closed eyes and a small grin on her face.  She heard a muffled chuckled come from Wolverine’s general direction.  So, the man does laugh.

“By the way, thank you for trying to help me.”  She said with more sincerity.

“Yeah, well don’t expect me to help you again.”

“I won’t.  Next time I will be helping you.”

“Right.” He said sarcastically. “You know, that was a really stupid thing you did.”

“Thanks.”  It was Syren’s turn to be sarcastic.

“You could have gotten killed.”

“Well, I didn’t see you holding back any.”

“You look at me as a role model or something?”

Funny that he should say that.  Syren hadn’t really thought about it, but maybe it was a bit true.  She had liked Wolverine’s fearlessness, and the way his always jumped right into the fight without a second thought.  He gave his all; that was what she wanted to do.

“I don’t know.  Maybe I do.”

“Well, you’ll get yourself hurt, just like you did this last time.  Besides, I’m no role model.”

“Jubilee sure thinks you are.”

“Jubilee is a kid.  You’re no kid.”

“No, I’m not.” Syren said softly.

Was it the tone that made him look at her differently just then?  As he looked at her he realized, she wasn’t a kid.  Her age was young, but she was no child.  She was a woman, determined, strong, head-strong no less, full of spirit and beautiful.  Yes, she was beautiful.  Somehow, he had not noticed it before. He decided to forget he noticed it now.



Syren soon got better and before long she was back in the Danger Room practicing.  She was told to take it easy though and to not push herself.  She still needed some rest time.  Surprisingly she took the advice.  She didn’t seem quite as eager to jump right in as she had been.  Syren had begun to doubt herself.

She felt she couldn’t rely on her mutant powers.  What if they failed her?  She needed something more, but she wasn’t quite sure what that was.  Then one day she happened to notice Wolverine practicing in the Danger Room.  But he was not doing his usual fight training; he was practicing martial arts with a Katan.

Syren was fascinated by this.  She had learned to use several guns and other such weapons, but they never felt right to her.  Guns killed.  She wanted protection.  Perhaps this was the way.  She had already learned a little karate from Morph, so maybe Wolverine wouldn’t object too much to training her.

“Forget it.” Wolverine said.

“Please.  I really want to learn.”

“You want to get yourself in trouble.  The last thing you need is to be flaying a sword around.”

“How funny, you know, that is just what I imagined something Cyclops to say.”  She knew she had him.

“Why do want to learn?” He asked, trying to avoid agreeing to help her.  The last thing he needed was someone attached to him for more than five minutes.  He liked being alone.

Syren sighed and sat down.  “You know, ever since what happened with Omega Red, I can’t seem to get back into the fight like before.”

“Well, unless you heal like I do, that’s pretty normal.”

“No, physically I feel fine.  I’m just....scared.”

Wolverine hadn’t expected her to say that.  It seemed every time they have a moment together, he sees something different in her.  He now saw her vulnerability.  Normally this was something distasteful to him, but he had thought of her for sometime now as woman with power and no fear.  Now he saw tenderness in her.  She wasn’t showing weakness, but rather, she perceived a flaw in herself and she was coming to him to show her how to fix it.  He actually felt flattered, for a brief moment.

“You know, it’s normal to be scared.”  He tried to ease her.

“Yeah, I know.  But being scared for someone else and being scared because you feel like you can’t defend yourself is different.”

“But you can defend yourself, if you’re back to good health.”

“Yes, but what I am afraid of is that I have depended on my abilities to defend myself.  When Rogue absorbed them, I lost that and I had nothing else to rely on.  I don’t ever want to be in that position again.  If I lose my abilities again for some reason, I want to have something to fall back on.”

Now Wolverine got it.  She was smart.  It had been the very reason he himself had learned martial arts and so he felt he could not deny her.

“Alright, I’ll teach ya.  But you have to be dedicated.  It’s not a hobby, it is a lifestyle.”

“Right.” Syren nodded. “Morph taught me some martial art moves and he said the same thing.”

“Really?  Well, maybe we should see what you know first.”



So now their relationship had gone from estranged acquaintances, onto civil co-workers, to teacher and student.  It was a slow growth, but all beautiful blossoms start in such a way.  Wolverine found that Syren knew enough not to be the pain in the neck beginner he figured she’d be, but also was not so formed as he could not mold her the way he wanted.  She was a fast learner, and at first he was a bit wary of whether she was really grasping the full knowledge of his teachings.  But as time went on, he realized she was taking it to heart, just one of her many talents that she could do so as quickly as she did.

Not only did she learn how to use the Katan, but he showed her other martial art weapons, one of which became her favorite.  She loved to throw knives.  Something about the technique, accuracy and beauty of it appealed to her.  It took great skill to learn the trade.  Wolverine even showed her how to catch one being thrown at her.

Did I approve of this?  Of course not.  But in this, I was not the only one.  Others were worried for her as well.  Movies look great when people fight in such a way, but this was not the movies.  Using martial arts against mutants I always felt, was useless.  Many normal humans thinking they could defeat one with such techniques lost their lives.  But the Professor did not put a stop to it.  He said if this was what she needed to get past her fear and get back on the team, then so be it.

I was concerned for more than just her spending her time on this training.  I was worried about her spending all this time with Wolverine.  He was the last influence she needed to have.  I was unfortunate enough to have voiced this opinion to her.  It was our first real fight.



“It’s none of your damn business!”

Now who did that sound like?  “I’m making it my business.  I’m team leader here and I think you should be paying more attention to your job as a team member than in your hobby.”

“That’s what I am doing.  I’m working to improve myself.”

“By spending quality time with Wolverine?”

“You wouldn’t understand.” She defended him. “Besides, I know how you feel about him.  He could never do right in your eyes.”

“Look, Wolverine has a past from before you came here, that you know nothing about.  If you did, you wouldn’t be spending all that time with him.”

“Or maybe I’ve just decided to look beyond his past and see him for who he is now.”

“Or maybe you’ve let your feelings cloud your judgment.  Besides he is no different from the day he came here.”

Syren pursed her lips into a thin line.  “Well, either way seems to have your underwear in a knot, so I guess it doesn’t matter.  So, team leader or not, when Professor Xavier tells me to call it quits, then I’ll consider it.”

As Syren walked off ignoring Cyclops as he called out, “There is no more room for attitudes around here.  Yours is going to have to go!”



After a good couple of months training daily with Wolverine, Syren was ready for action once again.  There was no doubt about it; she had found her full potential.  Her training had brought out the true fighter in her.  Not a mindless minion waiting for the next fight.  She had a true warrior’s presence about her, like a noble knight of old.  She knew when it was time to fight and when not to.  Her mind was keen and her body was a well trained weapon and she was deadly.  One can only thank God she was on our side.

Maybe it was then that Wolverine finally felt his first real feelings for her.  Syren was now on every mission we went on and she and Wolverine fought well together.  The time they had spent training together had also taught each other how the other thought.  They could anticipate what the other was thinking and they most often had the same ideas on how things should get done.  Bold and diving head first into each situation, it was difficult keeping the two under control.

This of course was the very influence I had talking about that I did not want for Syren.  She seemed to me a carbon copy of Wolverine and the worst of it was she was encouraging Rogue to be the same way!  I must admit, it was more than I could hardly stand.  And anytime Remy joined the group, there was no hope.  Each of them rogues in their own way, together they were impossible.

By seeing Syren in this new light, seeing her fully developed, Wolverine was finally taking a personal interest in her.  First he felt responsible for her, watching her to make sure her first times out she would be alright.  She needed no help though.  She was like the most well trained secret agent.  She could handle any situation.

But at some point it had to become more.  It is my guess that he had found himself on a more personal level from the daily trainings, without even meaning to.  He must have gotten comfortable with her and Syren was an easy person to talk to.  Often the two were seen together, which was unusual for Wolverine.  He had always kept to himself.

Syren’s fully developed character caught the eye of another, or rather, re-interested a previous admirer.  Gambit seemed to be more smitten than ever and it quickly looked as though there was going to be trouble.  I must admit that though I didn’t like Wolverine he did seem to genuinely want to watch out for the safety of our female team members.  I suppose that extended to over zealous male admirers.

Before, Wolverine never made a peep about Gambit and his ways.  In fact, there were rare times when the two headed out to some dive for a night of drinking and knowing Gambit, he was certain to be his usual self, coming on to any woman within his site.  And this never seemed to bother Wolverine.  Yet when it came to Syren, it did.  More than once I was to hear of Logan advising Gambit that he should “cool it” and now and again he would make a jab at his behavior.

Admittedly I must say that Jean was the one to point this out to me, but then she picks up on these things easier than I do, obviously.  She had mentioned to me that Wolverine seemed different to her and she said she thought it was due to Syren.  This news was bittersweet though.  I was elated to hear that Wolverine might finally be giving us a break, but I hated the thought of Syren being tainted by him.  I remember Jean saying she thought it was a good thing and I was thinking how desperate Jean must have been to want to rid herself of that menace.

I asked Jean what she sensed about Syren’s feelings for Wolverine.  Clouded she said, but she said it was clear that Syren genuinely liked him and most certainly enjoyed his company.  That was just what I did not want to hear.

Wolverine was confused though. He had great loyalty to Jean.  There was no way he was going to just give her up.  She had been the best friend that scoundrel probably ever had.  But he started feeling things out, taking a good look at what he really had and getting honest with himself I suspect.



***To Be Continued***