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[Psylocke]

Dying.

How many times had she considered that an option over the last few years? Countless but like a true coward, she'd never had the courage to pull it off. Her mind was already closed off to the ranting and raving lunatic of a child in front of her. All she could concentrate on was the single word. Now that she'd failed, again, there really was nothing left. Brian hated her. Jamie likely would as well although he was about as crazy as she was. Most of all, though, she hated herself. Had ever since her memories had been restored to her.

Betsy didn't shield her psychic body from the attacks. The pain was incredible but she'd felt it before. She'd woken up once during the procedure to change her looks and it had been the most horrid thing she'd ever known. It was discovered quickly and she was knocked back out but in that brief moment, all their minds had been open to hers and the reality of what was happening had only just penetrated when she'd gone back under. She'd not properly woken up again for three years.

So in an odd way, the pain that was being subjected to her astral body was comforting. It kept her mind sharp but not in the way that Xavier was likely hoping for. Instead, she found herself attempting to goad the girl, to coax her into a fatal attack, something that would not only kill her psychic construct but her physical one as well. Betsy was well aware that it likely wouldn't come to fruition but she had to try.

The girl gave one last cry toward her, Xavier was supposedly imprisoned although Betsy highly doubted that was truly the case and she closed her eyes. Xavier had wanted her soul to be bared, had wanted to know what drove her and what made her the way she was today. He could see the layers in her mind, could see what had been done and what she'd been like before. There was remorse, there would always be remorse. There was guilt, mostly because of the deception she'd allowed to continue after getting her memories back. Most of all, though, there was pain. So much emotional scarring that the only way to not let it overcome her was to hide it and work past it. Never to deal with it.

Opening her eyes, she looked first to Xavier and then to the blond child. Yes, in so many ways, she was that angry for allowing Matsu'o to win but most of all, she felt vindicated in the decision she'd made. If Xavier had done anything, it was to show her that Brian wouldn't have been able to handle the truth and it was best that she was left dead.

"It is over," she told them both. With a flash, Betsy forced him from her mind. If they'd been in his, she wouldn't have had that much control over it but he'd chosen hers as their playground and that meant the landscape and everything that happened was up to her. She was done with this game, now. He saw what he wanted to see, saw what she was and how she became it.

She was lying on the bed now, her body having fallen over during the mental fight. Blinking against the light that shone in the room, she refocused on the bald man, and waited. She knew this little therapy session was far from over.

[Professor X]

“Uhggh…” Xavier grunted clutching his fingers to his temple as his consciousness returned to his own body. Though it had only been a little under two minutes in reality since they had started their psychic conversation Xavier was a drained from the strenuous use of his abilities not to mention the mental backlash of being forcible removed from another’s consciousness. Taking a moment the Professor gathered his thoughts before speaking with Elisabeth. Looking over at the woman in her cell he could tell what ever strain he may have felt she was experience pain and feelings much more harsh and conflicting.

“You are a unique woman Elisabeth I will give you that.” Xavier began as he finished pulling himself together.
“But I do apologize as I had not meant for that to happen. I did feed psychic energy to your subconscious in order to give it voice and keep you truthful but I had not expected it to lash out so violently. I was caught off guard and that allowed your own mind to use me against you.”
Xavier explained apologetically for his own mistake. He had been over confident and simply not expected Psylocke’s subconscious to be as psychically adept, fortunately it had not been as costly a mistake as it could have been. He had managed to keep his own mind shielded from her and kept her from drawing on the full strength of his own psychic abilities. Had he had more time he would have regained control of the situation but Elisabeth managed to handle things just fine in her own way.

Now that the trouble was over though it was time to analysis just what had been discussed and seen. He had a much greater understanding of the woman they were holding and her problem. He also knew now that helping her would be an even greater challenge.
“I know that was very painful for you but if you do not mind I’d like to go over what happened in there before stopping for today.” Xavier began as he tried to once again open up a dialog with his new patient.

“I would offer my sympathy to you for what has happened in your past but I imagine no matter my sincerity you would not appreciate the gesture. Still you have my condolences for the atrocities that have been done to you.”
He offered her in honest sincerity. What was done to her was an unconscionable crime. To have one’s body and mind violated so thoroughly, to have their identity completely taken from them in every fashion. It was no wonder she was in such a mental state.

“From what I have seen so far I believe your largest difficulty will be overcoming your own self image. You have placed your past self, the body and life that were robbed from you up upon a pedestal. It is like a treasure you worship and understandable long to have. The problem with this is that is causing you to despise who you are now. In your mind you picture anyone who knew you before must hate you now. Your subconscious see’s who you are now as a falsehood that must be removed so you can live again. If you were of a weaker mind I imagine you would be on the road to a multiple personality disorder of some kind.”

Xavier allowed Elisabeth a moment to think over his diagnosis. Though he had a feeling she would disagree with his analysis. Given the subconscious outburst these were uncomfortable and unwanted truths she had spent the last few years burying or ignoring.

“I cannot change who you are Elisabeth. You have done terrible things even if many of them were not by your own choice. But having terrible things done to you is no excuse. If you are someone who wishes to walk the path of murder then I will turn you over to the authorities and you will pay for the crimes you have done. But if you are someone who wishes to find some kind of redemption for their past and wants to build a better future for yourself then perhaps we can help you. But right now I do not think you truly know who or what you are let alone what path you wish to walk.” Xavier put his fingers together as he quickly thought over the situation.

“And I do not believe you can honestly answer that until you have truly come to terms with your past and who you are now. Now if you are willing to trust me enough to do this then I will be willing to trust you enough to give you better accommodations, one without a psychic dampener. But not mistake this for foolishness. If you betray my trust you will find yourself in a SHIELD holding cell before you even realized you were caught.”