Two weeks after the Spider incident Magneto and Professor Xavier met in a
small art museum in Bayville. The building was nothing special, funded by a
local board of store and business owners who thought that the town could
use at least one sign of culture. Filled with mediocre at best paintings,
two of the five art patrons were far more interesting than anything hanging
on the walls. Magneto wore his helmet and cape as usual, refusing to
conform to the human standard even for the sake of being inconspicuous.
None of the other art patrons, all 3 of them, noticed though which was a
perk of being in the company of a powerful mutant telepath.
"As easily led as sheep, Charles," Magneto glowered at the skinny man in Bermuda shorts who walked a little too close, "You prove my point even now."
Professor Xavier shook his head wearily, "Not again Eric, I refuse to waste my time or that of Ororo's by arguing with you the finer points of human mutant relations."
Magneto looked to where the "weather goddess" sat on a bench reading a novel, "Somewhat insecure?"
"You're the one who refused my offer to meet at the Institute and insist on wearing that helmet."
"I'm gracious Charles, but not a fool. Who knows what might happen if I wasn't wearing this psychic probe blocker, I could be playing Frisbee in the park with children thanks to you."
"I'm glad you think that highly of my morals and ethics, now back to the matter at hand."
"Apocalypse." Magneto murmured appreciatively as he gathered his cape into one hand at his side and glared at the air above Professor Xavier's head, "Rare for a man to make a fool of me, but this being seems to be far more cunning than you or I."
"True, but perhaps if we worked together we could find the last key to Apocalypse's tomb," Professor injected.
Magneto seemed to mull the idea for a minute, "The key is inconsequential, finding Mesmero, now that would be far more productive in my opinion."
"I thought you considered revenge to be a human and outdated idea."
"If he is removed, then who would there be to find the key?"
"He could find another agent I'm sure."
"No Charles, these types of evil have to be contacted from this side of existence. Destroy him, and what means he used to speak with Apocalypses, then we will be safe from him." "Then you agree that we should work together?"
"Perhaps. but for the time being it seems as though a temporary cease fire is in order, agreed?"
The Professor sighed, but decided to take what he could get, "Agreed. Now another matter."
Surprised as the change of subject Magneto leveled his gaze on his former friend, "Hmm?"
"The Brotherhood. I would advise that you use what influence you have, or allow me to use mine, to return them to the High School."
"Out of the question Charles."
"Why?"
"I doubt they would be willing in the first place."
"Your method of control set aside, how are they different from any other teenager?"
"Most other teenagers can't demolish the school. Besides, I would rather not see them socializing with the human rabble."
"Why? For god sakes Eric, if there's one thing we always agreed, it's the importance of an education."
Magneto turned from the Professor and began walking towards the door, "There education is well in hand, I have seen to that."
The double doors flared outwards with a ripple before he came near them and closed as he stepped out into the light of midday. Extending the mental illusion he was broadcasting to include everyone standing on the street Professor Xavier was able to watch through the eyes of those who could not see what was before them. Magneto stood calmly on the street until a small metal orb came flying out of the air and rested in the street in front of him. His subsequent departure was unrealized except as a small curiosity for some school children, an elderly couple, and Principle Kelly who had been getting postage stamps.
The Professor waited till Magneto was gone before dropping the tiring mental illusion, he hadn't exerted himself like that for quite awhile, not since the football stadium months ago in fact. Sitting back in his chair he rubbed the bridge of his nose as Ororo rose from the bench depositing the book in her bag before approaching and asked, "That bad?"
"I had hoped this threat would allow me to talk with him, try to get through to him in some way, unfortunately he seems as unreachable as ever."
Ororo smiled before stepping behind the Professor and pushing him towards the door, "Perhaps you should try another avenue, such as the Brotherhood."
The Professor shook his head, "Remember how we acted when Magneto recruited Scott and his brother Alex? I'm sure Magneto would be far less generous in reprisal."
Ororo nodded seeing the sense in this, "And there would be no telling if they did it of there own accord."
"A traitor would be icing on the cake at this point," The Professor looked up and down the street searching for the school car he had seen waiting for them earlier through the eyes of people on the street, "Who is suppose to pick us up?"
Ororo shook her head, "I have no idea."
Both looked to their left where a black car turned the corner and came to a stop right in front of them. Opening the large side door for Professor Xavier and following him in Ororo remarked, "Perhaps the Brotherhood is being taken care of."
"Oh dear god," The Professor whispered as the driver turned and smiled at them.
Her bobbing ponytail swung as she asked, "Like, how did it go Professor?"
"Kitty," Ororo paled, " I think the Brotherhood is in a lot less trouble than us right now, Professor."
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At the Brotherhood house everyone stood stunned in the kitchen. A look of sheer ecstasy could be found on the face of Fred and Toad, while Lance and Wanda stared at what lay before them suspiciously. Leaning against the wall like the king of all creation stood Pietro with a smirk on his face that fairly screamed Saint.
Fred wiped a tear from his eye, "I don't believe it, I refuse to believe it."
Toad cocked his head to the side liked a dog faced with something of a significance beyond the comprehension of even a normal human being, "I would say that something I ate's makin me hallucinate, but that ain't possible."
Lance turned and demanded, "Pietro, where did it come from?"
Pietro smirked a little bit more," You know."
Wanda took a step closer, "Its all ours?"
Pietro laughed, "Yes Wanda for once not stolen, scrounged, or given in charity. For the first time in Brotherhood history.we have a full pantry that's bought and paid for."
Fred fell to his knees with a crash, scattering everyone else in the room, "There is a god!"
Pietro appeared in the blink of an eye standing next to him, "And his name is Magneto."
"Sacrilege," Lance rubbed his jaw, "but for us, the truth."
Wanda looked at a pile of opened mail that lay on the counter. Picking up the envelopes and rifling through them she read aloud, "There all the same; Thank you for paying your outstanding bill, electricity, cable, water, all of them."
Toad leaped onto the counter next to her, "Pretty nice of a guy you wanted to kill, eh buttercup?"
Wanda absently reached out and shoved him off the counter. Toad went limp, he had found from experience that was the best way to land and fell screaming, "AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"
Lance shook his head before picking Toad up by the front of his shirt and pulling him close, "Why do you have to scream? You fell maybe two feet, sounded worse than the time Pietro ran to far up the side of a building and fell off."
Pietro's smirk quickly disappeared to be replaced by a look of annoyance as Lance continued with a dreamy air, "Screamed like a little girl the whole way down, thank god there was a deep fountain for him to land in."
Wanda raised an eyebrow, "Never knew you and my brother were that close."
Lance and Pietro looked at each other before rolling their eyes and muttering something about "a witch". Lance, oblivious to the handful of Toads shirt he held retorted, "You know those Maximoffs and how they like to escape being squashed flat. Hmm lets see; Pietro's almost been made sidewalk pizza, Magneto was just about hit with an overgrown trash compactor, that just leaves you Wanda! I'd look out for falling houses, if you get me."
Fred and Pietro laughed while Wanda threw the mail at Lance with a full arm swing that hit him square in the face.
Pietro asked Toad who was still being held in the air by Lance, "Why did you scream?"
Toad stuck his thumb out in Wanda's direction, "Appeases er."
"Ah," Everyone but Wanda said slyly. Lance dropped Toad and turned to Pietro before hooking his thumbs in his belt loops, "So what's the catch Maximoff?"
Pietro ran over and leaned on Lance before put a hand to his ear, "Pardon?"
Lance shoved him away, "What are we going to have to do for Magneto?"
Pietro's smirk faded and was replaced by a frown, "We get a tutor."
Fred looked up from a bag of Ruffle chips, "Who?"
"Some guy named Mastermind."
Recognizing the name Wanda looked up and asked, "Have I ever met him?"
Pietro shook his head, "Nope, never met him, you have most definitely never met him."
A look then passed between Fred, Lance, Pietro and Toad, a look that was not lost on Wanda, "You guys are so odd."
Grabbing the keys to Lances jeep off the toaster Wanda walked out of the kitchen, "I'm taking the jeep."
Lance followed her, "Hey, I didn't say you could borrow the jeep!"
Wanda stopped in the doorway without turning around, "Did I ask?"
Lance opened his mouth as a witty comeback formed in his mind but closed it when Pietro grabbed his arm and pulled him back in the kitchen.
Wanda continued out the door and onto the lawn, "Didn't think so."
Fred tossed a handful of potato chips into his mouth, "What are we going to do when she finds out what Magneto did to her? And a TUTOR?"
Toad opened a slim Jim tossing the wrapper onto the floor, "God help the person who tries to teach us anything, were denser than concrete."
"Pietro, what besides a tutor was part of the deal with Magneto?"
Pietro shook his head ruefully before popping a coke, "Lance, you don't make deals with my father, he makes you do what he wants and then he gives you what you deserve."
Lance pulled the can from his grasp and held it aloft, "Deserve?"
Pietro eyed the can before running to the fridge and grabbing another, "Exactly, and that's why we need to stay on his good side."
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At the Institute Scott and Jean sat in the living room, not precisely snuggled up but close enough to be considered cozy, watching a movie. The last week had been pretty hectic for everyone what with it being finals week for the high school students and the stepped up training sessions dictated by the Professor in light of their most recent mission. The movie itself sucked, but that wasn't really important. What was important was the fact that everyone at the Institute had been given a small reprieve from the constant training. Which meant no danger room, no security drills, no weight training, and best of all no danger room!
"Logan looked kinda bummed when the Professor told him to cancel the training sessions," Jean remarked.
Scott nodded, "The Professor didn't look to happy about Logan sending Kitty to pick them up either."
"So how long do you think it will last?"
"No sessions, or this whole Apocalypses thing?"
Jean sat up and ran her hands through her hair with a heavy sigh, "Either, both, oh hell I don't know."
Scott's eyebrows rose at the use of profanity from the black frames, "What's wrong Jean?"
Jean looked at him out of the corner of her eye, "Do you ever get the feeling that the odds are stacking up against us?"
To Jean the silence was deafening, "I mean, we've got Magneto and Acolytes, the Brotherhood, even a sports drink makers tried to take us out, and now a guy who can outsmart us all."
"Hey," Scott leaned forward and took her hand in his, "Where's all this coming from?"
Jean laughed, "I don't know, I guess I'm tired and a little shaken is all."
Scott opened his mouth to say something comforting, but a sound that was most definitely not comforting exploded between their faces, "CRACK"
Jean hands rose just in time to throw up a shield as the lenses in Scott's glasses first cracked, the shattered into a hundred tiny pieces emitting a beam of energy. Scott was shoved back from the pure force of the optic blast into the wall behind the couch where he stood pinned his feet dangling in the air until he closed his eyes.
Jean lay on the floor, at first shocked by the idea that Scott had attacked her. Realizing that some of the groans she was hearing weren't just her own she asked, "Sc-Scott?"
Scott lay on the floor holding both hands firmly clamped over his eyes, never in his life had he had such a powerful blast, never, "Jean are you okay?"
"Yes-but what happened?"
"I seriously have no idea, could you find my glasses for me?"
Jean looked around at the scorched living room until she found his now broken glasses. The lenses were completely shattered and the frame was bent in the middle as if both sides had been under extreme pressure. Jean picked them up, "Scott, you are not going to believe this."
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A few miles away a figure lay chained to the wall in a small pitch-black room. Blood dripped from the scalp wound on his head, trailing down his almost black hair and onto his dark tan skin. He had never even registered the pain of being hit; the last thing he remembered was walking out of his front door on the way to the Institute.
Even now he was floating somewhere in between consciousness and oblivion, unsure if he was awake since he couldn't see anything. Unable to touch his head he suffered in silence as the blood dripped from him.
Fluorescent light from another room suddenly as a door opened with a creak that demanded to be oiled and a voice as black as oil and just as slippery crooned, "Dear Forge, how are we feeling?"
Forge looked up dully at the man standing in the doorframe. He wore a green cloak that covered his whole body, but what was truly odd were the green tattoo lines that covered his face.
"Not up to talking yet, that's understandable," Leaning down he took Forges head in both his claw like hands, "Perhaps I cam do something about it."
What felt like lightning flew through Forges skull for a minute before the pain and the mental fog cleared, "OWWWWWWWWWWWW. Gee wiz, what did I ever do to you pal?!"
The man bowed, "I am Mesmero."
"Any specific reason you kidnapped me?"
Mesmero pulled his cloak tighter to him, "My apologies, but I knew you were going to the Xavier Institute, and I could not allow that."
"So you clocked me over the head?! Why?"
"I am in need of a machine, one that no one in this world but you could possibly build in the time available."
"Why in the blue blazes would I help you build anything?"
Mesmero sighed, "Usually I'm not this blunt but time is short. Because I'm the man who has you chained to the wall and can make your brains drip out your nose like water, understood?"
Forge stretched his arms as far as they would go, which with the chains that fixed him to the wall wasn't very far, "You have me at a disadvantage, what kind of machine do you want me to build?"
Mesmero smiled before taking a small box from inside his cloak and pushing the button, the shackles fell off with a clank. Forge rose slowly, getting his bearings before turning towards the door and bolting out onto the light and hopefully, freedom.
"Stop," Forge obeyed the command as Mesmero followed him out of the room, "Did you really think I would go to the trouble of kidnapping you just to allow you to run at the first opportunity? I think not."
Forge turned and glared at him, "What is this, compulsion?"
"Exactly, now take a look at this." Mesmero tossed a rolled up blue print at him.
Forge caught the blue prints before unraveling them and glancing at the lines. Realization showed on his face, "This is based on my alternate reality machine."
"Yes," Mesmero hit a button on the small black box again which caused lights to flare on in a small gym sized room next to them, "but a bit more large scale."
Looking down at the materials scattered on the ground Forge gaped, "Your serious, aren't you?"
Mesmero nodded, "The machine is based on your plans, but unfortunately I have no idea who made the revisions to it. They came to me second hand from another agent of Apocalypses, but that is inconsequential."
Forge fingered the cut on his head gingerly, "I don't think I'm quite up to building anything right now."
Mesmero walked to a small metal hatch opposite the room he had held Forge in and opened it, "You're not going to feel any better, I assure you. Until this machine is finished you wont be able to sleep, at all."
Forge watched the door shut and lock behind his captor before looking for a ladder down onto the main floor. Construction materials, tools, even the expensive parts necessary to create the computer systems necessary, all of it was here. Forge took another look at the schematics wondering where to start on this giant one-man job.
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"It what?"
Scott sat on the gurney in the medical bay as Dr. McCoy examined the ruined glasses he had destroyed earlier. Jean stood next to him holding his hand as Scott frowned in the general direction of Dr. McCoy and asked again, "They blew up?"
Dr. McCoy set the glasses down on a sterile tray, "Apparently so. As far as I can tell there was a sudden burst in the strength of your optic energies, far too much for the lenses to diffuse."
"So they did blow up."
"Correct."
Jean sensed Scott's confusion and squeezed his hand, "Is there anything we can do?"
Dr. McCoy shrugged, "All we can do is hope that the situation does not escalate."
Scott fumbled for his battle visor that lay next to him. Jean picked it up from behind him and put it in his hand, "Thanks Jean."
Slipping it on Scott slowly opened one eye allowing a small glimmer of the room around him to come into sight, sure that he wouldn't destroy the visor he opened the other as well, "Seems fine."
Dr. McCoy patted Scott on the shoulder, "Perhaps it was just one of those puberty induced power spurts, hopefully nothing to worry about."
"Yeah," Scott made sure the strap of his visor was secure, "But if that was me at full strength for a few seconds, what am I going to do when I become that powerful?"
Dr. McCoy had no reply to this so he turned back to the ruined glasses fragment.
Jean glanced at Scott worried, "Come on Scott, lets go to the mall and find some frames for Dr. McCoy to make you new glasses from."
"Uh Jean.... Maybe I shouldn't appear in public wearing my visor, besides Rogue borrowed my car."
"Right," Jean smacked herself in the forehead with the palm of her hand when his back was turned, "Well let's go ask Kurt if you can borrow his."
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Wolverine looked out onto the lawn as the Professor organized the papers on his desk so that they were in some semblance of order. Logan had just returned that day from looking for Mystique with practically nothing to show for it, nothing but a deep-seated suspicion that she was biding her time. Wearing his leather jacket that was now splattered with small drops of mud Wolverine looked tired, tired and a little disgruntled.
Logan had driven the Professor with Ororo to the art museum where Kitty, who had been shopping, recognized the park car and offered to drive the Professor back. Seeing no problem with this Logan had hit the nearest bar to check the local talk then walked home to do some serious thinking.
"The first thing she'll do is get the Brotherhood back under her thumb," The Professor thought out loud.
"I doubt it," Logan grunted, "They've turned on her one too many times. And if what Rogue told me is true, that Pietro is leading the Brotherhood added to Wanda no longer wanting to rip her father apart, then he's got them in his pocket."
The Professor shrugged, "She was the first to take them in, make them something of worth, they won't easily forget that."
Logan turned back to the Professor, "What about this Mesmero? Should we be looking for him?"
Hearing the unspoken question of whether Logan should be after Mesmero the Professor decided to ignore it, "No, I want everyone to stay close to home. Right now we have a temporary cease fire with Magneto, maybe we can use that to our advantage."
Logan smiled.
"Not quite Logan. I'm hoping there's a possibility of turning him, or at least some of his compatriots."
Logan rubbed the back of his neck, "What about the Russian one? He didn't seem that happy to be fighting for Magneto in the first place."
"I remember, for some reason I'm unable to sense him telepathically. No, I think we should focus inwards for the moment while I try and negotiate with Magneto."
"What ever you say Chuck. Isn't Forge suppose to be here?"
"Hmm, I would have guessed he would be here by now, though he said that it would take awhile to get here."
Logan rubbed at a spot of dried mud on his leather jacket, "Training?"
The Professor thought for a moment, "Give them intense every other day Danger Room sessions, and security drills. And Logan."
"Yeah?"
"I would like to see our newer students capable of defending the Institute if necessary. I was very impressed with Bobby's performance against the Acolytes, see if he's ready for field work."
Logan turned to door, "Gotcha."
"One more thing Logan."
Logan rolled his neck before turning back to the Professor, "Yeah Chuck?"
The Professor looked somewhat peeved at this but continued, "Push them as hard as you can within reason, we have no idea what future demands may be made on them."
At this Logan smiled before exiting the Professor's study. Walking down the hall he stripped off his leather jacket and threw it on the wash pile for someone to scrub. Seeing Kurt turn the corner munching a chocolate bar he took a moment to smile to himself and chuckle, "Oh are you in for it."
Kurt choked on the mouth full of chocolate and watched Logan make his way back to his room, "Nice to see you too."
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Rogue flipped through CD's in the heavy metal rack at her favorite music store at the mall, a wordless rock song blaring from the overhead speakers. Her first week out of the infirmary Rogue was glad to get back in the swing of things; school, homework, even danger room sessions for a little while, it was nice to be back to normal.
"Do you have the LoveFist album?"
Recognizing the voice Rogue looked up. Wanda stood on the other side of the CD rack talking to a small asian lady in a Lead Zeppelin t-shirt at the service desk. The lady blinked at her through large wire rim glasses before shrugging and going back to her magazine.
Wanda looked in disgust at the woman before turning around and seeing Rogue for the first time.
"Here," Rogue snatched up a CD and tossed it at her, "This what you lookin for?"
The CD flew towards Wanda face before being snatched out of the air and held in a tight fist. Wanda never broke eye contact with Rogue until peering at the cover of the CD in her hand, "Thanks."
Rogue shrugged and asked, "How's the Brotherhood? You killed your brother yet?"
"Fine, and no I haven't. Figured he would have done the job himself by now."
Rogue went back to flipping through CD's, "He's come close." Wanda looked at the back of the CD, "Close isn't really satisfying."
Rogue looked at Wanda out of the corner of her eye, "Can I ask you a question?"
Wanda dropped her arms to her side, "Maybe."
"Why did you join the Brotherhood and not the X Men? We beat Magneto before."
"Didn't really matter then, besides the Professor's whole "world peace" speech sounded like baloney to me," Now it was Wanda's turn to look at Rogue out of the corner of her eye, "Now I've got a question; you ever have the feeling he's controlling your mind?"
"No! The Professor wouldn't do that."
"Then how come.Spyke.up and left?"
Rogue opened her mouth to answer, but only seemed to be able to wonder herself why he had left. It was a shock to her and the other senior X Men when he ditched them for the Morlocks, Rogue especially felt betrayed even though the two had never been that close.
Wanda nodded to herself, "Exactly."
Rogue felt anger simmer inside her and pointed at Wanda, "You're the one who's head was tampered with by a guy in a tweed suit."
Kurt had kept her entertained while she was in the hospital with stories of the going on of the Institute, which included his road trip with Toad into the mountains.
Wanda's eyes narrowed and the magazine rack next to her creaked into motion then stopped, "You shouldn't point your finger at 'crazy' people."
Rogue didn't flinch or back down, "I ain't scared of you, I've been dealin with bullies like you for most of my life."
Wanda's eyes widened in indignation as she whispered fiercely, "I am not a bully!"
"What do you call the silent glares, and stuff you do with your powers?" Rogue asked before noticing Wanda had pocketed the CD and made toward the exit. Sparks flew from the detection device as she walked through, but no alarm was heard.
Rogue licked one finger and making a vertical line in the air, "One point, Rogue."
An hour later Rogue made her way to Scott's convertible fishing the keys out of her pocket while juggling a stack of books she had bought. Opening the door and throwing her books in Rogue heard a car drive by and looked up.
Wanda drove by slowly in Lance's jeep, gesturing at Scott's car before mimicking Rogue's "one point" hand gesture perfectly. Looking down Rogue saw the front left tire deflate with a hiss.
"That bitc-" Dropping to one knee Rogue lifted the edge of her pant leg and drew the small knife Wolverine had given her strapped to her ankle. Standing up she threw the knife with a sideways twist, nailing the back tire of Lance's Jeep, all in one smooth motion that took seconds.
As the jeeps suspension changed to accommodate the lack of support in the back, Wanda looked in the rear view mirror where Rogue arms outstretched arm and open palm told the story.
Getting out of the car Wanda took out her earrings and shed her large coat while Rogue tossed the keys to Scott's car on the ground. Each covered the distance between them in mere seconds.
There were no powers; this was something far more personal and primal, two people with anger at life twisting their insides demanding to be set free.
Wanda started with a haymaker to aimed as Rogue's head, which instead of connecting put her off balance as Rogue ducked and hit her in the gut with a short left jab.
"Uhh," Wanda grunted before bringing her elbow down on Rogue's back driving her to the pavement.
Rogue stuck her foot out and kicked Wanda's out from under her, bringing Wanda down on top of her. As Rogue squirmed out from under her, Wanda wrapped her arm around Rogue's neck and squeezed.
Rogue gagged as her windpipe closed under Wanda's pressure. A minute of this brought Rogue close to the edge of unconsciousness before she bucked backwards driving her skull into Wanda's nose.
Blood streamed down Wanda's face while Rogue, with room to breath, elbowed her in the kidneys. Shoving Rogue away from her Wanda stood up and held her burning lower back.
Rogue, still feeling light headed worked to get up on all fours when Wanda's foot connected squarely with her ribs. Falling over Rogue caught the next kick and twisted Wanda's ankle bringing her down as well.
Both lay on the ground trying to catch their breath, bruised and bleeding before one remarked to the other, "You are one mean bitch."
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Kurt walked towards his room after doing the laundry, wondering if leather jackets could be put in a washing machine before resigning himself to finding out in about an hour. The last thing he expected to see when he walked into his room was Jean bent at a ninety-degree angle, her hands on his dresser, staring into a box on the floor of assorted junk he kept in front of it. His second shock was Scott wearing his battle visor standing right behind Jean, his gaze on the picture above the dresser.
Kurt's jaw dropped, "WHAA?!"
Scott looked over and smiled, "Hey Kurt, we were just-"
"Kurt?" Jean looked up to see who had walked in.
"Ja well, sorry to interrupt," Kurt raised his hands and backed out of the room slowly, "Scott I vant all ze details later."
Jean rose as Kurt slammed the door, a pair of sun glasses in her hand. Scott and Jean looked at each other quizzically before Jean cocked her head to the side a little as Scott's eyebrows knitted in thought. Shaking their heads to forget it Jean handed Scott the sunglasses they found, "Here, they should fit."
Scott held them up and admired the more slender and black wrap around frames, "I don't think he'll mind."
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Kitty was making a sandwich when Kurt teleported into the kitchen, "Kitty, you are not going to believe zis!"
"Believe what?"
Kitty and Kurt looked where Logan sat at the kitchen table sipping a cup of coffee. Putting the cup down he asked again, "Believe what?"
Kurt's mouth opened and closed, opened and closed, as he tried to think of an excuse. He was saved by Tabby's appearance from the laundry room holding a rumpled handful of what looked like wet canvas, "Who put a leather jacket in the washing machine?"
Logan jumped up and grabbed the jacket, "WHO?!"
Logan looked at Tabby who took a step back, "No way man, your not pinning this on me!"
Kurt took the opportunity to grab Kitty's arm and teleport out of the room to her room. Kitty yanked her arm out of his hand barely catching a piece of tomato that was falling from her sandwich, "Like, what's so important Kurt?"
Realizing that his and Kitty room were right next to each other Kurt first put his ear to the wall separating them before whispering in her ear for a minute. Kitty dropped the sandwich and exclaimed in a breathless voice, "They didn't!"
Kurt's arms waved, "Be quiet, and zere probably still doing it!"
Right at that moment a repetitive thumping sound started coming from the wall of Kurt's room, they looked at each other wide eyed for a second before running over and putting their ears to the wall.
THUMP...THUMP....THUMP....THUMP....THUMP....
On the other side of the wall Jean and Scott strained to push Kurt's dresser back into place against the wall after moving it in their search for glasses, but the damn thing would just bounce off the wall and fly back with a THUMP.
"UHH," Jean gritted her teeth as she put her shoulder into the dresser, "Why won't this thing go?"
THUMP....THUMP....
"AHHHH, Kurt must keep either golden bars or long range scud missiles in here, AHH!"
Oh the other side of the wall Kurt and Kitty listened as grunts now started to come in through the wall. Kurt looked at Kitty and declared, "We really shouldn't be listening to this."
THUMP
Kitty nodded, "Its sick, absolutely sick."
THUMP
"Well there was enough tension between them."
THUMP
"Not them Kurt! Thought the thought is like, disturbing. The face were listening to them.them."
THUMP "Rock the kazbaa?"
THUMP
Kitty shrugged, "Whatever that means."
"UHHHHHHHHH!" Kurt looked at his watch, "They work quick-What Kitty? What?"
On the other side Jean and Scott gave one final heave before the dresser came to rest against the wall. Sighing Jean leaned against the dresser accidentally knocking over a large, and very heavy sculpture that Amanda had made for Kurt, right on Scott's foot.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"
Kurt and Kitty recoiled from the wall as the distinctively Scott voice rang out, then nothing but silence.
Kitty gagged, "I don't think I'm going to eat again."
Kurt looked at his watch, but was silenced by the look Kitty gave him.
Rubbing his foot Scott sat on the dresser as Jean picked up the sculpture and put it back on the edge where it had fallen, "This thing is huge!"
Scott glared at it, but said in an voice of grudging respect, "Its more than it looks, isn't it?"
"Yeah."
Kitty and Kurt stood pressed against the wall, listening raptly.
Picking up the sculpture from the edge of the desk Scott put it in the middle of the dresser. Jean shook her head, "It doesn't go their Scott."
"Trust me, it'll do a lot less harm."
Kurt pulled back from the wall and said in an almost inspired voice, "He's going for the full monty!"
Jumping of the dresser Scott landed with a THUD right on top of Jeans tennis shoe. Jean pulled her foot out from under his, "OWWWWWWW! SCOTT THAT HURT!"
"SORRY, SORRY!"
"You think it was suppose to tickle?"
Kurt looked at Kitty shocked who, when she noticed his glance stuck out her tongue, "I'm not as sheltered as you think."
THUMP
Scott and Jean looked at the dresser that had become dislodged from the wall. Scott rolled his shoulders, "No reason to stop now."
Jean stared at it in fury, wishing she wasn't too tired to use her telekinesis before charging it, "AHHHHHHHHH!"
THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.
With a final THUMP it hit the wall and stayed, while the sculpture on top of the dresser flew off and hit Jean in the shin. Jean hopped around the room yelling, "OHHHHHHH! OHHHHHHH! OHHHHHHH! OHHHHHHH! OHHHHHHH!"
Kurt dropped to the ground with a thump. Kitty kneeled down next to him, "Kurt.are you."
Kurt stared into space, "Ze ever elusive multiple-"
"Finish that sentence and I'll kill you."
Sitting on Kurt's bed Jean rubbed her shin as Scott inspected Kurt's sunglasses, "Well I got what I came for."
Jean rolled her eyes, "Nice to know you're worried about me."
Scott squeezed her shoulder as he walked towards the door, "Couldn't have done it without you!"
Kurt and Kitty scrambled to Kitty's door when they heard Scott exit the room. Throwing the door open both were breathing heavily as Scott swaggered by whistling. Seeing them he stopped and asked, "What have you two been up to?"
Kitty and Kurt stared at him.
Scott looked up and down the hall, "Don't worry, I won't tell. Oh yeah Kurt, can I borrow these glasses? I swear I'll pay you back."
Kurt made a bowing motion strangely like Wayne and Garth off Saturday Night Live to Scott, "Take whatever you want man!"
Scott looked at Kitty who looked at him sideways. Scott tucked the glasses in his shirt pocket and walked away, "Okay."
Minutes later Jean stumbled out of Kurt's room walking with a limp. Seeing them standing their Jean asked, "Can you guys help me to the infirmary, I think I tore something."
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Walking down the stairs to the kitchen Scott saw Rogue walk in looking roughed up with her torn shirt and a nice big bruise welling up under eye. Scott looked her up and down before asking,
"What the hell happened to you?"
Wanda glared at Lance before wiping blood from her top lip, "Shut up Lance."
Looking out the kitchen window at his Jeep Lance asked, "Is that he spare?"
Wanda climbed the stairs with a pronounced limp, "Yeah."
Lance threw the dishtowel in his hands on the counter, "What happened? You drive off into a ditch?"
"No, I got in a fight."
Scott applied the steak to Rogue's eye, "With who? X Men don't bruise easy."
"Wanda."
"Wanda? She fight fair?"
"Without her powers I mean," Lance continued from outside Wanda's door.
"Yeah, nothing but a knock down drag out." Wanda replied from inside her room where she examined the back of her leg in a mirror.
"I would have loved to have seen that."
Rogue rolled her eyes, well eye, "I bet you would have Scott."
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Toad leapt down the stairs and then into the living room where Fred and Pietro sat on the couch watching another survival show. Pietro looked balefully at the remote, now devoid of the batteries that were safely in Fred's back pocket which was as safe as Fort Knocks. Tossing the remote over his shoulder where it shattered a window Pietro asked, "Where's Wanda?"
Toad pawed through empty bags of junk food in search of something edible, "Up in her room sulkin, she got in a fight with Rogue in the mall parking lot."
Pietro was upon him in a second, holding him in the air by his shirt demanding, "What?"
To use to this treatment to be afraid Toad responded calmly, "I 'thought' I was speaking english."
Fred picked up a foot long sub in one hand, "I thought you failed English?"
Toad broke Pietro's grip and back flipped to his bean bag chair, "Barely passed. Thank you."
Pietro ran his hands through his hair gritting his teeth and saying aloud, "He's gonna kill us, no first he's going to kill Wanda, THEN he's going to kill us!"
"Who?" Fred and Toad asked.
Pietro spun, "MAGNETO YOU MORONS! He called me today, said there's a cease fire."
Fred looked at the clock on the wall which was in the shape of a cat, "When did he call?"
Pietro shrugged before beginning to pace frantically, "How should I know, sometime after Wanda left."
Fred went back to his sandwich, "There you go, she didn't know."
Pietro snatched the sandwich from his hands and tossed it onto couch next to him, "Do you seriously think a minor details like that will matter to him? He doesn't worry about minor details Fred, he gets rid of them."
Toad rose and rolled his eyes, "Come on Pietro-"
Pietro snapped his fingers; "Maybe if I explain it to him right now he'll only kill Wanda!"
Toad and Fred shared a glance before chiming in:
"Sounds like a good idea man, go for it!"
"Drop a house on that witch man, its her fault."
Pietro nodded to himself self-righteously, "But first I'll run it in her face, that'll be worth having to tell Magneto the bad news."
Off in a flash Pietro sped up the stairs to Wanda's room. Turning the doorknob and moving forward at the same time Pietro found out too late that it was locked tight.
WHAMM
Fred and Toad looked at the ceiling in the living room where the sound of a body hitting the floor was clear before going back to the TV. Fred took a bite of his sandwich and noticed sagely, "He's dead."
Toad nodded in agreement, "Yep."
Lance looked out of his door to where Pietro lay on the floor. Walking over he poked Pietro with the toe of his boot, getting a groan he reached down and pulled Pietro up standing, "Figure you would evolve a harder head to, you okay? Can you stand?"
Pietro mumbled something.
Lance cocked his head, "What was that?"
Pietro mumbled louder, "Screw.you.Lan-"
"Your fine," Lance dropped Pietro back where he found him, "Going to have one hell of a goose egg in the morning."
Fred and Toad looked up again when another thump was heard. This time Toad winced, "He ain't going to have an open casket."
Fred nodded on cue, "Yep."
As Lances door shut Wanda's open to reveal Wanda, "What the hell happened out here?"
Pietro crawled forward and chanted in a sing song voice, "Your in trouble, your in trouble."
Wincing at her nose Wanda grabbed him by the hair and dragged him to his feet, "Can I help you?"
Pietro pushed Wanda's hand off the top off his head and ran, well stumbled faster than a normal human could stumble, to her dresser where he picked up her little mirror and admired his forehead. Making sure it wasn't indented he took a moment to collect his wits before turning back to his sister, "Wanda you have really screwed-holy mother of Mary what happened to your face?"
Wanda gingerly touched the tip, "Got into a fight with a couple X Men."
"Couple eh? Heard it was just Rogue."
Wanda glared at him for catching her in a lie.
Pietro ran downstairs to the kitchen and was back in seconds with a bag of ice in his hand, "Here, sit down."
Wanda tried to take the bag of ice, but Pietro just shoved her onto her bed and kneeled down to apply ice to her nose, "You hurt anywhere else?"
Wanda winced as the cold hit her, "My lower back."
"You went for the chokehold huh? Rogue's done that to me before, bust up my nose and then wailed on my kidneys like drums. If the blood when you pee doesn't stop in 2 days, you'll have to see a doctor."
"Blood?!"
"Yeah."
Rising Pietro patted her on the shoulder, "You'll be all right, that is until Magneto finds out."
Wanda looked worried, "What are you talking about?"
"Magneto called a cease fire, which means your ass is on burner number one unless I can talk him out of it."
Wanda sighed in relief, "I'm not worried about him."
Pietro shook his head at his crazy sister before running to his room and grabbing a small box. Making sure it hadn't been touched since its last use he walked outside slowly to make sure that he didn't accidentally break it.
Once he was out of sight in the woods he hit a small red button on the side, making it unfold slowly into the shape of a laptop. Lights came on and bathed Pietro's face in a sky blue color as it waited for a return signal which rarely took long.
The hologram of Magneto's head appeared quickly, as if Magneto had been waiting for Pietro to contact him. This reinforced Pietro's inkling that Magneto already knew about the fight, but the look on his face appeared neutral, "What is it Pietro?"
Pietro swallowed, "Wanda engaged an X Man at the mall."
Magneto's stare bore through him, "What?"
"I said-"
"I heard what you said, I believe I gave you a direct order not to engage any X Men since were under a cease fire."
"Wanda left before you-"
"You should have contacted her," Magneto bowed his head slightly leaving a hollow space in the hologram where his helmet created a shadow, "Be that as it may, I want none of you to leave the house for any reason until I come for you, is that understood?"
"Yes sir."
"Pietro, do not disappoint me."
Magneto broke the contact leaving Pietro to fold his box back into its compact form and walk back into the house.
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Gambit, Pyro, and Colossus watched from a distance as Magneto shut down his holographic communication device. The compound that they were staying in was large and spacious, but they rarely traveled very far from each other, people had a tendency to disappear around Magneto.
"I get de feelin he blamin us for dat spider mess," Remy drawled as the he tossed cards across the room into a hat laying on the floor, "Somebody made him look stupid, and Magneto sure don't like dat."
Pyro shook his head and continued shining his flamethrower equipment, "Any one ever tell you yer a gloom and doom kinda fella?"
Gambit eyed his teammate, "Yeah, most o dem dead cause dey weren't paranoid enough."
Colossus stood impassively staring out a window, his arms behind his back in a parade rest stance. He ignored the bickering between Gambit and Pyro, they had been doing that ever since they met. "What da you think metal head?"
Colossus turned and looked at Pyro, "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?"
"Just a nickname, blimey."
Gambit stopped tossing cards and leaned back in his chair, "Pyro's bad habit of givin pet names ta guys aside, how you think all this gonna end?"
"Doesn't matter to me, I'll come out alive either way."
Pyro poked Gambit from a distance with his own staff he had left laying against the wall a couple times, "Now there's a true optimist."
"Gemmi dat!"
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The next week was hard all around for the mutants of Bayville, the X Men trained constantly, the Acolytes hunted for Mesmero, and Forge worked day and night without sleep to build the machine for his captor. On the other hand the Brotherhood had never had it easier due to the fact that all their expenses were paid, they had all the food they wanted, and Mastermind had yet to show for even one tutoring session.
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"Well?"
Forge stared up at Mesmero with red rimmed with large black bags under his eyes from where he sat leaning against a support strut, "It's done."
Mesmero smiled more at the machine than at the other person in the room with him, "Excellent."
The Machine was large, about the size of Cerebro, but that was where the resemblance ended. Where Cerebro was well lit with a stationary ramp this machine was far more dark and foreboding with its three blackish blue steel beams arching into the air to meet at one point. It was obvious to even the most casual inspection that something was meant to drop from the middle of where the beams met straight down to where a small marked throne like seat was located.
"Can I sleep now?"
Mesmero was surprised by the simplicity of the question, he expected more from one of the more intelligent mutants. Of course being unable to sleep for seven days straight would likely lower anyone's I.Q. a few point, "Yes of course."
With a wave of his hand Mesmero removed the mental blocks he had installed in the young mutant's skull. Forge yawned and asked, "You going to kill me?"
"No," Mesmero turned back to the machine with an un-amused look, "I might need you to fix this thing later on."
He might have been talking to a log for all the good it did him, Forge was out like a light. He had worked hard all week, that Mesmero conceded. For the first three days worked at escaping, and then when that didn't work he had tried to sabotage the work for another two, until he finally buckled down and built the machine in three.
Walking to the control panel Mesmero mused how his master would reward him for what he was going to do. Pushing a few buttons he started the warm up cycle, "Riches?"
The machine hummed to life as ice blue lights slowly flared to life somewhere inside the three beams as he continued to think, "A country to rule?"
The energy built slowly, it would take an hour for the device to reach critical mass when it would be able to function at full capacity, "Or maybe he will spare my life and my life alone?"
Mesmero shrugged, he could no more stop working the will of Apocalypse than he could stop breathing. What he was doing now was a fine example; he was about to try what had never been done before for the sake of a being that existed on another plane of existence.
Walking to the middle of the device and he parked himself on the throne, allowing a small smile to come to his lips.
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What happened next was discussed heavily by everyone, both those who traveled and those left behind. As if a giant beacon of light visible from space were to suddenly flare to life during a lunar eclipse on a dark night, everyone in Bayville from Rahne doing her homework by the lake, too Sabertooth who was disemboweling the pizza boy at the Acolytes hide out. Everyone who was a mutant turned and looked to the west where Mesmero's machine had begun to cycle up.
Some argued that it was the massive amount of energy involved, others that it was some strange form of premonition that brought there attention to that point, but all agreed that it was awesome thing to behold.
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"By the goddess," Ororo murmured as she dropped the plant she had been potting in her small garden.
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Bobby and Sam who had been involved in a game of poker looked from the west to each other and uttered in the same disbelieving tone, "Oh shit!"
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Scott's head, adorned with new sunglasses, instantly turned from the west to the lunch table where Kurt, Jean, Kitty, And Rogue sat looking to the west. Dropping his tray food and all into the nearest garbage can he jogged over to the table and said, "Were leaving, now."
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At the Brotherhood house Toad stopped in mid toilet plunger swing at Fred's head to swivel almost 90 degrees to the west. Fred in turn who held the fire poker pivoted nimbly with a speed the belied his large girth in the same direction and stared.
"What is it?"
Neither Fred nor Toad looked up from where they stood at Lance who had sat up from his prone position on the couch. Pietro sped into the room to stare with them at that point far off.
Lance looked at Pietro, "Pietro, is that your dad?"
Pietro's eyes narrowed, "If it isn't, he's going to be royally pissed at who ever it is."
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Magneto rose from his seat in his observation room and strode through the main hall where Sabertooth, Gambit, Colossus, and Pyro had converged in full battle regalia. Following there leader in utter silence for fear of setting off the powder keg that was obviously smoldering beneath his cool exterior, all wondered what in the world could create a feeling like that.
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The Professor met all the others in the Blackbird hangar bay, an almost unspoken agreement having passed between everyone that what ever this thing was it must be investigated immediately.
Looking over the high school students who were already seated the Professor noticed two extra passengers, "Logan, why are Tabitha and Bobby on board?"
Logan didn't look up from where he was flight prepping the Blackbird, "You said you wanted the boy field ready, and I'd like to see you get her off. Ready Hank?"
"Affirmative Logan."
Ororo looked up from where she sat behind Dr. McCoy, "Everyone belted in?"
Scott tightened the strap on his battle visor, "What ever it is it can't be that far away."
"Still."
Tabby popped her gum and yelled from the back, "Can we go already?!"
Logan pulled a handle back sending the Blackbird flying down the runway, "Amen!"
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The Brotherhood was suited up and ready when the ten metal orbs appeared over their small house.
Without looking back Pietro climbed into the first metal orb to open and sat down, "You coming?"
Seeing the others enter the other orbs Pietro waited till the orb closed again leaving him in darkness to wonder and feel the beacon of energy get larger and larger.
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"Uh oh," Wolverine pointed at five small silver dots that were growing larger as they flew in the same direction as the Blackbird, "Look's like we got company."
Ororo turned to the Professor, "Could Magneto be the cause of this feeling?"
The Professor shrugged slowly, "I sincerely hope so Ororo, the only other explanation I can think of is Mesmero has released Apocalypses."
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The Blackbird and the metal orbs all landed directly over where the feeling seemed to come from, a respective distance in between them. The Blackbirds ramp lowered, Wolverine and Cyclops taking point as the team slowly made their way off the plane. The metal orbs opened in tandem with each revealing both the Acolytes and the Brotherhood.
Disregarding warning glances from Wolverine and Cyclops Professor X rolled past them and asked, "Eric, do you have a hand in this?"
Magneto floated out of his metal orb and came to rest on the ground, "No Charles, I assure you that I have nothing to do with this strange feeling. But I assure you, I plan to find out what it is immediately."
Looking back Professor X saw that everyone was on edge waiting for something to happen. Gesturing Professor ordered, "Stand down."
Reluctantly everyone but Wolverine relaxed a little, Wolverine seem to become that more on edge. Professor X turned back to Magneto and declared, "Perhaps we should investigate together?"
Magneto measured him with unseen eyes from inside his helmet, "Feel free to follow Charles, but do not get in our way."
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Mesmero was sitting on his throne becoming somewhat impatient with the whole process when the far left wall exploded. Turning in his seat Mesmero saw the Blob and Colossus standing in the wreckage of what once was a wall up to their knees in reinforced concrete. The rest of the Acolytes, Brotherhood, and finally the X Men followed into the large underground room.
Mesmero pressed a button on the throne, activating robotic drones that lay in small hidden bays in the ceiling. The X Men, Brotherhood, and Acolytes engaged the drones that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
Seeing Forge laying on the ground the Professor awakened him with a mental shout in his direction, Forge!
Forge swam from the deepest darkest pool of sleep in his life until he was able to respond with a simple, Huh?
Attempting to pull Forge from his stupor the Professor asked, FORGE, what is this machine?
Its uh.....machine for traveling....between.....dimensions.
Looking up both Magneto and Professor Xavier were amazed at the sheer power that seemed to radiate from the machine. As they watched a small blue particle that was just barely visible fell from where the center of the beams met until it hit Mesmero exploding in a nova of blue light. Everyone in the room saw the flash of light then darkness as unconsciousness overtook them.
*****Author's note: The mutants will now follow Mesmero into other dimensions, trying to fix the damage he causes and capture him. For this there will be either 1 or 2 teams depending on how the story goes. Feel free to vote for what kind of team line up you would like to see, just try to get the team balanced. I'm hoping the story will develop like the comic book Exiles, where some characters die, go home, or decide to stay in that dimension.
If this opening chapter seemed a little rushed, sorry, it's because I'm trying to set the scene for the rest of the story. The rest will probably be shorter but more descriptive as the story focus's around 5 characters any one story.
"As easily led as sheep, Charles," Magneto glowered at the skinny man in Bermuda shorts who walked a little too close, "You prove my point even now."
Professor Xavier shook his head wearily, "Not again Eric, I refuse to waste my time or that of Ororo's by arguing with you the finer points of human mutant relations."
Magneto looked to where the "weather goddess" sat on a bench reading a novel, "Somewhat insecure?"
"You're the one who refused my offer to meet at the Institute and insist on wearing that helmet."
"I'm gracious Charles, but not a fool. Who knows what might happen if I wasn't wearing this psychic probe blocker, I could be playing Frisbee in the park with children thanks to you."
"I'm glad you think that highly of my morals and ethics, now back to the matter at hand."
"Apocalypse." Magneto murmured appreciatively as he gathered his cape into one hand at his side and glared at the air above Professor Xavier's head, "Rare for a man to make a fool of me, but this being seems to be far more cunning than you or I."
"True, but perhaps if we worked together we could find the last key to Apocalypse's tomb," Professor injected.
Magneto seemed to mull the idea for a minute, "The key is inconsequential, finding Mesmero, now that would be far more productive in my opinion."
"I thought you considered revenge to be a human and outdated idea."
"If he is removed, then who would there be to find the key?"
"He could find another agent I'm sure."
"No Charles, these types of evil have to be contacted from this side of existence. Destroy him, and what means he used to speak with Apocalypses, then we will be safe from him." "Then you agree that we should work together?"
"Perhaps. but for the time being it seems as though a temporary cease fire is in order, agreed?"
The Professor sighed, but decided to take what he could get, "Agreed. Now another matter."
Surprised as the change of subject Magneto leveled his gaze on his former friend, "Hmm?"
"The Brotherhood. I would advise that you use what influence you have, or allow me to use mine, to return them to the High School."
"Out of the question Charles."
"Why?"
"I doubt they would be willing in the first place."
"Your method of control set aside, how are they different from any other teenager?"
"Most other teenagers can't demolish the school. Besides, I would rather not see them socializing with the human rabble."
"Why? For god sakes Eric, if there's one thing we always agreed, it's the importance of an education."
Magneto turned from the Professor and began walking towards the door, "There education is well in hand, I have seen to that."
The double doors flared outwards with a ripple before he came near them and closed as he stepped out into the light of midday. Extending the mental illusion he was broadcasting to include everyone standing on the street Professor Xavier was able to watch through the eyes of those who could not see what was before them. Magneto stood calmly on the street until a small metal orb came flying out of the air and rested in the street in front of him. His subsequent departure was unrealized except as a small curiosity for some school children, an elderly couple, and Principle Kelly who had been getting postage stamps.
The Professor waited till Magneto was gone before dropping the tiring mental illusion, he hadn't exerted himself like that for quite awhile, not since the football stadium months ago in fact. Sitting back in his chair he rubbed the bridge of his nose as Ororo rose from the bench depositing the book in her bag before approaching and asked, "That bad?"
"I had hoped this threat would allow me to talk with him, try to get through to him in some way, unfortunately he seems as unreachable as ever."
Ororo smiled before stepping behind the Professor and pushing him towards the door, "Perhaps you should try another avenue, such as the Brotherhood."
The Professor shook his head, "Remember how we acted when Magneto recruited Scott and his brother Alex? I'm sure Magneto would be far less generous in reprisal."
Ororo nodded seeing the sense in this, "And there would be no telling if they did it of there own accord."
"A traitor would be icing on the cake at this point," The Professor looked up and down the street searching for the school car he had seen waiting for them earlier through the eyes of people on the street, "Who is suppose to pick us up?"
Ororo shook her head, "I have no idea."
Both looked to their left where a black car turned the corner and came to a stop right in front of them. Opening the large side door for Professor Xavier and following him in Ororo remarked, "Perhaps the Brotherhood is being taken care of."
"Oh dear god," The Professor whispered as the driver turned and smiled at them.
Her bobbing ponytail swung as she asked, "Like, how did it go Professor?"
"Kitty," Ororo paled, " I think the Brotherhood is in a lot less trouble than us right now, Professor."
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At the Brotherhood house everyone stood stunned in the kitchen. A look of sheer ecstasy could be found on the face of Fred and Toad, while Lance and Wanda stared at what lay before them suspiciously. Leaning against the wall like the king of all creation stood Pietro with a smirk on his face that fairly screamed Saint.
Fred wiped a tear from his eye, "I don't believe it, I refuse to believe it."
Toad cocked his head to the side liked a dog faced with something of a significance beyond the comprehension of even a normal human being, "I would say that something I ate's makin me hallucinate, but that ain't possible."
Lance turned and demanded, "Pietro, where did it come from?"
Pietro smirked a little bit more," You know."
Wanda took a step closer, "Its all ours?"
Pietro laughed, "Yes Wanda for once not stolen, scrounged, or given in charity. For the first time in Brotherhood history.we have a full pantry that's bought and paid for."
Fred fell to his knees with a crash, scattering everyone else in the room, "There is a god!"
Pietro appeared in the blink of an eye standing next to him, "And his name is Magneto."
"Sacrilege," Lance rubbed his jaw, "but for us, the truth."
Wanda looked at a pile of opened mail that lay on the counter. Picking up the envelopes and rifling through them she read aloud, "There all the same; Thank you for paying your outstanding bill, electricity, cable, water, all of them."
Toad leaped onto the counter next to her, "Pretty nice of a guy you wanted to kill, eh buttercup?"
Wanda absently reached out and shoved him off the counter. Toad went limp, he had found from experience that was the best way to land and fell screaming, "AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"
Lance shook his head before picking Toad up by the front of his shirt and pulling him close, "Why do you have to scream? You fell maybe two feet, sounded worse than the time Pietro ran to far up the side of a building and fell off."
Pietro's smirk quickly disappeared to be replaced by a look of annoyance as Lance continued with a dreamy air, "Screamed like a little girl the whole way down, thank god there was a deep fountain for him to land in."
Wanda raised an eyebrow, "Never knew you and my brother were that close."
Lance and Pietro looked at each other before rolling their eyes and muttering something about "a witch". Lance, oblivious to the handful of Toads shirt he held retorted, "You know those Maximoffs and how they like to escape being squashed flat. Hmm lets see; Pietro's almost been made sidewalk pizza, Magneto was just about hit with an overgrown trash compactor, that just leaves you Wanda! I'd look out for falling houses, if you get me."
Fred and Pietro laughed while Wanda threw the mail at Lance with a full arm swing that hit him square in the face.
Pietro asked Toad who was still being held in the air by Lance, "Why did you scream?"
Toad stuck his thumb out in Wanda's direction, "Appeases er."
"Ah," Everyone but Wanda said slyly. Lance dropped Toad and turned to Pietro before hooking his thumbs in his belt loops, "So what's the catch Maximoff?"
Pietro ran over and leaned on Lance before put a hand to his ear, "Pardon?"
Lance shoved him away, "What are we going to have to do for Magneto?"
Pietro's smirk faded and was replaced by a frown, "We get a tutor."
Fred looked up from a bag of Ruffle chips, "Who?"
"Some guy named Mastermind."
Recognizing the name Wanda looked up and asked, "Have I ever met him?"
Pietro shook his head, "Nope, never met him, you have most definitely never met him."
A look then passed between Fred, Lance, Pietro and Toad, a look that was not lost on Wanda, "You guys are so odd."
Grabbing the keys to Lances jeep off the toaster Wanda walked out of the kitchen, "I'm taking the jeep."
Lance followed her, "Hey, I didn't say you could borrow the jeep!"
Wanda stopped in the doorway without turning around, "Did I ask?"
Lance opened his mouth as a witty comeback formed in his mind but closed it when Pietro grabbed his arm and pulled him back in the kitchen.
Wanda continued out the door and onto the lawn, "Didn't think so."
Fred tossed a handful of potato chips into his mouth, "What are we going to do when she finds out what Magneto did to her? And a TUTOR?"
Toad opened a slim Jim tossing the wrapper onto the floor, "God help the person who tries to teach us anything, were denser than concrete."
"Pietro, what besides a tutor was part of the deal with Magneto?"
Pietro shook his head ruefully before popping a coke, "Lance, you don't make deals with my father, he makes you do what he wants and then he gives you what you deserve."
Lance pulled the can from his grasp and held it aloft, "Deserve?"
Pietro eyed the can before running to the fridge and grabbing another, "Exactly, and that's why we need to stay on his good side."
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At the Institute Scott and Jean sat in the living room, not precisely snuggled up but close enough to be considered cozy, watching a movie. The last week had been pretty hectic for everyone what with it being finals week for the high school students and the stepped up training sessions dictated by the Professor in light of their most recent mission. The movie itself sucked, but that wasn't really important. What was important was the fact that everyone at the Institute had been given a small reprieve from the constant training. Which meant no danger room, no security drills, no weight training, and best of all no danger room!
"Logan looked kinda bummed when the Professor told him to cancel the training sessions," Jean remarked.
Scott nodded, "The Professor didn't look to happy about Logan sending Kitty to pick them up either."
"So how long do you think it will last?"
"No sessions, or this whole Apocalypses thing?"
Jean sat up and ran her hands through her hair with a heavy sigh, "Either, both, oh hell I don't know."
Scott's eyebrows rose at the use of profanity from the black frames, "What's wrong Jean?"
Jean looked at him out of the corner of her eye, "Do you ever get the feeling that the odds are stacking up against us?"
To Jean the silence was deafening, "I mean, we've got Magneto and Acolytes, the Brotherhood, even a sports drink makers tried to take us out, and now a guy who can outsmart us all."
"Hey," Scott leaned forward and took her hand in his, "Where's all this coming from?"
Jean laughed, "I don't know, I guess I'm tired and a little shaken is all."
Scott opened his mouth to say something comforting, but a sound that was most definitely not comforting exploded between their faces, "CRACK"
Jean hands rose just in time to throw up a shield as the lenses in Scott's glasses first cracked, the shattered into a hundred tiny pieces emitting a beam of energy. Scott was shoved back from the pure force of the optic blast into the wall behind the couch where he stood pinned his feet dangling in the air until he closed his eyes.
Jean lay on the floor, at first shocked by the idea that Scott had attacked her. Realizing that some of the groans she was hearing weren't just her own she asked, "Sc-Scott?"
Scott lay on the floor holding both hands firmly clamped over his eyes, never in his life had he had such a powerful blast, never, "Jean are you okay?"
"Yes-but what happened?"
"I seriously have no idea, could you find my glasses for me?"
Jean looked around at the scorched living room until she found his now broken glasses. The lenses were completely shattered and the frame was bent in the middle as if both sides had been under extreme pressure. Jean picked them up, "Scott, you are not going to believe this."
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A few miles away a figure lay chained to the wall in a small pitch-black room. Blood dripped from the scalp wound on his head, trailing down his almost black hair and onto his dark tan skin. He had never even registered the pain of being hit; the last thing he remembered was walking out of his front door on the way to the Institute.
Even now he was floating somewhere in between consciousness and oblivion, unsure if he was awake since he couldn't see anything. Unable to touch his head he suffered in silence as the blood dripped from him.
Fluorescent light from another room suddenly as a door opened with a creak that demanded to be oiled and a voice as black as oil and just as slippery crooned, "Dear Forge, how are we feeling?"
Forge looked up dully at the man standing in the doorframe. He wore a green cloak that covered his whole body, but what was truly odd were the green tattoo lines that covered his face.
"Not up to talking yet, that's understandable," Leaning down he took Forges head in both his claw like hands, "Perhaps I cam do something about it."
What felt like lightning flew through Forges skull for a minute before the pain and the mental fog cleared, "OWWWWWWWWWWWW. Gee wiz, what did I ever do to you pal?!"
The man bowed, "I am Mesmero."
"Any specific reason you kidnapped me?"
Mesmero pulled his cloak tighter to him, "My apologies, but I knew you were going to the Xavier Institute, and I could not allow that."
"So you clocked me over the head?! Why?"
"I am in need of a machine, one that no one in this world but you could possibly build in the time available."
"Why in the blue blazes would I help you build anything?"
Mesmero sighed, "Usually I'm not this blunt but time is short. Because I'm the man who has you chained to the wall and can make your brains drip out your nose like water, understood?"
Forge stretched his arms as far as they would go, which with the chains that fixed him to the wall wasn't very far, "You have me at a disadvantage, what kind of machine do you want me to build?"
Mesmero smiled before taking a small box from inside his cloak and pushing the button, the shackles fell off with a clank. Forge rose slowly, getting his bearings before turning towards the door and bolting out onto the light and hopefully, freedom.
"Stop," Forge obeyed the command as Mesmero followed him out of the room, "Did you really think I would go to the trouble of kidnapping you just to allow you to run at the first opportunity? I think not."
Forge turned and glared at him, "What is this, compulsion?"
"Exactly, now take a look at this." Mesmero tossed a rolled up blue print at him.
Forge caught the blue prints before unraveling them and glancing at the lines. Realization showed on his face, "This is based on my alternate reality machine."
"Yes," Mesmero hit a button on the small black box again which caused lights to flare on in a small gym sized room next to them, "but a bit more large scale."
Looking down at the materials scattered on the ground Forge gaped, "Your serious, aren't you?"
Mesmero nodded, "The machine is based on your plans, but unfortunately I have no idea who made the revisions to it. They came to me second hand from another agent of Apocalypses, but that is inconsequential."
Forge fingered the cut on his head gingerly, "I don't think I'm quite up to building anything right now."
Mesmero walked to a small metal hatch opposite the room he had held Forge in and opened it, "You're not going to feel any better, I assure you. Until this machine is finished you wont be able to sleep, at all."
Forge watched the door shut and lock behind his captor before looking for a ladder down onto the main floor. Construction materials, tools, even the expensive parts necessary to create the computer systems necessary, all of it was here. Forge took another look at the schematics wondering where to start on this giant one-man job.
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"It what?"
Scott sat on the gurney in the medical bay as Dr. McCoy examined the ruined glasses he had destroyed earlier. Jean stood next to him holding his hand as Scott frowned in the general direction of Dr. McCoy and asked again, "They blew up?"
Dr. McCoy set the glasses down on a sterile tray, "Apparently so. As far as I can tell there was a sudden burst in the strength of your optic energies, far too much for the lenses to diffuse."
"So they did blow up."
"Correct."
Jean sensed Scott's confusion and squeezed his hand, "Is there anything we can do?"
Dr. McCoy shrugged, "All we can do is hope that the situation does not escalate."
Scott fumbled for his battle visor that lay next to him. Jean picked it up from behind him and put it in his hand, "Thanks Jean."
Slipping it on Scott slowly opened one eye allowing a small glimmer of the room around him to come into sight, sure that he wouldn't destroy the visor he opened the other as well, "Seems fine."
Dr. McCoy patted Scott on the shoulder, "Perhaps it was just one of those puberty induced power spurts, hopefully nothing to worry about."
"Yeah," Scott made sure the strap of his visor was secure, "But if that was me at full strength for a few seconds, what am I going to do when I become that powerful?"
Dr. McCoy had no reply to this so he turned back to the ruined glasses fragment.
Jean glanced at Scott worried, "Come on Scott, lets go to the mall and find some frames for Dr. McCoy to make you new glasses from."
"Uh Jean.... Maybe I shouldn't appear in public wearing my visor, besides Rogue borrowed my car."
"Right," Jean smacked herself in the forehead with the palm of her hand when his back was turned, "Well let's go ask Kurt if you can borrow his."
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Wolverine looked out onto the lawn as the Professor organized the papers on his desk so that they were in some semblance of order. Logan had just returned that day from looking for Mystique with practically nothing to show for it, nothing but a deep-seated suspicion that she was biding her time. Wearing his leather jacket that was now splattered with small drops of mud Wolverine looked tired, tired and a little disgruntled.
Logan had driven the Professor with Ororo to the art museum where Kitty, who had been shopping, recognized the park car and offered to drive the Professor back. Seeing no problem with this Logan had hit the nearest bar to check the local talk then walked home to do some serious thinking.
"The first thing she'll do is get the Brotherhood back under her thumb," The Professor thought out loud.
"I doubt it," Logan grunted, "They've turned on her one too many times. And if what Rogue told me is true, that Pietro is leading the Brotherhood added to Wanda no longer wanting to rip her father apart, then he's got them in his pocket."
The Professor shrugged, "She was the first to take them in, make them something of worth, they won't easily forget that."
Logan turned back to the Professor, "What about this Mesmero? Should we be looking for him?"
Hearing the unspoken question of whether Logan should be after Mesmero the Professor decided to ignore it, "No, I want everyone to stay close to home. Right now we have a temporary cease fire with Magneto, maybe we can use that to our advantage."
Logan smiled.
"Not quite Logan. I'm hoping there's a possibility of turning him, or at least some of his compatriots."
Logan rubbed the back of his neck, "What about the Russian one? He didn't seem that happy to be fighting for Magneto in the first place."
"I remember, for some reason I'm unable to sense him telepathically. No, I think we should focus inwards for the moment while I try and negotiate with Magneto."
"What ever you say Chuck. Isn't Forge suppose to be here?"
"Hmm, I would have guessed he would be here by now, though he said that it would take awhile to get here."
Logan rubbed at a spot of dried mud on his leather jacket, "Training?"
The Professor thought for a moment, "Give them intense every other day Danger Room sessions, and security drills. And Logan."
"Yeah?"
"I would like to see our newer students capable of defending the Institute if necessary. I was very impressed with Bobby's performance against the Acolytes, see if he's ready for field work."
Logan turned to door, "Gotcha."
"One more thing Logan."
Logan rolled his neck before turning back to the Professor, "Yeah Chuck?"
The Professor looked somewhat peeved at this but continued, "Push them as hard as you can within reason, we have no idea what future demands may be made on them."
At this Logan smiled before exiting the Professor's study. Walking down the hall he stripped off his leather jacket and threw it on the wash pile for someone to scrub. Seeing Kurt turn the corner munching a chocolate bar he took a moment to smile to himself and chuckle, "Oh are you in for it."
Kurt choked on the mouth full of chocolate and watched Logan make his way back to his room, "Nice to see you too."
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Rogue flipped through CD's in the heavy metal rack at her favorite music store at the mall, a wordless rock song blaring from the overhead speakers. Her first week out of the infirmary Rogue was glad to get back in the swing of things; school, homework, even danger room sessions for a little while, it was nice to be back to normal.
"Do you have the LoveFist album?"
Recognizing the voice Rogue looked up. Wanda stood on the other side of the CD rack talking to a small asian lady in a Lead Zeppelin t-shirt at the service desk. The lady blinked at her through large wire rim glasses before shrugging and going back to her magazine.
Wanda looked in disgust at the woman before turning around and seeing Rogue for the first time.
"Here," Rogue snatched up a CD and tossed it at her, "This what you lookin for?"
The CD flew towards Wanda face before being snatched out of the air and held in a tight fist. Wanda never broke eye contact with Rogue until peering at the cover of the CD in her hand, "Thanks."
Rogue shrugged and asked, "How's the Brotherhood? You killed your brother yet?"
"Fine, and no I haven't. Figured he would have done the job himself by now."
Rogue went back to flipping through CD's, "He's come close." Wanda looked at the back of the CD, "Close isn't really satisfying."
Rogue looked at Wanda out of the corner of her eye, "Can I ask you a question?"
Wanda dropped her arms to her side, "Maybe."
"Why did you join the Brotherhood and not the X Men? We beat Magneto before."
"Didn't really matter then, besides the Professor's whole "world peace" speech sounded like baloney to me," Now it was Wanda's turn to look at Rogue out of the corner of her eye, "Now I've got a question; you ever have the feeling he's controlling your mind?"
"No! The Professor wouldn't do that."
"Then how come.Spyke.up and left?"
Rogue opened her mouth to answer, but only seemed to be able to wonder herself why he had left. It was a shock to her and the other senior X Men when he ditched them for the Morlocks, Rogue especially felt betrayed even though the two had never been that close.
Wanda nodded to herself, "Exactly."
Rogue felt anger simmer inside her and pointed at Wanda, "You're the one who's head was tampered with by a guy in a tweed suit."
Kurt had kept her entertained while she was in the hospital with stories of the going on of the Institute, which included his road trip with Toad into the mountains.
Wanda's eyes narrowed and the magazine rack next to her creaked into motion then stopped, "You shouldn't point your finger at 'crazy' people."
Rogue didn't flinch or back down, "I ain't scared of you, I've been dealin with bullies like you for most of my life."
Wanda's eyes widened in indignation as she whispered fiercely, "I am not a bully!"
"What do you call the silent glares, and stuff you do with your powers?" Rogue asked before noticing Wanda had pocketed the CD and made toward the exit. Sparks flew from the detection device as she walked through, but no alarm was heard.
Rogue licked one finger and making a vertical line in the air, "One point, Rogue."
An hour later Rogue made her way to Scott's convertible fishing the keys out of her pocket while juggling a stack of books she had bought. Opening the door and throwing her books in Rogue heard a car drive by and looked up.
Wanda drove by slowly in Lance's jeep, gesturing at Scott's car before mimicking Rogue's "one point" hand gesture perfectly. Looking down Rogue saw the front left tire deflate with a hiss.
"That bitc-" Dropping to one knee Rogue lifted the edge of her pant leg and drew the small knife Wolverine had given her strapped to her ankle. Standing up she threw the knife with a sideways twist, nailing the back tire of Lance's Jeep, all in one smooth motion that took seconds.
As the jeeps suspension changed to accommodate the lack of support in the back, Wanda looked in the rear view mirror where Rogue arms outstretched arm and open palm told the story.
Getting out of the car Wanda took out her earrings and shed her large coat while Rogue tossed the keys to Scott's car on the ground. Each covered the distance between them in mere seconds.
There were no powers; this was something far more personal and primal, two people with anger at life twisting their insides demanding to be set free.
Wanda started with a haymaker to aimed as Rogue's head, which instead of connecting put her off balance as Rogue ducked and hit her in the gut with a short left jab.
"Uhh," Wanda grunted before bringing her elbow down on Rogue's back driving her to the pavement.
Rogue stuck her foot out and kicked Wanda's out from under her, bringing Wanda down on top of her. As Rogue squirmed out from under her, Wanda wrapped her arm around Rogue's neck and squeezed.
Rogue gagged as her windpipe closed under Wanda's pressure. A minute of this brought Rogue close to the edge of unconsciousness before she bucked backwards driving her skull into Wanda's nose.
Blood streamed down Wanda's face while Rogue, with room to breath, elbowed her in the kidneys. Shoving Rogue away from her Wanda stood up and held her burning lower back.
Rogue, still feeling light headed worked to get up on all fours when Wanda's foot connected squarely with her ribs. Falling over Rogue caught the next kick and twisted Wanda's ankle bringing her down as well.
Both lay on the ground trying to catch their breath, bruised and bleeding before one remarked to the other, "You are one mean bitch."
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Kurt walked towards his room after doing the laundry, wondering if leather jackets could be put in a washing machine before resigning himself to finding out in about an hour. The last thing he expected to see when he walked into his room was Jean bent at a ninety-degree angle, her hands on his dresser, staring into a box on the floor of assorted junk he kept in front of it. His second shock was Scott wearing his battle visor standing right behind Jean, his gaze on the picture above the dresser.
Kurt's jaw dropped, "WHAA?!"
Scott looked over and smiled, "Hey Kurt, we were just-"
"Kurt?" Jean looked up to see who had walked in.
"Ja well, sorry to interrupt," Kurt raised his hands and backed out of the room slowly, "Scott I vant all ze details later."
Jean rose as Kurt slammed the door, a pair of sun glasses in her hand. Scott and Jean looked at each other quizzically before Jean cocked her head to the side a little as Scott's eyebrows knitted in thought. Shaking their heads to forget it Jean handed Scott the sunglasses they found, "Here, they should fit."
Scott held them up and admired the more slender and black wrap around frames, "I don't think he'll mind."
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Kitty was making a sandwich when Kurt teleported into the kitchen, "Kitty, you are not going to believe zis!"
"Believe what?"
Kitty and Kurt looked where Logan sat at the kitchen table sipping a cup of coffee. Putting the cup down he asked again, "Believe what?"
Kurt's mouth opened and closed, opened and closed, as he tried to think of an excuse. He was saved by Tabby's appearance from the laundry room holding a rumpled handful of what looked like wet canvas, "Who put a leather jacket in the washing machine?"
Logan jumped up and grabbed the jacket, "WHO?!"
Logan looked at Tabby who took a step back, "No way man, your not pinning this on me!"
Kurt took the opportunity to grab Kitty's arm and teleport out of the room to her room. Kitty yanked her arm out of his hand barely catching a piece of tomato that was falling from her sandwich, "Like, what's so important Kurt?"
Realizing that his and Kitty room were right next to each other Kurt first put his ear to the wall separating them before whispering in her ear for a minute. Kitty dropped the sandwich and exclaimed in a breathless voice, "They didn't!"
Kurt's arms waved, "Be quiet, and zere probably still doing it!"
Right at that moment a repetitive thumping sound started coming from the wall of Kurt's room, they looked at each other wide eyed for a second before running over and putting their ears to the wall.
THUMP...THUMP....THUMP....THUMP....THUMP....
On the other side of the wall Jean and Scott strained to push Kurt's dresser back into place against the wall after moving it in their search for glasses, but the damn thing would just bounce off the wall and fly back with a THUMP.
"UHH," Jean gritted her teeth as she put her shoulder into the dresser, "Why won't this thing go?"
THUMP....THUMP....
"AHHHH, Kurt must keep either golden bars or long range scud missiles in here, AHH!"
Oh the other side of the wall Kurt and Kitty listened as grunts now started to come in through the wall. Kurt looked at Kitty and declared, "We really shouldn't be listening to this."
THUMP
Kitty nodded, "Its sick, absolutely sick."
THUMP
"Well there was enough tension between them."
THUMP
"Not them Kurt! Thought the thought is like, disturbing. The face were listening to them.them."
THUMP "Rock the kazbaa?"
THUMP
Kitty shrugged, "Whatever that means."
"UHHHHHHHHH!" Kurt looked at his watch, "They work quick-What Kitty? What?"
On the other side Jean and Scott gave one final heave before the dresser came to rest against the wall. Sighing Jean leaned against the dresser accidentally knocking over a large, and very heavy sculpture that Amanda had made for Kurt, right on Scott's foot.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"
Kurt and Kitty recoiled from the wall as the distinctively Scott voice rang out, then nothing but silence.
Kitty gagged, "I don't think I'm going to eat again."
Kurt looked at his watch, but was silenced by the look Kitty gave him.
Rubbing his foot Scott sat on the dresser as Jean picked up the sculpture and put it back on the edge where it had fallen, "This thing is huge!"
Scott glared at it, but said in an voice of grudging respect, "Its more than it looks, isn't it?"
"Yeah."
Kitty and Kurt stood pressed against the wall, listening raptly.
Picking up the sculpture from the edge of the desk Scott put it in the middle of the dresser. Jean shook her head, "It doesn't go their Scott."
"Trust me, it'll do a lot less harm."
Kurt pulled back from the wall and said in an almost inspired voice, "He's going for the full monty!"
Jumping of the dresser Scott landed with a THUD right on top of Jeans tennis shoe. Jean pulled her foot out from under his, "OWWWWWWW! SCOTT THAT HURT!"
"SORRY, SORRY!"
"You think it was suppose to tickle?"
Kurt looked at Kitty shocked who, when she noticed his glance stuck out her tongue, "I'm not as sheltered as you think."
THUMP
Scott and Jean looked at the dresser that had become dislodged from the wall. Scott rolled his shoulders, "No reason to stop now."
Jean stared at it in fury, wishing she wasn't too tired to use her telekinesis before charging it, "AHHHHHHHHH!"
THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.
With a final THUMP it hit the wall and stayed, while the sculpture on top of the dresser flew off and hit Jean in the shin. Jean hopped around the room yelling, "OHHHHHHH! OHHHHHHH! OHHHHHHH! OHHHHHHH! OHHHHHHH!"
Kurt dropped to the ground with a thump. Kitty kneeled down next to him, "Kurt.are you."
Kurt stared into space, "Ze ever elusive multiple-"
"Finish that sentence and I'll kill you."
Sitting on Kurt's bed Jean rubbed her shin as Scott inspected Kurt's sunglasses, "Well I got what I came for."
Jean rolled her eyes, "Nice to know you're worried about me."
Scott squeezed her shoulder as he walked towards the door, "Couldn't have done it without you!"
Kurt and Kitty scrambled to Kitty's door when they heard Scott exit the room. Throwing the door open both were breathing heavily as Scott swaggered by whistling. Seeing them he stopped and asked, "What have you two been up to?"
Kitty and Kurt stared at him.
Scott looked up and down the hall, "Don't worry, I won't tell. Oh yeah Kurt, can I borrow these glasses? I swear I'll pay you back."
Kurt made a bowing motion strangely like Wayne and Garth off Saturday Night Live to Scott, "Take whatever you want man!"
Scott looked at Kitty who looked at him sideways. Scott tucked the glasses in his shirt pocket and walked away, "Okay."
Minutes later Jean stumbled out of Kurt's room walking with a limp. Seeing them standing their Jean asked, "Can you guys help me to the infirmary, I think I tore something."
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Walking down the stairs to the kitchen Scott saw Rogue walk in looking roughed up with her torn shirt and a nice big bruise welling up under eye. Scott looked her up and down before asking,
"What the hell happened to you?"
Wanda glared at Lance before wiping blood from her top lip, "Shut up Lance."
Looking out the kitchen window at his Jeep Lance asked, "Is that he spare?"
Wanda climbed the stairs with a pronounced limp, "Yeah."
Lance threw the dishtowel in his hands on the counter, "What happened? You drive off into a ditch?"
"No, I got in a fight."
Scott applied the steak to Rogue's eye, "With who? X Men don't bruise easy."
"Wanda."
"Wanda? She fight fair?"
"Without her powers I mean," Lance continued from outside Wanda's door.
"Yeah, nothing but a knock down drag out." Wanda replied from inside her room where she examined the back of her leg in a mirror.
"I would have loved to have seen that."
Rogue rolled her eyes, well eye, "I bet you would have Scott."
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Toad leapt down the stairs and then into the living room where Fred and Pietro sat on the couch watching another survival show. Pietro looked balefully at the remote, now devoid of the batteries that were safely in Fred's back pocket which was as safe as Fort Knocks. Tossing the remote over his shoulder where it shattered a window Pietro asked, "Where's Wanda?"
Toad pawed through empty bags of junk food in search of something edible, "Up in her room sulkin, she got in a fight with Rogue in the mall parking lot."
Pietro was upon him in a second, holding him in the air by his shirt demanding, "What?"
To use to this treatment to be afraid Toad responded calmly, "I 'thought' I was speaking english."
Fred picked up a foot long sub in one hand, "I thought you failed English?"
Toad broke Pietro's grip and back flipped to his bean bag chair, "Barely passed. Thank you."
Pietro ran his hands through his hair gritting his teeth and saying aloud, "He's gonna kill us, no first he's going to kill Wanda, THEN he's going to kill us!"
"Who?" Fred and Toad asked.
Pietro spun, "MAGNETO YOU MORONS! He called me today, said there's a cease fire."
Fred looked at the clock on the wall which was in the shape of a cat, "When did he call?"
Pietro shrugged before beginning to pace frantically, "How should I know, sometime after Wanda left."
Fred went back to his sandwich, "There you go, she didn't know."
Pietro snatched the sandwich from his hands and tossed it onto couch next to him, "Do you seriously think a minor details like that will matter to him? He doesn't worry about minor details Fred, he gets rid of them."
Toad rose and rolled his eyes, "Come on Pietro-"
Pietro snapped his fingers; "Maybe if I explain it to him right now he'll only kill Wanda!"
Toad and Fred shared a glance before chiming in:
"Sounds like a good idea man, go for it!"
"Drop a house on that witch man, its her fault."
Pietro nodded to himself self-righteously, "But first I'll run it in her face, that'll be worth having to tell Magneto the bad news."
Off in a flash Pietro sped up the stairs to Wanda's room. Turning the doorknob and moving forward at the same time Pietro found out too late that it was locked tight.
WHAMM
Fred and Toad looked at the ceiling in the living room where the sound of a body hitting the floor was clear before going back to the TV. Fred took a bite of his sandwich and noticed sagely, "He's dead."
Toad nodded in agreement, "Yep."
Lance looked out of his door to where Pietro lay on the floor. Walking over he poked Pietro with the toe of his boot, getting a groan he reached down and pulled Pietro up standing, "Figure you would evolve a harder head to, you okay? Can you stand?"
Pietro mumbled something.
Lance cocked his head, "What was that?"
Pietro mumbled louder, "Screw.you.Lan-"
"Your fine," Lance dropped Pietro back where he found him, "Going to have one hell of a goose egg in the morning."
Fred and Toad looked up again when another thump was heard. This time Toad winced, "He ain't going to have an open casket."
Fred nodded on cue, "Yep."
As Lances door shut Wanda's open to reveal Wanda, "What the hell happened out here?"
Pietro crawled forward and chanted in a sing song voice, "Your in trouble, your in trouble."
Wincing at her nose Wanda grabbed him by the hair and dragged him to his feet, "Can I help you?"
Pietro pushed Wanda's hand off the top off his head and ran, well stumbled faster than a normal human could stumble, to her dresser where he picked up her little mirror and admired his forehead. Making sure it wasn't indented he took a moment to collect his wits before turning back to his sister, "Wanda you have really screwed-holy mother of Mary what happened to your face?"
Wanda gingerly touched the tip, "Got into a fight with a couple X Men."
"Couple eh? Heard it was just Rogue."
Wanda glared at him for catching her in a lie.
Pietro ran downstairs to the kitchen and was back in seconds with a bag of ice in his hand, "Here, sit down."
Wanda tried to take the bag of ice, but Pietro just shoved her onto her bed and kneeled down to apply ice to her nose, "You hurt anywhere else?"
Wanda winced as the cold hit her, "My lower back."
"You went for the chokehold huh? Rogue's done that to me before, bust up my nose and then wailed on my kidneys like drums. If the blood when you pee doesn't stop in 2 days, you'll have to see a doctor."
"Blood?!"
"Yeah."
Rising Pietro patted her on the shoulder, "You'll be all right, that is until Magneto finds out."
Wanda looked worried, "What are you talking about?"
"Magneto called a cease fire, which means your ass is on burner number one unless I can talk him out of it."
Wanda sighed in relief, "I'm not worried about him."
Pietro shook his head at his crazy sister before running to his room and grabbing a small box. Making sure it hadn't been touched since its last use he walked outside slowly to make sure that he didn't accidentally break it.
Once he was out of sight in the woods he hit a small red button on the side, making it unfold slowly into the shape of a laptop. Lights came on and bathed Pietro's face in a sky blue color as it waited for a return signal which rarely took long.
The hologram of Magneto's head appeared quickly, as if Magneto had been waiting for Pietro to contact him. This reinforced Pietro's inkling that Magneto already knew about the fight, but the look on his face appeared neutral, "What is it Pietro?"
Pietro swallowed, "Wanda engaged an X Man at the mall."
Magneto's stare bore through him, "What?"
"I said-"
"I heard what you said, I believe I gave you a direct order not to engage any X Men since were under a cease fire."
"Wanda left before you-"
"You should have contacted her," Magneto bowed his head slightly leaving a hollow space in the hologram where his helmet created a shadow, "Be that as it may, I want none of you to leave the house for any reason until I come for you, is that understood?"
"Yes sir."
"Pietro, do not disappoint me."
Magneto broke the contact leaving Pietro to fold his box back into its compact form and walk back into the house.
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Gambit, Pyro, and Colossus watched from a distance as Magneto shut down his holographic communication device. The compound that they were staying in was large and spacious, but they rarely traveled very far from each other, people had a tendency to disappear around Magneto.
"I get de feelin he blamin us for dat spider mess," Remy drawled as the he tossed cards across the room into a hat laying on the floor, "Somebody made him look stupid, and Magneto sure don't like dat."
Pyro shook his head and continued shining his flamethrower equipment, "Any one ever tell you yer a gloom and doom kinda fella?"
Gambit eyed his teammate, "Yeah, most o dem dead cause dey weren't paranoid enough."
Colossus stood impassively staring out a window, his arms behind his back in a parade rest stance. He ignored the bickering between Gambit and Pyro, they had been doing that ever since they met. "What da you think metal head?"
Colossus turned and looked at Pyro, "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?"
"Just a nickname, blimey."
Gambit stopped tossing cards and leaned back in his chair, "Pyro's bad habit of givin pet names ta guys aside, how you think all this gonna end?"
"Doesn't matter to me, I'll come out alive either way."
Pyro poked Gambit from a distance with his own staff he had left laying against the wall a couple times, "Now there's a true optimist."
"Gemmi dat!"
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The next week was hard all around for the mutants of Bayville, the X Men trained constantly, the Acolytes hunted for Mesmero, and Forge worked day and night without sleep to build the machine for his captor. On the other hand the Brotherhood had never had it easier due to the fact that all their expenses were paid, they had all the food they wanted, and Mastermind had yet to show for even one tutoring session.
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"Well?"
Forge stared up at Mesmero with red rimmed with large black bags under his eyes from where he sat leaning against a support strut, "It's done."
Mesmero smiled more at the machine than at the other person in the room with him, "Excellent."
The Machine was large, about the size of Cerebro, but that was where the resemblance ended. Where Cerebro was well lit with a stationary ramp this machine was far more dark and foreboding with its three blackish blue steel beams arching into the air to meet at one point. It was obvious to even the most casual inspection that something was meant to drop from the middle of where the beams met straight down to where a small marked throne like seat was located.
"Can I sleep now?"
Mesmero was surprised by the simplicity of the question, he expected more from one of the more intelligent mutants. Of course being unable to sleep for seven days straight would likely lower anyone's I.Q. a few point, "Yes of course."
With a wave of his hand Mesmero removed the mental blocks he had installed in the young mutant's skull. Forge yawned and asked, "You going to kill me?"
"No," Mesmero turned back to the machine with an un-amused look, "I might need you to fix this thing later on."
He might have been talking to a log for all the good it did him, Forge was out like a light. He had worked hard all week, that Mesmero conceded. For the first three days worked at escaping, and then when that didn't work he had tried to sabotage the work for another two, until he finally buckled down and built the machine in three.
Walking to the control panel Mesmero mused how his master would reward him for what he was going to do. Pushing a few buttons he started the warm up cycle, "Riches?"
The machine hummed to life as ice blue lights slowly flared to life somewhere inside the three beams as he continued to think, "A country to rule?"
The energy built slowly, it would take an hour for the device to reach critical mass when it would be able to function at full capacity, "Or maybe he will spare my life and my life alone?"
Mesmero shrugged, he could no more stop working the will of Apocalypse than he could stop breathing. What he was doing now was a fine example; he was about to try what had never been done before for the sake of a being that existed on another plane of existence.
Walking to the middle of the device and he parked himself on the throne, allowing a small smile to come to his lips.
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What happened next was discussed heavily by everyone, both those who traveled and those left behind. As if a giant beacon of light visible from space were to suddenly flare to life during a lunar eclipse on a dark night, everyone in Bayville from Rahne doing her homework by the lake, too Sabertooth who was disemboweling the pizza boy at the Acolytes hide out. Everyone who was a mutant turned and looked to the west where Mesmero's machine had begun to cycle up.
Some argued that it was the massive amount of energy involved, others that it was some strange form of premonition that brought there attention to that point, but all agreed that it was awesome thing to behold.
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"By the goddess," Ororo murmured as she dropped the plant she had been potting in her small garden.
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Bobby and Sam who had been involved in a game of poker looked from the west to each other and uttered in the same disbelieving tone, "Oh shit!"
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Scott's head, adorned with new sunglasses, instantly turned from the west to the lunch table where Kurt, Jean, Kitty, And Rogue sat looking to the west. Dropping his tray food and all into the nearest garbage can he jogged over to the table and said, "Were leaving, now."
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At the Brotherhood house Toad stopped in mid toilet plunger swing at Fred's head to swivel almost 90 degrees to the west. Fred in turn who held the fire poker pivoted nimbly with a speed the belied his large girth in the same direction and stared.
"What is it?"
Neither Fred nor Toad looked up from where they stood at Lance who had sat up from his prone position on the couch. Pietro sped into the room to stare with them at that point far off.
Lance looked at Pietro, "Pietro, is that your dad?"
Pietro's eyes narrowed, "If it isn't, he's going to be royally pissed at who ever it is."
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Magneto rose from his seat in his observation room and strode through the main hall where Sabertooth, Gambit, Colossus, and Pyro had converged in full battle regalia. Following there leader in utter silence for fear of setting off the powder keg that was obviously smoldering beneath his cool exterior, all wondered what in the world could create a feeling like that.
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The Professor met all the others in the Blackbird hangar bay, an almost unspoken agreement having passed between everyone that what ever this thing was it must be investigated immediately.
Looking over the high school students who were already seated the Professor noticed two extra passengers, "Logan, why are Tabitha and Bobby on board?"
Logan didn't look up from where he was flight prepping the Blackbird, "You said you wanted the boy field ready, and I'd like to see you get her off. Ready Hank?"
"Affirmative Logan."
Ororo looked up from where she sat behind Dr. McCoy, "Everyone belted in?"
Scott tightened the strap on his battle visor, "What ever it is it can't be that far away."
"Still."
Tabby popped her gum and yelled from the back, "Can we go already?!"
Logan pulled a handle back sending the Blackbird flying down the runway, "Amen!"
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The Brotherhood was suited up and ready when the ten metal orbs appeared over their small house.
Without looking back Pietro climbed into the first metal orb to open and sat down, "You coming?"
Seeing the others enter the other orbs Pietro waited till the orb closed again leaving him in darkness to wonder and feel the beacon of energy get larger and larger.
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"Uh oh," Wolverine pointed at five small silver dots that were growing larger as they flew in the same direction as the Blackbird, "Look's like we got company."
Ororo turned to the Professor, "Could Magneto be the cause of this feeling?"
The Professor shrugged slowly, "I sincerely hope so Ororo, the only other explanation I can think of is Mesmero has released Apocalypses."
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The Blackbird and the metal orbs all landed directly over where the feeling seemed to come from, a respective distance in between them. The Blackbirds ramp lowered, Wolverine and Cyclops taking point as the team slowly made their way off the plane. The metal orbs opened in tandem with each revealing both the Acolytes and the Brotherhood.
Disregarding warning glances from Wolverine and Cyclops Professor X rolled past them and asked, "Eric, do you have a hand in this?"
Magneto floated out of his metal orb and came to rest on the ground, "No Charles, I assure you that I have nothing to do with this strange feeling. But I assure you, I plan to find out what it is immediately."
Looking back Professor X saw that everyone was on edge waiting for something to happen. Gesturing Professor ordered, "Stand down."
Reluctantly everyone but Wolverine relaxed a little, Wolverine seem to become that more on edge. Professor X turned back to Magneto and declared, "Perhaps we should investigate together?"
Magneto measured him with unseen eyes from inside his helmet, "Feel free to follow Charles, but do not get in our way."
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Mesmero was sitting on his throne becoming somewhat impatient with the whole process when the far left wall exploded. Turning in his seat Mesmero saw the Blob and Colossus standing in the wreckage of what once was a wall up to their knees in reinforced concrete. The rest of the Acolytes, Brotherhood, and finally the X Men followed into the large underground room.
Mesmero pressed a button on the throne, activating robotic drones that lay in small hidden bays in the ceiling. The X Men, Brotherhood, and Acolytes engaged the drones that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
Seeing Forge laying on the ground the Professor awakened him with a mental shout in his direction, Forge!
Forge swam from the deepest darkest pool of sleep in his life until he was able to respond with a simple, Huh?
Attempting to pull Forge from his stupor the Professor asked, FORGE, what is this machine?
Its uh.....machine for traveling....between.....dimensions.
Looking up both Magneto and Professor Xavier were amazed at the sheer power that seemed to radiate from the machine. As they watched a small blue particle that was just barely visible fell from where the center of the beams met until it hit Mesmero exploding in a nova of blue light. Everyone in the room saw the flash of light then darkness as unconsciousness overtook them.
*****Author's note: The mutants will now follow Mesmero into other dimensions, trying to fix the damage he causes and capture him. For this there will be either 1 or 2 teams depending on how the story goes. Feel free to vote for what kind of team line up you would like to see, just try to get the team balanced. I'm hoping the story will develop like the comic book Exiles, where some characters die, go home, or decide to stay in that dimension.
If this opening chapter seemed a little rushed, sorry, it's because I'm trying to set the scene for the rest of the story. The rest will probably be shorter but more descriptive as the story focus's around 5 characters any one story.