2. The Good Professor

Date: 19th July 2008, Time: 1901 hrs.

I Apparated to just a kilometer away from The Xavier's Institute for the Gifted. I wanted to see the lay of the land before I infiltrated in. I knew that taking an appointment was going to be a no-hoper, so I decided that this would be the best option.

The Victorian townhouse had an old world and old money elegance to it. I had seen groups of kids milling around the grounds, talking, laughing and playing around, while was watching the compound. Watching them being kids. It made me feel good just looking at it.

'Focus' I think to myself. A mental command later and SECOND informed me;

CLOAK ACTIVATED.

I slowly wend my way to the 8 foot, brownstone wall, which to my passive scans, revealed nothing.

No alarms, pressure pads, lasers or active defences. That immediately made me wary. If Logan was already here, he would have definitely upgraded the defences.

Something to think about for later.

I jumped up, grabbed the ledge and pulled myself up. I crouched on the ledge, using my thermal and EM vision modes to check the ground for traps.

Nothing.

Good Lord, the man is too trusting for his own good.

As I dropped down, a high pitched whine could be heard. I looked up and noticed a VTOL aircraft lift out of what was the basket ball court. The angles and colouration gave it away as a stealth aircraft.

Okay, maybe not that trusting.

As the aircraft flew off on a bearing due south-west-south according to my compass, I lay prone on the grass as I wait for it to go some distance.

Ten minutes pass by slowly. Assuming it flew at a speed 1837.5 kilometers per hour, they should be at least 306.25 kilometers away. I crouch walk my way to the garden doors of the gazebo. A quick Alohamora and I'm inside the building.

In Xavier's case, I decide that it would be best if I left psychic echoes of my presence inside his Institute. I slowly dropped my shields and let my thoughts echo out. I implanted a general sense of unease, strong enough to be noticed by a non-telepathic mutant. I used my Occlumency to conceal my identity, but I ensured that the feeling of unease emanated from me. I made my way to the Professor's study and leave a trail of echoes behind me.

I stand behind the study table and push forward my memories of Loki's fall from grace, his brainwashing at the hands of the Mad Titan, the Chitauri and the Infinity Stones. Once completed, I locked my shields back in place and headed out. I then decided that I should leave some arcane defences for the institute. I set about creating a set of wards using Parselmagic, ensuring anyone who sought to harm the Institute or has a desire to harm them would be sent off on an interdimensional trip. Anyone who manages to bypass the first layer would find all their attacks being reversed on them, by reversing their very intent. Any unauthorised people piggybacking on the back of Nightcrawler would find themselves splinched and scattered across dimensions. A final layer was to not only enhance the good professor's already formidable telepathic capabilities, but also form a mental admantium-titanium alloy shield, protecting his mind from telepathic attack. I then linked them all to the titanium-carbide ward stone, which I Banished into the ground, a good 50 meters under its surface.

There is no such thing as overkill, right?

...Right?

Okay, maybe I spent a little too much time with Moody.

When I showed him and Harry my ward schemes, their grins were a little disturbing.

Needless to say my Shield bracelets were popular and everybody in the Order wore it. It could stop everything short of the Killing Curse. That bloody thing was very much a one shot-one kill affair.

Once I checked the wards were to my satisfaction, I Apparated back to my apartment.

-X-

I entered my apartment to find it already in occupation.

A grandfatherly looking man was sitting in my study table, flipping through my copy of 'The Once And Future King' by T.H. White. I happened to have seen it yesterday and made the impulsive decision to purchase. And I hadn't got a chance to read it yet.

NO!

...Ahem.

"Oh, my apologies. I saw this on the table, and I could not resist" the man replied, giving me a sheepish half-smile.

I nod in understanding, while ordering SECOND to run facial-recog.

SECOND immediately replied to my order.

MAX EISENDHART, 'MAGNETO', ABILITY TO MANIPULATE ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM, ENERGY AND MATTER MANIPULATION THROUGH THE SAME SPECTRUM. OMEGA CLASS MUTANT.

Holy shit.

"And what brings the Master of Magnetism to this neck of the woods?" I say in reply. He looked a little surprised at that, and then his half-smile came back on, while his eyes gained a wary light.

"How do you know who I am?" he says. I feel a wave of power wash over me. I gathered a Killing Curse in my hands. A sickly green glow starts building in the palm of my hands.

"I know enough Magneto, that you're essentially the Malcolm X of the mutants, just with a body count and a dose of megalomania. You have become exactly what you fear and hate" I reply, my voice causing the temperature to drop.

"John? Is everything alright in there?" I heard Mrs. Coggs call from the front door. The rattle of keys sounded as she tried to access my door.

I shoot him a look that said 'harm her and die'. The bugger just smirked at me, but switches his power off and I dissipate my spell.

Not a moment too soon, Mrs. Coggs walked into my apartment.

"Good evening Mrs. Coggs!" I cheerfully called to her. I glance around and notice that one of the windows was now open. And Magneto has made good his escape.

Bastard.

"I was coming to invite you down for dinner and I thought I heard raised voices in here" Mrs. Coggs said, her voice concerned.

"You didn't need to trouble yourself like that on my account Mrs. Coggs" I reply, as she looked around. I notice a small note in my book.

I pocket the note as she turns around to reply "No trouble at all. My grandnephew was supposed to meet me for dinner today, but he was required at his boarding school for some emergency. And I hope you don't mind giving an old woman company?"

"Not at all" I replied, thinking of murdering her grandnephew for missing out on something so important.

"Oh thank you dear that is so kind of you!" she replied her face lighting up with a delighted smile. She starts chattering away about her nephew, who she called 'Scotty'. When I pointed out the nickname, she revealed she was a Trekkie. In the meantime I surreptiously read the note.

'If you change your mind, contact Raven Darkholme. She will guide you to me.

-Magneto'

I placed it in the palm of my hand and muttered 'Incendio'.

Within seconds, it lit up and crumpled into black ash. I then turn my entire focus onto Mrs. Coggs.

Dinner conversation revolved around whether TOS or TNG was better.

If I get the chance, I am so going to introduce Professor X to ST: TNG. And Magneto to Lord of The Rings. And Fury to Star Wars.

Let's see how they handle that!

-X-

Date: 21st July 2008, Time: 0800 hrs.

After finishing up with Principal Darkholme, whose veiled threats and pointed insinuations made me want to roll my eyes at her, I got my class schedule for senior year. Because I was doing a course towards engineering, my classes were more science heavy.

Considering in my first life I despised maths, goes to show how far I have come.

With me walking with my nose buried in my schedule, I was an accident waiting to happen.

Which it did, with someone bouncing off of me.

I reflexively shoot a hand out and grab the person by the wrist. By the time the dust settled I realise whose wrist I had grabbed. And I didn't need SECOND's help to figure out who it was.

Jean Grey.

With Scott Summers glaring at me.

This should be fun.

-X-

Next chapter: Chance Encounters in Bayville High.