Chapter 4: Control Group

Mystique thinks it best not the mention that Pietro has only recently discovered his real history. His wrath on Charles and the school would have a similar outcome as the blackened, to dust reduced, medical centers he has targeted lately. Experiments on mutants and testing and manipulating X-genes had been their main objective. X-genes planted into mice and rats had had horrendous effects. The rats were now able to eat themselves through glass with teeth as sharp as diamonds and the mice spread a toxic radiation which killed animals and humans with a low resistance. Magneto wants to save the mutants from being experimented on and doesn't consider exterminating vermin to be a high priority.

Magneto is relieved to know his boy is doing fine and would like to meet him, join him even. He is still a bit too young to become part of the Brotherhood but at least Charles' peaceful idea's hadn't softened him. In time, Pietro would be a worthy successor. The cheerful news makes him forget all about his other question. Why hadn't Charles or Pietro contacted him at all?

"You think she was here?" Hank doesn't believe it. "I'm not sure. It could have been my imagination." "What would she have wanted? Do we need to worry? Infiltration of the school?" Charles already regrets telling him. "I don't know. Listen, it was probably just me conjuring up a mental image. I'd been talking about her to Pietro so it's very likely it was just a figment of my imagination." "Pietro, perhaps she wanted to see him?" "After all this time? You'd think they, she, would have come sooner." "Who knows? Magneto has always had a mind of his own." Hank spits out the name of his former rival.

Medical research centers all over the country were heavily guarded, since the latest surge of attacks. Magneto's rescue mission released many mutants; most of them joined him in gratitude. His following grew every day. The government was looking towards desperate measures due to this threat of magnitude. Before every center was burned to the ground, the archives were searched frantically by Magneto, in order to access information. He was still searching for the identity of his wife's killers. Mystique had told him many times that the information was probably classified and hidden at some Secret Service Archive, but he always needed to check, compulsively. He did not want to risk missing vital evidence.

Magda had taken the kids to a doctor a few weeks beforehand, and his nurse had been unusually interested in the twins. He had visited the doctor right after the fire but the nurse had resigned shortly after the twins had visited. The case has a clear medical connection, unless the nurse had been undercover as a secret agent.

Magneto's suspicions were right. The nurse had drawn some blood from both kids, and noticed a strange pattern. She had immediately reported it to a superior, higher up on the food chain than the general practitioner she worked for —who was too open minded on mutant issues for her taste— and had gotten an order to report to a facility straight away. She took the blood samples with her and had been working on it ever since. The experiments with mutant genes were built on the information she had provided. These x-genes were valuable because they had been taken from young children whereas most of the research thus far had been on adult mutants. They hoped to be able to manipulate the genes into various abilities. To be able to pick and choose; grown mutants' abilities were already determined.

Mystique is planning her own secret mission. This obsession with those responsible is getting on her nerves. If she could find them, perhaps Magneto would not be so distracted. He might even notice her as a person again. She had always been the most reliable, loyal, assistant but she longed to be more. He was interested a long time ago, but only fleetingly, then the cause had taken over, and Magda, and his obsession with her death. If she could do this for him. This one, so very important thing, perhaps he would see her, not just her merits.

The hypnosis had integrated his subconscious memories into his conscious mind. Pietro could now remember much of his past. He grieved for his mother and sister, now that he recalled them, and longed to be part of a family. As nice as the other students were, and as helpful as the teachers were, they could not fill their shoes. He had also been thinking a lot about the fateful night. His powers had been manifest then, and here he was waiting, very impatiently, for them to develop. He had found out that the fire had not been an accident and that fuelled a longing for revenge. The face of a smiling nurse keeps infiltrating his mind, but he doesn't know why. What's her significance?

Hank is back from a consultation with a senior official from the Department of Health and Human & Mutant Services. The attacks on the medical facilitates have rattled them. They use him as an advisor but generally his recommendations are perceived as too radical. "Mutants have to be kept on a tight leash, no 'fence," the man had said. Hank had gritted his teeth, but let it slide. A strong negative response on his side, would only encourage his beliefs. He joins Charles in his office, the moment he arrives. "They want to check every new born and put a chip in every mutant baby. To track their movements, store their medical record, etc." "It's even worse than before," Charles sighs, "sometimes it makes me wonder if we have, in fact, chosen the right.." "You can't say that, not you!" Hank bursts out, "not you as well." "Forgive me, I don't mean it. I'm just so very tired of having to fight the same battle again and again. When will they ever learn? This will not even work. Mutants born in mutant families will always fall of the grid; their parents won't want anything to do with medical attention anymore. " "Mutant children by human parents will be feared from the moment they are born, by their own families. It's hard enough as a teenager, but as a baby…" They fall silent, with minds whirring to generate a plan.

Pietro had written a letter to his father and today, he has received a reply. A letter came for him in the post this morning. He couldn't read it, because his roommates were present. But, now, he is finally alone. He had told his father nothing about not knowing about him until very recently. He had even pretended he had sent letters before, but told him that they had been lost, or returned to sender, so as not to rouse suspicion. Anyway, he had asked him all that he could think of. What he was like, what he liked. If he missed him, when he could see him, all sorts of general questions. He had asked if he wouldn't use his real name, in case one of the teachers would recognize it. The letter was therefore signed by uncle Magnus. The most important part was about his memories. Was his ability running at lightning speed? Did he really survive because of that? And who was that nurse that now haunted his dreams?

AN: So I borrowed a bit from the idea of stem cells who are not differentiated yet and can, therefore, be used in various ways.