Chapter 7: Future Matters
"What the hell is going on?!" Charles yelled as he entered the holding cell. Logan and Kurt were double checking the restraints and power dampener. Kitty and Jean stepped into room behind the professor. "Logan!"
"Chuck, this guy ain't a good guy" Logan grumbled. Charles moved closer to the Magician. "He was dupin' us all."
"You'd t'ink dat wit your powers, you'd have found him out" Remy said coming in to lean against the door frame. Charles frowned at the young man.
"Why are you really here?" Charles asked the Magician. "What is it that you want?"
"You fools" The Magician said. "My master will destroy you all."
"Ugh. How cliché" Kurt groaned.
"Who's your 'master'?" Jean asked with her hands on her hips.
"You'll soon find out" The Magician replied. Charles smacked his hand against his arm rest.
"How is it that we did not detect your mutant powers, Michael?" Charles asked.
"I'm no mutant" The Magician scoffed. "I have been alive longer then any of you could imagine. I am the Magician. I am the master of magic and illusion. I am—"
"You're gonna be sportin' some new holes if ya don't shut up" Logan said popping his claws out.
"Jean, get everyone out of here" Charles ordered. "I need a word with the Magician…alone."
"Everyone…out" Jean said swooping her arm towards the door. Kurt and Kitty didn't waste any time leaving. Logan stubbornly growled that he'd be right outside. Jean stopped in front of Remy. "Remy."
"You gonna make me leave Jean?" Remy asked with a small smile. Jean grabbed his shirt and dragged him to the hallway. "Oh, dis Cajun like it rough, chere."
"Shut up you jerk" Jean said. Scott and Rogue, who had shut down the danger room and had retrieved the Magician's wand, stood in the hallway. Scott moved between Jean and Remy.
"Keep your hands and your lame moves off my girl" Scott said with a slight shove to Remy's shoulder. Remy just smiled.
"Don't worry none, Scott" Remy said. "I was just havin' some fun."
"C'mon Scott" Jean said grabbing his hand. "Ororo wanted to know what was going on."
"God, you can really be an ass sometimes" Rogue said once the couple had disappeared up the stairs.
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"Witness started this whole goddamn mess" Bishop snarled to himself. He sped towards the mansion, which looked to have a group of construction workers working in the back. Bishop screeched his stolen car to a halt in front of the main door.
The Xavier Institute. Bishop wasn't sure if he wanted to burn the place or jump for joy. The large 'X' that decorated his enforcement suit directly stood for Xavier. It also stood for the beliefs that Xavier had instilled in mutants world wide. Xavier, the man who had allowed Witness to grow and develop.
"First Fitzroy and now Witness" Bishop said. He pulled out his plasma rifle and quickly moved into the mansion.
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Hank gathered Jennifer to himself and somehow managed to move to his desk chair with Jennifer straddling his lap. Jennifer moaned as Hank gripped her ass tightly. She fumbled with the Hawaiian shirt Hank was wearing, but eventually managed to get it unbuttoned.
"Hank" Jennifer whispered against his lips.
From the doorway, Peter turned a deep shade of red. He quickly backed out of the lab, shutting the door behind him.
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"Logan?" Rogue asked. Logan's brow was in a scowl. She held up the wand. "What should I do with this?"
"Don't know, don't care" Logan replied with a grunt. Remy leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. Rogue looked at the wand as if it were completely alien.
"Great" Rogue said.
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Bishop let his gaze move about the main foyer slowly. The Xavier Institute had been destroyed long before he had joined the XSE force. He had only heard stories about…
"Hey, Mister!" Jubilee said with an angry look on her face. Bishop standing his six and a half feet stared down at Jubilee who barely stood five feet. "You can't just go toting a gun around here. This is a school!"
"I'm looking for someone" Bishop said. The 'M' that was tattooed over the right side of his face, seemed more menacing. It didn't stop Jubilee though. Bishop took a step towards the stairs and Jubilee moved to block his way.
"Who're you lookin' for?" Jubilee asked. Bishop narrowed his eyes at the young girl.
"Get out of my way, child" Bishop growled. Jubilee opened her mouth to say something when Jean and Scott came into the foyer. "Great."
"Jubilee?" Jean called out. Scott had his glasses in hand.
"Who the hell are you?" Scott asked. Bishop aimed his gun at the three of them.
"I'm looking for Witness" Bishop said.
"We don't know anyone named Witness" Jubilee said
"You have ten seconds to clear out of here, pal" Scott said. "We don't use guns around here and we don't like them to be on the premise."
"You kids have no idea of the future" Bishop said. Surprising everyone, Jubilee destroyed the business end of Bishop's gun. Her pafs gave way and the young girl had a look that she could have only picked up from one man.
"We won't have a future if you shoot us" Jubilee said. She started to move forward, but the air around everyone became strong and forceful. "Hey."
"Who are you and what do you want with the students?" Ororo asked standing a few feet from Bishop. Bishop took a step backwards.
"You're…Storm" Bishop said disbelieving his eyes. "You're legendary."
"Legendary?" Ororo said. "Answer my questions."
"The name's Bishop and I'm here for Witness" Bishop said.
"There's no one by the name of Witness here" Ororo said. "How do you know of me?"
"The events haven't happened yet" Bishop said simply. Jean looked at Ororo and shrugged.
"He's telling the truth, as far as he's concerned" Jean said. "I took the liberty of letting the Professor know that we have a visitor."
"Hey, look at that" Jubilee said pointing to a communicator on Bishop. "That looks like the one that Jen brought in."
"What?" Bishop said. In his disbelief, he grabbed Jubilee's wrist. Jubilee fired her fireworks at the tall man, but he seemed to absorb her powers.
"Don't mess with me" Jubilee said wrenching herself away from the tall man. "You'll get it now. Wolvie's gonna kick your ass."
"Jubilee. Language" Ororo hushed.
"Jubilee?" Bishop said wide eyed. He looked over at Scott Summers and Jean Grey with realization. "No. You guys can't be…"
"Can't be what bub?" Logan said from behind Scott and Jean. His claws extended out and Bishop shook his head.
"I've seen all of your graves, except for yours Logan" Bishop said. "Your help with the resistance in the future….it…"
"The future? You have much explaining to do" Ororo ordered. "You say that you know who we are?"
"Yes" Bishop grunted.
"Then please, allow the two of us to talk privately. If you know anything about me, then you'd know that I prefer diplomacy to actual fighting" Ororo said. With a nod, Bishop followed Ororo into the den.
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"Don' you guys run background checks on everyone here?" Remy asked. Rogue crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. Logan had told her to stay put, Remy just stuck around.
"We're not the NSA" Rogue said. "Sometimes stuff slips through our fingers."
"Oui" Remy said simply. He grinned and allowed himself to let his eyes fully check Rogue out.
"Pig" Rogue grunted. The silence in the hallway became heavy just long enough that Rogue was relieved when Peter came out from the danger room.
"I checked the danger room" Peter said. "I make sure no one left anything."
"We already checked it" Rogue said. Peter's cheeks were still red, but had forgotten about his blush.
"What's up wit' you, Pete?" Remy asked. "You look a little…embarrassed, non?"
"It's nothing" Peter said. The room that Charles was in sounded with a thud; the door slid open and Xavier wheeled himself to the hallway.
"This is getting us nowhere" Charles said. "He's not willing to talk and somehow he can block my telepathy."
"Excuse me" The Magician called out. Charles and the others looked over at the Magician. "One of the first things that I learned, very long ago, was a simple trick. I would like to demonstrate."
The wand that Rogue held onto wiggled and broke free of her grasp. It glowed white and the tip red. The tip shot out a beam of red power, the others watched as the Magician simply left his restraints.
"I feel that it is time for me to leave you, X-Men" The Magician said with a smile. "This is yet another trick of mine."
The wand flew into his hand and, as if a bubble had popped, the Magician was no longer in the room.
"Mon dieu!" Remy gasped.
"Professor" Rogue said.
"He's no longer in the vicinity" Charles said. "I don't feel his presence at all."
"Did you find out anything?" Rogue asked.
"Just bits and pieces, but nothing that makes sense" Charles replied. "Something about ice and a jungle…and a single word: 'Sinister'. Nothing more then that." Charles led the others towards the hydro-lift that would take them upstairs. "I fear that there is yet another threat upstairs that we need to deal with. Someone find Hank and have him come upstairs."
"No" Peter said quickly. "No, I think he is very much busy."
"Busy doin' what?" Rogue asked. "We had a bad guy down here and there might be some douche bag upstairs."
"Chere, I t'ink dat he busy…bein' taught a lesson" Remy said picking up on Peter's renewed blush.
"Perfect" Charles grumbled as the lift doors shut.
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"You do not understand" Bishop grunted. He stood up from the couch that Ororo had insisted he sit upon and paced the room. He glared at his weapons that were now laid out on the table between the couches. "I am from the future."
The knock at the door gave Ororo a reason to take a deep breath. She opened the door, allowing Charles inside.
"I'm sorry for not meeting you right away" Charles said. The door was closed behind him. "I am Charles Xavier."
"I'm called Bishop" Bishop said. His manners were cold, a non-psychic could tell you that. "I need to talk to you about finding a man called Witness."
"Witness?" Charles asked. "I don't believe I know of anyone named Witness."
"That's what Storm has just been telling me" Bishop said mildly disappointed. "I originally came back to the past, your present time, in search of another man." He looked between Ororo and Charles. "A man named Trevor Fitzroy. He's a mutant who can create time portals, but only after draining the life force from other people."
"And you believe that this man has traveled here?" Charles asked.
"I jumped in after him and arrived here" Bishop said matter-of-factly. "He is a murderer and a thief."
"Ororo, would you please leave me alone with Bishop?" Charles said. "I would like to talk to him privately…about the future."
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