X-Men: The Winds of Change
By Ldynwaitin
Chapter Seven
A Race to the Finish
Ordering Alessia to move at her top speed, Charles shot out of the row of cypress trees and down the trimmed lawn. Behind him he could hear voices shouting.
"Yes," Charles hissed. "Follow me." Charles heart skipped a beat, they were following him, it was working. He was leading the threat away from his students.
As the men came closer, Charles used their little trick against them. He entered the mind of one of the men. Spying the light blinking on, another man used the shocking device. This time Charles held his ground, he took the pain, so that the man was shocked into submission. Releasing him, he entered another. They didn't realized what he was up to until a third man was possessed.
"Change in plans," Charles heard on the walkie-talkie. "Just get it."
No longer able to use his trick, Charles gave Alessia orders on where to go. As she obediently took him there, it allowed Charles to fully focus on stopping his pursuers.
Concentrating hard, he completely took control of one of the men. Using the gun he held, he shot the man in front of him. Once the man went down the walkie-talkie screamed, "I'm going to stop that son of a bitch myself!"
Charles immediately felt a sting, the man he controlled was hit. Focusing ahead, he saw that Alessia was close to the outskirts of the estate. Moving at her full speed, the humans chasing him would have a hard time catching up to her.
He nearly laughed, he did it, only one remained. Just a row of bushes blocked his way to escape. He won this race, he was near its finish line. A few feet and he was going to make it. But fate still had some jokers left in its deck. Rolling over a large stone hidden in the grass, Alessia dangerously began to tilt. Charles tried to get his balance, but it was to late. Tipping over, Alessia fell to the ground. Charles spilled out, sliding across the grass. He looked up, the bushes was just a few feet from where he lay.
Sitting up, he saw Alessia lying on her side. "Up," he told her. She wiggled and rocked, but was unable to right herself. He would have to help her. Using his arms, he began to drag himself towards her, he stopped when he felt a someone coming towards him. He tried to latch onto it, he was shocked to find it was a woman. He attempted to control her. As he nearly had full control he felt a burn in his side that was so intense, he screamed in agony.
He fell flat on the ground. Clutching his side he pulled out a dart. Throwing it away, he tried to crawl to Alessia. His legs useless, he had to use his arms to drag him across the lawn. It took all his strength to fight off the burning pain in his side. He dug his hands in the dirt. His fingers gripped the grass as he dragged his body closer, closer, until he had to stop. He rolled on his back when he felt another burning sting in his arm.
He fumbled to get it out. After three tries, he finally pulled it out. Panting, he looked up. He saw the figure of a man walking towards him carrying a snipers rifle with a site. Charles saw a metal helmet on his head. This was the mind that was hidden to him.
The man stopped just in front of Charles. Squatting down, he patted Charles on the head, 'Like a dog,' Charles thought.
"Have to admit," the mans deep voice rasped. "You put up a good chase. Best I've ever been on."
Charles brows knit in anger. "I am not something, to be hunted," he said, with gritted teeth.
"You should feel honored, you came the closest to getting away from me, Neale, Donahue." His dark eyes turned ice cold. "I told you we'd meet again." Neale held his rifle up high. "Biggest mistake you made, was to accept that there were only ten of us."
Charles panted fiercely, biting his lower lip, he searched for something to help him. His eyes lit up, as he spotted his joker. Grabbing the rock that tripped Alessia, he rolled away and threw it at Neale. He effectively knocked the helmet off his head.
In a split second, he latched on to Neale's mind. He stared at Neale, searching deep inside. Then he saw it, fear. A terrifying fear that was buried deep in the mind of Neale Donahue.
Charles felt soiled as he saw images of Neale's past. In seconds, he scanned through thousands of memories. "I see you for what you truly are, Donahue," Charles said. He propped himself up with one arm. His finger dug deep into his forehead, as he took full control of the man before him.
"You are a gutless blackguard, a spineless bounder who kills only because he thinks it makes him a man. You are far from it." He saw Neale struggle to bring up his gun.
"No," Charles said, "Drop it." Neale immediately dropped the gun.
"Stand up," he ordered Neale. Neale jerkily stood up. He was about to order him to pick up Alessia when he saw someone running down the lawn. From the memories he saw in Neale's mind, he knew she was his daughter. Stopping, she leaned over and rested her hands on her knees.
"Sorry, father," Benny panted. She waited to be disciplined, instead she received only silence. Spying his helmet lying on the ground Benny immediately brought her gun up.
Charles had Neale stand in front of him. "No, drop the weapon," Charles said.
"Never," she hissed.
"He is your father," Charles shouted. "If you do not drop the weapon, I will kill him where he stands." He had Neale bring out his knife and place it on his neck. "Release the weapon, or he dies here."
But Neale had taught Benny well, she didn't hesitate, she ran towards them. Shooting her father in the chest, she leaped in the air and flew over the prone Charles. Charles had to release his hold on Neale, and try to control his daughter. Once Charles released his hold, Neale dropped the knife and fell to the ground.
Charles easily managed to get control of Benny. As he was about to turn his attention back to Neale, he felt a sharp pain in his arm, then a vicious kick to the side. He rolled on the ground his head suddenly felt light, he just couldn't concentrate. He shook his head, trying to clear it. His mind was such a jumble now, he was having trouble just seeing straight.
Neale stood over Charles, he held a syringe tightly in his hand. He was furious. "No…one…does…that, to me!" Neale angrily shouted, viciously kicking Charles with each word. Charles doubled up, clutching his stomach. "You hear me, nobody!" He then gave Charles one last kick that sent him rolling. He dropped the syringe, and glared at his daughter. He hoped as she was running towards him, she hadn't heard anything the mutant was saying about him. He would make him pay, for finding out his dirty secret. He snatched the helmet from the ground and placed it back on his head.
"Did I do good?" Benny asked.
"Just as we planned." Neale rubbed his stomach. "The rubber bullet still hurt hitting though."
Benny tried to catch her breath. "Sorry, father. We lost three men back there, maybe more."
"Worth it, Benny, totally worth it."
Benny looked fiercely down at Charles. "Not bad looking, for a mutant. Younger than I thought he'd be." She pulled out a long hunting knife. "Want me to put it out of its misery?"
"Put that away, girl," Neale snapped back. "This one is special. We're bringing it back with us alive. I'm not going to let our buyer have it. We'll be making money on this one for ourselves."
Neale pointed towards the mansion. "First we'll go get your brother, and then we'll look for the others. Now those you can…."
Neale and Benny were thrown to the ground by a huge explosion behind them. The night sky lit up as a fireball billowed in the air. Charles nearly cried, he could faintly see his mansion in flames. In his drugged state the flames were alive. He heard them taunting him, laughing at him that he failed, as they roared out of the mansion.
Looking up Neale cursed, "Damn it, they were supposed to go off after we left."
Quickly standing, Neale faintly saw a figure floating just above the ground, as flames licked up the sides of the mansion. He was warned to stay away from that mutant. It was trouble.
"Time to go, girl," Neale said. Neale took out another needle and plunged it in Charles arm. Charles felt his head spin harder…then he felt no more.
Neale hefted Charles on his shoulders. "Let's go, darling."
"But Nelson?" she protested.
"He got himself captured, he'll have to get himself uncaptured. We're leaving now, Bernadette," he barked. Benny knew when he used her full name, she had to listen to him. Grabbing her father's knife, she took one last look at the mansion.
"Better you than me, dear brother," she sighed. Spinning on her heels, she followed her father as he pushed his way through a row of tall bushes. Carried on Neale's shoulders, Charles head and arms slowly rocked back and forth as Neale sprinted down the road. Coming to a parked car, they placed the unconscious Charles in the back.
Benny jumped in the driver's seat and quickly drove them away. Neale sat next to her. Turning in the seat he stared at Charles, he wanted to keep an eye on it. This was precious cargo, it was going to make him more money than he ever imagined. He would guard it with his life.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Beast slammed his shoulder into the steel door, he knew he would never be able to knock it down. But he just had to try something. He wavered where he stood, the effects of the dart still burned down his back.
"Cyclops," Havok said. "Can't you blast through it?"
"To dangerous," Beast growled. "The beam could ricochet back to us, or the room could fill up with smoke, suffocating us." He slowly moved back. There was barely room for the four. He slammed his fist against the steel wall. "The Professor knew it. He knew we wouldn't all fit inside. Damn it Professor!" Beast roared. "We were willing to die with you."
"Wait!" Cyclops hushed them. "Listen."
They could faintly hear what sounded like an explosion outside. This time Beast nearly tore into the door, pounding on it, "We've got to get out of here."
But it was no use. The Professor was right, nothing short of an atomic bomb could get them out of there. Beast turned his attention to Banshee. He saw Cyclops was already looking after him. The burning in Banshee's leg had finally toned down to a slow burn. Cyclops and Havok helped him to stand. The room grew very silent, their thoughts were focused on Professor X.
He was out there alone. They had no idea what was happening out there. The explosions frightened them more than ever. They were trapped inside that room for at least two hours. All that was left to do was wait for the doors to open.
"If they killed the, Pro…" Havok began to say.
Beast cut him off. "He's not dead," he said in a deadly whisper. "When we get out of here, we're going to find him. And then I'm going to make those men pay."
"We," Cyclops corrected him. "We're a team now, the X-men. And we just lost our leader, we need to…"
"Quiet," Beast hissed. "I think I hear someone on the other side."
Beast listened intensely, he faintly heard two voices on the other side. Pressing his ear to the door he clearly heard two words.
"Get back."
Turning around, he grabbed Havok and Cyclops. Dragging them to the corner with Banshee, he crouched down on the floor. He used his body to shield the others.
In seconds the exit door imploded. It actually bent in half, and flew out. Bolts, dust and pieces of metal flew in the room. Once the door was open, Beast and Cyclops immediately stood up. Turing around they took a stand against whatever had come to destroy them.
As the dust began to settle, they saw a tall figure standing in the doorway. A long cape flowed behind him. On his head he wore a helmet.
"Magneto," Beast sighed.
"What happened here?" Magneto asked.
Beast didn't answer. With the door open, he rushed right past Magneto.
"Tell me, what happened? Where's Charles?" Beast heard Magneto shouting behind him. But he ignored him, exploding through the line of cypress trees, Beast was shocked to see the Mansion was on fire. He sniffed the air. He picked up the scent of the Professor. He quickly followed it. He was thankful it led away from the burning mansion. He saw wheel tracks dug deep into the lawn, he knew he must be on the right track, Alessia was here.
Up ahead he saw something that caught the breath in his throat. He ran as fast as possible towards the line of bushes that marked the estates border. He slid to a stop, there was Alessia lying on her side. Empty, no Professor in sight.
Magneto landed next to Beast, "Tell me," he growled. "What has happened? Who attacked the mansion?"
Beast shook his head, "He locked us in," he said in a subdued voice. "He locked us in that room, led the men attacking us away."
Mystique, Cyclops, and Havok caught up with them. They struggled to catch their breaths. Banshee soared down from the skies. Landing with a thud, he stumbled up. Still in pain from the dart, he struggled to ignore it. Other things were more important now, they needed to find out what happened to the Professor.
"His wheelchair," Havok gasped. "What's it doing here?"
Magneto saw Havok pointing at a metal wheelchair. He saw an X embossed on the side of the chair. For a second he was back on the beach near Cuba, holding Charles in his arms, willing a bullet out of his back. Focusing on the present, the chair looked so large to him, so cold. He instantly realized what damage that bullet had done.
"Oh, Hank," Raven cried. She too now knew what the chair meant. In the months after she left him, she always thought he was fine, and that he would recover to his old stuffy self. She planned on seeing him when the dust settled.
"How bad?" Magneto demanded. His voice was cold and unemotional. "Tell me, how much damage did that bullet do?"
"Paralyzed, from the waist down," Beast choked. "He'll never walk again."
"Who took him?" Magneto then asked with a clenched fist.
"We think we know who," Havok honestly admitted. "But have no idea where he was taken."
"But there is a way to find out," Cyclops spoke up. "We have two of them tied up back at the mansion."
Looking back, they saw flames pouring out of the mansion. "They're in there," Cyclops gasped.
Raising his hand, Magneto concentrated. They saw white vapor pouring out of the mansion as the flames blinked out.
"The mansion is safe for now," Magneto explained. "I broke several water pipes to quench the fires."
"How the hell did they start?" Havok asked.
Mystique explained what happened while they were locked up. As Magneto and Mystique approached the mansion, they knew something was wrong when they saw the front door in pieces. Before they even entered the mansion they were fired upon from the second floor. Magneto instantly blocked the bullets that flew their way. Once he began floating up, he saw the men pressing on something. He screamed at Mystique to run away. In seconds set charges exploded around the mansion. The one in front was so powerful it pushed Magneto back.
Angered he pulled the men out of the mansion by the guns they had strapped to their backs. Flinging them high in the air, he dropped them hard on the front walkway. Sickening cracks was heard as they hit the pavement.
Mystique ran up to the Mansion. Floating above her, Magneto saw a sign of a battle. He saw a large hole in the lawn, two men lay on the ground.
"Mystique, they must have fled this way," he told her, as he drifted down.
Mystique ran down the lawn, "The shack," she shouted. "There's a shack we used to play in. It's built like a fortress, he has to be there."
Reaching the end of her story, Mystique silently looked at the house she called home. Magneto stared at the wheelchair. He could not imagine Charles anchored to a wheelchair the rest of his life. The Charles he knew was so vibrant, so full of life. The chair slowly lifted up, and floated in the air.
"Lead me to those men in the mansion," he told Havok. "They will tell us where Charles was taken."
"Wait," Beast said. "You working with us, or against us?"
Magneto nodded his head, "Truce, for now."
Beast had to admit, with Magneto on their side their hopes of finding the Professor just skyrocketed.
"We accept," Beast said. "Let's go."
As they quickly walked back to the mansion, Havok hissed at Beast, "You sure we can trust him?"
"What choice do we have?" Beast asked.
"I have no idea who he is," Cyclops said. "But from what I just saw and heard, I think it's better to have him with us, than against us."
Beast agreed, he'd seen Magneto at his best, and his worst. The biggest problem was only the Professor knew how to handle him at his worst. Beast prayed that having the Professor in danger would be enough to keep Magneto's dark half in check.
