Peter felt more and more jittery as they got closer to the school. He felt like he was going to lose his lunch as they stepped onto the path. There were a lot of unpleasant memories that the school held, ones that he wanted to forget.
However, Magneto had told him to come with him. He wasn't going to betray that trust by not pulling his weight. They just needed to go in and make sure that Xavier knew to stay out of their business in the future.
He couldn't help but look around the grounds. Essentially, they were entering enemy territory. The place looked cheerful enough, with its well-kept grounds and playground equipment in the back. The woods were scenic, not that Peter had ever appreciated them. The first time he had visited it had been dark, and he'd been nervous as to why they were there. The second time he had been mad as hell.
Peter was still mad, but this time he was a bit more controlled. He was older now, a professional. Peter stayed quietly next to Magneto as they took the back way up to Xavier's office. In the past he had wondered just how Magneto knew his way around the building so well, but now that he knew it was just depressing.
Magneto had specified that they needed to remain unseen by the student body. Peter didn't really see what the point was, but that old friendship and respect for the school was probably coloring that decision.
He figured he would have requested it even if Magneto hadn't wanted to do it either. Lorna had grown up in those rooms, and Peter didn't want to picture a sad fourteen-year-old studying alone and trying to forget what her siblings had done.
It wasn't something that he tried to think about, Lorna wasn't part of his life anymore, and she had hurt him just as much as he'd hurt her. She might have even hurt him worse, considering what Magneto had said. He had to live with the idea that he'd driven his sister away after all, that she preferred to live with people that were now attacking them.
That being said, he did not want to be seen by the students. He did not want to picture his younger sister. Just hearing the children playing downstairs was bad enough. At one point Magneto put a hand on his shoulder.
It reminded Peter that his presence there had nothing to do with his sister. He was there because of the Brotherhood, which was probably something Magneto reminded himself of every single time he walked into that school. It reminded him to buckle down, to be better, stronger, keep a stiff upper lip.
"I'm good," Peter said, "Ribs just hurt. That's all."
Magneto didn't quite look like he believed him, but he took his hand off his shoulder.
"What was the damage, in the end?" he asked.
"They're just bruised," muttered Peter, "That asshole was trying to break them."
"Considering it was Alex, it's a wonder he didn't succeed," Magneto said, "He was always rather violent."
Peter winced again, wondering just what the story was there. He was having a hard time forgetting the way that Alex had looked at him, that look of disgust. Like he was wasting his life or something. It wasn't a look that he liked.
They didn't encounter anyone until they got to Xavier's office. There was no one inside, and Peter took up position by one of the bookcases. He folded his arms and leaned up against it, wondering if he had time to rearrange the books before Xavier came in.
He was just getting ready to rearrange every other book when he spied a photograph. He supposed it was a school photograph: everyone was gathered on one of the staircases outside. There were kids with fur, kids with wings, kids with fangs.
But his eyes were immediately drawn to the back. Standing to the left of Xavier with the rest of the teachers, was Lorna. She was wearing a dark blue dress and matching blazer, her hair pulled back into a low bun.
Something caught in Peter's throat. What was she doing with the teachers? If she'd been with the students, he would have understood. She wasn't even twenty-two, and she still had at least a year of college left before she graduated. Maybe Westchester had a college program.
But she was with the teachers. Lorna had always been smart, so graduating early wasn't a big deal. Not with her mind. But that meant that she was still at the school. Lorna could be downstairs for all he knew. That laughter could have been caused by her.
Did she know what her boss was doing? Did she know that he had sent people out to attack them. His jaw clenched. Was he keeping her in ignorance? It was hard to imagine a situation where she didn't know, given Xavier's bleeding heart.
Anger built up in his heart, getting hotter and hotter, and then the door opened.
When Charles opened the door to the office and found Erik and Peter inside, he wasn't particularly surprised. Sure, he'd gotten the call from Alex that they were on the security cameras and had given the stand down order, but he'd expected it.
Again though, he wasn't surprised at this development. In fact, he'd been expecting it a little sooner, given everything that had happened. He wondered if there would come a day when the presence of his old friend would prove to be a surprise. Charles doubted it: his friend always timed his entrances.
The one thing that got to him was that Hank wasn't there with them. It was obvious that they had bypassed him. In the past Erik had given him the courtesy of going to Hank and getting an escort. Apparently that was over.
All Charles could do was hope that none of the children had seen. He closed the door mildly and wheeled behind his desk.
"None of the children saw you?" asked Charles.
"No," Erik said.
"Then we can get down to business," Charles said, "I've said this many times, and I'm getting a little tired of it. You can't just come barging in here."
"Not for little things, no," Erik said, "But you know why we're here."
At least they weren't going to waste any time.
"Then I take it that Alex managed to give Peter my message," Charles said, "Probably embellished it, but I think he kept the spirit of it."
"Why the hell are you still calling me Peter?" snapped Peter.
Peter's voice was acidic, even more than it had been the last time they'd talked. Charles stifled a sigh, and took on his best teacher tone. Peter might be in his mid-twenties now, but he still seemed to need instruction. If he was going to act like a child, then he was going to use the same tone that he used for the children.
"Because it's your name," Charles said, "And I have the feeling there are rather more important things to discuss."
Peter opened his mouth, but Erik put a hand on his shoulder.
"Charles, what are you playing at?" he asked.
Charles gave him a level look.
"As I said, I assumed that Alex delivered his message," he said.
"He did," Peter said, "Right after he got finished trying to break my ribcage."
"Considering it was Alex, I'm surprised he didn't succeed," Charles said.
"Why do people keep saying that?" said Peter.
He glanced at Erik, but Erik didn't meet his eyes. It was clear that he hadn't forgotten Alex's combat prowess, nor his ability to barrel into people like a brick wall. He hoped that Erik kept that in mind in the future. The time for playing around was over.
"Then I think that we've been perfectly clear in declaring our intentions," Charles said.
"I'm not in the mood for games right now," snapped Erik.
"And neither am I," said Charles.
He gripped the edge of the desk until his knuckles turned white. Charles didn't know if it was determination or anger that was causing it, but he needed to focus. What he was about to say next was incredibly important, and he needed to be understood.
"As I told you years ago, I can't let people think that you are the only mutants out there," Charles said, "I can't, and I won't. Now, I had hoped that you would take what I said last time seriously, but evidently you did not. Given the authorities' inabilities to stop you, I've had to formulate my own response."
Erik's lips quirked upwards in amusement.
"My Charles, taking the law into your own hands?" he said, "That sounds singularly unlike you."
Charles gave him a level look.
"I've played this game before Erik," he said, "Keep that in mind before you say what does and does not sound like me."
Erik narrowed his eyes. It wasn't an expression that Charles particularly liked, but he was glad that Erik was finally taking things seriously.
"You've escalated, and I've had to do the same," said Charles.
"Is that a threat?" Erik asked.
"More of an explanation," said Charles, "You know that I wish things were different, but I'm not a fool Erik. I won't stand by and watch everything that I've worked for for the past few years disappear."
"I suppose you'd rather watch as it was dragged away by armed guards?" Erik snapped.
Charles just shook his head.
"On the contrary," he said, "What I'm doing is going to protect it from that."
"What, by fortifying your playschool?" Peter asked, "Let's face it, this place would probably fold like a pack of cards."
Slowly and deliberately Charles turned towards him. There was still acid in his eyes, and Charles wondered just how someone like Peter could be related to Lorna. The only thing he ever saw when he looked into her eyes was iron.
"I pity the poor soul who comes here looking for trouble," said Charles, his voice low.
"We came in here, no problem," Peter said.
"None of your faculty either," Peter said pointedly.
Charles raised his eyebrow. He wasn't going to let that assumption last for long.
"Actually they saw you coming on the security camera," Charles said, "I gave the order for them to stand down, but next time you will give me the courtesy of going to Hank or another designated faculty member."
Peter looked a little shocked, although Erik didn't. It was good that his old friend wasn't underestimating him.
"I say stand down, but perhaps I should have said stand by," said Charles, "Whether or not you like it, you are in my home now, and you will understand that that comes with certain requirements. Things are different here Peter, and you would do well to remember that."
Peter sneered at him, his eyes hardening.
"I've never forgotten," he said.
"Then act like it," Charles replied.
He saw Peter move to speak, but Erik put a hand out. Peter immediately lapsed into a sullen silence. It never ceased to interest Charles, the hold that Erik seemed to have over the members of the Brotherhood.
"Is this the way that it's going to be from now on, old friend?" Erik asked, softly.
Charles sighed and nodded.
"I'm afraid it is Erik," he said.
Erik nodded once briskly. He turned around and Peter moved to follow him, but paused briefly.
"Is my sister working here?"
The question came from seemingly nowhere, and it caught Charles off-guard for a moment.
"Yes," Charles said, "She, well, she teaches some of the lower grades. She's downstairs if-"
Peter looked over his shoulder, glaring at him.
"Don't you dare," he said, "Don't."
With a final glare, he turned on his heel and slammed the door shut.
