Alexis slowly opened her eyes, rubbing them as she tried to wake up. She didn't remember falling asleep, nor anything past when she said goodbye to Kurt. As she slowly sat up, she found that the usual weight of Stealthy was nowhere to be found. More than that, she was in a bed that was much bigger than her one at the institute. Finally, she realized she was not in the institute at all.
She was in an ornate room that was made entirely of metal. Everything from the floors to the furniture was metal, though it had been designed and decorated in a very regal manner. Alexis looked around as she climbed out of bed, seeing that someone had left a bundle of clothes sitting on a small desk.
Looking down at herself, Alexis noticed a large hole in her shirt where her father's badge had been. Not wanting to be seen like that, Alexis picked up the offered clothes, and put them on. She was soon dressed in a simple light blue shirt and a pair of jeans with her old sneakers. Now fully dressed, she opened the door to her room, entering a cavernous metal hallway.
"What is this place?" she wondered aloud as slipped through the hall. "How did I get here?"
"Apologies for the crude means of your arrival." a voice told her.
Suddenly, the floor beneath her rose up and flew her down the hallway. She yelped in fright, crouching down and grabbing the edge of the metal platform for dear life as she was taken through several doorways, all of which opened seemingly of their own accord. This went on for about a minute before she finally entered a large dining hall. At the end of a large table was a man dressed in red with a purple cape and a hand on a red helmet that sat on the table.
"Welcome to Genosha." The man greeted. "My name is Erik Lehnsherr."
The platform touched down, allowing Alexis to get off.
"Erik Lehnsherr..." she repeated as she straightened up. "Wait, you're Magneto, aren't you?"
"Indeed." He confirmed. "But more than that, I was friends with your great grandmother."
He waved his hand and one of the chairs near him slowly scooted out, as if he was offering it to her.
"I know." Alexis informed him as she took the offered chair. "Before she died, she used to tell me stories about how you two founded Haven City. She was my hero."
"And my closest friend." Magneto added. "It's a shame what happened to Haven City. She was so proud of that place."
"My entire family was." Alexis agreed, looking down at her hands. "Then those… Sentinels came and destroyed it… for no good reason other than it was a home for mutants!"
"Even government sanctioned homes are useless against the depravity of humans." Magneto snarled. "They simply refuse to let us live in peace."
"I know, believe me." Alexis told him. "I spend most of my life hearing about the depravity of humans. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't relieved to find out I was a mutant all along. It's been a big weight off my shoulders, knowing I'm not… well, you know."
"I do." Magneto replied. "Believe me, I can understand what you've been through. It's… in part of why I had you brought here."
"Right, and where is 'here'?" Alexis asked.
"Genosha." Magneto told her. "A haven for mutants, not unlike what Haven City was. In fact, I drew quite a bit of inspiration from Janey when making this place."
Alexis looked surprised. She rose to her feet, walking over to a nearby window and opening the curtains. Outside, she saw the splendor of Genosha, the mutants milling about and enjoying their lives, and was immediately overcome with a sense of Deja vu.
"It's… it's just like home..." she whispered. "But better."
"I'm glad you feel that way." Magneto replied. "Because I was hoping you'd consider making Genosha your new home."
Alexis turned in surprise.
"New home?" she repeated, the very idea stunning her to no end while leaving her somewhat conflicted. "But… The Institute. The X-Men. Kurt..."
"The choice is yours, of course." Magneto allowed. "In the meantime, I grant to full access to all Genosha has to offer. Go anywhere, talk to anyone. I'd even be willing to give you a tour if you would like."
Alexis met his eyes for a moment, then looked back out the window.
"I… I'd like that." she admitted.
"Right this way then." He gestured.
He got up, walking out of the room as Alexis followed after him.
...
Back at the mansion, Kurt was not handling Alexis' disappearance very well. He was pacing relentlessly, even walking up the walls and onto the ceiling of Professor Xavier's office. Kitty watched him pace, letting out a sigh.
"Kurt, you need to calm down." she insisted. "Getting yourself all worked up isn't going to help Alexis."
"Zhen vhat do you suggest I do?" Kurt asked.
"For starters, get a grip." Kitty told him. "The Professor's working as fast as he can to find her, and there's little we can do until then."
"I know..." Kurt let out, sighing as he plopped down on the ground. "I'm just vorried is all. Magneto iz not above using his own kind, und I fear vhat he vants vith her."
Kitty sat down next to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Stealthy curled up in his lap, still holding Alexis' badge in his arms as he let out a sad little noise. They stayed there for a moment, then the back wall lifted up, allowing the Professor to emerge from Cerebro. Kurt was on his feet in an instant.
"Did you find her?" he asked.
"She's on Genosha." he reported. "Erik must have brought her there while we were distracted by the Brotherhood."
"Then ve must get her back!" Kurt declared.
"Patience, Kurt." The Professor insisted. "Going in without a plan is dangerous, not only for you, but for Alexis as well."
"I am sorry Professor." Kurt replied. "It's just-"
"I know." The Professor reassured. "I will summon the others to meet me in the War Room. Then we will devise a plan of action."
Kurt nodded before teleporting off, unfortunately right in Kitty's face. She coughed, waving a hand in front of her face to get rid of the acrid smoke.
"I hate it when he does that." she grumbled.
...
Not too long after, the rest of the X-Men met up in the War Room to discuss a plan to rescue Alexis from the clutches of Magneto.
"What I'd like to know is how he even managed to get to the kid in the first place." Wolverine spoke up.
"Had to have been Mystique." Cyclops guessed. "She's snuck into the mansion before, so it makes sense she'd do it again."
"We seriously need to do something about that." Kitty interjected. "I mean, seriously."
"We'll worry about that later." Storm spoke up.
"Agreed." Beast declared. "Our first order of business would be discerning whether or not Miss. Ryder is in any immediate danger."
"It's Magneto." Wolverine reminded. "I didn't think there was a need for debate."
"Still, Magneto singled her out." Jean pointed out. "Meaning he either needs her for something, or wants her on his side. Maybe even both."
"Ve need to get to her to find out." Kurt interjected.
"This won't be like storming an MRD facility, or taking down some scattered Brotherhood members." Cyclops insisted. "This is Genosha. Magneto's home turf."
"And no doubt he'll be expecting some kind of retaliation on our part." The Professor deduced.
Kitty let out a snort.
"So what?" she asked. "He took our friend."
"Doesn't mean we just go in guns blazing." Cyclops countered. "We need a strategy on this."
"Right, this will be a stealth mission." Jean announced. "In and out before we're detected. Wolverine, Colossus, it would probably be best for you two to stay behind."
"No argument here." Wolverine replied.
"Da." Colossus agreed. "I'm not such a fan of being manipulated like puppet."
"Alright then." Cyclops declared. "Jean, Rogue, Gambit, Kitty, Kurt, Storm, you're with me on the stealth team. We go in, grab Alexis, and get out. No unnecessary risks."
"I just hope Alexis is doing alright." Kurt let out, petting Stealthy with a worried expression.
...
Alexis meanwhile, was in awe of the sights before her. The city was full of massive and uniquely shaped buildings, towering over its citizens. Each one designed in a regal and majestic, fit for a king. The entire city seemed to be entirely made of metal, which made sense considering it creator. The streets were lined with elaborate and unique metal sculptures, taking strange unique shapes.
Scattered about these gorgeous streets were mutants of all shapes, sizes, and forms. Flyers streaked across the sky as other mutants used their powers without fear of retribution. Everyone was friendly and accepting, something that made Alexis' heart soar.
"This is… This is amazing." She said quietly. "It everything Haven City was and more."
"Janey had the right idea, building a haven for our kind." Magneto told her. "Her only mistake was bowing to the American government. It was their influence that turned the once beautiful sanctuary into a target."
"I doubt Genosha is any less of a target." Alexis pointed out.
"True, but my island is well protected and hidden from prying eyes." Magneto replied. "Not even Cerebro can find us here."
Alexis let that soak in as she continued looking around, watching a few mutant children playing tag in a park.
"True freedom." she let out. "Not having to fear retribution from the MRD, or be forced to turn away mutants… This truly is paradise."
"I have done what I can." Magneto explained. "Here, our kind can flourish, embrace what makes them unique and follow their passion. Be it art, philosophy, science, architecture, nothing is forbidden."
"How do you keep law and order?" Alexis wondered. "No matter how nice a place is, there's always gonna be trouble."
"Astute observation." Magneto commended. "The Brotherhood helps to keep the peace. The more… civilized members at least. My children, Pietro and Wanda make sure that those who live here are made aware of the rules and common decency, but luckily, it is a rare mutant that is willing to risk losing paradise."
"I'd imagine so." Alexis replied. "Haven City had its problem children, but most of the time, my dad and I just acted as the welcoming committee."
"Exactly." Magneto replied. "Now, I'm certain you must be hungry. Why don't we return to the palace for a good meal? Then tonight, I'll show you some of Genosha's night time attractions."
Alexis smiled widely, a smile that reminded Magneto of his old friend.
"Sounds good to me." Alexis told him.
Magneto returned the smile, then ushered Alexis off
...
A few miles away, the Blackbird soared across the skies, making its way towards Genosha. Scott was flying the plane as the rest of the team geared up.
"Alright everyone, we're about to reach Genosha." Scott announced. "If we want to avoid detection, the Blackbird will have to remain up here out of Magneto's range."
"I vill port us down one by one." Kurt announced. "Zhen, ve split up to find Alexis."
"Right." Scott confirmed. "Now remember everyone, this is a recovery mission. We don't need to make a scene."
"Isn't that why we left Wolverine back at the institute?" Kitty quipped.
"Well… yeah…" Scott replied. "But let's stay focused nonetheless."
"We're in luck." Ororo spoke up, her eyes solid white as she focused her powers. "The island is surrounded by a natural fog. As long as we remain out of range of Magneto's powers, he will not detect the Blackbird in any way."
"Good." Scott replied. "The last thing we want is Magneto tipped off to our presence here."
"Right," Gambit agreed. "So how bout we get this show on the road."
Kurt grabbed Rogue and Gambit first, porting them out of the Blackbird and onto the shore. Ororo and Kitty were next, then finally Scott and Jean. Once they touched down, they scattered, beginning their search.
...
Meanwhile, Alexis was in the crowd of a late night show watching a mutant called Dazzler perform on stage. From his private booth, Magneto also enjoyed the show, occasionally peeking down at Alexis with a smile.
"I take you're enjoying yourself?" Magneto guessed.
Alexis looked up from her seat, which happened to be directly beneath the private booth.
"I'm loving it!" she cheered. "I've never seen such an amazing performance!"
"Dazzler is quite the talent, I must admit." Magneto replied.
"Thank you for bringing me here!" she said. "This is one of the best days of my life!"
"I'm happy you are enjoying yourself." Magneto told her.
She smiled back at him before returning her attention to the concert. About that time, a blonde, female mutant approached Magneto, drawing his attention.
"Scanner." he greeted. "What seems to be the problem?"
"I'm sorry to disturb you." she whispered in his ear. "But I was watching the border as you requested, and spotted several X-Men attempting to sneak into Genosha."
Magneto scowled a bit, but did his best to conceal his frustration from Alexis. Luckily she was focused on the concert rather than him.
"Please excuse me." he told her, rising to his feet. "I have some important matters to deal with. I trust you can find your way back to the palace when the concert is over."
"Of course!" she assured him. "You've been amazing to me so far, and I'm sure you've got work to do. Don't let me get in your way."
"Thank you." Magneto replied before heading off.
...
Just outside the palace walls, Rogue and Gambit were making their way over the wall, landing silently in the palace garden.
"How'd ya know about that blind spot in the security cameras?" Rogue questioned suspiciously.
"I snuck into this place once before." Gambit told her. "Tried to steal Magneto's helmet."
Rogue went wide-eyed.
"You did what now?" she let out.
"It didn't work out how I planned it though." Gambit admitted. "Lorna still holds a grudge against me for the stunt I pulled."
"Lorna?" Rogue repeated. "Magneto's younger daughter?"
She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.
"Do I wanna know?" she asked.
"We kissed once." Gambit insisted. "Besides Chere, that was long before I met you."
"Glad to know I meant so little to you!" a new voice snapped.
Rogue and Gambit turned to see Lorna hovering above them, her green hair whipping in an unfelt wind. Her eyes were glowing brightly as she glared down at them.
"I warned you what would happen if I ever saw you again!" Lorna shouted.
"Lorna, how you been?" Gambit replied, gently putting Rogue behind him as he turned to face the irate girl.
"Don't even try, Remy!" she snarled. "You brought this on yourself!"
She waved her hand and several spinning blades from a nearby fountain came flying at Gambit and Rogue. The two quickly dove out of the way of the blades. After rolling on the ground, Gambit got up and threw some charged up cards at Lorna. She ripped off a panel from the wall, using it as a shield, then sending the panel flying at Rogue. Gambit's eyes went wide and he shoved her out of the path, getting caught up in the panel's crushing embrace.
"Remy!" Rogue shouted.
Gambit grunted as the metal closed around him, Lorna squeezing him tightly.
"Well, well, he does care about you." she sneered. "The best I ever got from him was a kiss goodbye as he rowed off with my dad's helmet."
"Let him go, Lorna!" Rogue demanded. "I ain't gonna ask twice!"
"Run Chere!" Gambit told her, squirming in the unforgiving grip of his metal prison.
"I ain't leavin' ya, Remy!" Rogue told him, yanking her glove off. "Not now, not evah!"
She charged at Lorna, going in for a touch. When she did, the metal blades from before caught her around the ankles, tripping her and causing her to fall into the grass. Two more blades came around her hands, wrapping around them and sealing them. Lorna then lifted her up by her new hand prisons, suspending her next to Gambit.
"Now, you're gonna tell me exactly what you're doing here, Remy." Lorna demanded.
"And if I refuse?" Gambit replied.
Lorna smirked, then spread her fingers, starting to pull Rogue's restraints in opposite directions, her threat clear. Rogue bit back a grunt of pain as she was stretched out. Gambit looked at her in fear, then turned back to Lorna.
"Let her go Lorna." Gambit pleaded. "It's me you hate."
"You broke my heart, Remy." Lorna told him. "So I'm going to break yours."
Gambit then heard a pop come from Rogue as she screamed, her arm having been dislocated. Gambit gritted his teeth upon hearing that.
"Alright!" Gambit cried out. "I'll tell you what you want to know… just let her go."
"Remy..." Rogue wheezed.
Lorna laughed as she released the tension on Rogue's limbs, much to the X-Men's relief.
"Well then, start talking." Lorna insisted.
...
Kitty poked her head through perhaps the fifteenth door she'd come across, once more just finding herself staring into an empty room. She sighed as she retracted her head, turning to Storm.
"Nothing. Again." she declared. "This is getting tedious."
"She's here somewhere, Kitty." Storm insisted, closing the door to the room she'd just looked in. "We need to keep looking."
"But where?" Kitty asked. "We're running out of places to look."
Storm was about to answer, but when she opened the door to the next room. She was suddenly greeted by the Scarlet Witch. She didn't even have time to gasp before Scarlet Witch got into her head, putting a mental whammy on her.
Storm stumbled back, and as she did, the walls began to shake. The floor began to crumble. She looked up, and was horrified to see the ceiling suddenly collapse down around her. She screamed as she fell into a fetal position, and true horror set in as she realize she was trapped, unable to even move.
"Help!" she screamed, trying to fight through the crippling fear. "Kitty! Somebody!"
In reality, she was not trapped under rubble. In fact, the building was still in one piece. Storm was simply on the ground, her eyes bloodshot and her entire body quaking. Scarlet Witch stood over her as Kitty finally turned around.
"Storm!" she shouted.
Before she could move, Quicksilver sped from behind and clocked her in the back of the head. She stumbled, disoriented but not down. Quicksilver whizzed by her again and again, punching her each time without giving her a chance to go intangible. After about the fifth or sixth punch, Kitty's eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed on the ground. Quicksilver skidded to a stop next to his sister.
"These heroes are getting easier to beat." he remarked.
"Let's get them back to father." The Scarlet Witch insisted. "Before they come to."
...
Meanwhile, Scott and Jean were searching some of the lower corridors of the palace, thinking that Alexis may have been locked up there. Unfortunately, their search had yet to bear fruit.
"Any luck?" Jean questioned.
"Nothing." Scott responded.
"This doesn't make sense." Jean voiced. "Why would he take her, but not lock her up?"
"Alexis is the great granddaughter of Haven City's founder, right?" Scott asked. "And didn't Magneto have some history with her?"
"I think so." Jean answered. "You think he just took her for nostalgia's sake?"
"Maybe… or maybe it's something else." Scott pondered.
At that moment, a long green tongue shot out from the darkness. It latched onto Scott's visor, yanking it off his face. Scott let out a yelp, then quickly shut his eyes before any out of control blasts could be let loose.
"Scott!" Jean yelled.
"Who's there?!" Scott called out. "Show yourself!"
If you insist." a voice called out.
Jean turned to see Avalanche leaping down and land hard enough to shake the floor. Jean stumbled a bit as Avalanche pointed his arms at her.
"Time to rock your world, X-Freak!" Avalanche taunted.
He then unleashed a blast of seismic waves right at Jean. The resulting waves scrambled her brains as she clutched her head in pain. Hearing the one he loved in pain, Scott opened his eyes and literally started firing blindly everywhere. Avalanche let out a yell, running to avoid the beams.
"Toad!" He shouted. "Do something!"
On cue, Toad dropped down from the ceiling, landing right on top of Cyclops. His head bounced on the ground and he was out cold, a large bruise already forming. Jean had collapsed not long before, letting out pained groans as she did.
"I can't believe it." Toad let out. "We beat them!"
"Come on," Avalanche told him. "Let's get them locked up before they come to."
...
While this was going on, Kurt was bamfing all over the island, constantly searching for Alexis. He finally made it to the castle, porting into the various bedrooms. Once he reached his sixth room, he froze, seeing a familiar shirt thrown haphazardly over a chair. He picked it up, seeing the initials A.R. written in sharpie on the tag.
"Alexis." he said quietly, clutching the shirt. "Finally, I found you."
In that moment, metal shutters slammed shut over the room's windows. Kurt jumped, then turned to the door to see Magneto standing there.
"Didn't Charles ever teach you that it's polite to knock before entering someone's home?" he questioned.
"He did." Kurt replied. "However, you forfeited that right when you kidnapped Alexis!"
With that, Kurt leapt towards Magneto, intent on punching him across the face. Before the fist could make contact, a metal chair came zooming up and blocking the blow.
"I can assure you that Miss Ryder is in the best of care." Magneto informed him. "However, I cannot make the same promise for you."
"Your promises mean little to me!" Kurt retorted, back flipping away.
Kurt then teleported behind Magneto, grabbing his cape and flipping it over his head. With his vision clouded and his focus split, Kurt moved in and laid out one punch after another on Magneto. Finally getting the cape out of his eyes, Magneto levitated the bed frame around his wrists and ankles detaining him. Kurt tried to port, bit Magneto wrapped some metal around his throat, choking him. He coughed and gasped, struggling to focus, but finding himself unable to.
"Kill me… and Alexis…. Vill never… follow you..." he wheezed.
"My dear Nightcrawler," Magneto mused. "Who said anything about killing you?"
With that, Kurt finally fell unconscious, limping over in his restraints. Magneto released his neck, then detached him from the bed, just as the door was opened. In the frame, he saw Lorna standing there, Rogue and Gambit still contained in their metal bindings.
"Father, I caught your old helmet thief trying to sneak over the east gate with his latest side piece." she reported. "And he has quite the story to tell."
"I can imagine." Magneto replied. "The other X-Men must not be far behind."
"You might have caught us, but you'll never catch the others." Gambit said defiantly.
Just then, Quicksilver sped into the room with Storm and Kitty in his arms before dumping them out onto the floor.
"One stray kitty and a weather witch, as requested." Quicksilver announced. "And don't worry. Shadowcat's been heavily drugged. She won't be waking up for hours."
"Well done, Pietro." Magneto complimented.
Then, Scott and Jean's unconscious bodies were dropped down onto the ground by Avalanche as Toad bounced up and down.
"We took down the X-Men!" he cheered in a singsong voice. "We took down the X-Men!"
"Silence, Toad!" Magneto ordered.
He immediately goes quiet.
"Sorry." he whispered.
"Lock them in the cells." Magneto instructed. "I'll see to cleaning up this mess."
The Brotherhood all nodded, then grabbed the downed X-Men and dragged them off.
...
Later that night, Alexis returned to her room to find Magneto putting the finishing touches on her bed. She looked at him surprised, cocking her head in confusion.
"What're you doing?" she questioned.
"Oh, Alexis." Magneto let out, turning towards her. "It seems your bed was damaged in a bit of roughhousing amongst my more juvenile Brotherhood members. I've already taken the liberty of repairing the damages."
Alexis chuckled.
"You didn't have to go through the trouble." she told him. "But thank you anyway."
"It was my pleasure, I assure you." Magneto insisted. "I am curious though, have you made your decision about my proposal?"
"Actually, I have." she replied. "I think I'll stay on Genosha for a while. I may need to let my friends know that I'm okay. Wouldn't want them launching an offense against you for my sake. Not when you've done nothing wrong."
"Of course." Magneto allowed. "I will contact Charles and let him know the situation. In the meantime, you should get some rest."
Alexis yawned, giving Magneto a small nod.
"Good idea." she told him, walking towards her bed. "Night."
"Good night." Magneto replied as he walked out of the room.
He closed the door behind him, his grin never fading as he walked off, happy that everything was falling into place.
