Apologies for the late update, the last part had to be all written at the same time and I didn't want to start till I had gotten to the end.
Reinforcements
"You're not going anywhere."
Charles knew better than to argue with Hank when he spoke with that tone of voice. Hank provides Charles and later Emma with an obligatory checkup, he splints one Charles legs broken in building collapse; Emma gets a tablet for her nausea and who immediately starts looks more like her old self. Hank distributes iodine tables to all them including the children just to be safe, even though the bunker should have protected them.
A short time later they reconvene in the library.
Against the oak panels, and his grandfather's old furniture, and his father's old books, Charles tells the grown up version of what happened. The light in this room is always soft and warm; this room has always held a sense of safety and for as long as he could remember a place for the telling of tales.
As he finishes, brief as the story is Hank already has questions, but not before Sean and the summers' brothers have both exclaimed their disbelief.
"There should be a point of impact or a crater marking the bomb's initial impact, if it is as you describe." Hank reasons when he can finally get a word in.
What Charles has described is an almost random or scattered pattern of destruction. The only uncomfortable answer henry can come up with is that Magneto had only partially stopped the bomb and then had saved what he could and that included Charles.
"Who cares beast man, I am just glad he's not still under a building somewhere."
"Erik, I think, saved me." Though it was a chaotic memory Charles recalled a pulling sensation at his wrist, before being flung out of the way of the falling debris. As he fell, he looked up and saw the girders twist and bend they formed an arc of metal around him protecting him. They held until the very end of the tumult, when the arc had collapsed; the power holding it together vanished. He later found himself trapped beneath the building and one leg trapped beneath the very same steel that had once protected him.
"Yes but why didn't he stop the bombs in the first place?" Hank continued to question.
"It is not like he hasn't had practice at that before." Alex added darkly.
"Unless he couldn't" Scott, spoke unusually meek, for a young man who was normally confident, suddenly shy in front of Alex, of whom he hadn't seen much of since their long ago reunion.
There was a little pause at that thought, because there weren't many things that stopped Erik.
Jubilee added her younger voice to the meeting, "that might be the same reason; why we lost contact with Jean and the others." There were fewer things still that could side line an entire team of X men. Charles can feel Hank turning ideas over in his mind, none of them are pleasant but at least Hank had the sense to keep them quiet, so he did not frighten the younger x men.
"How do we get them back?" Charles opened up the question to everyone.
They began to hash out a plan. They no longer have blackbird to fly to the coordinates, so they discuss other methods to get to the site, there is talk of trucks, and of stealing planes courtesy of Sean.
"We're not committing felonies!"
"But it wouldn't be felony prof if you'd just do your thing" Sean makes a gestured towards his temple. This brings on a bout of covert staring from the younger mutants.
"That's something I did once" Truth be told he had wiped out memories more than once, "but that was a long time ago, and not something I am willing to do again." And an image of Moira appears vividly in his mind before he can put it aside, but thankfully nobody else sees except Sean who finally shuts up about theft. "So we get everyone into the trucks," The professor doggedly continues trying to steer the conversation back on to task, when through the wall bursts Bobby and Emma Frost each with a hand held by Kitty Pride.
"Charles, I heard what you were discussing, and your students here were good enough to show me the way to your rooms." The woman is positively purring, even if she had needed to wrap her yellow mane up with a blue scarf. That was Raven's definitely. While her sudden appearance into their midst, rankles Xavier, Alex and Sean jump from their seats, Alex's chest glowing a dangerous red, Hank lets out a low growl. They were well aware of Ms Frost's previous history.
It's enough to make Charles sigh. Do please sit down. She did help to free me, as I have told you, you are frightening the others. Though they were not privy to that telepathic conversation Kitty and Bobby stepped away from their new friend.
It's been awhile boys. Emma said with telepathic smugness. Stiffly they resumed their seats. Scott gives Alex a sidelong glance, who just nods in reply, confirming for Scott that yes she definitely that was The Emma Frost, she settles for the side of Charles's desk.
"Now as your professor was saying, there is the little problem of transportation, and I have a suggestion," She stood up from the desk, "may I introduce an old comrade of mine." And with that -
Azazel
In all his red devilish glory,
*poofs* into the room.
X
To be honest, Charles had been hoping to contact Azazel.
Open mouthed, Kitty stared. Bobby tentatively pulled her back toward the Professor. To whom all the younger x men looked for an explanation. Charles just looked to Emma, and if it were possible, she smirked a little more.
"I'd like you all to meet an old comrade of mine; some of you already know him as Azazel."
"Absolutely not!" Hank boomed over the proceedings. Azazel grinned, looking as perfect as he did in 1962, his tail curling slightly.
"All we need now is Riptide and Erik, and we'd have a perfect set." Sean sprouts, almost laughing.
"So where is the rest of Magneto's brotherhood?"
Charles can practically hear the alarm that name brings, to the younger mutants, who only now understand the true identity of their present company.
"We would prefer to keep this off the books." Azazel spoke in his lilting Russian accent.
"Coup, in the air?" Hank goaded from across the room.
The atmosphere was beginning to fill with enmity. "Rip Tide is at home keeping the brotherhood safe."
"Babysitting?" Alex couldn't help but tease Azazel.
Charles broke in before Azazel could retaliate, "if you will recall, Rogue, Wolverine, Storm and Jean, are very much in need of our help, and if Azazel and Ms Frost are prepared to help us, then we should at least sit down and discuss things like adults."
"Do not forget about Erik and Mystique, Professor." Azazel warned, taking up a sage coloured chair.
"Yes I had not forgotten them. Now let's make a..." The Professor began and stopped mid-sentence as Molly wandered sleepy eyed into the library. "I can't sleep, can I have a story?" she asked from beneath her brown curls.
Stronghold, followed behind her "Sorry Professor I'll just take her back,"
"No that's alright she can stay."
Molly blinked a little at Azazel and shrugged unimpressed, before curling up in a chair by the fire. Stronghold lingered in the doorway.
"It's alright you can stay as well, as long you are all quiet and let us talk."
The children slowly shuffled into the library and one by one found chairs near the fire. Stronghold pulled down a book at Molly's instance and quietly he began to read to her. Kitty and Bobby sat down on chairs beside them.
\
The adults resumed their discussions slash argument, and somehow in the presence of the children, the discussion is quieter and more polite, even the enmity shown between them all so clearly defined before is dulled.
"So gentlemen? A truce?"
"And what am I Charles?"
"Forgive me Emma, fellow mutants a truce then?"
"You know what I want to know Charles, how come it's such a boys club in here," True accepting jubilee, there are no other women at the table.
"They went shopping. Logan went to help. They never came back" Kitty interposed from the couch, and Emma has the grace to at least look at little pityingly at them.
"Professor, I don't understand, aren't Magneto and Mystique bad? The TV said, they deserved to be in jail, and aren't they the ones that always do terrible things?" Molly had turned away from the story and spoke standing on top of Bobby's lap, much to Bobby's discomfort and embarrassment, because he could not get her to sit down.
"Sorry it was on every station when we were trying to set up the movie earlier." Kitty explained.
Charles was now completely sure that he would have a migraine before the night was out.
"They do. They have done the wrong thing, but people see things differently"
"Yes little one your professor is right. People look at me and see the devil, but you look at me like just another mutant."
"Your people who make your news see the destruction of New York and blame the mutants who were there."
"Not realizing there were government planes who flew over too"
"Oh so they made a mistake."
"Yes. The humans have reported incorrectly and arrested our friends by mistake."
"Erik may have made a mistake as well," Charles frown and looked down at his hands, "but the place where they are at the moment, isn't a place anyone deserves to be- Kitty and Bobby, I am very sorry, I know that you want to come, but you will help us more by staying here. Jubilee would you mind taking them all back, via the stairs?"
The students shuffled off, leaving a small silence in their wake.
"What about Erik and Mystique?" Alex asked.
"Mystique is coming with me." Emma interjects smoothly, daring anyone to object.
"But not Erik?" Hank asked with surprise.
"Erik can go where he likes, back the brotherhood, on a holiday, I don't care."
"Have a little spat and break up did you?"
Emma gave a Banshee a cold little smile, "Something like that."
"Comrade do not worry Erik will come with me." Azazel added giving Emma a dirty look.
"According to this plan we're all coming with you man." Sean said taking a chocolate out of the tray that sat on the coffee table.
"Speaking of that where are we going professor?" Scott asked.
"Lake Alkali."
X
A/N yay finally everyone actually gets out the door.
Almost.