David had always been doubtful of the saying that it would be better in the morning. If anything things tended to look worse in the morning since they were preceded by nightmares. At least they were for him. In any case this certainly looked worse because he didn't just have to talk to Kurt, his mother, and Lorna. This time he had to address the entire X-Force and give an order to Alex, its leader.
He wondered if he had the authority to do that. Certainly his mother and him had the controlling interest in the schools. Yet, it felt wrong to stand there and give his aunt and uncles orders. Alex was the one who had always given him the orders and he had always followed. He could only hope that he would give him his support, but considering the subject matter he found it unlikely.
The fact that Doug and Rahne were there too didn't help. Oh certainly they deserved to be included in the discussion but so did Ororo and Logan. The X-Men should be there. At least Hank had told Ororo what had been decided because of safety, but this mostly concerned the X-Force. It was all going to happen on Muir Island after all. Westchester was going to be kept safely out of it.
Overall it wasn't doing his now-continuous headache any favors.
"I've called you all together because…because we need to talk about something Hank discovered while studying the components of The Cure," said David, "I'll let him take it from here."
Hank cleared his throat.
"We all know that The Cure attacks the X-gene," he said, "But it suppresses it, not removes it. It's still there; the person is still technically a mutant but without any of their abilities. Now the reason it did what it did to Amanda is because she didn't have an X-gene and it attacked the next gene on the strand; the one that regulates heartbeat, liver output, and so on."
He swallowed and David knew he was getting to what had nearly made him sick the day before.
"But…I've been doing some studies," he said, "I don't think that The Cure is permanent."
"What?" asked Alex.
"It's exactly what it sounds like," said Hank, "It takes longer time for physical mutations to return but I think that, in the space of about two weeks for the stronger mutants, more for the weaker, small amounts of a less physical mutation will return."
"Whoa, hold it right there," Sean said, "I'm no doctor, but people would have noticed it if it came back after two weeks. It was announced over a month ago."
"I said small amounts. What I guess would have been a better phrase is 'trace amounts'," Hank said, "And it will only return incrementally after that. It may take a year for powers to return to what they were, less if they're more powerful. See, the thing is is that the mutants who took The Cure think their mutation is gone for good. But the thing is that it's returning; the only reason they don't know is because they aren't trying to use their powers. After a point though they're going to notice; especially the ones with the physical mutations."
"So The Cure's a dud?" asked Alex.
"It would appear so."
"All that over something that doesn't even work," Doug said, holding his head in one hand.
"Well shit," said Rahne, looking irritated, "if he was going to unleash something like that on the world the least he could do is know that it worked."
Hank shrugged and cracked his neck nervously. He and David had talked it out tirelessly with Lorna, Kurt, and his mother. They knew exactly what was going to happen next.
"Well…I wish that were all I was here to tell you," he said.
The irritated atmosphere in the room dropped and was replaced with something more serious.
"What do you mean?" asked Doug.
"The Cure will still be in their systems even after it stops working," said Hank miserably, "Because it's meant to last for life, even if it doesn't. It detaches itself from the X-gene because it's like an antibody and it thinks it's neutralized the original 'threat'. However…from a few tests I've run…it's going to trickle down to the next gene on the strand."
His words sunk in slowly. Rahne covered her mouth and looked away.
"Oh my God," she whispered.
"Exactly," said Hank, "It's not…we're going to see more of what happened to Amanda to every mutant who took The Cure. I've alerted Ororo to get any students who took it to a colleague of mine and try to flush it out of their system. It will take weeks but I've shared a plan that I think will work. It should prevent the symptoms Amanda displayed."
"And the rest?" asked Doug, "There must have been thousands who took it!"
"Yes. I'm televising it as well as giving the plan to all hospitals in one hour," Hank said, "I still have some clout in Washington and I'm using it. Things are going to get nasty very quickly. I'm flying Carly over tonight; I don't like to think about the riots that are going to break out all over the states."
"The Seftons are going to start a lobby to destroy all remaining doses of The Cure," said Moira, "Hank's called up a few friends of his to help with that. With this new evidence though I think Worthington is in for more than just that. They're being flown out soon."
"This is awful," said Sean, "Just…God. I can't believe this."
David cleared his throat. It was time to say what he was dreading. He looked over at his mother, Kurt, and Lorna. He drew strength from them and took a deep breath.
"This also…begets some other complications," he said, "You see…not everyone took The Cure voluntarily. And Hank says that if The Cure was given under duress then the harmful effects might actually become worse due to a reaction with the adrenaline that must have been in thier system."
"You mean the Brotherhood?" snorted Alex, "Don't worry, they're legally provided with medical care in prison. They'll be fine."
"No…not them," David said, his words halting, "You see…well, let's start with my aunt."
There was a pause.
"Isn't she in prison too?" asked Sean, giving a quiet look at Kurt.
"She's being released due to her cooperation in a few days," said David, "So no, she won't be getting that medical care. The only…the only place she has to go now that Magneto's fallen is…well…"
His voice trailed off. His mother straightened her back and stepped forward.
"The only place she has to go is home, although she never stepped foot on Muir Island," Moira said, "We're arranging to have her delivered to us so she can receive the proper treatment."
The room lapsed into a stunned silence.
"Hell no," Alex said.
"It's something my father would have done," David said, knowing that that had been a large factor in making his decision.
"And I'm telling you what I'd tell him. Respectfully; hell no," Alex snapped.
"Moira…I don't think…what she's done," said Sean, "There are children here...my daughter..."
"Sean, you weren't the one who got captured by the Brotherhood," Moira said stiffly, "I know what she's done. But if we let her die just because she's our enemy how would we be any better than her? Besides…she…"
Moira's face contorted and David could see how much trouble she had framing the words. He knew there was a long history with his mother and Mystique. Moira had never forgiven Mystique for leaving his father on the beach and condoning her torture. Mystique had never forgiven Moira for being a CIA agent and not being good enough, in her eyes at least, for her brother to share his life with.
"…she's family," Moira managed at last, "In several ways. I'm going with the Seftons to the states. When I'm there I'm going to pick her up. I think I'll be able to convince her to come. At least…I think I have a better shot than anyone else."
That was true. Despite their mutual dislike Moira hadn't been in situations where she had actively fought Mystique. And his mother knew how to keep her temper. It was why he had approached her to go to talk to Mystique in the first place. He'd also talked to Kurt, begging him to allow the mother who had abandoned him to come there for sanctuary. He knew how hard it would be to allow her onto Muir Island. The Island was small and the two would eventually meet.
Kurt shifted uncomfortably and David gave him a grateful look. He knew he could depend on his cousin.
"I don't want to," Rahne muttered, "But I don't feel comfortable committing willful murder, no matter who it is. But I just want to ask…are you sure about this?"
Moira nodded and Rahne looked towards the ceiling, seeming very tired.
"Okay…okay…" mumbled Sean, "Okay. We're going to be housing Mystique. Okay…but I don't want her within fifty feet of Terry or Maeve."
"Same can be said for my family," Alex growled, "Right Lorna?"
Lorna didn't say anything and Alex seemed to take her silence for an agreement. He probably thought she nodded since she was behind him or something similar. David saw her face though, saw that she was preparing for something akin to a physical blow. He wished that he could have stopped right there, but the worst was yet to come.
"But…there's another mutant who won't go to the doctors and won't get prison care," David said, forcing each word out, "And I don't like this…not at all…but…we're going to have to offer treatment to Magneto."
Unlike the silence that had followed Mystique's name the room exploded.
"He's a terrorist!" exclaimed Sean.
"After everything he's done?" Doug said, "I don't think so! He haunted my nightmares for most of my childhood!"
"And you think that, even with my father's tempering of the stories, he didn't do the same to me?" snapped David, "I said I didn't like it."
"Then don't do it!" Alex shot back, "How would you even find him anyway?"
"I think I might be able to use Cerebro Mark II to find him," David said, "He's still a mutant but I don't think he's wearing his helmet anymore. He probably thinks he doesn't need it. Cerebro is functioning, correct?"
Doug gnawed on his lip angrily.
"Only the more basic functions but yes, you should be able to do that," said Doug, "But why aren't we turning him into the authorities? It's what we should do!"
"Well, I just thought of it to start with," David said tiredly, "And we'd have to offer him temporary amnesty if we don't want him to die."
"I"m not so sure we don't want that," snorted Alex, "Besides, he doesn't trust us. He won't accept our offer."
"It depends on who's doing the asking," David said quietly.
The silence came again. Alex turned slowly to his wife.
"No," he said, "Don't tell me you said you'd ask him, that you'd invite him here. Don't tell me you said you'd do that."
Lorna looked at him evenly.
"I won't tell you then."
"God damn it Lorna!" Alex shouted, "How could you?"
"He's my father Alex," she said, her voice tense, "I'm not going to let him die a painful death."
"Have you learned nothing?" he yelled.
"I've learned enough," Lorna said, her own voice rising.
David quickly issued the mental thought that they should all leave the room. He didn't want to be privy for this. Most of the members of the X-Force had already started to inch towards the door. He was the last one out, Lorna and Alex waiting for thier friends to leave before continuing. David was almost positive that he could convince the others to let Magneto onto Muir Island. He was depowered after all. Lorna was the one who'd have to convince Alex though.
The door shut and Lorna stared Alex down defiantly.
"You knew how I felt about this way before we got married," she said, "You knew."
"And you know how I feel!" snapped Alex, "You're going to keep him with us, with our children? It's not safe for them!"
His words stung. Anger was building deep inside her and it took every ounce of her control to keep the metal in the room from rattling. She wasn't a teenager anymore; she couldn't handle it like a teenager would.
"He cares about his family," she said, "He'd never hurt them."
"Listen to yourself Lorna!" Alex said.
"I know him-"
"Lorna, you don't know him! You know what he wanted you to know for one summer when you were seventeen. That means nothing!"
Something cold gripped her heart.
"Don't say that!" she yelled, "You know it meant something; you knew he cared about me. You were the one who reassured me!"
A sudden thought occured to her, one that made her want to scream at her husband. Instead it came out as a low growl.
"Or were you just trying to molly-coddle me, stop your girlfriend from crying?"
"No, I-" he started.
"Then you know," spat Lorna, "You know. You weren't there when I showed him their pictures Alex. He cares, even if he has done terrible things-"
"An understatement," Alex snorted, "You just want your father back Lorna. But face it; you never had him."
She swallowed hard.
"I'm not going to lie," she said, "That is part of it. But…listen…I…"
Lorna hadn't wanted it to go this far, but it was the only way she could get him to understand how she felt.
"I have one living relative in the entire world. I can't lose any more. We already lost the Professor and Scott-"
"Don't Lorna," said Alex, his voice choked at the mention of his brother, "Don't."
"I don't want him to die, even if I've had to fight him to continue to be me," she said.
Lorna took a step towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck. It hurt that he didn't reciprocate the gesture immediately, but she knew he was numb with anger and shock.
"Listen to me," said Lorna, "You're right; I can't save him. Not in the way I want to."
She closed her eyes to stem the tears that were building up.
"But I can save him from this," she said, "Please Alex, work with me on this. I want...no...I need you by side on this."
Her tears were set free when his arms wrapped around her back. Alex kissed the side of her face as he said, his voice harsh;
"I don't like it Lorna. I'm never going to like it. I'm never going to stop suspecting him. But I'm by your side for better or for worse."
"That's all I ask Alex," Lorna said, "All I ask."