Chapter 49

The Swann Estate, New York...

The sad fact of the modern world is that if you're rich and famous then you almost certainly need security around your home. Tall walls, cameras, guards of one form or another. One such guard is patrolling round the grounds of the Swann Estate because no matter what level of security you have there's always one nutter or crazy who will try it.

The man is passing the gate this Friday evening when he has to stop at the sight of two gawkers. Oh that's not unusual. When Dr Swann was alive there was always someone hoping to catch some brief glimpse of the reclusive man. What makes him stop is the fact the gawkers tonight take the form of a blond and a brunette young women who could make any man, single, married or whatever, drool all over them.

"Can I help you ladies?" he asks.

"Yes. Oh my god, yes!" the blond exhales very bubbly. "This was Dr Virgil's Swann house, right?"

The guard is a little off-put by the blond's overwhelming enthusiasm. "Uh, yeah."

"I told you it was!" she tells her brunette friend, elbowing her in the side.

The brunette smiles at the blond while all the time sucking on a lollipop, rolling her tongue around it and encasing it in her lips in what, to the guard, seems a blatantly sexual manner.

The brunette spots the look she is getting and smirks. "Hmm," she moans sexily. "I love lollipops don't you? I just love the way you can lick them," which she does, "roll your tongue over them," she rolls her tongue over the top of it, "take them deep into your mouth and suck them hard, until you risk them blowing their top off...I mean pulling off their stick."

Ok the guard has to say his pants suddenly feel very tight.

"So is Dr Swann's daughter at home?" the blond asks.

The guard blinks. "Uh, sorry, what?" he stutters.

"Patricia Swann. Is she here? I would so love to meet her!"

"I'm afraid I can't say, Miss."

The blond pouts. "AW! Really?"

"I'm very sorry."

The blond sighs. "C'est la vie I guess," she says, sounding disappointed. "Come on, sis. We should go."

The brunette removes the lollipop from her mouth with an audible pop and smirks when the guard makes a tiny pleasured sounding groan. "Yes. Thank you for your help," she says politely before the two young women walk off.

They disappear into some nearby undergrowth and the illusion of their clothes fade away to reveal the brunette is actually wearing an all in one black leather outfit that only barely covers her chest. The top of her chest and shoulders are bare. She also wears long black leather gloves over her arms along with black boots.

The blond is also in leather but her top doesn't quite meet in the middle leaving a section of her torso exposed running down the centre of her chest, past her stomach all the way to the belt that holds her leather pants up. She too wears long black leather gloves and black boots.

They are the Wyngarde sisters Martinique and Regan and they are regrouping with their team-mates.

"Well?" Magneto inquires.

"It worked," Regan tells him. "With Martinique's distraction he couldn't stop himself thinking it as soon as I asked about her. Patricia Swann is inside."

"Why didn't you just take over her mind and bring her out?" Sandman asks.

"Psychic shielding around the building," Martinique explains that.

"Xavier?" Haze guesses.

"Perhaps...perhaps not," Magneto wavers. "I once met Virgil Swann, a long time ago. He knew of mutants. This could have been his own doing. He was an incredibly intelligent man."

"You sound like you admired him," a certain magnetic girl comments. Lorna, or more aptly Polaris, was now dressed in her own costume. It basically was a more sublime, feminine version of her father's armour only in green with a green cape to go with it and framing her face a green headpiece.

"I did admire him," Magneto confesses. "One of the very few humans who ever earned my respect...which is why I don't want Ms Swann harmed. Is that clear?" he states his intentions.

Everyone knows that tone and know just to nod their heads and agree.

Magneto moves to the task at hand. "4 teams, approaching the house from each direction, giving Ms Swann no possibility of escape. We sweep in from the outside, corralling her to the centre until she is surrounded and has nowhere else to run."

"You think she'll run?" Pietro asks.

"They always run."

"But they never get away," Frenzy says with a cruel smile.

"Quite," Magneto says. "Make sure she doesn't," he restates it before he personally picks the 4 teams, a mixture of Acolytes and Brotherhood on each, and they move out to surround the house.


Patricia Swann sits behind a desk in what is her office at home working late into the night. She has no regrets that her choices will mean more late nights like this, working. For her father she swore to do all in her power to aid the Traveller and he asked her to aid the world and so here she is.

The little press conference the other day has put her very much in the public eye. Again she has no regrets.

Patricia checks the time. Maybe it's time to turn in. She can only hope that wherever her father is now he's proud of her.

Patricia rises up from her desk and heads for the door. She pulls it open and the moment she does so she is knocked off her feet by an explosion from behind.

Patricia lays on the floor, her head ringing. She shakes her head to clear the cobwebs and looks at where the blast came from. What she spots is a hole in the wall and entering through it Magneto and a small group of, what she is going to assume, are his mutant followers.

"Ms Swann," Magneto addresses her in his cold tones. "I'm afraid I have ask you to come with me. Please don't run and make this any harder than it need be."

At that Patricia scrambles to her feet and bolts for it.

A certain Cajun in a brown trench coat can't help but make a wry remark. "Gambit can't help but notice d'at when you say d'at d'ey always runs."

Magneto fixes Gambit a look that would make most people tremble.

Gambit flashes one of his easy going smiles. "Women, huh?"

Magneto actually rolls his eyes underneath his helmet.

Patricia runs, pulling her phone out her back pocket and dialling. "Come on. Pick up," she begs it to be answered. She runs only to run into another group of mutants. She dives down the hallway to her left and keeps running.


At the Institute...

Charles is just about to turn in for bed when his private line rings. He frowns a little wondering who this could be.

"Hello?" he answers.

"Professor!" a breathless sounding voice cries.

"Who is this?"

"It's Patricia!...get her!...need help!...there she is!...Magneto!..."

That is where the line cuts out through that garble of different voices but Charles had heard enough to guess what was going on.

The next few steps are simple. Get Hank, trace the call, send help.

Down in the computer room it doesn't take Hank long to narrow down which mobile receiver area the call came from and Charles instantly knew what was there. "She's at her New York home."

"Isn't this the evening Clark and Claire tend to spend there with Spider-Man," Hank recalls.

"Yes. It is," Charles confirms that to be true and Clark can therefore get there in mere moments. He always carries a communicator on him in case of emergency.


New York...

3 young heroes patrol the streets of the city that never sleeps. One flies through the air, a trail of burning fire behind her as she goes. One swings through the air on lines of superstrong webbing. Another leaps from rooftop to rooftop, moving at superhuman speed.

"You know I'm really kinda disappointed," Volcana says.

"Well so I would be if I had to look at that face every morning in the mirror," Spider-Man quips lightly, meaning no insult.

Superman snickers.

Volcana growls, her fire flaring up around her. "Dickhead," she mutters. "No. I'm disappointed in you."

"Me?" Spider-Man queries. "How can you possibly...what have I done...oh god I'm choking up," she says in mock upset at her comment.

Volcana rolls her eyes. "You keep going on and on about these supervillains of yours. How dangerous they are and I haven't met one. Not even this great big scary Green Goblin fella. I'm starting to think you're making these guys up."

"Well to be fair a lot of them are currently in jail," Superman defends his friend.

"That's right. I've already kicked many a supervillain's butt," Spider-Man says proudly. "As for Gobby...I don't know. Maybe I offended him or something during our last throw-down and he's away sulking about it."

"You? Offend someone? Never," Superman mock proclaims.

"Yeah. You're right," Spider-Man says in agreement. "I mean I'm always so charming and funny and..."

"Really need to stop listening to Shadowcat," Volcana tells him at where she knows this comes from. Kitty says those exact words while smiling dreamily. "After all she's so into you I think she thinks sunshine comes out your butt."

"You have such a lovely way with words," Spider-Man drawls sarcastically. "And wait how into me is Kitty precisely?" he asks, his mind suddenly catching up with what was said.

"How about you ask her yourself," Superman suggests. "After all communication is the basis of a strong relationship."

Volcana snorts. "You, of all people, are giving relationship advice?" she asks, disbelieving. "You who can't even bring yourself to take the plunge with Andrea no matter how hot you two are to get into each other's pants."

"Oh Rao," Clark grumbles. "Look she only wants to be friends so friends are all we are."

"Sure you are," Volcana says sarcastically. "If all else fails I'm sure Betsy will 'comfort' you."

"Wait? What?!" Clark says, not having a clue what his sister is on about.

Before Claire can answer the Professor's voice breaks in over the communicator Clark keeps. "Superman. This is Professor Xavier. Come in, please."

"Guys wait a sec," Superman says stopping the other two, as he pulls the communicator out his pocket and answers. "Superman, here. Go ahead Professor."

"Superman I received an urgent phone call from Patricia Swann. It wasn't clear what was happening but she was obviously in trouble and she managed to mention Magneto's name before I lost her."

Magneto. Clark tensed instantly. "Where?" he asks the simple question.

"We traced her phone to the Swann Estate."

Clark looks at his two friends, who by now are standing on the same rooftop he is, and nod that they're in. "Spider-Man, Volcana and I are on our way, Professor," he assures the elder man.

"Be careful," the Professor implores him. "I'll have the X-Men join you as soon as I can."

"Roger that. Superman, out." Clark looks at the other two. "Time is of the essence."

"Which means?" Volcana asks.

"Oh no," Spider-Man grouses. He knows what this means.

Clark smirks and the next thing Claire knows is the world blurring around her. When she regains her senses all 3 of them are standing on the well manicured lawn of a mansion. "Fucking hell," she complains as she tries to regain her senses. "Don't you do that ever again!" she demands.

"What if your life depended on it?" Clark asks her.

"Well ok, maybe except for that," Claire concedes.

"What do you see?" Spider-Man asks, getting straight down to business.

Clark's eyes flash electric blue. "We're too late. They're gone," he informs his two friends that there is no trace with his eyes. "I can see some guards lying around. We should check on them," he suggests.

The 3 heroes check on the guards, who are only knocked out, which is a lot gentler than Magneto can be. Spider-Man makes his customary jokes before the 3 heroes make an assessment round the building. Magneto was not subtle. They smashed their way in from every direction.

Clark resumed trying to track Magneto down by their scents. He bends down and touches the lawn.

"What?" Volcana asks.

"He's trying to become one with the universe, kemosabe," Spider-Man jokes.

Clark smiles slightly. "Not really. See the slight dip," he asks them. "Several of them. Perfectly spherical."

"Transport spheres," Claire guesses.

"Yeah. We're not tracking Magneto on the ground," Superman accepts.

The roar of an aircraft overhead draws their attention upward as the x-jet lands on the lawn. The ramp drop and the X-Men disembark. Storm, Wolverine, Domino, Beast, Cyclops, Jean, Rogue, Spyke, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat and the two newer members. Banshee because Sean was not missing out the chance to meet his dear old friend Magnus and the person who always makes Claire smile; Tarot.

Being an X-Man meant that Tarot had been able to design her own costume. She was wearing what was like an ankle length coat that was fastened to the waist and the bottom of it was able to flow freely like a skirt. She had chosen a colour and design off the back of her Tarot cards. It was royal purple with swirling golden patterns covering it. She wore green-blue pants, more green with a dash of blue to compliment and soften the purple. The boots were back to being purple with a golden streak running up them. Marie thought about a sort of gypsy look at first for her costume since you know reading fortunes, gypsy but wanted more regal than campy in the end. She echoed the gypsy idea slightly by wearing a yellow waist sash.

The Professor was back at the mansion monitoring through Cerebro.

"Ooh, ooh!" Spider-Man jumps up and down. "It's the super-intelligent, beautiful Shadowcat!" he praises his girlfriend.

Kitty smiles. "And if it isn't New York's number one hero, Spider-Man, who I assume is devilishly handsome under that mask because I certainly do not know who he is and what he looks like under there."

"Gawd someone pass meh tha sickbag," Rogue mutters.

"Right there with you," Spyke says in agreement.

"Come on guys. It's sweet," Nightcrawler says.

"Says tha guy who spends 24/7 singing tha praises of his girlfriend," Rogue critiques her brother.

"Guys. Focus," Cyclops demands. "What have you got Superman?"

"They're gone. Transport spheres," he explains, pointing at the dips in the lawn.

"Any sign of Ms Swann?"

"I couldn't see her."

"Jean?" Cyclops queries.

Jean reaches out with her mind. She shakes her head. "Just the guards. Magneto's either shielding his followers or they're out of range."

"It's not just that Patricia is missing that worries me," Superman says. "Wolverine, do you smell what I smell?"

Logan bends down till his nose is literally sniffing the top of the grass blades. "Depends what you're referring to."

"Unless I'm very much mistaken is that both the Acolytes and the Brotherhood?"

"Yeah. It is," Logan says as he stands up straight...or at least the ones he knows. There are a few he doesn't. New recruits would be his assumption.

"Isn't zhat like overkill?" Nightcrawler asks.

"Completely," Superman agrees.

Cyclops picks something up in Clark's tone. "What are you thinking?"

"If Magneto wanted to do this in such a way that we wouldn't know for hours he could have had Haze teleport into Patricia's bedroom while she was asleep. He didn't."

"He wanted us to know. He wanted us to be here," Storm makes the only possible logical deduction.

"And you don't need the entire Acolytes and Brotherhood to abduct one human woman."

"This wasn't the end. This was only the beginning of something," Spider-Man deduces, his voice more serious than it usually is as he could see the gravity of this situation.

"We should search th' mansion," Banshee suggests. "If Magneto wanted us here he might have left something behind fer us t' find."

Scott found that a wise suggestion so the X-Men plus spread out to search the building.


Elsewhere...

When Patricia awoke she couldn't see where she was due to the blinding light being shone in her face. "Hnn," she groans. The last thing she remembers is...someone hitting her. Now she's tied up to a chair she assess.

"I apologise for your discomfort," a voice, whose source Patricia can't see, says but she recognises it.

"Magneto?"

"Yes," he confirms for her.

"What do you want?"

"The location of the facility where you are manufacturing your tools of mutant oppression."

"I object to that description," Patricia says with more bravery than she feels.

"That is your prerogative. I do not expect less from a human although I do expect better from the daughter of Virgil Swann."

Anger rises up inside Patricia at the mention of her father. As if he had a clue what her father was really like. "I accept they're tools. Tools to ensure equality under the law."

"Human law," Magneto dismisses that with disgust.

"All societies require laws. Even the mutant society you seek to create will have to have laws," Patricia argues.

"Indeed," Magneto concedes. "But they will be created by us, to serve us. Not by humans who would write laws to oppress us."

"Created by the people, for the people...or created by you, to serve you," Patricia accuses.

Magneto finds this...stimulating as matter of fact. "You assume, Ms Swann, that the humans would grant mutants any sort of rights at all. In truth they wish nothing but the slightest excuse to strip all rights away and treat us like a plague they wish to see purged from their...so called society...and what a society it is. A society of corruption and greed where a few benefit at the expense of the many."

"Didn't know you were one of the 99%," she remarks at the slogan protesters use about how 1% of the population controls the vast bulk of wealth and power.

"I sympathise with them as much as that may surprise you. They seek to rebalance the world. To see a more equitable share for all. Noble goals. Unfortunately they are doomed to fail. They cannot see what I see. That the human system is so rotten it must be burned away and something new, something better, built on the ruins."

"You cannot build a world on ground stained by the blood of the innocent," Patricia passionately argues against Magneto's idea of a war.

"Humans do," Magneto replies simply, his voice dark and deep.

Patricia shakes her head. This is pointless. He is so convinced that the world is beyond redemption that it's not worth saving.

"Your father would have understood."

"My father worked to bring the world together. Not see it split asunder. He would have fought you no matter the fact he couldn't move, he would still have found the strength to stand against your poisonous views."

"Poisonous?" Magneto questions that. "The only poison on this world is humanity."

"Why am I here?" Patricia asks, refusing to continue this pointless debate with someone who won't listen to anything she says, no matter how good or convincing her arguments might be. This may be the very first time she has ever met someone she couldn't sway round. So, that's what it feels like. She continues, making the very valid point, "You didn't need to bring me here."

"No. I did. You are a vital part of my plan," Magneto informs her.

Ok that can't be good. "Don't suppose you care to fill me in?"

"In time," Magneto replies and Patricia swears she can hear the smile in his voice.

Definitely not good.

The light in her face is turned off. Patricia blinks while her eyes adjust. It doesn't help discern her location. A dimly lit bare room. She could be anywhere. She sees Magneto and two young women.

"Now the location of your manufacturing facility?" Magneto returns to it.

"I can't," Patricia refuses.

Magneto sighs in disappointment. "Ladies," he addresses the two women. "Please discern the location."

"As you wish," the two Lady Masterminds echo in sync as they stare intensely at the young woman tied to the chair.

Patricia's face screws up in pain and effort.

"She's resisting," Regan remarks in awe at the sheer absurdity of the notion.

"Someone has taught her the tricks," Martinique adds. "To not think about what we're seeking. She's singing songs in her head."

"Doing sums...you forgot to carry the one," Regan tells Patricia about her mistake.

"Push harder," Magneto orders.

Patricia has to resist. They can't know what she knows about the Traveller.

"Where is the factory?" Magneto repeats his question. "I know where Star Labs is. Just tell us where the factory is and this will be over."

"I-I can't," Patricia refuses, her voice strained, sweat trickling down her forehead.

"Yes, you can. All I want to know is the factory's location. I promise you no harm beyond that."

"Underground," Regan says. "It's underground," she clarifies as Patricia's resistance begins to crumble.

"Where?"

"Somewhere remote so there is no risk of harming the poor innocent humans," Martinique mocks the idea as she gleams a little more from Patricia's mind.

"Where?" Magneto repeats.

"It's here in the States," Regan reports as she and her sister reveal the information layer by layer.

"The Appalachian Mountains...in Virginia. Oh, clever. You hid it in what people think is an old coal mine," Martinique comments.

"We have it's exact location," Regan informs Magneto.

"Good. Now let her sleep," he tells them.

The two sisters put Patricia to sleep.

"So what now?" Martinique wonders.

"We do as planned. We destroy this technology and send out a message at the same time."

"I think my sister meant what do we do with the woman," Regan clarifies.

"We persuade her to aid out cause. Her resources would be most beneficial."

"You want us to condition her?" Martinique seeks clarification.

"No. I promised her no harm."

"Then why would she aid our cause?" Regan asks.

"Simple. Because she will be one of us."

"Oh!" Martinique and Regan echo together. "You're going to..."

"Yes," Magneto confirms. "I'm not going to harm her. I'm going to make her better, elevate her. I'm going to turn her into a mutant."


Swann Estate, New York...

"I think it's a clue," Spider-Man remarks. "I'm not certain but my finely tuned sense of deduction tells me this is a clue."

Kitty giggles.

Logan grumbles.

Cyclops picks it up. It's a plain DVD case with a note saying 'Play me' stuck on it. It had been left sitting neatly on top of the desk in what they all assume is a home office. "We should take this back to the Institute. Analyse it there under controlled conditions," he decides, not wishing to take any chances. "Unless there is a reason to stay here any longer?" he asks for any objection.

No-one does as nothing else is to be found.


At the Institute...

The X-Men plus Spider-Man and Superman are gathered in the War Room. Peter wasn't going to stand-by while an innocent woman was in danger so he came along. Clark felt this was personal. Patricia had so wished to aid him as the Traveller that she did this for him and it has put her in real danger.

Hank and Kitty had checked the disk from Magneto for...well anything and everything they could think of. It could have been a trap for all they knew. They hadn't found anything that would seem to pose any harm. They slip the disk into a player and the holographic table comes into play as it projects the image of the head of Magneto.

"Hello Charles," the recording begins with.

Charles folds his hands across his lap, waiting for whatever it is his old friend has to say.

"I have to say, Charles, that I am disappointed."

"Gee he's full of himself ain't he," Domino mutters at the supreme arrogant condescension in Magneto's tone.

"Giving this technology away to humans. I know there must be those amongst your students who agree. Regardless you had to know I could not let this stand. If you are watching this then you know I have Patricia Swann. The reasons should be obvious. To extract the location of where this technology is being manufactured so I can destroy it...and Star Labs as well. Come and try and stop me if you wish but I will defend mutantkind against those that ally themselves with the human oppressors. If you realise you have made a mistake and I hope you do, Charles, then don't get in my way. Allow me to do what is necessary."

The message ends.

Charles sighs. Why must Magneto's reactions be so violent every time.

"You know I still wonder where it is he hides and what he gets up t'," Banshee comments about his old teammate.

"It is a question we all ponder, Sean," Hank says. What was Magneto doing that kept him so off the radar.

"Why is he telling us what he is doing?" Spyke asks. Seemed stupid to him.

"He said it himself in his message," Domino replies. "He's the defender of mutantkind and he's going to show that and show us as the defenders of the human oppressors. That's why he wants us there."

Charles rubs his head.

"So if we go we like damage ourselves in the eyes of other mutants?" Kitty seeks clarity.

"Then we'll just have to," Clark says. "He has Patricia. Are we going to stand by and allow her to be harmed? We need to get her back even if that means fighting them. Another reason he took her no doubt."

"We don't do this for a popularity contest," Logan lays it out bluntly.

"Logan is correct," Ororo agrees with her boyfriend. "We all knew when we agreed to follow the principles the X-Men were founded on there would be times we would take actions that would offend other mutants who follow Magneto's way of thinking. The path we shall walk will never be an easy one."

"I need to go use Cerebro. See if I can trace any of the Acolytes or the Brotherhood," Charles says.

"You haven't so far?" Jean asks.

"No...but Magneto wants us to find him. Therefore his hiding from me is likely only temporary. No doubt he calculated how long we would take before we viewed that message and so more likely than not will show up now or at least soon."


The Professor was correct as it turned out. He easily picked up the signatures this time. He returns to the War Room and shows the X-Men what he found with a relay from Cerebro's data.

He points at a collection of signatures. "This is the Brotherhood."

"They're just outside Metropolis," Clark says in worry.

"This collection moving back East is the Acolytes and certainly Magneto as well," Charles points at the other group.

"Why East?" Scott asks.

"The Appalachian mountains is where Swann Communications Factory is. It's buried in an old coal mine. Magneto is heading in a straight line for it."

"We can't be in two places at once," Domino points out.

"I know."

"Sam's team," Cyclops guesses what comes next.

"We did create a reserve team for a reason," Charles points out.

"They have little experience of anything like this, Chuck," Logan warns.

"That's why I want you to join them," Charles decides.

"What?!"

"Two reasons," Charles says calmly. "One; Magneto is not your best opponent and two; I picked up Sabretooth with the Brotherhood."

"Creed!" Logan snarls with extreme hostility. "I'll go," he agrees if only to cut Creed to pieces.

"Had a feeling you would," Charles remarks lightly. He is also glad. Sabretooth is extremely dangerous and Sam's team haven't had that kind of real-life test yet. "They have also been reinforced as have the Acolytes. Magneto is not playing around," Charles informs them all. "There is also one other issue. I'm reading a telepath on both teams, ones I am not familiar with. Sam's team will need a telepath."

"Betsy?" Jean queries, tentatively at the only other telepath available.

"No way. English is not ready," Logan says, using a very obvious nickname for her.

"She's ready enough for this," Charles determines. "And it isn't like we have huge choice here."

"I should go ahead to Metropolis now," Clark proposes. "Slow the Brotherhood down. Otherwise they'll reach Star Labs first."

"I don't want you to face them alone, Clark," Charles worries for him. Despite how powerful Clark is he is not indestructible.

"I'll call Nightwing," he proposes.

"And perhaps you could take our little spy too."

"Spy?" Clark queries with a frown. He reaches out with his senses and rolls his eyes. "Bart!" he yells.

The blond-haired young teen sticks his head in through the door from behind which he was listening in. "Hey guys! So what's happening?"

"As if you didn't know," Logan accuses with a growl. That kid was nothing but a hyperactive and colossal pain in Logan's ass.

Charles would not normally send someone untrained like Bart but time is extremely limited. "Since Bart can move as fast..."

Bart cuts the Professor off. "Ahem, faster," he corrects. "I'm the Fastest Man on Earth," he boasts.

Rogue rolls her eyes. "If ah had a dime for every tahme ah've heard that," she mutters.

"As you say," Charles humours Bart. "You are both very fast and can get there together...on the condition Bart you are careful. You are to slow the Brotherhood down until the reinforcements arrive only. Is that clear? Because if it's not you can stay right here."

"It's clear, Prof. I promise," Bart says, really wishing to help after overhearing what was going on. "Cross my heart and hope to get lucky," he says, crossing his heart several times at superspeed.

"Then go," the Professor permits.

"Don't take too long, Amigos," Bart says cheekily before he and Clark vanish in a gust of wind, plus a small detour for Bart to pick up his hoodie.

"I make no promises that kid will be still be alive by the time this is done," Logan says grumpily as he marches out to go round up Hayseed and co.

Sam is surprised that he and his team is needed but he quickly snaps out of it. This is their first really important mission and he can't screw it up. He won't.

As quickly as possible Sam and his team are in the x-jet heading for Metropolis leaving the non-magnetic Velocity helicopter for the X-Men.

From the pilot's seat Logan asks Sam, "By the way did you ever come up with a team name?"

"Yeah we did," Sam confirms.

"And?" Logan inquiries for it.

"Call us Generation X!"


Author's Note: I wanted a regal-esque look for Tarot and I hope what I came up with would work. Her past costumes weren't much inspiration since before she died she was a Hellion...and sheesh you would think Emma of all people could design something more stylish than those hideous things. After Tarot came back from the dead her powers evolved and she literally assumed the persona of her cards, ie she would become Death in the cloak and wield the scythe. That's kind of a cool possibility for her future but wasn't much help in giving me ideas for her costume. As for the Wyngarde sisters I just went with the look they've basically been going with forever and Polaris' costume reflects the fact she's daddy's little girl hence basically it is just a copy of the armour in green. Generation X won the poll so that's the name. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; Clark and Bart try to slow the Brotherhood down while the X-Men try to reach the Appalachian's facility before Magneto and the Acolytes do.