Author's note: Just in case you've forgotten – or were just to concerned with other goings on in that chapter – when the x-men were getting back...her...and Jamie was rescuing John Magneto and Xavier disappeared off together. Just thought I'd remind you – it would have been easily forgotten amongst everything else happening...
Chapter Thirty-Two: Uneasy Alliance: Part I
Mystique smiled as she wandered into the kitchen to find Pyro practically sitting on Multiple Man's lap, stealing food from the older mutant as he tried to eat his breakfast. She let out a laugh, causing the other two mutants to look up at her startled.
"Hey!" Pyro grinned. Mystique smiled and shook her head.
"Oh how peaceful it was with you gone..." she sighed wistfully. Pyro pouted and threw a piece of fruit at her. The shapeshifter just laughed again and slid a mobile phone across the table to him.
"Try and not lose this one," she raised an eyebrow amusedly as the fire mutant scowled back at her. He flipped open the phone and gave a small nod as Mystique had already entered the only two numbers he needed. Neither noticed the slight frown playing at Jamie's face as he looked at the new phone...knowing full well who had his old one...
"So where's Mags?" Pyro inquired, returning his attention to pestering his boyfriend.
"I actually don't know," Mystique frowned slightly. "He just left a message saying he had business to attend to."
The fire mutant just nodded absently, not really paying any attention. Mystique smiled and shook her head, retrieving her fruit juice from the fridge.
"Well, I'll leave you to it," she winked at the pyrokinetic. "But I'll be back after my yoga to get you back in the training room."
"Slave driver..." the fire mutant muttered but a smile played at his lips. Jamie laughed quietly, lifting John back onto his own stool.
"Call of nature," he explained with a smile as John scowled. A sheepish grin quickly spread over the younger mutant's face.
"I'll let you away with that then," John frowned thoughtfully as Jamie stood up. "See when you dupe..."
"Then we both need to go," Jamie laughed, anticipating the pyrokinetic's train of thought. "I tried that once when I was drunk and couldn't be bothered to get up."
John screwed up his nose as Jamie too pulled a face and left the room. Shaking his head, he flipped open his new phone and typed in a text.
Hey this is my new number. Call me x
The fire mutant smirked and sent the message to Jamie's phone. He raised an eyebrow as he heard the other mutant's phone buzz. Leaning over the table he found the phone tucked under his jacket. John rolled his eyes as no space for new messages flashed up on the screen. Jamie never deleted any of the silly little messages John sent him. With a shake of the head the fire mutant flipped open the phone and opened the inbox. Sure enough his name filled the list. Inquisitive, he opened the most recent message.
Thank you.
John frowned. Thank you for what? He couldn't think of sending that. Coming back out of that message, he opened the next.
Hey. I was just wondering if John was alright? He still seemed dizzy when you left. Bobby
John's eyes widened slightly as he stared in disbelief at the message. His eyes darted to the time the message was sent – just the night before. Biting his lip, he looked into the sent messages folder, a mix of a smile and a frown playing on his face as he read Jamie's simple reply of He's fine. Worrying his bottom lip, he went into the inbox and copied his old number from the message details into a text message on his new phone, saving it in the drafts. Closing his own phone, he deleted one of the old messages on Jamie's, quickly shutting it too. Sure enough the phone buzzed, alerting the arrival of the new message as if John had never looked. The fire mutant returned the phone to where he found it, twirling his own phone nervously around in his fingers.
"Have you ever sat still for more than two minutes?" Jamie laughed, reappearing in the doorway.
"What?" John frowned, looking up startled.
"You're a fidget!" Jamie smirked, gently taking the phone from John's hand, sitting back down and pulling the fire mutant back onto his lap. He frowned slightly as he noticed John's downturn in mood. "Hey, you alright?"
"I'm fine!" John smiled as he wrapped his arms around the taller mutant's neck, relaxing instantly with the distraction of those bright blue eyes in front of him. He leant forward to brush his lips over his boyfriend's, but a loud voice booming through the underground lair stopped him.
"Briefing room – now!"
John arched an eyebrow, pausing with his lips just millimetres from Jamie's.
"Looks like the boss is back," he smirked. Jamie sighed and rolled his eyes, stealing a quick kiss before standing up and lowering John to the ground.
"Come on then," he pulled John towards the door. "Let's go see what the Megalomaniac wants now..."
x-x-x x-x-x x-x-x
"...and that covers everything that's going to be in your test. So..." Bobby looked out at his students expectantly. "Any questions?"
It was as if the floodgates had opened as the previously silent class erupted.
"Where's your boyfriend?"
"What about Miss D'Ancanto?"
"I meant math ques..."
"You were supposed to be engaged!"
"Is it true your boyfriend set fire to fifteen cure centres?"
"Class!" the normally composed ice mutant yelled. He exhaled in relief as the bell rang to signal change of class. "Now finish exercise eight and remember the test is just next week!" Bobby sighed as the students just wandered past him, those who weren't blatantly ignoring him shooting him dirty glares. Frowning heavily he slumped down at his desk, running his hands through his hair.
"It'll get better."
Bobby looked up to find Piotr standing in the doorway.
"Yeah..." the ice mutant sighed. Piotr smiled sympathetically.
"The professor's back," he gestured for Bobby to follow. "He wants to see us all."
Bobby rolled his eyes but nevertheless stood up. What now?
x-x-x x-x-x x-x-x
"You are kidding?" Mystique looked at Magneto with an arched eyebrow, a highly unamused expression on her face. Multiple Man looked equally displeased while Pyro merely sat in the corner with his head bowed, flicking his lighter open and shut absently. Magneto's face however remained as bland as when they had entered the room.
"Would I kid about something like this?" Magneto shook his head. Mystique sighed heavily and leant back against the wall, crossing her arms.
"Fine," she muttered. "But be warned – we may have upset them a little while you were away."
"So I heard..." Magneto arched an eyebrow and looked over at Pyro, smirking amusedly. "I think it may be for the best that we leave you here for the time being," the older mutant gave a small nod as no-one offered any objection. "Come on then. Xavier is expecting us..."
x-x-x x-x-x x-x-x
"You are kidding?" Logan growled, looking at the professor as if he had gone mad. Xavier just held up a hand to stop any further protests.
"We need their help Logan," he explained calmly.
"Like we did at Alkali Lake?" Logan muttered. "Have you seen what they did to Marie?"
"I am well aware that relations are..." the professor arched an eyebrow but as he kept his gaze fixed firmly on Logan, Bobby heard the professor say complicated before continuing "Strained but we may need them. We have to work together."
"I don't trust them," Logan growled. Storm and Hank nodded in agreement.
"Their track record doesn't work in their favour," Hank pointed out diplomatically. Xavier gave a small, conceding nod.
"And so this time we know to keep a closer eye on them than before," he arched an eyebrow as finally those gathered in the room seemed to relax. "Don't worry, I have not forgotten what Erik is like. But he will seek to do something about this matter regardless of us. At least this way, we can keep a closer eye on him."
"Well..." Logan shrugged slightly. "If you put it like that..."
The professor looked around the room slowly. No one else offered any objections – not out loud anyway.
"Good. Make sure the children are all in classes. They will be here soon – I think it's for the best we try and keep this low key..."
x-x-x x-x-x x-x-x
Mystique arched an eyebrow as she and Multiple Man brought the helicopter to land in a corner of the Xavier Mansion's expansive grounds. The professor, Wolverine, Storm and Beast stood waiting for them, Iceman, Colossus and Angel hovering in the background. Magneto leant over the two pilot chairs with a stern but still somehow amused expression on his face.
"Now both of you...behave," he smirked. "Don't go upsetting the poor little X-Men."
Mystique and Multiple Man just looked at each other before clambering out their respective sides of the helicopter, Magneto gracefully climbing out the back.
"Aw, has mama left her baby at home this time?" Logan sneered at the shapeshifter as the smaller group approached.
"Logan..." the professor warned but Mystique just laughed.
"Why?" slowly her skin peeled back to reveal that pyrokinetic's body. "Are you missing him too?"
Magneto and Xavier both shook their heads.
"Now children, play nice," Magneto raised an eyebrow at his counterpart. "We're honoured by the full welcoming committee Charles."
"We just wanted to make sure everything went smoothly," Xavier replied simply. He took a step back and gestured towards the mansion. "Come, we can brief everyone in my office."
Magneto gave a small nod and fell into step alongside the professor. Mystique smirked and reverted to her original form, following swiftly behind Magneto as Storm in turn drew level with her. Logan turned and gave a quick snarl at Multiple Man before he and Hank followed the procession. The multiplying mutant took a deep but subtle breath and gestured to the remaining three mutants.
"On you go," he smirked as two dupes appeared on either side of him. "Or do you all wanna go in two by two as well?"
Bobby was the first to move, screwing up his face and quickly turning towards the mansion. Piotr and Warren gave each other a quick look and followed. Multiple Man exhaled heavily and shook his head, trudging after the other mutants. Play nice? Not likely...
