Rachel was stalking from one corner of the room to the other, picking up clothes and books and all kinds of other items which she was hastily putting into her red suitcase. When the brown haired smallish woman phased through the wall, she didn't turn to face her.
"You're being angry rather loudly," the red-head sighed while trying to push her favorite make-up brush into the already overflown cosmetics bag.
"Gee, I wonder why," Kitty said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"I'm sorry you feel left out," Rachel said slowly while pondering the pile of books on her table and trying to decide which to take with her.
"But?"
"Bobby and I thought that Logan would tell you guys what happened. But even if I knew he didn't, I probably wouldn't inform you. Not because I didn't want you to know, but because it was about the last thing on my mind. This whole thing hasn't exactly been easy for me and dad is…," she trailed off, throwing a sheepish look her friends' way.
"Yeah, about that. I'm all for supporting family in times of crises, but how could you get over the things he did all of a sudden? The Professor is dead because of him!"
"What did Logan tell you?"
"Nothing at first," Kitty said plonking down onto Rachel's unmade bed. "But then Frost decided to turn up here with her new gang to pick-up her three teenage terrors. And she tried very hard to convince us that Scott also came here to cause some ruckus. "
"You saw right through her mind games, clever girl," the red-head grinned before her face fell a little. "But if you did, I have to wonder who else might have…it's about time that we go and fix this whole mess before the truth comes out."
The other woman let out a barely audible "wow" hurling herself into Rachel's way and phasing the sweater the telepath was about to add to the take pile.
"Please, Ray, can you be straight with me for five minutes? It's all I'm asking for. Why the sudden change of heart? Why would you want to join Frost, why would Bobby? And why the heck did you guys get aboard with Cyclops again?" the questions spilled out of her one after the other.
The psychic hesitated a moment before reaching out a hand to touch her friend's temple.
"Permission for psychic transfer of data?"
"Granted."
Kitty stumbled backwards under the onslaught of memories and thoughts.
"Right," she sighed finally. "I'm going with you guys."
"You changed your mind just like that?" the other woman teased.
"Nope, but you and Illyana are my best friends, if you're both wrong I want to be there to help you."
"But you're willing to give Scott a second chance?"
"I guess he's entitled to one just like everyone else in our business."
"I'm glad to hear that, Kitty. Especially since I need a small favor from you," said the man leaning against the doorframe of Rachel's room who was not quite able to hide his mannerisms from Kitty even under the mask provided by his image inducer.
"Sun'uvabitch," Logan cursed as Kitty slipped into his office through the wall accompanied by a bulky blond man who was however giving off a very familiar scent. "Ya trying to give me a heart attack, kid?"
"I'm no kid anymore, Wolvie. And maybe if you stopped treating me like one and didn't keep all these secrets from me, I wouldn't be about to give you this," she said throwing a thin slip of paper onto his desk.
"What's this then?"
"My resignation. I'm going with Rachel."
Before the man had any chance to respond, she walked out of the door slamming it shut behind herself instead of phasing through the wall.
"Uh, oh, I had no idea she was going to do that with me here," the other man said, shooting for an apology.
"Whatever, Slim" Logan grumbled as he took another sip of his beer and Scott turned off the image inducer and changed back to his normal appearance.
"Is there anything else you wanted asides from poaching some of my best people?" the feral grunted.
"Yes," the taller man answered as he cleared away several piles of documents and sat down on Logan's desk, helping himself to a beer from the case.
"So, you're stealing my beer now as well?"
"Can we speak like we're not grumpy five year olds for a moment here, Logan? Rachel, Bobby and Kitty made their decision on their own and besides it's not like I didn't help to arrange some reinforcements for you after they're gone. And I think you will appreciate having them around more than hanging out with Bobby," Scott said as he instinctively tried to sort another mess of papers.
"Right. So I'm supposed just to sit back and watch as you and Frost drag down my friends again? Have you bothered to check the news today and did you see what your ol' pal Magneto is up to?" Logan snarled crushing the can in his hands and throwing it towards the basket in the corner of the small office.
"I have," Scott answered, his lips a rigid line. "And I don't exactly agree with his methods."
"I might be inclined to believe that you really think that, Slim. But what about Emma? Or Illyana?"
"Whatever Erik did today he was doing it on his own," Cyclops insisted. "Look I didn't come here to argue about semantics or about Magneto. I know we have disagreed on a lot of things recently, but the reason I came here was to offer you a truce."
"A truce?" Logan snarled through his lips, almost choking on the sip of beer he was just taking.
"Yes, a truce that will benefit all mutants. I think it's probably about time both of us took a step back from leadership. It's why I asked Ororo to join you here at the school and why Bobby, Rachel and now Kitty are coming with me."
"What about Emma?"
"She never wanted this life for herself in the first place. She made that pretty clear when you left Utopia. It's about time she got to fulfill her dream. Properly this time around."
"Another school?" Logan wondered. "If you're genuine about it, you might all as well come back here," he suggested trailing off as he noticed Scott turning his head towards the window which overlooked the mansion's ground.
"No," the mutant ex-leader said clearly. "Too many conflicting memories in this place. We all need a fresh start, not just me. Emma never truly felt at home here due to her past, Rachel has always been chased by the ghosts of her future and Bobby…well, there is some stuff he needs to figure out. Getting away from here will do him some good."
Logan sniffed the air, surprised by the new demeanor in his old team leader. Scott shifted uneasily in his place on the table and the confident air that surrounded him during the talk up to this point was replaced by a hot salty smell. It took Wolverine a few seconds to realize that it was nervous sweat coming off the other man. It felt strange because it was mixed with the new sickly smell which he only connected to its cause because Scott kept fiddling with the silver bracelet with the words 'seizure disorder' engraved on it. He had to chuckle internally a little, of course getting that was one of the first things Scott Mr. Always Prepared Summers would get upon learning that he suffers from such a condition.
"Something's different," he said finally, acknowledging the elephant in the room which had nothing to do with the other mutants' diagnosis.
"Yes," Scott answered curtly. "It's actually the most important thing I wanted to talk to you about. I'd rather avoid that you do something inadvisable when it comes to this matter."
"It's personal," Logan suggested.
"Yes," Cyclops conceded. "At least for me and Emma. But some people including you might think they need to take care of it. I wanted to alleviate any concerns you might have about it."
"And if we disagree?"
The taller man's features hardened as he breathed out: "In that case we will find ourselves fighting each other again. And I can assure you that Emma and I won't lose this time around."
"I can't believe Logan actually gave you a Blackbird," Bobby said as he strapped himself into the co-pilot's seat while Rachel and Kitty took their place in the back of the plane.
"Of course he didn't. I blasted him to hell and while he was recovering from yet another death, I picked you guys up and we are stealing the jet right now," Scott answered dryly as he fiddled with the control switches in order to prepare for the long flight.
"Right," the blond man answered, his face becoming a little paler for a second before he broke out in a laugh. "You should joke more often, Scotty. I'd love to see the faces of some people when you say this kind of stuff looking all serious."
Erik Lehnsherr was standing in front of the building in his purple coat, looking up to the sky, tall and proud, watching as the Blackbird descended from the sky. He raised his hands up in order to alleviate the effect on the plane's turbulence on the bunker. It helped him calm down somewhat and sort through his emotions, but he still couldn't decide on the first words he would say to the boy – no, the man – whom he had become accustomed to seeing almost as a surrogate son, one that had not yet disappointed him like Pietro had on so many occasions. All those months ago when he had first come to Utopia he had seen so much potential in him that he had literally dropped on his knees in front of him, a physical sign of putting all of his hopes and dreams for the last vestiges of their species into this man's hands. And technically Scott Summers had repaid him in kind. The mutant race was flourishing once again after long years of decimation caused by Erik's very own crazed daughter. But at what cost? He closed his eyes remembering the torched body of Charles Xavier falling to the ground. Magneto braced himself for the moment when Cyclops would get off the plane. His heart froze when he set his eyes upon the three other mutants who were accompanying him. There could hardly be a better proof of the fact that his faith in Scott Summers had been misplaced after all.
Bobby changed into his ice-form and accompanied by Kitty prepared to charge against his oldest foe. Scott raised his hand into the air, giving them the stop command and Rachel clasped their hands firmly and pulled them back. Cyclops dragged his feet through the heavy snow towards the bent shape of the older man. He stopped a feet away from him.
"Pawn to G7," Scott said after a long period of quiet.
Erik's lips twitched a little almost forming a small smile.
"I guess that means checkmate for me," he said, putting a hand on Scott's shoulder. "And I think this is where the two of us say our goodbye and the next time we face each other it will be as the best of enemies."
"I wish things were different, but after the stunt you pulled yesterday," the younger man started.
"I understand. You can't keep me here anymore. But don't forget that while our methods might differ, we both still wish for the same thing. All of us here want to fight for the best of interest of mutantkind. Farewell, Scott."