A/N: some of the lines are direct quotes from "The Cauldron Part 1 & 2," so if you recognize it, it's not mine.

Scott, Age 17, Alex, age 14

"Alex is alive." The words repeated themselves over and over in his head. He's alive. Scott closed his eyes. Alive. He ignored the feeling of turbulence. His little brother…

Scott walked into the hospital room, holding a hand. Mommy was in the bed, a baby in her arms. Daddy was beside her, smiling- but Daddy always smiled.

"Scotty? Would you like to meet your baby brother?" Scott nodded to her and giggled as he was picked up and placed on the bed with her.

"Son, this is Alex." Scott heard his father say.

"Lex," he repeated. Alex was carefully put in his arms.

"You're going to be such a good big brother. Daddy and I can't wait to see it."

Scott sniffed at the memory- he didn't even know he had it. Who'd taken him…? He blinked as he heard Logan say they were landing.

"Do you see anything?" Scott asked.

"No," Logan told him. "And the tide's coming in. This cove will be under water in an hour."

"Take a closer look around," Xavier instructed. Scott and Logan stepped off the plane. Scott immediately went to the abandoned surfboard.

"Do you think it's his?" He asked.

"Maybe." Logan walked closer to the plane, following the footprints in the sand. "Looks like company dropped in on him. Literally. And left the same way."

"What kind of company?" Scott asked warily.

"Magneto," Logan grunted.

"Who? Logan, who's Magneto?"

"I get the feeling you're about to find out." Scott and Logan looked up as the plane started to lift on its own. "It's him!" Logan darted after the Blackbird as Scott helplessly watched him, the plane, and Professor Xavier fly away. Suddenly, a shadow came over him. Feeling like he was being watched, Scott turned. A boy with shoulder length hair was staring at him. But the face…

"Alex? Is it… Is it really you?"

"Scott? Scott!" Alex jumped off the rocks and ran to his brother. Scott quickly embraced him. He wasn't alone.

"It's like you came back from the dead!" Scott exclaimed.

"I've had dreams just like this."

"Me too! This one's real though." Scott pulled away and looked at his brother. "And look at you! What happened to the scrawny little kid I used to pick on?"

"Oh hey, that reminds me." Alex punched Scott on the arm. "I owed you that for ten years." Scott laughed.

"Dad would have lit into you…" Scott blinked and shook his head before smiling again. "And you still hit like a girl!"

"Believe me, bro. There's more to this punch than you know. I still can't believe it. When Magneto told me you were showing up, I-"

"Whoa. Wait- Magneto? You're with him? That guy just kidnapped my professor."

"No no no- you got it all wrong. He told me all about it. He just wants to show him something. Come here for a sec." Alex led Scott to a silver, metallic orb that was slightly opened. "He wants to show all of us."

"All?"

"Yeah, mutants. He told me you were one. And guess what? So am I. See? Check this out." Scott watched as Alex frowned, and then he saw a light around Alex's hands. "Man, I was freaked out until Magneto clued me in. He's great, Scott. He knows so much. He wants to meet with us- that's all! I'm going. I mean… how could I not? But you gotta come too, ok?"

"That thing there," Scott said, pointing to the orb, "it'll take us to Magneto?"

"Yeah! Come on, it's kinda scary, you know? But exciting. Please?" Scott ran a hand through his hair.

"This just doesn't smell right, Alex. But… I'll go. Just to keep an eye on you and find Professor X." The brothers climbed into the orb and the top closed. Scott took a deep breath as it lifted into the air.

"Thank you."

"I'm your big brother," Scott smiled. "It's my job to keep you… I'm sorry, Alex. If I'd known… They kept saying I was the only survivor."

"Me, too. But I was alright. I was sent to live with the family I'm still with. They took the steps and officially adopted me a couple years ago. What about you?" Scott frowned.

"I got bounced around a lot. Some good homes, some bad. And then Professor X found me when I was fourteen. I've been with him ever since." Alex frowned.

"Alone?"

"I'm alright," Scott tried to convince him. "Now I'm even better, really. I've got you back. That's… I thought I'd failed. That was the last thing Dad told me when he…" Scott took a breath. "But we're back together. We're going to be ok." The orb landed and opened.

"Welcome, Summers brothers," a man in a purple cape said, arm extended.

"That's Magneto," Alex whispered to Scott.

"Where's Professor Xavier?" Scott demanded.

"He'll be joining us… shortly. Now please. Follow me." Scott hesitated but nodded and led Alex behind Magneto.

"Where are we?" Scott asked.

"Sanctuary on Asteroid M. A war is coming, young Cyclops. A war, not unlike with Hitler and the Jews. But we can be prepared. We can win." Scott frowned.

"I don't…"

"They will fear us, Scott. They will fear us because we are the future. Will you join me?"

"Yes!" Alex said, completely enthralled. Scott looked at Magneto and then Alex.

"I don't… We're supposed to help people. Not fight them."

"They will fight us," Magneto told him. "You've learned about it in history, Scott. And you know history repeats itself. Instead of Native Americans, instead of Jews, this time it will be-"

"Mutants," Scott finished. He closed his eyes. "I don't want to believe you, but I don't want to lose my brother again. I'm in. To listen." Magneto opened a door.

"In here, you will find new clothes. They will be more comfortable to wear than what you currently have on." The brothers stepped in and the door closed.

"Wow," Alex whispered, looking around. He saw the two outfits on the bed. "Look, Scott!"

"Oh, I see them, alright." Alex was changing before Scott could walk over. Scott grabbed the shirt and paused. He sighed and turned so Alex couldn't see his back and pulled his sweater and shirt off before pulling the new shirt on.

"Damn. You used to be scrawny too. Now you look like-" Alex turned away and pulled up his pants.

"Look like what?"

"Dad." Scott looked down at his body.

"I do?"

"Yeah. I mean… I think so? I…"

"Me too," Scott said with a sad smile. "I see glimpses, but I can't remember if they're real or my imagination."

"Yeah…" The brothers finished dressing and Scott checked his glasses.

"We should-"

"Why do you wear those inside?" Alex asked.

"The accident damaged… I can't control my powers."

"Oh. I'm sorry, Scotty." Scott put a hand on Alex's shoulder.

"I'd do it again to keep you safe," he said. The door opened and they walked through, going through more doors that opened.

"Scott?" Charles said as the last door opened.

"We're just here to listen, that's all," Scott told his mentor.

"What about them? Are they here to listen as well?" Charles asked, moving so Scott could clearly see his friends in glass tubes.

"Hey!" Scott cried as he spun. "What is this?"

"Simply a precaution, Scott," Magneto answered. "Not everyone has the maturity to accept the need for change as you do. Not yet."

"Let them out! Now!" Scott yelled as he stormed closer to Magneto. He put his hand to his glasses, but Avalanche stepped closer to protect Magneto.

"I will. We just need to proceed cautiously." Magneto shoved Avalanche out of his way. "Trust me. They are perfectly safe."

*Are they safe Scott? Are any of us safe? I know this man well. His motives cannot be trusted. He's bitter-* Xavier was pushed into his own tube. Scott watched his eyes close.

"No!" Scott put his hand to his glasses, the red beams almost escaping.

"Do that and he won't survive the decompression," Magneto warned. Scott instead turned his gaze to Magneto.

"Yeah? Well, odds aren't looking that great for you, either."

"Scott! Come on, man! This is no good. They're having a little time out. So what? Look, I don't get it either, but no one should be getting hurt here. You can't blame Magneto for being careful. And all I know is he just wants to help, and I need his help." Scott replaced his glasses and gave his brother a small smile.

"I guess you'd know a thing or two about time outs, hm?" Alex gave him a small smile back. "I still don't like it, Alex."

"But your brother is right, Scott. I'm not your enemy, nor am I Charles'. Very soon you will see the truth." Scott looked away. He saw an opened door and he walked out, leaning against the railing.

"Daddy, what's going on?"

"The plane is going down," Chris carefully told Scott as he strapped the other parachute to him. "You protect your brother, Scott, do you hear me?"

"Yes sir."

"Good boy. Land, find someone, and call Grandma. Ok?"

"I'm scared." Chris looked into his son's eyes.

"I am, too, Scott. But sometimes, being scared means you're about to do something brave. And I need you to be brave. Alex needs you to be brave." Scott nodded as tears leaked from his eyes.

"I'll keep him safe, Daddy. I promise." Chris nodded and kissed his head. Katherine and Alex joined them and the family embraced for the final time.

"I love you boys. You two have been my everything."

"Scott, you take care of your brother."

"I will, Mama. We'll be safe."

"Scott? You ok?"

"Huh? Oh. Just… Remembering, I guess."

"Yeah. Still keeps me up at night, too, no matter how hard I try to forget about it."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."

"I was ok," Alex promised. Scott hugged him.

"I promised them- both of them- that'd I'd keep you safe."

"You did. It wasn't your fault."

"I distracted him," Scott cried. "I distracted him and he didn't do a full check. He wanted to just get home. It is my fault."

"No," Alex said, shaking his head. "There was no way he could've seen it was coming." Scott gave Alex a watery smile.

"What do you know, pipsqueak?" Alex punched his shoulder again.

"I've told you not to call me that!" Scott chuckled as he rubbed his arm.

"Dad said it fit," he grinned.

"And Mom took a spoon to your ass." Scott grimaced as he rubbed his rear end.

"Let's not bring that part up. I still get phantom pains when I see a hairbrush." Alex laughed and then looked somber.

"I miss them. My parents are great, don't get me wrong, but…"

"No, I get it. I'd do… I'd do anything to have them back."

"Scott. Alex. I have something to show you," Magneto said from behind them.

"We're coming," Alex responded. He gave Scott one last smile and followed after the master of magnetism. Scott turned and looked out at space, one more time. He closed his eyes and pictured his parents as best he could.

"I've got him now, Dad. Mom? I promise I'll keep him safe this time. I won't… I won't fail you again." He opened his eyes and turned, ready to follow his brother.

A few light years away...

Chris Summers blinked and frowned from his seat, piloting the massive ship.

"Did you hear that, Ch'od?"

"I heard nothing, Corsair."

"Hm. I could've sworn… Take over for me, would you?" Ch'od nodded and took Chris' place. Chris headed to his room and looked around, trying to understand the niggling voice in his head. There was something he was forgetting...

"Lover?" Chris turned and saw Hepzibah walking to him. "What is wrong?"

"I don't…" Chris looked around their room, eyes landing on an Earth calendar. "Ten years," he realized. "Ten years ago today, I lost my boys. My wife." Hepzibah hugged him.

"Katherine-wife would be proud." Chris snorted.

"I doubt it. I lost them and became a pirate. If my father could see me now…"

"What does Corsair want to do?" Chris opened his locket and stared at the picture of his family.

"I want to kill that fucker, Hep. I want him to suffer like he's made me suffer. I want him to burn from the inside…"

"Then Hepzibah will find poison. Corsair will make plan. Starjammers will end tyrant Emperor D'Ken." Chris put a hand on her face.

"I'd be lost without you, love." Hepzibah reached up and kissed Chris' cheek.

"Captain!" Chris ran back to Ch'od.

"What is it?"

"We're picking up readings of some nuclear… Something. The scanners have no idea what it is." Chris grinned.

"Let's check it out. Buckle up, everyone!" He sat and strapped himself in as Ch'od had the ship jump to the location of the readings. They stopped and stared out the windshield.

"What was this?" Raza asked, looking around at the rocks floating in space.

"An asteroid," Chris told him. "An asteroid… Exploded. My God. What had the power…? Ch'od, let's get out of here before whatever did this comes back."

"Where shall we go?"

"Let's head to Knowhere to pick a few things up. Hep and I have an idea to end D'Ken."