Chapter 43: Return of the Black Lynx

"Who?" Sam asked.

"She's one of the girls I met at the dating service." Danny answered and then whispered to Alex. "I hope she's the one from this dimension."

Alex nodded.

"Come in." Danny invited Kitty in. To the surprise of everyone but Alex and Danny, Kitty phased herself in.

"Ghost!" Mort screamed in terror and hid behind Jack and Maddie.

"Don't worry, Mort." Jack said. "She's one of the two friendly ghosts Danny met at the dating service."

"I may be friendly but I'm not a ghost." Kitty protested. "I'm a mutant!"

"Okay, then." Jack replied. "What brings you here, Kitty? I hope you're not pinning for Danny because he already has a girlfriend. Not that I blame you for not resisting the Fenton charm."

"No, Mr. Fenton." Kitty replied. "I'm here because I need Danny's help with Kurt."

"Kurt Wagner, the Nightcrawler?" Alex asked. "Do you want Danny's help to capture him?"

"It's that Kurt and no, I don't want Danny's help with that." Kitty answered. "I want his help to save Kurt."

"Uh, you know he tried to murder the President, right?" Jazz asked.

"Somebody must be forcing him!" Kitty pleaded. "Kurt would never do it!"

"Well, I've been under brainwashing before so I'll give him the benefit of doubt." Danny commented.

"Thank you, Danny." Kitty said as she hugged Danny.

"Remember me?" Alex asked, forgetting she's not the same Kitty she and Danny met back in Beverly Hills. "I'm Danny's girlfriend Alex."

"Nice to meet you but I don't think we ever met before." Kitty replied as she walked off Danny.

"I'll call a friend to help." Danny said as he and Alex walked away from the room.

'Probably the Justice League.' Kitty thought.

At the kitchen, Danny and Alex called Jerry. "With Colonel William Stryker involved, I am inclined to believe in the possibility of Kurt Wagner being innocent.

"Who?" Danny and Alex asked.

"The leader of the taskforce authorized by the President to investigate Professor Xavier's school." Jerry answered. "Colonel Stryker's son Jason was once a student there and is rumored to have a mutation that was somehow responsible for the suicide of Jason's mother. Back when Stryker was a Major, he was once arrested for supposedly murdering General Munson to prevent the closing of a project named Weapon X, which Stryker was the leader of, but was released for lack of sufficient proof. Jason Stryker has the power to plant illusions on people's minds so it's possible these powers are somehow responsible for Wagner's crimes."

"How terrible." Danny commented.

"And that's not all." Jerry continued. "Do you remember Senator Robert Kelly's sudden change of attitude regarding mutants after the events that led to Erik Lehnsherr's capture?"

"Yes." Danny answered. "My Dad even asked who that man was and what happened to the real Senator Kelly."

"That so-called 'man' is actually Raven Darkholme a.k.a. Mystique." Jerry answered. "One of my agents recently found out while investigating Stryker and learning he took advantage of the raid on Professor Xavier's school to steal parts of Cerebro he cannot replace."

"What's Cerebro, Jerry?" Alex asked.

"Cerebro is an invention developed by Professor Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr before the latter became the supervillain Magneto." Jerry answered. "Professor Xavier uses it to locate mutants in need of guidance but, according to notes the agent in question found in Stryker's computers, it can be used to locate and kill people, mutant or not, anywhere in the world."

"What?" Danny and Alex asked in horror.

"We're reading the files looking for evidence on the brainwashing but, until we find it or catch Stryker in action, I cannot go to the President with my findings." Jerry explained. "I believe he's hiding the captured mutants inside a secret base in Lake Alkali in Alberta, Canada. I'll have a W.O.O.H.P. jet pick you three up."

"Three?" Alex asked in confusion.

"Assuming Kitty Pryde wants to go with you." Jerry said.

"And let her know I'm a spy?" Alex asked.

"The X-Men have clearance for their help in past cases I have no time to mention." Jerry stated. "The three of you wait for the jet on the roof." He added and ended the call.

Danny and Alex returned to the living room. "Kitty, we'll help you." Danny said. "If you and Alex will let me phase you through the roof…"

"Wait a minute." Kitty asked. "Is Alex going too? Isn't she a civilian?"

"Yes." Alex answered with a challenging tone. "I'm going to."

Danny phased them on time to see the W.O.O.H.P. jet. A tube sucked the three of them inside it. "Hi, Samantha. Hi, Clover." Danny said.

"Alex, time to put on your catsuit." Samantha said.

"On it, Sam." Alex replied and used her compowder to materialize her catsuit.

"Wait." Kitty said. "You're a secret agent?"

"We're spies for the World Organization of Human Protection, Ms. Pryde." Samantha said.

"You called the Government?" Kitty asked Danny. "I was expecting the Justice League! Aren't you worried about what their idea of 'human protection' could be?"

"Our boss is actually on friendly terms with Professor Xavier, Ms. Pryde." Samantha explained.

Said boss then appeared onscreen. "Bad news." Jerry said. "A mutant attack has been reported at the residence of Robert Drake's parents."

"What?" Kitty asked in horror.

"Do you know him, Kitty?" Danny asked.

"He's a student at Professor Xavier's school." Kitty answered.

"According to how the mutants other than Robert were described, they must be the ones known as Wolverine, Rogue and Wakanda's Queen Bride Ororo Munroe." Jerry stated.

"Why're the Wakandans involved in this?" Danny asked.

"They aren't." Jerry answered. "Before becoming engaged to King T'Challa, she became one of the X-Men and one of the teachers at the Xavier Institute."

"What do we do about her, Jerry?" Alex asked. "Should we be concerned about diplomatic immunity?"

"Since Mr. and Mrs. Drake refused to press charges, that's a moot point for now." Jerry said and then the connection was interrupted by an outside force pulling their jet.

"What happened?" Danny asked.

"Magneto must be pulling us down!" Clover said.

"Isn't he in prison?" Kitty asked, horrified by the idea the Mutant Master of Magnetism was at large.

"He escaped recently." Samantha explained. "Jerry mentioned something about a guard being tricked into drinking something with metal so diluted only Magneto could sense."

At the ground, Storm was the first person to recognize the jet. "They're W.O.O.H.P.!" She exclaimed.

"Now we know they mean "Human Protection" in the same way Graydon Creed and his followers call themselves "Friends of Humanity"." Magneto commented.

"Stop, Magneto." Danny Phantom demanded. "They understand Stryker is a bigger fish than you."

"No mere Homo sapiens is more dangerous than me unless you mean more dangerous to mutant kind." Magneto declared. "And how can you trust the Government? For all we know, they're hunting us."

At that moment, the jet landed and Kitty phased herself out of it. "Kitty?" Storm asked in horror. "Did they hurt you?"

"No, Storm." Kitty answered. "We were going to Lake Alkali when Magneto stopped us."

"Now cease your hold on their jet or I'll force you." Danny demanded.

"And how do you expect to do it?" Magneto defiantly asked.

"This way!" Danny answered as he turned himself invisible and intangible and overshadowed Magneto. He then allowed the girls to leave the jet and restart the talk to Jerry. Afterwards he approached Kurt Wagner. "Nightcrawler, Kitty Pryde vouched for your character but we need to know how Stryker coerced you."

"Okay." Kurt replied as he showed the injection mark. As Danny watched it, the Spies came out of the jet. "Danny?" Alex asked for him.

"I'm here, Alex." Danny's girlfriend heard 'Magneto' say.

"Uh, Danny Phantom?" Samantha asked and 'Magneto' nodded. "Would you let us see if Magneto's got the same mark as Kurt Wagner?"

"Yes." Danny answered and did as she asked.

"Jerry's right." Samantha commented. "Magneto was also under Stryker's brainwashing."

"And is he also using that injection to control Professor Xavier and, through him, Cerebro?" Danny asked.

Mystique was amazed at how much Danny already knew. "Actually, the very same power that makes Xavier a vital part of the plan also makes him immune to the serum." She explained. "Stryker is using his own son's mutant power to trick the Professor."

"We were discussing rescue plans when you, Kitty and the spy girls made your presence known, kid." Wolverine said.

"Is it necessary to stay in Magneto's body?" A boy with a lighter asked. "It's creeping me out."

Danny looked at the Spies for approval. "Do you think you'll be able to repossess him if needed?" Samantha asked.

"Yes."

"Then let him go for now." The redheaded spy asked and Danny agreed.

"What happened?" Magneto asked in confusion.

After explanations were given, they took their jets and went to Lake Alkali. Reluctantly, Magneto agreed to go with Danny and the Spies while the remaining mutants took the X-Jet. "Danny Phantom, humans are fickle." Magneto pleaded. "They'll soon hate you as much as they initially did."

"Maybe so, maybe not, but I won't give them a reason to do so." Danny replied.

"We'll have more time to talk after we stop Stryker." Magneto said.

"And I stop you from taking advantage of the situation." Danny replied.

"And while we're at it, you could answer some questions about the real Senator Kelly's whereabouts and your role at the death of President Kennedy." Alex added.

"As I would've already said had I been allowed a trial at the time, I was trying to save President Kennedy since he's one of my fellow mutants." Magneto explained. "As for Senator Kelly, the last time I saw him was after using him as a test subject for the machine that turns humans into mutants. For what happened afterwards, you should ask Charles or one of his X-Men."

Danny would've made a comment about yet another conspiracy regarding President Kennedy but decided there was a more urgent case to solve.

Eventually, both jets landed as close to Lake Alkali as they could without alerting Stryker's forces. "Magneto, I have a plan." Mystique said after looking at his eyes and figuring out Danny wasn't running his body again. "I'll disguise myself as Logan so I'll be let in."

"Good plan but Danny Phantom and I developed a better one." Magneto replied.

While Mystique was disguised as Stryker, Danny phased the both of them into the base. While she distracted the villains, Danny split into two Dannys. One phased Professor X and Jason out of the base while the other phased the caged students. "Good job, Danny." Kitty commented. "But where's Scott?"

"I don't know, Kitty." Danny answered.

"Stryker must be using him." Storm commented while the Spies checked the rescued mutants for brainwashing marks.

"What's Scott like?" Danny asked.

"He needs special red shades to avoid shooting red beams whenever his eyes are open, Spook." Wolverine answered.

"That's all I need to know." Danny said as he took flight. Kitty, Alex, Magneto and Bobby went after him. The other heroes stayed behind to protect the Professor and Jason.

Inside the base, Magneto used his powers to quickly disarm the guards. "Will they never learn?" The Master of Magnetism asked in disdain. Meanwhile, Danny, Alex and Bobby saw Scott trying to blast Mystique.

"Dude, I know she's evil but we have a truce for now." Bobby pleaded.

"Don't bother." Stryker said. "He's under my control. Same thing with the new result of Weapon X."

That line was the cue for a woman with Wolverine-like claws from her fingers to attack the heroes. Alex quickly tripped her and Bobby encased her in ice. "I hope you aren't Wolverine's daughter or he'll be upset at me." Bobby commented.

"What a shame." Stryker commented with a frown. "Does Jerry know one of his spies became a traitor?"

"I'm not the one who ordered a mutant to kill the President." Alex retorted.

"I just had it scare the President into doing what was needed to exterminate every mutant on Earth." Stryker replied while Danny and Bobby froze Scott.

"And you're under arrest for conspiracy to the attempted murder of the President of the United States, enslaving people, and attempted genocide." Alex stated while pointing at Stryker.

"Young lady, I don't trust the President to take Stryker's word over yours." Magneto stated with a tone that made it clear he intended a more permanent solution to stop Stryker.

"That's why I recorded his statement." Alex replied as she produced her compowder and replayed Stryker's confession about scaring the President.

"Congratulations." Magneto said and he left and took Mystique with him.

That night, Danny and Alex were discussing the adventure with Danny's family. "So Kitty was proven right about Kurt being a victim of brainwashing?" Jack asked.

"It's a good thing Kurt Wagner agreed to stay on W.O.O.H.P. custody until everything was cleared with the President." Maddie commented.

"I'm curious about this Iceman." Jazz commented. "Is he Frozone's son?"

"If he is, he probably took after his mother in looks." Danny answered.

"I'm sorry for leaving but Aunt Carmela is waiting for me." Alex said.

End chapter

Author's Note: Magneto's supposed role in President Kennedy's death is a reference to the Days of Future Past film.

Author's Note 2: In this fic, Magneto didn't have a chance to convince John Allerdyce to leave the X-Men.

Answer to Leonardo (guest): Acertou.