Dark before the Light

Warnings: Angst, possible language, so far.

Pairings: None as of yet.

Summary: Chuck tries to fix something; Anti-Xavier but not really. The continuing of bad things.

A/N: I don't write stories very often, and this is one of my first, so when it went off the front page without a review, I thought it must be horrible and that I should never write again, I even considered taking the story down. I happened to check it today, however, and some extremely wonderful and thoughtful person read my story and liked it and took the time to write a review, and I would like to thank them very much for doing so, as I wrote this chapter right after I realized that someone liked my work. From now on, I will be more patient, but still, please review my work if you like it or if you don't, because I'm a new writer and I could use all the feedback I can get.

And I'd like to thank my reviewer, again, for being kind enough to review.





It started with a crash and an unusual cloud of thunder lighting the horizon. News of an energy storm had barely made the reports before the terror struck.

Todd stared blankly at the TV, his hand now beginning to shake.

They were destroying it.

On the screen, reporters shrieked of hellfire and lightning, mad wolves and fierce strikes, bone arrows flying through the air and great red beams destroying everything in their path. And he knew them. Todd knew every single one of them, though he couldn't see their faces. He knew their powers, knew their strengths, and knew that none of them would do this. The 'Morality Troops' were all about protecting the humans for their own good, keeping the secret of mutants safe because they knew that humans couldn't deal with it.

So this wasn't happening.

So why wouldn't it stop?

"Todd?"

The frog-ish mutant turned around, shaky jade eyes focusing on the Brotherhood's leader. Lance, Pietro, Tabby and Freddy were all standing next to the couch, staring at the screen, and Todd realized that he was blocking part of their view. Guiltily, he moved back to stand next to Freddy.

Lance paused, staring at the newly revealed screen as the latest camera feed shorted out. The flash of metallic claws before the static froze any hopes of simple electrical problems. "How long has it been going on?"

Todd sank down to the beat-up couch, next to an unusually immobile Pietro. The blue-eyed mutant was perfectly still, his eyes trained on the screen long after the live footage had ended. Todd folded his shaking hands together as he spoke. "I- I started watchin' a few minutes ago, it was just normal, 'n then there was a storm warning," he stopped, and gave a short bark of a laugh, "Storm warning', ya know? 'S kinda funny," He smiled sickly as he began to relate the rest of the news. "Then, there was this bulletin, see, and the news kept comin' in. they kinda lost one of their traffic copters in the storm, didn't get it out in time, so they sent a search van, hopin' ta see some wrecks, I guess," he shrugged, "ya know, news guys, anythin' for a story. then they saw some lights on the hill, over the mansion, an I thought it was kinda funny, ya know? How the geeks always get all freaky about keepin' secret, and here they're gettin' sighted by some guys lookin' for a chopper."

Todd stopped, looking at the television as it replayed initial footage, and there is no need for his story now as the camera shows the lights in the wood. The reporters follow the flickering lights, and there are some bad Alien and Blair Witch jokes as they fight through the woods. Then, as the camera begins to focus on the outline of the mansion, the attack starts. Flames burn above the trees and the reporters are surrounded by sheets of fire and ice. Screams deafen the viewers' ears along with static and three of the newsmen disappear beneath the fire. The camera falls, and more screaming is heard, louder now and with less static as the fire is drowned by rain. There is the flash of the silver claws, familiar now, and the camera view disappears in a flood of red light.

"That was the last camera ta go beyond the woods." Todd informed them, voice dull and almost tired. "The next got 'ta the base of the hill, and then they started in the street." Lance went to the old television and turned it off, bringing the others' attention to him. "They- they're in the street, now," Todd turned hopeful, frightened eyes to his leader. "They're attackin' humans in the street, Lance, they're fightin' a fuckin' war!" Todd is shaking, but he has leapt to his feet, and is looking Avalanche in the eyes with a half-grin, half-grimace on his face. Pietro still sits, but his hands have moved to fold under his chin, and the hollows under his eyes are in shadow as he looks to the floor, his face blank and his thoughts unclear. Freddy remains standing, beside and behind Todd, and he looks with hopeless confusion and childlike hope to Lance, his leader. Tabby alone seems to know what to do, and is moving toward the stairs.

Lance looks at her, eyes narrowed and face grim. "Where are you going?"

She turns, face set, no laughter in her now. "Do you see what they did out there?" He does not answer, there's no point. "Do you know what they did out there, what they'll do right here if we give them a choice?" She sets her jaw, angry, determined with a stubborn will. "They'll fight us if we let them, and they'll win. I don't know why those X-Freaks decided to do war games on their front step," she turns back to the stairs and continues climbing. "But they are and if we fight them, we'll lose, or rather, you'll lose. I'm not about to waste my life on some stupid macho 'final battle.' I've got better things to do." She disappeared into Mystique's former room and the sounds of her packing carry down into the main living room of the boarding house. The three remaining brotherhood soldiers turn their eyes to their leader, even Pietro breaking out of his daze enough to recognize this symbol of authority, and Lance clenches his fists, eyes downcast as they turn to him to guide them.

"Fine." He murmured, lifting his face, meeting their gaze with his own. "Tabby's out. Any of you want to go with her, feel free." Avalanche lifted his shoulders, back strait as he made his stand. "But I'm staying." Despite the seriousness of the situation, Lance has to smile grimly at the ridiculousness of it, his smile beckoning determined grins from both Pietro and Todd. If they were going to die, for no real reason except that they had to do it, so be it. "We've always fought the X-Men, always had them on one side and us on the other. Lots of times, we've wondered why. Well, whatever the reason was before, we've got a new one now." Again, the grim smiles, and even Fred has picked up on the reckless air. "We've got no other choice. Like Tabby said, they're eventually gonna make their way here, and we'll probably have to fight them. We might as well take the fight to their front first, decide the place and time ourselves. I don't feel like waiting around for death."

"You idiots!" The boys turn, unhappy at this further reproach, as Tabby runs down the stairs, duffel bags in hand, and reaches the TV. "Are you even looking at what you're up against?" She turned the television on. "These guys are killing people!" The screen responds to her cry, visions of gore crowding it as another news team is attacked from further in the city. "They're killing people, they've gone Defcon whatever-it-is and are totally destroying whatever stands in their way!" She stood before them, hands on her hips. "And you're just gonna stand up ta them and say 'hey, guys, we used to fight you, wanna play?' I mean, come on, what chance have you got?" Her face turned serious as she looked to Lance for a final plea for reason. "You don't even know why they're doing this. This isn't normal, you know!"

"I think I might know."

Todd, Freddy, Tabby and Lance all turned as a sharp breeze hit them, and they saw that Pietro had changed to his Quicksilver outfit shortly after he spoke. Again, his voice unusually subdued, the blond mutant spoke tonelessly as he stood next to and behind Freddy, directly behind Todd. "I heard.. before. that Charles Xavier was not all that he appeared." Pietro smiled lightly, and it was a thing automatic, useless and humorless. "My- Magneto told me that, before he learned to control his powers, Xavier would have dreams, weird dreams, where he would control people. Only they weren't dreams; he was acting on subconscious desires to make the people around him do what he wanted. That's why Magneto's helmet was invented, you see. He helped Xavier invent it, using his magnetic powers and Professor Xavier's mind to create a shield to keep him from wandering in his dreams." The lights from the television screen plays over Pietro's face, and the memory of the stories seems to bring a light in his eyes, a memory of better times. "After Xavier learned to control his powers, Magneto hid the helmet for safekeeping, in case he ever needed to use it again." Pietro focuses his gaze on his new leader, his voice rising from its soft tone. "I didn't really think it was a problem, since Xavier never hurt anybody that I knew of." Pietro glanced again at the TV screen, crossing his arms, angry at himself at keeping this information until now.

Tabby, however, looked almost pleased. "You see?" she spat accusingly at Avalanche. "Petey knows what he's talkin' about, that man is dangerous." She stalked up to the leader of the mutants. "So if you've got any sense at all, rock-brain, you'd better get your butt in gear and get out of here!" Her light mood fled and she glared at the other Brotherhood members, daring them to say no.

Lance willingly obliged. "What Pietro is saying is that this is difficult, Tabby, not impossible." He walked to the house door and opened the coat closet, grabbing his helmet from within and putting it on. Taking his cue from Lance, Todd hopped up the stairs toward where his own costume was hidden.

"But-" Tabby stood, shocked, "You'll get killed!"

Lance laughed, seeing her frozen. "And?"

Tabby stood for a moment, then snarled, furious. "Fine. Just- fine!" Todd hopped quickly down the stairs, in time to watch the front door slam as Tabby took off.

Lance stood still for a moment before rushing out after her, having almost forgotten something. There is the sound of a brief scuffle outside before Boom-Boom's yell of "Fine! Keep the fuckin' jeep!" is heard, punctuated by small explosions.

Fred glanced at the door, alarmed. "Was that Tabby, or- or one of the X- Freaks?"

Pietro smiled icily. "Does it really matter? We're meeting up with them anyway."

"Yeah, but Lance is outside."

Pietro straitened, staring at the door as he pondered that idea, the sound of the television - still on - humming a light background noise of screams and commentary.

The door opened, and Lance walked in, only slightly singed. "She's gone. Come on, let's get outta here." He walked back out the door, and Freddy followed him. Todd completed the trip from stairs to door in one leap, and Pietro paused, wondering whether he ought to turn off the TV. As he turned to the screen, a familiar image came up, one that had been playing in the background for some time. He watched, transfixed, as the sound droned on.

"And here, another of the strange sights that have accompanied these attacks. This image was caught on camera by many of our brave reporters, now assumed dead. As you can see here, the projectile appears to be coming from."

"Evan."

The bone spike shot across the screen again, and another shot showed it heading toward the camera.

"Evan's fighting in this."

Pietro watched the screen again, eyes wide, before he exited the room. The door shut on the Boarding House again, the television still playing.



TBC



A/N: Yes, Pietro knew Evan was an X-Man, that's pretty much given, it's just that he might not have realized conciously and emotionally that he may have to fight his former friend. I know this chapter wasn't much action, and neither was the prolougue, but I hope to have a lot of fight scenes in the next few chapters, though they might take a little longer to get out. Please R/R!



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