Defiance

That day began as any other. Training. Yet during the training Magneto halted it. "Avalanche I want you to get into your uniform." He told him. "I have a mission especially for you."

Lance quickly changed into his uniform out of his training clothes and followed Magneto to the hanger bay. He entered the spherical ball and waited to be transported to who knew where. He hated these rides, the motion of the ball as well as not knowing where they were going did nothing to appease the pit in his stomach. When he emerged from the darkness, he saw that they were alone in the middle of a desert.

"See that tower?" Magneto pointed to a lone tower. It appeared to be some sort of satellite receiver. Barbed wire and fences to keep people out surrounded it.

"What is it?" Lance asked. "Some kind of military outpost?"

"As far as you are concerned it's your target. Destroy it!" Magneto commanded. Lance used his powers to crack open the earth and destroyed the tower with ease. "Very good."

"Piece of cake," Lance smiled. "Nothing to it."

"Yes, now it's time for you to try something else," Magneto took out a syringe.

"What is that?" Lance looked at the syringe suspiciously.

"This will make you stronger," Magneto said. "It's something I made to help guide your evolution. Once this is in your system, you will be unstoppable."

"Wait a minute," Lance looked at that syringe suspiciously. "Something's not right here."

"Don't worry," Magneto told him. "This won't hurt."

"N-no," Lance backed away. "I don't really want that. I've been getting along okay without it."

"No you haven't," Magneto told him. He used his powers to take hold of the metal parts of Lance's uniform and brought him close enough for him to inject him.

"Ow!" Lance yelped. "What did you do that for? I told you I didn't need it! I'm strong enough without those drugs!"

"I think I should give you some of this as well," Magneto took out a second vial. He injected Lance with it as well. He tossed Lance to the ground.

Lance suddenly felt very groggy. Like his brain had suddenly fogged up. "What did you do to me?" He moaned as he got to his feet. He held his head with one hand. A dull pain started to surge through his head.

"I told you. I gave you something to enhance your abilities as well as purge your mind of useless emotion."

"What?" Lance yelped.

"You've been dwelling on that Shadowcat for far too long," Magneto told him. "Its time you forgot her. You will be far better off. All you have to do is give into the drug."

Struggling to hold onto reality something clicked into Lance's mind. "You've been doing this for a long time haven't you?" Lance snapped. "To all of us! Erasing our memories, trying to make us forget what you did! Drugging us…"

"Your evolution needs to be guided," Magneto told him. "It's for the best."

Lance's eyes narrowed. His vision was getting blurry. "Toad was right wasn't he? You've been making mutants be your personal super soldiers haven't you? That's why you didn't want us to talk to those others you brought in. So we wouldn't know what you were doing until it was too late. Like we're some sort of guinea pigs or something!"

"I do what I must if the mutant race is to survive," Magneto told him.

"Survive!" Lance laughed hysterically. "That's rich! Why worry about humans? It's you we have to worry about! How can you possibly justify experimenting on your own kind?"

"I'm advancing our species to a new level!" Magneto growled.

"Bull!" Lance snapped. "You're worse than any human! The X-Men and Toad aren't traitors to mutants! You are!"

"Quiet. Or do you need another lesson in obedience?" Magneto growled.

"NO!" Lance screamed. The ground around him started to shake. "I'm through listening to you! And so are the others when I tell them what you did!"

"You will tell them nothing," Magneto said coldly. Using his powers he wrapped a stray piece of barbed wire around Lance, binding him tightly.

"N-No!" Lance screamed through the pain as the barbs dug into his skin. He fought to hold onto his mind despite the drugs and the pain.

"Yes," Magneto told him. "You belong to me. You will do what I command. I am your master. You are mine."

Lance knew that if he gave in now, he would never be free. Never have a mind of his own again. Never be with his beloved Kitty ever again. "NOBODY OWNS ME!" Lance screamed, his powers shattering the earth around him. "I DON'T BELONG TO YOU OR ANYONE! I'M FREE AND I'M GOING TO STAY THAT WAY!"

"Fool!" Magneto snapped, rising into the air. "Stop shaking the ground! Do you really think you can hurt me this way?"

"I can try!" Lance snapped, sending tremors far deep into the earth. The nearby mountain cliffs shook apart scattering rocks everywhere. Even Magneto had trouble dodging it. Magneto increased the pressure on the wire even tighter, making his wounds even deeper. Still Lance refused to stop. He fought through the pain and kept fighting.

Even as the earth quaked and shattered around him, Lance held on. He reasoned if he could still feel some pain, he could still fight. He screamed in agony, tears openly running down his face as Magneto tossed him around like a rag doll. Still he refused to give up. He would not let him win.

"This is your final chance," Magneto warned him. "Submit or perish!"

"GO TO HELL!" Lance screamed.

"I warn you," Magneto told him. "You are not irreplaceable. Soon I will have others in my organization, thanks to the Joes. Make your choice."

"I…SAID…GO…TO …HELL! NO!" Lance screamed in agony.

"So be it," Magneto intoned, tightening the wire. He started to squeeze the very life out of him. Lance used all of his remaining strength to his powers. The mountain cliffs fell over him and his entire world turned to darkness.

Magneto floated down and looked at the rubble. All he could see was a pile of rocks where Lance had been. Only his helmet was left. It had cracked open. "Fool," Magneto cursed under his breath. "Too stubborn for his own good." He left the scene, leaving Lance entombed in the rubble.