Really, I AM Dying! (pt. 10)

"He's a doctor," Ororo said. "He could already be here."

Magneto clenched his fists. "If he's here," he said, "I'll find him."

"Whoa, Magnus." Wolverine said. "We don't want to cause any more trouble than we already have, just by being here."

"Strange, coming from you." Magneto said...

"Look, our major concern right now is getting the kids better."
"I should think a madman running loose would be hazardous to their health!"

Storm finally terminated the debate by saying, "Can we call a truce until this is all over?"

Before Magneto, Wolverine, or Xavier could reply, the door burst open.
It was Dr. Armstrong, also known as "pain-in-the-butt". "What is going on here?" he demanded.

"We got a problem." Wolverine said. "Marco Sandoval."
"He's escaped from prison," Magneto explained, "and we need to evacuate the children--"
KABOOM!!

"What the hell was that?"

"I don't know," Wolverine growled, "but I don't like it."
"You guard the others." Magneto told him. "Charles, come with me. I have a sinking feeling Sandoval's behind this . . ."

"Don't leave us alone!" begged Wanda.
"Chill, we're not alone, yo." Toad managed to croak. "We're all together . . ."

Magneto and Xavier, accompanied by Storm, went to go find out who or what had invaded the hospital, hoping it wasn't who they thought it was.

Unfortunately . . . it was exactly what they thought it was.

"Sandoval." Magneto spat.

He wasn't even bothering with a disguise. "Long time no see, Magnus."

"Why waste time with small talk?" Magneto raised his arms . . . and hurled a devastating magnetic bolt at Sandoval which hurled him out the door onto the hospital grounds.

But Sandoval wasn't giving up easy. He had brought a few little surprise packages with him--like a de-magnetizer.

But he had nothing to defend himself against psychic attacks . . . which Xavier sprang on him at that moment.

"Aagghh!" Sandoval, clutching his head, staggered back, and toppled to the ground. But he wasn't out yet. He drew a gun . . . and fired before Magneto could yank it from his hand.

The bullet came for Magneto's chest . . . and something blurred in front of him . . .

"Pietro?"

The boy caught the bullet in midair, and then used it to knock the gun from Sandoval's hand.

Then, when the threat was safely dealt with . . . he passed out.

When he came to a half-hour later . . . he was back in his hospital bed.
"What happened?" he asked. "Did I get him?"

"You got him." It was Dr. Armstrong. "That was pretty impressive," he admitted grudgingly.

"You see?" Xavier said. "Mutants aren't all bad. We're just like anyone else."

The door opened and Wanda rushed in. "Is he all right?"

"I think so," Pietro said. "Sorry if I scared you."

"It's OK, Boo . . ."

He reached up . . . and touched something odd on her face. Some kind of discoloration, or . . .
Oh, no!

"Have you got it too, Wanda?"

"Got what?"
He pointed to what was now clearly becoming a red spot.
"Oh, no . . ."

Mrs. Ellis turned to the doctor. "Here we go again . . ."

(Sorry this is short! The epilogue is coming soon!)