Disc: I don't own X-Men: Evolution, or anything else in this thing really, no profit is being made.

Now for some good ol' fashion notes.

This exists half because I wanted to do an Apocalypse fic and half because of a challenge. Figured I could kill two birds with one stone.

I won't do that again, let me tell you.

Anyway. First, the Fanfic Association of the Internet rates this story "R" for swearing (I blame Mr. Sinister) and violence (I would still blame Mr. Sinister, but this one's more Apocalypse' fault.) Insane amounts of sappiness as the author has not one but three romances in this thing should also be expected.

Speaking of which, this 'fic contains that dreaded word, yes, Slash. No, the plot does NOT revolve around it (how sad is it that I have to actually SAY that?) This chapter... well, does, but it never gets worse then this. Besides, isn't it worth it to see Apocalypse beating our favorite mutants senseless? I thought so.

Without further ado...

Walpurgis Night

I. Rise, Inferno

by Alhazred

---

Mesmero liked the weather in this part of Tibet. The mountains had their fair share of snow, but around here, it was warmer. It was a comfortable warm, rather then suffocating heat. Maybe that was what had piqued his interest in the cavern when he happened by it years ago.

Maybe that was why the temperature was so noticeably different. Who wouldn't head for some warmth and cozy feeling... right into the Master's tomb? Mesmero remembered that had certainly been how he'd found the place when he'd brought the first key. It had been quite a feeling, to be inside the temple for the first time after only receiving telepathic instructions from afar.

He loved the temple itself even more then the environment. It was old, it was crumbling into the mountain, and it was more of a cave then a temple because of time... but it was soothing.

And at the same time it was exhilarating.

Especially now, as he stepped down the path, each tap of his heel a resounding echo to be savored. After all, this was only going to happen once. This accomplishment was the moment of a lifetime, but it was also once in a lifetime.

A terrible smile on his face, Mesmero patted down the final key in his pocket, shrugged the heavy leather on his shoulder farther up for stability, and walked toward the door.

---

"Thanks for the grand tour... maybe I'll catch you later?"

"Small school," Scott chuckled. "Hey, do you need a ride anywhere? I have room today."

One seat was still room. Jean was staying after school to watch a movie for extra credit.

"No, I have a couple of settling-in things to tie up around here... but thanks. Catch you later."

New kids in school came every so often, but Scott wouldn't be forgetting this one for awhile. Being the prestigious Senior that he was, he usually got to show transferred students around. But they usually didn't look like the result of Lance Alvers and Pietro Maximoff being able to breed.

The guy, Joseph, Scott remembered, looked so much like a combination of those two it was freaky. His hair was long like Alvers' and it was also pure white like Quicksilver's, though not as shiny. And the colors of his clothes consisted of blue, black, and nothing else.

He wondered if something was going on that he didn't know about when Kurt showed up at his car with news that he and Rogue had plans. Kurt was going to 'port them both home later. On top of which, Evan had been called to the office just before lunch and had apparently vanished.

So Cyclops, suddenly bored out of his mind, decided to drive around a little and think about something that was nagging at his brain. Even the Professor wouldn't need him this afternoon; he had invited someone down for an appointment.

That kid reminded him of someone, and it wasn't just the Brotherhood goons. If Scott didn't know any better, he would swear he'd met Bayville High's newest Junior before. He'd even said as much to him during the day, but of course it was a simple, passing thought.

Eventually, he realized he'd been driving nowhere for an hour with absolutely no ideas about his own personal mystery for the day, so he finally headed back for the Institute.

No sooner had he finished the leftovers he'd found during a kitchen raid, Kurt came back.

"Hey Scott, didja hear?"

"Hear what?"

His eyes going wide, Kurt sat down across from his friend and smiled like a schoolgirl. "It's all over the news, man! The water-main at the school exploded, probably around the time we were leaving!"

"Kurt... why is a busted pipe on the news?"

"Apparently," Kurt raised an eyebrow, "it was bombed."

Scott deadpanned. With everything going on in the world, someone... "Bombed."

"Bombed," Nightcrawler repeated once more, "leaving a precise, certainly-explosive blast pattern but no trace of anything."

"No trace." If Scott's face could look more flat, it would have. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"If you're thinking that the Brotherhood had Tabitha blow it so school would be cancelled tomorrow, then yes, I'm thinking what you're thinking."

"Did they cancel school?" Scott's eyebrows went up.

"Yes, yes they did," Kurt raised a finger.

"The Brotherhood… or Tabitha... or both, didn't want to go to school tomorrow so she planted a bomb? They're insane."

"They probably say the same thing about us every day," Kurt chuckled. "Jean narrowly escaped getting soaked, she happened to be on the ground floor at the time... Fortunately she had the sense to come see the Fuzzy Dude and take the short way home," Nightcrawler grinned. He flipped his hologram off and grabbed an apple before kicking back and looking smug.

Poor Jean, Scott thought. "So where is she?"

Chomping on his fruit, Kurt adopted a sour look. "She n'Kitty grabbed Rogue and went out to celebrate the homework-free weeknight. Personally I think she's just avoiding Duncan, not that I blame her."

"Oh, joy," came the reply, Scott suddenly looking a bit depressed. They both knew what happened the last time the girls had gone out. Cyclops flopped back into his seat, an action during which he briefly felt guilty for hoping Duncan Mathews could have possibly been caught in so much water that he'd drowned. Kurt almost seemed to read his mind.

"Anyway, doesn't look like they got hurt though. Despite the explosion going through the first floor and getting multiple teachers wet," Kurt started waving his hands around to illustrate. "Man, Principle Kelly is going to be very annoyed when he gets back, wherever he went..."

"Wow."

"Wow?" Kurt took another bite, "the Fuzzy spins a tale from Ripley's Believe it or Not and all you say is 'wow?'"

"Just that I never thought I'd be thanking the Brotherhood for anything. Well, okay, there was Juggernaut... but how often do they misbehave for everyone's benefit?"

Kurt looked at him for a second.

And then he burst out laughing, prompting Scott to do the same. "Good point!"

"Hey Scott?"

"Yeah?"

"Why don't you ever say anything to her, man?"

Blinking a few times behind his shades, Scott's answer was simple. "What?"

"Jean. You know." Nightcrawler smiled that evil Fuzzy-Dude-Knows grin, "I mean, no offense, but it's kind of obvious you want to. So does she, cough, dance, cough. Ya think Evan and I were waiting for it for our health?"

"Ugh, Kurt, the dance, don't remind me about the dance," Scott slumped back and rubbed at his temple. I never imagined Jean could mind-bomb one person so much in one night. "Tell you what. I'll give that a dignified response if you tell me why you care."

He wasn't actually expecting the furry mutant to answer. Kurt was just being Kurt, after all.

"Well, I dunno," the blue German answered. "I guess... ever since Amanda asked me to the dance it's kind of like... share the happiness, ya know? I have some, now it's your turn."

Scott was shocked. Kurt wasn't one to get deep about things like this. But then, after the childhood he'd been through any sort of real affection was bound to make him think. And he had no idea how to keep up his end of the little bargain.

So he changed the subject. "How is Amanda?"

"Great! And we're going out Friday night!"

In a conversational corner or not, Scott couldn't help but feel glad for his friend. He just hoped Amanda liked him, not the hologram's looks.

"So out with it Cyke, what does make Jean so unapproachable, I mean, assuming we share the same opinion of Duncan not worth factoring into the equation?"

Taking a deep breath, Kurt's field leader thought about avoiding the subject more by ragging on Duncan, but he knew Kurt wouldn't be fooled. "Well, thing is, Kurt, I... actually... I don't... like Jean. Like that."

"Aww, Scott, that's so lame. I told you, it's obvious," he smiled, "the way you two act around each other is... the whole brother-sister thing just screams unrequited love."

Profoundly dumbstruck, Scott answered, "It's not... that bad... is it?"

"Yeah Scott, yeah it is," Kurt smiled again. He had Scott right where he wanted him. And Scott knew it.

So he decided to come clean, as much to Kurt as himself. Besides, he had that bond with Kurt, having been the one to convince no one in the place was repulsed by how he looked. "Kurt?"

"Yeah?" Answered the teleporter, biting off the last good piece of the apple in his hand.

Scott looked into his eyes, a gesture made possible by the fact that he knew Kurt wouldn't see it, and willed his voice to sound as anti-joking as possible. "I'm gay."

Kurt choked on his fruit.

And he fell out of his chair with quite a racket to boot.

"Kurt?" Cyclops leaned over the table in time to see Kurt pull himself up and peer over.

"I meant to do that!" He proclaimed, sitting back down. He looked at Scott for a good minute before breaking the silence. "Really?"

"Yeah," Scott sighed. "First time I've even thought about it. Always been something I ignore. But at the end of the day it's always the same... Jean and I are like the siblings neither of us ever had and... You know, I think she was trying to get me to ask Duncan to the dance so she could escape him."

He tried to smile, but Kurt's face was uncomfortably blank. Then the blue mutant said, "That is wrong on multiple levels..."

Scott's face fell. Kurt added; "I mean, that'd make you the girl, wouldn't it?"

"You're right Kurt, that is wrong, that is very wrong," Scott shook his head. "Anyway. Jean kinda figured it out a while ago and bugs me every now and then to stop ignoring myself, usually in my head, but... And for the record, we were both kinda miffed at the mixed signals that time a certain someone stole my car keys."

"Yeah, I think I get it," Kurt replied with haste, his cheeks turning red under his fur. "Um, actually... you kinda helped me with something."

"I did?" Scott's eyebrows went up.

"Yeah, um," the blue mutant looked away and twiddled his thumbs. "I kinda have something I should tell you guys, I dunno what you'll say, but... you know, since it's Big Secret Day or something..."

Scott couldn't help but wonder if Kurt was going to say the very same thing that he just had. How stupidly ironic would that be?

"And?" He prodded, half expecting Kurt to say something like 'I used to have a crush on you.' That'd be so cliché, I'd laugh...

"Where's Professor X?" The German suddenly asked.

"Down with Mr. McCoy trying to fix Cerebro," Scott told him. "It's been 'spotting' Magneto at the school all day. I think we would've seen that."

"Yeah, scary thought," Kurt looked around the kitchen, as if afraid someone would overhear. "Amanda kinda... knows."

And Scott had no idea what he was talking about. "Knows? Knows what?"

Clearing his throat, Nightcrawler elaborated. "She kinda... knows what happens when you press a certain button on my watch?"

And now it was Scott's turn to stare. "Kurt."

"Yeah?"

"She knows what?"

"Um, yeah... she... saw me turning it off once," the blue mutant answered, avoiding the additional fact that it was a year ago. "And she told me at the dance. And I... kinda teleported her out away from those things Forge and I let loose. And then..."

"Then?" Scott prodded.

"We went for ice cream!" Nightcrawler grinned like an idiot, not before kicking back in his chair and putting his hands behind his head. Unfortunately, his agility got the better of him this time with his mind in Amanda-land, and he leaned back so far he fell from the chair again.

Feeling a sudden pain developing behind his right eye, Scott slumped back once more, and answered, "What a day..."

"So that's that," Kurt sighed, climbing up again like nothing had happened, "I guess... I screwed up, huh?"

"Well, considering we haven't seen reports of monster mansions on the news and the National Guard isn't bashing in the gates... I guess she took it well." Getting up and tossing his dishes in the sink, Scott grinned, "So what is it like having a girlfriend, Fuzzy One?"

Kurt almost choked again, not having heard the dreaded word yet. "Girlfriend?"

"Well, she likes you, you like her, you're dating her, am I missing something? Cause I'm not the expert on girlfriends..."

"No... I guess not. Maybe I was missing something myself," Kurt couldn't keep from laughing; Scott, aside from joking a bit more then he usually did, had brought an interesting idea to his thoughts. Girlfriend! "Wow... I have a girlfriend!"

Scott couldn't resist. "Better you then me."

"Dude, you better drag yourself out of the closet," Kurt chuckled. "I dunno if I could handle being the brunt of every gay joke from you. Or at least find... someone."

With Kurt having enough trouble accepting his whole girlfriend idea, Scott found it amusing that he couldn't get the word 'boyfriend' out either. "Eh, I have my eye on someone."

"Ach, information not needed, me and my big mouth..."

Grinning in victory, Scott was satisfied with the half-lie. In truth, he was still thinking about the kid he'd shown around the school earlier in the day... he felt like he knew him to the point of obsession.

And Scott was praying that didn't mean he had a crush...

---

"Any luck guys?"

"We tried rebooting the system a few times," Beast answered, rubbing his eyes while Logan leaned against the wall, "erasing Magneto from the database..."

"Looking for other mutants, of which none were found that are already in the database," Xavier answered, "so we don't know if it's a fluke or if I'll be seeing Magnus every time a reading pops up... in short..."

Hank let out a sigh. "Cerebro's kaput and we might as well be drifting through space toward certain oblivion for all our ability to fix it."

"Okay, how bout this then," Logan walked over to the window and took a look outside. The grounds were surprisingly quiet; usually a bunch of the more wiry students could be seen blasting at each other for fun during any given afternoon. "Maybe Magneto really is around the school?"

"As disturbing a possibility as that is," Charles answered, "the school is close enough for me to 'see' and I've checked it without using Cerebro. Though I'm tempted to fly out and get closer to be absolutely sure, I'm fairly positive Magnus isn't around."

"So am I," Wolverine answered, much to everyone's surprise. "Now that you smart people came to the same conclusion, maybe I'm not imagining things after all."

Answering the unasked question, Wolverine held up the videotape in his hand and beckoned the two towards the nearest VCR.

"Some aspiring journalist had a camera at the school today."

Wolverine had turned the sound off, but it wasn't hard to see what was going on with his explanation. The camera bobbed around quite a bit, a testament to the fact that it certainly wasn't professionally done.

"Whaddaya see?" Logan hit pause.

"Football players driving recklessly?" answered Xavier.

"Yep," Wolverine answered. "Duncan Mathews to be exact, go figure."

"Wait, rewind it," asked Hank. After a few seconds, "Stop. There, play it."

The cameraman had gotten a great shot of the drama but Hank had spotted something amiss. "You know, it should be physically impossible to skid like that.

"See it?" Rewinding it again, Logan played it frame by frame. For awhile, the car in question was skidding sideways... and about to hit a car pulling into the driveway at full speed. But for the briefest of instants his car was tilting toward the other vehicle, and then in the next frame it was down and sliding in the completely opposite direction.

"Now watch," Wolverine rewound the entire tape and hit play, "this."

Again, he stopped it and started moving frame by frame, but he pointed a finger to the opposite side of the screen, where some students were visible. There was one student far in the back, one of the few facing where the accident would happen in a few short frames. As it started, the student's arm suddenly came up... and he was suddenly waving it to the side at the exact same time of Duncan's miraculous, impossible change of direction.

And moreover, while other students in the picture went about their business, the one in question seemed to take a quick look around and walk away.

"Logan, I do believe you've found something," Charles smiled, the distinct possibility of a telekinetic now present. "I expect not, but do we know who that is?"

Wolverine's answer was "Pfft, not a chance in Hell."

"And he's so far away from the camera," Beast moved closer to the screen, "that I seriously doubt there's anything to enhance and get an ID."

Staring intently at that picture, the thought crossed Xavier's mind that this was a dead end in the first place. Logan had implied, after all, that it was a long shot. "But it's certainly not Magneto."

"Logan," Hank started.

"Yeah?"

"If this was done by an amateur, how did you get the tape?"

Logan shrugged, let out a 'hmm,' and walked away.

Beast decided he didn't want to know anymore.

---

Poking his head into Scott's room, Kurt asked, "Hey Scott, ya need anything before I go out?"

"Huh?" Kurt had managed to get his leader to look up from his computer. "Where're you going?"

"Oh, out with 'Manda."

An eyebrow raised, Scott replied, "I thought you two weren't going out until Friday."

"Well, what with no school tomorrow, homework can wait a few hours."

Getting a thumbs-up and what looked like a wink from Scott, Kurt left him.

Scott had been in the process of checking his e-mail, a task he quickly got back to. His inbox was filled with the usual junk mail, a few real messages, one from his brother, and something he almost deleted anyway.

Meet me behind the music store your friends always shop at. I'll wait.

He didn't recognize the address it came from. But he knew the place... he and Rogue had been in there taking a break from their hunt for Warren Worthington.

And after considering what it might have been... Brotherhood trap, practical joke, or something important, Scott decided curiosity was going to kill the cat. Deleting the thing anyway so no one else would find it, he dashed out of his room.

"Kurt! Hey Kurt!"

And he ran into Kurt's just in time to see the furry mutant, his image inducer on, teleport away. Fortunately, Kurt had heard him just as he vanished and was quick to reappear. "You rang?"

"Eh, sorry man, could you do me a quick favor?"

---

I can't believe I'm doing this...

A finger tap-tap-tapping against the railing, he had that thought again. I can't believe I'm doing this.

The waiting was the worst part. He had no idea if Scott Summers checked his e-mail regularly. For all he knew, Scott wouldn't be around for days. That was if he showed up at all.

But then, it seemed like a good idea to be as inconspicuous as possible.

But every few minutes the waiting became a welcome feeling. This wasn't exactly going to be easy. Jesus Christ, I can't believe I'm doing this! "ImustbeoncrackwhatamIthinking..."

The fire escape provided Pietro with a good view of the little alleyway. The view was pretty much the same as it had been an hour ago. Technically it wasn't behind the store, but the store didn't really have a 'behind' anyway.

Pietro wondered how much longer his patience would last when low and behold; the object of his attention came into sight.

Scott was completely oblivious to Pietro's position above him as he walked down the ally and looked around. Just as he turned to leave, Pietro got his attention.

"Fancy meeting you here, Summers."

Turning his head so hard his neck almost snapped, Scott looked up toward the voice and immediately wished he hadn't. "Maximoff."

"No, the tooth fairy," Pietro leaned on the railing. "What'dyouexpect?"

Desperately trying not to pull his glasses off, Scott glared at him at him. "I expected something worth my time."

"Wait," Pietro called, Scott turning to walk away. In one fell swoop, Pietro grabbed the railing, flipped over, and landed perfectly on his feet. "Ijustwannatalk!"

Decrypting Pietro's mach-three speech after a second, Scott looked around as if he expected to be on Candid Camera. "What, is Fred about to burst through the wall while I'm distracted?"

"Oh that's brilliant, Summers," Quicksilver retorted, running behind Scott in a split second. "In a public place with people close by, no less! I think us making a racket would be annoying."

"You're annoying already."

"IzzatsoShades?" Pietro ran around him again, the bite suddenly gone from his words. "Maybe I should just leave. Obviously you're about as friendly as Daniels."

"Not so fast, Maximoff, just what is up?"

Scott didn't trust him at all. As far as he was concerned, something was up.

"Certainly not your IQ," Pietro rebuked, walking away. Scott wouldn't let him pass. "Don't be dense, Summers."

"You're telling me not to be dense?"

His anger rising, Pietro shoved Scott back.

And Scott, his reflexes taking over before he realized it, pulled his glasses off.

Of course, Quicksilver was nowhere near the line of fire by the time he opened his eyes, and the brick wall at the end of the alley took the hit.

Scott shut his eyes when he realized he'd slipped, but this left Pietro quite free to zoom away, knocking him over in the process.

Having suddenly lost the energy to get up, Scott let out a sigh. But he came close to panicking when he realized he'd dropped his shades...

---

"You can understand my surprise when I received your message a few days ago, Mr. Gyrich," Xavier sipped his tea, "One thing wee pride ourselves on is our ability to stay anonymous and find our students ourselves instead of... well, vice-versa."

"As you should, Professor," the rather large man smiled, sitting down across from his host's desk. "But, well, when one is in such an... Interesting situation as the parents of certain 'gifted' children are, things can be heard through the grapevine."

Xavier didn't like this a bit. He hadn't liked it ever since this guy had walked into his study. Something was wrong, and he didn't need to be psychic to know it. But it helped; something was strange about one Henry Gyrich, a man that had popped up on the Institute's doorstep with no warning whatsoever save a phone call the night before. He couldn't quite place his finger on it at first, but less then five minutes in the man's company it hit him.

Whoever Henry Gyrich was, he had an incredibly strong mental shield. He put out none of the usual mind pollution most people did. No casual, loud thoughts, no sense of presence, nothing.

And if he was at the Institute to talk about the mutant son he'd mentioned, then Charles Xavier was Stanley Tweedle. "So, what do you think of the Institute?"

"A nice place," Gyrich smiled, "but then, I expected... nothing else."

The look on his face sent chills down Xavier's spine. Fearing he would visibly shiver if his guest's smile deepened, Xavier turned and glanced out the window. "Well, I'm certainly flattered at that, Mr. Gyrich... "

---

Scott hadn't just dropped his glasses; the ruby might as well have grown legs and ran away because his searching hand couldn't find it anywhere nearby. The gust of wind Quicksilver tended to leave behind probably had something to do with it.

The idea of having to walk back to the Institute with his eyes closed didn't thrill Scott at all, but after more then a minute of groping around in the self-inflicted dark, it was a fast approaching likelihood.

"Hang on a second."

Scott didn't recognize the voice. But true to the owner's word, he felt a hand take hold of his own and hold it steady before the shades were in his grasp.

Able to see again as he stood up, Scott recognized his timely helper as the new kid he'd given a tour of the school, though the name completely escaped him at the moment.

"Oh don't worry, I wouldn't remember me either."

Scott wracked his brain. "Joseph... right?"

"Got it in one. You okay?"

"Sure," Scott dusted himself off. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"People usually aren't laying on the ground in alleyways."

"Point taken," was Scott's answer, though he certainly wasn't going to give anything else while they walked out of the isolated area and started down the sidewalk. "Where you headed?"

"Home," Joseph answered, pointing a finger off to his side. "Other side of town, thataway."

"That's a long walk," Scott blinked. "Hey, the Institute's closer; you can come with me and I'll give you a ride."

"I'd appreciate that," Joseph confessed. "Wait... why didn't you drive down here in the first place?"

Scott mentally winced at that, having talked himself into a bit of a corner. "Don't ask. Besides, you're a little far from home, don't tell me this is as far as the bus goes."

"Nah, none of them headed down here anyway... which is annoying when one is trying to shop for someone's birthday," the white-haired boy defended. "Not that the three stores I've been in had what I was looking for."

Slightly annoyed at that thought, Joseph shoved his hands in his pockets and huffed.

And again, Scott tried to remember whom the kid reminded him off. It wasn't just the way he looked; something about his personality and the way he carried himself was starting to get gratingly familiar. At least he's good-looking...

---

Rogue was amused.

Kurt, Nightcrawler himself not only had a girlfriend, but the furry mutant had actually gone to her for advice.

His girlfriend's parents wanted to meet him after she'd mentioned he'd gotten her out of harms way those demon things had attacked.

This, of course, had driven Kurt up the wall with fright. 'What if I bump into one of them?' he'd said. 'What if my hologram gives out?'

So Rogue had become the designated moral support.

She'd left him on the doorstep as soon as he rang the bell, much to his chagrin, and watched from afar like the scheming friend she was as Amanda opened the door.

That job done, she'd joined Kitty and Jean in some shopping, but being broke at the moment, she left them early and had decided to go for a walk.

---

"Geez, hold up... I need a break. Why do you have to live on top of a mountain?"

"It's not that bad," Scott defended, Joseph collapsing against the wall that bore the plaque showing off the Institute's address. "Just think... my car's in the garage... all the way over there."

Joseph pulled himself up, heaving for breath all the way, and they walked on toward the building

"Who's birthday were you shopping for anyway?" Scott asked, unable to resist. Walking so much even for that struck him as more then a little crazy.

"My Dad," was his answer, "My Dad... who is out of town for a few days... his brother just died..."

It struck Scott as odd that Joseph hadn't gone along. Uncles weren't distant relatives, last he'd checked. Not that Scott and his own brother wouldn't mind having a few other living blood relatives.

He decided not to press the issue. Neither said another word until Joseph walked through the garage door behind Scott. "Now that's a nice car."

The X-Man smiled. "Yep... she's my baby," he answered, patting his hand on the hood for good measure, and fishing for his keys with the other.

Joseph spoke up again just as he found them. "Uh... Scott... I have something to confess."

His tone didn't sound horribly inviting. "Go on."

Pausing as if he didn't know how to say it, Joseph came out with, "I was watching you at the music store."

"What?" Scott didn't catch on for a moment, clueless as to what he was talking about. Then it dawned on him; and he could feel the color drain from his face.

"Let me put it this way," Joseph tried again, unaware he didn't need to. "I was watching when you take your glasses off."

"I was afraid of that," Scott sighed. Good one Scott... maybe I should just kill myself before the professor does. Stupid, stupid, Scott... I can't even blame Maximoff... "What are you going to do about it?"

A chuckle came from Joseph; he hadn't quite expected that as a reaction. "I haven't got a clue. I was just happy that I'm not the only freak around."

Scott completely lost his ability to speak. It made a freakish kind of sense. After all, with Cerebro seeing nothing but Magneto, the professor thought it simply malfunctioning and misidentifying someone. The fact that that someone was standing in front of him just like that was almost absurd.

Joseph took his pause to mean ignorance. "Braindead, I'm like you."

Much to his surprise, Scott's keys pulled out of his hand and flew into Joseph's raised palm. The demonstration was as amusing as it was informative. Scott couldn't help but laugh as Joseph tossed him his keys back, and soon the younger boy had joined in.

"I didn't expect this when I got out of bed this morning," Scott chuckled. "But I can tell you what you could do about it."

Bringing fellow mutants to the veritable Shangri-La that was the Institute was the one thing that gave Scott more pride than his car. It also brought an inner conflict: tell Joseph he could go to the Brotherhood for fairness' sake or not? Of course, given the questions likely to be asked, he probably wouldn't have to.

"And what's that?" Joseph prompted him.

"Stick around for a little while, talk to Professor Xavier... everyone that lives here is like us."

The younger mutant blinked a few times at that. "There's... a lot of us, huh?"

"Yep," Scott answered, leaning against his car. "The guys that live down at the Brotherhood of Bayville are mutants too."

There, that settled that.

"Mutant?" Joseph repeated. "Is that what we are?"

"Yeah," Scott smiled. "Depends on who you ask... come here and it's just a genetic mutation, go to certain others and we're Homo Superior."

"Figures. Nothing's ever simple. You know... I thought I was the only one until I saw you and the Road Runner. So you all live here... I mean, why doesn't anyone... know?"

"We keep it a secret," Scott was blunt. He decided not to mention he had personal experience in large amounts of 'normal' humans finding out about their little skeleton in the closet. "Better that then people being terrified of us. We all live here... train to control our powers better, try to do something good with it all every now and then but..."

"But?"

Scott scratched his head. "But, eh heh, we fall on our faces sometimes."

"Or make others do so? Locking doors on people from across the room is fun... I could use a break from my father sometimes, many small ones is just as good."

Scott winced. "That bad?"

With a laugh, Joseph answered, "No... But, you know how it is, it kinda sucks in a single parent family when you don't mix well with that parent."

Scott grinned like he was going insane, his mind drifting back to his conversation with Kurt earlier. "Heh, I know a little about not mixing well..."

"Really?"

Scott's face turned as red as his shades, his sole thought being did I just say that out loud? "Uh... yeah, kind of."

"You uncontrollably fire red beams from your eyes, what could possibly 'mix' less then that?" Joseph chuckled and leaned against the wall. "Next you'll tell me you're gay."

A lump formed in Scott's throat. Fate was certainly being uppity today. Sometimes there was just no escape. Ah, Hell with it. "I am."

After staring at Scott for a moment, Joseph replied, "well, that I didn't expect."

On a proverbial roll, Scott grinned like an idiot. "Well, such is life. I certainly didn't expect it either. I only admitted it to myself... this afternoon."

"Well, if it makes you feel better," the other mutant answered, looking like he was holding back a fit of laughter, "we have that in common too. Well, not the 'this afternoon' part. I like to think I'm well beyond the 'God, what's wrong with me' phase."

Having his turn to stare, Scott came to a conclusion. "I really didn't expect this when I got out of bed this morning."

---

"What's your son's name, Mr. Gyrich?"

"Joseph," Xavier's guest responded, a hint of pride in his voice.

But it didn't quite sound like the pride a father usually felt. It was something more... sinister. One more item for the list of "Things Wrong with Henry Gyrich." Xavier was starting to get worried.

"Yes, he's quite the gifted boy... in fact I'm sure he would remind you of someone, given the chance..."

He talked like Xavier had nothing to do with that chance. This was the lasts straw for Charles: though he was open to the possibility that he was just being paranoid, he was certain Mr. Gyrich was nothing but a liar, and he was sure this man knew his story wasn't holding.

Neither of them spoke again for a few seconds, but Charles felt a pull in his mind, a mental probe. His outer defenses were being nicked at, tested.

And it took him all of a second to realize Henry Gyrich was the telepath causing this. Still, he had an excuse, if Mr. Gyrich were a mutant himself then surely he would want an unbiased knowledge base on what he was dealing with in these circumstances.

Not that Xavier bought that idea, but he wasn't about to throw a fit over something that could be easily explained. Nevertheless, he didn't let Gyrich in, making certain to look ignorant and pretend his perception wasn't enough to sense the intrusion consciously.

Deciding getting away from Henry's steel gaze for a moment would help him think, Xavier rotated his chair somewhat and glanced out the window. "I look forward to meeting your son, Mr. Gyrich... Mr. Gyrich?"

He turned back.

Henry Gyrich had vanished into thin air.

---

"Huh, everyone must've gone out... the professor's busy too," Scott surveyed the lounge and checked his watch, noting that even the younger recruits showed no signs of their presence. It was certainly a rare moment of quiet.

And he'd known Xavier was preoccupied anyway because, overlooked by Cerebro or not, Joseph walking into the Institute would have set bells and whistles off in his telepathic head instantly.

Joseph planted himself in a chair, but the stereo caught Scott's gaze. "Looks like Kitty was here."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because this is hers," Scott picked up an open jewel case from the cabinet. The CD wasn't in it, but Joseph could clearly say an extremely sappy and boorish name across the cover, suggesting that whatever it was, it was a chick thing. "I feel bad for Kurt, having a room next to her at night..."

"That's the best thing about not digging the ladies, Scott. No chick flicks. Or chick music in this case."

"Heh, yeah." Scott pondered that. Then he looked at the back of the case, and his expression turned into a slight but heavily wicked grin. I might as well do it... how many guys like me can like someone and act on it?

A glance toward Joseph told the X-Man that his friend was still looking around the place and taking everything in. A look at the CD player told him that yes, Kitty had forgotten to take her incredibly dramatic romance compilation out of the thing.

So he walked over and set it to play the last track. Joseph shot him a look when he heard the music start, and looked like he'd gag when the singer began.

I've been watching you awhile

Since you walked into my life

Monday morning, when first I heard you speak to me

With a chuckle, Scott walked over and reached an arm out. This was so corny it would probably work. "May I?"

"What?" Joseph frowned.

"And you call me Brainless," was his answer. "I'm asking you to dance, Knucklehead."

"Oh Hell no,' The other mutant deadpanned, not even comprehending the other implications of what Scott had said in the first place. But Scott wouldn't take no for an answer. Joseph soon found a hand clamped around his forearm before Scott pulled him clear out of the chair and held him close.

"I can't dance," he blurted out, clearly embarrassed by this.

"I don't mind."

I was too shy to let you know

Much too scared to let my feelings show

But you shielded me and that was the beginning

Scott used this as a cue to take the lead, and soon discovered that Joseph not only didn't know how to dance, he barely knew where his hands should have gone. But he really didn't mind.

Now at last we can talk

In another way

And though I try; I love you,

Is just so hard to say

If I only could be strong

And say the words I feel

Once they got a rhythm going, Scott half-rested his head on Joseph's shoulder. Despite his opaque shades, he was too shy to look him in the eyes. And he didn't want Joseph to see him wince every time he felt his foot being stepped on.

"Joseph?"

"Yeah?"

Scott almost bit his tongue, but he forced his mouth to move. "I think I like you. A lot."

Joseph opened his mouth to say something along the lines of 'the dance thing kinda gave it away,' but he stopped himself and instead came out with, "You do?"

My bleeding heart begins to race

When I turn to see your face

I remember that sweet dream

Which you told to me

I wanted just to be with you

So we could make the dream come true

And you smiled at me and that was the beginning

"Yeah... yeah, I do."

"Scott?" Joseph breathed. "I've... never really been in a relationship before..."

Trying desperately not to laugh, Scott answered, "Oh what, like I have?"

He did laugh when Joseph did the same.

Now at last we can talk

In another way

And though I try; I love you,

Is just so hard to say

If I only could be strong

And say the words I feel

Not quite fumbling his steps as much anymore, Joseph leaned back so he could see Scott's face. Scott, on the other hand, grabbed his glasses on reflex when his dance partner moved a hand from his waist to take them off.

"I wanna see your face," he smiled. "I can live without the whole see-into-your-soul-through-your eyes thing."

Raising an eyebrow behind his shades, Scott wondered how he got so paranoid about loosing them in the first place. It wasn't like Joseph was stupid enough to yank them off with no warning.

So Scott closed his eyes and tugged them away, his movements stopping on the fear he might trip and accidentally open his eyes.

Still with his other hand holding Scott's, Joseph traced his fingers down the X-Man's face, curving them around where his shades hid his skin as if he could form a clear picture of it in his head through touch.

Tell me what you're thinking of

Tell me if you love me not

I have so much I long to ask you

But now the chance has gone

When your picture fades each day

In my heart the memory stays

Though we rant, you're always smiling

And I will hold it long

Joseph took a deep breath as the song ended, and he kissed Scott. Fighting the reflex to open his eyes, Scott tried not to fall over from the shock

On that thought, he pulled his hand from Joseph's and wrapped his arms around him. Joseph did the same.

"This is worse then Titanic! Gag me now!"

Flash! And a sound filled the room.

Joseph blinked. He pulled away from Scott and gave him room to throw his glasses on. Slowly, really not wanting to register what it looked like had just happened; they turned their heads.

Scott's jaw hit the floor. "Maximoff?"

Indeed, Pietro Maximoff stood in the doorway, a wry smile on his face, Jean's camera in one hand and the picture he'd just taken in the other. The Polaroid was Quicksilver's new best friend. He waved it through the air, pretending to make it develop faster. "My my my, this'll be an interesting collector's item, eh lover boys?"

"Maximoff, gimmie that!" Scott yelled.

Quicksilver's smile turned deadly. "WhatifIdon'twanna?"

And with that, he dashed back out the front door, but not before he even took the care to replace Jean's camera from where he'd found it in her room.

Joseph and Scott promptly yelled, "Shit!" before running after him.

Fortunately, Pietro had decided to taunt them more on the front lawn. With one more flaunt of his prize, he dashed for the fence.

"And he's stupid enough to run in a straight line," Scott commented, turning his head with a careful deliberateness before he pulled his glasses up and blinked.

The optic blast was right on the mark and caught one of Pietro's ankles. With a cry that sounded something like 'wahhhhh!" he lost his footing and took a header at super-speed, flipped over in mid air, landed flat on his back, and skid four feet right to the fence he'd been planning to leap over.

Before he could stand, Joseph grabbed at said fence with his powers and bent a bar of it down and around Quicksilver's ankle.

"Hey, lemmiethehellup!"

"Fat chance, Maximoff," Scott shot back in between gasps. While Pietro had gotten so far easily, it was quite a distance to run in a short time for someone without super speed. Catching his breath, Scott leaned down and snatched the photo from Pietro's hand.

"Tch, no one's got a sense of humor here. Take a joke, already guys," Quicksilver pleaded.

"Yeah, blackmail is a great joke," Joseph answered.

"Oh, please. Yeah, and how do I explain to anyone how I got the thing in first place?"

Seeing no further point in it, Scott motioned for Joseph to let him up. The fence returned to normal and Pietro sprang to his feet. And at that exact moment, it occurred to Scott just exactly what Pietro meant by 'where I got it.'

"Wait a mi- Maximoff, what are you doing here?"

"Heh, wouldn't you like to know," he answered, stretching his arms out to the sides and swinging them in front before leaning down. "Catcha later guys."

With that, Quicksilver threw himself backward with such speed that he somersaulted right over the fence.

Scott held the picture at arm's length, his unseen eyes studying it.

"Heh," Joseph smirked, "I think it's better then Titanic, myself."

---

Pietro hated parks. But at the moment, a park held the most convenient place to sit down. Or rather, to lye down after his little encounter. He picked a vacant bench at random and began the not-so-rigorous process of vegetating.

It wasn't my fault, I tried talking to him again... that whole scene was just too damn much...

He didn't want to head back to the Brotherhood house, because everyone would notice something was wrong and everyone would bug him about it and it just wasn't something he wanted to deal with. He'd been avoiding everyone as much as possible lately; deathly afraid they'd somehow figure out what he was thinking.

And for two days, he'd felt even more dragged down now that he actually tried to do something about it. You idiot, Summers... why'd I even try talking to you....

But then, Pietro sat up and snickered. He had to restrain himself from breaking out in hysterical laughter. The thought of Scott reminded him of the scene he'd just retreated from. And the whole thing was just too funny. Just the way Scott had a few certain girls fawning over him all the time on top of it was hilarious, and it all combined to form Pietro's first amusing memory since he had started thinking about... things.

"God, what's so funny Pete? Or should I be afraid to ask?"

"Heh, hey Stripe, haven't seen much of you around."

"Ugh, don't call me that," Rogue rolled her eyes and instinctively brushed the white hair out of her face. "Fancy meeting you here."

"I needed space," Pietro put his legs down from the bench. "Whydonchatakeaseatandwecansavorthiscivilizedconversation?"

Giving him a look that screamed 'please stop doing that,' as she registered only the 'civilized conversation' part, Rogue reluctantly did so. Though it occurred to her that although Pietro really wasn't a bad guy, and was perfectly capable of making civilized conversation when he and Evan weren't trying to kill each other, it was a bit odd of him to actually offer it.

"You look like you've been giving yourself a headache thinking too much," she commented, noticing the circles under his eyes.

"Yeah, well, that's how it is. I dunno, lately I feel kindatrappedbutnotreallyImeanI'mkindasickofhowthingshavebeengoinandIreallyneed..."

Pietro stopped on a dime when he saw that Rogue wasn't listening. It was more then being unable to understand his accidental speed talk; she was staring way off into space. After developing a few theories on why, he picked the one that would be most amusing and went for broke.

"Yo, Rogue, snap out of it." He waved a hand in front of her face, and she jumped. "You look like you're pining over someone." This is too good...

"Oh shut up," she yelled. He returned her glare half-heartedly, having hit pay dirt. Finally, she slumped on the armrest, sighed, and rolled her eyes. "Alright, fine. I like Scott. I like Scott, I wish Jean would stop drooling over him, I wish he would stop 'pining' for her and notice me for a change, and yes, sometimes I even wish it was physically possible for me to jump him every now and then. Ya happy Pete?"

"You like Scott," he deadpanned.

"Didn't I just say that," she frowned.

"You like Scott," he repeated. She didn't respond this time.

And after half a minute, Pietro went into such violent laughter that Rogue thought he was having a seizure. Especially when he fell off of the bench.

Pietro, however, had taken it upon himself to laugh with super speed, and as such recovered fairly quickly. He was sitting down again within a matter of seconds as if nothing had happened.

"You have no idea how funny that is."

"Oh really?" She scowled. "And just why is my love life... or lack thereof... funny?"

"CauseScottalreadyhasaboyfriendandhedoesn'tneedyou."

"Pietro, would you slow the hell down maybe to two words a second?"

Realizing his jibe had been totally lost and the humor was destined to fail, Pietro made a face. "Um, well... Scott's gay."

Rogue shot him a glare. "You said all of that just to insult Scott?"

Biting back another laugh, Pietro waved a hand around to accentuate his point. "No, not happy-gay, GAY gay."

"Oh come on Pietro, think of something original."

He looked into her eyes and didn't say another word. Her expression one of numb shock, she added, "You're... not kidding are you?"

"Nope."

"Oh c'mon, that's out there, Pietro." She waved him off. "Besides, how would you know an-"

"I walked in on him and this kid that looks like my... looks like someone I know making out," he cut her off. For a brief moment, he wished he had gotten away with that picture. "Freaky image, eh?"

Rogue bit her lip. And then she slumped back and rolled her eyes. "Why me..."

Pietro hadn't been expecting that. He'd almost hoped she'd take it badly so the conversation would stay amusing. "Huh?"

"Oh, you know." She answered. "First guy I touched fell into a coma, then I dig the guy who isn't interested. Maybe someone's trying to tell me something... yeah. Maybe I'll swear off love for a while."

Pietro decided this was far more amusing then Rogue freaking out; most teenagers, let alone ones who could touch people in the first place, didn't react well to this particular romance situation. But he didn't really act on this thought; Rogue suddenly shot up, a look on her face like she'd heard something he didn't. Without warning, she pulled a glove off and planted her hand right on his face.

Shocked, he opened his mouth to scream, to yell at her to get off, but all he got out was a gasp for breath as his strength ebbed into her.

Finally, she pulled away, looked around, and took off in a burst of speed leaving Quicksilver about to flop off of the bench again. Perversely curious, however, he ignored the sudden need for sleep, for replenishment, and forced himself to stand and follow in an unsteady and much slower run.

---

"Nice job on the fence," Scott commented, his face turning red. He shoved the picture into a pocket.

"Yeah... would you believe me if I said I have no idea what it is?"

"Really? Looks kinda like telekinesis. Jean'll be jealous, heh heh," Scott answered.

Joseph searched his pockets for a hair tie and, finding one, pulled back the strands that had plastered to his face from the exertion of running after Pietro. "Well, yeah, but I mean... only works on metal, I figured out."

"Only works on... metal," Scott started to ask.

But then he trailed off, for the elusive answer to a simple yet annoying question had finally caught up with him. The color drained from his cheeks, and he looked Joseph over with a new thought on his mind. The way he'd been pulling his hair back made it just right, and he even paused when he caught Scott staring at him like something was horribly wrong.

"Scott?"

But Scott didn't hear him. Joseph's expression, the dull white of his hair, the way he carried himself, Cerebro's odd behavior all day, and to a lesser extent the other mutant's voice added up with his gift to form one, single solitary thought, one word that Scott heard thundering in his head.

"Magneto..."

"What?"

Scott took a frightened step back without noticing. It was surreal. The way Joseph had always looked familiar, an oddity Scott had chosen to ignore, wasn't just suddenly in his face, but it was boring it's way back through his cursed eyes straight to the base of his skull. Magneto... Magneto... I just kissed Magneto...

He felt sick. The whole idea was absurd, it had to be a freakish coincidence; after all, Joseph was his age and Magneto was as old as Professor Xavier. He had to be imagining things.

But he could see nothing but Magneto standing in front of him. "Who... what the hell are you?" He stuttered.

Joseph almost fell over.

"His existence is no concern of yours, brat." Both mutants turned to see a man staring at them from about twenty feet away. He stood, dressed in a suit underneath a baggy leather coat, with his arms crossed and fixed an unblinking gaze on Joseph. But the voice couldn't have come from him. The voice that has spoken those words had been heavy, loud... inhuman.

The man strode forward, and as he did so, a band of white light formed above him and swirled over his form. He vanished not unlike Kurt would, except with a less abrasive sound.

Sensing a presence behind him, Joseph spun around and found the man had teleported behind him. And this time, when he spoke, the freakish truth was that he was the source of that voice.

"Such an easy thing you were to find," that voice declared, reaching an arm out. Joseph staggered back. "It amuses me that you were here of all places."

And then the man stopped, his face twisting in anger at something unseen. Clutching at his head, he looked around franticly and settled upon the slightly distant sight of Charles Xavier at the walkway to the front door, his own hand at his head as he concentrated.

"You think you can get inside my head," the stranger growled to himself. "I encourage you to remember what happened last time, Xavier."

Seconds later, the professor reeled back in his chair as if he'd been slugged right across the face.

Seeing this, Scott was quick to pull his glasses off and let his eyes blast the apparent telepath for all they were worth.

And Scott was horrified to find that he didn't budge, didn't move save for an annoyed look.

"There are those that spent their entire lives trying to destroy me," he raised an arm, hand balled to a fist as something seemed to move under the sleeve. Scott had the distinct impression that he was staring down the barrel of a gun. "When will you learn that it can not be done?"

Scott tensed. He wanted to dive away, obviously something was coming and that would be the best course of action.

But he never got the chance. The bolt of energy just came too fast, and Cyclops took it head on and he went down hard.

Joseph tried to run to his aid, but he couldn't move. He couldn't even speak. Something stopped him from doing so, stopped him from doing anything.

"As for you," he heard the stranger's voice boom, "go to sleep now."

Pain searing through his chest, Scott pushed himself up and found his shades just in time to see Joseph pass out on the ground and their attacker stride toward him. His mind racing, he tried to think of something he could do, anything, but his full-on uncontrolled optic blast hadn't phased the man and now he wasn't sure he'd even be able to stand.

Fortunately, he didn't have to just yet. A second after Scott felt a sudden wind pass his skin, he saw a blur of something in motion behind the man, a blur that leapt through the air at his back.

Slowing down in midair, Rogue wrapped her arms around the tall man's neck and, her gloves already gone, pressed a hand to his cheek. "Gotcha."

The scream he let out was almost maddening; Scott felt an urge to cover his ears when that inhuman voice howled in agony as Rogue held on for dear life. On the ground, Joseph opened his eyes and blinked, now free from his telepathically induced slumber.

He and Scott looked on in both amazement and horror as the man not only lost his footing, but seemed to lose his very form as well. Finally, the sound of metal touching metal ringing, he changed. The middle-aged, slightly wrinkled face turned much younger, perhaps to that of a twenty-five year old. His skin and hair darkened into different shades of blue, and his clothes gave way to an almost organic blue-tinted armor wrapping itself around him in segments from somewhere unseen.

It was almost freakish that his overcoat was the only thing unchanged.

When he spun around in an attempt to fling Rogue off, Scott could see a dark blue letter 'A' sewn into the leather of his coat. His scream turning to a gurgle as his strength drained, he reached a hand up to tear her off and apart if need be, but Joseph beat him to it, the metal around his hand suddenly restrained in a magnetic field.

But he was still too strong, and he'd wrap a fist around Rogue's head any second. Scott put two and two together. If Rogue's touch really drained his strength...

"Rogue, let him go!" He yelled, a hand at his glasses to get the point across. But she didn't seem to have enough strength to look. In fact, she seemed to fall off of her victim rather then let go.

Whirling around with what little strength remained, the man's eyes went wide as he saw Scott pulling his shades off again, suddenly terrified of something he didn't blink from earlier.

A split second later, Scott opened his eyes. The blast he let out now sent his target flying with quite a yell, but before he landed some thirty feet away he stretched an arm one more time and fired his own hidden weapon again.

Already weak, Scott was knocked clear into unconsciousness this time and he quickly fell back to the ground.

Smoke rising from his charred armor, the bluish man stumbled to his feet in a rage, angry that he had been bested so easily. With an agitated wave of his arm, he vanished in another flash of light.

As if on cue, Nightcrawler appeared on the lawn in his poof of smoke, the Professor's urgent voice still ringing in his head while Jean and Kitty let go of his arms.

And all three of them were quite horrified to find Professor Xavier quite a distance away but obviously in pain, a bruised, battered and unconscious Cyclops, a rather shaken mutant they didn't know, and Rogue on the ground, curled into a ball and shivering like it was fifteen degrees outside.

Ironically, Kurt himself was startled that her skin had turned blue.

---

"So, like, lemmie get this straight." A puzzled look on her face, Kitty began counting off on her fingers. "Scott's out cold, Rogue's in some weirdo coma, there's a blue guy running around who wants this mutant who looks like Magneto from decades ago, and this mutant who looks like Magneto from decades ago is, like... here."

"Yeah kid," Logan sighed, propping himself up against the wall. "That's about it."

"Man, why is every freaky mutant blue," Kurt asked; a twinge of self-consciousness in his voice, though certainly not as much as there would have been a year ago.

"He's not a mutant," Xavier answered. He knew that much at least, or Cerebro would have spotted him long ago. Power like that wasn't so refined in the first use. "I'm afraid we're not quite sure what he is. Except..."

"Except," Jean ventured, "he's the... whatever it was that..."

"That was responsible for the theft of those Tibetan rings, yes," Xavier cut her off, not wanting the specifics of that incident to be brought up. Jean, Kurt, and Kitty didn't need to be reminded of the whole thing. "If we could find Mesmero we might get some answers, but I haven't been able to locate him."

"Hey Chuck, question," Logan half-heartedly raised a hand. "How do we know this guy is the mindbender, anyway?"

Instead of giving them a simple answer, Charles paused. Briefly, he glanced around at everyone in the room as if he was afraid of answering. Nevertheless, he turned his gaze toward the door. Raising his voice a bit, he said, "Hank, why don't you bring him in now?"

The door that lead into the kitchen swung open and everyone, save Charles, stared in complete and total confusion at the sight of Beast gently prodding Pietro Maximoff into the room.

Glancing around the room, Pietro shoved his hands into his pockets, rolled on his heels a bit, and said, "Um... heyeveryonehowyouguysdoinlately?"

A few seconds later, the group, having understood absolutely nothing of what Quicksilver said, replied with a collective nod and an 'uh huh!'

---

There are those that spend their entire lives trying to destroy me. When will you learn it can not be done?

When Scott realized he'd just now opened his eyes, he shut them; but there was no sound of destruction, no indication that he'd blown a hole through the wall or knocked someone into next week. The memory of that thing still fresh in his mind, he brought an unsteady hand up to his face and found he was wearing the goggles he usually put on at night.

He also realized, as he fully woke up, that it was night, he was in his room, in bed, and under the covers.

And the fact that I still have my pants on is a good tip I didn't get here under my own power. When that realization came, so did a monstrous headache when the day's events had finally resettled in his mind. He remembered being blasted silly, and he felt the bruises that proved it.

But he felt something else in the back of his mind, another clear recollection about earlier. What the Hell are you?

Joseph...

Soft taps, tap tap, tap, reached Scott's ears. Placing the sound as someone typing on a keyboard, he reached for his nightstand and turned the light on. Joseph was sitting cross-legged on the floor at the foot of his bed, leaning over a laptop. Scott could see a phone cord hooked into it.

"Everyone thought you'd be more comfortable here... Professor Xavier said you weren't hurt really bad..."

He hadn't looked away from the screen, and Scott couldn't see what was on it, but Joseph didn't seem off at all, as if nothing had happened. And it made Scott feel worse.

"Joe."

"Yeah?"

What the Hell are you rang in Scott's head again and again, every now and then sounding like What the Hell are you that you can stand being in the same room with me? He noticed his shirt on the doorknob and got up to grab it just to distract himself. "Why are you... why..."

"Why am I still here?" The white-haired mutant finished. "Because... what else were you supposed to say?"

Pushing his head out through his shirt, Scott saw that Joseph had slid the laptop over to his side so the screen was in plain view.

One side of it was a mug shot of Magneto, and the other half was scrolling through all of Cerebro's data on the Master of Magnetism. Finding that his right leg was currently most unwelcome to weight, Scott limped over, at a loss for words. 'I'm sorry' certainly wouldn't cut it.

"Scott... what am I?" Joseph lost his previous calm; he sounded like he was about to cry.

"Don't ask that," was the answer. Scott sat down next to him.

"Why not? It's the perfect question... what am I," he repeated, looking at Magneto's picture again. The resemblance was beyond uncanny.

Desperately wishing he could undo the whole thing, Scott bit his lip in a resolve to choose the right words this time. "Because... because you shouldn't need to. Because you're 'you,' before you're anything else. Because... you're someone I like... and if I wasn't a complete idiot I would've kept my mouth shut and be satisfied with that."

"Scott," Joseph breathed, his form slumping against the other mutant like he didn't have the strength to support himself anymore. "Don't leave me..."

"I won't," Scott answered, silently telling himself that he should be the one begging that. "I won't."

He wrapped an arm around Joseph's shoulders... and with his other hand, he reached forward and closed the laptop.

---

No one was expecting the doorbell to ring before Pietro could start saying... whatever it was he was going to say. Considering a light rain had started not long after everyone had calmed down, most people had already gotten inside somewhere in case it got worse.

Nevertheless, Logan and Xavier and headed for the front door. The gate wouldn't close for another half-hour, so whoever it was had come just in time.

Logan wanted to get 'it' over with quick, he wasn't entirely sure he trusted Quicksilver in the room. Or the others not to say the wrong thing and piss him off. Although, with Evan gone for the moment, that was fairly unlikely.

Both of them were a bit taken aback when Logan opened the door to reveal a slightly damp man with a backpack over one shoulder. The visitor looked at least 30, but he dressed like a teenager underneath his white lab coat: an orange ADIDAS T-shirt, faded jeans, and tennis shoes completing his repertoire with blue, spiked hair topping him off.

What worried Logan was his face; normal people just didn't paint their faces white with diamonds of red encircling their eyes, complete with black outlines that were drawn up to his hairline and down to his cheeks on both sides.

"Can we help you?" Xavier asked.

"Actually I was wondering if I can help you," the visitor answered. "Let me save you the trouble of asking: my name is Sinister, you've recently met a man who is, quite literally, blue and from the impatient looks I'm getting, he probably kicked your asses or mindfucked someone good."

"So what's it to you?" Logan's stared him down, not missing a beat.

"What's it to me, he asks," Sinister chuckled. "Apocalypse is the key to my life's work. As such, I know a lot about him."

"Apocalypse?" Xavier asked, though he knew the answer already.

"Blue boy has an ego. Couldn't tell you what his real name is. To get to the point, because I'm starting to get wet out here... I know more about him then you do, I need to research him for my work, and I need the resources to do it. You have those resources, and you need what I can give you. All I want's an honest to God bed to sleep in and you get my esteemed services for free."

The situation was serious enough for Logan to keep his temper in check. Though he did broadcast a simple thought for Xavier to pick up. Is he as much of a loon as he looks like, Chuck?

Perhaps, Logan, but he's telling the truth... about his knowledge as well as his intentions. He may be able to help Rogue.

Ordinary people would have immediately turned the odd man away. But then, Xavier was hardly ordinary; being able to read minds came in handy. Logan motioned for the visitor to come inside.

"Now we're talking."

"Just don't do anything funny, Bub."

They led him back to the study, where the kids were, Pietro most of all, fidgeting around and quite suddenly becoming confused at the odd man's presence.

"Speedy Gonzales here was just about to tell us about the blue guy," Logan intoned, leaning against the wall as if he'd never been gone.

The newcomer pulled up a chair. "Yes, do tell Mr. Sinister everything."

---

Apocalypse starts breaking peoples' faces next chapter. Yeah, you know you've been waiting for it. 8P

Special thanks to Julia for three things: writing a kick ass Apocalypse fic (go read "The Beginning and the End" right now,) being really spiffy to talk to, and for actually reading this.

More special thanks to Kreliana and Cloud for help with this and to Cloud for helping immensely with the Original Badass Apocalypse Design.

Oh yeah, busted water mains WILL get you a day off from school, I speak from experience. Just don't get any ideas, m'kay?

The ref list:

Joseph is using a line from American Beauty when he helps Scott after Quicksilver leaves.

The song that Scott puts on is "The Words I Feel" from Xenosaga. (Don't glare at me like that, I warned you this would contain mass amounts of sappiness... just wait till Pietro gets his girl...)

I think I'm forgetting here... should you catch some quote I obviously st... erm, borrowed, lemmie know :P