The Dragon Tamer: Spellbound

(PG-13 for swearing and suggestive actions and words. This is Part II in The Dragon Tamer series. I think most of you know as well as I do that I don't own X-Men or the characters (except the ones I make up, you should be able to tell who those are.) Enjoy!

Chapter 20: Change of Plans

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Evan stepped out of his car and walked up to Magneto's door. Cheyenne answered the door, surprised at who she saw there. "Evan? What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to Magneto." Without asking anymore questions she nodded and let him in. "Fine. Wait here and I'll go get him." Within moments of her leaving she returned with the master of metal. "Mr. Hope. What brings you around here? Nothing terrible I hope." That latter was said with a sly smirk, slightly hoping someone else died. Evan cleared his throat and sat down. "No, sorry. I came on strict business. I was wondering if that preposition still stood about Pyro and I switching places."

Cheyenne blinked, he was actually going to go along with that? "What made you change your mind?" Evan sighed and stared at his feet for a good two minutes before answering. "Well, quite frankly I can't live in the mansion anymore." Erik did a double take, "Odd. That's not like my old friend to kick a student out."

"He didn't kick me out. I left, they don't even know that I left actually. We were there for three hours and already all the students turned against me. I can't live like that, being an outcast. So I want to go ahead and switch places with Pyro." Magneto brought his lips into a wry smile. "Let's see what Mr. Allerdyce as to say about that. John, come in here please!" A very disheveled looking flame master came out of a room to the right. He looked dead tired. "What is it old man?"

As much as Magneto disliked being called 'old man' by him, he let it slide. "Young Mr. Hope here wants to talk with you about a plan you had a while back." This caught John's attention as he sat across from Evan. "Go ahead, I'm listening." Evan glared and continued, "Well, Pyro, don't get me wrong, there's nothing I would like more than to make it so you and that cheap bitch aren't happy..."

"Funny, I didn't know we were talking about Cheyenne." Enchantra raised an eyebrow and glared at John.

"…As I was saying! I can't live at the mansion any longer, as my reputation has been greatly smudged…"

"Imagine that. You turn your back on them all they hate you for it. What a concept."

"…Do you want me to finish or not?"

"I'll stop."

"Good. Anyway, I've decided to accept your idea of switching places."

John fought the urge to say no thanks, just to see the look on Evan's face. He nodded, "All right. Can I go then Mags?"

Magneto frowned, the young pyromaniac had been coming up with a lot of nicknames for him lately. "Fine, fine. Just go get your things, Mystique will drive you."

"Great!" John shot out of his seat and ran to gather his belongings. After ten minutes he was pretty sure he had everything. Mystique was waiting at his door, "Are you ready to go John?"

"Yeah."

"Then come on, we really haven't got all day to stand around and look for your things."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming."

With a final glare at Evan, John and Mystique walked out the door.

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Amanda stood up. She had left her room about an hour ago and had simply been staring at her cousin's body. Which was still lifeless. "I need to get away for a while." She said the words out loud, as if telling Stephen where she was going so he wouldn't be worried. 'I've gotta stop doing that… Wonder what Marie and Bobby are up to?' With a silent sigh she practically crawled up the stairs and sauntered into the recreation room, finding her friends immediately. "Hey guys."

The pair leaped up, not expecting her to come around for a good while. "Amanda, are you feeling ok?" Bobby actually ran up and put a hand to her forehead to feel for a fever. She tossed it aside. "I'm fine. Or I will be fine, just need to get away from him for a while." Rogue nodded and patted the seat beside her. The minute Amanda sat down there was a knock at the front doors. "I'll get it." She stood back up halfheartedly and opened the doors. Her mouth fell.

Before her stood none other than John Allerdyce who immediately picked her up and twirled her around. "What are you doing here? Does Magneto know?" She looked a little worried. John pulled a hand away and gestured to the bags on the ground, her mouth gaped again. "You're here for good!" Everyone in the area, including the teachers ran over to welcome John back and bring his stuff in. With all the commotion, no one noticed the shadow slip out the back door and run around the side to jump in the car with Mystique. Or that the shadow had six claws sticking out.

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As Stephen Solace sat in the passenger seat of Mystique's Mercedes he watched the happenings with an almost sad expression. Mystique looked over at him and smirked. "I'm assuming they all still think you're dead?" He nodded and turned his attention back to her. "So let me here again the plan." A deep chuckle sounded from her throat, "I'd better let Magneto explain things to you. He knows more than I do." With a yawn he nodded again, "I still can't believe they didn't know that I could do that." He was referring to his ability to make his heart slow down so much that it was nearly stopped. And then just bring it right back up, it had something to do with his rapid heal ability.

There was one girl in particular that caught his eye as they were driving off. She was lying underneath a tree playing with fireballs, they were literally on fire. And he wasn't really sure of her hair color, because if he wasn't mistaken it seemed to be changing every few seconds. 'Wonder who that is?' He shrugged it off and closed his eyes. He would find out eventually, when the war came.