A/N: I dunno. I'm kinda really weird. There's a coupla ways I could end
this. Happy; sad; disturbing. I'm trying to pick. Why don't y'all tell me
what ya think?
The X-Men high-tailed it to the location the Professor had given them. They hoped beyond all reason that their friends would be all right. . .and their leader would be with them.
Cyclops, Gambit, Avalanche, Magneto, Mystique, Sabretooth, Colossus, and Pyro waited. They knew the X-Men would be there soon. They knew they would win. After all, they had the X-Men's precious leader on their side.
Jean and Logan, bound, gagged, and blindfolded, sat in the middle of a warehouse, though they didn't know that. They could only hope that the X- Men wouldn't be stupid enough to come rushing in, though, without Cyclops's guidance, they probably would.
The X-Men arrived, and maintained enough sense to slow their approach. They surrounded the building in pairs. Beast and Shadowcat were together, Spyke, Storm and Iceman stuck together, and Nightcrawler and Rogue paired up. They watched carefully, observing no activity. Professor X gave the command to rush the building.
They all got in, one way or another. There was nothing. As their eyes adjusted to the light, they noticed that Wolverine and Jean were tied up in the center of it all. They rushed over and freed them. The first thing out of Logan's mouth was, "TRAP!" The trap was sprung.
The battle was over barely after it was begun. Scott watched from the top of a stack of crates. Magneto had told him to wait, to show himself after it was all over; to make the X-Men's defeat complete. It was time.
"How could this be?" Storm asked the gods, in total despair.
"Easy," came a voice from the shadows. It was a voice they all knew well. "All you need is someone who knows the enemy as intimately as they do."
Silence reigned.
Magneto's boys got to work limiting the X-Men's powers.
Beast was the first to speak. "How? Dear God, Scott, why?"
Scott smiled. He seemed to be just as they all remembered. "It's always the quiet ones, isn't it? Isn't it always the ones least expected? I put up with all of your bullshit. I put up with Logan's tormenting. I dealt with Jean's teasing. There comes a time, though, when you can't deal anymore."
Storm tried to reach Professor X, but found the way blocked. "We will have planned for every eventuality," Mystique assured her. "You'll contact your precious professor when we're ready for you to."
The X-Men despaired.
XAVIER'S INSTITUTE
Professor Xavier watched the battle anxiously through the minds of his X- Men. Suddenly, all his outside perceptions were cut off. He started. He concentrated, but could not find them. They had all vanished.
He waited. Maybe it was a new ruse they had come up with.
After some time, he heard the front door slam open. He wheeled himself down as quickly as he could.
The sight that met his eyes was that of a bloody, battered Scott, staggering in. "Oh, God. Scott, are you all right?"
Scott looked up, and his face showed relief. "Professor. . .They. . .All. . ."
"Shh, child," the Professor said, wheeling over to him. "It's all right."
"Tried so hard. . ." Scott wheezed before passing out.
Xavier sighed. How was he going to handle this? He was but a man, crippled. How could he help this boy he thought of as his son?
Xavier looked around for something that could help. Nothing. What now?
Just then, he felt something cold on the back of his neck, and he was cut off. His power was gone, taken from him as quickly as a flash of lighting. Erik. . .How?
"Is it done?" A voice he knew. . .couldn't place.
"It is."
Erik's voice. He'd expected that. Wait. . .Scott. . .He was vulnerable. He had to. . .help. . . Consciousness left Professor Xavier and Cyclops and Magneto looked on.
"He fought. He shouldn't have."
"We cut off a connection with EVERYTHING. It's been there for years. Plus, he thinks I'm seriously hurt. Of course he'll fight."
"I trust he isn't. . .too damaged?"
"No. He'll live. It will take some adjustment on his part, but he'll live."
"Good. You've done well for a first-timer."
"'Every man is a moon. He has a light side that all know, and a dark side he shows to no one.' Mark Twain."
"Interesting phrase."
"True phrase."
"Granted. Shall we?"
"Of course."
Cyclops and Magneto carried Professor Xavier to their headquarters, placing him on a bed where all the X-Men could easily reach him once they learned of his presence.
The X-Men high-tailed it to the location the Professor had given them. They hoped beyond all reason that their friends would be all right. . .and their leader would be with them.
Cyclops, Gambit, Avalanche, Magneto, Mystique, Sabretooth, Colossus, and Pyro waited. They knew the X-Men would be there soon. They knew they would win. After all, they had the X-Men's precious leader on their side.
Jean and Logan, bound, gagged, and blindfolded, sat in the middle of a warehouse, though they didn't know that. They could only hope that the X- Men wouldn't be stupid enough to come rushing in, though, without Cyclops's guidance, they probably would.
The X-Men arrived, and maintained enough sense to slow their approach. They surrounded the building in pairs. Beast and Shadowcat were together, Spyke, Storm and Iceman stuck together, and Nightcrawler and Rogue paired up. They watched carefully, observing no activity. Professor X gave the command to rush the building.
They all got in, one way or another. There was nothing. As their eyes adjusted to the light, they noticed that Wolverine and Jean were tied up in the center of it all. They rushed over and freed them. The first thing out of Logan's mouth was, "TRAP!" The trap was sprung.
The battle was over barely after it was begun. Scott watched from the top of a stack of crates. Magneto had told him to wait, to show himself after it was all over; to make the X-Men's defeat complete. It was time.
"How could this be?" Storm asked the gods, in total despair.
"Easy," came a voice from the shadows. It was a voice they all knew well. "All you need is someone who knows the enemy as intimately as they do."
Silence reigned.
Magneto's boys got to work limiting the X-Men's powers.
Beast was the first to speak. "How? Dear God, Scott, why?"
Scott smiled. He seemed to be just as they all remembered. "It's always the quiet ones, isn't it? Isn't it always the ones least expected? I put up with all of your bullshit. I put up with Logan's tormenting. I dealt with Jean's teasing. There comes a time, though, when you can't deal anymore."
Storm tried to reach Professor X, but found the way blocked. "We will have planned for every eventuality," Mystique assured her. "You'll contact your precious professor when we're ready for you to."
The X-Men despaired.
XAVIER'S INSTITUTE
Professor Xavier watched the battle anxiously through the minds of his X- Men. Suddenly, all his outside perceptions were cut off. He started. He concentrated, but could not find them. They had all vanished.
He waited. Maybe it was a new ruse they had come up with.
After some time, he heard the front door slam open. He wheeled himself down as quickly as he could.
The sight that met his eyes was that of a bloody, battered Scott, staggering in. "Oh, God. Scott, are you all right?"
Scott looked up, and his face showed relief. "Professor. . .They. . .All. . ."
"Shh, child," the Professor said, wheeling over to him. "It's all right."
"Tried so hard. . ." Scott wheezed before passing out.
Xavier sighed. How was he going to handle this? He was but a man, crippled. How could he help this boy he thought of as his son?
Xavier looked around for something that could help. Nothing. What now?
Just then, he felt something cold on the back of his neck, and he was cut off. His power was gone, taken from him as quickly as a flash of lighting. Erik. . .How?
"Is it done?" A voice he knew. . .couldn't place.
"It is."
Erik's voice. He'd expected that. Wait. . .Scott. . .He was vulnerable. He had to. . .help. . . Consciousness left Professor Xavier and Cyclops and Magneto looked on.
"He fought. He shouldn't have."
"We cut off a connection with EVERYTHING. It's been there for years. Plus, he thinks I'm seriously hurt. Of course he'll fight."
"I trust he isn't. . .too damaged?"
"No. He'll live. It will take some adjustment on his part, but he'll live."
"Good. You've done well for a first-timer."
"'Every man is a moon. He has a light side that all know, and a dark side he shows to no one.' Mark Twain."
"Interesting phrase."
"True phrase."
"Granted. Shall we?"
"Of course."
Cyclops and Magneto carried Professor Xavier to their headquarters, placing him on a bed where all the X-Men could easily reach him once they learned of his presence.