_ I'll just save how I feel about this chapter till next time I update cuz yeah. For the record I don't think it's my strongest. Feel free to point out the bad stuff. Or good stuff if there is any lol.
General note since a couple ppl asked about this... The whole mansion was loaded into the vans. Sorry bout the confusion with that. I just didn't want to write the whole thing out cuz it woulda gotten redundant. So they were all knocked out and taken away.
Review Responses- Man I love you guys. I'm only responding directly to a few of them tho because I'm ready to fall asleep on the keyboard.... thanks to everyone though.
Incrediblecuznz- One can most definitely say mastermind lol :)
KS-Fan- As always... thank u so much. It *is* hard writing action lol... I was like meh! Half the time I was writing it, but glad I pulled it off at least. Also... I meant to mention this last time I think... about ur epilogue u wanted to burn lol. Though I completely understand why u didn't post it... part of me so wishes u had just out of shear curiosity. Maybe don't burn it... and just one day it wont seem so terrible... u never know :)
IceBlueRose- well... I'm not *just* making him insane... but I didn't say he was sane :)
Luna fox- I love him too. He's loads of fun to write.
Yma- Creeper's hands and feet stick to stuff... hence him hanging off the ceiling... and sealing Pietro's mouth shut.
Black Arachne- Yay... thank u. It's nice to know someone looks forward to reading this... I waste so much of my time on this thing lol.
Etwa- I got ur first and second review... so it went through. Thank ya :)
Chapter 20- Waiting
Evan's eyes flickered open and darted nervously around the room. 'What...?'
"Guys, he's awake," Jean announced, offering Evan a hand.
Evan took Jean's hand and sat up, immediately wishing he hadn't. The room began to sway and he could swear he was going to be sick.
"You alright Evan?" Scott asked from his seat at a table to Evan's left.
"He probably doesn't feel too well. He had the pleasure of experiencing Toxin's gift up close and personal."
Evan did his best to shake off his nausea and looked around the room for the source of the voice. He finally spotted the guy that had pinned Pietro down, at the room's exit, sitting casually with a smug grin on his face. All at once, he remembered the attack and his not so pleasant decent into blackness.
"Who the hell are you, and what did that other chick do to me?" he demanded.
Creeper rolled his eyes lazily and ignored him.
Jean placed a hand on Evan's shoulder and helped him to get to his feet. "He's guarding us," she explained. "The other girl we think creates some type of gas. Rogue and I never even woke up. Scott did, but Gambit had already injected him with something, so he was out about two seconds later. Kitty and Kurt were up, but by the time they noticed the gas in the room, it was too late."
Evan looked around the room again and found Kitty and Kurt near one of the corners. Kitty was laying on her back, her head in Kurt's lap, with a pained look on her face. Kurt was running a hand soothingly over her hair, but his eyes were narrowed and his tail was flicking anxiously. Although Piotr had been careful when loading Kitty into the van, it had been Fred who did the unloading, and he hadn't been too gentle. Kitty's ribs were now almost as painful as when she had first endured their breaking.
Seeing Kitty in pain, Evan became acutely aware of the aching in his own arms. They were still red in places from where he had produced his spikes earlier. He was going to need to work on building the strength in his powers back up eventually, but he'd worry about that later.
"May I ask why the hell you guys are just sitting here? This is six on one!"
"They have the younger kids somewhere," Scott replied.
Evan furrowed his brow. "What's that got to do with anything?"
"If we attack," Rogue said, her voice tight, "They may hurt tha others, accordin' ta Mr. Moody over there. They've got cameras all over the place."
Evan glanced at Creeper who was still doing little more than looking bored. "How do you know they'll really hurt the others?"
"We don't," Rogue answered bitterly.
The conversation ceased for awhile until finally Evan thought he would go nuts. The tension in the room was suffocating. "Ok, I've got one more question. Scott...what the hell are those?"
Scott looked over at Evan with what the dark boy was certain was a death glare. "These, Evan, are sleeping goggles."
Evan blinked and pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. It was obvious that Scott was not interested in lightening the mood.
Jean on the other hand, had obviously been tense for far too long and erupted into a fit of giggles.
Scott just shook his head and went back to staring off into space. He had no idea what to do, and no idea where everyone else was. Over all, he was not a happy leader at the moment.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Don't even bother," Gambit said, not looking up from his game of solitaire.
Logan had just gained consciousness and was now making efforts to free himself of the restraints he was in. Usually, such a task would be mundane to him, but every time he placed pressure on his chains, he received a high voltage shock of some kind. With metal conductors lining his skeleton, a shock was enough to sap his strength for a few minutes. After realizing that the cycle from straining, to shocking, to energy sapping, to healing, to straining again, was indeed pointless, Logan gave up and allowed himself a minute to maybe get a few answers.
"What's going on bub?" he snarled.
Gambit remained bent over his cards. "Magneto is trying to convert the kids," he said flatly.
"Listen you..."
"Now there is no need to get mouthy. Magneto is inviting Xavier's kids to join him, it's that simple. They aren't any danger so don't get your spandex all twisited.
Logan growled and glared at Remy. He noticed for the first time that Storm and Hank were in the room with his as well, still out cold.
"I ain't even wearing spandex bub, considering you abducted us in the middle of the night, I didn't exactly have time for a costume change."
Remy rolled his eyes and finally looked up from his cards, "Well excuse me. The only reason you three are here at all is because we couldn't very well have you charging to the rescue. Metal head had to give me a special sedative all for you. Don't you feel special?"
Logan drew his claws in response and attempted to break himself free of the chains before the electric shock could do its damage. It didn't work, and he once again abandoned the idea.
"Temper, temper. It's a shame Sabertooth is in Ohio at the moment. It'd be a perfect opportunity for you to work on some of those anger issues."
"Ohio?"
Gambit nodded. "He's recruiting."
Logan arched an eyebrow but didn't comment. Instead he concentrated on just how far away Storm's chains were from his own. If he could reach them without putting strain on his own bonds, maybe he could get her loose. He extended his claws once again and attempted this, but she was too far from him after all.
Giving up, Logan turned his attention back to Gambit. "Do you mean that after Magneto manipulates the kids, you're just gonna let us go?"
"As far as I know."
"That's ridiculous."
Gambit shrugged. "Not really. He knows there's no point in trying to convince you three to join him. You're already loyal to Xavier, and it would be too much trouble to kill you right now. He's too busy to be covering up murders at this point."
"Well ain't that nice."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Lance, come on yo, wake up."
Todd shook Lance's shoulder as the brunette let out a moan of protest. Whatever had happened, he was not too keen on finding out what it was just yet.
"Aw come on Lance!"
Something was panicky in Todd's voice and Lance suddenly realized that Todd hadn't been awake when Gambit had invaded their room. He had probably woken up expecting to be at the institute.
Lance slipped an eye open and looked up to see Todd with a completely confused expression on his face. He looked more than slightly stressed out and kept looking over at something in nervous glances.
"Todd? What's wrong?"
Todd opened his mouth in surprise and looked at Lance as though he had lost his mind. "WHERE THE HELL ARE WE?!?" he exploded.
Lance sat up and idly rubbed the bruise that had formed on his forearm where Gambit had injected him, none too gently for that matter. 'Damn. Now I'm never gonna get over my needle phobia... random people running at me with them in the night...yeesh.'
"I'm not sure *where* we are, but I know its got somethin' to do with Magneto. Gambit put us out. You never even woke up."
What little color was still left in Todd's face drained away as he sank from kneeling to a sitting position. "Shit," he mumbled, glancing once again across the room.
Lance followed his gaze and found Colossus standing in front a doorway, his expression blank. He looked back at Todd who was now shivering slightly. Both boys were only half dressed to begin with, and the room wasn't exactly cozy.
"Hey uhh..." Lance wracked his brain for the name of their metal clad guard, but it wasn't coming to him. "...you. You mind telling us what we're here for?"
Piotr studied Lance for a minute then shook his head. "Sorry, you'll have to wait for Magneto. You aren't in any danger though, try to relax."
Lance wrinkled his nose and stared at Colossus for a minute. "Oh sure. Just make yourselves at home while your being held against your will after being stabbed in the middle of the night! No problem!" The room began to tremble as Lance stuck out a palm, his eyes sliding backwards.
"Cut it out! You know you aren't supposed to be doing that yo!" When Lance didn't stop, Todd kicked at him and gripped him by the shoulders, shaking him. The ground stilled as Lance drew several sharp breaths.
"Thanks. Couldn't. Help it. This is so. Stupid."
Todd nodded nervously, and waited for Lance to catch his breath.
Colossus looked as though he were about to say something, but held his tongue and instead said, "I am sorry."
"Sorry my ass," Todd spat.
Again Colossus remained silent.
"Well this is nice yo." Todd said dryly. "Things get somewhat normal and then BOOM! It's all over. I guess we just ain't *allowed* to have normal lived just once."
The room sat in silence for a moment when Lance suddenly jerked his head up and scanned the room.
"Hey Todd? Where's Tro?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Pietro lay motionless on the cold floor, debating about wether or not he wanted to open his eyes. He was willing to bet anything that all he would see was a whole lot of metal, maybe a chair or two, and probably some chains, just in case. He was a bit surprised to note that he wasn't already chained up, although there were some sort of cuffs encompassing his wrists and ankles.
He groaned as he realized what the new accessories were for. His father could easily tear a few limbs off with the use of the metal. Not that he would, but Pietro didn't doubt his father would at least make the threat if it came to that.
The speedster cracked an eyelid open and was surprised to see a pair of black boots on eye level with his position on the floor.
"You're awake!"
Pietro nearly choked. The voice sounded excited, almost cheerful, so he must have been half crazy to think it sounded anything like his sister's.
"Are you alright? Pietro, it's me."
Pietro continued to stare at the boots in front of him in stunned silence. 'There is no way in hell that voice belongs to Wanda.' Reluctantly, he opened his eyes wider and let them travel upwards to see who the boots belonged to. Wanda stood, towering over him, with chin length hair and an excited grin on her face.
"Yeesh! I've been waiting forever for father to finally go and get you!"
Pietro closed his eyes tightly, then opened them again, hoping to see an intensely angry Wanda with that permanent scowl etched into her face. To his dismay, she didn't change.
"What the hell did he do to you," Pietro mumbled, curling himself into a tighter ball.
"Huh? What do you mean? I've been training and stuff this whole time. Dad said he still needed you with the others for awhile, you know, for leadership and stuff."
Pietro shuddered. She had just referred to Magneto as 'dad.' He'd only ever heard her call him 'father' in a cold and detached voice and for some reason her cheerfulness was scaring him senseless.
Wanda kneeled down and put a hand on her brother's trembling back. He kept his eyes shut and clasped his hands behind his head, tightening his fetal position.
"Pietro? It's ok. Dad's gonna fix everything. Don't worry."
"Wanda, come on. Boss man said you were supposed to get 'im when he woke up."
Pietro jerked his head up and looked around the room. St. John stood at the doorway and held it open for Wanda. Wanda picked herself up off the ground and began to leave. She smiled at Pietro on the way out, telling him she would be back later with their *dad* so they could talk. It made Pietro feel sick to his stomach.
The instant the door closed Pietro forced himself to his feet and turned to Pyro. "John!- What- the- hell- did- he- do- to- her?- What- the- hell- am- I- doing- here?- And- is- there- any- way- in- hell- you- can- get- these- damn- bracelets- off- of- me!?"
John arched an eyebrow and gave Pietro a blank look before taking a seat casually in a chair near the corner of the room. "Ya wanna try tha' again mate?"
Pietro took several deep breathes and began his rant again, slower this time, but not by much.
"Just calm yourself down alright? Your dad'll be in here soon and explain everthin' to ya," John answered.
Pietro stared at John in shock and shook his head. "Uh hello! We're talking about Magneto here! He'll just lie to me like he always does. You've seen him do it to me! Come on, help- me- get- out- of- here!"
Pyro looked at Pietro and held his gaze for a few moments before his eyes seemed to become unfocused. A grin spread across his face.
"Pyro?... John?"
"Things sure got boring around here after you left."
Pietro raised an eyebrow and cautiously stepped closer to Pyro. "Um, what do you mean?"
John continued to smile and stare straight through Pietro. "Oh I dunno. Just seemed like there wasn't much point after that."
"Much point in what?" Pietro demanded, getting slightly frustrated.
"In fighting of course. Come on now mate, don't tell me ya don't know how much control that man has over ya. I was watching 'im the whole time he was with you. He was feeding ya all this bull shit and you just went along with it and then I realized something."
Pietro waited for John to tell him what he realized, but the Australian seemed to have sunk into some type of daze. Pietro knew that Pyro could be a bit...nuts, but he usually managed to snap out of it before he said or did anything too strange. On the rare occasions that he did seem to go off the deep end completely, Gambit managed to find ways to keep the flame tamer in check.
Pietro took a few more steps forward, hoping to get Pyro's attention. Though his stay with the acolytes had been brief, he had gotten to know John somewhat. He was the only one of the acolytes who didn't talk like a battle commander all the time. The others were alright, except maybe Sabertooth, they were just slightly impersonal. He waved a hand in front of John's face and hoped to get some type of reaction. He didn't remember John being this bad when he had been here before.
Pyro jerked his head towards Pietro with the plastered grin still on his face.
"You realized what?" Pietro prompted.
"I realized I was doing the same thing. I was just eating that shit he feeds us and swallowing it down without even stopping to chew," he began to laugh and Pietro cringed, "I suppose I shoulda got out when I could, but no going back now, nope, nuh uh, no-can-do..."
"John," Pietro said, trying to cut him off."
"No way Jose..."
"John!"
John stopped and his eyes suddenly came back into focus and looked back at Pietro. "I can't help ya mate. You know that."
Pietro stared at John for a few seconds then walked numbly towards the couch. He had been wrong about the room being sparse and made of cold metal. It was actually like a normal den.
He sunk into the cushions and pulled his knees to himself. He knew why Pyro couldn't help him; Magneto had got to John– to the point where he couldn't turn away now– and Pietro was well aware that he intended to do the same thing to him. 'Damnit Rogue. You were wrong about it being ok to cry. 'Cuz that's all I really want to do right now and it's not ok. It's not ok to give my father that type of satisfaction.'
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Good morning Charles."
The professor opened his eyes and straightened his posture. He blinked several time and took in his surroundings. Other than the walls being entirely metal, the room resembled an office of some kind, but he didn't have much time to think about the decor at the moment.
"No doubt these walls use the same principles as your helmet to keep me from reaching my students telepathically," he said, trying to shake off his remaining drowsiness.
Magneto smiled and nodded. "Of course. I must admit I'm a little disappointed Charles; I expected so much more of a fight from your precious pupils."
"I hardly think sneaking up on them in their sleep is a fair fight."
Magneto dismissed Xavier's comment with a wave of his wrist. He took a seat casually across from the professor. His dog and pony show was not necessary in front of Xavier, and he wore only slacks and a button up shirt. The only hint that anything out of the ordinary was taking place in the room was the peculiar head gear Magneto wore, serving its purpose by keeping the professor from the inner workings of his mind.
"You don't need to look so strained. They are all fine and well for the time being."
Charles stared back at his former confidant and debated what questions needed to be asked first. "What do you intend to do with them?"
"I'm so glad you asked. You see, my approach was not entirely convincing the last time I met with a few of your students," Magneto ignored the professor's smirk and continued, "However, I am going to offer them another chance. I have no doubt that some will refuse my offer, and they will more than likely be released."
"What do you mean by, 'more than likely?'" Charles asked calmly.
Magneto smiled in amusement and didn't respond. Instead he stood and began to pace the room. "The war is beginning Charles, and our people need to be prepared for it. That's what I'm doing here; preparing. I've been recruiting all over the states, and hundreds have already joined me. In a year or so there will be thousands, and we will strike as the most powerful army this world has ever seen. Your students would prove to be valuable assets to our cause."
"You're a fool Magnus," Xavier said evenly, "The world will not view you as a powerful army, but as a massive group of terrorists. No matter how much you justify your actions to yourself, that's all you'll be."
Magneto stopped pacing and slid Xavier's chair to himself with his powers. "Is that not what they are to us?! Terrorists?! You've seen the acts of violence and hate against us but you still don't believe? They will stop at nothing to control us; to cage us like wild animals. How do you still defend them!? Why not fight them with me, if not for yourself then for your damned students that you care so much about. They will be the ones who suffer once the government decides to dictate out lives!"
Xavier closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "How many times must we have this argument Erik? By attacking them you will only prove them right."
"It remains the same then you stubborn fool. You still won't join me." It was said as a fact, and Magneto straightened and walked back around to the desk, dragging Charles with him.
"Neither will the students."
Magneto straightened and smiled at this. "Ah, my old friend, you are wrong about that. It will be quite simple with the younger ones and I know my former brotherhood will rejoin me. You see, weakening their emotions as I have, has left them very open to my ideas. My plan will satisfy their desires quite nicely. I admit it wasn't one of my first choices, but sacrifices must be made for the good of the whole, true?"
"And what desires would those be?"
"With Fred, it was respect. He was so willing to accept my proposal because I could offer him the one thing no one else could."
Charles arched an eyebrow at Magneto. "How does beating up on his friends warrant respect?"
"In his eyes, the boys' fear of him *was* a form of respect. It's quite simple really. I gave Fred what he wanted, while at the same time weakening the others. It will be worth the struggle they endured by the end."
"I would let them be the judge of that Magnus. I doubt any of them would agree."
"Oh they will Charles."
Xavier sat back in his chair and took a deep breath through his nose, calming himself. There was no way he could refuse to let the students join Magneto if that was what they chose, but he knew it would take some major manipulating for them to consider it. He looked back at the towering figure in the dark helmet and wished he could read his mind.
"Wait," Xavier said suddenly, "What did that poison have to do with all of this?"
Magneto smirked. "I was hoping you would ask about that. It's finally been perfected. Mutants will no longer need to train to gain full control of their powers. It does not actually evolve them, but with the help of a young mutant in California who can shriek at amazing octaves, the powers can be controlled. At the moment, we're working on a way to record her pitches and find a way to duplicate the sound wave projection with a small device. Obviously one mutant can't follow everyone around," Magneto smiled and leaned across the desk. He dropped his voice slightly, "What do you think I'm going to offer Rogue and Cyclops?"
Xavier's eyes widened and he shook his head slightly. "Although full control is the one thing I cannot offer them, Rogue and Scott know where they stand in this war."
"So you at least admit there is a war?"
"I never denied that. However, I feel it could be a metaphoric war rather than one with actual armies and battles. Do you even realize the damage a battle with mutants would leave? There would be no more world left for you to rule."
Magneto narrowed his eyes at Xavier and looked ready to retort when the door slid open and Wanda stepped in.
"Sorry dad, but Pietro is awake now."
Xavier's mouth opened slightly in surprise as he studied Wanda. He dove into her mind without a second thought. He had to be sure his students were truly safe, and if Wanda had any conflicting information concerning Magneto's plans, he would pick up on it.
"It's alright Wanda. I was just finishing here. We aren't going to see Pietro first though alright?"
Wanda nodded and turned to leave. The professor straightened and looked up at Magneto with a look of horror and sadness written across his face.
"What have you done to her mind Erik?" he breathed.
Magneto only smiled. "She's happy now. That's all that matters. You know as well as I do that her powers are dangerous. This way she is not a threat to herself or others."
"You mean not a threat to you. Erik, these are your *children!* They're *all* children for that matter!"
"Charles if you are so concerned for protecting the young and innocent why do you drag them into your fighting simulations and combat training?!?"
Xavier lowered his voice and kept his tone even. "Because Magnus, there will always be people like you in this world. Although children should never have to endure the burden my students do, it was a path that their genes inevitably chose for them. At least I try and provide some sense of normalcy to their lives. You're the one who constantly disrupts that."
Magneto studied Xavier for a minute, then turned to the door. "I'll let you leave as soon as I've spoken to all your students. Don't bother trying to break out of here; there really isn't any point."
AN: Ok... so next time I promise this will actually *go* somewhere. If you catch any major holes so far, please let me know so I can fix it b4 it's too late. Thanks.
General note since a couple ppl asked about this... The whole mansion was loaded into the vans. Sorry bout the confusion with that. I just didn't want to write the whole thing out cuz it woulda gotten redundant. So they were all knocked out and taken away.
Review Responses- Man I love you guys. I'm only responding directly to a few of them tho because I'm ready to fall asleep on the keyboard.... thanks to everyone though.
Incrediblecuznz- One can most definitely say mastermind lol :)
KS-Fan- As always... thank u so much. It *is* hard writing action lol... I was like meh! Half the time I was writing it, but glad I pulled it off at least. Also... I meant to mention this last time I think... about ur epilogue u wanted to burn lol. Though I completely understand why u didn't post it... part of me so wishes u had just out of shear curiosity. Maybe don't burn it... and just one day it wont seem so terrible... u never know :)
IceBlueRose- well... I'm not *just* making him insane... but I didn't say he was sane :)
Luna fox- I love him too. He's loads of fun to write.
Yma- Creeper's hands and feet stick to stuff... hence him hanging off the ceiling... and sealing Pietro's mouth shut.
Black Arachne- Yay... thank u. It's nice to know someone looks forward to reading this... I waste so much of my time on this thing lol.
Etwa- I got ur first and second review... so it went through. Thank ya :)
Chapter 20- Waiting
Evan's eyes flickered open and darted nervously around the room. 'What...?'
"Guys, he's awake," Jean announced, offering Evan a hand.
Evan took Jean's hand and sat up, immediately wishing he hadn't. The room began to sway and he could swear he was going to be sick.
"You alright Evan?" Scott asked from his seat at a table to Evan's left.
"He probably doesn't feel too well. He had the pleasure of experiencing Toxin's gift up close and personal."
Evan did his best to shake off his nausea and looked around the room for the source of the voice. He finally spotted the guy that had pinned Pietro down, at the room's exit, sitting casually with a smug grin on his face. All at once, he remembered the attack and his not so pleasant decent into blackness.
"Who the hell are you, and what did that other chick do to me?" he demanded.
Creeper rolled his eyes lazily and ignored him.
Jean placed a hand on Evan's shoulder and helped him to get to his feet. "He's guarding us," she explained. "The other girl we think creates some type of gas. Rogue and I never even woke up. Scott did, but Gambit had already injected him with something, so he was out about two seconds later. Kitty and Kurt were up, but by the time they noticed the gas in the room, it was too late."
Evan looked around the room again and found Kitty and Kurt near one of the corners. Kitty was laying on her back, her head in Kurt's lap, with a pained look on her face. Kurt was running a hand soothingly over her hair, but his eyes were narrowed and his tail was flicking anxiously. Although Piotr had been careful when loading Kitty into the van, it had been Fred who did the unloading, and he hadn't been too gentle. Kitty's ribs were now almost as painful as when she had first endured their breaking.
Seeing Kitty in pain, Evan became acutely aware of the aching in his own arms. They were still red in places from where he had produced his spikes earlier. He was going to need to work on building the strength in his powers back up eventually, but he'd worry about that later.
"May I ask why the hell you guys are just sitting here? This is six on one!"
"They have the younger kids somewhere," Scott replied.
Evan furrowed his brow. "What's that got to do with anything?"
"If we attack," Rogue said, her voice tight, "They may hurt tha others, accordin' ta Mr. Moody over there. They've got cameras all over the place."
Evan glanced at Creeper who was still doing little more than looking bored. "How do you know they'll really hurt the others?"
"We don't," Rogue answered bitterly.
The conversation ceased for awhile until finally Evan thought he would go nuts. The tension in the room was suffocating. "Ok, I've got one more question. Scott...what the hell are those?"
Scott looked over at Evan with what the dark boy was certain was a death glare. "These, Evan, are sleeping goggles."
Evan blinked and pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. It was obvious that Scott was not interested in lightening the mood.
Jean on the other hand, had obviously been tense for far too long and erupted into a fit of giggles.
Scott just shook his head and went back to staring off into space. He had no idea what to do, and no idea where everyone else was. Over all, he was not a happy leader at the moment.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Don't even bother," Gambit said, not looking up from his game of solitaire.
Logan had just gained consciousness and was now making efforts to free himself of the restraints he was in. Usually, such a task would be mundane to him, but every time he placed pressure on his chains, he received a high voltage shock of some kind. With metal conductors lining his skeleton, a shock was enough to sap his strength for a few minutes. After realizing that the cycle from straining, to shocking, to energy sapping, to healing, to straining again, was indeed pointless, Logan gave up and allowed himself a minute to maybe get a few answers.
"What's going on bub?" he snarled.
Gambit remained bent over his cards. "Magneto is trying to convert the kids," he said flatly.
"Listen you..."
"Now there is no need to get mouthy. Magneto is inviting Xavier's kids to join him, it's that simple. They aren't any danger so don't get your spandex all twisited.
Logan growled and glared at Remy. He noticed for the first time that Storm and Hank were in the room with his as well, still out cold.
"I ain't even wearing spandex bub, considering you abducted us in the middle of the night, I didn't exactly have time for a costume change."
Remy rolled his eyes and finally looked up from his cards, "Well excuse me. The only reason you three are here at all is because we couldn't very well have you charging to the rescue. Metal head had to give me a special sedative all for you. Don't you feel special?"
Logan drew his claws in response and attempted to break himself free of the chains before the electric shock could do its damage. It didn't work, and he once again abandoned the idea.
"Temper, temper. It's a shame Sabertooth is in Ohio at the moment. It'd be a perfect opportunity for you to work on some of those anger issues."
"Ohio?"
Gambit nodded. "He's recruiting."
Logan arched an eyebrow but didn't comment. Instead he concentrated on just how far away Storm's chains were from his own. If he could reach them without putting strain on his own bonds, maybe he could get her loose. He extended his claws once again and attempted this, but she was too far from him after all.
Giving up, Logan turned his attention back to Gambit. "Do you mean that after Magneto manipulates the kids, you're just gonna let us go?"
"As far as I know."
"That's ridiculous."
Gambit shrugged. "Not really. He knows there's no point in trying to convince you three to join him. You're already loyal to Xavier, and it would be too much trouble to kill you right now. He's too busy to be covering up murders at this point."
"Well ain't that nice."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Lance, come on yo, wake up."
Todd shook Lance's shoulder as the brunette let out a moan of protest. Whatever had happened, he was not too keen on finding out what it was just yet.
"Aw come on Lance!"
Something was panicky in Todd's voice and Lance suddenly realized that Todd hadn't been awake when Gambit had invaded their room. He had probably woken up expecting to be at the institute.
Lance slipped an eye open and looked up to see Todd with a completely confused expression on his face. He looked more than slightly stressed out and kept looking over at something in nervous glances.
"Todd? What's wrong?"
Todd opened his mouth in surprise and looked at Lance as though he had lost his mind. "WHERE THE HELL ARE WE?!?" he exploded.
Lance sat up and idly rubbed the bruise that had formed on his forearm where Gambit had injected him, none too gently for that matter. 'Damn. Now I'm never gonna get over my needle phobia... random people running at me with them in the night...yeesh.'
"I'm not sure *where* we are, but I know its got somethin' to do with Magneto. Gambit put us out. You never even woke up."
What little color was still left in Todd's face drained away as he sank from kneeling to a sitting position. "Shit," he mumbled, glancing once again across the room.
Lance followed his gaze and found Colossus standing in front a doorway, his expression blank. He looked back at Todd who was now shivering slightly. Both boys were only half dressed to begin with, and the room wasn't exactly cozy.
"Hey uhh..." Lance wracked his brain for the name of their metal clad guard, but it wasn't coming to him. "...you. You mind telling us what we're here for?"
Piotr studied Lance for a minute then shook his head. "Sorry, you'll have to wait for Magneto. You aren't in any danger though, try to relax."
Lance wrinkled his nose and stared at Colossus for a minute. "Oh sure. Just make yourselves at home while your being held against your will after being stabbed in the middle of the night! No problem!" The room began to tremble as Lance stuck out a palm, his eyes sliding backwards.
"Cut it out! You know you aren't supposed to be doing that yo!" When Lance didn't stop, Todd kicked at him and gripped him by the shoulders, shaking him. The ground stilled as Lance drew several sharp breaths.
"Thanks. Couldn't. Help it. This is so. Stupid."
Todd nodded nervously, and waited for Lance to catch his breath.
Colossus looked as though he were about to say something, but held his tongue and instead said, "I am sorry."
"Sorry my ass," Todd spat.
Again Colossus remained silent.
"Well this is nice yo." Todd said dryly. "Things get somewhat normal and then BOOM! It's all over. I guess we just ain't *allowed* to have normal lived just once."
The room sat in silence for a moment when Lance suddenly jerked his head up and scanned the room.
"Hey Todd? Where's Tro?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Pietro lay motionless on the cold floor, debating about wether or not he wanted to open his eyes. He was willing to bet anything that all he would see was a whole lot of metal, maybe a chair or two, and probably some chains, just in case. He was a bit surprised to note that he wasn't already chained up, although there were some sort of cuffs encompassing his wrists and ankles.
He groaned as he realized what the new accessories were for. His father could easily tear a few limbs off with the use of the metal. Not that he would, but Pietro didn't doubt his father would at least make the threat if it came to that.
The speedster cracked an eyelid open and was surprised to see a pair of black boots on eye level with his position on the floor.
"You're awake!"
Pietro nearly choked. The voice sounded excited, almost cheerful, so he must have been half crazy to think it sounded anything like his sister's.
"Are you alright? Pietro, it's me."
Pietro continued to stare at the boots in front of him in stunned silence. 'There is no way in hell that voice belongs to Wanda.' Reluctantly, he opened his eyes wider and let them travel upwards to see who the boots belonged to. Wanda stood, towering over him, with chin length hair and an excited grin on her face.
"Yeesh! I've been waiting forever for father to finally go and get you!"
Pietro closed his eyes tightly, then opened them again, hoping to see an intensely angry Wanda with that permanent scowl etched into her face. To his dismay, she didn't change.
"What the hell did he do to you," Pietro mumbled, curling himself into a tighter ball.
"Huh? What do you mean? I've been training and stuff this whole time. Dad said he still needed you with the others for awhile, you know, for leadership and stuff."
Pietro shuddered. She had just referred to Magneto as 'dad.' He'd only ever heard her call him 'father' in a cold and detached voice and for some reason her cheerfulness was scaring him senseless.
Wanda kneeled down and put a hand on her brother's trembling back. He kept his eyes shut and clasped his hands behind his head, tightening his fetal position.
"Pietro? It's ok. Dad's gonna fix everything. Don't worry."
"Wanda, come on. Boss man said you were supposed to get 'im when he woke up."
Pietro jerked his head up and looked around the room. St. John stood at the doorway and held it open for Wanda. Wanda picked herself up off the ground and began to leave. She smiled at Pietro on the way out, telling him she would be back later with their *dad* so they could talk. It made Pietro feel sick to his stomach.
The instant the door closed Pietro forced himself to his feet and turned to Pyro. "John!- What- the- hell- did- he- do- to- her?- What- the- hell- am- I- doing- here?- And- is- there- any- way- in- hell- you- can- get- these- damn- bracelets- off- of- me!?"
John arched an eyebrow and gave Pietro a blank look before taking a seat casually in a chair near the corner of the room. "Ya wanna try tha' again mate?"
Pietro took several deep breathes and began his rant again, slower this time, but not by much.
"Just calm yourself down alright? Your dad'll be in here soon and explain everthin' to ya," John answered.
Pietro stared at John in shock and shook his head. "Uh hello! We're talking about Magneto here! He'll just lie to me like he always does. You've seen him do it to me! Come on, help- me- get- out- of- here!"
Pyro looked at Pietro and held his gaze for a few moments before his eyes seemed to become unfocused. A grin spread across his face.
"Pyro?... John?"
"Things sure got boring around here after you left."
Pietro raised an eyebrow and cautiously stepped closer to Pyro. "Um, what do you mean?"
John continued to smile and stare straight through Pietro. "Oh I dunno. Just seemed like there wasn't much point after that."
"Much point in what?" Pietro demanded, getting slightly frustrated.
"In fighting of course. Come on now mate, don't tell me ya don't know how much control that man has over ya. I was watching 'im the whole time he was with you. He was feeding ya all this bull shit and you just went along with it and then I realized something."
Pietro waited for John to tell him what he realized, but the Australian seemed to have sunk into some type of daze. Pietro knew that Pyro could be a bit...nuts, but he usually managed to snap out of it before he said or did anything too strange. On the rare occasions that he did seem to go off the deep end completely, Gambit managed to find ways to keep the flame tamer in check.
Pietro took a few more steps forward, hoping to get Pyro's attention. Though his stay with the acolytes had been brief, he had gotten to know John somewhat. He was the only one of the acolytes who didn't talk like a battle commander all the time. The others were alright, except maybe Sabertooth, they were just slightly impersonal. He waved a hand in front of John's face and hoped to get some type of reaction. He didn't remember John being this bad when he had been here before.
Pyro jerked his head towards Pietro with the plastered grin still on his face.
"You realized what?" Pietro prompted.
"I realized I was doing the same thing. I was just eating that shit he feeds us and swallowing it down without even stopping to chew," he began to laugh and Pietro cringed, "I suppose I shoulda got out when I could, but no going back now, nope, nuh uh, no-can-do..."
"John," Pietro said, trying to cut him off."
"No way Jose..."
"John!"
John stopped and his eyes suddenly came back into focus and looked back at Pietro. "I can't help ya mate. You know that."
Pietro stared at John for a few seconds then walked numbly towards the couch. He had been wrong about the room being sparse and made of cold metal. It was actually like a normal den.
He sunk into the cushions and pulled his knees to himself. He knew why Pyro couldn't help him; Magneto had got to John– to the point where he couldn't turn away now– and Pietro was well aware that he intended to do the same thing to him. 'Damnit Rogue. You were wrong about it being ok to cry. 'Cuz that's all I really want to do right now and it's not ok. It's not ok to give my father that type of satisfaction.'
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Good morning Charles."
The professor opened his eyes and straightened his posture. He blinked several time and took in his surroundings. Other than the walls being entirely metal, the room resembled an office of some kind, but he didn't have much time to think about the decor at the moment.
"No doubt these walls use the same principles as your helmet to keep me from reaching my students telepathically," he said, trying to shake off his remaining drowsiness.
Magneto smiled and nodded. "Of course. I must admit I'm a little disappointed Charles; I expected so much more of a fight from your precious pupils."
"I hardly think sneaking up on them in their sleep is a fair fight."
Magneto dismissed Xavier's comment with a wave of his wrist. He took a seat casually across from the professor. His dog and pony show was not necessary in front of Xavier, and he wore only slacks and a button up shirt. The only hint that anything out of the ordinary was taking place in the room was the peculiar head gear Magneto wore, serving its purpose by keeping the professor from the inner workings of his mind.
"You don't need to look so strained. They are all fine and well for the time being."
Charles stared back at his former confidant and debated what questions needed to be asked first. "What do you intend to do with them?"
"I'm so glad you asked. You see, my approach was not entirely convincing the last time I met with a few of your students," Magneto ignored the professor's smirk and continued, "However, I am going to offer them another chance. I have no doubt that some will refuse my offer, and they will more than likely be released."
"What do you mean by, 'more than likely?'" Charles asked calmly.
Magneto smiled in amusement and didn't respond. Instead he stood and began to pace the room. "The war is beginning Charles, and our people need to be prepared for it. That's what I'm doing here; preparing. I've been recruiting all over the states, and hundreds have already joined me. In a year or so there will be thousands, and we will strike as the most powerful army this world has ever seen. Your students would prove to be valuable assets to our cause."
"You're a fool Magnus," Xavier said evenly, "The world will not view you as a powerful army, but as a massive group of terrorists. No matter how much you justify your actions to yourself, that's all you'll be."
Magneto stopped pacing and slid Xavier's chair to himself with his powers. "Is that not what they are to us?! Terrorists?! You've seen the acts of violence and hate against us but you still don't believe? They will stop at nothing to control us; to cage us like wild animals. How do you still defend them!? Why not fight them with me, if not for yourself then for your damned students that you care so much about. They will be the ones who suffer once the government decides to dictate out lives!"
Xavier closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "How many times must we have this argument Erik? By attacking them you will only prove them right."
"It remains the same then you stubborn fool. You still won't join me." It was said as a fact, and Magneto straightened and walked back around to the desk, dragging Charles with him.
"Neither will the students."
Magneto straightened and smiled at this. "Ah, my old friend, you are wrong about that. It will be quite simple with the younger ones and I know my former brotherhood will rejoin me. You see, weakening their emotions as I have, has left them very open to my ideas. My plan will satisfy their desires quite nicely. I admit it wasn't one of my first choices, but sacrifices must be made for the good of the whole, true?"
"And what desires would those be?"
"With Fred, it was respect. He was so willing to accept my proposal because I could offer him the one thing no one else could."
Charles arched an eyebrow at Magneto. "How does beating up on his friends warrant respect?"
"In his eyes, the boys' fear of him *was* a form of respect. It's quite simple really. I gave Fred what he wanted, while at the same time weakening the others. It will be worth the struggle they endured by the end."
"I would let them be the judge of that Magnus. I doubt any of them would agree."
"Oh they will Charles."
Xavier sat back in his chair and took a deep breath through his nose, calming himself. There was no way he could refuse to let the students join Magneto if that was what they chose, but he knew it would take some major manipulating for them to consider it. He looked back at the towering figure in the dark helmet and wished he could read his mind.
"Wait," Xavier said suddenly, "What did that poison have to do with all of this?"
Magneto smirked. "I was hoping you would ask about that. It's finally been perfected. Mutants will no longer need to train to gain full control of their powers. It does not actually evolve them, but with the help of a young mutant in California who can shriek at amazing octaves, the powers can be controlled. At the moment, we're working on a way to record her pitches and find a way to duplicate the sound wave projection with a small device. Obviously one mutant can't follow everyone around," Magneto smiled and leaned across the desk. He dropped his voice slightly, "What do you think I'm going to offer Rogue and Cyclops?"
Xavier's eyes widened and he shook his head slightly. "Although full control is the one thing I cannot offer them, Rogue and Scott know where they stand in this war."
"So you at least admit there is a war?"
"I never denied that. However, I feel it could be a metaphoric war rather than one with actual armies and battles. Do you even realize the damage a battle with mutants would leave? There would be no more world left for you to rule."
Magneto narrowed his eyes at Xavier and looked ready to retort when the door slid open and Wanda stepped in.
"Sorry dad, but Pietro is awake now."
Xavier's mouth opened slightly in surprise as he studied Wanda. He dove into her mind without a second thought. He had to be sure his students were truly safe, and if Wanda had any conflicting information concerning Magneto's plans, he would pick up on it.
"It's alright Wanda. I was just finishing here. We aren't going to see Pietro first though alright?"
Wanda nodded and turned to leave. The professor straightened and looked up at Magneto with a look of horror and sadness written across his face.
"What have you done to her mind Erik?" he breathed.
Magneto only smiled. "She's happy now. That's all that matters. You know as well as I do that her powers are dangerous. This way she is not a threat to herself or others."
"You mean not a threat to you. Erik, these are your *children!* They're *all* children for that matter!"
"Charles if you are so concerned for protecting the young and innocent why do you drag them into your fighting simulations and combat training?!?"
Xavier lowered his voice and kept his tone even. "Because Magnus, there will always be people like you in this world. Although children should never have to endure the burden my students do, it was a path that their genes inevitably chose for them. At least I try and provide some sense of normalcy to their lives. You're the one who constantly disrupts that."
Magneto studied Xavier for a minute, then turned to the door. "I'll let you leave as soon as I've spoken to all your students. Don't bother trying to break out of here; there really isn't any point."
AN: Ok... so next time I promise this will actually *go* somewhere. If you catch any major holes so far, please let me know so I can fix it b4 it's too late. Thanks.