"So, what do you think?"
"About what?"
"Don't be coy, you know what."
Silence.
"The boy."
"I haven't made up my mind yet. He was in training to be one of them, Eric. What if he's downstairs right now, ratting on us to the cops?"
Silence.
"If we're both captured, there would be no rescue."
"I know that, but he could become a valuable asset. He has power, Mystique, you heard the news reports."
"We saw no footage of him, he may not be as powerful as you think."
"Time will tell, but I believe that he could be more powerful than he'd ever imagined."
*^*^*^*^*
"John, wake up, it's tahm ta git on outta here." John rolled over, still sleeping, though no longer peacefully. A high-pitched, overly Southern voice was cutting into a very nice dream.
He was annoyed.
John opened his eyes at started: it was Rogue!
She was sitting on the edge on his bed, grinning at him demurely.
"Rogue, what are you doing here? How did you find me?" he asked. It wasn't possible; she hadn't even known that he had gone with Magneto!
"John, you really must acclimate yourself to her little games." Magneto chided him as he entered the room.
He walked over to Rogue and stroked her cheek with the backs of his fingers before John could find his voice to warn him.
Rogue's power didn't leave Magneto collapsed from weakness on the floor. Which meant that she didn't have the power, which meant she wasn't Rogue.
"Mystique." John said, irritated at her joke.
"The one and only." She replied in her own voice.
He rolled his eyes and got out of bed. She was really starting to creep him out.
"Great, so what now?" he asked Magneto, who was looking out the window. John stood beside him as Mystique changed into a less familiar form.
"Well, if I'm not mistaken, that is our transport." Magneto pointed down to the parking lot; or, more specifically, to the limousine that had just pulled into it.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*
John pocketed his lighter and followed the two adults to the limo that was waiting for them outside the lobby.
He had never ridden in one before, and he had to admit that it sure beat the bus! The seats were comfortable, and there were some crackers and grapes provided, which made for a nutritious if not very filling breakfast.
He sat across from Magneto, who was pouring drinks while Mystique appeared to be checking her e-mail or something on a laptop computer apart from them, on the other end of the limo.
John again felt his uneasiness return. He didn't know where the car was headed, or what the dynamic duo planned to do with him.
Reason and Impulse were arguing in his head.
'Ask him what's going on' Reason suggested.
'No, flame them both and jump out of the car when it stops!' Impulse countered.
'That's ridiculous, they've been pretty tolerant so far, just ask!'
'Don't be stupid, they could be plotting your murder, get out of there now!'
'This car is on the highway, you'd be killed just by jumping out, now ask him!'
Reason won out, which was very fortunate. For all his control over fire, he was just as susceptible to being hit be a car as anyone else.
He shifted a little in his seat, working up the nerve to say something.
"Um...uh, Magneto?"
Looking up from a document that Mystique had handed him, he focused on John.
"Yes?"
"Where are we going?"
"Back to New York."
"Oh, Westchester?"
"No. If you wish to go back to Charles, then there is no way we can accompany you. Mystique and I aren't on the school's guest list."
"Oh. Okay." John considered what Magneto had said. He had said that John could choose to go back to the school, as opposed to what? Staying with them or making it on his own?
"What's in New York?" he asked Magneto.
"Just one of my bases, I suppose you could call it. Have a look." He sorted through the papers at his side until he found what he was looking for.
"Ah, here we are. If memory serves, there is a guest room available for you."
John looked at the picture and couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face. It was a penthouse!
Maybe staying with Magneto and Mystique wouldn't be so bad after all.
"About what?"
"Don't be coy, you know what."
Silence.
"The boy."
"I haven't made up my mind yet. He was in training to be one of them, Eric. What if he's downstairs right now, ratting on us to the cops?"
Silence.
"If we're both captured, there would be no rescue."
"I know that, but he could become a valuable asset. He has power, Mystique, you heard the news reports."
"We saw no footage of him, he may not be as powerful as you think."
"Time will tell, but I believe that he could be more powerful than he'd ever imagined."
*^*^*^*^*
"John, wake up, it's tahm ta git on outta here." John rolled over, still sleeping, though no longer peacefully. A high-pitched, overly Southern voice was cutting into a very nice dream.
He was annoyed.
John opened his eyes at started: it was Rogue!
She was sitting on the edge on his bed, grinning at him demurely.
"Rogue, what are you doing here? How did you find me?" he asked. It wasn't possible; she hadn't even known that he had gone with Magneto!
"John, you really must acclimate yourself to her little games." Magneto chided him as he entered the room.
He walked over to Rogue and stroked her cheek with the backs of his fingers before John could find his voice to warn him.
Rogue's power didn't leave Magneto collapsed from weakness on the floor. Which meant that she didn't have the power, which meant she wasn't Rogue.
"Mystique." John said, irritated at her joke.
"The one and only." She replied in her own voice.
He rolled his eyes and got out of bed. She was really starting to creep him out.
"Great, so what now?" he asked Magneto, who was looking out the window. John stood beside him as Mystique changed into a less familiar form.
"Well, if I'm not mistaken, that is our transport." Magneto pointed down to the parking lot; or, more specifically, to the limousine that had just pulled into it.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*
John pocketed his lighter and followed the two adults to the limo that was waiting for them outside the lobby.
He had never ridden in one before, and he had to admit that it sure beat the bus! The seats were comfortable, and there were some crackers and grapes provided, which made for a nutritious if not very filling breakfast.
He sat across from Magneto, who was pouring drinks while Mystique appeared to be checking her e-mail or something on a laptop computer apart from them, on the other end of the limo.
John again felt his uneasiness return. He didn't know where the car was headed, or what the dynamic duo planned to do with him.
Reason and Impulse were arguing in his head.
'Ask him what's going on' Reason suggested.
'No, flame them both and jump out of the car when it stops!' Impulse countered.
'That's ridiculous, they've been pretty tolerant so far, just ask!'
'Don't be stupid, they could be plotting your murder, get out of there now!'
'This car is on the highway, you'd be killed just by jumping out, now ask him!'
Reason won out, which was very fortunate. For all his control over fire, he was just as susceptible to being hit be a car as anyone else.
He shifted a little in his seat, working up the nerve to say something.
"Um...uh, Magneto?"
Looking up from a document that Mystique had handed him, he focused on John.
"Yes?"
"Where are we going?"
"Back to New York."
"Oh, Westchester?"
"No. If you wish to go back to Charles, then there is no way we can accompany you. Mystique and I aren't on the school's guest list."
"Oh. Okay." John considered what Magneto had said. He had said that John could choose to go back to the school, as opposed to what? Staying with them or making it on his own?
"What's in New York?" he asked Magneto.
"Just one of my bases, I suppose you could call it. Have a look." He sorted through the papers at his side until he found what he was looking for.
"Ah, here we are. If memory serves, there is a guest room available for you."
John looked at the picture and couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face. It was a penthouse!
Maybe staying with Magneto and Mystique wouldn't be so bad after all.