Slowly, he turned to face the voice. Magneto and Mystique were standing behind him, in the center of the large room.
John felt his heart leap up into his throat; he was petrified, but also knew that he had to remain composed. If he gave away any hints that he knew what they were planning to do with him, they might attack, and that would be the end of it.
He doubted that he could fight off Mystique even with his flames, and with Magneto there, combat was out of the question.
Mystique's chrome yellow eyes widened as she inclined her head, silently urging him to answer her.
John struggled to find his voice, "Oh, I was just gonna grab us some take-out, you know?"
Magneto nodded and put a hand on John's shoulder, leading him away from the door. "Yes, I imagine you would be hungry. Not to worry, dear boy, we'll have dinner soon."
John barely heard him as he glanced back at the door, which was still locked tight.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Under normal circumstances, it would have been okay.
It would have been nice; the word 'pleasant' comes to mind.
Classical music was playing softly in the background; the lights were dimmed for ambiance. The dining room was just as lavish as the rest of the penthouse, the table being one of the longest John had ever seen, and there were fine china plates and crystal glasses before him.
Yes, under normal circumstances it would have been great.
However, Mystique sat across from him, completely naked which was distracting in itself and she was staring right at him. John had a feeling that staring at people was a normal thing for her to do, what with the whole reptilian aspect to her features, but it was still unsettling.
Especially now that he knew what she wanted to do with him.
'I'll take care of him. He'll be gone without a trace.' That's what she had told Magneto.
For some reason, the idea that Magneto was secretly encouraging her to do away with him hurt.
What about all the stuff that Magneto had told him on the jet? Hadn't that meant anything to him? John knew that it did to him; it was the main reason that he had gone with Magneto and Mystique in the first place.
But why save him from the flood, why take him this far, just to kill him? He thought that they would let him come along on their adventures, be a part of their nutty little family.
It hurt John to realize that he had gotten his hopes up for nothing; he had made a terrible mistake. The road he thought would lead to adventure would lead him to an early grave if he weren't careful.
At first he had thought that Magneto was kind of cool, despite all the warnings from the X-men. In a way, him being the 'villain' was a big part of the draw. But John wasn't stupid, he knew that they were dangerous.
He hadn't let himself trust them, and now he knew that he was right not to. They were going to kill him soon if he didn't get away.
John glanced at the swinging door that led to the kitchen, Magneto was still in there. John looked back at Mystique. Maybe if he was quick he could burn her bad enough so that she wouldn't be able to stop him when he ran for it.
Slowly, John brought out his lighter, and got ready to wreath Mystique in flame.
He flipped the lid while keeping his eyes fixed on her. By now, she had noticed his habit of popping the lid open and closed whenever he felt like it. She wouldn't think anything was out of the ordinary if he did it now. He turned the tiny wheel, which struck the flint, sparking the wick.
Mystique's eyes darted from his face to the flame that was dancing in the lighter.
John could feel the throbbing of his heart in his ears, his hand was even shaking a little as he brought it up, preparing to use his power to shove the fire right into her blue face.
John took a deep breath...
...and the lighter flew out of his hand!
"Hey, what?!" he said in confusion.
He saw Magneto walking towards them, with John's lighter making its way through the air and into his hand.
"Sorry John, but there's no smoking at the dinner table." He explained coolly as he took his seat at the head of the table, with Mystique on his right and John on his left.
'Oh God, what if he poisoned the food?!' The thought flitted through his mind, but when he saw Mystique and Magneto begin to eat, he dismissed it.
It seemed he would have to stay there and act as if everything was fine, as if the possibility of his death wasn't minutes away.
He didn't have any other choice.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
John had struggled through his meal; jumping every time someone moved, expecting to be stabbed with a salad fork or something.
No one moved to threaten him, which made him even more nervous.
What were they waiting for?
He knew it would be soon, but pretending not to know what was happening was killing him!
John half-wished that someone would just make a move already so that at least he could go out fighting, rather than remain trapped in the penthouse going crazy.
"John, are you listening?" Magneto asked.
"Huh?"
The older man frowned, "I said, Mystique is leaving tonight. As you may or may not know, she has been masquerading as Senator Kelly for some time,"
"Yeah, I heard something about that a couple of months ago."
"A politician's work is never done, it seems, because she has to leave tonight to participate in a very important debate concerning mutants. She'll be in Boston until tomorrow night."
John nearly choked on his tongue. "So she'll be gone all day?"
"Yes."
"Meaning it'll just be us here tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"Oh Go-I mean, great!...Ah-ah!" John began fake-coughing violently. "I'm sorry, I- Ah-ah! Ah-ah! Excuse me!" he said as he bolted from the table and ran to the nearest hallway.
He ran into a bathroom, choking on the air. 'Oh God, it's Magneto! He's going to kill me tomorrow while she's gone! Oh God, what am I gonna do now? I've got to get out!'
He turned on the water and splashed his face, taking a sip to calm his nerves.
A knock came from the other side of the door, startling him so bad that he jumped backward and knocked the assorted bath things off the counter.
In the hallway, on the other side of the door, Magneto frowned once he heard the commotion from inside the bathroom. "John, is everything all right?" he asked.
"Oh, yeah! I'm fine, don't worry about a thing!" John called back as he quickly replaced everything on the marble surface.
"Are you sure?"
"Totally! I'll be right out!" John called back.
Magneto shrugged and went back to the table. Mystique asked him, "Is he okay?"
"Yes. He's a clever boy, for a moment I actually believed he was choking."
"He knows."
"That's true."
"How much do you think he heard?"
"Enough, as is evidenced tonight," Magneto answered before taking a sip from his wine glass. "But he is in no position to stop us."
Mystique nodded, "Eric, he may try."
Magneto took her hand and brought it to his lips, "Yes, I'm sure he will; but that will only make this more interesting for us."
John felt his heart leap up into his throat; he was petrified, but also knew that he had to remain composed. If he gave away any hints that he knew what they were planning to do with him, they might attack, and that would be the end of it.
He doubted that he could fight off Mystique even with his flames, and with Magneto there, combat was out of the question.
Mystique's chrome yellow eyes widened as she inclined her head, silently urging him to answer her.
John struggled to find his voice, "Oh, I was just gonna grab us some take-out, you know?"
Magneto nodded and put a hand on John's shoulder, leading him away from the door. "Yes, I imagine you would be hungry. Not to worry, dear boy, we'll have dinner soon."
John barely heard him as he glanced back at the door, which was still locked tight.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Under normal circumstances, it would have been okay.
It would have been nice; the word 'pleasant' comes to mind.
Classical music was playing softly in the background; the lights were dimmed for ambiance. The dining room was just as lavish as the rest of the penthouse, the table being one of the longest John had ever seen, and there were fine china plates and crystal glasses before him.
Yes, under normal circumstances it would have been great.
However, Mystique sat across from him, completely naked which was distracting in itself and she was staring right at him. John had a feeling that staring at people was a normal thing for her to do, what with the whole reptilian aspect to her features, but it was still unsettling.
Especially now that he knew what she wanted to do with him.
'I'll take care of him. He'll be gone without a trace.' That's what she had told Magneto.
For some reason, the idea that Magneto was secretly encouraging her to do away with him hurt.
What about all the stuff that Magneto had told him on the jet? Hadn't that meant anything to him? John knew that it did to him; it was the main reason that he had gone with Magneto and Mystique in the first place.
But why save him from the flood, why take him this far, just to kill him? He thought that they would let him come along on their adventures, be a part of their nutty little family.
It hurt John to realize that he had gotten his hopes up for nothing; he had made a terrible mistake. The road he thought would lead to adventure would lead him to an early grave if he weren't careful.
At first he had thought that Magneto was kind of cool, despite all the warnings from the X-men. In a way, him being the 'villain' was a big part of the draw. But John wasn't stupid, he knew that they were dangerous.
He hadn't let himself trust them, and now he knew that he was right not to. They were going to kill him soon if he didn't get away.
John glanced at the swinging door that led to the kitchen, Magneto was still in there. John looked back at Mystique. Maybe if he was quick he could burn her bad enough so that she wouldn't be able to stop him when he ran for it.
Slowly, John brought out his lighter, and got ready to wreath Mystique in flame.
He flipped the lid while keeping his eyes fixed on her. By now, she had noticed his habit of popping the lid open and closed whenever he felt like it. She wouldn't think anything was out of the ordinary if he did it now. He turned the tiny wheel, which struck the flint, sparking the wick.
Mystique's eyes darted from his face to the flame that was dancing in the lighter.
John could feel the throbbing of his heart in his ears, his hand was even shaking a little as he brought it up, preparing to use his power to shove the fire right into her blue face.
John took a deep breath...
...and the lighter flew out of his hand!
"Hey, what?!" he said in confusion.
He saw Magneto walking towards them, with John's lighter making its way through the air and into his hand.
"Sorry John, but there's no smoking at the dinner table." He explained coolly as he took his seat at the head of the table, with Mystique on his right and John on his left.
'Oh God, what if he poisoned the food?!' The thought flitted through his mind, but when he saw Mystique and Magneto begin to eat, he dismissed it.
It seemed he would have to stay there and act as if everything was fine, as if the possibility of his death wasn't minutes away.
He didn't have any other choice.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
John had struggled through his meal; jumping every time someone moved, expecting to be stabbed with a salad fork or something.
No one moved to threaten him, which made him even more nervous.
What were they waiting for?
He knew it would be soon, but pretending not to know what was happening was killing him!
John half-wished that someone would just make a move already so that at least he could go out fighting, rather than remain trapped in the penthouse going crazy.
"John, are you listening?" Magneto asked.
"Huh?"
The older man frowned, "I said, Mystique is leaving tonight. As you may or may not know, she has been masquerading as Senator Kelly for some time,"
"Yeah, I heard something about that a couple of months ago."
"A politician's work is never done, it seems, because she has to leave tonight to participate in a very important debate concerning mutants. She'll be in Boston until tomorrow night."
John nearly choked on his tongue. "So she'll be gone all day?"
"Yes."
"Meaning it'll just be us here tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"Oh Go-I mean, great!...Ah-ah!" John began fake-coughing violently. "I'm sorry, I- Ah-ah! Ah-ah! Excuse me!" he said as he bolted from the table and ran to the nearest hallway.
He ran into a bathroom, choking on the air. 'Oh God, it's Magneto! He's going to kill me tomorrow while she's gone! Oh God, what am I gonna do now? I've got to get out!'
He turned on the water and splashed his face, taking a sip to calm his nerves.
A knock came from the other side of the door, startling him so bad that he jumped backward and knocked the assorted bath things off the counter.
In the hallway, on the other side of the door, Magneto frowned once he heard the commotion from inside the bathroom. "John, is everything all right?" he asked.
"Oh, yeah! I'm fine, don't worry about a thing!" John called back as he quickly replaced everything on the marble surface.
"Are you sure?"
"Totally! I'll be right out!" John called back.
Magneto shrugged and went back to the table. Mystique asked him, "Is he okay?"
"Yes. He's a clever boy, for a moment I actually believed he was choking."
"He knows."
"That's true."
"How much do you think he heard?"
"Enough, as is evidenced tonight," Magneto answered before taking a sip from his wine glass. "But he is in no position to stop us."
Mystique nodded, "Eric, he may try."
Magneto took her hand and brought it to his lips, "Yes, I'm sure he will; but that will only make this more interesting for us."