Even before they met, when the only knowledge he had of him was the
school's gossip, John knew that Eric was a man that one did not want to
disappoint. Even without his powers, one irritated stare from him was
enough to make John shudder.
One time John had dropped one of the mysterious packages Eric had sent him out to get, and Eric froze his blood with a look. As far as John knew, that was the first time he had ever done anything to annoy him.
He had been hoping not to make the same mistake twice, to prove to Eric and to himself that he wasn't the screw-up everyone at the school thought he was, but he had failed.
"I understand that there were extenuating circumstances, I myself have been known to create a scene or two in public, but I thought that you would have at least tried to stay out of trouble while we were gone." Eric said once the three teenagers got inside the luxurious apartment.
"Yeah, not thrilled about your house keeping skills either." Mystique hissed as she looked around.
'Tis true, the teens trashed the house. Dirty clothes and dishes were all over the place.
"Sorry." The kids murmured as one.
"Yes, I would be sorry as well if I was in your place. You think you're sorry now? Just wait until I've thought up a suitable punishment! If you're wise-which I'm having doubts about- then you'll clean up this mess, from top to bottom, and then stay out of my sight until tomorrow." Eric growled at them.
With that irritated command, Eric ascended the staircase that led to his bedroom with Mystique a few steps behind.
"Don't you think you're being a little cold?" Mystique asked him once they were behind closed doors.
Eric turned to her, "What are you talking about? After what they did, I'm being terribly fair."
"Just fighting for your honor, as I understand it." She said, her eyebrows raising in the same way that Eric always raised his when he was trying to make a point.
Eric sighed. "Well, I can hardly stay angry at them for much longer if that was the reason, but they still behaved foolishly."
"I know."
"Despite the stupidity of their actions, today's events did provide one benefit: I'll have a chance to meet with Charles and we can discuss this whole mess. John's fate is a delicate situation, and should be handled as such." Eric remarked, almost to himself.
Mystique sat down on their bed and sighed, "If you say so."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't think that this is as big a deal as you make it out to be. John wants to stay, let him, and tell Xavier to forget about having him back. John made his choice when he got on that helicopter."
Eric sat down behind her on the bed and started rubbing her shoulders as he thought about what she way saying.
"Mmm, you're right, but something tells me that Charles doesn't see it that way. He wouldn't send in students to lure away one of mine if he didn't think there was a good reason that John would jump at the chance to return."
Mystique's scales fluttered ever so slightly at Eric's attention. "Well, you have until tomorrow to find out what he thinks. Until then, enjoy today."
Eric smiled at her.
*^*^*^*^*
John helped Pietro and Wanda clean the living room and kitchen before he went up to his room. What Eric said earlier had given him plenty to think about.
'Tell Charles to meet me here, at this address, where we can discuss the fate of one John Allerdyce'
God, he had even used his full name, that's never a good sign!
He didn't think that Eric would send him back to Xavier's just because of what had happened at the playground, but he wouldn't rule it out as a possibility.
John wondered what it was they had to talk about; John had made his decision over six months ago, why couldn't anyone just let him chill where he was? He felt fine here with Eric, Mystique, Wanda and Pietro. He wasn't related, but he was part of the family, more than he had been at Xavier's.
He liked Wanda and Pietro; they were older than him, but great companions. No classes, no real restrictions, it was great, he didn't want to leave yet. if ever.
However, that doesn't mean that Magneto felt the same way. Maybe one of the house rules John hadn't caught was, 'if you slip up, you're out of luck' and he'd be out the door.
Magneto and Mystique were both pretty mad, had he just ruined the best thing that ever happened to him?
*^*^*^*
"John, wake up."
John stirred, not having gotten much sleep the night before. His damn brain had kept him awake, constantly running words and events over and over in his mind. He tried to think up a plan for his future just in case Eric sent him off on his own, but came up empty.
He had nowhere to go, he'd go from penthouse to poorhouse overnight.
Crap.
"John, get up!"
"Huh, what?" John sat up. At this point it was not uncommon for someone to sneak into his bedroom and wake him up, but still very annoying.
"Wanda. God, are Magneto or Mystique too busy to sneak around my room now?! What is it?" he asked, very pissed.
Wanda didn't care; if he didn't want anyone to wake him up then he shouldn't sleep till noon everyday. She brushed a dark lock out of her eyes before speaking, "John, father is meeting a man today. They will talk about you and where you will stay. Father says to get ready now."
John ran a hand through his hair, his sole attempt at grooming for the day. 'No point in using hair gel if I'm just gonna end up on the streets by tonight' he thought unhappily.
"Fine, get out so I can change my clothes and I'll be down in a minute." He told her.
Wanda smirked, "Yes sir! As you wish!"
He rolled his eyes as she left and grabbed a sweatshirt and a pair of jeans.
*^*^*^*^*^*
Eric, Mystique, Wanda, Pietro and John filed out of the penthouse and into the elevator. From there, four of them took the limo, while Pietro chose to run.
"I have no patience for New York's traffic, father. May I run?" he had asked.
"Yes, but don't make a spectacle of yourself. People are already leery of mutants, I don't want anymore trouble from you." Was Eric's reply.
Pietro was gone instantly, and Eric joined the rest of them in the car. The traffic that day was light by New York standards, and the limo met its destination a few minutes early.
John wasn't jumping for joy at that, he hadn't said a word to anyone other than Wanda the whole day. He didn't know what was going down, and didn't know what to think, much less say.
The limo stopped, and Eric got out, leading the way for the rest of them.
Seemingly indifferent to the surrounding human population of Central Park, Eric headed straight for an area he had been many times in the past. A small area of the great park is dedicated to chess; concrete boards and benches were peppered about, and Eric headed for one in particular.
Charles was there already; his punctuality being a defining characteristic of his. With a small gesture to the troops behind him, Eric made it clear that he and Charles meant to have this conversation alone and without interruption.
"Hello Charles, it's so nice to see you again." Eric said in mock- pleasantry as he sat down across from his old friend.
Charles looked up and gave a small, sad smile. The only smile he could give to Eric would be a sad one; the man had both helped and hurt him so many times over the years.
"Good afternoon Eric, I'm glad you could make it. I see you've brought your family." Charles looked over Eric's shoulder at the twins, both now almost full adults.
Eric smiled with a touch of fatherly pride as he assessed the board that Charles had taken the liberty of setting with pieces. "Yes, apparently they heard the news of my prison break and decided to pay me a visit."
"They know about that?" Charles asked, a little surprised. He had always felt that, for whatever reason, being incarcerated was not something to brag about, especially to your own children!
"Yes, how could they not? It was broadcasted all over the world. A person couldn't go for more than a day without seeing my picture on the international news. To tell the truth, I was a bit flattered." He joked as he moved a rook.
"They don't know who put me in jail, mind you, so you might want to watch what you say. They get upset when people try to damage my 'good' name."
Charles frowned as he moved a pawn, "Yes, as was displayed by the little squabble yesterday."
"Oh, that. Let's chalk it up to hormones a peer pressure, you know the real reason we're here."
Charles once again looked over Eric's shoulder and saw John standing beside a woman Charles assumed was Mystique in disguise, looking very uncomfortable and irritated.
"For John." He said.
"Yes, tell me Charles, why are you so intent on stealing from my side?"
Charles's usually cool demeanor faltered slightly, "Me? You're the one who stole John from us! You assumed that we thought he had died in the flood that day, and would have let us go on believing it, Eric."
"No need to get angry, Charles. You knew he was with me, you knew he hadn't died at Alkali Lake." Eric said, turning his attention away from the chess board at Charles's upset.
Charles relaxed, but didn't let his voice lose its edge, "I fail to see how his being with you and yours is any better for him."
Eric frowned. "That was a low blow, I'm not that bad, Charles. What did you think? That we kept the boy chained to a radiator and fed him table scraps every other day?"
Charles shrugged.
"Well. Given my actions at our last meeting, I suppose it would only be natural for you to assume something like that. No, Charles, we even gave him the chance to go back to you. He chose to stay with us, the 'bad guys'."
*^*^*^*
"Man, why are they taking so long?" John asked aloud.
"Eric and Charles have a lot of history between them, John. They've known each other for decades; you've got to respect that." Mystique said as she sat down on a park bench.
John sat down beside her as the twins went off in search of refreshments. "I don't get it." He said to her as he looked back to the two men at the chess board.
"Get what?"
"Them! Magneto and the Professor! How can they possibly stand the sight of each other after everything that's happened between them? I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Magneto leave the Professor to die in the dam?" John asked.
Mystique frowned, "No, he didn't. We didn't even know the dam was collapsing when we left him in there. Eric manipulated him into ridding the world of humans, sure, but we were confident that the X-men would get him out of there when he was done."
"But still! The Professor doesn't even act mad about it!"
"Trust me John, it wasn't the first time something like that had happened. If you only knew half the things they've done to each other, it'd make your head spin." Mystique laughed.
John sighed, "Whatever."
The day wore on for a couple hours more. Eric and Charles were still at the chess board, moving pieces back and forth. No one knew what they were talking about, their conversation could have been anyone's guess.
The twins had acquired a soccer ball and were busy kicking it around, desperate to pass the time in one way or another. John had joined in their little game for awhile, but found he was too anxious to focus for long.
"God, how much longer is this going to take?!" John grumbled in frustration.
"It hasn't been that long at all John; really, you must learn some patience." Came Eric's sibilant voice from above him.
John turned and stood to face Eric. The twins and Mystique had enough sense to back off and let them talk privately.
"Magneto?"
"Eric please."
"Oh, um, Eric. So, what did you guys talk about?"
Eric glanced behind him and looked after Charles's departing wheelchair, which was soon joined by a different teenage boy.
Turning back to John, "Many things. Past times, present times and you, of course."
"Oh yeah? What did you guys decide?" John no longer felt the need to be delicate, if Eric and the Professor had spent that much time talking all about him, he damn sure wanted to know what was said!
"Well, it appears that by a stroke of luck, you will remain with us. A rather ingenious move if I say so myself." Eric smirked.
John was relieved at the news that he was staying with them, but didn't understand what Eric meant. "What move?"
"Hm? Oh, a chess move of course. Trapped his queen and conquered, my prize is you, so I pray you don't disappoint me." Eric said as he turned from John and started walking towards the twins.
John let that comment process itself, "Hey, Eric, wait a second!" he ran up and blocked Eric's path. "You and the professor played for me?"
Eric shrugged, "Yes. It seemed the best way. What would you have done? Have a massive power fight right here in the middle of a park? I'm sorry John, but not on such a nice day." Eric stepped around him and headed back to his family.
John stood there, dumbstruck.
"Strange, isn't it?"
John turned to face none other than Bobby Drake. "What is?"
"The Professor and Magneto. Very different, but they've managed to stay friends all these years."
"Yeah." John said.
Bobby hesitated for a second before saying, "Kinda gives me hope for the future, you know?"
John knew exactly when Bobby meant. "I know Bobby." He held out his hand to be shaken.
Bobby took it.
"Hey, Bobby, cut it out!" John cried as Bobby iced it.
"Some thins will never change." Bobby laughed.
John shook off the frost and glared.
Bobby thought that he may have gone a bit too far with that, but then John smiled and shook his head.
Bobby looked over his shoulder, where the Professor and Rogue were waiting for him. "Well, I guess this is it, huh?"
John hugged Bobby and gave him a pat on the back before they each went to their respective groups. 'For now, Iceman.' John thought to himself.
They each knew that they would meet again, whether as friends as enemies, it was too soon to tell.
One time John had dropped one of the mysterious packages Eric had sent him out to get, and Eric froze his blood with a look. As far as John knew, that was the first time he had ever done anything to annoy him.
He had been hoping not to make the same mistake twice, to prove to Eric and to himself that he wasn't the screw-up everyone at the school thought he was, but he had failed.
"I understand that there were extenuating circumstances, I myself have been known to create a scene or two in public, but I thought that you would have at least tried to stay out of trouble while we were gone." Eric said once the three teenagers got inside the luxurious apartment.
"Yeah, not thrilled about your house keeping skills either." Mystique hissed as she looked around.
'Tis true, the teens trashed the house. Dirty clothes and dishes were all over the place.
"Sorry." The kids murmured as one.
"Yes, I would be sorry as well if I was in your place. You think you're sorry now? Just wait until I've thought up a suitable punishment! If you're wise-which I'm having doubts about- then you'll clean up this mess, from top to bottom, and then stay out of my sight until tomorrow." Eric growled at them.
With that irritated command, Eric ascended the staircase that led to his bedroom with Mystique a few steps behind.
"Don't you think you're being a little cold?" Mystique asked him once they were behind closed doors.
Eric turned to her, "What are you talking about? After what they did, I'm being terribly fair."
"Just fighting for your honor, as I understand it." She said, her eyebrows raising in the same way that Eric always raised his when he was trying to make a point.
Eric sighed. "Well, I can hardly stay angry at them for much longer if that was the reason, but they still behaved foolishly."
"I know."
"Despite the stupidity of their actions, today's events did provide one benefit: I'll have a chance to meet with Charles and we can discuss this whole mess. John's fate is a delicate situation, and should be handled as such." Eric remarked, almost to himself.
Mystique sat down on their bed and sighed, "If you say so."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't think that this is as big a deal as you make it out to be. John wants to stay, let him, and tell Xavier to forget about having him back. John made his choice when he got on that helicopter."
Eric sat down behind her on the bed and started rubbing her shoulders as he thought about what she way saying.
"Mmm, you're right, but something tells me that Charles doesn't see it that way. He wouldn't send in students to lure away one of mine if he didn't think there was a good reason that John would jump at the chance to return."
Mystique's scales fluttered ever so slightly at Eric's attention. "Well, you have until tomorrow to find out what he thinks. Until then, enjoy today."
Eric smiled at her.
*^*^*^*^*
John helped Pietro and Wanda clean the living room and kitchen before he went up to his room. What Eric said earlier had given him plenty to think about.
'Tell Charles to meet me here, at this address, where we can discuss the fate of one John Allerdyce'
God, he had even used his full name, that's never a good sign!
He didn't think that Eric would send him back to Xavier's just because of what had happened at the playground, but he wouldn't rule it out as a possibility.
John wondered what it was they had to talk about; John had made his decision over six months ago, why couldn't anyone just let him chill where he was? He felt fine here with Eric, Mystique, Wanda and Pietro. He wasn't related, but he was part of the family, more than he had been at Xavier's.
He liked Wanda and Pietro; they were older than him, but great companions. No classes, no real restrictions, it was great, he didn't want to leave yet. if ever.
However, that doesn't mean that Magneto felt the same way. Maybe one of the house rules John hadn't caught was, 'if you slip up, you're out of luck' and he'd be out the door.
Magneto and Mystique were both pretty mad, had he just ruined the best thing that ever happened to him?
*^*^*^*
"John, wake up."
John stirred, not having gotten much sleep the night before. His damn brain had kept him awake, constantly running words and events over and over in his mind. He tried to think up a plan for his future just in case Eric sent him off on his own, but came up empty.
He had nowhere to go, he'd go from penthouse to poorhouse overnight.
Crap.
"John, get up!"
"Huh, what?" John sat up. At this point it was not uncommon for someone to sneak into his bedroom and wake him up, but still very annoying.
"Wanda. God, are Magneto or Mystique too busy to sneak around my room now?! What is it?" he asked, very pissed.
Wanda didn't care; if he didn't want anyone to wake him up then he shouldn't sleep till noon everyday. She brushed a dark lock out of her eyes before speaking, "John, father is meeting a man today. They will talk about you and where you will stay. Father says to get ready now."
John ran a hand through his hair, his sole attempt at grooming for the day. 'No point in using hair gel if I'm just gonna end up on the streets by tonight' he thought unhappily.
"Fine, get out so I can change my clothes and I'll be down in a minute." He told her.
Wanda smirked, "Yes sir! As you wish!"
He rolled his eyes as she left and grabbed a sweatshirt and a pair of jeans.
*^*^*^*^*^*
Eric, Mystique, Wanda, Pietro and John filed out of the penthouse and into the elevator. From there, four of them took the limo, while Pietro chose to run.
"I have no patience for New York's traffic, father. May I run?" he had asked.
"Yes, but don't make a spectacle of yourself. People are already leery of mutants, I don't want anymore trouble from you." Was Eric's reply.
Pietro was gone instantly, and Eric joined the rest of them in the car. The traffic that day was light by New York standards, and the limo met its destination a few minutes early.
John wasn't jumping for joy at that, he hadn't said a word to anyone other than Wanda the whole day. He didn't know what was going down, and didn't know what to think, much less say.
The limo stopped, and Eric got out, leading the way for the rest of them.
Seemingly indifferent to the surrounding human population of Central Park, Eric headed straight for an area he had been many times in the past. A small area of the great park is dedicated to chess; concrete boards and benches were peppered about, and Eric headed for one in particular.
Charles was there already; his punctuality being a defining characteristic of his. With a small gesture to the troops behind him, Eric made it clear that he and Charles meant to have this conversation alone and without interruption.
"Hello Charles, it's so nice to see you again." Eric said in mock- pleasantry as he sat down across from his old friend.
Charles looked up and gave a small, sad smile. The only smile he could give to Eric would be a sad one; the man had both helped and hurt him so many times over the years.
"Good afternoon Eric, I'm glad you could make it. I see you've brought your family." Charles looked over Eric's shoulder at the twins, both now almost full adults.
Eric smiled with a touch of fatherly pride as he assessed the board that Charles had taken the liberty of setting with pieces. "Yes, apparently they heard the news of my prison break and decided to pay me a visit."
"They know about that?" Charles asked, a little surprised. He had always felt that, for whatever reason, being incarcerated was not something to brag about, especially to your own children!
"Yes, how could they not? It was broadcasted all over the world. A person couldn't go for more than a day without seeing my picture on the international news. To tell the truth, I was a bit flattered." He joked as he moved a rook.
"They don't know who put me in jail, mind you, so you might want to watch what you say. They get upset when people try to damage my 'good' name."
Charles frowned as he moved a pawn, "Yes, as was displayed by the little squabble yesterday."
"Oh, that. Let's chalk it up to hormones a peer pressure, you know the real reason we're here."
Charles once again looked over Eric's shoulder and saw John standing beside a woman Charles assumed was Mystique in disguise, looking very uncomfortable and irritated.
"For John." He said.
"Yes, tell me Charles, why are you so intent on stealing from my side?"
Charles's usually cool demeanor faltered slightly, "Me? You're the one who stole John from us! You assumed that we thought he had died in the flood that day, and would have let us go on believing it, Eric."
"No need to get angry, Charles. You knew he was with me, you knew he hadn't died at Alkali Lake." Eric said, turning his attention away from the chess board at Charles's upset.
Charles relaxed, but didn't let his voice lose its edge, "I fail to see how his being with you and yours is any better for him."
Eric frowned. "That was a low blow, I'm not that bad, Charles. What did you think? That we kept the boy chained to a radiator and fed him table scraps every other day?"
Charles shrugged.
"Well. Given my actions at our last meeting, I suppose it would only be natural for you to assume something like that. No, Charles, we even gave him the chance to go back to you. He chose to stay with us, the 'bad guys'."
*^*^*^*
"Man, why are they taking so long?" John asked aloud.
"Eric and Charles have a lot of history between them, John. They've known each other for decades; you've got to respect that." Mystique said as she sat down on a park bench.
John sat down beside her as the twins went off in search of refreshments. "I don't get it." He said to her as he looked back to the two men at the chess board.
"Get what?"
"Them! Magneto and the Professor! How can they possibly stand the sight of each other after everything that's happened between them? I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Magneto leave the Professor to die in the dam?" John asked.
Mystique frowned, "No, he didn't. We didn't even know the dam was collapsing when we left him in there. Eric manipulated him into ridding the world of humans, sure, but we were confident that the X-men would get him out of there when he was done."
"But still! The Professor doesn't even act mad about it!"
"Trust me John, it wasn't the first time something like that had happened. If you only knew half the things they've done to each other, it'd make your head spin." Mystique laughed.
John sighed, "Whatever."
The day wore on for a couple hours more. Eric and Charles were still at the chess board, moving pieces back and forth. No one knew what they were talking about, their conversation could have been anyone's guess.
The twins had acquired a soccer ball and were busy kicking it around, desperate to pass the time in one way or another. John had joined in their little game for awhile, but found he was too anxious to focus for long.
"God, how much longer is this going to take?!" John grumbled in frustration.
"It hasn't been that long at all John; really, you must learn some patience." Came Eric's sibilant voice from above him.
John turned and stood to face Eric. The twins and Mystique had enough sense to back off and let them talk privately.
"Magneto?"
"Eric please."
"Oh, um, Eric. So, what did you guys talk about?"
Eric glanced behind him and looked after Charles's departing wheelchair, which was soon joined by a different teenage boy.
Turning back to John, "Many things. Past times, present times and you, of course."
"Oh yeah? What did you guys decide?" John no longer felt the need to be delicate, if Eric and the Professor had spent that much time talking all about him, he damn sure wanted to know what was said!
"Well, it appears that by a stroke of luck, you will remain with us. A rather ingenious move if I say so myself." Eric smirked.
John was relieved at the news that he was staying with them, but didn't understand what Eric meant. "What move?"
"Hm? Oh, a chess move of course. Trapped his queen and conquered, my prize is you, so I pray you don't disappoint me." Eric said as he turned from John and started walking towards the twins.
John let that comment process itself, "Hey, Eric, wait a second!" he ran up and blocked Eric's path. "You and the professor played for me?"
Eric shrugged, "Yes. It seemed the best way. What would you have done? Have a massive power fight right here in the middle of a park? I'm sorry John, but not on such a nice day." Eric stepped around him and headed back to his family.
John stood there, dumbstruck.
"Strange, isn't it?"
John turned to face none other than Bobby Drake. "What is?"
"The Professor and Magneto. Very different, but they've managed to stay friends all these years."
"Yeah." John said.
Bobby hesitated for a second before saying, "Kinda gives me hope for the future, you know?"
John knew exactly when Bobby meant. "I know Bobby." He held out his hand to be shaken.
Bobby took it.
"Hey, Bobby, cut it out!" John cried as Bobby iced it.
"Some thins will never change." Bobby laughed.
John shook off the frost and glared.
Bobby thought that he may have gone a bit too far with that, but then John smiled and shook his head.
Bobby looked over his shoulder, where the Professor and Rogue were waiting for him. "Well, I guess this is it, huh?"
John hugged Bobby and gave him a pat on the back before they each went to their respective groups. 'For now, Iceman.' John thought to himself.
They each knew that they would meet again, whether as friends as enemies, it was too soon to tell.