Chapter Eighteen:
Magento smiled amicably to the young woman and walked toward her.
She was still yanking at the metal around her wrist, trying to look dangerous, but her fear betrayed her.
"Let me out of this now," Rebecca said darkly, but unconvincingly.
"In a moment," Magneto assured her and continued to pace around the room.
The other mutants stepped back, respectfully as he passed. From the doorway, Mystique and Sabertooth entered the room and stood in waiting. Rebecca spotted them and began to struggle again. Magneto glanced back at them and then back to the girl.
"Don't be afraid, my dear," he said, "We mean you…no harm…"
Rebecca looked at him cynically, "Could have fooled me…"
Magneto smiled sympathetically and regarded her with curiosity. He could sense the metal heating under her hands, but the danger had passed. She looked a bit like her mother, he decided, but had not inherited her temperament. Charlene McGee had been so level, so controlled, quite different from this explosive, frightful child.
Rebecca glanced around at the group and shook her head, "Who are you people?"
"We are your Brothers, Miss Malloy," Magneto said proudly, "The Brotherhood of Mutants, and we're been looking for you for a long time."
Toad stood straighter with his shoulders back as Erik motioned to them. Rebecca glanced at him and he smiled proudly at Erik's distinction. The Lady Deathstrike also seemed pleased and glanced at their leader with a great measure of respect.
Rebecca frowned, "Oh, yeah? Well, you found me, good for you."
"Yes," Magneto agreed in a slow and thoughtful tone, "Not an easy task considering the company you keep. Or those in the Council who keep a watch on you."
She did not reply, simply glared at Magneto indignantly, as he spoke.
"I knew your mother...many years ago now," he continued, "Before you and your brother were born. When I myself was actively involved in the Council's affairs."
Rebecca was still frowning, but the expression had changed, involuntarily, to one of curiosity. She glanced around again at the others in the room. Brotherhood of Mutants? She had heard that name before, and a man who could manipulate metal, that sounded like the mutant the police had apprehended at Liberty Island. The news had never released his name but Sebastian had known it at the time...
"You're...you're Erik Lensherr..." she said quietly and tensed against the wall.
Magneto smiled, very pleased at the recognition, and nodded forward slightly.
"My reputation precedes me," he said, "I'm not sure if you should consider that good or bad..."
Rebecca swallowed nervously, "Well, you've broken into my home, attacked me, destroyed my kitchen and now have me stuck to a wall...and completely at your mercy...so I'm going to say...um, good?"
"I apologize for the invasiveness of our introduction, my dear," he said with a sad smile, "And, considering what I had known about your mother, our directness now seems quite unwise."
Rebecca nodded and glanced around the room with a sigh. The explosion she had caused, plus the trick with the appliances, had left the downstairs rooms covered with shattered glass and metal. Most breakables (which were also valuables of her uncle) had fallen from shelves and pedestals. She suddenly chuckled at the thought of her glass-manipulating brother sitting with the thousands of pieces and trying to fuse them all back together into the right order.
"Yeah," she said through her nervous laughter, "Just a little unwise. You could have just looked me up in the phone book. Maybe called up, sent an e-mail?"
Pyro laughed quietly from the back of the room, and Rebecca glanced at him and shrugged.
"What? I'm listed. Would have saved my uncle the cost of the windows," she said with a strange grin, which faded quickly, "What about Sid? You don't have anyone attacking him, do you?"
Magneto could sense the heat again as the young woman pulled at her chained wrist again, sudden concern for her brother overpowering her fear.
"Sid?" he asked.
"My brother…Jeremy…" she replied. Magneto shook his head and smiled.
"No," he said, "We thought it easier to acquire you both here, to speak to you privately. My recent incarceration prevents me from enjoying the luxuries of public appearances."
"Speak to us about what?" Rebecca asked, defensively. Magneto had said acquire them, what had he meant by that, she wondered.
"About the future of our people," he replied, his face become stony and somber, "About the survival of the mutant race."
Then, Magneto expression changed again, fading back into his friendly smile.
"We are simply trying to help the world understand what mutants are. There are so many dark rumors of our intentions. And of the attacks eight months ago. No one knows all the real facts and ignorance...is the root of all hatred. Your mother understood this, and I was hoping to have her support in our ventures."
Rebecca looked at him for a long moment. The sudden intensity in his voice made her extremely wary of his former pleasant demeanor. There was more to his motivations than he was admitting but she decided it was safer to listen to what he had to say than to try another escape. The power was rolling inside of her, but she did not trust her control in this dangerous situation, and she pushed it away.
"Ventures against things like the Mutant Registration Act?" she asked, and forced her body to relax, "Like, intense negotiations?"
Magneto nodded, "Hopefully, not too intense, Miss Malloy. If you are familiar with the Council, you know that approach is not effective."
"Not real effective with me either, Mr. Lensherr," she said and twisted her wrist underneath the metal shackle.
Magneto raised one hand casually and the metal confining her fell to the ground. She stumbled forward and steadied herself against the wall.
"Thanks," she mumbled, rubbing her left wrist, and then glanced down at the bar that had been wrapped around her waist. It was still partially covered with a black plastic cover and the remaining letters spelled, OREMAN GRIL; the remainders of her George Foreman Grill.
Rebecca sighed, "Damn...I loved that thing."
Magneto glanced at Deathstrike and nodded. She turned and headed out of the room towards the front door, going to prepare the car for their departure.
"Purhaps," Magneto said, "We should adjourn to somewhere more suitable to talk. I would like to meet Jeremy also, can your brother be contacted easily?"
Rebecca nodded, "I can reach him...this...," she motioned around the room, "This might take a while to explain..."
At her words, a shelf to her left crumbled to the floor. Erik motioned for the rest of the Brotherhood to head out of the room. Mystique nodded and turned to leave, pulling a grumbling Sabertooth along with her. Pyro followed next, and then Toad. As Sabertooth stomped through the living room, a vase on one intact shelf wobbled unsteadily.
Rebecca saw it begin to fall and made a motion toward it with a small concerned gasp. Toad reached out quickly and steadied it with one hand. He turned and grinned at her, amused.
Rebecca returned his grin and exhaled in relief.
"Thanks alo…" she began but was cut off suddenly as a red light shot through the living room windows from outside and smashed the vase violently. Toad jumped quickly out of the way as the rest of the Brotherhood ducked quickly. Rebecca just stood, with her hands on her hips and sighed again.
Figures…she thought.
Another blast tore through the room and the Brotherhood scattered to evade the beams. Magneto headed quickly to the back hall, as Sabertooth roared and turned to face the new attacker. Mystique went quickly to the large mutant's side, motioning for Pyro to go to Magneto and head for cover.
As they moved, several new figures appeared inside her home. She could not make them out entirely, but she could easily see three sets of glowing eyes, one white and the other two a fiery red.
Toad did not join his Brothers in their battle. Instead, he grabbed Rebecca by the waist and drug her back into the dining room. Rebecca yelped in surprise but did not struggle as they moved. He released her, and she fell next to the large central table.
"Stay here," Toad said to her.
"What is going on now?" she asked him angrily.
Before he could reply, a figure appeared in the doorway, eyes glowing red and a ball of energy crackling in his hand. With a small flick of his wrist, the intruder shot the ball of energy at Toad, who evaded it and scaled one wall quickly.
Rebecca pulled herself up to peer over the table top, just in time to watch Toad's long tongue shoot toward the new mutant viciously. The red-eyed mutant dodged to the left and slammed into the wall near her. He glanced at her in surprise, and in that moment of distraction, was thrown violently forward as Toad's tongue wrapped around his arm and pulled. From the floor, the mutant pulled something from his pocket with his free hand. The object flared to life and crackled with new energy. He threw the object toward Toad, who was thrown backward into the kitchen from the subsequent explosion as the object hit the wall.
Feeling completely confused, Rebecca gaped at the new mutant as he stood slowly and stepped back toward her. She scrambled to her feet quickly and stared at him. His eyes seemed to dim slightly and he looked at her with concern.
"Are you alright, ma chere?" he asked her with a thick Cajun accent.
"Not…entirely…" she said slowly, regarding him cautiously. From the other rooms, sounds of crashing and yelling could be heard and Rebecca guessed her new arrivals were greeted as warmly as her first intruder greeted Cajun man.
"Come with me now," he ordered and grabbed her arm to pull her along.
Alright… she thought angrily, …that's enough…
"No," she relied forcefully, unintentionally heating the man's gripping hand, "Not until someone…anyone," she called louder, "…explains to me what the hell is going on!"
The Cajun man looked confused, "We are here saving you from the Brotherhood! Now we must move!"
"Saving me?" she shouted back.
Before the Cajun man could answer, the ruined refrigerator was shoved roughly aside and Toad leapt out from behind it. The new mutant reached for his pockets again, but was tackled by the green mutant before he could reach them. The Cajun man was thrown to the side and landed hard on the floor next to Rebecca.
He coughed, and shook his head, "Merde. 'Let me go with them, Professor.' Yeah, that was a brilliant idea, Remy, just brilliant…"
Rebecca shifted over to where he lay and helped him sit up as he choked. From her other side, Toad stalked toward the Cajun man, his vicious stare never leaving his target.
"Fuckin' X-Men," he growled and Rebecca glanced back at him.
The Cajun man drew something from his pocket and it began to glow. In the moment of tense anticipation of battle, Rebecca stood between the two opponents and held hands up to each.
"Whoa," she said, "Enough. Stop it now."
"You don't understand, chere," the Cajun man said, "He's dangerous…"
Rebecca glared back at him, "And, you're not, Mr. I-Blow-Up-Drywall? This is my house. And I've had way too many people breaking in and then trying to save me…got it?"
She glanced back to Toad, who was staring at her angrily for the interruption.
"Got it?" she asked him directly. Toad took a step back, and then replied as Rebecca turned her head away from him again.
"No," he said, and then jumped over her toward the X-Man. The attack was quick but not unexpected. The new mutant shot another ball of energy toward the ceiling and it crumbled around them, blasting a giant hole in the first and second floors.
As the debris settled around them, the insanity unfolding around Rebecca Malloy became complete and utter chaos. She coughed and looked out toward the night sky.
Meeting her startled gaze, thirty-five feet above where she had fallen to the floor, was a giant robotic face.