Jubilee had no idea what was going on, but she knew she would soon have some small clue. They ran together, Rogue still sobbing quietly, into the massive mansion. There were a few students in the main entrance, but they just stared at them, confused. One of the boys was called Gregg, she knew that much alone. He had been the one to tell Bobby, Rogue's friend, about the missing man, who in turn told Rogue, causing her panic.

She pushed her way past them, Rogue in tow, and they made their way for Professor Xavier's office. She pushed the large doors open, only to find the room was empty, a new sight to her.

Damn, where are they? she thought in frustration, looking around as if she might find some hidden key to the others' whereabouts. Of course, there was none.

Where are you?

* * *

Dmitri added another twenty kilos to either side of the extra strength bar, and lay down on the bench. Flexing his muscular chalk-covered fingers he wrapped them around the weight lifting bar, tensed and lifted. A hundred kilos was no challenge and he easily did five, ten, fifteen, twenty dips.

And this was just in his normal skin. If he were to don his metal visage he was confident he could lift twenty or thirty times that much. He was confident, but not complacent like these western fools.

They all thought he was stupid, just because he was Russian and had muscles. They thought that that was all he had between his ears. Muscle.

Bearing this in mind, bent iron bars, rippling his steel muscles, he did tricks for them, like some dancing bear that they used to bring round in the travelling fair in his home town.

As he stood under the showerhead in his guest room at the mansion, he wondered if he would ever see the mother country again. He couldn't go home, he knew, not after all that had happened, ending in their neighbour of thirty years driving his tractor into Dmitri. He had let the metal inside take over with anger, as it did now with the unbidden rage of the freshly recalled memories. The tractor had crumpled up around him, and exploded. He had strode from the wreckage, but their neighbour had lost a leg.

The metal surged up around his feet and ankles, heading for the top of his hair. He felt the familiar sensation, even as he looked in the mirror, and saw it rising like a silver tide. The tiles on the bathroom floor creaked slightly under the added weight. Gathering his resolve, he forced the metal to sink down within him.

Spreading his legs out on the bed, he idly wondered if when he woke up in the morning he would be in the same position as he had been in that hotel room, lying flat on the floor, the bed having given way underneath him when he subconsciously let go in sleep.

* * *

She had ruined his plans before. Her and her little friends. Didn't they understand? Didn't they understand the importance? They could not interfere this time... it was just too important, too vital to the survival of their kind. Mutant kind.

But if they did interfere now, at this most crucial point, he may be forced to kill Scott, merely to emphasise that he was serious. He hoped Charles wasn't that stupid, that ignorant. Charles didn't even know what he planned for his team leader.

It was nearly time. Scott had been 'taught' enough now, and he had instructed his associates to leave him, allow him to heal as best he could naturally. Erik's machine would repair most of the damage in the process of altering Scott's mind, but Erik supposed it would be best if the wounds had already begun to heal on their own.

Erik could not wait to see the looks on Charles and his X-Men's faces when they saw Scott at his side, fighting alongside Sabretooth, Mystique and the others. It would be so satisfying, so glorious. He had no doubt that it would upset Jean Grey greatly, to see her lover fighting against her, with a murderous intent for them all, her included... but Charles would undoubtedly be crushed. Juggernaut's presence would amplify that effect. Erik knew that Charles had not seen his half-brother for quite some time, and probably didn't even know he was still alive. Charles had probably forgotten all about Juggernaut.

Erik chuckled to himself. It was going to be wonderful.

They were all going to die.

* * *

Scott sat uncomfortably on the cold floor, his head now aching in the bright light. It felt great to see things clearly, but now the clarity of the situation was beginning to give him a headache. He looked once more around the room, remembering that there had been nothing there before. So, why should this time be different? he thought to himself, allowing his head to look down at the floor again.

Now aware of Magneto's intentions, he wished they would just kill him. But, Magneto would not do that now; he intended to use Scott against Wolverine and the others. And Scott had no choice, no other alternatives. Even if he were to escape somehow, he would be unable to run, his leg shattered.

Wait a minute, Scott felt a sudden sense of realisation, my leg's broken. How is Magneto going to use me like this, I can't even stand.

Now his head ached through confusion. It was a very good point, how did Magneto intend to use him if he was so badly beaten?

The hissing of the doors opening on hydraulics caught his attention, and he looked up to the doorway. Mystique and Sabretooth stood before him, Mystique wearing that dreadful grin of hers, and Sabretooth merely growling.

Now what?

They moved over to him, their silence sending a shiver down Scott's spine, which also ached. Neither of the pair held any kind of torturous instrument, and Scott's brow furrowed.

Mystique released his hands from the manacles, and nodded to her larger companion.

Scott was too weak to even attempt any kind of escape. He just allowed himself to be picked up, and placed over Sabretooth's shoulder. He could see Mystique looking directly at him with some interest, so he asked, "Where are you taking me?" His voice was weak, and he had to struggle to form the words.

She laughed as they moved towards the door. "We are taking you to your destiny, Scott." Her laughter was quiet, but seemed deafening.

He felt Sabretooth's growl more than he heard it.

"How can he hope to do anything with me like this? I can't even stand." The look Mystique gave him was one of pure evil, and frustrating clarity.

"You'll see," she whispered to him, "you'll see."

It was the most any of Magneto's mutants had spoken to him since his capture, and it frightened him.

* * *

Erik walked, his own happiness overwhelming him temporarily, and anticipated the moments that were to come. They would be most interesting, to his associates as well. Hopefully. Certainly, Mystique would feel hurt when he told her that he planned to make Scott head of his team for this mission. It was for the best though, for Scott knew all of the X-Men's weaknesses, and their strategies. Erik hoped she would understand it was a wise decision.

He saw the door ahead, and realised he had quickened his pace a reasonable amount. He placed his hand into his pocket and removed the object that would control Scott's mind. It looked so small, so insignificant, but it was so unbelievably powerful as he had discovered, when testing the machine on some unwilling subjects.

The door opened automatically for him, and he was greeted with a sight that he had been waiting to see for months.

Scott was strapped to a metal chair in the centre of the room, the belt still in place, still functional. Sabretooth waited at the side of the room, Scott's visor in his hand, and Mystique worked at a table. Toad, Serena, Warp and Juggernaut stood to the edge, watching, waiting.

Unsurprisingly, Scott looked terrified. He glanced up at Erik, and his eyes were filled with pain. Pain that would soon be removed.

He clutched the object in his hand tightly, and decided to get down to business. "Sabretooth," he began, getting the large mutant's attention. "Put on his visor."

Obediently, Sabretooth did so. He stepped away again.

"Mystique." He needed to say no more, for she understood fully what his intentions were. She took an item in her blue hand, and moved to Scott's side. She fixed a metal chain; similar to that of a necklace, tightly around his neck, and pressed the locking mechanism -which was actually a neural interface- into the back of his neck. Scott winced.

Smiling broadly to himself, Erik switched on the device he held in his hand. The light on it went green immediately. Scott's head jerked, and he seemed stunned. Then he gasped. For a few moments, he simply sat there, nothing obvious occurring. Scott suddenly gave a cry.

Erik watched in awe as the wound on Scott's left shoulder began to heal, slowly at first, then almost disappearing altogether, leaving only a small, but noticeable, scratch where the gaping wound had been.

"Wow," Serena exclaimed. "How did you do that?"

Erik remained silent.

It had worked.

"Sabretooth, release him," he instructed. The large mutant did not move, but Toad spoke, "Are you sure about that, boss?"

Erik merely glared. Toad backed down.

"Now, Sabretooth," he demanded, louder this time.

Reluctantly, Sabretooth walked over to Scott, and released him from the straps that held him.

Erik waved his hand, seemingly in a pointless movement. He had just deactivated the belt from the inside, rendering it useless. Scott now had full access to his power.

Scott stood from the chair, looking at the mutants that surrounded him, and moved directly over to Erik, limping a little on his right leg, stopping a foot from him.

"Hello, Scott," Erik greeted him.

"Magneto," came his reply. A discreet smile formed on his face, one that was visible to Erik only.

It had worked.

"Boss?" Toad moved towards them cautiously.

"Scott, could you destroy that wall for me?" Erik asked, indicating the wall opposite them.

With a subtle nod, Scott turned and faced the indicated wall. Erik noticed that all of his other mutants backed away. Were they afraid?

Touching his visor with his hand, a red energy beam shot out of his eyes, blowing the wall outward and into the ocean. A strong breeze blew into the room.

Scott turned back to Erik, his hair blowing in the wind, and he smiled. Erik returned the smile. He waved his hand again, reactivating the belt.

"You may remove the visor," he told his new recruit, who had already showed he was willing to take orders.

Scott reached up, and removed the visor from his face, holding it in his hand at his side. Erik noticed the evil in Scott's blue eyes.

The evil, and the murderous intent.

* * *

Scott looked around himself, glancing at his new team. He took hold of the neck chain he wore, and clutched it tightly. Releasing it, he breathed in deeply, a glorious feeling sweeping over him.

He had changed, he knew that much, but he didn't remember much else. He knew that he felt fantastic though. He felt something else... he felt hatred for the X-Men, and he realised how much joy he would take in destroying them one at a time.

* * *

Jean stared blankly at the x-rays in front of her, the light reflecting off her glasses, and she wondered. She wondered what had gone so terribly wrong with the danger room's holographic projector. Storm was checking the systems now, and Jean knew she would discover some kind of sabotage. It was the only plausible explanation. All of the systems in the mansion were well maintained, and checked on a regular basis. Nothing should have malfunctioned so drastically.

But something had.

What happened? she thought, subconsciously.

She stared blankly at the x-rays, not really taking in the information that was displayed before her.

Logan had healed quickly, as usual, but it was still troubling her. He still lay behind her on a medical bed, eyes closed firmly, still unconscious. She sighed, and removed her glasses, rubbing her tired eyes.

She so desperately wanted to see Scott, know that he was okay. Well, she knew he wasn't okay, but she needed to know whether or not he was still alive. It was driving her mad.

She wished she could talk to him, know what he was feeling, know his fear and help him through it. But the last time she had used Cerebro, she had damaged herself, and she would undoubtedly do it again, so that wasn't an option.

She just needed to see him, and it was tearing her apart inside to know that she couldn't.

In a sudden burst of frustration, she slammed her hand against the x- rays, knocking three to the floor, and causing the backlight to blink out. In the background she heard a vial of some kind shatter, and she knew she had subconsciously sent it flying across the room in her anger.

That happened sometimes, when she was under a lot of stress. Objects would shoot across the room, and then break. Usually, they were not important, but one time she had accidentally sent a vase across the room, and Professor Xavier had been a little upset.

"Lose our concentration did we?" came Logan's gruff voice from the bed. She turned to see him rise, rubbing his head in the process. He felt his stomach, perhaps checking that the wounds had disappeared. Satisfied, he glanced back up at her, and his brown eyes were full of compassion.

Her head sagged in an expression of extreme fatigue.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for checking back. See that little option down in the left hand corner? *wink* Let me know what you think. Thanks.