Chapter 11:

"Good. Very good..." Mystique looked at the two lines of mutants in front of her. The X-Men, with their leader Xavier; herself leading the Brotherhood. Everybody was assembled on the mansion's vast front lawn.

"I don't get it, Professor," Kitty said, a concerned frown etched on her face. "Magneto's back?" She shook her head a little, her usual high bouncy ponytail swinging lightly from side to side. "I mean, nobody has heard from him for like what? Ever since the Asteroid M event, which was totally forever ago."

"Yes, I quite agree, Kitty," Professor Xavier said, looking at Mystique. "Erik supposedly perished that day, when the moon base detonated."

"Why would Magneto come back?" Scott looked suspiciously at Mystique. "It all sounds so sketchy, Professor. I wouldn't-."

"Has Wanda told you nothing when she was here, Summers?" Lance snarled, taking a step forward. "Magneto is back in town, and he'll seek to activate his little take-over-the-world plot. He'll stop at nothing at achieve that, and where do you think we'll be then, huh?"

"Should I know, Alvers?" The X-Men's oldest student and field leader's tone of voice was cool.

"I don't know. You X-Geeks are supposed to be the smart and deep ones here, you tell me!" Lance wasn't backing down to anybody either. In fact, it was just the opposite. The ground started to rumble, and a very noticeable tremor shook the school grounds.

"Lance!" Kitty ran forward and put a restraining hand on the dark haired senior's arm. Likewise, Jean did the same with Scott. Lance glanced down at Kitty, and took a deep breath.

"Sorry," he muttered. He glared at Scott. "Two of our members are gone. Maybe you have never had the experience of watching some nutcase take two of your closest friends, Summers, or maybe you just don't care. I don't know, okay? Maybe you filthy rich X-geeks can constantly resupply your team by offering mutants a mansion to live in, and all that money can buy. But we can't. We are all we have."

"Lance, not all of us are like that," Kitty said softly, in a wounded tone. "Is that like, what you truly believe?"

"Hell, I don't know!" Lance growled, but his tone did soften considerably. He turned and looked down at the petite brunette girl. "Kitty..." His eyes beckoned to her pleadingly, inviting her to enter the deepest part of his heart and not be like Scott. He wanted her to *understand*.

After a long deliberate pause, Kitty did something that she'd only done once. Something that made up for Lance's last two miserable months. Putting her arms around Lance's neck, Kitty stood on tip toes and kissed him on the cheek.

"You've deserved that, Mr. Alvers," Kitty said, smiling up at him, despite the stony glare from Cyclops. "Whatever happens in this, I'm sure we're gonna be okay. Pietro's strong, y'know? I know how you like, feel toward us, but it doesn't mean all of us are like that." She sounded sad, but Lance just looked shocked.

"God, you- you don't think I was saying that stuff about *you*, did you, Kitty?" Lance asked in a stunned tone. "I wasn't talking about you, Kitty! It was never about you!"

Kitty smiled. "Lance Alvers, you totally rock," she whispered into his ear. Lance just wore a stupid grin on his face.

"Okay, this is getting downright sickening," Mystique interrupted in disgust, muttering something about her "field leader and oldest recruite acting like a love starved idiot."

"Lance, if what you say is indeed true," Professor Xavier mused out loud, breaking the uncomfortable silence between the two teams as they both looked at Lance and Kitty. He closed his eyes, casting his mind around in search of the man who was once his best friend, now his deadliest enemy. "If Erik is..." Silence once again ruled supreme. Scott continued to glare heatedly at Lance, but Lance decided to ignore the loser Scott by concentrating on Kitty.

Suddenly, the Professor's eyes went wide. "My God, he IS here!" he exclaimed in surprise and shock.

"Glad you finally decided to join us on the right page, Charles," Mystique said in biting sarcasm. "Now! Enough of this! Wanda should be joining up with us soon."

***

*Where are you, you coward?* Wanda Maximoff thought with narrowed eyes as she stalked through the town of Bayville. She ignored the looks that the people walking in the streets were giving her. Wanda knew she looked out of place, with her long scarlet coat and short spiky hair, nor did she really care. Her one priority in mind was to find and destroy her father. "I know you're around here somewhere.." she growled. "Don't play games with *me* Father..."

"Hey Sis."

Wanda whirled around, coming face to face with her brother. "Pietro?" she blinked, momentarily thrown at the sudden sight of him. How long had he been there? For a split second, brother and sister stood there, staring at each other. Then, they both stepped forward in an embrace.

Everything was right with the world.

"God, Pietro, you have no idea-" Wanda whispered, breaking off, unable to finish. He was okay! Or was he? Gazing levelly at him, Wanda studied her brother's face. He seemed... nervous. Jumpy. Of course, Pietro had always been jittery, given the side effects of his power, but today, he seemed even more so than normal. "Pietro?" Wanda asked quietly. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Pietro gave her a bright smile. "Yeah! What makes you say that?"

Wanda shrugged. "You just seem a little... jumpier than usual." She shook her head. "But enough of this. Where's Father?"

Pietro looked uncomfortable. "He's- um-.." He shifted nervously, hoping Wanda didn't catch on and figure out the real reason why he was back. "He has stuff to do," Pietro finished lamely, trying to look as if this was the whole truth and nothing but the truth. *Well, he DOES have stuff to do...* he tried to defend himself, but it was a weak attempt. Pietro Maximoff usually had no trouble lying his way through life. He could sit there and lie his head off to anybody and get away with it without anybody suspecting anything. But somehow, it was always different with his sister. As far back as he could remember, Pietro had never used his tactics against her, had never applied his spiteful and manevolent side against Wanda. Until now.

"Stuff to do?" Wanda repeated. "He's still alive then." Her lips curled into a thin smile. "Good. That will make my revenge that much more sweeter..."

"Well, um, wh-what if we've been wrong about his plans?" Pietro's azure eyes darted up and down the street, as if searching nervously for something or someone, as he tried to steer Wanda away from her obvious intention. "I mean- c'mon Wanda, everybody knows that that stuff happened ages ago. Y'know, the 'dark' stuff. That could mean-"

"Who cares what it means?!" Wanda snapped impatiently. "It means he must die, that's what it means!" Eyes suddenly narrowing in suspicion, she looked at her brother. "Who's side are you on, Pietro?" Wanda asked quietly.

Pietro sighed. He had hoped it wouldn't have to come down to this question of loyalty. Magneto, versus Wanda. His father, or his sister. A Father, who all he'd ever wanted his entire life was to please, or a Sister, who he desperately wanted her entire trust and friendship again, and make things go back to the way they were. *Damn it, why couldn't life just have stayed nice and peachy like the way it was when Wanda and I were kids?!* Pietro thought, irritated. *If it had, I wouldn't be stuck in this mess in the first place!* He was glad Wanda didn't turn out to be a telepath, but in a way, he kinda wanted her to be one at the same time. Pietro wanted his sister to know that he *truly* was sorry about what he'd allowed to happen in the past.

"Pietro?" Wanda's voice cut into his thoughts.

"Huh?" Pietro blinked.

"You're hiding something again, aren't you?" A tinge of her old anger was creeping back into Wanda's voice. Pietro gulped.

"Wanda, listen," he began, looking around with a nervous expression on his face. "Magneto's-"

"What about Father?" Wanda demanded. The air around them began to crackle. "Where is-?" But suddenly, she stopped, and her eyes went wide. Professor Xavier's telepathic mental voice blasted through her mind.

~Wanda! We are under attack by Magnus and the Misfit Boys! Come back to the mansion immediately!~



Duh duh duh dummm...! What will happen next? I'm currently working as fast as I can on Chapter 12. But in the meantime.. R&R!! ^_^