I forgot to include this in the last chapter …

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Xmen – they belong to Marvel or whatever film company makes the films – all I own is the story idea and any extra characters I decide to put in at a later stage …

And could someone please explain to me how to get italics into the stories … I can get italics in word, but not on ff.net . Thanks!

Quotations are in   and things the characters think are in * * until I work out how to use italics!

Chapter 2: Preparations

Pyro paused, not knowing how to continue. He had never been a particulary fast writer, and he knew that in this of all times speed was required. He had to get the letter to Bobby before Magento's plan came into full fruition … he knew that his friend would never forgive him anyway, but Pyro also knew that he owed it to Bobby to warn him of the last part of Magneto's plan.

A knock on his door disturbed him. "Hey! fire-boy," yelled Sabretooth from outside. "You're needed downstairs."

"Coming," Pyro yelled back, looking for a hiding place for the letter. He knew that if any other member of the Brotherhood found it, he would be in BIG trouble. Sabretooth hit the door again.

"Now! Before I break the door down."

Pyro stuffed the letter under his mattress, calling: "O-kay, I'm coming." As he walked to the door, he cursed himself for forgetting the daily 2:30pm meeting. How could he have been that stupid? He opened the door to find Sabretooth standing waiting by the door; the huge man grabbed Pyro by his collar, lifted him off the ground, and shoved him against the opposite wall.

"Never – make – me – wait – again," he said with a quiet ferocity that was accentuated by the pause he left between each word. Pyro felt tempted to grab the silver shark lighter from his pocket and give Sabretooth a blast … but common sense prevailed, as well as panic: Pyro's oxygen supply was starting to run out. He kicked out feebly. "Understand?" Sabretooth growled, dropping the teenager abruptly and walking away down the corridor. Pyro managed somehow to keep his feet, and he gave himself a moment to catch his breath before following Sabretooth … and muttering fiercely about what he would like to do to the older mutant.

He followed Sabretooth into what Magento called the Assembly room – and that everyone else called his Office. The rest of the Brotherhood were assembled there; they looked at the young man as he entered with a variety of expressions and emotions evident. Toad – crouched on a small coffee table – appeared cross – he had lost any good humour he had ever possessed after being pulled semi-conscious from the water after the Liberty Island confrontation with the Xmen and being made to spend four months in isolation and unable to move due to his injuries – and he glared at Pyro. Mystique – by way of contrast – displayed almost no emotion; only a flash of anger in her eyes indicated that she was fed up with the teenager and his perpetual tardiness. On a chair by the opposite wall sat Remy le Beau, also known as Gambit. He shuffled his pack of cards, giving Pyro a lazy grin and a wink by way of greeting. Pyro's eye fell then on Lady Deathstrike, but she – like Mystique – gave him no greeting or condemnation. She – like Sabretooth and Toad – was presumed dead by the outside world and like those two mutants she was impatient for the day when she would show the world that Deathstrike could not be killed so easily … certainly not when a master of metal was in the vicinity!

Magneto had happened upon her body as he left Stryker's base. Mystique have been disposing of two guards, and they had lost their way, venturing into the cavern that had so recently seen battle. Magneto – upon finding the mutant's body lying where Wolverine had left it – was curious. He could feel the abnormal amount of metal in her body, and realised that this had caused her death. He also knew from the files Mystique had made on Stryker's people that Deathstrike had regenerative powers – like Wolverine. Magneto had used his power to pull the metal out of her body, and – despite the horrific injuries she sustained during this process – she made it to the helicopter with them, and recovered in their care.

However it was not these Brothers that Pyro was worried about; he was more concerned about the older man standing with his back to the door in the shadows by the "Round Table" – as Gambit had christened it – at the opposite end of the room. Erik Lensherr – aka Magneto – turned to face his young protegée, who's face contained a mixture of defiance, shame, and curiousity. "Pyro?" Magneto said softly. Pyro knew what was expected: an apology for being late and delaying the meeting once more. He should – of course – have remembered the daily meeting at 2pm, and made an effort to be there to avoid arousing any suspicion. *Still,* he thought, *too late for that. Mystique's giving me the evil eye already … I'd better get the letter to a safer hiding place. It's not like I'm betraying them as such, but … I'm sure they'd see it that way.* He heard Magneto's voice echoing in his head:

You must let go of your past … it does not matter now. They are nothing

to you. Let them go. They are your enemies and mine. You must let

them go.

*Why can they not see that it isn't that easy for me to let go … *

"Sorry for being late," he mumbled, hoping they wouldn't ask him for an excuse. To his relief, Magneto simply nodded, and moved on to the business of the meeting.

"My Brothers. The time has come to act against our enemies, and to act fast. Of course, as you know, our main goal is not to eliminate the Xmen, but to achieve freedom for mutants – no matter what the cost in lives. In the past, our attitude has been to placate them, or to join them. But we must now remove them from our path … for good. Some of you may know what I am planning … what I know we are capable of achieving. But for the benefit of those who do not – and to ensure that there is complete clarity of purpose –" Pyro knew this to be directde at Gambit, who on more than one occasion had made a mistake and then used the excuse of "uncertainty over orders". *At least I have the guts to say I stuffed up and not blame someone else*, Pyro thought, before realising that Magneto was still speaking.

Their leader outlined the plan once more, and the parts each of them were to play. Though he had heard parts of it previously, it still amazed Pyro in its brilliance – and its simplicity. Each mutant had a part to play … their roles interwoven in such a way to ensure that even if one failed, the others would be able to pick up the pieces and move on, while remaining specific enough to suit each mutant. Pyro felt a little surge of pride as he thought of his part … John – trapped somewhere within his mind – murmured about Bobby, Rogue, and the Xmen, but Pyro hushed him with a sharp mental slap, before returning his concentration to Magneto.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters was unusually empty; many of the younger students had gone for the Summer vacation to the Mansion's latest acquisition: a "holiday house" near Sydney, Australia. However, the older students had decided to stay, as they had been specially asked to by Professor Xavier. One of Xavier's former students, Dr Hank McCoy, and Hank's wife Belinda – also a mutant – had taken the children to Australia to allow Xavier to remain at the mansion with the Xmen. Something – they all knew – was about to happen.

There were 10 of them at the mansion: Professor Xavier, the powerful telepath; Storm – aka Ororo Munroe – the African weather Goddess; Wolverine – aka Logan – a man gifted with self-healing abilties, and cursed with an adamantium skeleton and amnesia; Cyclops – Scott Summers – whose eyes emitted laser blasts except when he was wearing ruby glasses; Nightcrawler – Kurt Wagner – a teleporter; Iceman – Bobby – a teenager who could at will transform water molecules into ice; Rogue – Marie – a mutant whose power (to absorb the life-force of any human she touches) was so extreme she was a danger to herself; Jubilee – m – ; Kitty – m – ; and Colussis – Peter – a man who could turn into steel at will. There should have been one more … but Pyro – as they all knew – had declared his real allegiance 11 months before at Alkali Lake.

They were the Xmen. Magneto was up to something … and they would be there – always – in the way.

Bobby waited for Rogue to come downstairs for dinner. She had been unwell for the past weeks; plagued by nightmares and persistant headaches the cause of which Professor X had been unable to determine. Storm had taken over the Infirmary since Jean Grey's death at Alkali Lake … while she was not a trained doctor, she had learned enough from Jean to treat most conditions suffered by the children. Hank had helped her while he had been at the mansion, but then Xavier had sent him to Australia. Storm too was baffled by the symptoms Rogue was displaying; the only remedy she could offer was painkillers and counselling sessions to talk about the nightmares … or premonitions of danger, as Rogue was beginning to feel they were.

"Hey Bobby!" Rogue called, stepping down the stairs, distracting him. He looked up and grinned – she looked beautiful, wearing a black shirt with sleeves down to her elbows and a slightly plunging neckline; jeans; and with her hair loose over her shoulders.

"Wow," Bobby managed to say. "You look fantastic."

"You're not so bad yourself," Rogue grinned. "So are we going on this date or not?"

Bobby opened his mouth to reply (in the affirmative!) when he was interrupted by a rough voice from further down the corridor.

" 'Fraid not, bubs," Logan growled.

Rogue's eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me?"

"Don't worry, I'm not trying to be an interfering father," Logan retorted with a grimace. "Magneto's on the move, and we need everyone to stay in the mansion until we work out what's happening. The Professor is in Cerebro right now. Meeting in his study in 15." He looked a little confused as he walked away to find Kitty and Jubilee. Bobby turned to Rogue.

"I guess that date will have to wait."

"I guess so," she said, a look of regret – and confusion – passing over her face.

Bobby took her by the shoulders. "Hey, it's ok. We'll go out another time." Rogue attempted to smile. Bobby caressed her face gently. "It'll all be ok." He leant down towards her face.

Rogue pulled away suddenly. "Bobby," she said, a look of urgency and fear coming over her face. "Did you notice something … different about Logan?"

"What kind of different?" Bobby asked slowly, unease beginning to creep over him.

"He called Professor Xavier 'the Professor'. Does that sound like Logan?"

Bobby realised what Rogue was getting at. "Mystique," he whispered. Rogue was shaking, memories of her time in captivity flooding over her consciousness. "It'll be ok," Bobby said. "We just have to find someone … find help …"

Neither of them noticed the shadow creeping up the hall behind them.

TBC …

If you want to know what happens next, please review!!