A/N: Merry Christmas! I managed to get this chapter finished. I hope that you like it. Thanks for supporting this story.
Nienna of Sorrow: Yeah Legolas hitting on Rogue is kinda weird but when you think of it he would probably say stuff like that because in his time that was the way you acted to ladies. and don't worry they're pretty much done for now with that stuff. I'm not entirely sure that the writers at marvel even know the full extent of Magneto's power. I have seen him lift people up using the iron in their blood but I also think that he probably couldn't do much more than that. At any rate I think that for what he plans on doing with Pippin there would need to be more metal in him. Thanks for the review.
Zeelee0: Sorry I hope that I got the names spelt better in this chap. Thanks for taking the time to review.
Chapter 9
Prelude to War
"We must devise a way to find Gandalf," Aragorn said looking to Cyclops. The two men stood on the front steps of the mansion. A day had passed since Wolverine's ordeal and they had taken a moment to plan together as the leaders of two different teams. Each man was in a similar situation. Both had the responsibility to lead since their mentors were unable. Gandalf, because of his absence and Xavier's unwillingness due to the recent events.
"I've spoken to the Professor. I hoped that after he had helped Wolverine that he would have come around, but he still says that he is not sure that he is worthy of the trust." Cyclops said finally
"Self-doubt is often one of man's greatest weaknesses." Aragorn said.
"You sound as if you speak from experience." Cyclops said.
"All to well," Aragorn replied. "Though I imagine you also share the same feelings."
Cyclops didn't reply. His mind went back to his failure to defend Frodo and Xavier from the wraiths. The door opened behind him as Jean stepped out. "Scott," she said. "Professor Xavier wants to see you in his office."
Cyclops looked to Aragorn "I'll do my best to convince him." He said leaving. Aragorn stood facing the sunset Jean stood with him.
"Your husband is a natural leader." Aragorn said finally.
"You're a good judge of character." Jean said. "Scott can be a bit uptight at times but he is the most responsible man I've ever known. I can't think of anyone else that I trust more."
"Not even your Professor?" Aragorn said
"Charles is has been like a second father to me." She sighed "yet at times especially since Frodo came and he got the Ring. He scares me. He is one of the most powerful men alive." She looked to the Ranger. "But the question I think would be; do you trust him."
Aragorn turned and looked at the telepath. "No," he confessed "I feel that the Ring still has much sway over him."
"But just yesterday you complimented him." Jean said
"I am sure that his intentions are good." Aragorn said "but I know that the Ring can corrupt someone immeasurably. He healed your comrade out of concern but what worries me is what he will do if the opportunity arises for him to take the Ring again."
"That is why you have stayed up every night guarding Frodo." Jean concluded. "There is something different about you from the others. Different than Boromir. I can't place my finger on it but I can tell there is something very noble about you Aragorn son of Arathorn. Like you said about Scott you're a natural leader. That is why Boromir follows you."
"Boromir follows beca..." he began but was cut short by a bamfing sound as Nightcrawler appeared.
"Have you seen Frodo?" He said looking to the pair. Jean scanned the mansion telepathically.
"I can't sense him." She said. "I can't sense the other hobbits either."
"No." Aragorn said rushing into the house with the mutants close behind him.
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"MORE!" Merry yelled as he finished his slice of pizza. He sat in a booth with Jubilee, Frodo, and Sam at Jubilee's favorite pizza joint in Salem Center. "This stuff is better than elf food!"
"Well I don't know about that." Sam said "What we ate in Rivendell was fit for kings."
"Kings Shmings," Jubilee said "There ain't nothing that can compare to a fully loaded supreme pizza!"
The hobbits were wearing snow caps to cover their ears and Jubilee had forced them to wear shoes. Even though she had to steal some old pairs that Beast used to use before his transformation. Sitting in booster chairs they looked like passable little kids if no one got too close Frodo sat staring at his food.
"Mr. Frodo?" Sam asked "Aren't you going to finish that slice?"
"Huh? Um no Sam I guess that I'm not hungry" Frodo said
"I call it!" Merry and Jubilee said at the same time while reaching for it. They both stopped short.
"No go ahead." Merry said
"That's okay I've had too much already." Jubilee responded
"No really its okay," Merry said sliding Frodo's plate to her. "Ladies first."
"Age before beauty," Jubilee replied sliding the plate to Merry.
"No. I insist!" Merry said getting frustrated, pushing the plate over again.
"No, I insist!" Jubilee said in between her teeth. Picking up the slice of pizza and putting it on Merry's plate.
"What's wrong Mr. Frodo?" Sam said ignoring the arguing pair. "You said that you loved this stuff after you had the first slice."
"It's nothing Sam," Frodo said not making eye contact with the other hobbit. Merry and Jubilee were now in each other's faces screaming at each other.
"YOURS!" Merry shrieked
"YOURS!" Jubilee hollered.
"Now Mr. Frodo. I know that you can eat a lot more than that, something's eating at ya. You can't fool me."
"Very well Sam," Frodo sighed. "I'm just worried about Pippin he would love this stuff. But he's not here to enjoy it with us. I feel as if it's all my fault."
"Now Mr. Frodo don't be going and blaming yourself." Sam said
"JUST TAKE THE DAMN SLICE OF PIZZA YOU STUPID WOMAN!" Merry yelled grabbing Jubilee by the collar
"SHUTUP AND EAT YOU STUPID FAT HOBBIT!" Jubilee yelled grabbing his throat.
"Pippin broke the circle. Gandalf warned him not to it was his own fault." Sam continued but soon realized that he had completely lost Frodo's attention as Jubilee and Merry were now rolling on the ground fighting.
"ALRIGHT YOU TWO BREAK IT UP!" Sam yelled jumping off of his chair and pulling Merry off of Jubilee. "YOU OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES! HERE MR. FRODO IS WITH A MAJOR DILEMA AND ALL YOU TWO CAN DO IS SCUABBLE OVER A MEASLY SLICE OF PIZZA! IF YOU BOTH DON'T WANT IT I'LL EAT IT!" He finished by taking a chomp out of the pizza.
Merry and Jubilee got up and dusted themselves off.
"He's right." Jubilee said offering her hand to the hobbit "I'm sorry it's my fault."
"No I was out of line." Merry said taking Jubilee's hand and shaking it. "It was my fault."
"No really it was mine." Jubilee responded.
"No I feel terrible." Merry said "it was my fault."
"No it was mine." Jubilee said tightening her grip.
"No it was mine!" Merry said squeezing as tight as he could.
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"Very well Scott." Xavier said at last "tomorrow I will try to find this Gandalf using cerebro."
"Thank you sir." Cyclops said he stood still for a moment and then looked to his mentor. "Sir I have to apologize."
"Scott," Xavier said "I've already told you that you did the right thing by questioning me."
"It's not that sir." Cyclops replied "I want to apologize for not defending you in front of the Ringwraiths the other night."
"Oh Scott," Xavier said wheeling to the side of his former student. "You must understand they were projecting an aura of fear. Even I did not know what to do. You can't blame yourself for that. What's more is that you came back. Even if you succumbed to the fear in the end you mastered it. That is no small thing."
"Yes sir but..."
"Scott you may hold the responsibility of the X-men but you do not need to carry the weight of the whole world on your shoulders." Xavier said. Just then the doors burst open and Aragorn with Jean and Nightcrawler in tow came barreling in.
"Professor!" Jean cried.
"What!" Xavier said as he scanned her mind "Where's Frodo!" He said.
"We've searched the whole mansion." Aragorn said "Jubilee and the other hobbits are gone as well."
"Well Scott." Xavier said "it looks like I will be using cerebro tonight after all."
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"He's close." Wolverine said. He was crouched on all fours with Legolas, Gambit, and Rogue behind him. After Wolverine had been healed, Legolas recruited him for a search of the grounds to find Gollum. Wolverine had picked up the scent quickly but it went all over the grounds and they were having trouble staying on the trail. They had followed the scent to a grove of trees.
"Keep close," Legolas said to Rogue who was behind him. Gambit suddenly closed up the gap.
"If you don mind I'll be protecting the chere." He muttered so that only Legolas' elf ears could pick it up. Suddenly Wolverine stopped.
"Elf can you hear that?" He said
Legolas concentrated. "Yes. He's speaking." Gambit, and Rogue strained but they couldn't make anything out.
"This way." Wolverine said. "And keep it down...That means you Cajun!"
Gambit swallowed realizing that Wolverine had heard his comment as well. They walked a short distance and came upon some large rocks. Wolverine put his fingers to his lips so that everyone would be quiet. They could hear Gollum on the other side speaking.
"We must go now." He said in a dark voice.
"But he said to wait. Here Precious. " Gollum argued with him in a large voice.
"Yesss, he did but we know that the Baggins isn't in the house. We must have the Precious."
"But the voices said he would help uss. The voices told us where to find nice juicy fishes."
"We don't care about fisshes we needs the Precious that sneaky little hobbit has it. We need to tell the voices to kill the hobbit kill all the hobbitses!"
"What's that precious!?" the lighter voice said suddenly.
"What." the other said
"We hears noises in the woods."
Wolverine suddenly dove at the creature from one side and Legolas from the other. Gollum screamed and jumped over the other side of the rocks and landed right into Gambits arms.
"I got him..." Gambit started but Gollum started to fight and suddenly bit Gambit on the neck. The mutant dropped the former hobbit. Who began to run into the woods.
"Come back here!" Wolverine growled as he gave chase. Normally he could have easily caught up with Gollum but his sickness had weakened him. Legolas was the closest with his light elf feet. He dove and caught Gollum's leg. The creature tumbled but almost as quick rolled over and kicked the elf in the eye. Legolas instinctively let go. But Gollum did not reach safety as he was suddenly caught by the wrist and flown in the air by Rogue.
"Ah wouldn't struggle too much." She said "It's a long way ta fall."
Gollum just screamed in total shock and terror. "We will die!" He cried.
"No ya won't but yer not getten close ta Frodo at all." She replied but almost instantly she froze and lowered him to the top of a large tree.
"What's it doing, Precious?" Gollum said dazed, terrified and confused.
"Gollum," Rogue said. "It is I Xavier. Stay in this tree. I will contact you shortly." With that she flew off.
"What happened?" Gambit said "did Rogue get em'?"
"I'm afraid that I did not see." Legolas said with one eye slightly swollen. Suddenly Rogue came swooping down.
"Remy!" She said "You're hurt!" She rushed to him and examined his neck, which was bleeding slightly.
"It's okay chere." Said looking past her and to Legolas, smirking. "What happened? Where be Gollum."
"Ah caught him." She said thinking hard "but he struggled and Ah dropped him!"
"You dropped him!" Wolverine said surprised "where?"
"I don know," Rogue said before anybody else could speak they all heard Professor X's thoughts.
"All X-men and members of the Fellowship report to the war room, immediately," he said
They all looked at each other. "What should we do" Rogue asked finally
"We go." Wolverine said finally "it must be an emergency or Chuck wouldn't call us, we'll look for the half-pint later."
They began their way back toward the mansion. Little did they know that Gollum was almost directly above them. After they were gone. Xavier's thoughts came to the creature.
"Gollum," he said
"The voices!" Gollum cried "you saved our liveses! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. Yes. The Xavier is our friend. We wants to help the Xavier now yess precious yes."
"Good." Xavier said "That's just what I wanted to hear."
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"Yo! Hurry it up!" Jubilee yelled as they left the Pizza parlor. They had been gone longer than she had planned "They're going to figure out that we're gone!"
Frodo, Sam, and Merry followed close by. Merry was holding his stomach where it ached from getting punched by Jubilee.
"Wow it sure gets dark fast here" Sam commented
Jubilee looked up in the sky there wasn't even a star visible the moon couldn't be found at all. "That doesn't look good at all." She said. "Let's get to the car."
"I think that's a good idea," Merry said. They made a dash for the vehicle but suddenly a deafening roar split the air. They looked back to see three sentinels flying through the air towards them.
"Oh NO!" Jubilee yelled they piled into the car and Jubilee floored it.
"What are those things!?" Frodo yelled as he looked back to see the robots closing in. The pizza parlor was on the edge of town they quickly found themselves entering the woods.
"Maybe we can lose them in here." Sam said there was a sudden flash of light as the lead sentinel fired an energy blast toward them. They shielded their eyes but the blast did not hit the car it flew past it and hit tree, which fell in the middle of the road. Jubilee slammed on the breaks stopping just short of it. They threw the doors open to scatter into the woods but it was too late. The sentinels landed in front of them.
INITIAL SCANS INDICATE ONE MUTANT AND THREE HOBBITS." One said "PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: CAPTURE HOBBITS."
"Into the woods!" Jubilee yelled she suddenly fired her fire works at the lead sentinel shattering one of its robotic eyes.
"SUBJECT IDENTIFIED AS jUBILATION lEE. LETHAL FORCE WILL BE USED IF NECESSARY SURENDER OR BE TEMINATED." It said holding up its hand.
"FOR THE SHIRE!" Merry yelled drawing his sword and shoving it into the robot's foot. A tentacle shot forth and wrapped around the hobbit. Jubilee dodged as a blast shot at her but instead hit her car causing it to explode.
Terrified Sam and Frodo began to run. Another sentinel shot a tentacle, which grappled around Sam.
"FRODO RUN!" He yelled but Frodo turned and drew Sting. He began to slash away at the tentacle to free his friend. Jubilee in the mean time was firing her fireworks left and right but to no avail she managed to fire a blast to free Merry. Sam with Frodo's help got loose. They began to run.
"FRODO USE THE RING YOU GOTTA GET AWAY," Sam said a blast suddenly hit the ground in front of Jubilee knocking her to the ground.
"NO!" Merry cried running to her aid but stopped short as a giant mechanical foot crashed down between him.
"SURRENDER HOBBITS AND PREPARE FOR CAPTURE AND RELOCATION." The sentinel said.
Frodo not in panic pulled the Ring out of his pocket to slip it on. Suddenly the Sentinels turned.
"ITEM IDENTIFIED AS THE RING." One said "PREPARE TO CAPTURE AND RELOCATE HOBBIT."
Frodo put the Ring on and began to run but to the mechanical sensors of the sentinels he was still completely visible. He was almost instantly wrapped up in a metal tentacle. The sentinels were preparing to blast off when suddenly a black bird jet came streaking through the air in above of them. A latch opened and Angel flew out carrying a stout dwarf wielding an axe. Angel flew towards them but in the last instant released his hold on Gimli. The dwarf flew axe first at the machine. The weapon cleaved into the center of the head then cut the robot down the center as gravity pulled Gimli down. One of the sentinels reached out its hand to fire on him, but it was disintegrated by the red flash of Cyclops optic blasts. Its eyes were then shot out by arrows from Legolas bow. The last sentinel began to rocket off but was caught in the air by a lightning bolt from Storm. It crashed to the ground and fizzled out.
"Sam!" Aragorn yelled as he exited the x-jet which had just landed. "Where's Frodo?!"
"I'm here." The hobbit said still wrapped in the coils but had managed to get the Ring off his finger.
"Are you alright?" He said running to help the ring bearer.
"I'm fine." Frodo responded "What about the others? Sam, Merry?"
"We're fine Mr. Frodo." Sam said.
"What about Jubilee?" Merry said.
"She'll be fine," Cyclops said approaching them holding the young mutant in his arms unconscious. Storm landed by them.
"There are no signs of more sentinels anywhere." She reported.
"You've got a lot of explaining to do." Aragorn said sternly looking to Merry. They began to load into the blackbird when suddenly Frodo fell to the ground with a scream while clutching his shoulder.
"Frodo!" Sam cried
"The Nazgul!" He said
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"No!" Xavier said. He was connected to cerebro keeping tabs on what was happening in the battle. He had suddenly felt the dark presences of the Ringwraiths near. He looked to the sky it had gone completely dark. Xavier turned and wheeled over to a screen that allowed him to see a map of the estate and give him sensor scans of it. He turned it on. He gasped as he saw met with the image.
"Scott," he said as he put cerebro back on and contacted the x-man.
"Yes sir," Cyclops responded
"Get back to the Mansion now!" Xavier ordered
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"I might have known." Magneto said studying the screens before him. All of them were blank a few moments ago they were feeding images of the sentinel's views of the battle. He had had them reprogrammed to search out hobbits like Merry in order to find the one with the Ring. Magneto now knew much. He knew what the Ring bearer looked like, but most importantly he knew where he was.
The X-men once again stood between him and what he wanted.
"It appears then that I will have to pay a visit to my old friend." he said turning from the screens "it is time to implement plan 'b'." a door opened in front of him and he walked into a room with Pippin chained to the wall.
"Good news my friend," he said approaching the hobbit. "I have need off you