Unity
Chapter seven:
Xavier's School, 2:00 a.m.
An alarm rang and Logan woke up with a start, he growled as he dragged his hand over his face.
"Great, first time in weeks I don't have nightmares and an intruder decides to show up." The black-haired man got out of bed and drew out his claws. "That bozo's in for a three-year comma."
Logan can be quite fast when properly motivated, and was closest to where the intruder had entered, so he was the first to arrive. Security systems had done their job, and the interloper was now shackled and hanging upside down.
"Well, well, look who we've got here," the black-haired said right before slashing away.
The rest of the X-Men arrived moments later.
"Logan!" Jean called out, "What's going on here?" Everyone came to a halt, quite surprised to see the shackles cleaved, and a pink-haired girl sitting on the floor rubbing her head.
"Ouch, ouchie, ow… (moan) I knew I should've called ahead."
"So what's the story?" the feral man demanded in an unfriendly tone, "It's late for little kids to be sneaking around."
"Che. First of all, my name's Sailor Chibi Moon; second, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't important." She got up and spruced herself. "It's about these fights breaking out all over the city, I came here to ask for your help."
"I agree on that," Ororo pointed out, "We are in need of your experience as well. But why did you come here alone?"
"Well…" the future princess lowered her gaze, "My friends aren't that willing to cooperate; Uranus can be a bit stuck up, and Saturn, she's afraid of people getting hurt when they shouldn't even be involved. So, I came here on my own, they don't know I'm here."
"In other words, you alone took the first step towards an understanding." The whole group stepped aside, allowing Xavier to come forward. "A noble gesture. Still, it was foolish of you to come alone, you should have let your elders know about your plan and whereabouts."
"Hai, you're right, Xavier-sama," Chibi Moon replied with embarrassment, "But, you will help us, ne?"
"First, you should convince the other sailors about this alliance, not through trickery mind you," the professor answered, "In the meantime, we'll gather as much information as possible, then pool our resources when we come together."
"Hai, I'll do that, Xavier-sama. Domo arigato." The pink-haired senshi snapped her fingers, "Oh yeah, I almost forgot!" She took something that looked like a calculator out of her subspace pocket and handed it over. "This is one of our communicators, an older model, but functional. I thought we could use it in case of an emergency."
"I believe it should be useful," Henry commented as he took it. Not to mention worth analyzing.
"If you like, I can accompany you on your way back," Ororo offered, "You shouldn't be out on your own at night in New York."
"Arigato, but there's no need to, I travel by teleportation, besides, I have a secret identity to keep." Chibi Moon rubbed her head, "However, I'll need someone to show me to the door, I don't want to trigger any more alarms."
"No, you don't," the ebon-skinned girl giggled, "come along." The pair left and Logan stretched.
"I'm going back to bed. Damn, couldn't that kid pick a more sensible hour?"
"She's a child Logan," his blue-furred friend reminded, "little planning and mostly action."
They each went back to their respective rooms, Charles however had a bit of a word with Scott.
"Well, I may have founded the school, but you're the one who leads the team. Tell me, Scott, do you agree to this alliance?"
"Hmm, it's not a simple choice, Professor," the shorthaired man answered, "It is a good strategy to exchange our respective know-how. On the other hand, all of this seems too hasty."
"Right you are," Xavier replied, "but I truly believe we can trust the sailors. I'm ashamed to admit it, but as a precaution, I mentally scanned Chibi Moon, and I could see that her intentions are earnest." The older man linked his hands and paused, "I'll confide this to you alone, Scott, I also felt a great amount of power emanating from her, passive but quite strong."
"That's interesting." Scott rubbed his chin, "Do you think it's the life-energy the sailors mentioned?"
"Could be, but now isn't the time to ponder. Let us rest and get back to it tomorrow. Goodnight, Scott."
"Goodnight, Professor."
*****
The Hotel:
Sailor Chibi Moon crept quietly through the window and into her bed, she reverted and got ready to sleep.
"How'd it go?"
"Nani!?" Hotaru sat up and turned on the lamp.
"I woke up a while ago and noticed you were gone, it was easy to figure out where you went. Don't worry, Setsuna-mama and the others are still asleep." The amethyst-eyed girl frowned, "But you scared me, Chibi-Usa, a lot."
"Gomen, Hotaru-chan, but I really had to do this."
"I know, someone had to extend the open hand, and who better to do it than a princess. So, any luck?"
"A lot, Xavier-sama is a very good listener and knows how to make a point." The odango-headed girl related her small enterprise in a few words, wrapping it up with a yawn. "Let's get some sleep, we're going to see Rogue-tachi again tomorrow."
"Hai, otherwise we'll be tired all day," the pale girl giggled, "Sweet dreams, Chibi-Usa-chan."
"You too, Hotaru-chan."
*****
Jack Stevens' H.Q., the following day:
The disguised Mystique stepped into Steven's office.
"Sir, here's some correspondence for you to-What's going on here?" The mousy-haired man was leaning on the desk looking awfully tired. Michael was at his side, ready to provide aid if needed.
"Mr. Stevens is merely feeling lightheaded," the majordomo deadpanned, "leave your errand and go back to your business."
"Uh, sure." Mystique left the papers and hurried out the door. "He looks bad," she muttered, "if his condition worsens, I won't have anything to do." The indigo-haired man waited a while before talking to his employer.
"Are you feeling any better, Sir?"
"Yes, I just felt faint all of a sudden. I guess I've been trying to do too many things at once." He took one more deep breath and stood up straight. "Is my speech ready?"
"Yes Sir, and your car is waiting right outside. You might want to know, I found out Mr. Rogers is making good progress setting his 'units' throughout the city." Steven's nodded in approval as the pair headed for the exit, the bigot wobbled a bit as he stepped through the front door. "Are you all right, Sir?"
"I'll be fine, I just haven't been quite myself lately. Pretty crazy, huh?"
"Those labeled as insane are often geniuses," Michael reminded in his neutral tone, "Humanity will praise you once you eliminate this mutant aberration."
"Right you are, my friend, quite right."
*****
Morlock colony:
"You stole a TV!?" Jenny asked in surprise and disapproval.
"Yup," her brother responded while fiddling around with the cables, "It was Rob's idea, he said: 'get a set, some tools and have that thing ready before lunch'."
"And you didn't ask why?" the orange-skinned girl huffed, "You shouldn't follow his orders blindly, big brother, unlike him."
"Don't you start, Jennifer," Cloud scolded, "Rob has been in a very foul mood lately. We don't need any of your cockamamie stories."
"Don't worry, I'll be quiet." But she was worried, that presence had vanished somehow, however, she knew it was merely hiding, only to arise when least expected, stronger than before. The magma-skinned mutant chose that moment to make an entrance.
"Haven't you turned that thing on already? I've got better things for you to do than wasting your time here."
"Hey, it ain't that easy," the gray-skinned one retorted, "You don't just cut the wires and stick in the plug, this is complicated stuff. Besides, what do you need this for?"
"Information, it doesn't do our cause any good if we strike while having no idea about the consequences. We need to see the newscasts, keep up with current events, learn about the public's opinion. I need to know if humans are either fearing or ignoring us."
"If you want to know if you're scaring people, all you have to do is look around," Jenny suggested. She left before her brother could scold her. The morlock leader grumbled.
"How much longer?"
"I'm done," Cloud answered, "don't expect a crystal clear reception down here though." He turned the television on and clicked through the channels. "This one seems to be about the fight Gus was involved in yesterday, but there's no sound."
"Yes, Gus, I wonder what really happened back there. His story didn't convince me at all, it's not that easy to give the X-Men the slip."
"No pun intended I presume." They kept on watching bits of news here and there until they found the station with the clearest reception possible. "Hey, this is a live transmission. It's another speech from that clown, Jack something."
"Stevens… Let's listen, it might be interesting."
*****
At some auditorium he rented, Stevens was giving a speech based on the morlocks' vandalizing. The mousy-haired man was filled with glee upon seeing maximum attendance.
"What is fear? Is it uncertainty? No, we know what causes our terror, we know that it's out there, ready to destroy us. Four mutant related incidents occurred yesterday, and why? Because those in charge, those who say they'll 'protect' us, do nothing. 'Be tolerant' they say, 'turn the other cheek' they quote. Let me tell you, you do not give in when you know you're being killed." Shouts of agreement were heard all over. "If humankind is to survive, we must be wary, keep our eyes open for the threat. Search your neighborhood, the corner store, they could be anywhere. That guitar-playing man in the subway says to give peace a chance, that violence solves nothing. A kind soul, wouldn't you say? Or perhaps, he has someone, or something to hide." Now there was a wave of murmurs. "Suspect everyone and trust none, for these freaks are animals and animals prey on the weak. Keep an eye open for any sign, that fat kid your child plays with, doesn't he seem a little big for his age?"
*****
"…for his age? Or what about that girl at the cashier? Is she…"
Robert and Cloud watched as Stevens continued his intolerant ranting.
"Is it legal to say that stuff on TV?" the gray-skinned man asked, "He's gonna cause paranoia with that kind of talk."
"Indeed," Rob replied.
"Uh, is it my imagination, or did you just smile?"
"I did smile, don't you see? That stupid human is acting precisely the way we hoped, he's panicking. Soon, the surface dwellers will be too afraid to do anything. Even opening the door to pick up the paper will be an ordeal."
"And that's when we attack?" the shape-shifter asked.
"No, we keep up what we've been doing until now, a little trouble here and there, just to keep them on their toes. The big one will come much later." Cloud raised an eyebrow, his magma-skinned friend seemed a lot more in control now in comparison to yesterday. Jack Stevens was still talking.
"You know Rob, many of our kind will get hurt thanks to this guy."
"You know casualties are inevitable, Cloud. But, I will do my best so that no morlock gets hurt."
"Er, I didn't mean us, I was talking about the mutants living up above."
"They're not our kind."
"What?"
"They're not our kind," the morlock leader repeated, "They don't know about the privations we suffer. They think they're better than us, acting so boldly, thinking they can coexist. They're just lucky they don't have any malformations." He stepped up to the TV and put a hand on it, "They are the enemy, by their choice. Be wise and leave them on their own." He looked at the screen, "Make no mistake about it, Cloud…"
"…We are at war!"
*****
Xavier's School:
"You're definitely improving, Remy," Henry praised, "Keep it up and you'll breeze through next week's test."
"Merci, Dr. McCoy," the brown-haired boy replied. He glanced towards the window, "Hey, Remy has never noticed that telescope before."
"Just took it out of the closet, gonna do a little stargazing tonight. The stars I'm looking for in particular can only be seen this time of year."
"Think you might discover something?"
"Perhaps, but I do this as a hobby, medicine is my profession."
"But it would be cool to have a McCoy comet though. Mind if Remy takes a look?"
"Not at all," the doctor answered as he came by the window, "I aimed it towards that tree, you can see a nest which is used by a family of robins every year."
"I see them, and it looks like they're busy. Huh…"
"What is it?"
"I saw a weird dot," Remy said as he adjusted the sight, "It's not a bird nor a plane. What do you think it is?" Henry checked it out.
"It's a person." His eyes went wide, "And not just anyone! Get back to your room, tell everyone on your way to do the same!" the blue-furred man ordered as he hurried out.
"Why? What is it?" the bayou dweller asked without getting a response, "Well, whenever the faculty acts like that you know it's trouble."
Moments later, Henry was rushing outside along with Logan, Ororo and Scott, who was already setting the electronic zoom-in his visors came equipped with.
"It's Magneto alright, but what's he trying to pull off?"
"It can't be an attack," the feral man said, "it's too out of the blue, and he's always been the scheming type. Wait, he's picking up speed.
"That because he's not flying towards us," Ororo noticed as she dropped her binoculars, "He's falling!" The ebon-skinned girl took off without thinking. Magneto was a great distance away so she strained herself to reach top speed immediately. He was still heading slightly in the school's direction, so he was still partially conscious. "With a little luck, I might be able to catch him," the white-haired girl told herself as she used a wind gust to increase her speed. Eric Magnus was her enemy, but letting him fall meant forsaking the teachings of Charles Xavier. "Come on, come on, just a little more!" The old man was just a few inches away from her grasp, and a few yards from the ground as well. Ororo stretched out further and caught Magneto's hand, but the momentum was too much. She waited for the last second and created an air cushion, using it and her own body to break his fall. When the other mutants arrived, Magneto was clutching desperately to her blouse and whispering into her ear, then he groaned and fainted.
"What did he say?" Scott asked.
"He could only mumble a few words. He wants to see the professor, something about a demon." The white-haired girl grimaced at his bloodstained bandages. "We better get him to the infirmary, fast. I just hope later on he's willing to cooperate and give us answers."
When Setsuna, Hotaru and Chibi-Usa arrived later in the day, the place was hectic.
"What's all the fuss about?" the odango-headed girl wondered.
"We, umm, we received some unexpected company," Jean, who had let them in, responded, "Henry's attending him at the infirmary. The kids don't know who it is, but his arrival has become quite the subject."
"How come?" the amethyst-eyed girl inquired. The redhead decided to give them part of the information, how Ororo had performed the rescue.
"Hime-chan, Chibi-Usa, you two go see Rogue-tachi. Jean-san, could you take me to McCoy-san, I think I may be of some aid."
"Thanks for the offer, Setsuna, but Henry's capable of-Huh?" The telekinetic had a little start. "If you say so, Professor. On second thought, he'll appreciate the help. I'll guide you."
"Konnichiwa, minna-san," the future princess greeted when they entered the bedroom, "You've all heard of Ororo-san's stunt, I presume."
"We sure have," Giselle replied, "But you mustn't count Remy out, he's the one who saw the falling stranger in the first place."
"Good work, Remy-san," Hotaru praised.
"It was nothing really, all Remy saw was a weird speck which made me curious." The brown-haired boy laid down on the bed. "I saw everything through Dr. McCoy's telescope, but couldn't make out any features. Remy wonders why the grownups are being so secretive, they won't give us a hint."
"We could ask Bobby or Rogue," David suggested.
"Huh? Why us?" the ice-wielder asked.
"Don't play dumb, you two have been exchanging glances since this mess started. You know something and you're gonna share it with the rest of us." Kathy nodded vigorously in agreement.
"Don't pester us Dave," the streaked girl warned, "the X-Men warned us about this situation, we were told to keep the secret no matter what."
"Aww, come on," Giselle said, "We know how to keep a secret, at least when it's truly necessary. You can tell us."
"We said no, you lizard, so stop insisting," Bobby growled.
"It'll be better if you give in," Chibi-Usa suggested, "My cousin, Usagi, and her friends can be very stubborn when they're determined to find out about something, and I can tell these guys are no different. Now, I'm not trying to get you into talking," she cleared out, "even if I am just as curious." Bobby and Rogue looked at the rest of the group, then at each other.
"You swear you'll keep your mouths shut?" Kathy drew a cross over her chest, giving everyone a welcome laugh. "Very well."
"His name is Eric Magnus," the blue-furred man told Setsuna as they changed the bandages, "Most of us know him as Magneto though, our worst enemy."
"Nani? Describe worst enemy."
"Magneto is a separatist, convinced that humans and mutants will never coexist. He calls us Homo superior, claiming that we are to replace Homo sapiens as a species."
"If your evolution theory is correct, that substitution will occur gradually," the ruby-eyed woman observed.
"Indeed, but he seeks to speed up the process as much as possible. His methods are often cruel, and he's not above sacrificing innocent lives in the name of his cause."
"That's barbaric!" she gasped. Her conscience chose that moment to sting her deeply. Gomen ne, Hime-chan. "Tell me, if he's that bad a person, why are we helping him?"
"Abandoning him won't make me any better; and he happens to be Charles' best friend as well. They worked together for some time, to further the mutant cause, before becoming such a radical. Charles maintains his faith in him, hoping that he will find peace within himself." Setsuna smiled warmly at how those words reminded her of her Moon princess. Henry covered the white-haired man with a blanket and the pair went outside. "And despite the fact I've been endangered by him several times, I can't find it within myself to feel anger towards this man. You see, Magneto's childhood was spent several years at a German concentration camp."
"Say no more, those two words explain everything." The emerald-haired woman sighed sadly. "Of all the atrocities I've witnessed through history, those places were definitely the worst. Not just Germany, Japan had them too, there they kept British and American prisoners, with inhuman treatment and conditions."
"The United States were no better during the war. Here, in the land of the free, hundreds of Japanese citizens were imprisoned." The mutant doctor shook his head, "Their only crime was belonging to a race; most of them had been born here, having nothing to do with the government established miles away."
"It's not fair… Ie, it's idiotic to believe that all people from one country are of the same mind." She looked back, "How can Magneto have any hope left, or envision an understanding between us, when he's seen man's inhumanity towards one another?"
"Using that which I mentioned before, Miss Meioh, faith."
*****
The Bronx:
Logan wasn't too thrilled with the idea of Magneto staying at the school. If it wasn't for that weird situation in their hands, he would've packed up and taken a holiday in Alaska. But his help was needed, so all he could do was go to some run down old dump, maybe have a few drink at a cheap bar, and if luck was with him, have a fistfight or two. He parked his jeep and caught a glimpse of two kids spraying graffiti on a wall, none of his business, but then the wind shifted.
"That's not spray paint they're using."
"You know," one kid said to the painter, "most people are afraid of getting near mutants because they might either be attacked or catch some freaky disease. Me, I'm just afraid about my reputation, 'cause frankly, having paint come out of your fingers is lame."
"Don't interrupt my artistic vision with your stupid observations," the painter protested, "There, I still can't hack the colors, but you can't deny my awesome talent."
"I guess it was a lucky coincidence that you had this hobby in the first place."
"Don't know much about art, but this is nice." The kids turned and saw a black-haired man approaching. He took the painter's hand and checked it out. "Huh, no wonder I didn't smell any chemicals."
"What are you, some earth nut?" the painter's friend asked annoyed.
"Nah, just someone who's curious, I wasn't even gonna head this way. But since I'm already here, I might as well give you some good advice," he drew out the claw between his index and middle fingers and shook it at them, "stay out of trouble."
"Y-yes sir!" The feral man chuckled as the kids stumbled away, his eyes widened suddenly and he started sniffing around.
"What the devil is that?"
At a hiding place nearby, three men and a woman were standing besides something hidden under green canvas, a very large something. She was busy with her laptop while the others loitered.
"Hey Lucy, how's about bringing that box o' donuts a little closer."
"Get off your larded ass and get it yourself!" she growled, "At least burn one calorie. (Grumble) I was one signature away from a promotion and Monterey bay, but no, Rogers had to put me with you three cretins."
"Putting up with a grouchy bitch like you ain't no walk in the park," another man retorted, "Plus, we've got nothing to do, you have that gizmo to play games with."
"Games!? Is that what you think I'm doing?" the woman knocked angrily on the display. "I happen to be programming these things, uploading vital data. These machines cost a fortune and are equal to a troop with heavy artillery. You think Rogers would appreciate it if one of them got lost or out of control?"
"Are you serious?" one man asked incredulously, "Does it say all that on the computer?" He tried to grab the laptop, but fumbled and let it drop.
"Imbecile!!" Lucy yelled, "If I see just one dent, I'm gonna-Oh no," Lucy tapped the buttons frantically, "no, no, no, no, SHIT!!"
"What is it?"
"They're going online!"
"What!?" There was a mechanical hum and the canvas started moving. "Stop them!"
"I'm trying! There's no response!" Her eyes widened in horror. "Everyone get the hell out of here, NOW!"
"What the devil is that?" A loud sound, like a giant explosion was heard, and the ground shook! Logan fell, and when he opened his eyes again, he became the first mutant to see the latest in weaponry to be used against them.
"Mutant signatures detected. Proceed using deadly force."