Disclaimer: None of the mutants belong to me. Anything familiar you read below is most probably not mine either.
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Chapter 12*
"Why are we doing this?" A dejected voice thick with a German accent whispered in desperation.
Rogue frowned as her brother popped in next to her. Having subdued the people inside the hall, she had no need of controlling the armed guards. Disposing of the firearms through her magnetic power, she released the guards from her mental hold. They were quickly frightened into submission by Magneto.
"What?" She whispered to him, not wanting to steal Magneto's thunder while the elder mutant was raging on and on about mutant supremacy and all those stuff.
"Why are we doing this?" Kurt gestured helplessly to the scene before him—terrified men before a megalomaniac.
"Good question, elf," she replied softly.
Pietro was doing it for his father. He wanted acceptance from his dad so bad that he was willing to do everything in his power to do what Magneto commanded.
Lance was doing it for the glory. Rogue knew that out of the eight of the teens living in the Boarding House, Lance was the one who most believed in Magneto's cause.
Wanda was doing it because her continued alliance with her father ensures that her training with Agatha Harkness would continue. There's nothing in the world that Wanda wants more than control—over her powers, over her life.
Todd (who now insists on people calling him Toad) and Fred 'the Blob' Dukes, were doing it because for the first time in their lives, they were starting to belong. And they would fight tooth and nail to continue with what they have.
Rogue looked straight at her brother's eyes. She knew why he was doing it, even if he was not sure himself.
He was doing it for her—for his mother. Their mother.
Kurt craves for Mystique's attention, for her approval, for her love. He's afraid that if and when he refuses to do her bidding, she would turn her back on him.
Sweet, sensitive Kurt was out-of-place in the Boarding House, which was filled with cold, indifferent teens. And yet, he was willing to look the other way, to go against his gentle nature, to forget everything that he believed in, just for her. Just for Raven Darkholme.
But what about herself, Rogue thought. Why was she doing this? Why does she care so much that Magneto succeeds in his cause? Why does she care at all?
For Irene.
For ensuring that no other mutant would suffer at the hands of another man again.
For protecting her own kind.
For revenge.
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"Are we there yet?" Kitty called out.
Wolverine growled as he mentally willed the Jet to go faster. His claws were itching for one good fight.
"Hey, look!" Bobby cried out as he pointed on the monitor where Kurt and Rogue ported simultaneously on screen on either side of Magneto.
The X-Men watched as Magneto said something inaudible to the siblings. The siblings nodded and ported away from the camera.
"Looks like ma chere finally absorbed her brother's powers," Remy muttered, soft enough that no one heard him.
"He's saying something!" Kitty said as she desperately searched for something to turn up the volume.
"Let me," Jean said as she turned it up using her powers.
A round of thanks were murmured as their attention was shifted on the TV.
"Allow us to demonstrate our powers to you!" Magneto proclaimed on-screen.
The camera panned from Magneto to show the entire room. On one side stood Rogue, Nightcrawler, Avalanche, Wanda, and two men who were holding portable cameras.
Lance, to Kitty's and Remy's annoyance, placed a hand on Rogue's shoulder while his other hand was on the cameraman's. Then, the trio ported out.
Kurt held on to Wanda and the other cameraman, then ported out.
"Where on earth do you they're going?" Scott groaned in frustration.
"Doesn't matter," Wolverine said. "We're here," he gestured outside where the Senate building stood, swarmed by policemen, FBI, Swat men, and military men.
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"Is everything in order, Quicksilver?"
Pietro grinned to the phone he held in his ear. Right after Magneto's revelation of the wonderful world of mutants, he immediately ran to the news channel who was doing the live coverage of the supposed senate inquiry.
He offered them live and exclusive coverage of what they were about to do and the top brass of the station happily obliged. They have never had any ratings as high as today, and they wanted to milk it for all its worth.
And they didn't even have to threaten them with Sabertooth, who stood sulking in a corner, deprived of his chance to come out and play.
"Of course, Mystique. They're just waiting for the live feed," Pietro told their second-in-command.
"We're receiving the first broadcast now," one of the producers cried out.
"Heard that, boss lady?"
"Yes. Good. Call me if anything interesting happens."
"So how to we get in?" Kitty asked as she looked down from the hovering X-Jet to the building below.
"How do we get in without us revealing we're mutants ourselves, you mean," Evan corrected her as bones protruded out of his body in an anticipation of a fight.
Wolverine growled as he contacted Xavier. The way he sees it, he should just go out there alone, slip through the seemingly impenetrable human-shield, and neutralize those Brotherhood geeks one by one. Of course, ol' Chuckie might have other ideas.
"It's Lance!" Kitty cried out as she once again pointed to the monitors. "They're outside a factory or something,"
"It's a factory for that sports drink," Scott frowned.
"Power8." Evan replied. "I always wanted to try one, but they pulled it out of the market before I could get my hands on one."
Scott's lips pursed. "Do you want to know why they pulled it out of the market?"
Evan looked at his team leader questioningly.
"Professor X heard only rumors, but they said that Power8 contained stuff that would cause people to throw up and fell feverish for a day or so." Scott replied.
"Then it's a great thing that they pulled it out of the market before I could get my hands on one."
"But the real question is," Jean, who was co-piloting with Wolverine, spoke out for the first time. "What does Magneto want with a defective sports drink?"
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"Start shooting," Lance told the scared, but determined to do his job well, cameraman.
Taking a deep, calming breath, he nodded and pointed the camera towards Lance, hoping that the shaking of his hands wouldn't affect the way he shoots.
He had a wife and kid waiting for him at home.
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"For years and years we have hidden ourselves from the world," Magneto said. "But no longer. It's time to take what's rightfully ours. We no longer have to cower in fear of being discovered. It's time for revenge."
Then, the monitors set up in the hall started to show Lance and the Power8 factory.
Lance, who stood before the looming building, extended his arms. His eyes rolled back. And then, the earth trembled.
A ripple of fear went through the audience. Was it the young man who was doing that? Did he just command to earth to do his bidding?
As the earthquake on screen increases its intensity, the Power8 building started to shake. The workers inside, most of whom were unaware of what was happening, started to scream and pour out of the building.
Soon, the building crumbled like a sandcastle.
"Do you think everyone made it out alive?" The cameraman whispered to the beautiful woman with the two-toned hair beside him.
"I don't care." Came the cold, indifferent reply.
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Right after the Lance Alvers show, Wanda came on screen. This time, she was before a small one-story infrastructure. A sign proclaiming the place to be a 'Genetic Facility' was hung at the top.
"Bring her down, baby." The cameraman, who thought mutants were cool, and he wanted to be one, said. Unlike the first cameraman, he didn't have a family to go home to.
Wanda shot a glare at the cameraman.
Then, she focused her attention to the building. And then, the hex bolts came.
The building didn't even have the chance. Slowly but surely, it crumbled down until nothing was left but ashes.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, no one was inside when that happened.
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"What on earth are they doing?" Jean gasped as the second infrastructure fell down.
Wolverine growled. "Making a statement to the government." He said. "Charles believes that the facility that just went down is a government-funded mutant research center."
"And what about Power8?" Bobby asked.
"There were rumors that the drink was found to be detrimental to the lives of mutants." Jean said. "And it was also said that the company's owners sold the ingredients to government-funded facilities."
Kitty's eyes widened. "You mean the government knew about us?"
"Some of them." Was Wolverine's reply.
"So it's like a conspiracy?" Bobby gushed. "Like aliens? Wow."
Wolverine's mouth thinned. He shudders at the naiveté of his so-called pupils. If they only knew even a fraction of what he actually knew…
"So what do we do now?" Evan asked.
"Chuck wants ol' Gumbo here to lead a select few of us inside." Wolverine said.
"What?" Scott protested, unwilling to accept that the professor chose the cocky, undependable thief to lead this critical mission.
"He wants us to go in discretely," Jean said with her eyes closed, her mind linked with Professor Xavier.
"Discrete be Gambit's middle name," Remy said cockily as he swaggered to his feet. "As team leader, Remy gets to choose his team, non?"
Scott steamed.
"Mademoiselle Pryde," the Cajun began.
Kitty giggled as she jumped to her feet.
"Mademoiselle Grey," Remy continued. This time, he reached out a hand and helped Jean to her feet, furthering the annoyance of Summers.
Wolverine growled, unhappy with the prospect of the Cajun being left alone with the two women.
"Of course, if the Wolverine wants to go, then the Wolverine gets to go." Remy grinned charmingly at the elder man.
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"Mission accomplished." The triumphant voice of Pietro announced through their communicators.
Kurt and Rogue, with their entourage, ported back in as if on cue.
"I warn you to think twice before you meddle with our kind." Magneto turned to the people. "We have made our point. It's time to go." With that, he rose up and drifted towards the exit.
The rest of the mutants followed.
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"Looks like we don't have to break in after all," Remy said as he gestured downwards.
"What?" Jean frowned.
She saw that the doors of the entrance to the senate building burst open. Out floated Magneto, followed by Mystique and the rest of the Brotherhood.
Hundreds of weapons were trained their way. Not to mention more than twenty tanks.
"It seemed as if I have not made my point across after all." Magneto said arrogantly.
A media helicopter hovered nearby and captured everything on tape.
"FIRE!"
One gung-ho member of the local police force had suddenly fired his gun towards Mystique who was in front of him.
Thanks to her natural grace and agility, Mystique evaded to bullet easily.
And the bullet hit the person who was immediately behind Mystique. It was Blob. The bullet harmlessly bounced off his skin.
"What the hell are you?" The policeman cried out.
"Your worst nightmare," Toad replied. Then, he secreted a green goo from his mouth. It reached his target—the face of the policeman who had fired the gun.
The policeman twisted in panic, frantically trying to pull off the goo which had immediately hardened. He can't breathe!
"They done something to him!" One of the police near Toad's victim cried out as he tried to help removing the goop.
And that was all the provocation the government guys needed.
Immediately, guns went off. But before they could hurt anyone, the bullets froze in midair.
Rogue stood before the group, one hand outstretched.
Wanda slowly walked to stand beside Rogue. She, too, stretched out her hands. Then one by one, the tanks on screen twisted and curved until it was nothing more than a ball of metal, the people inside barely having anytime to get out of the vehicle.
Then, Magneto held out both of his hands and then, the weapons held by the police, the FBI, and the soldiers were wrench out of their grip and turned to them. "Such a sorry waste."
With a flick of her hair, Rogue slowly brought down her hand. And like obedient dogs, the bullets fell harmlessly to the ground.
"I warn you. If one hair of any mutant gets hurt by any inferior man, I would take it personally." Magneto told the men. "Believe me, you wouldn't want me to take anything personally." With that, he walked forward, unmindful that hundreds of armed men stood in his way.
But like the red sea, the men blocking their path parted, allowing them entry.
"Scott!" Jean cried out, seeing Toad's victim struggle in vain to breathe.
Wolverine had maneuvered the X-Jet as close as possible to the ground, the X-Men ready to intervene if anything happens.
Jean was mentally preparing herself to use her TK on the hundreds of guns. She didn't know if she would succeed. Fortunately, the situation that would force her to try hadn't come up.
But right now, it was all up to Scott.
"On it," Scott said as the door of the X-Jet opened. He kneeled down and aimed.
And aimed true.
A red beam from the heavens descended on earth, hitting the policeman's face which was covered with Toad's projectile. As it was hit, it cracked and released the man's face.
The policeman gratefully took in lungsful of breath. After making sure that he could breathe again, his face turned up to the heavens. "Thank you," he prayed with tears in his eyes.
Around him, the people wondered what on earth was that red beam.
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"Turn that thing off!" Scott growled at Evan and Bobby.
The two, who were watching the evening news for a change, looked up at their team leader, puzzled.
Since the events the day before, all the news was focused on Bayville and the mutants it had unwittingly housed. Friends and strangers were interviewed by the media, asking about the Brotherhood and their guardian, Erik Lensherr. Speculations were arising about Principal Raven Darkholme and Kurt Wagner, both of whom were connected to the mutant known as Rogue, both of whom lived in the Brotherhood Boarding House.
Through the night, there had been a grand total of six attempts to capture the mutants inside, all of which were complete and utter failures.
The military couldn't seem to grasp the fact that there were now two masters of magnetism in the house, and no matter how advanced or how powerful the weapon, so long as it was made out of metal, it would never work on them. Of course, the fact that there was also a probability-manipulating witch inside complicated things much, much more.
But so far, there were no casualties. The Professor had contacted Magneto. The latter had given his word that no blood would spill until and unless a mutant was hurt by a man. And he had kept his word so far.
At about dawn that morning, the President had made an address to the nation, asking them not to do anything more to aggravate the mutants of Bayville.
Erik Lensherr was invited to the White House. Of course, Professor Charles Xavier was also invited.
For now, an uneasy truce was called.
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~tbc