Note: I first learned of Anya during "Fatal Attractions," the storyline where Magneto tore the adamantium from Wolverine's bones. I was again reminded of her in "The Chaos Engine Trilogy, Book 3: Red Skull" (a novel, not a comic, I guess). Both storylines paint very interesting pictures of Magneto, but it's clear to me he really loved that girl. I don't know for a fact that Magneto is Jewish, but I figure it's likely.
Chapter 17: Daughter Dearest
During her brief time at Xavier's, Wanda had heard whispered rumors of what Magneto had done to Rogue. All she really knew was that there was a machine and a power transfer involved, neither of which was made to sound at all pleasant. From the way Rogue covered up everything except her face and hair, Wanda could tell that she was still unable to control her mutant power. Having lost control of her own powers more than once, Wanda felt sorry for the girl. But she had always given Marie plenty of space, because she wasn't sure how the girl would react to her (and more importantly, her being Magneto's daughter). Of course, Wanda had done nothing to Marie, but sometimes just being related to madmen was enough to damn their whole families. And as Caliban carried her deeper into the caverns beneath the warehouse, Wanda wished that she had been born to any other family.
"Are you really going to bring your sister back from the dead?" Kitty whispered. "I mean…can you DO that?"
"I don't know," Wanda admitted from Caliban's shoulder. "I hope not."
"Well…what happens to us if you can't?"
"You should be fine. Dad seems to have mellowed a little, shocking as that is. He'll probably just be pissed at me, but I'm way too used to that."
"You don't think he'll…hurt you, do you?"
"Kitty, he's trying to replace me with a corpse. 'Hurt' doesn't begin to describe how I feel."
"But do you think he was serious about staying out of your life for good?"
"Yeah, I do. We never got along too good, but he never lied to me. He's not that kind of man."
Kitty frowned. "Are you sure we're talking about the same Magneto?"
Rachel couldn't understand why she felt so nervous. The only time she'd ever feared Franklin was when he'd forced her to stare at the hole where his missing eye used to be. As far as she knew, the Franklin she was about to meet had both eyes, and so there was no real reason to be afraid of him.
A hand came down and patted her head gently. "It'll be fine, Rachel. You have nothing to worry about."
She was a little surprised to see that the hand belonged to Jean, instead of Nate. Even stranger was the fact that Rachel felt her face forming a big smile, if only for Jean's sake. "Thanks," she whispered.
The elevator came to a stop, and the doors silently slid open. Illyana had just taken a step forward when a laser beam flew by, just inches over her head.
"Snowflake!" Piotr cried, yanking her back inside, even as his skin turned to shining steel. "Stay behind me, everyone!"
The words were barely out of his mouth when a figure in silver body armor and a green, hooded cape appeared before them. "Tremble in fear before Doom!" boomed a tinny, maniacal voice.
"Maybe some other time," Nate replied calmly, his left eye flashing brightly.
The armor didn't explode so much as it collapsed into several pieces on the floor.
Realizing everyone was staring at him, Nate shrugged. "No brain activity equals robot. What, nobody else picked up on it?"
"Rachel was too scared," Illyana supplied in what she thought was a helpful manner.
"I wasn't!" Rachel cried, though she didn't look so confident. "He just…startled me, is all. I thought he was a Sentinel at first."
"I, too, must admit to being surprised," Storm murmured. "Dr. Doom is a longtime foe of the Richards family."
It was then that a boy clad only in overalls a size too big and a blue and black striped shirt ran up, panting loudly. "Sorry, everyone! My robot got away from me again."
"You MADE that monstrosity?!" Piotr asked. "It almost shot-"
"What? Oh, that," the boy said, far too calmly for Piotr's taste. "No, no, no. Those weren't actual lasers. I would never make something that could actually hurt anyone. I built hologram projectors into the limbs. Notice no holes or scorch marks on the walls? Mom insisted the weapons be fake, since the last one actually did have-" He paused there, realizing that maybe he was telling them too much. "Um. I hope no one was frightened?"
"You made a robot of one of the world's most notorious villains," Jean said slowly. "And you didn't expect anyone to be frightened?"
The boy scratched his head. "Well, I didn't mean for anyone else to see it," he said after a moment. "I made it for training purposes. I figure eventually he'll try to kidnap me, so I have to be ready. I mean, you're training Rachel and Illyana to fight evil, aren't you?"
Jean and Storm looked at each other in mild disbelief and more than a little concern.
"You're…not?" the boy said slowly. "In that case, I'm really glad you're here. The sooner I show you this, the better off you'll all be." With that, he headed back down the hall. "Just leave the robot for now. I'll get it later."
"Who…was that?" Piotr asked slowly.
"Frankie," Rachel replied. "At least, I think it was."
"I think he's neat," Illyana said firmly. "We should get a Magneto robot. For training."
"We'll think about it when you become a child prodigy," Nate answered, patting her head.
Logan had no problem swiping the school's Jeep. What he did have a problem with was taking all of Gambit's "teammates" with them. But the boy had stood firm on Marrow, Ernie, and Musty coming along, and he had a kind of grudging respect for anyone that could stand up to his snarl.
"You're sure this tracer of yours will work, kid?" Logan asked for the third time.
Gambit nodded. "Oui. Unless dey drain out all Wanda's blood. Den we be in trouble."
"Wouldn't she be in more trouble than us in that case?" Marrow asked from the back seat.
Logan grunted. "Don't think we have to worry 'bout that, Marrow. If Mags wanted Wanda dead, he wouldn't bother with snatching her first. He needs her for something. We just gotta hope whatever it is don't mess her up too bad before we get to her."
"T'ink it'll be worse dan what he do to Rogue?" Gambit asked.
"Put it like this, Cajun. I ain't waitin' around to find out."
Wanda and Kitty stared down at the glass coffin in a mixture of shock and disbelief.
"This can't be her," Wanda said at last. "I mean…she should be dust by now."
"Of course, this isn't the original body," Magneto explained. "Suffice it to say this is—or will be—my Anya, if she had lived." He pressed his hand to the glass and took a deep, cleansing breath. "Soon, my dear," he whispered.
Kitty looked up at him. "This isn't right," she said. "Even if Wanda can do this—and I have my doubts about that—you can't do allow this to happen. Your daughter is dead. Think of what this could do to her soul. Think of what this could do to Wanda!"
Magneto closed his eyes. "I understand that Illyana Rasputin was missing, for a time. You know her?"
Kitty frowned. "Sure. Why?"
"When she was gone, did it pain you to think you might never see her again? In your moment of darkest despair, wouldn't you have given anything just to hear her laugh or call your name? Do you honestly understand what it means to lose a child forever?"
"But she didn't die," Kitty insisted.
"No, she did not. And why is that? Surely she was no more innocent than my Anya? Why should she live, when my Anya is dead? Can you honestly tell me that is fair?"
"No, it's not fair. It's…life."
"Yes, it is. And my Anya's will soon begin anew."
Shaking her head, Kitty turned to Wanda, hoping for another voice of reason. Instead, she found Wanda staring down at the little girl in the glass case, a helpless look on her face.
"Wanda?" Kitty whispered.
Wanda closed her eyes. "I know it's crazy, Kitty, but I have to try."
"What? Why?!"
But Wanda didn't answer her. Instead, she turned to her father. "And you promise to stay out of my life?"
"I do," Magneto said simply.
"What about Uncle Chuck and all the kids? I'm staying with them."
A frown crossed the man's face, but only for a moment. "I still have every intention of making this world a place where mutants reign, Wanda. You will learn very quickly that it is Charles who interferes with my plans, not the other way around. So while I swear that I will never strike them with the intent to harm, I will not allow anyone to stand in the way of my dream. If they intrude, they will be dealt with as I see fit. If you don't want them to be hurt, I suggest you talk them out of their usual brand of foolishness."
Wanda shook her head. "I don't understand you at all. Why is it when Uncle Chuck opposes you directly, you still consider him a friend, even after all this time? Why couldn't it be that way between us? Why wasn't I ever good enough to stay in your life?"
Magneto sighed and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Wanda, despite what you may think, I have always been proud to know that you were my flesh and blood. From the moment your powers first manifested, I knew you were meant for greater things than even myself. But you lacked control and lashed out at everyone around you. Until you could harness your abilities, you were far too dangerous. I had no choice but to send you away. It was either that or keep you by my side, and restrict your powers. Many times I thought of doing just that. But I know the pain that comes from not being able to use your gifts when they can do the most good. It's how I lost Anya, and I could never sentence you to that fate. I pushed you away so you could be free. I knew you would hate being a prisoner inside your own body."
"What if I want something different now?" Wanda asked after a moment. "What if I want to be allowed back into your life? You know I have control now, or you wouldn't ask me to do this for you."
"Would you really join me, and my cause?" Magneto murmured warily.
"Probably not. But I didn't understand why you didn't want me until now, and I hated you for it. Now that I know, I want to at least try to be a family. I still intend to live with Uncle Chuck, but I want the right to see you sometimes."
"Fair enough. We can work out the details after you're done." He gestured to the coffin, and two silver columns rose from the floor in front of it, each with the impression of a handprint on top.
Wanda swallowed nervously as she placed her hands on the columns. Usually, she only had to concentrate on what she wanted to happen, and let the power flow from her body. Sometimes, it helped if she chanted the goal in her mind over and over again.
Stay dead, Anya. Show him that this is a huge mistake. Show him that he has all the family he needs.
It was the last thought Wanda had before something ancient, dark, and cold seized her, hungrily pulling her down into itself and swallowing her whole.
Franklin led the group from Xavier's into a huge room almost entirely filled with mirrors. Each mirror had a barcode on the edge, as well as brief keyword or abbreviation in the center. Most of the words made no sense, such as "Mojo" and "Fut. Past" and "LLL W.C." A few had more interesting names, such as "Crim. Dawn" and "Exiles v.2."
"What is this place?" Storm asked in wonder.
"Used to be my busy station," Franklin replied. "I needed to keep occupied, so my mind didn't wander. I'm dangerous when I'm bored, people tell me. And then I figured I should just have a place for when my mind DID wander, since it always does eventually. So I keep all my head stuff here. Memories, visions, flashes, all of it goes in here. Like a vault, kinda."
"Then why are we here?" Jean asked.
Franklin turned to Rachel and Illyana, giving them both a little push. "Go on, find your mirrors." He looked up at Nate. "You, too."
Jean wasn't sure what she found stranger: that Nate, Illyana, and Rachel had their own mirrors here, or that they were expected to find them with no guidance at all. She was naturally a bit surprised when all three children started walking, blank expressions on their faces, and found their mirrors within twenty seconds.
"They call out to you," Franklin explained, seeing Jean's look of shock. "They ARE you, sorta. Hard to explain." He walked over to Illyana and gently took her elbow in his hand. "Give it a poke," he suggested, nodding at the mirror.
Storm saw that Illyana's mirror had seen some revision. First it had been called "Russia," then "Mikh," then "Hill," then "Yana," and was now known as "Limbo."
Illyana hesitantly tapped the mirror with a finger. Instantly, the surface began to shimmer, distorting her reflection for a few seconds. When the shimmers stopped, Illyana backed up a few steps, and then slowly stepped forward again, her mouth working in silence.
The girl that stared back at her only shared a passing resemblance to Illyana, and even then it was a stretch to connect them.
"Is this some sort of sick joke?!" Jean demanded.
Franklin looked offended. "If I was joking, you'd be laughing," he assured her.
"That is NOT Illyana," Piotr said firmly, but even as he stared at the thing in the mirror, his face seemed to soften a bit. "It can't be…"
"It is," Illyana whispered softly, reaching up to trace the reflection's face with her fingers.
The female fiend in the mirror shrank away from Illyana's hand, snarling in silence as her crimson eyes flared menacingly and her golden horns grew longer and twisted. When Illyana did not move away, the demoness stamped her cloven feet and seemed to draw a long, silver sword out of the air.
It was at that point that Franklin grabbed Illyana's shirt and pulled her away from the mirror. "Even reflections that don't technically exist can be harmful," he warned her.
Illyana nodded, her eyes wide but not exactly fearful.
"What you're seeing is basically a nightmare. The problem being that if certain events go certain ways, nightmares can be all too real."
"Do you have any proof of this being real?" Storm asked.
Before Franklin could open his mouth, Illyana reached into her pocket and pulled out what looked like the tip of a golden horn. "I had a nightmare the other day. When I woke up, this was sticking out of my head again. Marrow helped me break it off, so I could save it."
"You've…turned into that creature?" Piotr asked in alarm.
"More than once?" Jean added.
"It wasn't a lie," Illyana said quickly. "No one asked, so I couldn't lie about it!"
"Well, even I didn't know, so it's no wonder no one else did," Nate pointed out. "I knew about the nightmares, but you told me you were fine, so I didn't press the issue."
"I am fine," Illyana insisted. "It only comes when I'm really angry, and that almost never happens."
"You mean, it almost never happened twice," Jean said, giving her a look.
Illyana looked sheepish. "Well, yeah. So?"
"You know you should've told someone, Yana," Nate pointed. "I'm not sure who, but someone."
"I didn't want to. Marrow said people treat you different when you look like she does."
"What? She's crazy. You're a cutie inside and out, Yana. Even if you did have horns, I'd go out with you in a heartbeat."
That got some weird looks all around, but Franklin was grinning and Illyana looked hopeful.
"You would, Nate? Really?" she asked.
"Sure! One of my best friends used to look like a tractor backed over his face three times in a row, and I never held it against him."
Rachel made a face. "I bet everyone else did, though."
"Well, there was that, but I liked him just fine," Nate said firmly. "It might've been harder to find people that would accept them, but he kept looking and he eventually found them. It was all worth it, too."
"I should point out that this was just a possibility," Franklin added after a moment. "There are others." He pushed another mirror in front of Illyana's. "This one I found last night. Watch what happens if you look through it at Illyana's mirror."
The demoness nearly doubled in height, but her horns and hooves faded away, leaving a young, but older version of Illyana staring back at them. She was dressed in tight-fitting crimson body armor, and there was a sword strapped to her back. She was very beautiful, but her face soon hardened into a determined scowl.
"So you see, there are other paths," Franklin pointed out. "One just has to find them."
Peitro Maximoff had never really gotten along with his sister. She had always been envious of him, because he had been the child their father preferred. He wasn't terribly fond of her, either. More than once, he'd claimed that he didn't care whether Wanda lived or died.
Of course, at those times, her death had never really seemed all that possible.
But as Pietro stood at his father's side, watching black tendrils of energy fly from the glass coffin and ensnare his twin sister's body, he realized that Wanda could very well die…and that, for some reason, bothered him greatly.
He couldn't stand by and watch her die. Certainly not like this. This was torture, plain and simple, for both of them. All for a lost child who had been dead for years, and was meant to remain so. Pietro began to wonder why he'd ever gone along with his plan. No matter how he felt about Wanda, she was the only sister he knew. The idea of trading her for a dead body suddenly didn't seem all that appealing.
Almost instinctively, Pietro tapped into his mutant power. To anyone watching, he would've become little more than a blur or a strong gust of wind. That was just fine with him, as he didn't really want to be stopped just then. Silently hoping his father would forgive him, Pietro raced toward the ghastly machine and drove his foot into the side. He was instantly rewarded with a shower of sparks that sent both him and Wanda flying across the room.
Pietro landed hard against the cold floor, tasting blood in his mouth. A glance to the right revealed Wanda beside him, unconscious and pale, but alive, as he could see her chest rising and falling. Suddenly, it was her forgiveness he desired, not his father's.
He turned and found Magneto's eyes, and in that moment, he knew that he was no longer his father's favorite. In fact, he wondered if the Master of Magnetism would ever tell another living soul that he had a son. That thought scared him more than anything else, especially if it became a reality this day.
And so Pietro did the one thing he'd always been the best at: he ran, without stopping, without thinking, and without remorse.
Rachel had quite a bit on her mind as she stepped out of Freedoms Four Plaza. She could not stop thinking about all that Franklin had shown her. Of course, that had been his intent from the first, she knew now. He'd always been so good at planning ahead. Apparently that hadn't changed in this world, either.
She found herself staring at Illyana, who'd seemed the least bothered by the whole experience, now that everything was out in the open. Rachel suspected her friend was just glad that Franklin had taken care of the hard parts. There was a monster living inside her, but for now, maybe, she mostly had control over it. Franklin had warned against using her powers too often, which Illyana was in the practice of doing, anyway. Ever since being rescued from The Hill, she hadn't teleported once. Rachel knew this had something to do with Mikhail, but didn't ask what. When Illyana was ready, she would tell.
As if she knew she was under scrutiny, Illyana turned, flashed one of her bright smiles at Rachel, and grabbed her hand, tugging the redhead along so she didn't fall behind.
Rachel's thoughts then turned to Nate, who hadn't said a word since gazing into his own mirror. She had actually been glad to learn that Nate wasn't perfect. Much as she cared about—no, loved; she was finally able to admit that without thinking of her own brother—Nate, Rachel had learned not to trust perfect people, no matter which side they claimed to be on. Learning that there was another Nate in his head, one even closer to perfection (at least where power was concerned) was actually a great relief to Rachel. It explained so many things, like how he'd pulled her and Illyana into this world. The best way to think of it was that while Nate was strong, he could only begin to approach Rachel's level of raw power, and only then with the help of the other Nate.
She reached instinctively for his hand with her free one, interrupting whatever thoughts had brought that solemn look to his face. Though he did not look down, Nate's larger fingers closed instantly over hers, and some of the tension seemed to melt from his expression, at least. Rachel sent calmness and love through their psychic link, and smiled as she felt him return the favor, with a bit of concern thrown in.
Rachel's own mirror, in a way, had been more troubling than any of the others. All she could see in it was an endless field of all-consuming fire. It only served to remind her of her true home, and the family she had lost forever. Franklin had apologized many times, but not because he hadn't been able to find any more mirrors for her. Somehow, they both knew that all Rachel's mirrors held the same image.
Wanda didn't know how she knew, but she knew for a fact that Pietro had just saved her life. Of all Magneto's fold, he was the only one with enough guts and Maximoff blood to show her any loyalty. She couldn't begin to guess when he'd grown a conscience, but she was very glad that he had.
She was lying on a bed, and at once she noticed that the manacles were back on. That was no surprise, really. Pietro had probably destroyed any chance on Anya being restored, and Magneto wasn't going to just let her go now. She hoped poor Kitty hadn't gotten her hopes up about being let go anytime soon. They would probably be here for some time, now.
A door somewhere beyond her head opened, and Magneto's crew moved into her field of vision: Caliban, Deadpool, Omega Red, that mysterious woman assassin, and Magneto himself. Caliban was now hauling Kitty around on his shoulder, but other than that, she was fine. Probably Pietro's betrayal had made Magneto a bit more cautious.
"Feeling better, Wanda?" Magneto asked softly.
"No," she replied, which was true. She had not yet regained her strength. That weird machine had drained a lot more than her powers, she suspected. Maybe even some of her life.
"I thought you might like some company. There's a little angel that wants to thank you for being so good to her."
Wanda's eyes widened in shock as a tiny, golden-haired girl in a simple black dress moved into view. But it was immediately clear, to herself, at least, that Magneto's experiment had not been entirely successful.
From a distance, Anya would have easily been mistaken for any little girl. But being restrained right next to her, it was easy to see that there had been some flaws, either already in the wildly imaginative process, or added by Pietro's interruption. The girl's eyes were entirely black, and resembled dark, shiny marbles more than anything else. Her lips were the same dark color, and something told Wanda that that effect was due to no lipstick she'd ever bought.
"Don't be shy, little one," Magneto said gently, touching Anya's head. "Thank your sister."
To Wanda's horror, Anya moved closer and began to climb onto the bed. There was something so…wrong about the girl that made Wanda's stomach churn, as if she wanted to vomit but couldn't manage it. Just being near Anya was bad enough, but the thought of being touched by her was too horrible to imagine. Though she had no choice in the matter, Wanda still did her best to roll away from the thing passing itself off as her long-dead half-sister.
Up until then, there had been a blank expression on Anya's face. But as she leaned over Wanda, her black lips curved into a slight smile. Slowly, she leaned forward and softly pressed her lips to Wanda's cheek.
Wanda shut her eyes tightly, barely holding in the strong urge to scream. Anya's lips were like ice against her skin. They were so cold, in fact, that just as she pulled away, Wanda could swear her skin had begun to tingle with pain, as if it had come in contact with dry ice.
Much to Wanda's disgust, Anya curled up beside her on the bed, laying her golden head affectionately on Wanda's stomach, which did a few more flip-flops inside her before thankfully deciding to turn itself off.
"She seems quite taken with you," Magneto observed. "I do hope you'll consider staying and getting to know her?"
Wanda glared up at him, but said nothing.
"I don't like this," Omega Red said suddenly, glaring at the little girl. He turned to Magneto and gave voice to what Wanda had been thinking all along. "She is not alive. Not really. She has no heartbeat, no pulse. If I were to use my death spore on her, I would probably starve to death."
"As well you should for even thinking such a thing, you monster," Magneto snapped.
"I may be a monster, but at least I'm obvious about it. Whatever she is, it's not human or mutant. You should destroy her now, before-"
At that point, Wanda stopped listening. She had been watching Anya the whole time, partially afraid something bad would happen if she didn't. She could understand where Omega Red was coming from, and while she hated him, at least she knew what he was capable of. Anya was far more frightening that way; one had no way of knowing what she might do next, as she immediately went on to prove at Omega Red's angry outburst.
Anya lifted her head and glared at the Russian assassin, unnoticed by anyone but Wanda at the moment. Tiny black spots begin to appear around her body, as if the air itself was deteriorating around her.
With no warning at all, Omega Red was shrouded by a column of darkness. When it faded, there was no trace of him: he had ceased to exist. The whole thing probably took three seconds.
Anya returned her little head to Wanda's chest, as if nothing had happened. But Wanda could see a faint red glow in her half-sister's eyes, and could even imagine Omega Red's dying screams echoing in her ears. Except, maybe, she thought she wasn't quite imagining them.
Kitty couldn't stop shaking, and it had nothing to do with the death spore that had once wreaked havoc on her body. Magneto could call that thing his daughter all he wanted, but Omega Red had been right (emphasis on the HAD been): Anya was a monster of the worst kind. To think that Wanda had even been partially responsible for reviving her was disturbing, to say the least.
And while Anya's practically devouring Omega Red was at the forefront of her mind, there was something else bothering Kitty as she sat alone in her cell (Magneto hadn't been sure if Anya was done…feeding). As she'd watched Wanda's body jerk wildly while at the mercy of that machine, she had heard someone whisper in her ear, "Phase." It could've been anyone; at the time, she'd been too worried about Wanda to recognize the speaker. Anyway, the manacles would've prevented her form using her powers.
She happened to look down then, and noticed for the first time that there was a thin but definite crack in the manacles. She had no idea when it had happened, or how long it had been there, but something was telling her to run now, before Anya got hungry again and decided she looked tasty. Somehow, she didn't think her and Magneto's shared Jewish heritage would buy her very much sympathy.
Kitty had phased through the manacles with little more than a thought, and was about to do the same to the floor of her cell when she realized someone was watching her. Looking up, she saw that mysterious woman in the doorway, and just beyond her, the big brute that Wanda had called Caliban. She swallowed hard, realizing she might have less than a second to act before they were on her.
To her surprise, though, Caliban walked off without saying a word. The woman watched her for a few more seconds before leaving as well.
Don't just stand there, child. You won't get another chance.
Kitty did not question the voice she heard this time, or where it had come from. In another few seconds, she was gone.
Next Chapter: The origin of Anya's dark powers is revealed, as is the purpose of Magneto's mysterious female assassin. Gambit's team attempts to save Wanda, but Anya isn't too willing to let her go. And, in the midst of all that, a traitor emerges.
Reviews!
TheDreamerLady
Let's break out the bourbon for remy mwhahaha
or we could just give some apple cider...
Nate promised, and Remy WILL have bourbon. Puts hair on the chest. Or burns it all off. I forget which. Cider rocks, tho.
Jeanne Marie
I especially loved the Deadpool scene, it was great.
I could make a lewd comment about what kind of person would like Deadpool. Instead, as a HUGE Deadpool fan, I think I'll just say thanks very much. Especially since I'm working on another movieverse story featuring Deadpool and a young Siryn. Old school X-Force fans should like it (as in back when the team first started).
GAH! Must...resist...urge to include...preview...in review...
Marrow
Loved Illyana and how she's developing. Loved that you put Marrow in there. She's my favorite character and it was a very pleasant surprise.
Both Yana and Marrow have some more growing to do. Glad you like what I've put them through so far.