Way Too Much Information
Terrified several people tried to flee the room, but Magneto prevented it by effectively shutting the doors with his powers. "I would like all of you to listen to what I have to say," Magneto spoke with authority. "It would be wise of you to listen."
"You just can't leave well enough alone can you?" Rogue shouted at him. "This is why people hate us! You can't just go barging into places and…"
"Rogue!" Xavier held up his hand. "Why are you doing this Magneto?"
"Because the committee is hearing a rather one-sided view of how mutants wish to fit into human society," He told him. "I wish to offer an alternative view."
"The only view you're going to see is the other side of the door!" Logan shot out his claws.
"Interesting," Magneto smirked. "For a man who teaches peace and non violence the first reaction from his own students is to fight."
"Freeze!" Security pointed their guns at Magneto.
"Oh please," Magneto easily disarmed them with a single wave. "Do we really have to go through this?"
"Who are you?" The Chairman yelled. "What do you want?"
"I am Magneto, Master of Magnetism," He towered over them. "And I am here to speak for the mutant race. Unlike some mutants that wish to placate humanity by bowing before them, I and others mutants have some pride in what we are. I am here to tell all of you that this committee is a joke and an insult. You claim to wish to find the truth but you are actually doing everything possible to obscure it. The truth is we are Homo Superior, the next step in human evolution. This makes Homo Sapiens obsolete. Understandably this makes people upset. No one likes to be replaced. However it is neither my decision nor yours that this has happened. It just has. I suggest you get used to it."
"See!" Senator Kelly shouted. "This is why we need to know about these mutants! Who knows what they can do! We need to find some way to manage…" He was cut off when Magneto removed his metal belt buckle and caused his pants to fall down.
"The only purpose of mutant registration is to discriminate and torture a group of people because you fear them," Magneto spoke. "And you do have reason to fear us. However any attempt at 'managing' the mutant population will do more than create fear. It will be your downfall. Any attempt to stop us will result in failure. That I promise you. For those of you who think that mere humans can control us and deny us our destiny you are sadly mistaken."
"So what are you going to do Bucket Head?" Todd snarled.
"Do?" Magneto gave a disgusted look at Todd. "It is what humanity does that finalizes everything. Leave us in peace and accept the new order and humans will be spared. However if humans choose to start a war…We shall finish it!"
"And we'll be there to stop you," Scott told him.
"You may try," Magneto said. "But the truth is mutants that believe peaceful co existence with humanity are in the minority. Most mutants know better and are joining my ranks of elite. Even your own son Xavier rejects your foolish dreams. When you finally wake up to reality, I will be there for you. Resist me and…" He grabbed the metal bars and medals on General Eddington's shirt and hauled him up into the air.
"Magneto no!" Xavier shouted.
"Consider this a warning General," Magneto growled at Eddington. "If you think you can make mutants your weapons…"
At that instant he was hit with a hex bolt and sent flying. Eddington nearly flew into a wall but at the last second was caught by Todd who jumped high enough to save him. "We're heard enough!" Wanda snarled. "You're going down Magneto!"
"I think not," A telekinetic shove knocked Wanda off balance and broke her hold on him. Lucas floated into the room. He looked at Magneto. "I told you they wouldn't be happy."
"Your assistance is appreciated," Magneto rose up. "This is neither the time nor the place for our battle. Next time you will not be so lucky."
"We'll see," Xavier said as the two of them flew off.
The second they were gone the entire building erupted into panic. People were screaming. Reporters were yelling. It was absolute madness. "Ladies and Gentlemen," Kelly spoke to the cameras trying to hold his pants up with one hand. "We have just seen proof of how dangerous mutants can be. The danger is very real. We must know who these mutants are and what they can do or else we will all pay the price."
"Professor I think we'd better get out of here," Scott felt uneasy.
"Yeah I think the hearings are over," Lance grumbled.
"Well that made a good impression," Jean sighed.
#####################################################################
"Well maybe the hearings weren't as big a disaster as I thought," Creed grinned as he watched the evening news in his office. "In a way, this works out better than I hoped."
"Yeah Mr. Creed," Duncan Matthews said. "I'll bet Eddington really looks like a fool now!"
"More importantly we'll get more support from other senators rather than that spineless wimp Kelly," Creed hissed. "This will be very helpful in the coming elections."
"You'll be a shoo in," Duncan told him.
"Still I could never do it without young men like yourself supporting me," Creed smiled at him.
"Hey it's the least I can do after what you did for me," Duncan said. "You know springing me out of jail and all."
"What self respecting human could do otherwise?" Creed asked. "Allow an innocent man to rot in jail because he was trying to defend his community from monsters living in the sewers?"
"I wish we could lock up those freaks," Duncan growled.
"We'll handle them, make no mistake about that."
"Well at least there are two less muties running around," Duncan shrugged. "Cops grabbed those two that tried to off Kelly."
"Unless they're dead I wouldn't rest easy," Creed hissed. "Especially the shapeshifter! You have no idea how dangerous she really is."
"Hey she used to be my principal remember?" Duncan folded his arms. "Looking back this explains a lot. She always did give me the creeps."
A tall man with a black mustache wearing a blue power suit strode in. "Ah Jake," Creed smiled. "Good to see you so soon. Duncan Matthews this is Jake Mannex, an old friend of mine. We went to college together."
"Nice to meet you young man," Jake shook Duncan's hand. "If you don't mind I have some personal affairs to discuss with Mr. Creed here."
"Leave us," Creed indicated with his head. Duncan left the room. "Well?"
"They got 'em holed up tight in Stonewall for now," Jake said. "But I found something else. I think you'd better read this." He handed him a piece of paper.
Creed's eyes widened. "Are you sure about this?" Creed hissed.
"Positive," Jake frowned. "I had my informant double check the information."
"THAT BITCH!" Creed roared as he tore up the paper. "Just when I think she can't hurt me anymore… Who else knows about this?"
"Well that General Hawk for one. And you know Xavier and his mutie squad are gonna find out," Jake said. "But they don't know about…well your…you know."
"Oh I know all too well," Creed growled. "My…connection with that woman has been the cross and thorns I have had to bear my entire life!"
"I can only guess how hard it's been for you," Jake said. "I don't know why you never let me or anyone else take care of the problem."
"Because my dear friend the problem is my responsibility," Creed groaned. "And as much as I'd love for it to go away it's…" There was a knock at the door. "What is it? I told you I didn't want to be disturbed!"
Another FOH member walked in. "We have a problem," He told Creed. "Spears is backing out!"
"What?" Creed snapped.
"He wants more money or else he says he'll take his business elsewhere," The man told him. He handed him another paper. "He gave this message to Burns."
Creed growled as he read the letter. "Why that double crossing…."
"There's always one," Jake frowned. "Why do people have to put their own personal agendas over the good of others I will never understand."
"Spears is going to learn the hard way not to cross me," Creed told him. "Let's pay him a little visit shall we?"
#######################################################################
The following day all that was playing on the news was Magneto and his speech. Several people were calling for the government to do something about the 'mutant crisis'. "Wonderful," Scott grunted as he and all the X-Men watched the footage in the war room. "We set out to avert a panic that could spell the end of mutantkind and we end up in the middle of one anyway."
"For what it's worth," Xavier said. "I am very proud of all of you."
"Yeah but we still blew it thanks to Magneto," Rogue grunted.
"Not necessarily," Xavier said. "Your words and sincerity moved the panel and many people watching. You showed people that not all mutants want to start a war with Humanity by standing up to Magneto. You inspired many mutants living in fear."
"Not to mention help avert a major catastrophe by saving Kelly's life and locking Mystique and Destiny in the clink," John pointed out.
"Let's face it," Logan said. "Okay it wasn't a perfect win but we didn't exactly lose either. Things could have been a lot worse as Bishop told us."
"I'm not so sure that all we did was delay the inevitable," Remy grunted. "Maybe history can't be altered."
"That's a load of bull and you know it!" Rogue snapped.
"Well Creed's having a field day over this," Kitty grunted. "What a jerk!"
"And worse, more people are listening to him," Scott said. "Forge you and Thunderbird were researching Creed the other night. What did you find out about him?"
"Well he's a businessman," John told them. "He's the head of Humantech. They make a lot of medical equipment. He's an American but he was born in Canada."
"Here's something weird," Forge pulled out a paper. "His first major was medicine before changing it to business. He wrote this article about mutants and the danger they pose for his college paper. Years before anybody knew about us. Had to be referred to a psychologist because they thought he was nuts."
"They were right," Logan said. "But how did a guy like Creed know about us? Unless..." He stared at the photo.
"What?" Scott asked.
"Nothing," Logan shook his head. "Must be my imagination. I thought of something but it's little far fetched. Never mind."
"Well here's something that's not so far fetched," Forge showed them some pictures on the viewscreen. "I found this on the Power 8 website."
"Power 8 has a website now?" Rogue asked. "Why?"
"A lot of companies have websites so they can promote their product," Forge told him. "Spears is starting up the Power 8 factory again. And look who's company is backing him."
"Let me guess, Creed is funding Spears' company?" Kurt groaned.
"Bingo," Forge told him.
"Yeah it looks like Spears is in bed with Creed all right," John growled. "And I don't mean in the fun way."
"Well there's a mental image I want to forget," Rogue groaned.
"Just out of curiosity I wonder if Trask is in this as well?" Scott frowned.
"No poison just isn't his style," General Hawk walked in. "Robotics are more his thing. Besides from what our latest intelligence has gathered he's got nothing to do with this."
"Hey Hawk," Logan waved. "You sure about that? Cause it sounds like to me Trask and Creed have a lot in common."
"Yeah but in this instance we're positive they're not connected," Hawk told him. "But that isn't why I'm here. I need to talk to Rogue and Kurt. I have some information they need to hear. Alone."
"It's about Mystique isn't it?" Ororo asked.
"Yeah," Hawk sighed. "One of you might want to stay in the room with 'em too."
"Why?" Rogue asked. "How bad is it?"
"Well it's hard to say," Hawk fidgeted. "Let's just say it's…personal."
"Ororo and I will stay," Xavier said. "The rest of you may relax. Danger Room practice is cancelled for the day. I think you've all earned some rest."
"Something tells me we're gonna need it," Kitty groaned as they left.
Kurt and Rogue remained with Xavier and Ororo. "What's going on General?" Kurt asked. "Why did you want to see us?"
"Well there's no gentle way to say this so I'll just come to the point," Hawk told them. "Mystique is pregnant."