RogueFanKC: I hope this clears it all up. And "Komodo" is a lot cooler than "Toad", I think.

Red Witch: Thanks! Here's more!

Chapter 17: "Magneto!"

A silvery orb flew through the air, at speeds hard to imagine. It approached the Pit, each second an enormous amount of ground. Inside, Magneto sat, deep in thought, putting the finishing touches on his plan. He would tell Xavier that his students were all dead. He would give details to make the story real, convince Xavier that humans had murdered his precious students. He would convert Xavier to his cause now, or destroy his former friend once and for all.

Truth to tell, he didn't really care which.

"But Professor Xavier would never do that!" exclaimed Scott loyally.

"Future you would beg to differ, kid," snorted Slice.

"Be that as it may," interrupted Piranha, "the point is that we're here to make sure he doesn't go all Onslaught on us."

"What?" asked Hank.

"'Onslaught' was the name he took after he went insane," Blaster explained. "Hey, where am I, anyway?"

"Back at the Mansion," Hank told her. "I still have a hard time believing it."

"You won't once you've become a big blue furry rug on the President's floor," snorted Slice. "And you got off easy. You were only skinned alive."

"Ew," Pietro and Kitty made faces of disgust.

"So what should we do?" Althea asked Piranha.

"We time travelers will hide," Piranha told her. "When Magneto come along, act surprised, and pretend to go along with him. When we're ready, we'll take him out, and hopefully prevent the whole mess."

"I've been wondering," Todd said thoughtfully. "What happens to you guys if we succeed?"

The others paused. "I'm not sure," Piranha said. "Trinity was captured before they could tell us anything. We barely made it through to the machine."

"Well, we have a crisis and a solution," General Hawk clapped his hands. "You Cobras and most of the Joes will hide with the Travelers. The rest of us will have to act as normal as we can. It's showtime!"

"Here I am," Magneto said to himself. "It's showtime."

Zartan gave his last order, then turned to Zanya, rubbing his hands gleefully. "It's showtime!"

The silvery orb crashed through the sky and landed in the middle of the Pit. It slowly opened, and Magneto slowly and majestically lifted himself into the air, his cape waving around him dramatically, his helmet gleaming in the afternoon sun.

"I know you're here, Charles!" he called. "I have some bad news."

Xavier wheeled himself into sight, Logan and Scott on either side of him, protective.

Magneto laughed. "A plastic wheelchair, Xavier?" He sobered instantly. "I have some bad news for you."

"What is it?" Xavier asked.

"We were going to your little school, to ask for your help," Magneto told him. "But when we got there, it had been destroyed. Your students were flung about the ruins, twisted up from explosions. If only we had gotten there sooner..." He lowered his head, allowing a single droplet of water to run down one side of his face. "Humans attacked the mansion while you were gone. They've killed everyone! Now do you believe me, Charles? Now do you see what I've been trying to tell you for so long? Humans are our enemies! It doesn't matter who they are, what they may profess! In the end, they will destroy us! Do you believe me now?"

"No," Xavier said quietly. "I don't."

Magneto was suddenly cold and quiet. "Then you will have to die," he said simply.

"Now!" cried Piranha. With a hooting battle cry, the hidden groups poured out, surrounding Magneto. The flyers took to the air, to prevent his escape that way.

Magneto laughed. "A trap? How very droll, Charles. Who are these delightful people?"

He looked closely at Piranha, and the smirk slid off his face. "You," he said in cold astonishment.

Piranha grinned at him. "Me," she agreed cheekily.

"I'll kill you all!" Magneto suddenly raged, and they gasped, as suddenly they were filled with pain. Magneto smiled triumphantly. "The metals in your body will slowly kill you," he said maliciously, "with a great amount of pain, I'm afraid. I'm sorry, but I can't have you running around stopping my plans. Why are you smiling?"

He had noticed Piranha, who, while wincing, was still smiling.

"You know how metals comprise about point oh-two percent of the body?" she asked sweetly.

"Yes," Magneto frowned.

"Guess what makes up ninety-six percent of the body?"

And Magneto fely cold fear, even as his control slipped and his body weakened. A faint haze seemed to float over his eyes. It surrounded his body, and he knew it was the water being sucked right out of him.

"No," he gasped.

"Yes," Piranha told him.

With a final weak cry, Magneto collapsed on the ground, unconscious. The light haze faded, leaving his emaciated figure lying in the sun.

"Magneto!" cried Xavier."

"He's suffering from severe dehydration," Piranha told Lifeline. "I suggest you get him to the med bay, fast."

Lifeline and Bree quickly picked up the shriveled Magneto and carried him to the nearby medical building.

"It seems Magneto has failed in his ridiculous little ploy," Zartan said, watching the scene play out before him. "No matter. I will still succeed."

He turned to a communicator, and said, "Mr. Speaker, the deadline is reached. Call for an immediate vote on the Bill."

"Yes, sir," came the quiet reply.

"All we have to do now is decide the fate of the traitor," said Piranha. "Bring it out."

Block and Komodo brought out XI, twisting and snarling as he tried to escape.

"You are guilty of treason," Piranha told him coldly. "Before I give you your sentence, do you have any last words you wish to say?"

"F! YOU!" roared XI, trying to leap at her.

"Very well," sighed Piranha. "I sentence you to Xi."

XI went very still. He looked at his younger self. Xi looked back at him, his eyes empty of any response. XI's eyes widened in fear. "You can't!" he hissed.

"You have betrayed me, and my friends," Xi told him. "I will accept the responsibility."

"Take them to an empty area," ordered Piranha sadly.

Block and an expressionless Komodo carried a hissing and screaming XI away, followed silently by Xi, who slipped into invisibility.

"I'm sorry," Piranha said to Todd and Althea.

"We understand," Todd told her. "And so does Xi."

"This emergency session of the full Congress will now vote on the passage of the Mutant Registration Bill. You have heard all the arguments, now you must decide. You have ten minutes to vote."

Next time: The final crisis, and the Congress votes on the Bill! Can our heroes stop it? What will happen to the time travelers? Tune in next time, for chapter eighteen of Misfits In Time!