Quillian: Yeah, sorry that the last chapter took so long to get up. Hopefully I won't keep you waiting that long again.

jp3711nc: Nathan huh? But I kinda like him. Besides, you haven't even found out who his father is yet. And Mike will have a big enough role in up coming plots, but for now he's kind of on the back burner while I have this huge development happen and stuff.

Mark C: The Immortals is just a group calling themselves that unfortunately, sorry if I got your hopes up. We'll see who goes and who stays, but probably not in this chapter.

Liquid-godess-reformation: Elise or Chris huh? Interesting. I think I'll keep Elise around for a while longer, I mean after all, you haven't even gotten to know her yet. As for Chris... well who knows.

Anticlown-outsiders: You have no idea how relevant the advice of 'look out for zombies' actually is to the upcoming chapters of this story.

O-dragon: Joe huh? Now that'd be interesting. Personally I like Joseph McKinley, I mean without that character, I wouldn't have a pen-name.

Author's Note: This is where things get interesting.

Chapter 23: Explanations

"What kind of trouble are you talking about Chris?" Xavier asked as he was sitting behind his desk. Chris took a seat, and Mike came into the room but stayed standing near the door.

"I want you to think about something for a second." Chris said with a slight pause. "The warriors, the X-Men, the brotherhood, Magneto and his Acolytes, the most powerful and most numerous groups on this planet are all at what location?"

"What are you getting at?" Xavier asked raising a slight brow.

"They're being lured here." Chris answered. "Don't ask me to explain how, I don't know all the answers, but I think that some one is planning something."

"Who?" Xavier asked.

"A very powerful man, but the name of Leif Erickson." Chris answered.

Xavier's eyes widened when he heard the name, as if he recognized part or all of it.

"Have you heard of him?" Chris asked.

"No, but the last name is familiar to me." Xavier said with a solemn nod. "James." He said looking up to the giant who was standing in the doorway. "Go to the school and pull Nathan out of classes, I need him here now."

James paused for a second... "Okay..." He said with a shrug before leaving to do what he was told.

"Mike." Xavier continued. "I want you to go round up Logan, Ororo, and Hank."

"Okay." Mike said with a slight nod before leaving as well.

"What exactly do you know?" Xavier asked seriously. "Give me every detail you have."

"I'm afraid I don't have many. Leif Erickson is a human, not a mutant, but he possess powers far beyond this realm. He seeks immortality, I don't know what he's up to, except in addition to luring all of these people here he's hoping to lure the immortals." Chris was cut off by Xavier's hand.

"Who are the immortals?" Xavier asked.

"There are a few of us on this earth, that have been cursed." Chris began to explain. "Cursed to never age, and never die."

"Most people would call that a gift." Xavier argued.

"Indeed. Most people would kill numerous lives for it. I would gladly give my own to only be rid of it." Chris said in a rather depressing tone for him.

"What are you saying?" Xavier asked.

"I have lived over eight hundred years, un-aging, unable to rest, unable to die. The soul is immortal, the flesh is temporary. My flesh however, has been given the permanent immortality of the soul." Chris explained. "There are some who would call me a demon, and I would not disagree, but if you believe me or Kurt, to be demons, than you have not even begun to imagine the horror possible by the real creatures."

"You are immortal?" Xavier asked. "Who else is in the Immortals?"

"Several others." Chris started. "The society of immortals was started by a mutant who's mutated pineal gland generated a hormone much like melatonin that froze his metabolism. He is the oldest of us, from 700 or so BC."

"I would very much like to meet this man." Xavier said now completely interested.

"You might, but I'm hoping it won't come to that." Chris said with a nod. "If all the immortals gather here they will only be playing into Leif's hands."

"Go on then, who else is in this society?" Xavier asked.

"Amanda, from New York, is in it as well. We first met just after WWII. Logan might not remember, but I met first met him in 1894." Chris glanced behind him. "I did not know that he too was an immortal at the time." He paused. "But as for who else is in the society there are several others. Paddy McCollough, Gabriel, Warren, Avarik, Sparrow, Nameless, and Kronos. As well as myself, and one who was expelled."

"Those are some interesting names." Xavier said raising a brow.

"Not all are their real names." Chris said.

"I understand." Xavier nodded. "But why would this Leif want to lure the immortals here, if he cannot defeat them due to their immortality why should he want to fight them?"

Chris smirked. "Leif's powers are not of this world, he knows what awaits him after his death, and he wishes more than anything to avoid his fate while retaining his powers. Thus he does not want to defeat the immortals, he wants to be one himself."

"How would he accomplish that by luring all of us here?" Xavier asked curiously.

"That I don't know." Chris said shaking his head. "But more will be revealed once the testing begins."

"What do you mean?" Xavier asked.

"Leif always makes sure that his opponents are worth his fight, he likes to torture those he can, he will test all of us before too long. And once the final test is complete he will strike." Chris said rather solemnly.

"What powers does he have exactly?" Xavier asked.

"All." Chris answered. "He is not to be taken lightly, nor are any of his servants. They are powerful enough in and of themselves."

"Who are his servants?" Xavier asked slightly confused.

"I don't know. But I, along with several others, have fought him before. His servants are never to be taken lightly." Chris said. "Hopefully the red council will arrive soon."

"Now you're making even less sense." Xavier said. "Who are all these people?"

"The Red Council was something that I started on my own. Specifically to deal with a creature of a remote nether-realm that Leif had released upon Northern Germany in 1996. I have since left it's leadership to another, but there are several warriors on that team, including Leif's sons." Chris explained. "If anyone can defeat Leif, it's one of them."

"So his sons are against him?" Xavier asked as if for clarification.

"More than anyone." Chris said with a nod.

"Good. You'll find Fenris and Seth Erickson up stairs." Xavier said with a slight nod. "They arrived some time last night, claiming to be old friends of Nathan's."

"And he knew them?" Chris asked.

Xavier nodded.

"Now that's interesting..." Chris began to think.

"Excuse me professor?" Mike said opening up the door. "I got everybody together like you asked me to."

"Everybody come in." Xavier said loudly as Mike stepped aside to make way for the rest of them. Their eyes got wide as they saw Chris.

VVVV

Lunch period, everyone's favorite. Scott, Jean, Kurt, Spike, Kitty, and Rogue were all sitting at one lunch table together. This was the first time they'd done this in a while. Jean usually sat with Duncan, and the rest usually sat with different new students or warriors. Conversation seemed slack a bit, but it started picking up gradually despite the noisy lunch room.

"So Rogue, you gonna say yes to Joe?" Jean asked looking over to her.

"How did you hear about that?" Rogue asked looking to Kitty.

"Say yes about what?" Kurt asked looking over.

"Joe asked her out." Kitty said with a smirk. "And she's being all sad and shy about it."

Scott's eyes widened a bit beneath his shades. Joe was cool, but something didn't strike him right about it. He was protective like that.

"Why not just go and have fun?" Spike asked with a shrug. "It's not like it's a big deal."

"Cause, Ah can't touch anybody you know that." Rogue said with a nod. "And 'sides, if things went badly we'd still have to live in the same mansion and have to do the same things with the same people, we'd be miserable."

"Don't give him the 'I don't want to ruin the friendship' line." Jean said shaking her head.

"Ah didn't say I was going to." Rogue defended.

"I don't think you should go." Scott said looking down to his food.

The rest just turned and looked at him; including Rogue.

"Well she's right." Scott defended. "If things went badly it would tear the mansion apart."

Kurt was about to say something but never got the chance. A familiar and annoying voice broke in, but surprisingly it wasn't to annoy them.

"Any of you X-Geeks seen Lance?" Fred's bullying voice asked in a rather loud tone.

Kurt looked up at him as if he was nuts. "Nein." Kurt answered.

Fred just raised a brow at him.

"He means no." Spike said shaking his head. "Why, what's wrong? Can't find your circus' ring leader?"

Fred grimaced. "Shut up. Nobody's seen him since the day before yesterday."

"Are you serious?" Kitty asked almost concerned.

"We got back from fighting the Warrior's, and everybody went to bed." Fred started.

"Yeah, I heard about that, you guys got your butts kicked." Spike smirked.

"They didn't fight fair!" Fred yelled.

"Calm down, continue." Kitty said looking up at him.

"Well anyway, next morning he was gone, no where to be seen, but he's jeep is still there." Fred said with a shrug. "Pietro's going nuts."

"He hasn't called or anything?" Scott asked, taking interest for some strange reason.

"Nope." Fred said shaking his head.

VVVV

Tabitha and Toad stood outside in the school courtyard, waiting for Fred to come back, and kind of looking for Lance. They'd scan the faces there at the school. They wouldn't be surprised if he'd gone to Kitty or something for a while, but they were starting to get worried about him, even if they wouldn't admit it.

"Good morning." A man dressed in a completely white outfit stood before them, rather suddenly as well. He wore white boots, white pants, and a white shirt, beneath a long and flowing and white trench coat. His hair was golden blonde and his eyes were the deepest baby blue Tabitha had ever seen. On his forehead was written something that neither of them recognized, it looked odd.

"Can I help you?" Toad asked rather rudely.

"This is a highschool correct?" The young-man asked for clarification.

"Yeah..." Toad answered, Tabitha seemed in a daze.

"Good." The young-man said with a nod. He definitely looked older than Toad and Tabitha, but not by much. "I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of the nearest graveyard."

"What?" Toad asked looking at this guy like he was out of his mind. "Who the heck are you?"

"Forgive me. My name is Jude." He said offering his right hand as if for a shake. One would notice that a rather intricate cross design was carved, literally scarred, into the top of his right hand. And the star of David was on his the top of his left. Both were actual scars, not tattoos.

"Nice to meet you." Tabitha spoke for the first time as she glanced away from his eyes and offered him her hand for the shake instead of Toad.

"Why do you need to go to a graveyard?" Tabby asked curiously.

"If you could just be so kind as to point me in the direction." Jude said with a slight nodding bow.

"Sure, it's right down this street, make a left three streets down, and then go four blocks and it's right there." Tabby answered.

"My deepest thanks." Jude said as he kissed her hand and let it go. "Neither of you will remember this meeting." He said before turning and leaving in the direction which Tabitha had pointed him.

Neither of them watched him go, but instead Tabby looked to Toad. "Man, how long has Fred been in there?"

"I don't know." Toad said with a shrug. "He's slow, give him some time."

"If you'd lost the coin toss we'd be gone by now." Tabby said annoyed.

VVVV

James and Nathan were back at the Mansion finally, James had to explain to the teacher why he needed to pull Nathan out of the class. And for the life of him he couldn't think of a decent enough reason. Finally they got out of there.

Logan, Xavier, Ororo, Hank, Mike, Rebecca, Ares, and Chris were there to greet them in the lower levels of the building, near the Blackbird's hangar.

"Chris?" Nathan asked as he came into the room and saw him.

Chris nodded. "Hey Nathan. I hear Fenris and Seth are here."

"You know them?" Nathan asked.

Chris nodded. "Very well." He said with a smile.

"What's this all about?" Nathan asked curiously.

"Well I think you should know what's going on." The Professor said with a slight nod. "I don't want the rest of the students knowing about this. It's a need to know basis. You, Mike, Chris, and Scott will know, but other than that this information will not leave this room. Understood?" Xavier asked with a brow slightly raised.

"Yeah..." Nathan paused.

VVVV

"That was odd." Jean said after Fred had left.

"I wonder why Lance left like that." Kitty said starting to think.

"Did you and him have a fight or something?" Kurt asked looking over to Kitty.

"He was a little upset over the Chris thing, but he got over that. Other than that I don't think so..." Kitty said thinking.

"I'm more concerned with where he is now. He's been gone since yesterday. How far did he go without his jeep?" Scott asked rhetorically.

"Maybe he didn't go anywhere, maybe he was kidnaped or something." Spike said with a shrug.

"By who? Magneto?" Rogue asked.

"Maybe." Spike said with a shrug.

"But why would magneto kidnap Lance and nobody else? Not leave a note, or anything?" Scott asked.

Spike shrugged. "I don't know, I was just saying it's a possibility."

"I wonder if any of the warriors have seen him." Jean said with a shrug.

"I doubt it. Most of them have been grounded." Spike said with a smirk.

"What do you think of them anyway? Are they fitting in okay?" Jean asked.

"I think they're cool. At least Will is pretty cool, he skates." Spike said with a shrug.

"They're all pretty cool, but I haven't gotten to know any of the girls really, it seems like every time I see them they stick to themselves." Kurt said with a shrug.

"Maybe you smell so bad you scare them away." Spike joked with a laugh.

"At least Elise separates herself from the girls a little bit, but usually only so she can hang on Will's arm." Scott commented.

"And Megan seems to have completely dropped away from you." Kitty said looking to Scott. Jean looked to him to.

"I hadn't noticed." Scott said with a shrug.

"Liar." Kitty caught him. "What happened?"

"Nothing happened." Scott said with a shrug.

"Oh come on!" Kitty almost whined. "What happened?"

"Nothing happened!" Scott defended.

"Maybe that's what the problem vas." Kurt joked, Spike laughed and gave him a high-five. Both Scott and Jean gave them a glare.

"Ah don't know, that kiss you two shared seemed pretty special." Rogue said with a smirk.

"What kiss?" Jean asked looking to Scott.

"It was at the Christmas party up in New York, one of their traditions is to play a game called the Mistletoe toss. I had to play it, but Rogue and Joe got to sit out." Scott said glancing down. "Nothing happened." He defended again.

Kurt laughed as did Kitty and Spike.

Jean seemed to get a look on her face, but Spike broke that into a different kind of look. "What about you and Mike?" He asked looking to Jean.

"What?" Jean's eyes widened as she looked over to him.

"Nothing." Spike said raising his hands as if in surrender.

"What about you and Grace?" Kitty asked looking to Spike. "I saw you giving her skateboarding lessons."

"She asked me to show her how to skate." Spike defended.

"The girl's power is a supernatural sense of balance, you honestly think she needs you to teach her how to stay on a skateboard?" Kitty asked raising a brow.

"I forgot about that..." Spike paused.

"What about you and Chris?" Kurt asked looking over to Kitty.

"Not funny." Kitty said glaring at Kurt.

"Oh come on, I've seen the way you carry around those letters he writes you." Kurt argued.

"Hey!" Kitty was getting offended. "He's a friend, that's it."

"Yeah sure, I believe that." Spike said with a laugh before getting smacked on the arm by Kitty.

VVVV

A man in a ragged coat with battered fingerless gloves stood next to a rather large Russian outside of the mall there in Bayville. "You sure he'll be here?" The Russian asked looking down to the man in the trench-coat.

"Yeah. He'll be comin'." The smaller man spoke. "Just let ol' Remy do the talkin' when he gets here, no?"

"But Eric said-." The Russian was cut off as a young man with white hair came up to them, and the smaller man tapped him to shut him up.

"Ready to go?" Remy asked with a slight smirk.

Pietro nodded silently.

Elsewhere

"What have you to report now? I sent you a long time ago to spy on the new students at Xavier's, and you did it, without making yourself known as I asked, you made your report I sent you on your way, what do you want of me now?" Magneto stood in front of a large metallic chair, in a hall shaped like a dome, in his dark and royal uniform, helmet left on a small stand next to his chair.

A small man in comparison was knelt before him, on one knee, his raven black hair reaching his shoulders. He was young, late twenties at the most, and was dressed in normal clothes, abandoning the trend of uniforms or trench coats within his current audience. He did not answer at first.

"Well? Why have you come here?" Magneto asked loudly, his patience growing thinner.

"I was paid for the services I rendered to you, though they did you little good, and I was not allowed to harm anyone, which did me little good, but now, I work for someone else now, my employer wants to meet you." The man said without glancing up or standing from his kneeling position.

"Who do you work for now, and why would they want to meet me?" Magneto asked raising a cautious brow.

"A man wishes to be known to you by the name of Necros." The man answered.

"You speak in riddles Lucas, as if you wished to deceive me." Magneto replied. "Who is your employer, where is he, and what does he want of me?"

"A man who wishes for your enemies to be defeated, is in Bayville, and he wishes to speak with you, to see if you are really worth your reputation." Lucas said with a smirk.

"And what consequence is my worth to him?" Magneto asked rather sharply, he was thinking something.

"He can give you what you've always wanted." Lucas said with a smirk.

"And what makes you think I can't take it for myself?" Magneto asked.

"I know it." Lucas smirked, and then sank into the floor, disappearing into the shadows of the floor.

Magneto's eyes widened; that man hadn't been able to do that before. "Pyro, prepare, we're going to Bayville."

That afternoon: Xavier Institute

Kitty and Jean were the first through the doors, with the rest following behind as they got out of Scott's car. There was only one person in the foyer to greet them; Chris.

"Chris!" Kitty shouted.

"Hi." Chris smiled as he came over to them, and gave Kitty a brief hug.

"Are you back?" Jean asked with a hint of surprise in her voice.

"For now." Chris answered with a slight smile.

"For now?" Kitty asked with a slight hint of disappointment in her voice.

"We will see what the future brings when it comes." Chris said rather whimsically.

The others came in afterwards, Kurt, Spike, and Scott. Rogue, Grace, Rayne, and Elise, followed them as well, and then the rest came. All of which greeted Chris with enthusiasm, and eventually they were joined by Mike. All of the kids were gathered there in the foyer talking to him.

"Everyone." Professor Xavier said coming into the room once everyone was there. And all of them were gathered there. New students, X-men, and Warriors; save Nathan. "I would like you all to meet two new guests here at the Mansion. Fenris, and Leif Erickson, they are from Norway, and will be staying with us until further notice."

The two were standing behind the professor as he came in, both looked remarkably similar to the other, but they were not twins. Their faces were different and the one with black hair was slightly taller. The other had white hair, and was leaner than Fenris.

"Nice to meet you all." Fenris spoke for both of them with a nod.

"I want you all to make them feel at home here during their stay." Professor Xavier said with a slight nod. "Scott, please see me in my office for a moment." He said before leaving the hall area.

Scott looked to Jean, and then looked back to the professor as he was leaving, and followed. Fenris and Seth stayed behind.

A Few Minutes Later

"What?" Scott asked in a surprised, more than raised voice.

Professor Xavier was silent, and his face was still.

"You're telling me that some nut-job is out there and going to start a huge battle, and there's nothing we can do to stop or defeat him." Scott asked for reaffirmation.

"Yes." Professor Xavier sighed. "Seth and Fenris might now how to defeat this man, but from what I hear from Chris this man is not going to be an easy task to defeat, nor are his helpers."

"And he could attack at any moment?" Scott asked. "Is he in league with Magneto?"

"Magneto faces the same peril we do. This man is far beyond any mutant powers. At least that is what I am told. I cannot say that I have seen it for myself." Professor Xavier said. "Though I think you should be ready to lead the X-men incase anything happens."

"What do you mean?" Scott asked.

"If there is a battle, we need to be ready to fight in it. And if anything were to happen to me, or the other teachers, you'd be the one to take charge." The professor said looking towards Scott. "And you need to be ready to take control if you need to."

VVVV

A young man in a familiar leather vest, white undershirt, and ripped up jeans and boots stood at the gates of Xavier's Institute. But something was wrong with Lance, this wasn't Lance. His pupils weren't there; his eyes were pure white. He slowly bent and placed his hands on the ground, the tremors began to rumble beneath the earth and a mole tunnel started from his hands and going to the Xavier's institute. He would draw them out.

VVVV

Those gathered in the foyer area were dwindling in numbers, a few were leaving here and there, but when the tremors began Fenris and Seth reacted before the others even felt it. Seth suddenly abandoned his conversation with Jean and Spike and suddenly ran, bending low and running for a pace on all fours, before leaping up just as the tremors began.

Fenris looked over and avoided the mole tunnel just as it struck through the doors, jumping back. The rest of the X-Men and new students and Warriors suddenly returned to the area.

Lance's voice boomed a thousand times over, and sounded as though it was really two people speaking, the one that wasn't Lance's was much deeper and much louder, and seemed to strike fear into you just from hearing it. "X-Men! Warriors! Come and see if you have what it takes!"

VVVV

The voice rumbled in even into Professor Xavier's office where the professor sat talking with Scott. The professor closed his eyes, and put his fingers to his temple. "We're going to have a problem." He said quietly.

"What's wrong?" Scott asked with a hint of concern in his voice.

"I can't reach his mind." The professor said in almost a whisper.

VVVV

"Okay everybody." Chris said as he started making his way outside via the broken front door. "Let's go."

"Go where?" Kitty asked with a hint of fear in her voice. She seemed to be affected the most by the voice that was being combined with Lance's.

"To kill this thing." Chris answered bluntly.

"Kill?" She asked as her eyes widened.

"If you can't bring yourself to stop it, then stay behind. Myself? I'm going to protect thousands of innocent people." Chris replied as he got through the door.

The warriors followed him with Seth and Fenris following as well. The X-Men seemed to hesitate, and just look at each other as if trying to decide what to do. Could they bring themselves to kill a boy that they've known for so long, even if they didn't like him all that much? Could they bring themselves to kill anyone at all? What would the professor say? Where was the professor?