How do we react to this? The documents are real, we confirmed that and thus the threat is real. Responding to a real threat is logical, Logic started. But... doesn't that make our actions illogical? I don't like the conclusions I'm coming to with this line of reasoning...

The guy's insane! Why are we debating this? Rebellion all but yelled.

If he was, do you really think we'd be alive at this moment? He's killed people for less. If he was really insane would we really survive calling him out and disagreeing with him in a way that clearly mowed down his ego? Logic asked.

Oh yeah. I didn't say so but 10 out of 10 for that logic. Even I approved. Rebellion said.

There was a series of aye's around the king Arthur-ish table where my emotions met. In my mind's eyes, due to the years I've had them, I had developed distinct images of what each other's voices looked had their own personalities and distinct dressing styles. Logic liked smart crisp turtlenecks. Rebellion, true to stereotype, wore a leather jacket. It just helped keep everything straight. I saw them the same way you'd see a picture of an apple if you imagine one. My vision of the real world and my visualizations of the voices melted together somewhat. I could see both simultaneously ,like if you daydream with your eyes open, though if I focussed on one, the other would inevitably be given less attention.

Everyone suddenly remembered why Logic was normally the leader after he beat Magneto in the debate we had. Or rather, helped me beat him. In so much as a voice in my head could help I guess. It was more like he was around when I slaughtered him in a debate, but details. Of course Magneto pulled the 'I have your mother' card at the end, but the fact that he had to resort to that showed that he had lost.

We're debating because we need to know what approach to take, Wisdom said. Wisdom was a quite somber character. He never really appeared much. I heard from him so little that I often just imagined him wearing whatever I wore that day. Yes, that's how infrequently he chimed in.

I found myself sitting on the floor of a balcony, staring out at the stars. On my mom's good days we'd gaze up to the stars and she would tell me about their myths.

The clicking of a particular set of boots alerted me to his appearance. From the long strides I easily knew the person's identity.

I didn't turn around to face Magneto.

"I take it you read the documents I gave you," he said in that sickeningly confident tone. I hated it. It was a tone that said, 'don't bother. I've already won.' It sapped at everything I had to not give in whenever he was around. He constantly fed my insecurities and doubts. How dare he make me feel so weak and exposed? How dare he?

"I did." I'd barely managed to shut away the pain I felt. It was tough. But I kept it out of my voice. Still, I'm sure he knew.

And I wish he didn't.

"Now, you know what we are facing. Various governments are making weapons to destroy us, to kill us." He abruptly raised his voice there. The passion he felt, I could feel it. He was silent for a beat, and when he spoke again it surprised me how soft his voice was. "War is the only way to ensure our survival." There was a bit of pity in his voice too, for me and my own lost innocence. And was there a bit of compassion too? No, I must have been hearing wrong.

"It's stupid." I said back.

I pushed myself off the floor. "Prejudice, The Mutant Registration Act, the fact that a war is brewing over a few genes. It's all so stupid and unnecessary."

As I stared off at the ocean I continued. "Even when I thought I was human, I thought that MRA was the equivalent of putting a bandage on your skin and then stabbing yourself in the same spot. It would cause harm to so many people in order to combat a problem that doesn't exist. Most mutants want peaceful lives and aren't threats to anyone. The numbers say so. The fact that the earth isn't massively destroyed says so. Everything logical leads to that conclusion."

Why can't people get it? It's obvious!

"You know what people register- things and horrid people and people seriously expect there to not be massive backlash after making a law that makes it a crime to exist? They're putting innocent people on the same types of lists you'd put pedophiles on. And the social stigma would be quite the same. Mind you, this is all before I was a mutant. I thought and still think that this is all so moronic."

He didn't argue with me on this point. "Humans naturally hate that which is different. It's their nature."

I shook my head. "We shouldn't accept that. We shouldn't accept that war is coming. That would be giving up before starting. There's no communication from humans to mutants and vice versa-"

Magneto interrupted again, and of course he would. "You're crossing the fine line between optimism and suicidal naivety. Would you get into a cage with a tiger?"

What the?

I turned around and faced the man "No, it's a tiger. I'd get mauled." That question had a pretty obvious answer.

"You'd expect them to attack you because it's their nature. They are naturally hunters."

I nod.

Makes sense, that's what tigers do- maul stuff. I thought.

What is he getting at, exactly? Logic asked.

He continued. "Then why do you expect humans to be any different? You have no reason to believe that they'd do anything but fear and hate us."

I knew I was expecting a lot. Individually some people were accepting of the unknown and tolerant of that which is different, but whole societies? There was no precedent for the level of tolerance necessary for mutants to be accepted into society. If I went by human history I'd naturally come to Magneto's conclusion.

I paused and said, "It's just- I believe that because they can reason they can learn-"

"Our weaknesses and use that to destroy us. This attitude of yours would kill you in the field." He sternly interrupted.

That sounded pathetic, you'd think we'd be able to think of something better to say than that, Logic said.

We don't have anything better to say. Our argument is built on so much optimism it's nauseating. Surprisingly, Cynicism had to be the voice of reason here.

What? It sounds perfectly reasonable to me, Optimism chimed in. The other emotions ignored him as usual.

There were a few moments of silence.

Magneto continued. "The Secretary Of State called the killing of several already handcuffed and restrained mutants 'pest control'. The public may be divided over our existence, but their leaders clearly aren't."

I can't refute that now can I? If I did try, he'd just show me the article. Extremists aren't supposed to make sense. Creating weapons specially designed to destroy a certain group of people might as well be a declaration of war.

"While the humans might not say so now, we are already at war. In fact, this is the most crucial stage of it. They are making deals and forming alliances, marshalling resources, uniting, and we must do the same." I considered his words.

Throughout history, the public normally doesn't decide whether or not to go to war, but the government does. With enough propaganda, public opinion shifts to match what people in power already want and the war starts.

"This is a war of unprecedented size and of major importance. Either we win as is our birthright." A foreboding pause came, then he continued. "Or the humans will not hesitate to annihilate every mutant they find."

I had nothing to say to that. I was far too busy trying to find holes in the conclusions he drew. I found none and came to the conclusion that I was the deluded one. After all, this wasn't something I could run from. Anti-mutant government organizations were everywhere. When senators worked to register mutants they were also indirectly working to harm me, and so on.

My words from earlier reverberated through my head. 'It just takes one thing.' The fact that this was true was terrifying. This one thing could come from either side - even the really extreme anti-mutant groups could create a ploy mutant attack to get the ball rolling. The worst part? I bet many members of the government would go with it so they could proceed with their already prepared plans. The only issue right now was that they were so damn politically unpopular.

Let me explain. The US is probably the most individualistic country in the world. People generally do their own thing. The reason why mandatory blood work tests don't happen is because Americans don't respond well to coercion. They also don't trust authority. So the second anyone talks about mandatory anything, there is a ruckus, hoards of people descending upon senator's phone lines and causing hell. That and decades of calling any sort of social program communist led to most of them only being fitted for the poor and eldery and lacking the mileage needed to reach everyone, constant underfunding notwithstanding.

So our government programs simply lack the bandwidth to be implemented widely in a way that would cover everyone. Sure, you could hide the testing in the guise of healthcare for children, but then some may resent the children for getting free things and want to not vote for that senator again. I'm serious. The suburban moms and dads especially bristle at the idea of paying for, as they perceive it, 'lazy welfare cheats'.

We have dedicated political groups arguing that vaccines are all dangerous and deadly and that people shouldn't have to take them. For years, promising voters the ability to do whatever they want and to hell with common good has become a common practice by politicians. However, this also means that when issues of common good do show up, many don't want to sacrifice themselves for it. Even when that compromise for a less germy community is a little jab.

So now we have a decent chunk of the population unwilling to even vaccinate. And if you consider the fact that we have trouble getting people to take vaccines, imagine having the government automatically test your blood. By force? Yeah, there would be riots, lots of shootings too. So, they held off for fear of losing their political careers. No one wants to be responsible for starting another riot.

But if, in the wake of a terrible attack, they magically came up with a bill that would -according to their claim- solve all the problems, people would love it, civil liberties and angry moms be damned.

The current peace was hanging by a thread and any decision I made would be a calculated risk. Yes, I'd known for a while now that this was the case, but thinking and feeling something about the knowledge you've obtained are two different things. I tend to reason first and feel later. Well… when I had that capacity. I was still only a kid no matter how tough I acted.

I asked, "And if this actually worked…"

He seemed to like this sign of me moving closer to his way of thinking.

"We'd ensure that the future for generations of mutants is secured."

We'd be conquerors, ruling over a practically powerless majority. Nothing would change, only that now humans would be vilified instead of mutants.

I didn't say this. I stared at the ocean, deep in thought.

This is the worst possible time for me to think about these things. I'm emotional, overwhelmed at the information I just received and I am standing right next to a person who has a vested interest in making me join him.

You have a better idea? It's not like we can tell the man to go away. Cynicism didn't fail to point out the obvious.

That was depressing. I didn't even have a choice in whether or not I'd listen to the man.

"You'll see."

I turned around again.

Isn't one round of mental gymnastics enough for you?

"See what exactly?"

"That you weren't captured but saved," he said confidently as if he were stating that the world was round. There was no room for doubt about this in his mind.

Why would I ever come to that conclusion? I was clearly coerced into coming here. Nothing can change that fact.

I lacked the mental energy to say this so I opted for a raised eyebrow.

He spread his arms. "Here there is no hiding, no pretending to be weaker than what you are. You'll accept reality for what it is and under my tutelage you'll become strong enough to face it head on."

Magneto, were you a car salesman in another life? Either that or an actor. Always so dramatic.

"Imagine what you could do with your power after it has been refined and honed. The possibilities are endless."

I'm kind of afraid of that. Could I really handle having so much power at my disposal?

At the same time, I liked my power. I associated it with freedom because I knew that one day I could become so powerful that no one else would be able to force me to do anything ever again.

This was my new, and this time, attainable dream. Earlier, I'd settled on gaining independence, but clearly that wasn't enough. I needed the power to preserve the freedom I gained from my independence. Being a mutant also made it so that I couldn't rely on the government to do this for me.

If learning from Magneto could accelerate this…

Magneto seemed to almost purr with pleasure at whatever expression he saw on my face. I hated it and his smug smug face.

"Ever thought about it?" he asked.

I will never understand why you insist on being so vague.

"About what?" I asked, barely managing to keep the annoyance out of my voice.

"Your future?"

What does he expect? Of course I have. I'm not mindless, I can think past what video game I'm going to play next.

I nodded. "I have. I want to be a mechatronics engineer." The moment I said this, I mentally blanched.

Did I just volunteer information about myself?

Worse, the words had flowed freely, without the underlying tension which usually accompanied my tone whenever I had to answer a question about myself.

I may have not outrightly disrespected him, but I did consciously refuse to talk about myself unless prodded. Giving information freely about myself was a way of expressing vulnerability that I only did to those I trusted.

I trusted the man not to kill me, yes, but only because then he wouldn't be able to use me. My silence showed the resentment I had for the man far more than anything I could ever say.

Apparently, Magneto was also surprised as there was a beat of silence before he started to talk again.

"Really. Why?"

It felt rather strange that no one was laughing at my goal by now. Generally my friends at the chess club were the exception, not the rule. We encouraged each other's dreams and protected each other when everyone else tried to do the opposite. People from Chiraq -a term that people used to describe where I'm from because of the city's many murders- especially the more seedy parts don't become productive members of society. That's what many people thought. Whenever I snuck into science conferences, many people didn't even believe me when I told them where I was from. They assumed I was a lost suburbanite kid, there with family instead.

Unsure, I continued. "Mechatronics is everywhere, hard drives, coffee makers, climate control devices, pacemakers." I paused. "I'd like to specialize in the software part of the field."

Well, I would have.

Apparently, Magneto was an engineer himself and we talked about the subject for a few minutes. Eventually my love of the field overrode my suspicion and we had our first real civil conversation, no passive aggressive digs from either side.

Before this all of our conversations were tinged with barely disguised feelings of resentment and anger. I talked freely about my circuit preferences and on the few courses I'd taken and books I read on the subject.

It was a very much needed break from the constant vigilance I maintained. Avoiding shows of weakness is extremely exhausting, especially when combined with the training I had.

After I headed to bed I stared at the ceiling thinking of the information I'd just absorbed.

No matter what happens, one of the sides is going to lose. All we need to do is pick the one that wins. Manipulation said.

What the hell, Manipulation? You realize that I am personally against this conflict. Hell even Rebellion has the sense to not want a war. Cynicism said.

Hey! Don't speak for me! Rebellion said.

Isn't it true though? Logic asked, deadpan.

Well, yeah, but… Rebellion grumbled.

We got thrown into this war by existing. It's probably going to happen regardless of what we do, and so we need to respond to it. Realistically, we need a coherent strategy so we can have a decent life. This oscillating isn't getting us anywhere. Manipulation said. He paused for effect before continuing. We're mutants, so joining the US government is out of the question. The next best thing is to remain neutral, but of course we'd be running from Magneto at every step, trying to blend in with the humans all the while. However, if humans win we don't die and if mutants win, again, we don't die.

But, we'd have the constant stress of worrying if someone is following us for the rest of our life. Cynicism said.

Manipulation nodded. Pretty much. See, there's even a cost to playing it safe. Joining Magneto.. Humans win, we're dead, mutants win… I have a feeling it'd involve ruling, boring stuff like that.

All I want is to be a mechatronic engineer. To combine electronic engineering and mechanical engineering to create cool things. Nothing extravagant. It seems that achieving this is going to be an uphill battle. Logic finally spoke.

Everyone agreed with this.

Logic continued. We know that even though most mutants are noncombatants, if all of them did team up the humans would lose. I did the math.

Is that really going to happen? Cynicism asked.

Not unless they're forced to. Look at us, we're 14 and have every reason to want to leave. They still had to threaten me. At this point, the people who are joining the Brotherhood are the people who have nothing to lose. Wisdom said.

Wisdom cupped his hand around his chin. That only makes them more dangerous- wielded with precision, a small but sharp knife can kill.

It was two days later when I was in Magneto's office again. I sat across from Magneto, at his desk, as always.

"I heard that you apparently managed to knock Mystique off her feet in training," he began.

I nodded. "Once. She was angry and neglected the basics," I said.

She more than made up for the loss afterwards.

Despite my blase think-nothing-of-it attitude, he seemed to be pleased. He gestured for me to follow him and I did as he led the way out the room.

"How did you discover your mutation?" he asked.

Small talk? Well, it's better than him threatening Mom.

"So I was taking my GED…" I wasn't pleased with his visible amusement. "Hey, the GED has been a bridge that many people use to get a higher education."

He glared at my informal language before deciding it wasn't worth it. He scoffed. "The test is a joke."

"And high school isn't? Besides, they're improving. They started putting quadratics on the test, for example."

"They weren't in there in the first place? You're only cementing my point." He smirked.

I decided to not argue on this anymore. "Anyhow, I was taking the test when I was suddenly aware of some new sense. Couldn't really figure out what it was exactly, at first."

We started to climb down a set of stairs. The ambiance of the place changed instantly. It felt darker and edgier. In a way, the place still had its own sense of elegance and I heard the rush of several unseen waterfalls. Still, I didn't like the sudden lack of light, especially compared to the bright, silvery architecture upstairs.

"There was a guy who was copying my answers and his pencil tore through his answer sheet."

I could tell he smirked at that, despite the fact that his back was turned to me.

"Finally, I accidentally fried the school's telephone just before I left. Standard electromagnetic impulse. Had to make a faraday cage so I could use my cellphone regularly."

He turned around.

"You made a faraday cage?"

"Didn't want to keep destroying my phones." I simply replied. He, of course, couldn't understand how I could be so casual about this. I explained how I managed to create a faraday cage for the phone while allowing it to be usable.

We got off the stairs and went to an even more dimly lit room. We were standing on a platform that was about 15 feet long. After that, it suddenly cut off, revealing a chasm. I could see water flowing there too. Across the chasm was another platform, and many hallways.

All of a sudden, metal rose up from the chasm, creating a pathway to the hallway in front of us. I tried to identify the metal as we walked on it but found that I couldn't.

"Tungsten is a very strong metal, useful for my needs here," Magneto commented airily.

I looked up. "I didn't say anything."

He smiled. "No, but you stopped mid step and stared at the floor for at least ten seconds."

I felt heat rise to my cheeks, and decided to start walking again so I could avoid eye contact.

We stepped onto the platform and entered the hallway. From here, we arrived at a heavily armored door with a handprint reader.

Magneto placed his hand on a scanner and soon the door to the room opened. In the typical movie cliche fashion, the lights to the silvery grey room turned on as we walked inside. As this happened I noticed the number of weapons on various racks in the room. Some I could recognize, others I couldn't hope to.

My interest, however, was really drawn to the blue hologram specs I saw on a table not too far away, showing what appeared to be a gigantic robot hand straight out of a movie.

"The new sentinels will be using these guns."

I stared at the schematics, trying to figure out how it worked.

I decided to ask, "So what's the plan?"

"Plan?" he asked innocently.

Now he's playing.

"You have enemy schematics, so you're going to use them somehow. Are you finding a weakness or making your own?"

"Do you know the name of the person who invented plastic circuits that dampen magnetic fields?"

"John Dalton." I remembered him from the papers Magneto gave me.

He seemed pleased that I'd read the documents closely.

Good, this guy has a tendency of threatening my mother when he isn't happy with me.

"The name of a dead man."

I blinked several times without responding. I somehow knew that his wasn't a natural death.

"The moment he created those circuits and proposed selling them to the US government he became our enemy." I could hear the man's displeasure although that didn't frighten me nearly as much as the cold stare he had in his eyes. That was the stare of a man who wouldn't let anything stop him and could justify any moral boundaries he crossed. Worse, he had the power to do so.

"Right." My voice wavered a bit here.

"Are you weak, Chris?" he asked, looking me in the eyes.

I paused.

Weak? Too weak to stop you in a fight, yes. But still far more powerful than most.

"No."

"Then don't act like it. I thought you grew up on Chicago's South side?"

I had nothing to say to that.

"As I was saying, I deliberately sold the designs Mr Dalton made after making a few… modifications of my own."

"What kind?"

"Guess."

I hated when he did that- making me figure out his plans on my own. It made him feel more like a teacher and even worse, taught me how to think like him. Same twisted logic and all.

Still, it wasn't as if my opinion would matter to the man so I complied. After seeing the ruthlessness his eyes held not even two minutes prior, I knew I didn't want to make the man angry with me.

"Well, what if you disabled the magnetic field dampeners?"

He smirked at me.

"So destroying the sentinels would be the same as crushing or picking up any other nonmetal thing. A bit harder but doable." His smirk only grew as I said these words.

After we left the lab he confidently declared, "The humans won't even see us coming."

I didn't like the 'us' used there. Although I could see the huge tactical advantage in having another person with his power who hadn't been discovered by the US government.

When we got to his office again he pushed a file toward me.

"You'd think government agents would've gotten the memo to not dress in all black by now." I said as I saw a picture of several men and women in suits.

"Really? Why would they?"

"Cliche. The whole wearing all black thing works only for people who are actually afraid of them. It's about intimidation. And now that it's shown in movies so often it just makes them more identifiable." I flipped through the file lazily. "There's a joke that says that SWAT means 'sit wait and talk'. Shooting, for them, is a last resort. That's certainly not the case with these guys."

He seemed amused at my explanation. "How did you know they're with the government?"

"A, you have a file on them and B, they call themselves Black Eagle." I shook my head at the name.

I continued, "So, the US government has a task force dedicated to destroying the Brotherhood. Not surprising, though the real question is... What makes this one any different from the other ones that have to be looking for you?"

"Black Eagle..." He said the name with distaste.

Wow, even he thinks the name is corny. And he regularly wears a cape!

"...is different from the others because it has weapons that are designed to track and harm me."

I connected the dots. "And me, because we have the same mutation."

"Exactly, so it affects you and I a bit more personally than the others. Black Eagle erroneously believes that by killing me, the Brotherhood would fall. So I am their primary target."

He fixes a very harsh stare upon me. "Memorize the faces of the agents you see here and if you encounter them do not engage unless you have to."

That's rather odd coming from you.

"Don't engage?" I said, to make sure I heard correctly.

"While you are right in pointing out they aren't very subtle, they currently have weaponry that you can't yet handle."

I'm only four months into having powers and they already have weaponry that works against me. Lovely. Wait?

"The trackers?"

He smiled. "Their trackers cannot pick you up unless you use your mutation because at the moment, you're significantly weaker than me."

I absorbed the information silently.

"No one but a few select members of my Brotherhood know of your power."

Something occurred to me.

"So when you attack the Sentinels-"

"We can attack both bases at once."

Two? Of course, the back up and the main. And no one would be able to anticipate me.

"Destroy all the Sentinels at once." I said.

He smiled at me. "We're working on implanting the circuits as we speak."

I couldn't even think of something to say to that.

"It seems the only thing stopping us, besides putting in the circuits, is the fact that you're not strong enough to face them. Something that will quickly be rectified."

That must be the biggest reason why he kidnapped me. Destroying the Sentinels... Wow.

Magneto was an extremely harsh trainer. I knew this but at the same time this was ridiculous.

I scanned the room, noting the many guns that littered the training room. I counted twenty. "Guns?"

"While I'm sure you can stop one or two bullets, in a battle you'll be stopping hundreds at a time."

"Hundreds." Did I hear that right?

"While the bullets in these guns aren't strong enough to seriously harm you, they may sting."

"May sting?"

"All the more reason for you to avoid getting hit," he said, raising the weapons into the air.

Without warning, the exercise had already started. Considering that I hadn't ever blocked a bullet from even one gun, much less twenty, I did pretty well. I only got hit ten very painful times.

Magneto, of course, did not share this sentiment.

"Again." He said right after I'd gotten hit.

"You're wasting energy by…" He said this while I was gripping my leg and clenching my teeth so I didn't scream.

"You need to be aware of what is in front and behind you at all times." I had just gotten hit in the back and shoulder. More teeth clenching by a small noise came through.

"Are you even trying?" I was done. I'd gotten hit for the last time and needed a break. So after I got hit in the stomach, I stayed on the ground.

That last comment had pushed me off the edge. By now the man had already figured out what comments annoyed me the most. It was one thing to say I was doing poorly, it was another to say I wasn't trying when I clearly was.

"I am! I've never done this before and I'm trying my best!"

I simmered for at least ten seconds before I noticed the lack of things firing at me. No way had Magneto turned off the simulation. I looked back and saw that all the bullets were in the air before being suddenly dropped. The guns were twisted in so many ways that they were barely recognizable. Magneto gestured towards them. He didn't smile, but the pleased glint in his eyes was unmistakable.

"You have the raw strength to do this, Chris. For now, it only shows up when you're angry, but with enough training…"

The bullets all lifted from the floor and the guns twisted back into shape.

"You'll be able to access this power at will. "

The fact that he did this all at once effortlessly impressed and intimidated me at the same time. I didn't fail to imagine how he could use his power against me.

"Again."

Despite my exhaustion I kept going.

By the end, I felt as if all the water in the world couldn't quench the fire I felt in my throat.

For a while, I didn't interact with any member of the Brotherhood unless necessary. Even when I did talk to them I was normally very detached. They were allied with the man that held me there and thus couldn't be trusted. That only made me more mysterious. When Toad learned that I was far more tolerant than his boss he made annoying me into a game. He'd tried several pranking methods to get under my skin, but I had avoided them all.

He wanted to see me agitated for once. After the hell that is training with Magneto, I didn't detect his prank before it was too late.

I sighed and pushed open the door to my room. Without warning, a red bucket tipped over, releasing ice cold water on my head. I was going to let it go, but then ice fell on my head too, shortly followed by one lone strawberry.

A note was left on my bed.

Enjoy the virgin strawberry daiquiri.

I took a deep sigh.

I am not not going to get angry. That's what he wants. No, I'll get even.

I smirked to myself.

I almost pity him. Almost.

I looked down at the trap after I changed clothes.

Nylon string. A plastic bucket. He's learning. I'll need to be more careful about this.

I didn't have time to think about the new information gained as dinner came soon after training. At the table, Toad was disappointed in my lack of annoyance. It stood to reason that he thought I'd once again escaped his trap.

I allowed myself to smile at his frustration. He did like jumping to conclusions, why not let him think he'd lost?

He, of course, responded by teasing me about my signature lankiness. He even got Mystique in on it by telling her that I needed to eat more. She annoyingly gave me more food after assessing my arms.

"You'd think you would've gained some muscle by now," she grumbled.

Sabretooth laughed at this and while Buckethead didn't engage in the ribbing he didn't stop it either. That meant that he approved because there was no uncertainty with the man. Either he approved of something or he didn't. And if he didn't approve of something... you'd know very quickly.

I didn't think of the significance of the conversation at dinner for a while, but as I headed to my room it dawned on me.

I was settling in. I was getting used to being with the Brotherhood. That was why I suddenly opened up to Magneto and how I felt the need to retaliate against Toad. If I truly felt the urgent need to leave I wouldn't have wasted the energy on either action.

It hasn't even been that long.

A pang of fear struck me in the heart. Being comfortable is either good or bad depending on the circumstances. When things are peaceful, being comfortable means you won't go crazy from the lack of danger or challenges. In a highly turbulent situation being comfortable meant certain death. I definitely didn't want to end up liking these people, seeing as they held me there against my will.

The idea that I was getting used to this situation chilled me to the core.

I rushed into my room and winced at how hard I slammed the door. The bang reminded me of the guns I faced earlier.

I'd planned to wait until I found a suitable opening, but who knows how long that could take? Even now my opinions are shifting. The plan he has to destroy the Sentinels can really work. Logic said.

Well, is that a bad thing his arguments are logical. Thought you'd like that. Cynicism said.

I have no freedom and my mom is at the man's mercy. He might be trying to act nicely now but what happens later on? What if he becomes crueler to me? What happens if he decides to kill my mom anyway? By staying here I am giving him a knife and the permission to stab me whenever he likes. And he'll do anything if he thinks it will make me stronger so I can destroy his enemies. Logic combed a hand through his hair and paced a few steps from his seat at the middle of the table.

Then what to do- run? We'd just have to deal with Black Eagle and the Brotherhood when we get home. Cynicism asked.

Logic replied, They're looking for Magneto. if I don't use my power I can stay under the radar. Remember what he said: their sensors can't pick me up unless I'm using my power because I'm not as strong as Magneto. A lot of coincidences need to happen for them to find me. They have to be in the same city and happen to have their machines on as I use my power.

Also, I'm at such a low level of power that odds are, even if I do use my powers they won't detect it. They are looking for a guy who lifts trains for fun, not tiny disruptions. Even lifting a few cars wouldn't be enough.

Which is worse anyway? Magneto finding us or the US government? Rebellion asked.

Logic thought it over for a beat. At least I know Magento won't experiment on me and wants me alive. He'd come find me himself. On the other hand, if the US government knew about me… Every government in the world would be looking for me. The US government situation would be way worse. I'd have nowhere to hide. Logic stopped pacing. Still, the consequences of either finding me would be very... unpleasant. He finished.

No one questioned this.

Logic continued, And what about Mom? Let's say we get away, what about her? She needs stability and has to have certain medicines regularly. Track that and you'll track her and thus me.

Everyone quieted down as no one knew how we'd get around that.

Manipulation said, Well the answer to that is simple. Since we can't carry her with us we don't take her.

What? Optimism just about fainted when he heard this. As usual, no one moved to help him. He was a thought, a piece of my consciousness, how could he have health problems? He couldn't. But he could have a flair for the dramatic.

Magneto would torture her until we give in. Logic said.

Manipulation cut him off. I'm not done yet. Instead, we kill her.

A wave of boo's, gasps and 'what?'s rang out.

Manipulation smirked, thinking of how he was finally clever enough to fix an issue that even Logic couldn't solve. They couldn't even grasp the perfection of his plan. How cute. She said she'd die for us, yes? Time to collect. It won't even be painful and instead of two people suffering only one person does. I'd only be responsible for my own welfare- as it should be. If we play our cards right we could lure the members of the Brotherhood who know of me into a trap and kill them all. Turn the fact that they want me into our wildcard against them. Logic, you understand, yes?

You bastard! Rebellion yelled.

Out! Logic had had it.

Manipulation tried to explain some more, but ran off when he saw the absolutely murderous face Logic made.

What a dick, Cynicism said.

He's a useful one though, Logic had to admit. But I refuse to do that. I'd be no different than Magneto. My mother hasn't done anything to me. I won't use her as a pawn as she is innocent and she isn't my enemy. Logic shook his head.

But if Magneto's using her she certainly isn't an asset either, Manipulation said, peeking into the room through a door.

Rebellion started running after Manipulation, who quickly darted away. He wasn't sure if it were possible for Rebellion to kill him, but he certainly didn't want to find out.