SouthernRebelGal – Your dad did this to you, huh? Any insight you want to provide? But, for the record, I have every intention of being exactly like this to any dates for my children. When that happens, I will be well prepared. But that is a very long time in coming.
SperryDee – Everyone keeps bringing up the Morlocks. I'll get to them eventually, but I had way too good of an idea for this chapter.
PyroLady – I'll look into that request. But I dare say no one can "survive" Magneto, not even the Cajun.
Fiona12690 – Now that's an idea I can work with.
Thanks to the marvelous Spiffythefaery for beta work.
Tuesday
6:30
"I would appreciate it if you used your silverware for once, Blob," Magneto said as he cast a disgusted glance in the large boy's direction. "And napkins too, for that matter."
Fred blushed with embarrassment and daintily picked up a napkin.
"You've been snappy all night. What's wrong?" Mystique asked. She had been invited over for dinner so that she and Magneto could catch up on what had been going on since the incident with Apocalypse.
"I've had a hell of a week," Magneto replied curtly. His tone indicated that he did not want any more conversation on his bad mood.
"For good reason too. I'd have had a breakdown if I had to put up with everything you did this week," Lance snorted into his food. He had not meant for the comment to be heard.
"Oh?" Mystique grinned and quirked an eyebrow.
Magneto met her gaze and frowned. "I am not discussing it," he stated with a tone of finality.
Mystique crossed her arms and pouted. "Fine. But you could at least tell me where Wanda is."
"She is not feeling well."
"How would you know boss? She hasn't talked to you for three days," John said as he looked up from his severely charred food.
"Pyro!" Magneto barked. But it was too late. The damage was done.
"Three days Erik?" Magneto would not deign to respond.
"You know if you don't tell me I'm sure one of the boys will," Mystique said with a grin.
"Fine!" Magneto shouted, slamming his hands onto the table, sending his dinner airborne. "I'll tell you what happened!" Magneto pointed a long, bony finger at Mystique. "But keep in mind; this is all your children's fault."
That said, Magneto launched into his tale about the week from hell.
Sunday
2:00
Magneto walked into Charles' study, hoping to find his old friend. Charles was right where Magneto expected. However, the large wad of cash that he was counting was not.
"Ah, come in," Charles said as he continued counting. Magneto looked at the large oak desk, covered in papers and several cigars, and frowned.
"I thought you abhorred smoking Charles," Magneto said as he sat down.
"Normally I do, but every once and a while it doesn't hurt to indulge oneself."
"You won them off Logan again, didn't you?"
"Of course," Charles replied with a large grin. Despite himself, Magneto joined in.
"And what was the bet this time?"
"We entered one of Bobby's pools. I won."
"Fair and square?"
Charles looked hurt by the allegation. "I wanted to win. Of course I cheated." The two men shared a laugh. The moment ended quickly when the door to the study opened and Scott Summers stumbled in.
"Oh, I'm sorry Professor. I didn't mean to interrupt," he apologized. It seemed like there was something wrong.
"Quite alright Scott. How can I help you?"
"I don't want to bother you with Magneto over."
"Nonsense," Charles waved the complaint away. "Erik doesn't mind." Magneto, who normally would mind, a great deal in fact, nodded in agreement.
"It's rather personal, Professor," Scott replied.
Charles blinked rapidly. "Oh. Well, then – uh – you'd best talk to Logan about this. He'd be more helpful than I." Scott nodded and left the study, closing the door behind him.
"What was that about?" Magneto asked. Charles, who was offering him one of the cigars, frowned slightly.
"Scott has reached a – rough patch in his relationship with Jean."
"Rough patch?"
Charles hesitated, unsure of how to phrase his answer. "It can be quite difficult when you have a telepath for a girlfriend."
"I imagine so," Magneto replied as he lit up the cigar with the lighter he had taken from John only hours ago.
While Magneto was visiting Charles, the rest of the Brotherhood was randomly spaced throughout the mansion. Lance was with Kitty out in the institute's grounds, under the watchful eye of Logan, although he would claim he was just out for some air.
Fred and Todd were sitting in the living room, listening attentively to a story that Remy was spinning. None of the Cajun's story was true, but neither boy knew that.
John had taken off with Kurt and Bobby and not been seen since. Normally that would be cause for alarm. However, since Magneto had the lighter there wasn't as much concern over their disappearance. That didn't mean anyone was relaxing. Hank and Piotr were conducting a very through search of the entire mansion.
Pietro was lying beside the pool, carefully instructing the young Jamie on how to pick up women. The other male members of the New Recruits were supposed to be watching over Jamie to prevent him from picking up any of Pietro's behavior, but they were too engrossed with what he was telling them to do anything.
As for Wanda, she was spending the afternoon with Rogue.
"So I dumped him," Wanda said, finishing her tale about what had happened with Warren the previous day.
"Ah can't believe that," Rogue replied, speaking for the first time since Wanda started her story.
"I know. Who knew that he was so thick headed?"
"Ah meant that Ah can't believe your father threw him into a superglue factory." The girls shared a giggle.
"Yeah, that was pretty funny. Nothing more than he deserved."
"Nice to know that you have a parent that cares," Rogue remarked sullenly. Wanda frowned.
"You know, Dad is still is in touch with her. I'm sure I could…"
"No thanks. Ah made my choice." Rogue paused, as if trying to figure what to say next. "Besides she'd probably go postal on Amanda for going out with Kurt."
Wanda's eyebrow rose. "And what about Remy?"
Rogue shrugged. "Whatever it is, he's got it coming to him."
"You don't mean that."
"Sure Ah do. Can Ah rent out your father's services for an evening?" Rogue deadpanned.
"Alright, what's up?"
"Ah have no idea what you're talking about."
Wanda frowned. "Rogue, I know you. And I know that's something's up. So why don't you just tell me what it is?"
Rogue glared and Wanda returned it levelly.
"Alright. Jean broke up with Scott."
"What? Mr. and Ms. Perfect didn't work out?"
Rogue shrugged. "Well, from what Kitty's been blabbering about, Scott was happy. Jean wanted a break. So Scott's been moping around like a lost dog for a couple of days."
"So what? This is the chance you've been waiting for," Wanda said. Even though Rogue would never admit to it, she still harbored a small crush on Scott. Rogue frowned and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"Ah can't."
Wanda frowned. "Why not?"
Rogue looked her friend in the eye, hesitating before continuing. "There's something you should know."
6:30
Magneto and the Brotherhood had long since departed the mansion. After emerging from her extremely long conversation with Rogue, Wanda spent the rest of the night shooting coy looks in Scott's direction. Not that he had noticed.
"You know you're a horrible person," Rogue told her step brother as she sat on his balcony, looking out on the glowing lights of Bayville.
"Yet you helped out. Makes you just as horrible," Kurt returned with an impish grin.
"Wanda's my friend. She better not get hurt by this. Otherwise you and Ice-Cube will be responsible."
"She won't be. The only person that will get hurt will be Scott. Can you imagine what Magneto is gonna do when he finds out?"
"Ah don't really care. Just as long as you keep your end of the bargain."
"Of course, of course," Kurt waved absently. "Besides we are doing them a service. We know how she felt about him. Given what Bobby could piece together from Jean's shouting, Scott obviously thought something about her. Just getting them together."
The two siblings sat in quiet for a long time before Rogue broke the silence.
"You realize if you would just not let Professor Xavier bet then you'd actually earn money."
"Stop confusing me with the truth!"
Monday
4:00
Magneto raised an eyebrow at the sight before him. Scott was dropping Wanda off. Allegedly, it was because she had been doing a project with Rogue and needed a ride back. However, there was much more to it than that simple explanation.
"Hello Daddy," Wanda said as she walked into the house.
"Why was Summers dropping you off?"
"I needed a ride back and he was the only one who could take me."
"Last time I checked he considered this house to be a general disaster zone."
Wanda shrugged. "Well, I guess he's reconsidered his decision," Wanda said, walking off. Magneto's narrowed eyes followed her. There was something very wrong with what was going on, he knew it.
Retreating to his study, he hoped to bury himself in his book. Certainly, he figured, the work would keep the specter of fear from occupying his thoughts. His attempt worked briefly. For nearly a quarter of an hour he was totally engrossed. Taking a break to untangle some of his writer block, Magneto cast a glance out the study window. What he saw did not please him.
Wanda rushed out of the house and jumped through the open top of Scott's convertible. She slid into the front seat and quickly kissed him on the cheek. Scott grinned as the car's engine roared, then the car took off down the road.
Anger boiled within Magneto. Pure, unadulterated anger. Metallic objects down the street began to bend at his rage. Golf clubs twisted into pretzels. Pots and pans suddenly imploded. Gigantic SUVs were suddenly able to fit in compact spots. Seeing the damage he was causing, Magneto took a deep breath and the shaking stopped. But there was still this disturbing matter at hand.
"Everyone! In here now!"
"So it now we must decide what to do about this development," Magneto told the assembled members of the house.
"Can't we just kill the brat?" Sabertooth asked hopefully. Magneto frowned.
"No."
"How about maiming?"
"No."
"Torture?"
"No."
"You never let me have any fun."
"Any other suggestions?"
"Are you sure we can't hurt him?" Lance pleaded.
Magneto frowned and shook his head. "Scott is like a son to Charles. If I hurt Scott, then Charles would be upset. Besides he'd probably retaliate. After all, what would I do to someone that hurt Pietro?"
"Give him a medal," Todd replied.
"Throw a parade," Fred suggested.
"Adopt him," Lance added.
"Um. Oh I know the answer to this one. Wait, it'll come to me…" John searched frantically for an answer.
"What are you morons talking about? He'd be pissed as hell," Pietro said bitterly. Lance snickered.
"Only because someone would have beaten him to the punch."
"Oh! I got it! What is propane?" There was a long pause. Magneto looked at his unstable henchman.
"John, have you been into the liquor cabinet again?"
"We have a liquor cabinet? Why wasn't I notified?" Sabertooth demanded.
"Shut up Victor. John?"
"Oh no no no. Not any of that vile alcohol today, mates. But I did find some of this lovely stuff. Came in a small bag."
"What did the bag say, John?"
"Catnip." Several pairs of eyes turned towards Sabertooth.
"Hey! You little…"
"Enough! If we could get back to the problem at hand of what to do with Summers," Magneto barked.
"Squash him?" Fred suggested.
"Slime him?"
"Rock him?"
Magneto sighed.
"How many times must I tell you Lance that you can not randomly put rock into a phrase in order to make yourself sound witty. It really is pathetic."
"But Kitty said it made me manly."
"She lied."
"You realize that the only way to do anything to Scott is to get Jean to help you," Pietro said.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I was talking to Kurt. Apparently Jean dumped Scott because he was 'thinking' about Wanda. Scott was unhappy about this. So if you get Jean to help then it'll be much more effective on Scott."
"Pietro, you've given me a brilliant idea."
"Please?"
"No."
"Pretty please?"
"No."
"Pretty please with sugar on top?"
"Argh!" Jean cried out. "I don't understand why you want me to get back together with Scott, but I'm not going to do it because you say so."
"But you made such a cute couple! Imagine what you'd be depriving us of! The perfect couple with the perfect relationship!" Magneto pleaded.
"If it was perfect I wouldn't have caught him fantasying about your daughter!"
"Oh come on. It was only thoughts. They can't hurt anyone."
"Those kind of thoughts can," Jean replied.
Magneto sighed. "Jean, Jean, Jean. Do you really think that you'll ever be able to have a boyfriend that won't entertain those type of notions?"
"Not to that degree. And I'm finished with this conversation. I've got a vicious test in Women's Studies to study for. Now if you'll excuse me," Jean flipped her hair over her shoulder and walked off. Magneto rubbed his chin in thought.
"Women's Studies?"
What is Magneto planning?
How will he deal with Scott? How will he convince Jean to help him?
And how does Women's Studies play into this?
Send in those ideas!
