I know I said that this was going to be the last chapter, but that was before I started writing and realizing how long it was going to be. So this ISNT the last chapter. One more after this.
Atreyu Nukus – Yeah, yeah, yeah. More Pietro. Got it.
Thanks to Spiffythefaery for all the beta work.
Saturday
12:00 pm
"Dad, I need money."
"Not now Pietro."
"Dad, I need money!"
"Go away."
"I NEED MONEY!"
"Pietro! I'm busy trying to figure out how to break up your sister and Pyro," Magneto replied from under the mountain of papers he was searching through.
"Wanda is going out with Pyro?"
"So it would seem."
"What are you planning?"
Magneto looked up. "I'll do whatever is necessary. And you are going to help."
"Of course I'll help - for a price."
"Don't you have a familial duty?"
Pietro paused for a moment. "No."
"Bah. Fine. How much?"
"Fifteen hundred."
"Are you crazy?"
"Look, I'm going to get the money from you. You can give it willingly or I can steal it."
"And just what are you going to use the money for?"
"Nothing special."
Magneto glared at his son. "You want fifteen hundred dollars for nothing special? Are you insane?"
"Am I going to have to take the money by force?"
Magneto turned back to the paperwork. "You're lucky I'm exceedingly preoccupied with your sister's social life. Take the money, but don't do anything stupid."
"Hey, it's me."
"That's exactly what I'm talking about."
2:00 pm
"What do you mean you won't help?"
"Sorry. I'm not allowed to participate in any of your plans," Bobby replied with a frown.
"Why not?"
"Professor Xavier said I'm not allowed to engage in your mischief."
"You're actually going to listen to Xavier?"
"You think I actually have a choice? He screwed around with my head to give me a mental inhibition from helping you."
"He did what?"
"He put them in everyone actually."
"He did? Why?"
"Well, I'm guessing one of two things: either he wants Wanda to go out with Pyro or he's been possessed by aliens."
"You must hurt yourself, thinking with that brain."
"What is the meaning of this?"
"The meaning of what?"
"Don't play games with me, you know exactly what I'm talking about. How dare you prohibit me from using your X-Men in my schemes!"
"Well they are my X-Men."
"So what?"
"Erik, just let them date."
"Blasphemer! Never!"
"Erik, don't you think that you've been a bit unfair Wanda throughout all of this?"
"Of course not. I've done nothing out of the ordinary."
"Don't you think that your normal behavior maybe a problem?"
"Not for me."
Xavier sighed. "Erik, she likes him. What's wrong with that?"
"She liked the last half a dozen. What's the difference?"
"You don't get it, do you? She knew you'd react like this, so she deliberately dated boys in the hopes that when she went out with Pyro, you'd be more lenient."
"How do you know that? Have you been spying on my daughter?"
"I get lonely sometimes."
"Spy on someone else!"
"I spy on everyone Erik. But back to my point, Wanda thought you wouldn't kill Pyro after the previous boys she's gone out with."
"Well, she thought wrong."
"I recommend that you simply leave this alone."
"You may prevent your students from helping me. You can prevent your teachers from helping me. But you can't stop me from interfering with my daughter's social life!"
"If only I could."
"Ah, Sabretooth, good to see you up and about," Magneto said.
Sabretooth frowned. "You only say that when you need something from me."
"And this time is no exception. Wanda has decided to go out with Pyro. I require your aid."
"No."
Magneto turned to look at the large mutant. "Excuse me?"
"Listen Mags, I just spent the past twenty six hours recovering from a muffin. I'm all for inflicting pain, not enduring it. It's too dangerous around you. I'm out."
"You're leaving? But, where will you go? What will I do?"
"I'm gonna head up north. Don't worry you'll pull through. You always do." With that said Sabretooth turned and left the mansion.
Magneto could merely watch the departing figure of his two time henchman. He had been abandoned. There was no one left to help him.
Determination surged through the Master of Magnetism. Despite the recent turn of events and his lack of allies, he would not give in. He would be victorious, no matter the cost.
Pyro's days were numbered.
9:00 pm
John eyed Magneto warily. The mutant supremacist had dragged him out back, giving no indication of what he wanted. John followed obediently, knowing what topic of conversation was likely to ensue. He figured that Magneto wanted to hold this discussion outside to avoid an audience – and witnesses.
John silently followed Magneto to the point where the features of the mansion became blurred in the darkness. Finally Magneto turned to face the young mutant.
"I believe that you know why we are here Pyro," Magneto began.
"Got an inkling."
"I must confess my surprise at this situation. You were always the most loyal of my Acolytes. I always trusted you. And now you've gone and betrayed me."
"I didn't plan on it."
"Why did you do it?"
"I don't know Boss. It just happened."
Magneto sighed. "Pyro, do not take me for a fool. I am well aware that things like this do not merely happen. Especially not when it involves my daughter. How long has this been happening?"
John shrugged. "A couple of weeks."
"A couple of weeks? You were going out with Wanda for a couple of weeks?"
"Nah. Just had an unspoken thing going on. You know the ones where you look at each other but only for a moment type thing?"
"For once in my life I actually understand you. However, you understand the precarious situation in which I now find myself."
John nodded, deciding that it was wiser to remain silent.
"I can not pretend to enjoy this development. Nor will I idly stand by while this relationship continues. But you have been a good soldier and a somewhat reliable follower. So I am willing to compromise on this matter."
"Compromise? What kind of compromise?"
"This kind," Magneto replied with a wave of his hand. Hundreds of familiar silver objects rose into the air.. The pyrokinetic gasped at the sight.
They were his lighters.
All of them.
Every single one that Magneto had taken from him were floating around him.
"Charlene? Jasmine? Sarah? Yolanda? My girls!" John reached out to caress the lighters, but they hovered out of his reach.
"They can be yours again, Pyro. Isn't that what you've always wanted?" The lighters floated down, gently rubbing against John's fingers.
"Take them Pyro. Grab them. Reclaim what is yours!"
What Magneto hadn't expected was that, John had changed over the years. When he had first moved to Bayville, he would have grabbed the lighters and run. But now, something was different.
"Isn't there a catch?"
"In exchange for the lighters, you will stop dating my daughter."
"You mean Wanda?"
"Your mental powers are quite formidable."
"But…but I like going out with Wanda."
"You like going out with Wanda more than you like your lighters?"
John paused for a moment. Before he could respond, the lighters shuddered and dropped to the ground.
"What's going on?" Wanda growled. John said nothing. Magneto frowned.
"Nothing that concerns you."
It was Wanda's turn to frown. "You're bribing him to break up with me. I think it does concern me."
"This is Pyro's decision. Not yours."
Father and daughter turned to look at the aforementioned mutant. His eyes were focused on the lighters littering the ground around him. Slowly he turned his gaze towards Wanda and smiled.
"Sorry Boss. I ain't giving her up for all the lighters in the world."
Magneto scowled. "Mark my words, this is not over!"
Sunday
3:00 pm
Magneto sat in the living room, engrossed with the unfolding argument between Kurt and Todd. The two were incapable of living under the same roof without constantly bickering. In fact, Magneto had noticed that the two boys could not be expected to remain in the same room without some bad blood bubbling to the surface.
Magneto neither knew what this current spat was about nor did he care. He was hoping that it would involve the enormous globe in the corner and someone's head. Unfortunately his entertainment was interrupted by the appearance of his daughter.
"Where is he?" Wanda screeched. Magneto blinked a few times as he looked up.
"I'm sorry. Were you trying to ask me something?"
"Where is he?"
"I am not a telepath. I have no idea to whom you are referring. You are going to have to be more specific if you wish for me to respond."
"Where is John? You know, my boyfriend?"
Magneto shrugged. "The boy has serious mental issues. How can I be expected to know where he's wandered off to?"
"Because you stashed him wherever he is!"
"I resent that unfounded accusation. You have no proof to indicate that I have done anything."
"YOU!" came a shout from the entryway of the mansion. Pyro had entered, his arms twisted around his body, bound with a straightjacket. Over the straightjacket was a bright yellow coat and a fireman's helmet firmly tied to his head.
"Where have you been?" Wanda asked as she began to unbuckle the belts.
"I spent the day tied to a firetruck. Do you know what they use firetrucks for? Do you? They're murderers!"
Wanda glared at her father. "You know how John feels about firefighters. How could you?"
"I was trying to help the boy. They say the best way to cure a fear is to be confronted with it."
"You kidnapped him and then tortured him."
"Kidnap is such a harsh word. And I didn't torture him, the firefighters did."
"Leave John alone," Wanda hissed as she removed the straightjacket. She placed her arm around the now whimpering John and led him off.
Magneto watched them with narrowed eyes.
7:00 pm
"So we are faced with a dilemma, what do we do now?" Magneto asked.
"Dilemma? What dilemma?" Pietro asked as he drummed his fingers on his chair.
"The firefighter torture did nothing. I thought that it would have been such a blow to his psyche that it would have ensured the breakup. Apparently I was wrong."
"So what do we do?"
"Just for once couldn't you have an idea?"
"We could drown him."
"I don't want to kill Pyro."
"Please?"
"No."
"You're no fun."
"But, you've given me an idea."
1:00 am
"Are you sure about this?" Pietro asked as he opened up the crate in Magneto's room.
"Am I ever not?" Magneto returned as lifted the contents of crate with his powers. A dozen fire extinguishers lifted into the air. "You're certain that you can rig up the room without any accidents?"
"I'll have the whole thing set up in about three seconds." Pietro zipped out of the room. Magneto grinned.
His nose was itching. At least he thought that's why he woke up. It was too early in the morning to really be sure. Or coherent. But he was up and he saw that he wasn't alone.
"Good morning Pyro," Magneto grinned.
"Wha – what's going on?"
"Pyro, I've finally reached a satisfactory conclusion to our little problem. If you can't move, you can't possibly go out with my daughter. Therefore I have secured you to your bed. And in order to make sure you don't move, you'll notice that each limb has string tied to it. Each piece of string is tied to a fire extinguisher. All the canisters are rigged together so if one activates the others will as well. So, good day."
Magneto left the room. Pyro looked around the room. Sure enough, the entire room was filled with fire extinguishers – his archenemies. His arms and legs were firmly tied down and string was hanging everywhere.
His nose was itching – he was sure of it now. It was getting worse by the moment. He had to scratch it, he just had to.
So he scratched.
3:30 am
"Isn't it a bit early to be visiting, Charles?"
"Considering what happened this morning, I think not."
"What are you implying?"
"John is in the infirmary. You forgot what happens when a dozen pressurized canisters simultaneously explode."
"Forgot or choose not to care?"
"Either way Erik, this is completely unacceptable. No more. Do you understand me?"
"I'm afraid I don't follow. No more what?"
"You've caused quite enough trouble. I'm putting my foot down. You will leave John alone."
"You can't put your foot down! You're in a wheelchair!"
"Erik, do not attempt to dilute my message. I will not tolerate this behavior from you any more. You're a grown man and its time you started acting like it."
"Charles, keep your nose out of my business."
Xavier glared at his old friend. "What you do outside this mansion is your business but so long as you are in my home, this matter concerns me."
"Oh, you can't possibly understand the situation."
"I understand Erik. I am not without any sympathy, but I can not allow it to continue. I have a boy downstairs in the medical ward because of your behavior. It will not happen again. Not under my roof."
Magneto leveled a harsh glare at Xavier, who met it head on. The two simply stared for a few moments before Magneto's lips twisted into a grin.
"Alright Charles. I won't harm Pyro while he's under your roof."
"Thank…what does that mean?"
"You said he would be impervious to harm while under your roof. I'm simply agreeing."
"No, you're scheming."
"Charles, let me be clear. No one will stop me from ending this relationship. Not even you."
Magneto looked around the infirmary. It was quiet, save for the beeping of the machines that were hooked up to Pyro. He was alone – no one would stop him now.
Allowing himself a soft chuckle, Magneto advanced on the sleeping mutant. This game was over – Wanda would be single again.
8:43am
Xavier looked up as Wanda threw open the study's door forcefully.
"Where is he?"
Xavier looked at the girl with confusion. "I beg your pardon?"
"Where's John?"
"We put him in the infirmary last night."
"He's not there now. So where is he?"
Xavier paused at this piece of information. His eyes closed for a moment as he performed a hasty mental scan of the mansion. Someone else was missing.
"Erik, what have you done?"
