Sometime earlier. Godric's Hollow cemetery.
As the evening rolled in and the sun had disappeared beyond the horizon, the small provincial town began to quiet down, almost as if it was going to sleep. Most of the shops were starting to close, while bars and cafes still worked, along with the church and those who served there. A priest, several nuns and local help maintained the graves of the deceased here to the best of their abilities, but due to the fact that the town itself was small and unassuming, along with general disinterest of the people, the cemetery began to come to ruin. At least that was five years ago, since then, a certain patron began to provide donations and funds to the church, more than it was ever getting, with the condition being that they always maintain the graves and cemetery in best condition.
The servants of God and local administration didn't ask too many questions and accepted the donations and funds that have helped reinvigorate the quiet and slowly dying town into one of the major tourist attractions of the Western England. What normal people didn't realize was that Godric's Hollow has become something a site for pilgrimage, for Wizards and Witches, who decided to come and pay their respects to the man who had given his life in face of the greatest evil. For several years, the Ministry of Magic even held special memorial services, in order to remember the man who have fought against Evil most of his life, who had worked to unite the normal and Wizarding world, and who was debased by his peers as an idiot, radical, heretic and simple fool.
But to his wife, Dorea Potter-Black, he was Charlus Edward Potter, and he was a visionary, an idealist and a dreamer, one who couldn't be held by outdated and archaic laws and traditions. For Dorea, he was the man who showed her how small and archaic the Wizarding World was, and what real world was like. He was the man who gifted her the world, and she gave him all she had, her love and devotion. For Dorea, Charlus was one of two hearts that made her live, and it was taken from her by Voldemort, and now was remembered even by their son and his children as an eccentric, borderline radical pureblooded Wizard, who couldn't agree with the order of things and refused to side with Dumbledore in the fight against the Dark Lord.
And to think that just a few years back he was practically hailed as the patron guardian, made into nearly a saint, at least until James decided that his father's corpse was taking the "deserved" spotlight from him and his family. After that, and with a small bit of help from Dumbledore, who always viewed both Dorea and Charlus as dangerous and unreliable, Charlus Potter faded into near complete obscurity in the memory of the people. And as for Dorea, after all that she has lost, and after so many betrayals by her own son, her friends and the very world she was born, she chose to abandon the Wizarding World completely. Retreating from it and the public life, becoming a metaphorical ghost, one that not even Ministry of Magic could keep an eye on or find, instead embracing the world that her husband gave her, and one she had hoped to give to their grandson, Harry.
And yet, even though she has made herself scarce in the Wizarding World and hasn't made an appearance in the Magical Britain for over four years now, there was one place where she could be found. Every month, she would come to the grave of her husband, dressed in black, and bringing flowers from their garden to his grave. Dumbledore and the Ministry were aware that Dorea always visited her husband's grave, and have tried multiple times to find her there, but one doesn't just find one of Europe's most powerful Witches and an internationally recognized master of Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration, Alchemy, Potions and more. And that is not to mention the fact that Dorea is one of the very few Metamorphmagus in England, and the most accomplished one in the field of metamorphic shapeshifting. For her to slip past their sloppy ambushes is always an easy thing to do.
This time there was no ambush, since Ministry long since lost interest in her, and the woman freely walked to the grave of her husband, mentally cursing at the fact that Charlus was buried in this place. He was Lord Potter, a man who fought against Grindelwald long before Dumbledore grew a pair of balls to stand up, not to mention being member of Wizengamot and one of greatest Wizards of his time, and yet he was buried here, in a once half-forgotten little village. This was the decision of James, influenced by Dumbledore no doubt, to bury Charlus here, instead of the family crypt, without the consent of Dorea. But then again, James has always took a certain pleasure in defying Dorea's wishes, and wishes of his father, especially after they realized that their son has grown up into a spoiled and entitled bully. It was one of Dorea's mistakes, at least that what she always said and believed, that she was too soft and spoiled him, even though Charlus told her that they both were wrong in their upbringing of James.
Laying down the flowers with a care that a mother would place her babe in the crib, Dorea lifted up the black veil, revealing a face of the witch that was at least three times younger her real age. Being a Metamorphmagus allows one to change the appearance in a wide variety of ways, but Dorea's experience, plus special rejuvenation potions that she had developed long ago, allowed her and Charlus to maintain a relatively youthful appearance despite being considered old even by Wizards' standards. Dorea's appearance has changed quite a bit over the years, but right now, she maintained the one that she has used ever since she and Charlus began raising Harry: long light blond hair with pale blue eyes, a beautiful aristocratic face of a mature woman. This was the appearance that she used for most of her life and could be considered her true look, as some would call it. Taking a step back, Dorea spoke.
"Hello Charlus." She spoke with a quiet voice, with an almost unnoticeable flinch in it. "I know that you would not want me here, wasting my time and life away at the graves, like you would say… But every time when I leave and say that I will try to move on… I just can't do it. I am sorry, Charlus, but I can't."
"I know that you would want me to be happy, to try and find a way to live my life again, but for me, after all that had happened… I don't think that I have it in me anymore, whatever it is that is supposed to give the will to live on." Dorea admitted. "Sometimes, I catch myself on the thought that my life now is just a cycle of me visiting you and then waiting for the next opportunity to come again. It is not healthy to think that way, but this is how I see it now, and I am sorry, Charlus, but I can't just find it in me to live again."
"All that we've done, all that we've built and accomplished, our son and grandchildren… It all feels so hollow and pointless for me now, with you and Harry, and our family… Oh Charlus, if only you could see it now, what James has turned our family into…" Dorea shook her head with shame. "It is a reality show, not a family, and James with his family are it's main characters. Fame, glory, money, admiration of the Wizarding World, all that and so much more, and they don't even pretend to not enjoy it. James has turned Jamie into a farm of glory, using him for his own and Order's interests… It is so sickening that I cannot even… And the children, if you were to see them, you would've disowned James and Lily without a second of a thought, because of just what they are becoming."
"And those so called friends that he is keeping, I can't even understand how James doesn't even see that at least half of them are just leeches, parasites, like that rat Pettigrew that James keeps so close to himself and his family, along with that self-pitying boy, Lupin, who loves to deny his nature while with James." Dorea said with venom in her tone. "I've… I've tried to get Sirius a trial, but again, Fudge and Dumbledore don't want to hear anything. Of all of James' friends, I still can't believe that it was Sirius. We both know that it wasn't him, Charlus, but James he refused to even to hear him out… Maybe I should stop trying and just accept it as a reality, but… No, I can't, Charlus, just like I can't stop looking for Harry."
"Maybe I was lying a little earlier, when I said that I lived in cycles, or rather, I was wrong. No, Harry, or at least hope of finding him, of once again hugging him, holding him close to me… That is what keeps my heart beating." Dorea admitted. "I still can't believe that James would be so bloody stupid as to give Harry to someone like… I've spent a fortune looking for him, used connections to MI5, Interpol, asked Nick Fury and SHIELD for help, I pleaded to Charles Xavier to find our boy, but it was all for naught… That man, Nathaniel Essex, seemingly disappeared, like he never existed, and he has our boy…"
"And I can't help but know that he is no good doctor that Lily made him out to be, oh no. Sometimes… Sometimes I dream of our boy, but those are not good dreams, Charlus. In them, the things that are being done to him, what he is forced to do... I-I wake up screaming, shaking in fear and horror at what I saw." Dorea revealed to her husband. "I can't sleep after that, and those dreams and images are so vivid and clear in my head, that I sometimes think that those aren't even dreams at all. I sometimes think that I go crazy, but those dreams… I can't just shake off the feeling that they are trying to tell me where he is, who Harry is now… In those dreams, I see our boy made into an adult, his features change as if to indicate that he is our child, my eyes and your nose, my hair and your jaw… I know that it sounds crazy, but is it crazier than knowing the Scandinavian God of Thunder and being friends with someone, who can revert the modern world into a Stone Age?"
"Charlus, I… I don't even know why I'm telling you all of this. Maybe I am going crazy, or maybe I just can't still learn to cope with you not being alive…" Dorea's tears hit the grass beneath her feet. "D-did you know that they buried you while I was still in coma. Three weeks, that's how long I was in coma, yet J-James buried you on the fifth day of your death… I couldn't even say my goodbye to you, Charlus, unable to even… It still hurts, even after all this time, it hurts so much… I am sorry, Charlus, but I can't…"
And in that moment Dorea heard a low hum somewhere in the distance, turning her head towards the source of it. Though she was a Witch, she was as modern as it could get, and she instantly recognized the Blackbird that the X-Men used as means of transportation. Led by either curiosity or by something else, Dorea moved towards the place where the Blackbird landed, quickly traversing the cemetery and church's grounds. After a few minutes, she finally came upon the place where the X-Men were, and found a battlefield, with one of her oldest friends, Erik Lehnsherr, or Magneto, struggling to stand up, while other X-Men were fighting against two opponents who seemed to be able to beat them.
When Dorea laid her eyes upon the face of one of the adversaries, her heart seemed to stop, with air stilling in her throat and lungs, as her eyes traced the features of the young man, possessing the aristocratic looks of Blacks and Potters, with brushed down light blond hair and pale blue eyes. He moved with the speed and strength that was not seen by her, but his power… Dorea knew that power, and those eyes and face. Tears rolled out her eyes, as the realization that she wasn't crazy with her dreams hit her, and she uttered the name.
"Harry…" Dorea's weak voice gave in, as she looked, for the first time in five long years, at her grandson, changed beyond recognition, yet still one that she would recognize among the millions even if she had her eyes burned away.
The X-Men, the most famous team of mutants, formed as not simple defenders and protectors, but also as a symbol of what mutants are capable, of how much good they can do to the people, to be a symbol of unity between simple humans and mutants. Though not considered by most to be as formidable and mighty as Avengers, or as savvy and inspirational as the Fantastic Four, Nephalem knew more than anyone, that X-Men were all a much more dangerous unity than most gave them credit. Though possessing a wide variety in member types and personalities, along with many ages and specializations, there was no denying that the X-Men were a cut above the rest when it came down to their combat abilities, and it wasn't just because of their mutant powers.
Sinister and Wraith had spent countless hours, days and weeks researching them and making Nephalem study them, learn their fighting styles, ways of coordination and communication, synergies and strengths. He was made to analyze their actions, their movements in battle, by watching the recordings of their battles, noticing the smallest details and using them to compile them. Every member, new or old, nearly every team combination, pairing or collaboration with other teams- Nephalem had studied them all, memorized, analyzed and drew the conclusions. This was one of his primary goals in Weapon Plus, his future purpose- to fight and defeat the X-Men.
The moment the Blackbird touched down and from it exited Hank McCoy, the balance of opponents was 2 against 9, numerically clearly against Nephalem and Eva, and the X-Men that were here were also not rookies, but veterans. Wolverine, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Colossus, Storm, Nightcrawler, Gambit and Magneto- all among the top priority targets that Nephalem was made to be ready to defeat. All of them had extensive training, experience and powers that made them even individually dangerous, but together in the formation that they were now, they were nearly unbeatable, under normal conditions. However, despite the massive disadvantages that Nephalem and Eva held, this was not a clear cut situation, because the X-Men didn't know Nephalem and Eva, but Nephalem knew them better than most, and he knew the ways in which they would act and react.
The moment Magneto gave the order, Nephalem has already ran scenarios and came up with the variants of attacks, defense and how to best act in this situation, and now it was time to implement them. Connecting with Eva telepathically, he instantaneously transmits his orders and recommendations into her mind, synergizing with her and creating unified fighting unit, just as the X-Men attempted to do at that very moment through Jean Grey.
Jean Grey, former Marvel Girl, founding member of the X-Men, one of the stronger telepaths and telekinetic users in the world, she was one of the least aggressive members, staying away from the frontlines. Instead, she used her telepathy and telekinesis in supportive means, from behind the lines, like with establishing mental communication that would make the coordination of the team a lot better, hence granting them a far better chance at winning this fight. She was the nerve center of the team's communications, one that was as dependable as it could get, and that was why Nephalem attacked her first.
While he lacked the finesse and precision of Eva in her telepathic abilities, his unique mutations allowed him to develop a psychic jammer, one that prevented telepaths to read his thoughts, unless he wanted them to. And Nephalem was able to use his own telepathy to connect with others and then use the psychic jamming on them, and it was especially extremely potent against telepaths, as Jean Grey learned that moment. Without any warning, an extreme headache struck Jean Grey and it's backlash hit the other teammates, before the woman collapsed in to the arms of Cyclops, unconscious and with blood coming from her nose.
"JEAN!" Cyclops shouted in shock, but before he could react, two powerful beams hit both Magneto and Storm, using the time provided by telepathic backlash as an opening.
Nephalem's second attack is directed at the two of the most dangerous members of the team, its leader and one mutant that would be able to counter Eva's abilities. Magneto is an extremely powerful mutant, capable of controlling magnetic fields and manipulate them, and possessing extremely wide array of ways of utilizing them, not to mention being one of the strongest mutants alongside Storm. The African weather controller was in the same category of power as Magneto, with her wide array of powers, abilities and ways of using them making her as dangerous. The moment they got into the air, Eva and Nephalem would be fighting an uphill losing battle. Hence why Nephalem hit them with his more powerful blasts, while also nullifying their abilities, removing them for some time as his opponents.
Removing Jean Grey, Magneto and Storm at least for a while in the first minute, Nephalem has already tipped the scales closer to an even match, but now the rest of the team begin adapting to the circumstances. Instinct takes precedence over verbal coordination, with Cyclops immediately assuming the role of leader with Magneto incapacitated, beginning to bark orders.
"Nightcrawler, get Dr. MacTaggert into the Blackbird. Wolverine, Colossus, focus on the guy and take him down. Beast, you are on the woman. Gambit and I will support from the back." Cyclops stated, with the team immediately following his commands.
"Y-you can't take them lightly! Nephalem, the man, h-he was trained and made able to defeat each every one of you! H-his physical abilities surpass those Captain America and his energy projection are capable of nullifying your abilities!" Doctor MacTaggert warns them all. "He… He was able to kill Thunderbird five years ago, and he was only 1/4th of his current strength, speed and power…"At that moment, Nightcrawler has taken Moira's hand and teleported her away.
"Yeah?! Well this one is for John!" Wolverine already leapt towards Nephalem, his claws already out and closing to skewer him.
Just as anticipated of Wolverine, he was the one to attack the first and rush in, without consideration or giving any thought about how to approach his enemies. Though Nephalem has given the Muramasa Blade back to Blink, he was not without the ways of neutralizing the regenerating mutant. The moment when Wolverine was mere centimeters away from sinking his claws into Nephalem, Nephalem ducked away, evading his claws, while Eva's electric discharge reached the clawed mutant and hit him with the full force.
Adamantium, being an iron-based alloy, was highly susceptible to electrified, and given the fact that the entirety of Wolverine's skeleton is covered in it, it made it perfect for Eva's secondary mutation. The force of the attack was enough cause massive damage, as evidenced by the scream of Wolverine when he was hit with electricity that attacked his, nerves, organs, flesh and even brain. Blasting Wolverine with an energy blast, Nephalem sent Wolverine flying away and crashing into the tree, knocking him out for the duration of this fight, since Nephalem anticipated that it would take this long for Wolverine to recover.
The second attack came half a second after Nephalem finished his, with Colossus landing a powerful hit on his face, cracking Nephalem's mask, breaking his nose and creating fractures in the skull that he can feel. Even a super powered individual would have been knocked out, if not dead, but Nephalem's regenerating factor already began to heal the damage to him, while the pain was tolerable and his skull and bones were strong enough to withstand the impact with minimal damage. Nephalem knows it, and all he does is rip off the broken mask and revealing his face, but Colossus doesn't see it, believing that he has just taken out Nephalem. Eva's psychic illusion gives Nephalem the needed time to react to the Beast, who already closed in on Eva, while his own damage was already being reversed and he engaged Doctor McCoy.
The Beast, the most feral looking of the X-Men, possessing highly enhanced senses of smell, hearing and vision, along with all the typical physical attributes, along with claws and agility that nearly rivals that of Nephalem himself. However, in attitude, Beast is a scientist, a pacifistic humanitarian, preferring to spend his time studying science or reading literature, while suppressing his more savage instincts and fighting with more brain than brawn. Effective in most times, but his suppression of natural instincts disables him from reacting properly to certain actions.
"Though your initial attacks and counters were well executed and effective, I would strongly recommend you to surrender, for…" Beast tried to make one of his long-winded speeches, with Nephalem not listening and going on to attack.
An aggressive assault that Beast is not prepared for, with Nephalem going all out on him, first striking in his nose and disabling his sense of smell, before using his energy to empower his punches in the torso, but not before he struck Beast's ears, disorientating him. The strength of the attacks is enough to give Beast pause and unable him to recover, and Nephalem lands more than a few punches, but all of this is not going to win Nephalem a battle, and he knows it. He didn't switch Colossus with Beast just because he didn't want to fight the Russian proletarian, but because it was part of the plan that Eva had executed.
Both she and Nephalem knew that the illusion wouldn't hold for long and Colossus did break free of it, immediately moving towards Nephalem as he saw him, not hearing the orders from Cyclops, thanks to influence of Eva's power. Charging at Nephalem with full speed, believing that his comrade and friend Beast would be able to duck, Colossus picks up the full speed and then… Nephalem smirks a little, before jumping backwards and over the towering steel-covered X-Man, as he slammed at Beast, yet seeing that it was Nephalem. Akin to a locomotive, Colossus slams Beast into the tree, nearly shattering it while also knocking out Beast, while also breaking a good amount of his bones at the same time. In that very moment, Eva lifts her illusion off Colossus, revealing to him whom he had just struck, and the shock of the revelation is enough to force him out of his form.
"Hank, no! I didn't mean…" Colossus spoke in shock, but he was interrupted by Eva's electric blast knocking him out.
Nephalem was well aware that in his metallic form, Colossus is virtually immune to any form of harm, safe for the telepathic one, and while Nephalem suspected that he could take him out with his own energy power, he suspected that he would not have enough of a charge to take him out. Nephalem had seen several instances in which Colossus had reverted back into his normal form after he experienced sudden and strong emotions, like shock, and it had knocked out his metallic form. This led Nephalem to an idea that Colossus required constant concentration to be able to maintain his form, and so decided to use this as an opportunity to take out both Colossus and Beast. And it was right about that moment when Cyclops had figured out that Eva was more than just an electric mutant.
"Gambit, that girl is a telepath and is linked up to him! Target her!" Cyclops opened his visor and fired at Eva.
"On it, mon ami! Sorry, Cher, but Gambit's gonna play a bit rough now!" Gambit commented as he threw four charged cards at Eva, just as his friend fired at her.
Unfortunately for them, Nephalem has already predicted that course of actions and that was why he disengaged from Beast and allowed Eva to take care of Colossus. He had seen Cyclops shift strategies and tactics once he understands that the situation is not in his favor, and so he decided to target the one whom he suspected was the more accessible and easier to attack. Nephalem and Eva knew that this would be their course action, and hence why he quickly rushed and took position in between Eva and the X-men.
With the precision, Nephalem conjures a powerful energy barrier that stops Cyclops' eye beams and then redirects them towards Gambit, hitting him in the head and sending him flying away from the force of the concussive blast. And as for Gambit's cards, Nephalem's free hand caught them all and then disabled them before they could explode, and then he charged them with his own energy, before sending them flying back at Cyclops. Before he could duck or move away, Nephalem made the cards explode with his abilities, sending the man flying and knocking him as well.
Of all the remaining X-Men only Nightcrawler remained, who was absent up until… Now, when he teleported behind Nephalem and prepared to slice him up with his sabre. The moment he showed up, Eva already discharged enough electricity to knock him out, having maintained a mental surveillance on him by the orders of Nephalem. Nephalem knew that Nightcrawler was a circus performer and an unpredictable fighter, and one who could give both him and Eva pause, hence why he was always monitored by Eva. The moment when he decided his place of appearing, Eva and Nephalem would know and either of them had the means and planned action to take him down.
With him out of the way and others still not fully recovered, Nephalem and Eva prepared to make their way towards the Blackbird and retrieve Dr. MacTaggert. Finishing off X-Men was outside of mission parameters and they only stood in the way, and so only needed neutralization, which didn't mean killing them. As they prepared to make their way towards the Blackbird, Nephalem and Eva immediately locked eyes with the woman who had observed the entire fight, and Nephalem, for the first time in his life, completely froze in place, shocked and unable to move. He looked straight in the eyes of his grandmother and who had raised him as her own son and shook in place, with Eva also freezing, as she experienced the psychic backlash.
"No…" Hadrian spoke, as she looked at Dorea, who had tears in her eyes. "How… Wh-what are you…"
"Harry…" Dorea's voice cracked as she spoke, looking straight into her grandson's eyes. "I-It is you… M-my little boy, wh-what h-has been done to you?!" She asked in shock, as she moved straight towards him, and Nephalem stood frozen, fear and shock gripping his heart and body.
For whatever reason, Nephalem wasn't one to move against Dorea, as the fact that was here and now moved towards him and Eva meant that she was now an obstacle. Eva's bio-chip immediately began to direct her movements and she prepared to blast her with her power… But in the moment she thought about it, Nephalem's telepathically disabled Eva through his psychic jamming blast, stopping her from harming his grandmother. For the first time in his life, he willingly hurt his friend and a member of his family… But now, Hadrian was using his all of his will and the might of his secondary neural pathway that served as the backdoor where Nephalem was free. He didn't even know how or why he was still able to hold himself back, resisting every single fiber of his being that didn't obey him to stop himself from harming his grandmother, who moved to him.
"S-stay back!" He shouted to her Hadrian with a breaking voice. "S-stay… I-I c-can't…" Dorea didn't care and still moved him, but she stopped once she noticed how he was seemingly having seizures, moving slowly at her, as if he is fighting himself.
"Harry, what… What is going on?" Dorea asked of him. "Why did you hurt them? What was done to you my boy?!" She asked of him with desperation clear in her voice.
"C-can't control… M-myself…" He said with a the struggle, feeling as his control beginning to crumble. "R-run! G-Grandma… Run, or… I w-will… hurt…"
"No! I am not running from you, my boy, never!" She told him, as he continued to move to her. "Harry, how are you being controlled? Telepathy?"
"Ugh, n-no it is not telepathy, Dorea." Magneto stated to her, as she rose up and took place near her.
"Erik, what the hell is going on in here?!" She asked of him, with her nerves giving way. "Who is controlling my grandson? What are you and X-Men doing here? Why is he fully grown up?"
"I do not know, but I suspect that the good Doctor MacTaggert does, since Hadrian here and his companion are after her." Magneto stated, as he felt his powers fully return, and then he used them to freeze Hadrian in place. "Your powers are formidable, young man, I will grant you that, but I've just taken control of the electric signals in your body, including signals sent by your brain for every movement and function. Now, you are unable to do anything, so do please answer your grandmother's questions, young man."
"Can't…" Hadrian let out with struggle. "Bio-chip… Prevents…"
"Bio-chip… Erik, can you sense if there is some point of irregularity in his signal transmissions, akin to a transitory station of sorts?" Dorea immediately figured out what her grandson meant.
"Yes, yes, I can sense it. An unusual cluster of signals and electrical currents coming through it all, something that shouldn't normally be possible in a normal body." Magneto stated, before looked in Hadrian's eyes. "Blink to us ones if the answer is yes, twice if no. The bio-chip controls your higher cognitive abilities, but only to a degree?" A blink followed.
"If I destroy it, will you be freed from control of your manipulator? Will there be no secondary control function that might take control over you?" A blink and then two blinks followed, giving Magneto all the information he needs. "Very well. This will hurt you, Hadrian." Magneto stated, and then he used his powers to destroy the bio-chip in Hadrian.
A scream of pain followed, before he collapse right into the arms of his grandmother, who immediately began to examine him, with Magneto letting out a tired sigh.
"He will alright, Dorea. The bio-chip had a controlling and suppressing function, so his brain wasn't getting it's signals at a normal rate and amount. It will take him some time to regain conscience, but as given the fact that he has managed to heal from an attack by our Russian comrade, I am fairly certain that he at least possesses the same regenerative powers as Wolverine." Magneto said, as he sighed with fatigue, while he looked at Dorea sobbing and holding Hadrian close to her. "Dorea, he will be alright…"
"No, Erik, he won't be…" She said through sobs, as she gently held her boy. "Five years, Erik, five years I have been looking for my boy… Five years of living nightmare, of dread and horror of not knowing where he is… Five years of desperate, maddening hope to see him again… Five years… And the moment I see him… Wh-what m-monster has d-done this t-to him, Erik? Who turned a child of nine into… Into this?! TELL ME!" She demanded to know, nearly succumbing to hysteria, with Magneto moving to help Dorea off the ground and picking her grandson up.
"I do not you, Dorea, not yet. But I promise to you, that we will find out who did this to him, and when we do, they will pay for every second of your and his suffering." Magneto promised her, as he observed the battlefield. "He and his partner had destroyed the Brotherhood, and they took us on like this… This is not a fluke. They were trained for this, extensively and thoroughly, and suspect, that Charles old friend Moira has the answers we need."
"Then… Then I'll get them out of her, even if I must rip her brain out." Dorea stated, getting her emotions back under control.
"Let's leave that part for professionals, Dorea, like Charles. In the meantime, we best get into the Blackbird and leave, lest more of their accomplices arrive." Magneto suggested, as he used his magnetic manipulation to pick up the members of the X-Men via metal in their uniforms, while Dorea used her magic to pick up Eva. "You are taking her with us?"
"If she is chipped like Harry was, then she is from the same place, and she might have answers for us." Dorea told him. "Or have you gone back on your principals, Erik?"
"Heh, no, though I have come to see world a bit clearer now." Magneto said, as he helped Dorea carry her grandson to the Blackbird.
Over Atlantic Ocean. An hour later.
Once Magneto and Dorea had managed to carry everyone inside, they immediately went on to fix everyone in place, with the help of Doctor MacTaggert, who was shocked at the fact that Nephalem and Eva were also brought along. On her questions, Magneto simply stated that they weren't a threat anymore, something that she disagreed on with him, especially in case of Nephalem. When Moira had started insisting that they boot out Nephalem and Eva, since she was still afraid of them, Magneto had to nearly hold Dorea in place, as the witch was prepared to turn Doctor MacTaggert inside out through magic, literally. And in all honesty, Magneto wasn't all that opposed to that course of actions, since this entire affair was very, very suspicious, and he was going to bring it up to Charles and have him get the answers from his former lover.
In the meantime, after Dorea had finally managed to ensure that her grandson was going to be alright, she went on to help out the X-Men with their injuries. Though she was no official medical witch, but she did have extensive knowledge of healing Charms, as well as very extensive collection of potions and elixirs that expedited recovery. Many summoning Charms, a good number of the healing Charms and potions injected into the X-Men via injections, and now all of them were now recovering, and if Dorea's prognosis was correct, by the time they have got to Xavier's Institute, they will not be suffering any major disabilities, and will make a full recovery by next day. Making sure that Harry was alright for one last time, Dorea finally took seat near his gurney, letting out an exhausted sigh, slumping a little as the tiredness nearly took her over. Moira walked in between the knocked out X-Men, examining them all, and looking with shock and surprise at how they were all getting better.
"Astonishing. With the amount of the damage that Nephalem and Eva have inflicted, they would have required weeks, even months of treatment, but now…" Moira sighed in amazement, before turning to Dorea. "Is your mutant power based around molecular restoration, Ms. Black?" She asked, thinking that she was dealing with a mutant.
"I am a Witch, Doctor MacTaggert, and he is not a Nephalem. His name is Hadrian, Hadrian Erik Potter, and if I hear you call him that way again, I will shut your mouth for the duration of this flight." Dorea replied with an irritated scowl, with Moira looking at her with a bit of confusion. "You are one of world's top experts when it comes down to dealing with mutants, yet you find it hard to believe in magic?"
"You mean, you are like Doctor Strange, a sorceress?" Moira asked for clarification.
"No, though they both utilize magic, Dorea and Doctor Strange utilize two completely different approaches when it comes to utilizing magic, Doctor MacTaggert." Magneto came from behind her, answering for Dorea. "Now, if you will excuse us, I would like a word with my old friend."
"So would I, given the fact that Nephalem and Eva…" Moira didn't budge, but Magneto shut her up when he sent her through magnetism into her seat, before locking the safety belt and magnetizing it so it couldn't be unlocked. "What… What is this? Magneto, is this some kind of a joke? Unlock me this instant!"
"I am afraid that you will have to get comfortable in that seat, at least until we arrive in the Institute. Given the circumstances, I do find it rather hard to trust you at this point, especially with your strange attitude towards Hadrian, and the unusually large amount of information when it comes to him and his partner here." Magneto stated to her. "Unless you would like to explain to us right now, how is that you have this information, then you will have to remain in you current place."
"I… I won't talk until I see Charles!" She stated, with fear present in her eyes, while Dorea glared at her.
"Then we are done for the moment. Dorea, if you may." With but a wave her hand, Dorea put Moira to deep sleep. "You certainly haven't lost your touch after all these years." Magneto commented, as he removed his helmet and sat in front of Dorea.
"No, I lost it. Had I not, then Charlus would be alive, and Harry…" She glanced with sadness at her unconscious grandson. "I have seen some of the strangest things in this world, Erik, but a 9 year old boy who has the body and a mind of an adult… This is not something that I am used to seeing."
"Yes, though Mystique had demonstrated quite a few of her transformations that I leaving a lasting impression." Magneto commented, as he glanced at the boy. "How is he? Disabling a bio-chip through a micro-electrical pulse is not something that is harmless. If there was some other way, Dore, I would…"
"I know, Erik. I know you would have found another way, at least for me, but… But you are in luck. He has already any damage that was inflicted. The damaged part isn't even scarred anymore, but completely improved, made better than it was before." Dorea said with a curious lack of amazement, as she looked at Harry's face. "His mutant ability is still with him."
"You do not sound surprised by the fact that he is a mutant." Magneto noted.
"No, no I don't, because I knew it a long time ago. Charlus and I both knew that he was no simple Squib…" Dorea let out a sigh, as she recalled the time. "When we just took him in, we were visited by Charlus' cousin and his wife, Fleamont and Euphemia. We didn't know that they had just caught the Dragon Pox at the time, and they weren't showing the symptoms, but when we found out, Harry was already infected."
"From what I recall, Dragon Pox is a potentially fatal decease, especially for two year old children." Magneto said, as he glanced at the boy. "Most mutants do not fully develop their powers until they are old enough, usually when they reach puberty."
"Then Harry isn't like most, because when he contracted the Pox, he spent three days with all of its symptoms, and then he was completely fine. It was a nightmare for me and Charlus, we couldn't even sleep and constantly watched over Harry, fearing and half-expecting the worst, and then on fourth day, he was healthy, like nothing had every happened." Dorea continued. "We knew that it couldn't be a simple fluke, so Charlus had Harry's blood examined, and in it, he found anti-bodies that combated and destroyed the Dragon Pox virus. Wizards and Witches have been looking for an effective method of dealing with the Dragon Pox for centuries, and Harry just developed it in his organism after being ill with it. After that Charlus showed it to me, I knew that Harry wasn't a simple Squib…"
"I see… Is this ability of his based on a powerful regeneration?" Magneto asked of her, with Dorea shaking her head.
"No, at least that is what I think. It was more like his organism adapted to the illness and then developed means of dealing with it extremely fast." Dorea told her friend.
"Hm, a rapid adaptation to hostile conditions… I may have a couple of theories on how he was turned into an adult, but it is still too early to make any conclusions for me." Erik told Dorea. "And what about his second mutation? His energy projection and power nullification?"
"About that I have not a clue, Erik. Today was the first time when I saw that power, ever." Dorea stated to Erik, before she recalled something. "Although…"
"Although, what?" Magneto asked of her.
"It's just… A few weeks before the attack on us, Charlus stated that something seemed to disrupt the magical barriers, at a very specific point. It was exactly near where Harry was playing outside, but later at the evening, all was well." Dorea admitted. "Back then I just wrote it off as fluctuation in the Ley Lines, since our cottage stood over them, but now… Maybe Harry had that power in him even back then, without even knowing."
"But mutant abilities are not usually tied with magic. I know only of my daughter, Wanda, whose mutation allows her to directly use one of magical sources of the universe." Magneto stated.
"Perhaps, but now that I think about it all, and remember that episode, I can't shake off this thought that…" Dorea was about to speak up, as she and Magneto had heard a groan coming from Harry, immediately drawing their attention. "Harry?!"
"Ugh, my head… I feel like someone had blown up a grenade in my head…" Harry groaned, as he struggled to sat up, with Dorea helping him up. "W-wait, my thoughts, the commands… I-I can't feel them anymore…" Harry said with shock, realizing, that for the first time in all this time, he was once again fully in control.
"H-Harry…" Dorea's tears returned, as she drew her grandson into a hug. "M-my boy, oh my sweet child… Forgive me, forgive me, Harry…" She sobbed apologizing endlessly to her grandson for not being there for him, for not saving him, as he embraced her.
"Grandmother… S-so it was not a dream. Y-you are here…" He said with a shaking voice, as he embraced her.
"I am, Harry. I am here, and I am not letting you go, or anyone take you. I promise you, my boy." Dorea told him with tears, while Magneto heard that the rest of the X-Men or at least some of them were coming back.
"Ugh, I feel like someone had turned me into a Christmas tree… Wait, am I dreamin', or why is there that Nephilim guy on our plane, hugging someone who looks like his mother?" Wolverine asked out loud.
"Truly, Logan, your timing is just impeccable." Magneto said with sarcasm in his voice, getting the attention of the Canadian mutant. "And answering your question, our now former opponent here is coming with us to Charles, and he is currently reunited with his grandmother, a witch who had helped nurse you all back to health over the past hour."
"Is that your attempt at being funny, Magneto?" Wolverine asked with complete seriousness. "That guy and his chick friend had nearly wasted us, and you decide to bring them aboard along with this broad? What the hell are you playing at?"
"No, Logan, is speaking the truth." Jean Grey confirmed, as she finally woke up, without headache. "As crazy as that sounds, Magneto is speaking the truth. We have encountered the Wizarding World before, haven't we? You yourself have told us about your own troubles with them, Logan. That very woman is a witch of House Black and once Matriarch of House Potter of England." Jean stated, with Logan stilling at the mention of it all.
"Wait, did you say "House Potter", Jeannie?" He asked of her, with Jean nodding, before he turned to look better at Nephalem and his grandmother, before sniffing it a little. "Oh, call me a hoser. I should've known that fucking scent! Dorea, is that really you?"
"Yes, yes James, it is me." Dorea said, as she disconnected from her grandson, turning to her Canadian friend. "Do you now recognize me?"
"Yeah, uh, sorry about the broad thing, I was uh, still getting my brain back up and running again." Wolverine apologized, with Dorea nodding to him, while he turned to Nephalem, while others looked with quite a surprised face.
"Am I hallucinating, or did I just hear Wolverine apologizing to someone for calling someone names?" Gambit asked aloud. "Oh Gambit must really be dreamin', 'cause there's no way that good old Wolvie would even know how to say sorry…"
"Ya say another word, Gumbo, and then I'll send you dreamin for the rest of the trip." Wolverine said to him. "Besides, if you knew who this woman really is, you'd know that being impolite to her is not a good idea. Believe me, I learned it the hard way."
"Really? And who are you, exactly? And what is your relation to this man and woman?" Cyclops demanded answers with a heated tone.
"You listen to your friend here, Mr. Summers, but I will forgive your outburst on the account of your condition. I am Dorea Cassandra Potter-Black, Lady of Houses Black and Potter, a Witch and the woman responsible for healing you so fast and with such quality. This man here is my grandson, Hadrian Erik Potter, while I have no clue about the woman, though I believe my grandson can answer that question, if he wishes." Dorea stated with a certain amount of aristocratic pride in her voice.
"Her name is Eva, and she is my teammate and a close friend, a best friend even." Hadrian answered. "Like all of you, we are mutants, but we are not part of any teams or even SHIELD. We… We belong, or rather belonged, to a secret clandestine program, that uses mutants for their own gains- Weapon Plus." Hadrian stated, with Wolverine widening his eyes.
"Weapon Plus? Now that makes a whole fucking load of sense…" Logan muttered, along with plenty of profanities. "That program is the mother company to the Weapon X project and a whole fucking bunch of other super soldier sick projects. I had thought that Fury had closed up the whole thing when he took command of the SHIELD."
"SHIELD had cut their ties with them, but the STRIKE picked them up, and they reinstated the whole program, giving it funding, even hiring most of the old staff, along with plenty of new ones. Eva, along with myself and 62 other mutants and test subjects, were experimented, tortured, examined and trained in there, with Doctor MacTaggert being one of those who did the experimenting on us." Nephalem nodded with scowl at the one, with many not believing it. "The base of operations for Weapon Plus is Muir Island, hidden as a Mutant Research Center."
"No, you can't be serious. Moira MacTaggert is one of world's leading researchers on mutants, and she has been one of Professor's closest friends and one of our best allies. She had helped us and saved our lives a plenty of times." Cyclops stated in defiance. "Magneto, you can't clearly expect us all to believe him? He is obviously under control of Weapon Plus."
"No, he is not, as is his partner." Magneto stated, as he presented the encased biochip that was removed from Eva, thanks to onboard medical equipment. "This contraption was used to enforce the actions of both Hadrian and his partner Eva. Bio-engineering is not my forte, but even I can say that this is something quite advance and powerful enough to completely control one like them."
"If I may be allowed to examine it, Magneto." Beast asked, as Magneto gave it to him, who quickly pulled out a scanner of his own design and analyzed it. "Fascinating, an organic processer, designed to filter out obstructing thoughts and sensations, while also enhancing and empowering certain specific commands and orders. Though miniature, the sheer processing capacity of it is outstanding, enabling the absolute control of every cognitive process in a person, without hampering their higher cognitive abilities and allowing them to retain the full functionality of their intellect and instincts. An ingenious contraption, though used for rather nefarious and atrocious causes. I can only guess the identity of the person who would possess enough knowledge to create something like that."
"You may guess, but I know it's creator." Hadrian stated to him, getting their attention. "It is the same man who made me into this… His name is Nathaniel Essex."
"Essex? The same man to whom James had given you up?" Dorea asked of Harry, who nodded to him. "So he didn't just sell you to them…"
"Essex, are you certain that this is his name, Hadrian?" Magneto asked, receiving another nod. "I knew one Nathaniel Essex, back in the German concentration camp. He was Nazi's foremost expert on human experiments, and one of their best butchers, obsessed with collecting the genetic data, and exploring the potential of mutants. He… That man is responsible for hundreds of deaths, including those of my parents."
"It can't be the same man. He would have to be too old to be able to work in Weapon Plus." Summers stated.
"And who said that he is a man, Cyclops? Essex is no simple man, as you all should know yourself, since you have ran into him in the past and ruined his work." Nephalem stated to them, confusing them. "But I guess that name doesn't ring a bell to you. You've faced him when he used his true face and name, one of Mister Sinister." That revelation had shocked every mutant on the plane, and explained quite a few things.
"Sinister… You actually mean…" Magneto was shocked.
"Yeah, Nathaniel Essex was his human name, but now… Now he prefers to be called Mister Sinister, and he is the man, who turned me, once a four year old, into a super powered adult in three months, through genetic manipulation, surgeries, DNA enhancements and other stuff…" Hadrian said, as he looked at the shock in their faces. "I am chronologically nine years old, yes, but for the last five and a half years, I have been an adult, body and mind of one included, thanks to Sinister. How soon are we going to reach your Professor?" Hadrian asked of Magneto.
"In a matter of forty or so minutes." Magneto stated. "Will you tell us more about Weapon Plus?"
"No, because what I know about it all, about what had happened… There are too few words that can tell you the whole picture, so no, I won't tell you." Nephalem stated to them. "I'll show it to you instead, when we get there, along with your Professor. But first, where is that woman's laptop?" Nephalem asked, with Magneto summoning it, and Hadrian activating it.
"What are you doing with it?" Jean Grey asked of him, since she was unable to read his mind.
"Getting the evidence that you will be asking for." Nephalem said, as he cracked the password and got access, before handing it to Cyclops. "Want proof of my words right now? Go ahead and take a look." Nephalem stated to him, sensing how Cyclops was mentally calling him a liar.
It was safe to say that after Cyclops and a few others saw the contents of that laptop had changed their opinion about their longtime friend, and by the time they reached the Institute, Doctor Moira MacTaggert had found herself with much fewer friends on her side.
Xavier Institute. Two hours later.
Charles Xavier was one of the most famous and influential men in the world, an internationally known humanitarian and activist for the rights of humans and mutants, the primary proponent for peaceful co-existence between the two branches of human races. A known devoted pacifist and an idealist, he had formed the X-Men not as a weapon, but as a shield that would protect both worlds, show the humanity the good that the mutants were capable of when they worked for the good of all. His staunch stance to using reason, words and discussions as a way to resolve conflicts was well known, as well as his opposition to violence and terrorism in order to obtain their goals, as Magneto used to do.
But after what he was shown through telepathy by Hadrian, for the first time in his life, Charles Xavier was forced to admit, that right that moment, he would very much like show those Weapon Plus monsters just what a furious mutant could do. Nephalem kept his word, and after he and the X-Men had gotten to the Institute, Magneto and Dorea had explained the situation to their friend. To say that Charles was surprised to see the boy he had been looking for the better part of four years, would be an understatement, especially when said boy was now a man in body and mind.
But that surprise became an insignificant speck, when Nephalem opened his mind for Charles and a few others, including Dorea who demanded to see what her grandson went through. Harry tried spare his grandmother the horrors, and even though he muted out the worst of the emotions and sensations, he wasn't certain he would be able to keep control of his memories. But Dorea was stubborn, determined, and desperate, and so Harry yielded, and he showed them everything, hiding nothing. Telepathy allowed the thoughts, sensations, emotions and information to be exchanged at a very rapid speed, and the five years worth of events, death, suffering and agony were transmitted to the receivers within two hours.
Nothing was hidden, nothing spared and the X-Men, Eva and Dorea saw all that Harry saw, felt, sensed, did and more. To say that it was a massive amount of things to process would be an understatement of the decade, but when you have multiple telepaths in one room, it allowed for an additional processing power, so to speak. Still, the contents of the memories… Those were not what all of them, safe for Eva, had expected to see, and even the information in Moira's laptop held only the basics without complete details, and omitting her direct involvement.
Nephalem's memory was like a complete memory hard drive, one that contained every single detail of the Weapon Plus, every autopsy of mutants, every method of death, every suffering and pain, everything that had happened. Nephalem carried in himself the complete and utter truth about the horror that was Muir Island and all that had transpired in there, once having promised that he would reveal it all, that he would make certain that it's victims weren't forgotten. And now he had accomplished that goal in fullest, as the people who had examined his memories returned back into the real world, and instantly saw the reactions of everyone.
Jean had tears in her eyes and she sobbed without control, as Cyclops went to embrace her, while Beast could not even stand and sat in the chair, his eyes containing the frozen horror. Dorea was worse than others, as she had seen and learned everything that had happened to her grandson, and the shock knocked off her control, as her skin paled to near deathly white, with her hair also becoming pale white, as she tried to process everything that she had learned. Magneto's fists were clenched, as the metal in the room was vibrating, indicating his loss of control, while Charles sat in his wheelchair, with an expression that showed greatest of pains. And as for Wolverine…
"You fucking lying ghoul!" Logan pounced at Moira, pinning her to the floor, getting his claws out and preparing to sever her head off.
"Charles, please, get him off me!" Moira screamed in fear.
"Logan…" Professor spoke up with a shaken voice.
"Don't even think about talkin' me out of it, Chuck! This bitch, what she did to them, to my daughter… I'm gonna carve out your fucking guts out and see if can survive it!" Wolverine already moved his claws towards slashing MacTaggart's stomach, when his hand was intercepted. "What the… Let go of me, kid! Ya know that she deserves to die better than anyone, and you still defend her?!" He roared at Hadrian, who held him with his one handed powerful grip
"I'm not defending her, Wolverine, but you are not going to gut her here." Hadrian stated, with Logan still trying to get out of his hold. "You think that I don't want to kill this sow? I'm fucking fighting myself from disintegrating her into absolute nothing, but that won't change a thing now, so back off, Wolverine, or I'll make you." Hadrian's words were strong enough to knock him back into his senses, with Logan letting go of Moira.
"Th-thank you, Nephalem…" She coughed out, as rose up.
"Oh, don't go thank me yet." And at that moment, Hadrian punched her straight in the gut, making her double down and fall on to her knees. "That is for thinking that you can get away with what you did. Believe me, doc, I'll make sure that your fate will be far worse than death at the hands of Wolverine. You and the rest of those butchers don't have the right to get off easy, not after all that you have done."
"You tell me to let her go, yet you straight up punch her in the gut afterwards…" Wolverine commented, getting Hadrian's attention.
"Your point?" He asked with a raised brow.
"Nothin', could've just told me that you were goin' to do it." Logan told him, as he walked to Doctor MacTaggert and raised her back to her feet by her neck. "Kid's right, though, doc. Killin' you will not do you any justice, oh no. You don't deserve that luxury."
"A statement that I share, despite how little I prefer to agree with Logan." Magneto admitted, with Cyclops also nodding to it.
"Though evil begets new evil, the malevolent atrocity committed by you, Doctor, no, Moira, can't be so easily atoned for, nor ever forgiven and forgotten." Beast agreed, as he collected himself. "Once I considered you to be pillar of enlightenment and symbol of cooperation and coexistence between humans and mutants, but this… You are worse than Bolivar Trask and his Sentinels. At the very least those machines only did what they were programmed, but you did out of your free will choice!"
"I… I was not given a choice when they came to me. After what Kevin had done, I had to make concessions, and I've allowed them to make Muir Island into their base, but that was…" Moira still tried to make it seem like she was innocent.
"That you've stopped at just that?! You fucking bitch, do you really think us that stupid, or that because we were your pet projects, you get to say what is right or false about us?" Eva asked of Moira. "Time for lies is up, Doctor, and believe me, you won't get away with your lies this time. You willingly accepted to participate in that horror, propagated it, used me, Harry, Gorgon's sisters and everyone else you could for your fucking experiments! All of that "research and advancements" was carved out of our blood, bones and souls, just so you could show off to the world just what a great genius you were!"
"You do not know what you are talking about, you hollow construct!" Moira screamed at her, losing her control. "What do you know about life, aside from what you were taught and what was downloaded into your brain? What do you know about desires, feelings, dreams and ambitions? Nothing, because it was all useless for you. You are not even a mutant, less than that. You are just construct, created from an original and made into an instrument, and as for Nephalem… I saw the extent of your Ascension and following mutations, and the sole human parameter you fit is your exterior. On the inside there is nothing human or mutant in you…"
"Yeah, but at least I still have my morals, unlike your amoral fucking piece of shit of a son!" Hadrian was losing it, deciding to shut her up. "You wanna talk about what makes one a human or a mutant? I am no expert, but even I know that no normal human or mutant would rape women and little girls as their husbands, sons, grandsons, and fathers, and no fucking normal man would be asking for more and more girls as a reward for his work. Unlike me, Eva and everyone else, Kevin never got to be chipped, and yet the stuff he did were at times worse than what I made to do. I may have been made into monster, but Proteus chose to become a monster, and he fucking revels in what he does. Is that what you call being a human being, doc?" He as with coldest tone possible.
"You… Kevin is different. He is not like you or anyone else." Moira said with a shaking voice.
"Yeah, he sure as hell is. Out of every one of your victims, out of all of us, only he had a way out, and yet he stayed, just like his mother." Eva said with poison. "Like mother, like son, only in your case, you prefer to hide who you are, whilst he just shows it… I can't decide if you are worse than him, or not."
"None of you have the right to judge me. The work I've done, the results I've achieved, all of it was done for the sake of mutants and humankind. The discoveries and results I've achieved, they will allow us all to move forwards as a species. Diseases, illnesses, psychological defects, genetic mistakes- thanks to the work I've done, we will be able to get rid of it all in a matter of the next few years." Moira justified for it. "And if the price for the future of humanity and mutants are the unfortunate few subjects, then it is a price that is worth paying in my mind."
"They were not some simple "few subjects"!" Hadrian hissed with fury. "Every single one of them, they were living, breathing persons, with lives, desires, ambitions and feelings, just like you, doc! Maybe for you and your ilk they are just toys and playthings on the table, for me… For me they, all of them, they were my family! And I was there for each and every one of them, when you tortured and murdered them, telling them that I would save them, that they won't be forgotten and that it would be all okay. You did not just kill a few "subjects, you killed men, women and children who were infinitely more humans than you and your son ever will be."
"The work that I have done was not pretty, yes, but the end results…" Moira still wanted to speak, but Charles finally spoke up.
"Moira, that is enough." Xavier's tone was as cold as it could get, shutting her up. "Scott, Jean, take Moira to the brig and lock her up there. Ensure that there is no way for her to escape or to use any means of communications." The two nodded, while Moira looked with shock at him.
"Charles, you can't just do it! I know that what I did was not morally right, but the end results..." She tried to appeal to him.
"Your "results" amount to abominable and absolutely inhumane cruelty, one that should never have been experienced by any living being, mutant or human." Charles stated to her. "You do not deserve the right to talk about the benefits for humanity, when you yourself are no longer one."
"I can restore your use of legs! You will be able to walk again, like a normal man." Cyclops and Jean began to push her out of the room, as she screamed.
"If you think that I require my legs to stand up for what I believe in, then you never did know me, Moira." And after that, Cyclops and Jean pushed out of the place, while Charles let out a sigh. "She… She was one of my closest friends, one of those who had helped me found this very school, to fight for the better world, and yet she had fallen so low. I wonder, if I too am to blame for what she did, since…"
"The true test of a person's character comes in choices that they make, and how they live with them. Moira's choices were her own, Charles, and you've had nothing to do with them, so do not take that weight upon your soul." Magneto advised his friend.
"You are right, Erik." Charles said, as he turned to Hadrian and Eva. "Mr. Potter, Miss Eva, I fear that no words of sympathy or pity will be sufficient enough to tell you, how much I am sorry for what had happened to you."
"With all due respect, Professor, it's not pity or sympathy that we want, and not what I came here for." Hadrian stated to him. "Eva and I may be free, but there are others who are not, and until they are, there is no point for you to feel sorry for us all. And we need your help to take down Weapon Plus and free them."
"That goes without saying. As soon as the X-Men are well enough, we will move against them. You have my word, that your friends will be freed from that purgatory." Charles assured them. "Though I share your desire to move out as soon as possible, the damage you have inflicted upon the X-Men is not yet healed. It is a hard thing for me to ask of you, but please allow them to recover, so that they be able to assist you at the best of their abilities."
"With the healing I've done to them, they all should be back up to full capacity by the morning." Dorea stated, as she finally calmed down. "This will give me plenty of time to call in a friend for help as well."
"Just how many friends did you and Charlus made?" Logan asked with curiosity.
"Plenty enough, and being the CEO Potter-Black Enterprises gives me an even wider specter of friends and acquaintances." Dorea stated to him.
"My apologies for a possible enforcement of misconceptions, but I was under the impression that representatives of the Wizarding World did not involve themselves in the affairs of the mundane world, much less run a multi-billion international companies with offices situated in nearly every corner of the world." Beast stated.
"Charlus and I never were like most of the Wizarding World, and that company was our way of trying to make the world better, though to the Wizarding World, this was seen as a breach of our oh so sacred Statute of Secrecy." Dorea said with sarcasm. "Pompous close-minded fools… They don't even understand just how dangerous that piece of antiquated law is to us now and how maintaining it will be their doom."
"Regardless, Mr. Potter, I ask of you, and you, Miss Eva, to be patient. Once all are rested and healed, we will head straight to Muir Island and put an end to this atrocity." Charles assured them.
"Fine." He let out a sigh through his nostrils, with Charles also breathing in a sigh of relief. "Do you have any spare clothes of something, then, plus a furnace or something like that?"
"I am certain we can accommodate you in that regard. Along with apartments in which for you to rest for the time while you wait, but why would you need a furnace?" Charles asked with curiosity.
"Because I want this thing gone, and I don't mean thrown in a closet kind of gone. I mean burned away, turned to ashes and dispersed." Hadrian stated, with Eva being of the same mind. "I don't mind a room, but I'm afraid I won't be resting all that much."
"Harry, if you need something for the sleep, I can provide you a draught or…" Dorea tried to offer, but he shook his head.
"No, and it wouldn't work on me anyway, since there's not a single sedative on this planet that can even faze me." Hadrian stated. "Because of my organism's many mutations and Ascension Process, I don't require all that much time for sleep. Ten hours per month for me is what 8 hours per day for everyone else, and I have had a nap in your Blackbird, so I am pretty good. Wouldn't mind going for a shower, though."
"Yeah, and a meal that doesn't look it was digested before it was served." Eva added up, with Charles nodding to them.
"In that, I can accommodated. Hank, Logan, if you do not mind, please give our guests a tour of the facilities, and providing them with lodgings and clothes for the time being." Charles asked of them, with both agreeing to it.
"Wait, before we end this meeting for good, there is something that I want to ask of you, Hadrian." Magneto spoke up. "The Weapon Plus, will they be on alert when we go after them, given what had happened and you and Eva no longer being under their control?"
"No, they won't know that we are coming for them, because they will have assumed that Eva and I are dead, as well as Doctor MacTaggert, since she was never returned to the base. Due to the placement of the biochips, it was virtually impossible to remove them without killing the subject, and every time it was attempted before, it resulted in the deaths." Hadrian stated with the knowledge of the subject. "While the chips did control our actions, they didn't actively transmit all our thoughts and what was happening to the base, because it would simply overload their processors. If our chips are gone and doc is not back with her files, then Wraith and others will assume that we are dead, but that our mission has been accomplished. However, Sinister… Sinister will know that something is up."
"Will he warn Wraith and the rest that you might be alive?" Magneto asked of him, with Harry pondering about it, before giving his answer.
"He might, but I do not think that he will do it, because this is something that he has already planned, probably." Harry stated, confusing them all a little. "Sinister was always rather open with me about his ideas, plans and schemes, and he has always made it clear that Weapon Plus was only a temporary solution, and that when he is ready, he will take action to remove himself from them, along with me. And this entire situation, with MacTaggert… Something tells me that he has had a hand in it."
"It does fit what we already know about the man. Use the X-Men to take out the Weapon Plus, but if he has worked on you, why would he let you go to us?" Magneto asked of Harry. "He knew that you wouldn't remain loyal to him and Wraith, so why was he willing to lose you readily?"
"I've spent five years trying to fully understand that bastard, but I am no closer than you are in that regard, I am afraid. All I can say is that Sinister always has a plan and he follows it to the letter." Hadrian assured them.
"Then we shall proceed with utmost caution, Mr. Potter. Now, Logan, Hank, please." Charles asked of them, and the two led them out, leaving Magneto and Dorea in the room. "This… This goes beyond just a few corrupt investors and patrons from the Ministry of Defense. STRIKE is SHIELD's subsidiary that operates in the British Isles and Western Europe, and that means that all of this goes far deeper than even we can grasp."
"In other words, we will need help from someone influential and powerful enough to root out that corruption in one go." Magneto stated, while Dorea moved to the computer board near, bringing online the monitor. "Dorea, who are you trying to call?"
"Someone who has both influence and power to get rid of them all." She stated, before the large monitor showed the icon of shield, before she spoke up loud enough for microphones to hear her. "This is Dorea Potter-Black, Access Level 8, requesting immediate video contact with Director Fury. Confirmation code: Delta-Zulu-1-7-0-1-Alpha." Erik and Charles exchanged surprised looks, as they heard Dorea speak up like that.
"Confirmation code is accepted. Welcome back, Department Chief Black. Request granted. Establishing contact." Automated response stated.
"Department Chief Black? I was under the impression that you have retired from the SHIELD." Magneto noted to Dorea with surprise in his voice.
"I did, but Fury never revoked my access code or fully removed from the roster. Officially, I am in the reserve, so I've got the access." Dorea stated, as she looked as the contact was still being established.
"If you do not mind me asking, of what Department were you chief of, Dorea?" Charles asked out of curiosity.
"Magical Response, Containment, Neutralization and Recovery Department. The department that specializes in dealing with the Wizarding World and all of its nasty surprises, like dragons and giants who stray out of normal borders." Dorea stated to Charles. "Charlus and I were the ones who founded the Department, right when the SHIELD was established. Our company was one of SHIELD's first tech suppliers and supporters, with most of their tech still based on what was made by my company." And in that moment, Nick Fury appeared on the video feed.
"Well, I thought my eyes were deceiving me when I saw the name. Dorea Black, as I live and breathe!" Fury greeted his old friend and comrade jovially. "Looking mighty fine, Lady Potter, if dare say so myself."
"Fury, I wish I could say that it is good to see you, but I am afraid I am in short supply of social politeness right now." Dorea said with tired and cold tone, immediately making Fury get serious.
"I had a feeling that this is not a social call, especially given the location you are calling from. Professor, Magneto, I hope you are treating my friend well there." Fury nodded to them, before returning to Dorea. "So, what can I do for you? You don't make such calls unless it's something very serious."
"You are right, Nick, and it is serious." She confirmed. "Nick, it is about Harry."
"Dorea, I've got my best men and women looking high and low for the kid, you have my word. I promised you that I would find him even if I have to turn the Earth inside out and I will." Nick assured her, but she stopped him.
"Nick, I am not calling just to ask about the progress. I am calling because… Because I found him, Nick." She stated to him with full seriousness.
"You… You serious?" He almost did not believe her. "You found Harry?"
"Yes, I did, and he… Nick, Harry… He is not the same as you remember him. He… he was experimented on, made into a living weapon… Nick, he is not even a boy anymore, but an adult, made into one by…" She said with tears and nearly breaking again.
"Easy, easy, Dorea. Take a deep breath, please… Now, tell me everything, step by step." He asked of her, with Dorea calming down a little. "Who dared to experiment on my godson, Dorea, and where can I find them motherfuckers?" Fury asked of her with full intention to strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger.
Meanwhile. Muir Island.
Sinister moved through the cryogenic chamber, smiling at the fact that his plan had proceeded without the hitch and all the pieces were now falling into place. Nephalem and Eva were with the X-Men, and the days of the Weapon Plus and their many patrons were numbered, just as Sinister had planned. Loss of the feedback from biochip was a shame, but even without it Sinister knew that his Nephalem had performed without a single failure and exceeded his expectations. Thanks to such great success and progress, Nephalem was now prepared for his final examination, one that would fully cement, if Sinister's choice in him was correct or not.
Having stopped before the chamber that contained Kevin MacTaggert, he grinned viciously, as he deactivated the chamber and the ice began to thaw inside.
"Time for the final test, my boy." Sinister said, as Proteus began to regain his functions.
Oh, Weapon Plus better pray for mercy to the God, 'cause Fury is now after their asses, and unlike Thanos, he ain't gonna stop until ALL motherfuckers are wasted! And we also have the prologue for the end of this arc!
I've gotta admit, that for the writer who likes to take his time and show as much detail as possible, I am actually really enjoying this fast paced way of story telling. I know that because of my usual style, I get bogged down a lot and it is a problem with me and for many of my readers, this isn't what they want. My goal when I did get into this story was actually to get a faster pace with storytelling, getting more progression over explanation of things, and I must admit, that I do find this to be A LOT of fun!
Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter. As many of you have guessed, Harry did break out of control, and we have Magneto to thank for it, and yes, I DID my research and I know that the guy is capable of what he did. When he says that he is Master of Magnetism, he actually undersells it a little, because he is actually capable of manipulating Electromagnetism, one of the fundamental forces in the universe, and one that allows Magneto to do absolutely terrifying stuff! He is a confirmed Omega level mutant that can literally destroy our world, so something as controlling electric signals in human body is well within his powers.
As for how Nephalem and Eva had managed to dominate the X-Men, I believe it was well explained, but for those who still wonder, Nephalem was SPECIFICALLY made to fight, match and beat X-Men, individually or in teams. Sinister and Wraith had trained him in such a way, that Hadrian would be able to adapt and defeat every X-Men, and he was made to study their tactics, strategies, strengths and weaknesses. In short, he is like a fully prepared Batman with super powers, and if there is one thing that scares the living hell out of anyone, it is Batman with prep time!
And as for Dorea, she and Charlus have been pretty active in the normal world and yes, they were among the founders of the SHIELD (because of course SHIELD would have a special department dedicated to all of Wizarding World nasty surprises). They worked with both Magneto and Wolverine at separate times, and have maintained good relations with them, despite all that had happened and even Erik going villain mode for a long time.
In addition, I did intentionally make Hadrian's middle name Erik, to signify how close Potters and Magneto were as friends, and as for Nick Fury being his godfather, that one I actually borrowed from the Ultimates 2 Volume comics, where it was revealed that Nick Fury is a godfather for one of Clint Barton's kids. Given that Fury and Dorea are longtime friends and have worked together since a very long time ago, Dorea and Charlus decided to make him Harry's godfather after they took him from James and Lily.
And as for Harry's godmother… Let me know, who do you think they would choose for him from the Marvel Universe, and other media.
Oh, and about Harry's looks, let's just say that Sinister had decided to tweek Harry's genes a bit, so now he has a bit more of his Grandma in him than he would normally have, like small perk of Metamorphing added in as well.
Anyway, as always, thank you for you awesome support for this story. Please be sure to leave a comment, give me your recommendations on various subjects, like romantic interests for Harry or things he will have to do. Leave question if you have it, I will be sure to answer it for you, and of course, once again, thank you for your support.
Next time: New style, new gear, full power; All hell breaks loose in England; God vs Nephalem.