Chapter 36 - Double Agent

There really hadn't been anything special about that random Friday afternoon in New York. Not to James, anyhow. He and Tony had been working together on a project for the military - though Tony had been careful to keep James far away from the junior military liaison that followed Rhodey around at every visit. The two of them were working on a new, thinner armor that Tony had insisted would only be produced if it was made for the soldiers - not just the officers. The lower level military guys had been dealing with sub-par stuff for years and Tony was tired of being asked to upgrade continually only for his upgraded gear to be used exclusively by those not even close enough to the action to make use of it.

Rhodey and his shadow had just left and Tony took a few minutes with James to go over the notes that he'd taken during the demo before he nodded to himself and headed out - already putting in the order for some pizza that they could dig into for a late lunch while they re-worked the specs for production. Which left James with a stack of gear to go through, deciding for himself which parts he wanted to work on and which ones he would pass on to someone else. He was finishing up tossing some of the parts into recycling when the door to his lab opened to admit his sister, Billy, and Tommy - all of whom had been spending a rare day off of school going through the city, sightseeing.

"It's snowing," Billy said, before James could even say hello.

"Which almost makes up for the cold," Tommy decided - and a second later, he was on the other side of the lab, dropping onto the couch. "Almost."

"It's not even really sticking to the ground yet," James said, moving a vest to his main work bench, since that was the one part of the armor that was coming along better than the more fidgety helmets. "So it's not even cold enough to complain yet."

"That's backward thinking," Tommy said, making a face, though he paused to look around the room - then darted around the lab to take a closer look - not that James cared much.

"I'm surprised you didn't rush back to Westchester," James said toward Tommy as Billy took off his coat and scarf.

"I will," Tommy said. "But someone said I should try to be more social here at the tower. So … I'm being social."

"You don't have to be here if you don't want to," Rachel said, and in the time it took Billy to open his mouth to argue it, Tommy grinned, zipped over to kiss her cheek and rushed out leaving all of them to take a moment to catch up to what had just happened. "I shouldn't have said that."

"No, it's fine. He would have been awful if he hadn't grabbed that loophole to run back. He needs to stretch his legs anyhow." Billy grinned at Rachel. "I almost want him to hit ice and fall on the way back."

Rachel laughed and shook her head. "Your brother did that purposely to ditch me, didn't he?"

Billy shrugged openly. "Maybe …"

Rachel rolled her eyes and was just turning to leave when the door opened in front of her and Tony came in with a pizza box in hand. "Hey. You've got visitors! Put it down and take a break, would you?" he said to James, then smiled at Rachel an instant before turning his focus to Billy, too. "You two stickin' around? Grab a slice and help me get him to stop for a minute."

"I'm almost done," James defended as Tony set the box down with a raised eyebrow. "I am."

"It's not going anywhere, kiddo. You did great dealing with Rhodey's shadow, too. Better than I did."

James let out a breath as Rachel gave him a look, then he turned to wash up. He didn't make it a habit to argue with Tony when he was in a good mood like this - and he was in a pretty good mood after both a training session to teach James how to deal with the military brass and a very progressive inventing session with him, too. It was the best of both worlds, as far as Tony was concerned and his work on James was starting to pay off.

As James washed up, Rachel grabbed some drinks from the mini fridge for all four of them and then slipped over to pull out some paper plates, too. Until she'd started stocking them in James' lab, he and Tony had been in the habit of sharing their lunch right out of the box - which went against just about everything their father had taught them.

James sat down between Billy and Tony, barely glancing up as he cracked open the can of coke Rachel slid him and the group started to dig in silently at first. But Rachel couldn't help that her attention was still drawn by the body armor on the bench.

"So," she said between bites. "What's the big project today? Looks serious."

"Same old," Tony answered - long used to simply answering questions from Summers kids. "Upgraded body armor for the military. New components. Lower cost, higher strength. Just have to make it a little lighter without losing the durability and protection."

"Just one more step to the process," James agreed, which Tony was smiling over and enjoying the easy conversation they had going on.

"You need anything for that?" Tony asked after a beat, though James shook his head before answering.

"Not for this, no," he said, cluing Rachel in at least that the two of them were simply picking up on where they left off their last conversation. There was a hesitation before James smirked. "Could use a 3D printer with better capabilities though. Resolution isn't as good as I'd like it to be on the one I've got now. And it's way too small."

"The printer you've got isn't even on the market yet," Tony pointed out with a dry look, but James didn't back down, shrugging carelessly.

"Doesn't change anything. Still need better resolution."

The two of them continued their discussion - though silent as they stared at each other - all the way up until Tony let out a sigh, got to his feet, and grabbed another slice of pizza. "You gonna tell me what you're making?"

"Nope," James said, shaking his head lightly, and again, the discussion seemed to fall into silence for a long moment only to be broken once again by a non verbal sound from Tony as he watched James.

"How much bigger do you need it to be?" Tony asked finally.

"Three times what my max is now. Four would be better."

Rachel was smirking behind her soda can. She wasn't sure what James was up to, but she could hear Tony loud and clear - and he was trying desperately to figure out what the kid was doing without being pushy. His curiosity was getting the better of him, and Rachel could see watching her brother that he knew it without anyone confirming it for him.

"Will you tell me what you're working on if I can manage a bigger higher resolution SLA?"

Again, James shook his head lightly. "No. But I'll show you after the test run."

Tony sighed heavily and dropped one hand on James' shoulder as he thought it through- still doing his best to look as if he was weighing everything out. "Gimmie a couple days. Should be up and running by then."

"No rush," James promised. "I've got plenty to do here for the generals."

"I want to see what you're up to," Tony said. "Especially when I'm guessing a large reason you want it bigger is so you don't have to do any seams?"

"Maybe," James replied, still totally relaxed and at ease, even when Tony smirked to himself and gave James a one-armed squeeze.

"You kids don't do anything I wouldn't do while I'm gone now," Tony said, winking at Rachel just to rile her.

"Told you, I'm not going to your board meetings unless it's necessary," James called out.

"Not this year. Next year? Well ..." Tony said just before he slipped out of the door, leaving the kids to their own devices.

"This isn't lunch, is it?" Rachel said once the door was closed. "It's past three."

"We were distracted," James defended.

Rachel smirked at her brother. Sure you were, she projected. You've made his whole week by whatever it was that you pulled off earlier - I could hear him preening before we were even halfway here.

He's training me, James replied, always easier to converse with telepathically when he was busy eating. He's going to talk to Dad about having me join him on a few trips overseas this year. Teaching me how the company works. Dealing with foreign entities … contracts …

Doesn't sound like the usual thing his inventors need to do.

It's not, James agreed, though he was focused on grabbing a bite and clearing his head - so he missed the expression on Billy's face as he stared at the body armor on the bench. But Rachel didn't miss it.

Rachel quietly watched Billy for a moment longer before gently reaching out to see what the guy was thinking and found herself frowning at his suspicious line of thoughts. It was pretty clear right off the bat that Billy was dealing with conflicting information and having seen not only the fact that James was working on stuff that was above the level of 'student', but that he was making subtle demands with no promise of outcome to Tony for equipment was one thing. But the genuine warmth Tony showed toward James - the fact that he wasn't questioning him further than to ask what he wanted before he was obviously prepared to move mountains - It was the kind of conflicting information that meant Billy had to come to his own conclusions - and the conclusions he was coming to certainly didn't add up to what he thought was an established truth.

But, Billy blinked out of his haze and looked up to catch Rachel watching him, and very suddenly, Billy's projected thoughts dropped off almost entirely - except of course for the quiet gut reaction of 'oh crap' when faced with a telepath. The two of them stared at each other for a second longer before Billy cleared his throat and went for the most obvious subject. "What is this stuff made of anyhow?" he asked James, tipping his head at the body armor on the bench.

"New formulation of resin, mostly," James said between bites before he turned toward the armor. "And a bunch of other stuff, too. That's the prototype I liked. Brass didn't agree. Too bad for them."

"Is that what you've got Tony jumping through hoops for?" Rachel asked.

"No," James said, finally engaging in the conversation. "That's a little pet project of mine - for him. He doesn't know about it and he's not going to until it's done."

"Not in a sharing mood?" Rachel asked with her head tipped slightly.

"Obviously not," James answered. "Don't worry about it though. It's not another prank. Well … not yet, anyhow." He turned toward Billy this time with a crooked smile. "If you're done with the tour guide routine, we could have an early date. I'm done for the day."

Billy blinked once then broke into a grin. "Sorry, Rachel, I have plans now. I can find my own way back to Westchester."

James smiled at his sister and switched to projecting. Let Dad know I'll be home a little late, please? Not super late, just … I'll miss dinner, but make curfew.

Diving right in, are you? Rachel asked with an ill-hidden smile.

I'm pretty sure this is the first nearly-normal thing I've done in … a long time, James countered. And I'd like to try a little normal for a change.

Have fun, Rachel told him as all three of them left the lab. And if you need anything, project to me. I'll be listening. Just in case.

Starting to sound like Dad, James countered before he and Billy headed out into the falling snow leaving Rachel thinking hard about what she'd gleaned from Billy's thoughts.

"I don't think you understand, Grandfather," Billy was saying quietly into the receiver as he tucked himself into a quiet spot in the empty horse barn at Xavier's. "Or maybe I'm not being very clear - there is no strain between the Avengers and mutants that I've been able to see. Mr. Stark is very supportive of Cyclops' family. He's been backing up Rachel and helping her to be an Avenger - and she's amazing, honestly. And nice. They're all really nice here."

"Stark has no reason but guilt to take those children into account," Erik replied. "Had his team of so-called heroes done what they claimed to from the beginning, their families would be intact and Cyclops wouldn't be in such a sorry state of limbo. No. If he's not using those children, then he's using their father."

"That doesn't line up," Billy argued with a little more stern tone. "I've watched Stark in James' lab. He gives him whatever he wants without … he doesn't make him do anything that I've seen."

"How does that not sound like guilt, William?"

"It's not. He's training him for something. I didn't get the details on what though," Billy said, half bragging and half complaining when in fact, their last date just days before had been interrupted when Tony had informed James that they had to go. To Los Angeles. Right then. And they'd been gone for almost three days, yet none of the other Summers family members seemed bothered by that fact.

Sure, James had texted Billy back, but he couldn't give Billy a reasonable time frame on when they could pick back up with what had been pretty regular dates. Once the boys had started exploring dating each other, it had become a frequent thing. Which meant that with James across the country with Tony, Billy had less than usual to do. He was quickly discovering that the mainland was even less fun when he couldn't do anything with his favorite distraction. Kate was fun … when she wasn't tied up with her sweetheart, but seeing as Kate and Nate went to school together … and they weren't in Westchester … it just wasn't the same. The fact that Tommy was being obnoxious with Mia every spare second of the day was just adding insult to injury. Even America was acting as if he was causing her pain when they hung out and he was being so mopey.

But Billy had still managed to stop just short of telling his grandfather that he was dating anyone. Even if he was getting dangerously close to that subject, he knew that Erik would avoid bringing up that issue. Particularly since he likely didn't care if Billy was dating - though he would care if he knew who he was dating. "I'm telling you, honestly, I don't see anything going on that's anywhere close to what you're worried about," Billy swore.

"Then it's only because you haven't been around when it's been happening," Erik said patiently. His tone was even and relaxed, as if this was normal conversation. "Stark is a weapons manufacturer. There is no coincidence that the one child in that group that he's showing an interest in happens to be the offspring of two weaponized mutants. If nothing else, he's keeping the Summers children close so no one else can pick them up and convince them to fight the Avengers."

But that actually hit close enough to the truth that Billy had to take pause. He'd heard more or less the same thing from the Summers kids, and Kate, and her parents.

"What we don't know is what the Avengers are planning to do with them. Or about them. They're too dangerous for the Avengers to allow them to roam freely. All three of them." When there was a pause, Erik realized how little Billy was agreeing or arguing by that point. "You cannot allow yourself to sympathize with those humans, William. They would imprison and use you in an instant."

"No, I'm not .. it's not really a sympathy thing, Grandfather. It's more that I know that the Avengers aren't-" He stopped himself from continuing, knowing that it would only start a fight - and he didn't want to fight with his grandfather. Not in person. Not from a distance - not at all if he could help it. Before Erik could lay into him, Billy handled it quickly. "I can't assume what they're up to until I get closer."

"Do you have someone that you've gotten to be friends with in their tower?" Erik asked in a slow, even meter.

"Yes," Billy replied, one eye closed.

"And is it someone that could get you into their labs?"

"Ye-es," he said slowly. "I can do that pretty easily, I'm sure. Even without using my abilities." He hoped that would be good enough for his grandfather and that he wouldn't ask how.

There was a long pause on the other end of the phone. "Then I suggest you spend as much time as you need there finding out what exactly, the Avengers are up to and what Stark is using that boy for. I'll expect to hear all about it when you come home. Oh, and be careful around Rachel Summers. Telepaths are notoriously nosy."

"Yes. I will be careful. I should know what the story is by the time the holidays hit. Hopefully."

Billy hung up his phone and stared at the screen for a long while. He knew he had to keep up his communication with his grandfather, but the longer it went on, the more Billy wasn't sure about … all of it. Very little of what Erik had taught them had proven to be true - at least as far as horrible humans went. Yes, Billy had finally seen a few anti-mutant people in action from afar, but they truly were in the minority. Of course, he kept it in the back of his head that maybe some of these people were so reasonable because they didn't know who was a mutant and who wasn't. That was a concern, after all. So until he saw irrefutable proof one way or another, Billy decided to go back to reading the book that he'd found in the library that Professor Xavier had written.

Billy smiled when he first opened the book containing Xavier's works - in part because he knew it was something that had been dear to all mutants, even if he hadn't read it yet. His grandfather and mother had referenced the works many times, but even at that, he hadn't expected it to be so starkly different than what Erik had tried to raise the boys with. Many of the words were familiar, and the basic ideas, but the further Billy got in reading the words that Xavier had written, the more he wondered how close Charles and his grandfather had been. Erik's outlook was very different than Charles' words … but Erik spoke with such affection in his tone when he talked about Charles Xavier … it had Billy wondering if Erik's misinterpretation was born from heartbreak.

Which meant Billy was looking at his grandfather in an entirely different light. The more he read, the more inconsistencies he found between what was written and what Erik had told the family and the citizens of Genosha. The more he read, the more he wondered how long Erik and Charles had danced around each other from afar, and the more he felt sorry for both of them having missed out on being able to enjoy each other's company more openly. And considering what James had told him about how uptight people were now, it had to have been worse for gay men at that time. It certainly explained Erik's total attitude toward intolerance. Everything about Erik had been something for someone to hate. Being Jewish. Being a mutant. Being gay - or at least bi. Any one of those things would have been taboo. To be all three? Erik had created Genosha to be a utopia - but it was a utopia that Charles simply didn't want to run away to.

Billy closed the book as he made the connection. Now he realized - or thought he did - what it was that had motivated Erik so strongly. All he needed now was a way to figure out how much of what Erik was doing was revenge and hurt and how much of it was accurate to how the world actually worked.

His cell phone chimed and Billy unlocked it to see who it was that was texting him - only to break into a grin when he saw that it was James - with good news on his return to New York, and already working on plans for something fun even before he got in the air to fly home. And that sounded like a lot more fun than whatever espionage his grandfather wanted him to commit.

Erik might have backed off enough to let Billy and Tommy go to school in Westchester - thanks in large part to Wanda - but he was also good for his word. He showed up in Washington D.C. just before Thanksgiving for a dramatic hello and to throw his weight around leaving the same old message that mutants were not to be trifled with lest those involved wanted to invoke his wrath.

Of course, the Avengers were called in as soon as he appeared - even before he started to make a scene, which meant Rachel and Kate were sharing looks with Jan the whole way.

"Just get him to sign off on the uniform," Jan said quietly to Kate. "And I'll have them all ready in a snap."

"Good, because this feels like a good bad guy to debut with," Kate said.

"It so does, and considering that the twins said James almost stabbed him, you know ... " Jan said with a serious look.

"Oh, come on," Kate laughed. "It was just a snarl."

"Yeah, James doesn't pop his claws unless he means to use them," Rachel said. "There's no almost."

"When was the last time he snarled?" Jan asked.

"Um… probably that guy that tried to get me in the back of his truck a few years ago," Rachel said.

"Mmmmhmm. That was a good year for that kind of thing. Were there claws then?"

Rachel hedged then tipped her chin up. "I can neither confirm nor deny on the grounds that Dad would have a heart attack either way," she said with a sniff.

"That's totally a yes."

"Hey, he had it coming," Rachel said.

"Further confirmation," Jan sang out quietly.

Kate giggled. "She's not wrong, Rachel."

"Are the sweethearts still sweet?" Jan asked. "I know there was a small break when Tony took James to the west coast. But those boys are so cute together. Ooh! How is your dad handling that?"

"I think he was kind of surprised James swung that way," Rachel admitted. "We all kind of were. James too, a little, if I'm being honest. But Dad got over it pretty quick once he saw how happy James is with Billy and how relaxed he is when they're together."

"Good. They're adorable," Jan said. "And Billy told me he has something special in mind for James' birthday. He's such a sweet guy. And totally smitten."

"Well, you know dad. If it makes us happy, he has a hard time saying no. The only thing we've ever fought about was this." Rachel gestured to her uniform.

"Yes, well. The new ones have a little extra pop," Jan said. "When you get James to stop being so anxious about it and sign off, I'll show you the full team look I have planned. And believe me. You want to see it."

"He just needs to know Dad isn't going to have an aneurism," Rachel said. "That's all."

"Which is a real concern," Jan agreed.

"Yeah, well, you know how he is," Rachel said in a sigh as the team arrived to find Magneto still floating over the city.

"Stand down," Steve called out, announcing their presence - not that Magneto needed it. "No one here wants a fight."

"Is that why you came in a show of force?" Erik asked with one eyebrow raised.

"It's not a show of force, Magneto," Steve insisted. "It's outreach. We came with some of our newest members-"

"To show them how best to push around those you find beneath you? Yes, I think that's already been established by how mutants are treated already."

"Woah, take two hundred steps back and pull your head out," Jan said, her wings fluttering behind her as a blush rose up on her cheeks. Before she'd gotten so involved with Scott and his kids, Jan hadn't been sure how to fight someone that accused the Avengers of doing less than their best, but those were her kids too as far as she was concerned. She wasn't going to let anyone get away with accusing her and her family of turning their backs on any kids. "You don't know what you're talking about, mister."

"I know that mutants are only allowed to live in this country and elsewhere if they hide who and what they are," Erik said. "And I will not stand idly by any longer."

"Then you haven't met our newer members," Kate sang out with a crooked smirk. "Prestige, say hi."

Rachel smirked as she took off from the ground, her cloak catching the wind of her motion - and Nate, who had just convinced his dad to let him be a junior Avenger, put his arm around Kate's shoulders to pick her up to float too. It was both a flirt… and a way to hide that Kate was just plain human from a guy who clearly had a vendetta against humanity.

"You're the one attacking people based on their genetics, and we're the ones with a mixed team," Nate pointed out.

Erik turned toward him with a crooked sort of smile. "Ah. The football player," he said. "This is your little cheerleader friend, is it not? Tell me, what can you do, my dear girl?"

"Outshoot my boyfriend, for starters," Kate said without missing a beat, and Nate barely tipped his head back with a groan as he tried to keep it as professional as possible

"Seriously?" Nate said under his breath, though he didn't turn to look at her.

"He asked."

"I'm sure that's very impressive at the high school," Erik said in his most patronizing tone. "But I meant what are your abilities? What superior gift were you endowed with - or is that all you do?"

"Like we're going to give you personal details when you're coming so close to busting secret identities to the news," Rachel said, then projected to Kate to be careful, since Erik, according to Scott, had always looked down on humans. Not that Kate needed the crib notes when she'd already had a far less aggressive conversation like this with Billy.

"Ah, yes. I was wondering what had happened to you, young lady. How closely do you plan to follow in your mother's footsteps?" Erik said in a booming voice that carried to her easily.

Rachel paused and swallowed before she did her best to look confident all the same. "Actually, I'm more like my dad. I plan to step up and lead when I'm older."

"Before or after you step into your fire?"

Rachel froze. "I-"

"I thought you were coming to tear us down for the way we treat mutants," Steve snapped. "Don't come after my junior team members while telling me I'm the one that has a problem. If they believed in your philosophy, they'd have joined you, but they have more sense than that, Magneto."

"They only know what they've seen and they are in the minority here. Most of our kind do stand with me. Where they are free to be as God intended."

Steve bristled. "Then maybe you need to pander to your own country, because doing this on American soil looks like a threat more than it is a statement. Go back to Genosha. That is helpful to mutants; that's why the Avengers haven't stopped anyone from-"

"The Avengers have perpetrated the way that mutants have been treated," Erik said. "I don't need to listen to you, Captain. Not when I speak for a larger, growing group. Not when the only time you help mutant kind is when it benefits you."

"You don't speak for us," Nate said. "Since when is terrorizing the government speaking up for mutants? All you're doing is putting a target on us."

"If you'd like a target, I'm sure that can be arranged," Erik said. "As well it should be for anyone - even mutants that stand against our interests."

"Hey." Kate was livid as she twirled an arrow - wooden, since they'd known who they were coming after - in her fingers. "You know better. You know the history. You can't threaten to put a target-"

"I know that the X-Men allowed the mutants of this country and beyond to fall to the wayside with no one to speak in their defense or to offer them help as they once did. I know that the Avengers turned a blind eye while many of the X-Men were murdered brutally because they simply didn't care," Erik said in a booming voice. "And I know that the X-Men that survived turned their back on Charles Xavier's dream for a better world for all mankind when they walked away leaving all of mutant kind in the lurch with no hope for anything but a slow and painful genocide."

"Shut up," Rachel said, losing her temper as she reached out and tossed something at him - it didn't matter to her what it was, though since she was reacting in anger and not training, it ended up being a car, which Erik dealt with easily enough.

"You claim to take after your father," Erik said in a low undertone. "Yet you have no planning. No preparation. No thought. Your actions are purely emotional and I've seen them before, young lady. You are your mother's daughter right down to the bone. So let me impart on you a word of warning. If you stay the course - this same course that your mother once took - you will either meet the same tragic end or doom all of us with you."

Rachel was almost shaking - and Nate reached out to her mind to bolster her while Jan flew closer to Erik, spitting mad. "Listen," she said. "We're trying to give you a chance to walk away. But if you say one more word to those kids-"

"A chance to do what? Hide? Cower behind closed doors hoping and praying that no one comes knocking? I've done that before and I'll never do it again. Not to those that would hold themselves above my people."

"You've said your piece," Nate said evenly. "You don't have to spit on the X-Men's legacy while you're at it."

Erik gestured widely. "There is no legacy from the X-Men anymore. The only purpose they've served as far as humanity is concerned was to leave a gravemarker for the humans to admire."

"You're wrong," Kate said. "But I don't expect you to see that when you're too busy being a megalomaniac to see the family they left behind picking up the pieces. You just see what you want to see."

"I came to make my intentions known and your arrival was only meant to try and shout me down and attack," Erik said. "Typical of the Avengers right down the line." He floated a little higher in the air. "No matter. My message will be heard by those that will act on it. Soon enough, we'll see where mutant kind stands - if they choose to cower and hide - or embrace the dream that Charles failed to see come to fruition."

For a long moment, the Avengers were quiet as Erik stormed off, and then Kate turned to Nate and kissed him hard. "That guy is so full of crap - you know that, right?" She looked up at Rachel. "Both of you know that, right?"

"Yeah," Rachel said in a breath before she finally shook herself out of it. But you know this just means we need to pull out those uniforms, right?

Yeah, no way are we letting him have the final say on what the X-Men stand for.

Let's talk to James, Kate said. But even if he's not fully on board…

Yeah. It's time, Nate agreed. If Magneto's trying to speak for mutants, the world needs the X-Men.