A/N - PAV, you crack me up, even when it's serious. thank you kindly for the review. Now ... I said it was gonna be slow on this one. Be. patient. Once we get past the hump, I'll probably pick up pace again here. ;) Happy Weekend of spangly holiday! (not THE spangly one, just A spangly one.)

Chapter 45: Bugged

Although all of the kids had ended up eavesdropping on Scott and Erik's conversation, they weren't entirely sure what to make of it. James and Rachel were sure their dad wasn't agreeing with Erik but… they didn't know half the details Scott and Erik had discussed on what had happened to their parents. And they knew their dad wasn't exactly doing well. But it didn't help them sort through what had happened and all that they'd heard.

The twins, who had been more tense than they realized, had listened half holding their breath - though Billy had been equal parts surprised, impressed, and bewildered that he'd been left out of the loop from even knowing that James had the tech to work around Magneto. But all of his questions fell to the wayside the instant that Logan's death was brought up. Especially when James didn't have a thing to say for the rest of the evening.

The kids had all scattered by the time that Scott would have been able to even begin looking for them. James had taken the short cut unintentionally as Billy simply wished him to his room before he'd stolen a kiss and promised to find him in the morning. When Scott poked his head in to check on James, he was already in bed with his back to the door feigning sleep as he mulled over everything that they'd overheard. And while Scott was glad to see that James was at least safe for the time being, he wasn't totally surprised when Wanda knocked on his door a short while later.

"It's starting to feel like most of my conversations with people start out by apologizing for my father's behavior," Wanda said quietly, even before Scott could invite her into the suite. "But I feel the need to apologize all the same. There is no good excuse for his attitude. I know he's twisted up the memory of the professor's dream and I have no excuse for him outside of senility."

"That really doesn't ease my mind, Wanda," Scott said, hoping that this wasn't going to turn into another fight.

"I'm sure it doesn't," she agreed before she took a seat and sighed heavily. "I hope you won't abandon the rest of this trip."

"Come on, Wanda," Scott said, forcing a smile as much as he was able. "You act like I've never dealt with your father in one of his moods before."

"Oh, I know you have. Outside of those of us sharing a blood tie, you're probably the most experienced in the world. You're simply out of practice."

"Yeah, but it's like riding a bike, right?"

"Still," Wanda said, relaxing slightly on seeing that Scott wasn't ready to leave yet. "I'll speak with him later. I wanted to check on you first and make sure that this isn't going to ruin things for the boys either. Billy never would have asked for you to come here if he wasn't head over heels." When Scott didn't have a reply loaded up and ready, Wanda continued. "And I'd hate to lose an ally in matters that have become much larger than Genosha already."

Scott watched her for a long moment. "You're worried about what your father is up to."

"I'd be a fool not to be," Wanda said. "And the fact that you're here … if this was just about the boys, we could have come to you to keep my father out of the middle."

"Billy really did want to show James where he's from," Scott said, almost surprising himself at his defense of Billy's motives. "But you're partially right. There's no way I'd allow James to come here without me with how things are politically in the world right now."

Wanda smiled sedately and then let her gaze drop to her hands. "I suppose it would be asking too much to have you help me to keep my father from going too far. Especially for as long as you've kept away from such matters."

"No," Scott said, shaking his head gently. "I just don't know that there's much I could do."

She looked up with the light flashing in her eyes very much like her father. "If he continues on this path, I don't expect the world to tolerate him much longer. It would be bad for mutants around the world if he goes back to his warmongering ways. Help me make sure that never happens again, Scott."

"If it comes to a point where he needs to be talked down-"

"If he could be talked down, it would have been done by now. We both know the only one who ever had any success in getting him off of the ledge was Charles." Wanda shrugged. "And my mother, but that … was even farther in the past." She let her shoulders droop. "I'm only asking that if there is a way to stop him without ending him that you take that route. As harsh as he can be -" Her sentiment fell to silence and Scott could see that they were more or less on the same page. "It would be hard on the boys - and Lorna's kids too … I know you have yet to see it, but they love him. And he is losing his grip on sanity."

Scott was quiet, though he nodded minutely, acutely aware that they might be overheard. He wasn't stupid enough to think that Erik hadn't bugged the suite anticipating any treason. "I don't want to see any harm come to your father, Wanda."

"Neither do I." Wanda frowned and then leaned toward him, her hands on her crossed knees. "I put the 'security measures' on a loop before I came in. Between that and a little spell that Lorna and I use often, no one listens in on me unless I allow it." She reached over to rest her hand on his wrist. "He's been pushing his luck. I'm simply trying to tell you as much. I swore to Lorna that I wouldn't interfere with our father, but … I would not hold it against you if you did so for the sake of the children, our old teams, and the fate of our kind at large. I only ask you try to handle him as Charles would, if it's even possible."

"Understood," Scott said, then smiled. "But … if that's the route you're discussing, then I'm going to ask that you get him to lay off James."

"Already working on it," Wanda promised, then smiled. "You did so well with James, Scott. It's clear he's holding his tongue and trying to be respectful. I know that's entirely for Billy's sake."

"Is that why Billy's being more open about speaking against him?" Scott asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Most likely," Wanda agreed with a smile. "The boys are protective of each other. Believe it or not, that's a new experience for Billy - having someone sincere enough to look out for him."

"Then it's a good match," Scott said as Wanda got to her feet.

"I'll make sure to keep my father occupied tomorrow. If you're not planning anything already, I'd like to find a quiet place to speak with you further. It seems our boys are getting serious after all."

Thankfully for the kids' sanity, the next morning Kitty caught up to Rachel while Billy and Tommy tried to get James to talk to them about what they'd all overheard. After all, not only was Wanda and Vision keeping watch, but Kitty was concerned about Scott as well.

Rachel, Kitty projected out to get her attention and then waved once she had it. "Hey! I don't know if you remember me… I'm Kitty."

Rachel's eyebrows shot up. "Yeah, of course I do," she said as she shook Kitty's hand - and then Kitty pulled her into a hug and did the usual gushing about how much she looked like her mom. "We've missed you."

"We missed you too. I'm still a little salty that I didn't get to keep your little brother. But, ah, I wanted to ask…" Kitty paused and then switched to telepathic communication - since she, too, was paranoid. Do you know why your dad's here?

Rachel paused. He said you were worried about Magneto, she admitted. And after spending some time with the guy, I don't exactly blame you.

He's been getting worse for a few years now. He's just escalating now that he has an excuse.

Rachel nodded. I see why you asked him to come, she said, then bit her lip, wondering if she should bring up the conversation from last night. And if she did, she wasn't sure where to start.

What's on your mind, Rachel? You have the same tells as your father.

Rachel couldn't help but smile. I guess, she said, then let the expression fall. James and I were eavesdropping on Dad and Magneto.

I thought you couldn't do that, Kitty replied, frowning in spite of herself.

Not telepathically, but James has a non-metallic listening device, Rachel explained. He dropped it on Dad at dinner before he and Erik started really yelling at each other and… She bit her lip. And it seems like Dad is ... he's… agreeing with him.

He's not, Kitty said. No way.

You didn't hear what I did, Rachel argued.

I don't have to. He's trying to get to him, Kitty told her. Keep it to yourself, but it's all part of the plan.

Rachel let her shoulders drop. That's actually a huge relief, she said.

You can tell your brother I'm going to want more of those bugs, if he has any.

I'll tell him. Hold on; he needs to know that and that Dad's not going to the dark side, Rachel said, holding up a hand to relay what Kitty had said to James. Hey little brother… Dad's playing a long game with Magneto, apparently, she told James.

He's what now? James asked, sounding anxious even though the telepathic link.

He's agreeing with him so he can get the guy's trust, Rachel said. He and Kitty have a plan.

You better be right, James said. The twins are kind of freaking out here. Over a few things. So if you need me, I'm going to be with them. Tommy has a spot to hide out, I guess.

I'm right, Rachel said. I'd know if Kitty was lying. If you want to be sure, we can ask Dad after we're off Genosha.

I doubt he'll tell us, James said.

You can at least tell if he's lying about agreeing with him, Rachel pointed out.

Yeah. Sure. In the meantime, I need to go over a few things with Billy and Tommy. Billy needs to hear why I didn't warn him about the bugs. Tommy wants to know why he didn't get one just for kicks. They hit both sides of everything, Rach. So … thanks for letting me know, anyhow.

Rachel let out a sigh and then turned back to Kitty. "We haven't even been here for twenty-four hours and already this trip has sucked."

"That bad, huh?" Kitty said, pulling her over by her shoulders.

"Yeah. Dad's been a mess since we debuted the team. And this whole thing with Magneto really hasn't helped."

"About that," Kitty said. "What's going on with him?"

"Um, I didn't study psychology?"

"No, because Summers are genetically afraid of that," Kitty said.

"Hey, I tried asking Dad to find a therapist, but then he told me about how the last person he asked for help was-"

"Emma."

"Uh-huh. So he shut me down pretty hard."

"If she's still alive, I want to kill her," Kitty said. "Phase her head into a wall."

Rachel nodded and let out a breath. "I don't know what you want to know. Dad didn't want us to be X-Men, and he's scared of losing us. And he's been … distant for a while now."

But that seemed to draw Kitty's attention fast. "Distant how?"

"He won't let me or Nate see what he's thinking and he's not talkative."

"That's really not good," Kitty said.

"I know," Rachel said. "But I don't know what to do about it. We've always been there for Dad and he's always been there for us, and we've never been this… out of sync before."

"How's your brother handling it?" Kitty asked.

"Which one? Because Nate's trying to set Dad up with his history teacher…"

"That's a long shot," Kitty said with a snort.

"That's what I said," Rachel said. "James is just… frustrated. He's kind of shutting down too. He's been a lot more withdrawn and quiet since Magneto threatened him in the lab. I know he's not afraid of him, but he also doesn't want to cause drama for Billy." She took a deep breath that wobbled a bit, suddenly realizing how emotional she was as it hit her all at once.

"Another not great sign, right?" Kitty said before she pulled Rachel into a tight hug. "You're okay if I hug you, right?"

"Yeah," Rachel said in a breath. "I just… I know Magneto is a problem, and I know you wouldn't ask Dad for help if it wasn't big, it's just-"

"Do me a favor and make sure you keep out of his way," Kitty said. "We're working on it. I promise. Bobby and I - we still consider ourselves on the team, you know."

Rachel smiled at that, wiping her eyes. "You should come out with us."

"If we can find a way off the island that won't tip off Erik that something is up? You're so on."

"Good." Rachel let out a breath. "You'll watch out for him, right? My dad?"

"Absolutely," Kitty promised.

That day, Erik was nowhere to be seen - which was good since Alex and Lorna had decided that the visiting Summers group needed to take a tour of the island - and get away from the palace to let Erik find a way to compose himself after the disastrous welcome dinner. Which was a good thing, all told. Scott needed to spend a little time with his brother like this on Alex's turf and playing with his niece and nephew in their comfort zone. Not to mention that watching Rachel and James with the two kids - both of whom had attached to James but were taking direction from Rachel - was a refreshing kind of entertainment in itself.

"You're all coming to dinner with just us tonight, right?" Lorna prompted as they got back to the palace after a long day of exploring the island and finally surfing with Alex on the beaches he knew as well as those of Hawaii.

"Sure we can-" Scott started to say, but stopped when he saw the expression James was wearing.

"Vision and Wanda wanted me to go with them tonight," James said. "I already agreed to it."

"Oh, yes, that's very important too," Lorna said, smiling wider. "Have fun - I know my sister's dying to get you away from everyone and get to know you better."

"You can still come though, big brother," Alex said as he dropped his arm around Scott's shoulders. "You need more time with little Chris and Suzie. And you know you want to."

"Really, Dad," James said with a crooked smile. "It's fine."

"Alright, but you need to make sure you don't cross Erik if he tries to talk to you again," Scott said, honestly concerned with how bady it could go. "You can't get away with as much here."

"Placate the king," James said - which had Alex nodding along.

"Pretty much," Alex said. "Though I doubt he'll even try talking to you."

Scott and James both gave him a dry look as Rachel slowly shook her head, though it fell flat when it was clear that Alex had no idea that Magneto had already threatened James. "All the same. I want to check in with you when you get back from Wanda and Vision," Scott said as he gave James a more serious look.

"Will do," James promised as they headed back to their rooms. "I'm not going to say anything to stir up trouble, Dad. Don't worry."

As it turned out, when it came time for the split, Scott and Rachel headed off to an entirely different side of the palace from where James and Billy had to go to spend time with Wanda and Vision. But it wasn't anything uncomfortable or unpleasant since Wanda and Vision had already decided how they felt about James. So this dinner was more trying to get him to talk about himself with a little more detail for Vision's sake while Billy and Wanda shared quiet smiles and caught up.

It was clear that Vision was excited to hear more from James about what direction Tony was taking with his tech - even if James couldn't get too in depth about it, considering how little he trusted the palace to not have microphones everywhere. Or for whoever was listening on the other end of those microphones to not be reporting every word to Erik.

But even with a censored discussion, James and Vision were quickly comparing notes - and theories on what was next. It was easily the most stimulating conversation Vision had had on the island in years. Which made Wanda incredibly reluctant to break it up. The two of them were getting into a good groove when James almost did a double take as Erik came in and sat down between Wanda and Billy.

Erik was quiet at first, and if James hadn't known better, it would have seemed as if Erik was a perfectly normal grandfather in how he responded to Billy and tried to very quietly engage him in conversation. Which had James nervous, if he was being honest. Not for his safety, more for what Erik would do to split him and Billy apart. And the more he let himself think about it, the more he was convinced that it was an eventuality. So it wasn't long before James' mood slipped out of the range of where he'd been at the height of their conversation before Erik showed up.

After all, James reasoned to himself, not like he couldn't do worlds better than me. But Vision kept trying to keep their conversation going - and away from Erik for as long as he could. Then again, Erik never would have shown up if he hadn't intended to break up the party.

"I know Tony Stark always has the finest minds working under him," Erik said at last when there was a pause in the conversation Vision was having with James. "Don't take offense, young man, but I wonder if he's bothered to educate you in all of the barbaric methods that were used to hunt our kind down." His tone was warm still - a total 180 from the night before- and James knew he was trying to bait him into .. something.

"Daddy, now is not the time," Wanda said, resting her hand on Erik's wrist.

"Actually," James said carefully as he held Erik's gaze, unwilling to let Erik insinuate that Tony had been anything but amazing to him. "Tony's been open with me on all of that outdated tech. From both sides."

But instead of the anger James had expected, Erik smiled. "Then I wonder if you wouldn't mind demonstrating Stark's level of honesty with you." Erik reached under his ever-present cape to produce a softball sized device and set it down on the table. "Did he bother telling you what this is?"

Billy and Wanda both were openly watching Erik, neither of them pleased with whatever game he was up to. But they weren't expecting James' reaction. As the rest of the Maximoff family frowned, James' eyebrows shot up in surprise at seeing the device. "Is that …." he paused and looked back up at Erik. "May I?"

The smile Erik was wearing held steady, though it didn't touch his eyes at all. "Be my guest."

James continued to hold his gaze for a beat longer before he tipped his chin down and picked up the device. It was a moody bit of tech. He knew that already from what Tony had told him about several of Erik's tech division's devices - hampered by the unstable magnetic field that surrounded Erik. James turned the device over in his hands a few times, silently examining it and trying to find a way to be tactful about what he could see already. "It never really did was it was supposed to, did it?"

"No," Erik said, shaking his head and losing some of the almost manic expression. "It never did what I needed it to without my hand to guide it."

James hummed to himself as he nodded and continued to inspect the device since that was something he could focus on that would draw his attention away from his emotions.

"What is it?" Billy asked, frowning deeply and looking guarded himself. It was clear though, that Wanda and Vision knew exactly what it was if the disapproving looks they were giving Erik was any indicator. But before they could intervene, James answered for them.

"It's a sentinel seeker," James said almost distractedly. "Or it was supposed to be." He glanced up at Erik. "Your guys wanted it to hunt down mutant killing robots and destroy them, right? I thought these never made it into circulation."

"They didn't," Erik admitted. "But I thought after hearing whispers of your technological feats for Tony Stark, it wouldn't hurt to see if you'd be able to find the root defect. For the betterment of mutant kind, of course."

James froze. It was a blatant test - and one that James was going to have a very hard time turning down. Especially when he agreed that the mutant hunting robots were a step over the line. Still. He had to be extremely careful in how he responded, which he supposed was another test in itself. James swallowed, then very suddenly took a hold of the device with both hands and cracked it open. Maybe if he didn't speak first …

But Billy wasn't amused at all, especially when there was no one but himself that could have told Erik much about what James was up to with Tony. And he didn't want to admit to his sweetheart that he'd reported back to Erik about him. Even if it had been early on. "Grandfather," he said, taking on a tone that James wasn't used to - one that held a bit of authority that Billy probably didn't like to use, but was necessary when dealing with Magneto simply to be heard. "James is under contract with Tony Stark and Stark Industries. He can't work on anyone else's tech or it would break contract. I'm very sure 'what happens in Genosha' won't be a sufficient excuse."

Erik looked supremely irritated, but before he could open his mouth, James calmly and patiently cut in. "I'm not working on it. I'm looking at it. Nothing says I can't consult if I don't do the work myself." That quickly earned a pleased smile from Erik, though Billy was openly shocked and didn't hide it as he stared at James with honest concern.

It only took a few more minutes before James started to put the device back together otherwise untouched. "The body of the device is made from the same metal as sentinels were, right? I'm guessing that was so they could go in under their sensors?"

Erik nodded, obviously pleased already. "Yes, they were made from old sentinels," Erik said, clearly amused with his own cleverness.

"That's fine, so - because of that, it would make it harder for their sensors to differentiate the seekers from the sentinels," James explained for Billy, preferring to clue him in on what was going on when the rest of the table already knew. And it was easier than speaking directly with Erik. "But the bigger problem is that they don't have the right programming to operate this without using them as drones. That wouldn't work though because the radio transmission to direct them would trip off the Sentinel's security systems. And that would be riskier than what the developers intended. Otherwise, to follow their model, you'd need sentient tech that could tap into machinery to scan the programming and decide on the fly if it was a threat or not without living people making the call." James set the device down carefully right where Erik had originally placed it, then met Erik's gaze. "There have been leaps and bounds in tech that could address that, but the newer, upgraded sentinels wouldn't be something these would be able to handle like they did for the giant robots." James looked toward Vision for a moment. "And though the technology exists to turn them into sentient devices- it's incredibly dangerous and far too prone to going wrong."

"Precisely," Vision agreed, heartily before he turned toward Erik. "Which is why I advised you to let this kind of project fall to the wayside."

But Erik barely acknowledged Vision while his focus was elsewhere. "James, I'd very much like to take you by my labs tonight. If your assessment is this thorough with a quick glance at outdated technology, I'm sure you'd be able to tell me if my scientists are lacking for anything with what I've provided for them so far."

James glanced between Billy and his parents, though he knew from the tone Erik was using and the way he was holding himself that it wasn't really something he could say no to, either. Not in the man's home, anyway. "I promised my Dad I'd meet up with him after this, but -"

"Wonderful," Erik said as he got to his feet. "It's hardly a detour between here and your quarters."

"O-kay," James said as he quietly got to his feet and followed Erik's lead. He glanced over at Billy - his silent apology clear before Vision nodded tersely to Wanda then quickly fell into step with James and Erik.

"I think I'd like to hear your assessment as well," Vision said with a stoic sort of smile as the three of them headed toward the labs.

The doors had barely closed though before Billy had turned to his mother with a note of panic. "What's he doing? He's going to wreck it for me, I just know it."

"Sweetheart," Wanda said, resting her hand on his arm. "I don't think James will be so easy for him to manipulate. You don't know it, but there is a lot of his mother in him."

"Did you know that he already threatened James in his lab?" Billy asked, looking somewhere between alarmed and angry. "James won't tell me about it more than to say he's alright - which he's not."

"No, he didn't mention that," Wanda admitted. "But I'll take care of it. He's changing tactics -"

"Like that's not a bad thing?" Billy asked, cutting across her. "Because it is. A very bad thing."

"I won't let your grandfather scare him off," Wanda promised before running her hand over Billy's hair. "I told you, I don't think James will intimidate that easily. I know you really like him." She kissed his forehead then met his gaze with one hand on his cheek. "And if he didn't feel the same, there is no way that he'd have come. Remember - he came even after he was threatened. He's here for you, and solidly enough that Cyclops is backing him up. That means more than you realize."

Billy sighed heavily. "I hope you're right. Thanks, Mom. I do feel a little better now."

Erik was trying to lay a claim to Billy's boyfriend, and Tommy was starting to think Billy could do nothing that their grandfather didn't think he could turn to his advantage. Which was an annoying enough thought that Tommy felt like going somewhere a little less… controlled.

Plus, he had promised to surprise Mia again…

It was upsettingly easy to slip away, too. Erik was so focused on his hand-picked successor and his boyfriend that nothing else seemed to matter to him. If Tommy wasn't also sure that his grandfather was still steaming about the X-Men, he might even have said Erik was distracted. And yeah, Tommy might not have gotten along with his grandfather, but seeing in living color how Erik was turning from ruling to obsessing was hard. Tommy liked Genosha; he didn't want it to get neglected the way he was forgotten at family events until he did something to get attention.

So rather than watch that happen, he opted for Door Number Two: kissing his girlfriend.

He spent the entire run to Westchester congratulating himself on his decision-making - right up until he went to Mia's room and made the fatal error of assuming the person he had seen moving in the room was Mia.

To his credit, his entrance would have been smooth. He climbed in through the window with a tropical flower and a crooked grin and had already called out a greeting before he got a good look at who he was flirting with.

"Gah!" Tommy said, backpedaling fast.

"Hello, Tommy," Storm said as the wind blew him right off his feet and into the air. "Won't you stay a while?"

Tommy flailed a few times before he accepted his fate and gave Storm what he hoped was a winning grin. "Can't be late for dinner with the grimy grandpa!" he sang out.

"Yes, I'm sure that's why you're here now when it's past usual dining hours in civilized society where you should be on Genosha," Ororo replied with a little smile. "How many times have you been back here like this during break?"

"Um …. Just … a couple of times," Tommy answered. "But believe me, if you were there now, you'd rather be here too. It's ridiculous what Grandfather is doing ... James is a mess, the Summerses are all pulling their hair out … and Kitty and Iceman are just … well. They're dealing as well as anyone could."

Ororo narrowed her eyes for an instant. "Perhaps it would be best if you told me what was being discussed and what was happening?"

"Oh, sure. I just … I kinda figured that Dadclops would have already told you what the plan was … you know. Especially since me and Billy had no idea that James was going to be bugging the dinner convo-"

"Tommy," Ororo said, holding up one hand. "I'm going to set you down, but I expect for you to remain here and tell me what it is that my old friend has neglected to tell me."

"Oh. So. All of it?"

"Please."

Tommy nodded to himself. "Alright. But … does that mean I'm off the hook for detention when we get back because -"

Ororo smiled to herself. "I'm willing to overlook a few indiscretions if you can manage to be more upfront in the future."

"Really?" Tommy asked with a crooked smile. "Yeah. Alright. I can work with you on that."

"You should," Ororo said. "If you plan on remaining an X-Man, you would be wise to consult with the old leaders."

Tommy grinned at that. "Oh yeah. Do I get to hear about it? The good stuff, I mean … I don't … really need to hear the bad stuff."

"Of Course," Ororo agreed. "But first, tell me what trouble you've been causing."

It was another hour and a half after dinner with Billy's family had ended before James did, in fact, get back to the suite that the Summers family was using during their stay on Genosha. He was so distracted by both the subtle and blatant fishing that Erik was doing, he didn't go directly to tell Scott he was back. Not that he really had to - not when Scott was waiting for him.

"Things must have gone really well with Wanda and Vision," Scott said with a crooked smile. "Or … very badly?" His smile slipped as he took in James' expression. "What's wrong?"

James opened his mouth, then closed it as he tried to explain how it had gone wrong. "Magneto dropped in at dinner," he said finally, and continued before Scott could ask anything. "I don't think I pushed any buttons, but I also think that was because he was testing me? Trying to see how far he could push me, and … checking my tech knowledge. I don't know if he is aware of Tony's plans for me, though. I never told Billy what Tony has in mind, and I don't think he's ever mentioned anything around Billy." He looked up at Scott and held up both hands. "I didn't fall for any of Erik's games, but I couldn't just … not answer him when he talked to me. He was doing this … fake calm and friendly thing but I could smell a change in the air."

Scott was quiet for a long time, though James watched his dad's frown deepen until it creased his forehead. "That," Scott said at last, "is a problem on multiple fronts. It tells me he's considering you on a better level than he did your parents, which would be good if he wasn't trying to make a play for you at the same time."

James sat down as he watched Scott pace. "Dad - I didn't give him anything to get fired up about," James said. "And I'm going to just … try to avoid him when I can. Billy had said he wanted to show me around himself tomorrow. That's one day that I think will be okay, anyhow."

"Yes, it's definitely wise to stay away right now," Scott agreed. He stopped pacing long enough to turn toward James. "Any other day, I would be proud when someone sees your genius and heart, James. You know that. But Erik has a way of treating people like pawns- and discarding them without a second thought. I'm not sure his attention is any better focused now than it was when he saw you as beneath him and Billy." He sighed. "That's reality with Magneto. It's always a chess game. Always. So please: be careful."

"I will," James promised. "I told Billy I wasn't going to rock the boat. But I'm not going to do anything to get you in trouble or screw over Tony either." James sighed and looked to his feet for a moment. "I know his opinion of me isn't going to change easily, if at all. This isn't a change of view."

"It is; he just thinks he's finding a use for you," Scott said, his tone making it clear how much Erik's outlook bothered him. He shook his head and finally stopped pacing to lean against the wall. "I'm glad you got to meet Vision and see Wanda again, but James…" He sighed. "Well, I don't have to tell you this is dangerous. I know you're looking out for everyone. Just don't forget to look out for you as well."

"I'll be fine, Dad."