Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. We (RecursiveTomatoes) have recently graduated from college! This chapter is dedicated to our number 1 fan and reviewer, Flash4818. Hope you like it!

Daddy Dearest: A Gifted Fanfic

Chapter 1

Just a moment earlier, Marcos had been watching a movie with his favorite people in the world. The next moment, an intruder interrupted his bliss. But not just any intruder... it was Magneto, the Master of Magnetism, the leader of the Brotherhood of Mutants. John shouted out orders, and Marcos heard his name but couldn't process the meaning of the words. Without thinking, Marcos launched himself from the couch and was primed to attack when he finally processed the sight in front of him. Magneto was standing in the common area. Magneto. "Holy shit," he said. Marcos twisted his body to check on Lorna but lost his balance and fell back onto the couch. Clarice formed a portal and teleported below to start evacuating the compound. The other mutants stayed in defensive positions but remained still, staring warily at Magneto.

"Dad, what happened to calling first?" Lorna spoke. "Seriously, Dad, you're embarrassing me."

In that moment, it was almost as if he forgot about the intrusion and the looming threat. All Marcos could do was gape at Lorna. He did a double take. "Excuse me. Did you just say dad?" He had to ask. But once the words left his mouth, it hit him. The similarities were damning. The charisma. The dangerous edge. But most of all, the powers. Before him stood two mutants with magnificent magnetic powers.

He made eye contact with Lorna, who shrugged sheepishly.

Clarice reappeared next to Johnny. "Everyone is safe. What do we do now?"

Clenching his jaw, John gestured for everyone to go behind him. Keeping a neutral expression of his face, he stared at Magneto. Although John kept silent, his eyes said everything. He would do anything to protect his friends, even if it meant sacrificing himself, but he would not provoke, only guard. Magneto took a step forward. John dropped into a crouch, his eyes following Magneto's slightest movement from the rising of the chest at each breath to the micro-expressions on Magneto's face. The honed skills of a tracker made John a talented hunter, and now that he was the prey, these same skills kept him on edge and prepared to defend.

Lorna covered her mouth, holding back a snicker. "John, it's ok." She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. "Everybody, this is my dad." Lorna gestured to the magenta-clad mutant. "Dad, these are my friends."

"Ohmigod!" Clarice exclaimed, "So sorry, sir. I thought you were Magneto. It's a pleasure to meet you."

She extended her hand, and Magneto floated over to shake her hand while John glared suspiciously.

Marcos watched and briefly wondered if someone should say something to Clarice, but the idea quickly escaped his mind. He had other preoccupations. His girlfriend's father was Magneto. The mother of his child was Magneto's daughter. Thinking about it made the idea seem more real. It was too much. Shaking his head in disbelief, he strode over to stand next to his girlfriend. But instead of saying anything, he crossed his arms and waited for an explanation.

Seeing Marcos approach, Lorna froze, expecting him to yell or at least talk to her sternly. But faced with his silence, she realized that the quiet was even worse. She needed to know his reaction, how he felt now that he knew her secret, the secret that had haunted her since she was first reunited with her birth father.

Lorna stared at Marcos, and he stared back. Then, he took a step forward and she almost retreated but instead steeled herself for the oncoming confrontation. He stepped even closer, and wrapped his arms around her in a firm yet soothing hug. She let her shoulders fall, not realizing how tense she had been, and hugged him back.

Someone cleared their throat loudly from right next to them, and Marcos immediately dropped his arms and jumped back. Magneto stood mere feet away, his arms crossed and his eyes trailing over Marcos, sizing up the younger mutant. Although Magneto was not quite as tall in person as Marcos had been led to believe, the Master of Magnetism cut an imposing figure, and the metal helmet leant the man a regal air. As if he could read minds—that wasn't one one of his powers, though he knew many mutants who could do such a feat—Magneto reached up and removed the helmet.

"It's been too long, my dear."

"Yes…"

"Aren't you going to introduce me to…" Magneto paused for effect and eyed Marcos, before saying, "your friend."

"Dad, you never visit. You haven't even called in months. You and the X-Men dropped off the face of the earth! And now you suddenly show up without calling and freak everyone out. How do you expect me to react?"

"You can't tell me that you're pregnant and expect me not to come see you."

Lorna frowned, realization blossoming in her. "But…I didn't tell you."

"Ah, right." Magneto ran his fingers through his hair. "I meant…"

Lorna narrowed her eyes at her father. "How did you know?"

"Well, you know how much I care about you. Even when I'm not around, especially when I'm not around, I like to keep tabs on you."

"You were spying on me? Ugh. I wish I could say that I can't believe it, but I believe it!" Lorna threw her arms up and stomped off, but was intercepted by Marcos.

Marcos placed an unsteady hand on Lorna's shoulder. "How could you not tell me that your dad is Magneto!" he said.

She brushed his hand off her shoulder. "It's not something that I like to advertise."

Her explanation didn't sit well with him. He frowned and thought back to what he knew about her family. "But you told me that your parents died in a plane crash. Why would you lie about something like that?" Marcos asked.

Lorna's eyes flashed with anger and the metal in the room started vibrating. She took a deep breath and the metal returned to normal. "I wasn't lying! That was my adoptive parents, the people that raised me. Magneto is my bio dad."

She was hoping her explanation would appease Marcos, but he still had so many questions. He paused to think, and his eyes lowered to Lorna's abdomen. "That means…our unborn child is Magneto's grandchild! What if they take after him? What if they're a psychopath?"

"First of all, I'm nothing like my dad. Second, my dad is not a psychopath. He's just a bit extreme."

Lorna turned and stomped out of the room to find somewhere private. Marcos watched her retreating form and wished he had found a more tactful way to phrase his questions. He wasn't trying to accuse her. He wasn't even angry. He was just trying to figure out what this new information meant for his makeshift family within the Underground, and more importantly, what it meant for his and Lorna's emerging family.

Marcos stared at the empty space that Lorna had once inhabited and took stalk of his feelings of betrayal. He had never felt so disappointed in himself. Did Lorna not trust him? He liked to think that he was type of person who wouldn't judge someone based on their family, but maybe he had said or done something that made her hesitant to tell him. He wracked his brain but couldn't think of anything. Maybe if he hadn't been so judgmental toward mutant extremism and had shown more understanding, Lorna would have told him about her family history.

He felt a hand rest on his shoulder, but he really didn't want John's sympathy at the moment. He looked up to tell John to give him some space, but it wasn't John at all. Marcos gaped at the magenta glove-covered hand. Magneto was standing next to Marcos. Magneto's hand was resting on Marcos's shoulder.

Magneto smirked. "Hello, son."