Chapter 13: The Cauldron, Part 2
The time went by and Ethan didn't know how long he was in the room, but Magneto came in the end and he felt himself fly with the chair. The blindfolded went off but it covered his mouth instead.
"Remember, if you try something, you might put your friends in danger." Magneto remained him on the way. Ethan couldn't answer but was sure to remember that even if he wanted to just kill the guy.
Magneto put his chair beside there his father was in his sleep in that container. He watched as Scott and his brother Alex talked about something close to I don't do it without you and brother love. It only made Ethan angry to see them so calm. Didn't Scott notice that Jean, his father, Rogue and Storm was in sleep for a reason? Maybe they didn't want this, what in hell did he think Ethan wanted to know. This was just sick. He would at least understand there was a reason for Ethan to be tied and having a tube that could kill him on a second or did he think he had let Magneto do this? Ethan just become more and more angry, but he keeps calm as best he could. He would at least not put Jean, his father or the others at the death line.
"So, you expect us to just trust you and walk in there?" Scott ask, pointing on what Magneto had called his Genetic Enhancers. "You do it."
"I have already done it, I have reach my full potential, but if you want a demonstration. Sabretooth!" Ethan look as Sabretooth grown but enter the devicer. It took a while, but when he came out he was more a beast than human. "Now it's your turn boys." Scott and Alex look at each other before nodding and walk over to the devicer. As they enter Magneto let Rogue, Jean, Storm and Charles wake up. Ethan only heard Rogue and Jean scream at the same time he saw his father try to communicate though mind.
"Scott! No!" Scott turn but it was too late, the door closed.
"To late Charles, they are mine."
"Jean?" Ethan thought. He knew they wouldn't be able to communicate like before, but she would be able to read his mind. He understood she could as she turns to look at him. "Blink two times if you are okay, one if you are hurt somehow." Ethan look at her, waiting, and she finally blinked. Two times. Ethan let out a sigh of relief that she wasn't hurt as the doors to the devicer opened again and Scott came out with Alex. They both had gray hair, looking more adult.
"The pain, it's gone." Alex said as he moved his fingers.
"It is because you have developed." Magneto told him and lay a hand on his shoulder. "You will be called Havok." He turns to Scott. "Take of your glasses, show us the color of your eyes." Scott did as he was told and Ethan was almost sure he would blast the place up, but he didn't. All that appeared was his eyes, green. Not the red optic blasts.
"We have visitors." Sabretooth said and got Magnetos attention.
"Let's see who it can be." he said and the ruff opened and show something Ethan recognized. The X-Velocity. Not containing any metal Ethan understood his father had reach Logan or someone. "It's nonmetal." Magneto look at Charles who just raised his shoulders like he had no clue, but his face said the total opposite. "Cyclops, Havok, take care of our guests." Ethan look as they walk away. They were like under control of Magneto it seems. "You should learn not to play with me when I have the advantage." Ethan wasn't ready and felt the tubes holding his legs and hands get lease as well as the one over his mouth, but the one around his throat tightened. It was like it moved and become tighter and tighter, making it harder every time to breathe.
"Ethan!" Jean yelled and hit the container she was in.
"Magneto don't do this!" Charles called. "He has nothing to do with this!" Ethan fell on his knees as he tries to get air.
"No?" Magneto asked. "He is yours and Mystique's son, I would say he has everything to do with this. He is the first mutant of two mutant parents I have meet. Don't you see how powerful he is?" Jean become a little shocked as the rest who didn't knew Mystique was his mother, meaning everyone but Magneto, Charles and Ethan himself, thought he didn't really listen and thought with the tube. "He might be the future." As Magneto finish his line Scott and Havok came running, the X-Velocity coming after them. They dodged away as it stopped and landed under a lot of rocks. Making Rogue and Jean yell again, Storm with them this time.
"Knock, knock." Mystique came out and said.
"Mystique! You never could take no as an answer!" Magneto said as she attacked him. Wolverine run over to get Rogue, Jean, Storm and Charles out of their containers.
"Well, I will have to save my son from you." Mystique stated. "You broke your promise not to touch him." Nightcrawler looked shocked and didn't understand a thing, but he let it go as he start fight Blob. Shadowcat and Spyke was in the room as well and was going at Avalanche. Wolverine was attacked by Sabretooth, but he had free the others.
"Jean, Ethan!" Charles called as Storm and Rogue joined the fight with the X-Men. "Help me with Scott and Alex after!"
"On it!" Jean told him, already on her way over to Ethan. It had stopped to move, but is was tight. "We have a lot to talk about later." Jean muttered as she uses her powers to get the tube away. First it was like nothing happened, but then suddenly it was off and Ethan took deep and faster breath to get air. "You okay?" he nodded.
"Go, help dad with the Summers."
"Don't go after this, we have a lot to talk about." Jean stood up but Ethan stop her with taking her hand and stop her.
"Wait," he said and out of nowhere he just felt like he had to kiss her. She was shocked but didn't had the chance to do anything as he already had pulled back. "Don't die." he told her and smile. She, speechless, nodded and run over to Charles to help him move rocks from the Summers brothers. Ethan took some more breath and look around to find Magneto flying right into his Genetic Enhancers, which closed after him. In the other side, he saw Evan try stop Quicksilver. Ethan came to his feet and walk over. Evan just got stop at the speedster when Ethan use his powers to make Quicksilver feel a rock hit him so hard he got unconcern.
"What did you do?" Evan asked him.
"Just tricking his mind like you do on the plan." Ethan answer and got a smile from the young X-Men.
"A game of basketball after this?" Evan asked and Ethan nodded.
The place start to shake and both Ethan and Evan look at Avalanche, but he didn't do anything.
"Come on guys!" Toad told his team mates.
"Why are Toad here?" Ethan asked Evan how just raised his shoulders, but different from his father, he had no clue.
"Whose side are you on, anyway?" Avalanche asked Toad.
"The side that lives!" Ethan and Evan watched as Blob run across the room and smashed through the rocks that had covered the way to the Black Bird.
"Everyone, come on!" Storm called and Ethan look around to see his father and Jean not being seem to go soon. He turns back to Evan.
"Take Quicksilver and go." he told him before running over to Jean's side. Scott's blasts was seen and a lot of smoke came before Ethan could see the brothers come out to sight. Ethan thought they would be happy to see them, as did Jean, but they were both surprised than Scott was all angry.
"You and the others, you have running everything! This was our chance to unite all of us!" Jean looked choked and Ethan wanted to hit him, but Jean held her hand up for him to stay back. He didn't like it but did as she wanted. He would never understand the bond she had with Scott was.
"Unite for what, Scott, and what cost? Look what Magneto did to you."
"He's helped me. I'm involved. No more training, more hurdles." Ethan start to think he sounded more and more crazy. "My powers are now at my mercy!"
"Yeah," Jean said, "so you blasted your friends with it." Ethan didn't like how she sounded. It was so… like she had been betrayed. "How united is that?"
"You don't understand!" Havok cut in, making Ethan losing his patience and stand between Jean and the boys. He might have made her angrier, but he didn't care. Fine, she could take Scott, but Alex? Ethan didn't trust him as he didn't know what he would be able to do. He at least knew Scott wouldn't hurt Jean if he had a brain. "We are the future!" Ethan didn't like the guy's way to talk, but he didn't move more than to stand between them and Jean. Ready if they would try something.
"Really, Scott? Are you the future? Because if you are I don't want any part of it." Jean turn and walk away. Ethan eyed Scott and was a second from using his powers. "Ethan!" Jean yelled and he look back.
"Coming." he said and look at Scott one more time.
"Didn't thought you could sink this low." he muttered before walking after Jean. He could still hear his father's words before he also turns to drive away.
"You are right. Mutant shouldn't be divided, but we didn't draw the line. Magneto did and it's still there. You just passed over it."
Ethan run so he came up beside Jean. She didn't look at him and he had a feeling she was angry, so he didn't say anything as they walk to the Black Bird and boarded. As he almost had expected Scott and Alex came running in the end before they left. Just as they lifted and asteroid lost its power and fall down Scott and Alex was lucky Jean had the chance to use her powers so they fly the small way over to the jet. Ethan saw sound wave came from the asteroid get destroyed and like he knew, or understood, what would happen he acted.
"Jean! Scott, close your eyes!" Jean lost the focus and lost the power over both the guys and the blasts from Scott hit the jet, making it shake and move so Jean almost felled out. Ethan, however, took her hand and as he pulled her in he went outside himself.
"Ethan!" Charles called. "Jean!"
"I can't reach him!" Ethan was falling and he didn't have any wings. He saw Scott and Alex take each other's hands and use their power to slow the fall. He knew to manipulate air would be a waste of time to try so Ethan only got one idea.
"Come on, you can do this." he told himself and start to rub his hands against each other. "Fire, come one. Give me something big." he held his hands out and focused to start a fire, nothing happened. "Damn, come on!" he yelled and the ground came closer. "Come on!" it was to close. Ethan thought he would hit the ground hard, but in the last minute he got fire from his hands. They didn't stop him from falling but like a rocket it thought the air and he landed like he had just fallen five meters.
"Rogue, give Scott his glasses, I will get Ethan!" Jean told Rogue who nodded and the girls run to their different directions. "Ethan, are you okay?" Jean asked as she sat down by his side. He was laying on his stomach, but roll over to his back.
"It depends on." he answers her. "Are you angry at me?" Jean smiled at him.
"No," she answers and then turn her face back to serious, "but we do need to talk." Ethan close his eyes and nodded as best he could while lying on his back.
"I know." he responded. He opened his eyes again and saw Scott talk to his father and get help by his brother to stand. They were both in their normal younger self. Ethan thought about the explosion. He had seen two sphere leave before it exploded. Meaning bother his mother and Magneto was still out there. "Does this mean I could ask you out for dinner?"
"Like a date?" Jean asked.
"Yeah, I mean… you and Duncan is not 'together' together, are you?"
"No, we not," she answers, "but-"
"I get it, Jean." Ethan cut her off and look away from her to the sky instead. "I'm sorry I made you angry and I didn't tell you everything, but…" he looks back at her, "you have always been there for me and I will be there for you. I like you Jean."
"I like you too." she responded and smiled. He looks confuse at her, "you didn't let me talk to the point before interrupting me."
"Sorry." he cut in. "What was you going to say."
"That I'm not dating Duncan, but if we are going to try with us together, I need you to be hundred percent honest with me. No secrets." Ethan nodded. "You promise?"
"I promise. When we are back home I will tell you everything. Where I was and… who I was with, but you need to hear me out before jumping to conclusion, okay?"
"Okay." Jean said and stood up. She held her hand out and Ethan took it. He lay his arm around her as his legs damaged a bit and he limped.
"Ethan?" Charles asked. "Are you okay?" he hadn't want to interop as he saw him talk to Jean and it had looked serious. Ethan nodded.
"Yes, I am. How are everyone else?"
"Seems like everyone is fine."
"Gut, can we go home now?" Nightcrawler asked.
"Yes Kurt, we can." Charles answer and they all boarded the Black Bird.
Two days after they had come home Ethan sat in his father's office. As he waited for his father he thought about when he had told Jean everything about his powers, the doors and Emma. She had sure not like it, but she understood it was now in the past and the night they had spent had she just not want to know more about. She had been a bit upset about some things, however, it was a lot talk about Mystique being his mother and later she had made him talk to Kurt about it. Turn out he just thought it was cool Ethan would be his brother. Alex was back in his home in Hawaii, and Scott was back to being Scott. Nothing really change more than Jean and Ethan being closer. Not a couple, yet, but they were working on it. Logan had also become trustier it seems. Lance, Todd, Pietro and Bob was back in their home. Which was great as the X-Men plus Ethan now had a house to renovate a bit. Ethan had also been a fast visit at Emma's house the day after he had told Jean, he had thought about it and decided to let his father help him with the training as he didn't want anything with Emma to do. A plus that Jean seem to like his decision as well.
Ethan repeated the memory at Emma's as his father had yet not come.
"I'm only here to get my things, nothing more nothing less." Ethan said as Emma had opened the door and he walk into see his phone on the couch with his close and bag. It was like she had known he would come, and of course she had.
"Ethan, listen to me. I'm sorry."
"For what? Taking my memory or not telling me?" she didn't reply. "I'm thankful that you helped me, but I can stay here. When you need your favor, I will help you, until then I don't want to see you." he starts to walk to the door, but she stops him by standing in the way.
"I could give your memories back." Ethan snort and had a smirk on his face.
"That's just the thing, Emma. I don't want them back, we might have had something, but it was you who took that away. Have a nice life." he said and walk past her. Not turning back.
Ethan jumped as his father enter the room.
"You and Jean seem to have talk a lot when we came home." he said as he drives over to the side behind his desk to be able and face Ethan, who nodded.
"Yeah, I told her everything I know and she seem to take it well."
"So, you two are giving the more than a friend thing a chance?"
"We are taking it easy, not telling anyone in case it ends bad or something." Ethan answer. "You were and are right dad," he confessed and thought back at than he had been about to suffocate. "I do love her. Guess it took me almost to die and maybe lose her to understand that."
"But you did in the end, that's what counts."
"Yeah I guess." Ethan agreed. Charles saw his son had something on his mind.
"A penny for your thoughts?" he joked and Ethan laugh as he stood up and look out through the window.
"I was thinking about the X-Men and this talk now to get new recruits and all."
"And?" Charles asked.
"I think I want to join the X-Men, but," his father look tense, "I don't want any new suit, I of some reason already has an 'X' on my jacket and belt. And another thing, I might be in the team and all under Scott's lead if it comes to it, but remember that I might stop follow his orders the second they become stupid."
"Ethan, that's nothing you can decide." Charles told him. "If you are in a team the others will have to trust you, you will have to trust them as well. Scott being the one taking order is because they trust him know what to do." Ethan looked at him then back out again there he saw Jean and the others in the team playing basketball with Evan kicking them easy. Ethan would guess they would start use power anytime.
"I make you a deal than." Ethan said and turn to face his father. "I will learn to trust them and they me. I will follow orders like the others on mission, but I will not have to be in recruit teams if I don't want to and I will not have to be on a mission if I don't want to or if I'm not needed."
"You will always be needed, Ethan."
"I still, will need a lot of training. I'm back as a newbie with my powers."
"I have a feeling you just want to feel free, aren't, that right?"
"Catch in the action." Ethan confess with a smirk.
"Very well." Charles said and hold his hand out for his son, Ethan took it. "Welcome to the X-Men."