Author's note: Reposted on 03.03.08
Disclaimer: all characters belonging to Sky High and Xmen are not mine. I am only borrowing them. Please don't sue me. I'm not making money out of it.
Chapter 8 – An unexpected visitThud! Her body folded and hit the ground along the school corridor.
It was unexpected.
Daniel's body turned as he heard the thud.
He stared in horror at the collapsed body of Kara his girlfriend - lying on her side on the cold hard ground.
"Kara!" Daniel said, cradling Kara's head, which was hugging the ground only moments before. "Kara. Talk to me."
"My body," she whispered weakly back. "I had used too much energy."
"Let's go back to the sick bay," he said, trying to lift her. He would do anything to save her – even facing Nurse Spex again.
"No, I'll be… fine," she said and slowly stood up. Though her knees were shaking, she kept walking – limping – with determination. She wouldn't let this lack of energy get to her.
---
It was afternoon about 5 o'clock.
All the students, bus drivers and even the Principal had left, leaving a silent, hollow building that is only the outer shell that made Sky High.
The only people around were the nurse and Dr Michael Manning. Then they worked because they were needed.
Will and Warren would be staying at school tonight and monitored by Dr Michael Manning. New equipment had thankfully arrived to assist his task.
In the medical ward, Warren's mind gradually freed itself from unconsciousness. As it emerged from the sleepy depths, he felt a hand, ghostly at first, then solidifying… and it was… touching his face.
"Mom!" he yelled. "You're here."
His mother was quiet. Just nodded. Then explained quickly. "Your teachers told me your were hit pretty hard. They had to stitch you up."
"Oh," said Warren. His hand on his head, he realized cottony material was wrapped around his head. A bandage.
Warren felt dizzy and he shook his head to clear his mind. The room turned a little, but then was stable again. He looked at this mother. There was something not right, about today, about his mom. She looked worn.
There were wrinkles on her face. New ones – that he hadn't noticed before. Her eyes were a little bit red at the corners. And her hand was shaking a little as she held his.
She was rarely ever like this. She was so stable. That what made her so able to continue as a superhero… even after what happened with… his father.
His thoughts drifted to his father. Or could he even consider him a father? He was never there. Not for Warren. He didn't even know if his father loved him now. His father might not be proud – Warren knew power-wise he wasn't as powerful as his father. His father could create and manipulate fire.
Interestingly, his mother happened to be a powerful telekinetic as well. Probably more powerful than Kara, due to her experience. And she could control the weather when concentrating. Warren knew all this but -
"Mom…" he said softly, squeezing her hand. "What's going on? Did something happen? Someone… die? Mom, please tell me."
She shook her head. "I can't. I'm sorry. You've got to heal right now. I can't tell you right now. I-I've just come to give this to you!"
A flash of shining silver - a metal necklace with an angel was dangling from her mother's shaking hand.
It was a wonderful gift.
A confused and sad look came over Warren's face. Sincerely, he said, "Thanks… mom."
"Don't thank me," she said, starting to cry. "It's from your father."
My father? Why now?
Warren was so surprised he could utter no words. Even as his mother dashed outside sobbing so hard she was unable to put the necklace on her own son. His heart twisted painfully inside him due to his mother's pain.
Warren took a few deep breaths and just simply fingered the necklace hanging from his hand.
It was weird – but maybe a part of him still yearned for a dad? A real one? He had thought he had left it all behind… but this.. gift… gave him both delight and apprehension.
Slowly, he opened the clasp and put it onto his own neck, the metal cool against his skin.
Unknowingly, Will heard it all silently from his own bed.
---
"So when are you going to visit Sue Tenny?" said Pyro back at their lair. Even though Magneto seemed busy at times, he seemed to be relaxing at this moment. Lying down, eyes closed.
"Patience Pyro," said Magneto briskly though not moving. "I said I will visit her. Not visit her right away. Besides, our plans are unfolding already. I've made a few calls last night. Everything is working out. You just cannot see the fruit immediately. Believe me."
"How can you be so sure this machine is going to work?" said Pyro, completely confused. He was not afraid to ask questions.
Magneto's eyes snapped open and stared into Pyro's, "You know, I actually knew Sue before. A long long time before. The design of the pacifier is… ingenius. You don't know how difficult it is to reverse the aging process…"
Magneto's voice seemed to trail off for a moment. Deep in thought. Then he continued, "I have no doubt that designing a machine that kills humans – which I will call Oblivion – is much easier. And it would definitely be within her capability of doing so. She would just alter the design a bit, make the ray more like radiation, spread throughout the Metropolis, and make it lethal rather than age-reducing."
"You seem to know a lot about this…"
"Well, I'm not a good engineer like what she is, being a technopath," said Magneto. "And I expect her to bargain with me as well. I'm willing to agree to a point. She probably only wants to destroy that school. That was and is her obsession. Her way of revenge for the flawed system of streaming people in Heroes and Sidekicks…. I will give her sufficient time to achieve this. Not too long. My plans will not be jeopardized.
"And I want to let you know about our slight change of plan," said Magneto, finally standing up. "I'm not just going to kill the humans. I'm going to get rid of anyone that possibly stands in my way."
"Like who?" asked Pyro.
"Well, you know," said Magneto. "Any mutant that is a 'good' mutant. A superhero. Like Commander. Jetstream. I'm going to crash in on their little party… when they are least expecting it. Being so high up the air, might make them easier to kill. I have a source that will keep me informed."
This is a war. Between humans and mutants, Magneto thought. But homo superior are destined to win…. And it was always good to be on the winning side.
He wanted to eliminate all those who could possibly stand in his way - and come to think of it, any one who did stand in his way. Like Commander, Jetstream, Baron Battle and his wife Lily…
But especially Baron Battle. His betrayal was unforgivable.
He wanted their offspring dead too. That way, their would be no one left to avenge their deaths…
But wait… couldn't I use children? As bait? Or as soldiers? He thought.
The more he thought about it – the more it seemed to make sense.
It was his next step… and it could make things interesting too.
He was going to use the children as bait – and lure his real targets in.
Then kill.
Magneto would start recruiting those he needed right away.
Magneto suddenly had an idea and even though he knew the pyrokinetic would hate it, he wasn't about to give him a choice.
"Pyro," Magneto said. Pyro's head lifted. "I have a mission for you at school."
