Charles Xavier reached out with his mind, hunting for Erik Lensherr, or for those around him, for Magneto's helm blocked all psychic powers.
"Might my power—if it is a power—go away after I have the baby, and my hormones get back to normal?" Grace Engstrom asked. "I'm not sure whether that would be good or bad, at this point."
"It's unlikely. Hormones act as a trigger for development and growth. They're not like a fuel, something that's needed to keep powers active. Forgive me, but Jean has just communicated some news, and I must concentrate on her for the moment."
'Jean, may I use your eyes?'
'Of course, Professor.'
"What do you want, Magneto?" asked Storm.
The professor saw Magneto through Jean's eyes. His old friend removed his helmet and put it under his arm, and made an open, sweeping gesture with the other hand. "I am here under a flag of truce. I have come to talk, nothing more."
"That buzz saw brigade you have whizzing around the perimeter of this property says otherwise, Magneto." stated Scott.
Jean turned her head, so the Professor could see—and hear—the shining discs of metal which cut arcs through the air and sent bits of twig, leaf, and debris flying.
"They must be held back somehow. Don't worry—it shan't be for long. The humans out there will be perfectly safe as long as they don't do anything stupid, such as try to go through my barrier. That is the Engstrom house, I take it."
"What about your dogs? Are they here to talk, as well?" Logan gestured belligerently at the Toad, Sabertooth, Mystique, and Callisto.
"They are here to make the numbers closer to even. Charles has you; I have them. Are you there, Charles?"
'Yes,' the Professor said, speaking directly to the other man. 'What is it you want?'
"As I said, to talk."
'Very well, then. You may come in—alone.'
"Thank you, Charles." There was a distinct hint of good cheer in Lensherr's voice.
Xavier watched through Jean's eyes as Magneto crossed the parking lot and went up the front walk. Before he reached the door, the Professor saw him lift the helmet, the surface suddenly mirror-polished, and—check his hair?
'Erik, what is this about?'
"I never said I came to talk to you, Charles." replied his old friend and his best enemy.
Magneto knocked, and Xavier withdrew his consciousness into himself once more, to listen as a policeman opened the door.
"Ma'am?" the policeman came into the dining room, puzzled. "There's someone here who says he's come to see you—."
Magneto had not waited for permission. He was only a step behind the officer. "Hello, Lucy." His voice had a tenderness and warmth in it that Xavier had never heard before.
I don't believe it. He knows her, she's pregnant and— thought the Professor. Lucy?
I believe I'm going to enjoy this.
If the sudden appearance of Erik Lensherr had shocked Charles Xavier, it was as nothing to the effect it had on Grace Engstrom. "Erik!" Warm color flooded her face as she stood, holding on to the edge of the table for support.
"To those who are closest to me, yes, To the rest of the world, I am—Magneto." He set his helmet down on the table with a flourish.
Grace Engstrom's eyes went to the helmet—and then straight to the monkey bookend. Her brow creased. It's as if she were reacting to something it said, the professor thought. Yes. It's exactly as if she were reacting to something it said.
"Might we have a moment alone, Charles?" asked Magneto, his eyes never leaving her face.
"Just a second!" Grace jumped in, holding up a hand to stall Xavier's withdrawal from the scene. "I'm very glad to see you, and I want to talk to you alone, too, but I spent fifteen minutes working my way up to telling Mr.—Professor Xavier something absolutely crucial. Erik, you'd probably better stay for this. Professor, yesterday morning, when I was just leaving here to go to the doctor, I started seeing and hearing things."
"What sorts of things?" Xavier asked. "Coming into your powers can be distressing, even traumatic, I know, but I—we—will do our best to help you through this."
"Powers?" Erik asked.
One can almost see Erik's ears perk up at the word. thought the professor.
"Grace—." Magneto began.
"Here's where the problem is." she said. "I don't know how to explain this without sounding like I've lost my mind. And I'm not so sure I haven't."
She took something from her pocket, and set it on the table next to the monkey bookend. It was a plastic toy lion, no more than a couple of inches tall and three inches long. She pointed at the objects.
"Them. I've been seeing them move, and hearing them talk. Them, and others like them. In my head. They've been telling me to do things."
"That's—not like any mutant power I've ever heard of." frowned Magneto. He picked up the lion, and examined it closely.
"What sorts of things have they been telling you to do?" the Professor asked. "Have they been asking you to hurt yourself—or others?"
"It's possible they're working up to that, but I doubt it. So far, they've been trying to keep me out of trouble, or" she gestured around her ruined house, "failing that, to keep me alive. Although, to be quite frank, it would help if they were less cryptic and gave me more specifics to work with."
She held out her hand for the lion; Erik gave it to her. "Use names," she told it, bringing it close to her eyes, and leveling a stern finger at it. "Don't say 'Magnetic', or 'The bald guy on wheels'. The pack of you seem to know everything that's happening or about to happen, so a few proper names shouldn't be that much of a stretch." Her voice vibrated with frustration. She sounded ready to bite off the toy's head—and start chewing.
"Charles?" Erik asked him, as they exchanged glances.
"I've never encountered anything like this before either. Ms. Engstrom, how have they been trying to keep you out of trouble?"
"It began when…" She explained at length and in detail, up to the point where the lamb had told her to ask for her file, and then "'Give it to the bald guy on wheels.' After the flashlight saved my life, I decided to listen to them and do whatever they said—if I can figure out what they want. They seem to enjoy confusing and exasperating me—and they try to provoke me into answering them in public, which could only lead to trouble. Here, let me get my file." She left the room for a moment.
"Nine or ten weeks ago?" Xavier raised an eyebrow at Magneto.
"Yes, as it happens. In Australia. Did she—?"
"She named no names. If it is so, have you considered what you're going to tell Pietro and Wanda?"
"I haven't the foggiest—although 'At least she's older than you are' springs to mind…"
A/N: If anyone out there doesn't know, Pietro and Wanda are Magneto's adult children from his marriage to Magda, who is dead.
