Chapter 15: Makeshift

Xavier found himself on that accursed beach. He never thought he would see such a place ever again. It was that one day he and his first team of X-Men had averted a crisis. He found Erik Lensherr in front of him, with Raven Darkholme/Mystique and Hank McCoy behind him. A dead body lay on the ground. Xavier recognized it as Sebastian Shaw. He saw a bullet speed toward Erik, but he deflected it. There was the sound of a gun going off twice more. Erik deflected the first harmlessly, but then, when he deflected the second, Xavier felt all feeling leave his legs. He cried out in pain. He had no idea what he was supposed to do.

And then he was back in the real world. Xavier looked in front of him and found Jason Stryker there once more, staring at him. Xavier looked him over again and wondered how his father could have done such a terrible to his child. To see Jason in a wheelchair was something that made Xavier come close to crying. It disgusted him almost.

Then he heard voices outside the cell. He couldn't tell who they belonged to. It seemed that his mind was no longer clear, which was a surprise. But then he realized it had to do with Jason. Xavier wondered how his father was making him do this. It didn't seem like anything normal.

Xavier saw Magneto and Stryker move around the corner. They were both staring at Xavier with discern. Stryker, then again, seemed to never look at a mutant with anything but that and deep disgust.

"Hello, Charles," said Magneto. "How are things going with you? I hope this is all to your liking. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be somewhere half as comfortable."

"Erik, I beg you to stop this madness!" Xavier cried. He turned to Stryker. "William, you must stop all you're doing! This won't end well for either side! Please listen to me!"

"Professor, I don't give the slightest amount of crap when it comes to hearing your words," Stryker told him. "There are times when I want to tell you to shut up, but then you wouldn't be in a good mood, and I want you to be when I show you what I've made for you. Once you see it, you won't want to leave." He looked over to his son. The son he very much said was dead to him.

"What would this be?" Xavier asked. "I wish to remain in this cell while I wait for something else. I am sure you understand, William."

"I don't, Xavier," Stryker said, "but let me tell you something. When everything goes the wrong way with your X-Men, then you have my utmost permission to finally die. How does that sound to you? Because it sounds pretty darn good to me!" Stryker laughed sadistically. He turned to Magneto, who was staring at him with a strange expression. "What is it you want?"

"What are you hiding it from me?" Magneto asked. He took off his helmet and looked to Xavier, who caught on to what he was doing.

Xavier attempted to look into Stryker's mind, but Jason prevented him from doing so. However, Stryker put his hand on his son's shoulder, which took all defense away from Stryker's mind. Xavier finally took a look inside and found what he was looking for. When he realized what was going to happen, his eyes widened. He sent the information into Magneto's mind, whose eyes suddenly became enraged.

"You plan to kill us all using some sort of device," Magneto accused Stryker. "How dare you? I gave you a chance for help against the X-Men, but you decide to double-cross us? What kind of a man are you?"

Stryker became very much enraged. "I'm only doing what I must," he explained. "I believe all mutants must be destroyed, my friend. And as of now, I don't care what happens to you or to Xavier's precious X-Men. You're all the same to me! However, I would like to observe your dead bodies and dissect them. It would most certainly help our cause."

"What kind of man are you, William?" Xavier asked. "How could you dare to do such a thing?"

"I can do whatever I darn well please, Xavier!" protested Stryker. "And I have a way to prove that I want all of you dead! It may not last long, but I know how to remove your abilities!" He took out a gun and aimed it at him. "If you don't shut up, I'll kill you right here and right now! How does that sound?"

Xavier said nothing. He believed he was too wise for such a thing. But no one can be too wise, he thought. Everyone makes mistakes, and I am a prime example of such a person, that much is clear. I want the rest of the X-Men to appear soon. They must save everyone but myself. I have messed up all that I believe in, mostly because I believed I could keep this many mutant children safe for so long. Oh how I was wrong…And now I am paying the ultimate price for my stupidity.

"What more shall you do to me with your son?" Xavier asked.

"Haven't you been listening, Xavier?" Stryker exclaimed. "My son is dead! Just like the rest of you! None of you will ever mean anything to me!"

Xavier thought of something he could do, but he decided not to. He wanted to get into Stryker's brain and see what was truly in there, but he believed it would not do well to do such a thing.

"And just to show how much I don't care about any

of you freaks…" Stryker took a gun out of his pocket and aimed it at Magneto, who obviously attempted to take it out of his hand, but failed. Xavier wondered why. But then Stryker pulled the trigger, and a dart went flying into Magneto's chest.

Magneto looked down and took the dart out of himself slowly. He tried to control metal, and then realized what the dart had done to him: it had taken away his powers.

"My God," Stryker said under his breath. "It worked." He then pulled back his arm and punched Magneto straight in the face, causing the older man to fall to the floor, unconscious.

Xavier didn't know what he was supposed to do. He could only stare at his old friend-turned-enemy. The fact that a mutant's powers could be taken away so easily was something that caused Xavier to wonder suddenly.

"How is that possible?" Xavier asked.

"There was a young boy we took from a mental institution. He was known as Leech to many of the doctors, and they knew he was a mutant. But they didn't seem to care. They kept him alive. But I was able to sneak him out of that mental institution and take his DNA from his body. He's dead now, fortunately. I no longer have to deal with that kind of crap. Now, it's time I show you something amazing. I've been working on it for a long while."

He called a name, and soon a beautiful young woman appeared. She was dressed all in white. Xavier recognized her. "Emma Frost," he said. "You haven't seemed to have aged a day."

"I know, Charles," she replied. "And you know what else? I've betrayed Magneto for a reason. And now I work for Stryker."

Xavier couldn't help but think. Emma wheeled him along a path, with Stryker wheeling Jason. They continued along the path, and soon Xavier couldn't help but think where they might be going. But then he saw two metal double doors. They opened up, and Stryker allowed Emma to wheel Xavier in first.

As soon as Xavier entered the room, his mouth dropped open. Though it was not an exact replica, he recognized the place as the room he used for Cerebro.

"My God," he said to himself. "How is this possible?"

"I had someone give me some information, Xavier," Stryker explained to him. "And thanks to them, I was able to make this whole thing. I have a plan for you, Xavier. I have a plan for your precious X-Men, as well. But as for you, I'll force you to kill all the mutants in the world."

Xavier and Emma's eyes widened.

"What?" Emma exclaimed.

"Yes. Didn't you know read my mind while I was forcing you to do such a thing?" Stryker sadistically replied.

Xavier couldn't believe what Stryker was saying. He'd forced Emma to do such a terrible thing, and he could see she hadn't meant to do it. He wondered how Stryker could have forced one of the strongest telepathic mutants to have ever done such a thing. It was bewildering.

"You can't do this!" Emma exclaimed at Stryker. "I will stop you! And even if I don't, the X-Men will stop you!"

"Well, you were right about you not being able to stop me," Stryker told her. He pulled out a gun and shot her in the leg. "The bullet there is coated in the substance I used for the cure. Good-bye, Xavier." He turned to Jason. "Make him kill all mutants."

And then Stryker left the three mutants in there. Once he was gone, Emma looked at Xavier. He saw tears in her baby-blue eyes. "I'm very sorry for this, Charles."

Xavier sighed and knew it was best for them to hope and wait to be rescued.