Disclaimer: Still working on hacking into the lawyers' databases… the second firewall is proving to be quite difficult…
"…"- conversation
'…'- thoughts
(…)- extra facts/actions (some)
((…))- author's/my own thoughts
'blah…' -telepathy/what people say mentally
Chapter 48: Talking with Erik
General Hallways, Asteroid Evolution, Orbit of the Moon, Milky Way Galaxy- May 16, 11:20 PM
Remy and Rogue raced down the hallways of the complex, with Rogue getting angrier as time passed. This came from the fact that she had been following the Cajun for close to thirty minutes and they were getting nowhere.
"Remy, where tha hell are we?" Rogue asked, stopping in the middle of the hallway and glaring at the Cajun. Remy, who was carrying all the medical supplies (per request of his chére) stopped and looked behind him, his eyes locking on hers.
"Remy told you already, chére. We're almost there," Remy winked and turned his eyes ahead, preparing to keep on moving, but when he didn't hear Rogue's footsteps behind him turned around and saw fierce emerald eyes glaring back at him for the second time in a minute.
"Remy, where is 'there'?" Rogue asked, crossing her arms across her chest.
Remy was about to reply when both heard heavy footsteps heading their way. They looked at each other and instantly closed their eyes, making themselves invisible. They managed this just in time, as the owner of the footsteps rounded the corner. Remy and Rogue quickly moved to the sides of the hallway and watched with wide eyes as Erik stalked past them, muttering angrily to himself.
"Damn it, my plan's gone… Xavier's still out cold from the battle with Mastermind, all of my team is imprisoned in cells but shouldn't be, I'm in way over my head, and to top it all off the one mutant whom I believe is the key to saving us all isn't here! Damn it all!" Erik continuously cursed as he made his way down the hallway. After a few minutes, with Remy and Rogue following behind him silently, Erik suddenly stopped, causing Remy to run into him. Rogue softly cursed and created a small ball of air, sending it to blow past Erik, hoping to make him think that a gust of air was responsible for his thinking something had hit him. Erik bought it.
"Wait a moment…Gambit isn't imprisoned, and neither is Legion. Although Xavier's prodigal son is a Horseman, I have a feeling that he is regretting his decision, and if he is he will be a substantial help to the cause… the cause of destroying Apocalypse once and for all." Erik clenched his fists and looked ready to punch the wall. Erik sighed and was about to move on when he felt something grab him from behind. Erik struggled to move, but felt himself held in place; by a magnetic force field no less. Erik tried to yell, but something invisible covered his mouth and dragged him out of the main hallway and into a side closet covered by a metal door. The closet's outlines could be faintly seen, but was only accessible to someone with magnetic powers. When he was inside, the door closed and a built-in, greenish light switched on.
Erik felt whatever had covered his mouth move and, after taking some deep breaths glared around him, trying to find a target. He succeeded when, out of nowhere, Remy and Rogue appeared, both looking angrily at the Master of Magnetism, causing Erik to take a step back.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here, sugah?" Rogue asked, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at the father of one of her best friends.
Remy's ruby on onyx eyes pierced Erik's sapphire ones, causing the normally stoic man to waver. "Remy would say, mon chére, dat we have ourselves a traitor; which Remy knows is somethin' dat this man never tolerates. After all, he told Remy and de others dat Lance was a traitor and was to be exterminated. Now, however, we find out dat tu have been holdin' out on nous (us), and nous exigeons (we demand) a reason pourquoi (why)."
Erik blinked his eyes, trying to understand the scattered French throughout Remy's small speech, and after getting the main gist of it sighed and, looking around the closet to make sure that no one else was there besides himself and the other two mutants, turned to look at them.
"You want to know what's going on?" Erik demanded, his voice. When the two mutants continued to stare at him he continued, "I'll tell you what's wrong! Apocalypse is back, and he has the same damn plan as last time and has me under total control! He's threatened the lives of my children; all three of them, and because he has done so I am now under his power. If I don't do what he says they'll die, and after all I've done in the past I can't let them suffer because of my idiocy. He even has new Horsemen – that is, except for Raven, who's the Horseman of Pestilence again. The other three Horsemen are Sabretooth, who's War," Erik ignored the gasp of surprise from both mutants, "Legion, who's Famine, and I don't know the identity of the Horseman of Death, but I do know that he will be chosen soon."
When Erik had finished speaking he was met with shocked silence. He looked at the two mutants before him and saw that both had shocked looks on their faces, their eyes boring into Erik's and making him uncomfortable. When they still said nothing, Erik snapped. "What are you waiting for?! Say something!"
Rogue finally spoke, her words coming out soft, "Erik, listen to meh. Remy and Ah are both reincarnations of ancient beings and we have ta get togethah six others so tha' we can save the whole world and yah," Rogue paused to smile at the mutant she had considered one of her greatest enemies for over a decade, "yah helped us a lot. When we're done with this mission and Apocalypse is gone forevah, yah will get a recommendation from both Remy and meh for a place at the Institute. Yah've changed Erik, and Ah, for one, think that the Professah will see tha' and welcome yah with open arms." Rogue then quickly hugged Erik, leaving him slack-jawed and then she motioned to Remy to speak.
"Magneto. Listen to me. Rogue and I have to go and rescue de others and find the other two deities. We need to free them and de others and get rid of Apocalypse once et for all. Rogue and I are goin' to turn invisible, mais unfortunately we can' take you with us so when we leave you have to not breathe un mot (a word) to anyone or so help me I will hunt tu down and slit your throat." Remy spoke seriously, abandoning third person to do so, his eyes burning brightly as he finished speaking. When Erik nervously gulped and nodded, Remy smirked and, quick as a blink, Remy and Rogue vanished, disappearing under the veil of invisibility.
Erik merely stared at where they had been, and after a few minutes, took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. With this done, he stepped out of the closet and began walking towards Xavier's cell, intent on trying to save his family by enlisting Xavier's help. However, before he got very far, Apocalypse caught him.
"Magneto. Where are you going?"
Erik quickly panicked and bowed low, responding, "My lord, I was just going to Xavier's cell to try and get more information out of him."
Apocalypse merely stared at the man before him, and using his telepathy sensed his disloyalty. "Fool," he hissed, causing Erik to look up, fear clouding his sapphire eyes. "You have betrayed me and helped the enemy. For that, you must be severely punished!" Apocalypse snapped his fingers and the Horseman of Death came out from behind him.
"No, stop! Don't do this!" Erik screamed, trying to get through to the Horseman whom he felt could make all the difference in the outcome of the upcoming battle, but it was of no use.
"Your pleas mean nothing to me," the Horseman of Death hissed, his eyes turning pitch black. He then lifted an arm and cast his attack at the man, who tried to resist, tried to get away and warn Remy and Rogue, but he failed, collapsing to the ground. The Horseman of Death merely stared at the unconscious man while Apocalypse grinned wickedly and placed a hand on his shoulder, praising him for his work. The Horseman of Death's face stayed neutral, nothing showing on it but anger and loyalty to his lord and master Apocalypse.