Disclaimer: Currently achieving intermediate status in hacking… rest of information classified…
A/N: … Well, I know it's been a while, but in my defense I've been student teaching and worrying about graduation from the undergraduate end of my life. Next was deciding on graduate school... But I promise that this story will be finished... eventually. Enjoy!
"…"- conversation
'…'- thoughts
(…)- extra facts/actions (some)
((…))- author's/my own thoughts
'blah…' -telepathy/what people say mentally
Chapter 61: Rogue's Chronicles: Rescues, Part 5
Hallway #21, Asteroid Evolution, Orbit of the Moon, Milky Way Galaxy – May 17, 3:44 AM
When the group arrived at the next hallway, all of them were antsy, anxious to find the others and defeat the menacing evil. Pietro desperately wanted to find Wanda and reassure her that he was there for her, while Lorna was also worried about Wanda; yet, she was actually more worried about finding her boyfriend and reassuring herself that he was fine and not dead. Alex not being dead was very, very important. Tyne was worried because although she had most of her team with her she was missing Lynn and her second-in-command Rex; oddly enough, she was more worried about Rex then Lynn. Todd wanted to find Wanda and not only see for himself that she was safe and sound but to also convince her that he was the one for her while Piotr was worried about Kitty. He hadn't been thinking rationally when he'd blurted out earlier that she looked like a monster and now he needed to apologize for upsetting her... and convince her that he was better suited for her than Avalanche. Let it not be said that Piotr gave up; he was in this battle for Katchya's heart no matter what.
Upon entering the hallway, Rogue tried to teleport into the prisoners' cells to retrieve the mutants once again, but when she attempted it she instantly returned, blood leaking from a cut on her cheek. "Damn, guess Ah can't teleport into these cells like Ah did in tha last hallway." She rubbed the blood away and the others watched as the cut quickly healed, with no mark of the cut remaining.
Rogue smiled a little on hearing them curse in amazement; if she was honest with herself she was still amazed at her new abilities, such as her having access to the combined healing abilities of Logan, Lexie, Sabretooth, and Mystique. After a minute, she moved further into the hallway, trying to see who was in the cells but found that there was a large shield in front of the cells, preventing her from seeing inside. Cursing, Rogue thought for a moment, trying to think of a way to get through the shields.
"Got it," she said, snapping her fingers at the idea. She looked over to the gathered group of mutants watching her, all wondering how they were going to solve this problem. "Opal, could yah come here?"
Opal started; surely The Rogue didn't mean her… did she? When she hesitated, Mark came up behind her and, acting quickly, pushed her towards Rogue. Opal stumbled, not having been aware of what was happening until it was too late.
"Thank yah, Mark," Rogue commented, amused at her student's antics. Opal turned around and glared at Mark, who merely grinned and waved. Growling, she turned back to Rogue, hoping that she could get permission to throttle the guy directly behind her.
Almost as if she was reading Opal's mind Rogue commented, "No, Ah won't let yah choke Mark; yah decided ta not come on yahr own and Mark merely helped yah ta go in tha right direction." Motioning to either side of the hallway she continued, "Ah need yah to fire bullets of pure adamantium at these shields; that should shatter them inta pieces."
Opal stared at Rogue and said, "Look, I'd like to help you but I can't shoot adamantium bullets out of my fingers; the metal's just not in my system." Opal shrugged and turned to move back towards the Brotherhood but Rogue placed a hand on her shoulder, turning Opal around, a grim expression on her face.
"Yah're lying; the scent's comin' off yah in waves. Listen: Wanda may be in one of these cells. How'd yah feel if yah didn't help her and she ended up dying? How would that make yah feel?" Rogue stated, the absolute seriousness of the situation reaching Opal. Answering Opal's unspoken question she added, "Yeah, Ah'm dead serious."
Opal stood frozen for a moment, weighing the positives and negatives of helping Rogue. Then she remembered how Wanda had become her surrogate sister when she had desperately needed someone to help her cope with both her powers and the aftermath of her family's abandonment. Wanda had helped her when she needed her the most; now it was her turn. "I hate to say this but… you're right. I will help you; however, it's not for you. It's for Wanda." Opal glared at Rogue as she said this and Rogue merely nodded, knowing that Opal's real loyalty lay in the friendship she felt with Wanda, something that she could call upon if Opal's services were needed once again.
"Move," Opal commanded, pushing her way past Rogue and positioning herself in the middle of the hallway, one arm each aimed at the cells, which happened to be directly across from each other. Opal concentrated, closing her eyes and as she did so, she ran through the arsenal of materials she could use for her bullets in her mind, looking for adamantium. One interesting aspect about Opal's powers that she had just recently discovered was that she was able to copy any material that she had seen and use it in her bullets. Opal ran through her mental catalogue and finding the adamantium she had just seen Wolverine and X-23 use in the last battle she smirked. 'Okay, all I do is concentrate and send the design to my fingers, which will create the bullets I need…'
Opal opened her eyes and with a yell shot five bullets of pure adamantium out of each hand, the bullets gleaming silver in the dim lighting afforded by the lights in the hallway. As the group of mutants watched in amazement the bullets hit their target, creating five holes that when connected resembled a star. The shields began to flicker, losing their energy as they faded in and out of existence until finally a cracking sound was heard. The bars of both cells were soon revealed and sounds could be heard emanating from the prisons.
Rogue ran up to one of the cells and saw John inside. Her face went pale as the Australian's usual mad grin and twinkling eyes were hidden behind a shield of pain and the hoarseness of his voice told her that he had been screaming his heart out for a while now. She then looked across the hall and saw that Wanda was in the other cell, screaming her heart out, the pain breaking Rogue's heart. Apocalypse was a true and right bastard.
"Good work, Opal," Rogue said, smiling at Opal in encouragement but frowned upon realizing that the young mutant was scowling at her. After a moment, Opal focused her attention on her hands and began blowing imaginary smoke off her fingers from where the bullets had exited.
"Pietro, Lorna, and Aaron: take tha cell across from meh and Lucas and Laura come ta this cell," Rogue commanded, figuring she would let Wanda's family rescue her while she helped John. The mutants that had been named ran to their positions, each hoping that they would be able to save the prisoner's life.
When Pietro reached the cell he stopped dead, shocked at what he was seeing. "Wanda…" he whispered, afraid that if he blinked the image would disappear and there would be an empty cell in front of him. Almost as if in a trance, Pietro reached out to touch the bars but was stopped when Aaron grabbed his hand.
"What are you doing?" Aaron demanded, still not used to having Pietro on his side. Pietro glared at him and, wrenching his hand free stared into the cage.
"That's my sister, Healer," Pietro snapped, eyes glinting dangerously. Aaron started; he looked from the woman in the cell to the man in front of him, not seeing the similarities. They were siblings?!
"What's wrong, Pietro?" Lorna asked jogging up behind the two males. When she saw Pietro's head tilt towards the cell, she glanced inside and sucked in her breath. "That's her," and her half-brother nodded without saying anything.
"Lorna, if you would be so kind," Pietro calmly stated, turning to look at his younger sister. Aaron was ignored completely. Lorna nodded and, without a word raised her hands and wrenched the bars off the cell, sending the electricity towards Pietro, who quickly created a small tornado to stop it from reaching him. The electricity fizzled into nothingness once caught inside Pietro's miniature tornado.
Once the bars were off, they ran inside, Aaron trailing behind them still nervous. There was no way in hell that he was going to upset the speed demon again. Pietro rushed around Wanda so that he was behind her and, taking out one of the small metal picks he had taken from the scrap iron pile a few hallways back picked the lock. Once he heard it click, he removed it and tossed it behind him so that it landed on the wall of the room, crumbling to pieces on impact.
"Is she going to be okay?" Lorna asked, concerned. By now, Aaron had responded to Pietro's silent message and began to work on healing the young female. However, while traveling through Wanda's mind he found, to his utter shock, that she had two sets of memories in her mind. Deciding to ask Pietro what to do rather than risk his wrath he brought himself out of the healer's trance he had put himself into, being careful not to harm her in any way.
"Quick – um, Pietro, there are two sets of memories in your sister's mind; do you want me to keep one set and erase the other or do you want me to keep them both intact?" Aaron asked slowly, looking to Pietro for advice. Lorna stared at Pietro as well, wondering what Aaron meant.
Pietro sighed keeping a short leash on his temper. No way was Lorna going to learn what he had helped do to his sister. Ignoring Lorna's questioning gaze, answered, "Aaron, listen: it's not my place to tell you which set of memories to keep; I'd be no better than Magneto in that respect. Leave both of them in there for the moment and later on we'll ask Wanda what she wants done." Aaron nodded and, going back into his trance delved into Wanda's mind, leaving both sets of memories alone. After a few more minutes, Aaron came out of his healing trance, having completed his work but abruptly fell back onto his hands in the process.
"Used a little too much energy there," he said, trying to catch his breath. Lorna, meanwhile, had taken Aaron's place in front of Wanda and, as a mother would with a child, brushed stray strands of hair back behind Wanda's ear, as gentle as gentle could be.
Wanda groaned and, opening her eyes, instantly put a hand on her forehead, trying to deal with all of the memories of the last time she had been awake. 'Magneto, Lance, Kitty, John…' She then looked up and, blinking owlishly found herself staring into Lorna's eyes. "Wait… you're the X-Factor member who has the same powers as Magneto, right?"
Lorna nodded and, pausing a minute replied, "Yeah, I am. The reason that I have the same exact powers as him is because I'm his daughter. I'm your half-sibling."
Wanda stared at the woman in front of her in shock, having trouble comprehending just what she had heard. "You're, you're my sister?!" Wanda asked incredulously, her voice going up a decibel in pitch.
Lorna nodded and said, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier; it's just that I didn't want to have anything to do with that creep Magneto and I thought that you guys wouldn't accept me. But, that all changed when Pietro convinced me that he would've felt the same way if in my shoes and that he really wanted to get to know me better. He welcomed me with open arms and made me feel like I belonged here; I hope you do the same." Lorna abruptly stopped her babbling and bowed her head at her last words, not sure what she should do next. However, she was surprised when Wanda leaned forward and enclosed her in a hug.
"Of course I'll accept you; you're family and family needs to stick together," Wanda said, doing her best not to cry. She knew how Lorna felt; she had felt that way years ago when she had trouble coming to terms with the fact that Pietro had lied to her about her past and had made her look like a fool. Then, she had realized that Pietro had lied to try to protect her; he had acted as any good brother would have... well, as good a brother as Pietro could be. She had then reconciled with her twin and they had steadily began getting closer again, even going so far as to cooking together and spending more time with each other.
Wanda then felt another pair of arms enclose her and knowing that it was Pietro said, "Pie, you okay?"
Pietro sighed and said, "Yeah Wanda; I'm fine." They stayed that way for a moment until they broke apart and got to their feet, Wanda turning around and giving Pietro his own individual hug in the process. They then walked out of her cell and on seeing Rogue struggling with the other prisoner Wanda opened her telepathic link with John, hoping to find him.
"No!" she exclaimed, feeling that John was on the verge of collapsing into unconsciousness; possibly a coma if the pain was severe enough. 'He can't do this to me; I won't let him!' Wanda then ran over to John's cell where she pushed past Lucas and Laura, who were trying to get close to John but were failing as he had taken to thrashing about in pain from the images he was seeing in his mind ignoring confused looks from her siblings. She turned to Rogue, who hadn't noticed her and demanded, "What's wrong with him?!"
Rogue started; she turned to face her friend and on seeing her anger-obsessed face said, "Wanda, Ah'm glad ta see that yah're fine," Rogue went to hug Wanda but the Goth didn't let her; she glared at her friend, sapphire eyes sparking with anger.
"Rogue, what's wrong with John?" Wanda asked again, tone deepening to one that expressly said, 'If you don't answer me I'll hex you into oblivion.'
Rogue took a deep breath and replied, "Lucas, Laura, and Ah have been tryin' ta free him but we can't get him ta stay still. He escapes Lucas' telekinetic hold and mah super-strength is useless on him. Right now we're tryin' ta figure out how ta help him." She looked at Wanda, waiting for her reaction, and was shocked when she saw Wanda move so that she was kneeling in front of John and watched as she closed her eyes and began to glow blue and silver.
Pietro and Lorna, who had come over to the other cell after Wanda had run off stood at the entrance, shocked at what they were seeing.
"Sis?" Pietro croaked, not sure if he should go help her or stay put. His question was answered when Wanda sent a hex-bolt to land in front of her siblings, creating a small hole in the floor, acting both as a warning and as a separating mechanism to keep them away from her.
Wanda concentrated on her new powers and, after making sure she would have control over them, opened her eyes. She then began chanting words that no one except Rogue understood, and even then Rogue was sure that she was only getting the gist of her friend's mutterings. The full meaning was beyond her. John's body began to glow with the same aura that surrounded Wand, and for a moment, it seemed like they were both floating in the air.
Then, to the amazement of all those who were watching John opened his eyes, which were now a deep red instead of their usual ocean-blue and, lifting his hands, he put them on his collar and tore it off, flames coming from his fingers as he did so. He flung the charred piece of metal behind him, knelt in front of Wanda and blinked once more, his eyes returning to their usual shade of blue. Wanda powered down and opened her eyes to find that John was kneeling in front of her, a smile on his face.
Without saying a word, Wanda leaned forward and hugged John, the Australian mutant returning the favor, his head resting on hers, both sets of eyes closed. Pietro watched in shock, not believing his eyes while Lorna grinned. She'd had an inkling from talking with Kitty (whom everyone knew couldn't keep a secret to save her life for more than a month) that Wanda had had a crush on pyrokinetic and refused to act on it, reasons unknown. Now, however, it appeared as if she had finally decided to act on her feelings.
'Good for her.'
Rogue, smirking, slyly stated, "Welcome back, John. We missed yah; especially Wanda." This earned her a glare from the witch, who then turned to face Pietro, who was still standing with his mouth open.
"Problem, Pie?" she asked sweetly, John also turning his attention to face the speedster.
Pietro merely blinked and opened his mouth to retort but nothing came out. He then muttered, "Nothing," and left the cell, trudging over towards Todd to break the news to him as gently as possible. Why was he the one stuck with all of the God-awful jobs?!
Lucas, Lorna, Laura, and Aaron followed him, deciding to leave Rogue to explain to John and Wanda the rules of the hallways. This might have been influenced from the feelings that each of them got, stating in laymen's terms that the trio wished to be alone.
Rogue waited until they were out of hearing distance and, after subtly checking her surroundings again said, "Ah guess yah guys should know that Remy and meh are two of the gods and goddesses as well."
John grinned and, getting to his feet with Wanda tapped his head, replying, "Oy knew that, Sheila. Known it all along, but didn't think it wise to admit it in case someone was spyin'." Wanda looked up at John, surprise written on her face at his revelation.
"You knew and didn't tell me?" she exclaimed, pinning her boyfriend with a glare that he just grinned at, not losing a beat. He shrugged and opened his mouth to reply but stopped when Wanda snapped it closed with her hand, stopping him from speaking. "Why?" she demanded, removing her hand to allow John to speak.
"Oy couldn't; Lance told me that Oy couldn't tell anyone 'bout wot was to come 'till it had happened; it's really annoying," John replied seriously, a signal that he was indeed telling the truth. John could be serious... but this had only happened on a few occasions, many of them revolving around personal items going on in his own life or life-and-death battles.
Wanda opened her mouth to reply but Rogue beat her to the punch by asking John, "John, do yah know who tha other two divine beings are?"
John nodded and opened his mouth to reply, only never got the chance to answer Rogue's question because Todd chose that moment to enter the cell, eyes blazing. When saw Wanda standing beside John, his hand around her waist, he lost it.
"Snookums! How in the hell could you choose him over me, yo?!" Todd asked outraged, eyes showing just how angry he really was. When Pietro had told him the news he had refused to believe it, but now that he'd seen it for himself he was shocked; he didn't quite know what to say, much less do.
Wanda sighed and stated, "Todd, listen: I know that I've treated you like shit over the years and for that I'm sorry; no one deserves to be treated that way. You have to understand that I was never interested in you that way. I hexed you every time you gave me one of your cheesy pick-up lines because I hoped that you'd get the idea and go find yourself someone who was worthy of you. I belong with John, not you. I hope we can still be friends, Todd." She held out her hand, her eyes telling Todd that she was being completely honest with him; something that the Brotherhood knew from experience was quite rare.
Todd regarded the outstretched hand, not sure if he should accept it. He then looked into Wanda's eyes and, upon seeing the honest shining there answered, "We can still be friends, snookums. I ain't got a problem with that, yo. But I can't accept the fact that you and him," Todd emphasized the word, "are together. See ya." Todd glared at John then left the cell, making his way over to the rest of the Brotherhood, specifically Fred, whom he knew would understand his plight having been rejected weeks earlier by a woman whom he'd thought liked him.
Rogue sighed and turned to Wanda, stating, "He'll get over it, Wanda. He just needs some time." She then motioned to John and Wanda to follow her out of the cell. As she approached the group she added, "We only have one more hallway, guys. Let's get it done so we can go and meet with tha other group and take down Apocalypse once and for all." The group sent up a cheer and, with Rogue, Wanda, and John leading the way they left hallway #21 and made their way over to the last one.
Hallway #28, Asteroid Evolution, Orbit of the Moon, Milky Way Galaxy – May 17, 3:57 AM
When the group, now twenty-three strong, entered hallway #28 they also found it to be bare of metal, just as it had been with the hallway where Lorna had been imprisoned. The Maximoff twins and Lorna looked at each other, knowing exactly why there was no metal in this hallway.
"He's here, isn't he?" Lorna asked her voice holding acid in every syllable. The rest of the Brotherhood understood her statement and, like Lorna got disgusted looks on their faces.
Wanda nodded and, creating a small ball of psychic fury in her hand, replied, "Yes, dear sister; our beloved father Magneto is imprisoned in this hallway. But first…" she then threw the ball, mentally quadrupling its strength, at the bars of the cell closest the group. When the electricity and her ball collided smoke filled the air and swirled around the mutants, causing most to cough as it filled their lungs. Rogue quickly sent a tornado of wind at the smoke, causing it to dissipate.
Once the smoke had cleared, Piotr saw who was in the cell and, turning to the rest of the Brotherhood said, "Jason is in cell. We must rescue him, da?"
Opal sighed and replied, "I suppose, although I could do without his lack of control over his illusions, wouldn't you say?" At her words, the Brotherhood nodded sagely, knowing for a fact that their lives would be a lot smoother if Jason's illusory powers never bothered them again.
Todd spoke then, causing the rest of the Brotherhood to look at him. "We need to rescue him, yo. I know he'd do the same for any of us; Magneto not included, of course." Opal sighed and raised her hands, signaling that she didn't care one way or another. The other members nodded, knowing that Jason would indeed rescue him, even if he had to go against Magneto to do so. It was common knowledge among the Brotherhood members that Jason loathed Magneto with every ounce of life his body, with the origin of this hatred stemming from Magneto's blackmailing Jason to work for him and threatening the illusionist's family. Details such as this only appeared during drunken rants, and with Fred and Remy's practical immunity to alcohol a lot of blackmail material on the illusionist had been gathered over the years.
Piotr then moved towards Jason's cell, whose bars had been destroyed by Wanda's attack. After armoring up and moving so that he was behind him, Piotr carefully took hold of the collar and snapped it between his forefinger and thumb. He then removed the remains of said collar and threw it on the ground, where he ground it to dust. He then motioned to Aaron – who had deemed it safer for his health to follow Piotr and not Pietro – to heal Jason.
Aaron knelt in front of Jason and, carefully placing his hands on his face transferred his energy into Jason, being sure to get his physical injuries first before setting to work on the mental ones. Once Aaron was done, he got to his feet and retreated to the wall of the cell, allowing Piotr, who by now powered down to kneel in front of Jason.
Jason's eyes snapped open a moment later and he exclaimed, "We have to move! Mt. Vesuvius is going to erupt! I don't care if you say it's been dormant for over five hundred years because s going to explode now!" Jason then caught sight of Piotr in front of him and, bringing shaking hands up to his face, groaned. He looked at Piotr and asked, "What happened, Piotr?"
Piotr replied, "You were imaging your worst fears while a mutation inhibition collar was around neck. I freed you because we need your help. Apocalypse is back and we need all help we can get to beat him."
Jason shook his head to make sure he had heard correctly and on determining that he had indeed heard the Russian mutant correctly asked, "The ancient one is back?! But, but how?" Piotr shook his head, signifying that he had not a clue, and Jason continued, "He is a very powerful mutant, that much we do know. How many others are with us?"
Aaron stepped in and said, "Hi, um, Mastermind. I'm Aaron Harmon and I'm with the X-Men. From what I've learned Rogue and Remy are leading rescue missions to free everyone who's being held captive here on this asteroid and then we will go and beat Apocalypse into the ground."
Jason regarded Aaron, not sure if he could trust him but upon looking into Aaron's hazel eyes said, "You're a healer, aren't you?" When Aaron nodded yes, Jason motioned to Piotr to help him to his feet and continued, "I am grateful that you healed me and I can honestly say that if anyone else had told me the news Piotr told me I would not believe them. You, Aaron, are a different situation; you are a healer and it is a known fact that healers never lie. It does not befit them. Take me to Rogue and I will offer her my services." Jason shook Aaron's hand and left the cell.
Aaron looked at Piotr in surprise, not having expected Jason's words. Piotr grinned at this and said, "Jason is, how you would say, a little bizarre in some things." He then left the cell, Aaron right behind him, pondering the statement.
Meanwhile, Rogue had been trying to convince Lorna, Wanda, and Pietro to help her rescue Erik, who was by now screaming in utter agony, voice quickly going hoarse. Unfortunately, his screams didn't get through to his children, who stood just outside his cell, vowing not to help him. "Come on, guys! How many times do Ah have to tell yah tha' he's changed?! He was only workin' with Apocalypse to protect yah'll and yet yah turn your backs on him!" Rogue was getting frustrated; her emerald eyes were slowly turning a pale green, signifying that she was drawing on Ororo's powers.
Wanda snorted and replied, "Rogue, you try having to deal with a decade of emotional torture caused by your loving father who was only trying to help you by putting you in a damn insane asylum when you were six. Then you tell me how you can free him from a punishment he deserves!"
Rogue opened her mouth to retort to remind Wanda that she had Mystique for a foster mother when Pietro added more kindling to the flames.
"Wanda's right, Rogue. He treated me like shit for years; when he got sick and tired of me he gave me up for adoption, using some sappy story about how he didn't have the money to care for me. Now that isn't what I'd call fatherly love, would you?"
Rogue once more tried to get in a word but Lorna, in a move that shocked the Southern belle interrupted this time. In all the time that she'd known Lorna the emerald haired beauty had never interrupted someone when they were talking, wanting to hear all they said before making any type of judgment.
"They're right, Rogue. Magneto used my mom; he was with her for less than two years then left her flat, with me a year old and my sister not even a week old. He doesn't care about any of us; if he did then he wouldn't attack us every chance he got, trying to make sure we die so that we don't interfere with his master plans. To me, that doesn't sound like a real father-figure to me; what about you?"
Rogue rubbed her head in a vain attempt to stop her headache and after a few moments exploded. "Ah don't care what yah'll say anymore! Yah don't have ta help meh rescue him; Ah'll do it mahself!" Rogue moved to break down the doors but before she even took a step, she felt a hand on each of her shoulders, one from Pietro and one from Wanda.
"Leave him alone, Rogue," Wanda whispered, Pietro and Lorna nodding in agreement. "He deserves it for what he put us through our whole lives." Wanda stared at Rogue, willing her to understand what she was saying and to agree to it.
Rogue looked at her friend and replied, "Absolutely not. He deserves a second chance; after all, Wanda, yah got a second chance at life because he needed yah; Pietro, he rescued yah from jail all those years ago when yah needed help and Lorna, he helped yah when yah were captured by the FOH by destroying their compound to get to yah. Yah were unconscious then, sugah, but he kept insisting that he needed ta rescue yah. Ah know he has a lot to answer for but then again so do all of us. Just help him. We need him to help us defeat Apocalypse." With these words, Rogue stepped back and walked towards the group of mutants, now including Jason, all of whom were watching the three young adults in front of Erik's cell.
After a few minutes, Pietro was the first to speak. "Rogue's right. We do need him to help us battle Apocalypse; maybe we should let him go. That's my vote; Lorna?"
Lorna pursed her lips and responded, "When I was captured by the FOH, I vaguely remember hearing a man shout that he had to rescue me, and now that I think about it the voice sounded a lot like Magneto's. I'm with Pietro; he deserves a second chance. Wanda?"
Wanda sighed; why did all the tough decisions come down to her? She thought for a moment and when she had made a decision opened her mouth to tell her siblings her answer when she felt John enter her mind. 'John, what are you doing?!'
John, from his position next to Fred, replied, 'Helpin' you do the right thing, luv.'
Wanda closed her eyes, causing her siblings to look at her strangely. 'You mean that I should just let him go free, his time not served when he deserves what he's getting?!'
'Oy didn' mean it like that. Oy meant that your dad does deserve to get punished, but not this way; no one deserves this. Besides, would it suit a goddess such as yourself to let a human being suffer for the sins of another?'
'You know, I think I liked you when you weren't all-knowing…'
'Funny, Wanda. Oy mean wot Oy said though. Just think 'bout it, 'kay?'
Wanda nodded; further confusing Pietro and Lorna who, if honest with themselves, were unsure of what Wanda's actions meant. After a few minutes, Wanda opened her eyes again and, sighing in resignation, stated, "Let's get dear old father out of there."
Lorna grinned and, turning to the cell, placed out her hands, Wanda beside her, her own arms outstretched as well. Pietro stood back, not wanting to get caught in the fierce clash of powers and the automated defense system.
"Now!" Wanda commanded and she began drawing the electricity off the bars while Lorna concentrated on twisting and turning the bars into a piece of scrap iron. After a few moments Lorna pulled back her hands, dragging a rather large pile of iron along with her while Wanda took all of the electricity and molded it into a small cloud in her hands. Then, turning, both sisters threw their refuse into the cell that had played host to Jason not long ago. A nice explosion soothed frayed nerves.
"Pietro?" Lorna questioned, turning emerald eyes to the speedster. Pietro winked at her and in a mere minute had run into the cell, dismantled Erik's torture device, and thrown it onto the floor where Lorna and Wanda further disfigured it. Revenge was so nice, wasn't it?
"Rogue?" Wanda asked, turning to her friend who had walked back to the three siblings upon hearing Wanda's agreement to help her father. The Southern belle nodded and accessing Pietro's powers sped past a shocked Wanda. She then knelt in front of the Master of Magnetism and healed him, amazed at the depth of emotion the man felt for his family, not that she was invading his mind, of course. The thoughts were on the surface of his mind, easily accessible. Once done, she backed out of the cell only to receive a glare from her friend.
"Ah'll explain later," Rogue told Wanda, who continued to glare at her. However, her attention was diverted when Erik groaned. "Ah'll leave yah'll with him." Rogue then walked back to the group of mutants where the Brotherhood (not including John) was staring at Wanda, Pietro, and Lorna in disbelief, not believing that they went and freed the man who had made all their lives a living hell.
Lorna went inside the cell, followed by Wanda. Pietro joined them in front, three pairs of eyes glaring at the man who was just coming to. Erik once more groaned and this time his eyes fluttered open, revealing a haunted pair of eyes that widened when he looked up and saw his children in front of him.
"Wanda? Pietro? Polaris?" Erik whispered, not believing his eyes. They were all safe. They weren't being tortured and scarred; in fact, they were in front of him. "I can't believe that you're all safe,"
"No thanks to you, Father," Wanda interrupted, eyes glowing with anguish and anger. "You battled John and me and then imprisoned us in those miserable cells with torture devices!" Erik slowly got to his feet and found that he was just a few inches taller than Pietro; however, he felt two feet tall as he withered under the glares of his children.
"She's right, you know," Pietro said, his voice as cold as Erik's; perhaps colder. "You made us attack the Institute and made us fight our friends. You made me fight my girlfriend and I had to watch as you tortured her to death!" When he mentioned Lexie, he turned his eyes away from Erik's, not wanting to see the disappointment he had found so often there.
Lorna stepped forward and, lifting her chin said, "You may not know who I am, Magneto, but I know for a fact that you're my biological father. I'm Lorna Dane, and you left my mother with my sister and me just a few weeks after my baby sister was born. How dare you. It's a wonder that your children turned out the way they did when they have such an egomaniacal man as their father!" Lorna's eyes blazed with fury as she continued her rant. "When I found out you were my father I wanted to kill myself; after all, who would want to be your child?! Then, my boyfriend saved me by telling me that it isn't who your parents are that determines who you become; it's who you want to be. I vowed to not become like you, and I'm not. Just thought you'd like to know that you have two more children out there… dad." She then stepped back between Wanda and Pietro, who both put a hand on a shoulder, providing Erik a united front as his enemy.
Erik's eyes began to tear; in all the years that he had been reveling in his role as "Master of Magnetism" he had never really given a thought to the lives of his children. He had put Wanda away because he didn't want to deal with her emerging powers. The same was for Pietro when he gave him up to a foster family. Then, he thought back to Lorna's mother and what he had done to her; he had left her a few weeks after his second daughter by his second wife was born because he couldn't sense an X-gene in her. Disgusted, he had left her with a one-year-old Lorna (whom he had thought to possess an X-gene but he had sensed that it wasn't yet active) and a week old baby, his wife watching him go with teary eyes.
"I'm sorry… I know that I haven't been the best father in the world," began Erik but was interrupted when Pietro snorted at his father's words. Erik ignored it and continued, "When I was exploring the ruins underneath the Sphinx Apocalypse found me and demanded me to come and work for him. I refused, saying that I had people to care for – and I meant what I said, Pietro – but he then brought up images of the past that showed me how badly I'd treated all of you; how I'd crushed you time and again and let you down. I placed myself in Apocalypse's service to try to protect you. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to get you involved. Things quickly began to spiral out of control. I was forced to imprison you so that Apocalypse wouldn't get suspicious and kill you because I betrayed him. I don't know how often I have to say this but I'm sorry for what I've done. After this battle, I will do whatever is in my power to make it up to you and be the father you deserve." Erik then bowed from the waist down, giving his children a choice to make – either accept or reject him.
Wanda and Pietro looked at each other, not sure how to react to this. They then looked to Lorna, who had tears falling down her face. "I don't know what to think… to do," she whispered, the tears falling more rapidly down her face. Wanda felt the exact same way as Lorna did; however, she didn't show it. Pietro's face was devoid of expression.
"Let me see something," Wanda said and, walking forward, asked Erik, "Will you allow me access to your mind, Magneto?" Erik nodded yes without hesitation, and Wanda, after looking back at her siblings accessed her telepathic abilities, and delved into her father's mind, searching for the events that he had mentioned. What she found shocked her to the extent that her eyes flew open and she stumbled backwards, Pietro and Lorna catching her before she fell.
"Oh my god, he's telling the truth," Wanda murmured, her words causing Pietro and Lorna to look at her in shock. Wanda got to her feet again and, looking at her siblings repeated, "He's telling the truth; all he did in the last few years was to try and protect us. He knew about you and your sister Lorna; he knows all about you two. He feels guilty for how he treated us and he wants to help make it up to us. What the hell do we do now?!" Wanda felt like screaming; her mind was in turmoil as she absorbed what she had just learned about her father.
Pietro knew how his twin felt; he was feeling the exact same way. After a few moments of silence between the siblings he spoke, his voice deep and hoarse. "I think that we should give him his chance. He tried to give us all one but he hasn't done the best job. We should help him by letting him know we're willing to allow him to try to help us."
Lorna nodded and added, "Just knowing that he tried to make up for his past mistakes redeems himself in some aspects… not all," she hastily added on getting a look from Wanda. She continued, "But they tell me that he has changed; that he does want to help us and protect us as best he can. I think that we can trust him. Wanda, it's up to you." Lorna and Pietro both looked at Wanda, who once more felt the pressure to make a decision.
'What the hell do I do?!' Wanda thought angrily, her mind still a mess. Just when she was about to scream she heard John's words come back to her and on reflecting on them, she knew what she had to do. She turned back to her father, who was still bowing to his children. She walked to him and, putting a hand on his shoulder, said, "We accept your apology and accept your attempts at becoming our father once again."
Erik thought that Wanda's voice sounded more regal than usual but brushed it off as a side effect of her attempting to keep her emotions in check. He rose to his feet and, placing both hands on Wanda's shoulders, drew her into a hug, startling her. Wanda hesitatingly returned the favor, not sure if she was doing the right thing.
Erik then released her and moved on to Pietro, putting out a hand for him to shake. Pietro looked to Wanda, who nodded yes, and, feeling like he was doing the right thing, took Erik's hand, shaking it. Erik abruptly pulled him into a hug that almost choked him. Pietro, like Wanda, was hesitant to return the hug but did so, feeling a sense of peace in the process.
Erik then moved on to Lorna, who, after drying her tears, allowed him to hug her for the first time in years. Lorna closed her eyes, letting out a sigh of relief as a sense of peace enveloped her. She felt, for the first time in her life since her foster family had been alive, safe in the arms of a man who called himself her family.
Once Erik had finished hugging his children, he nodded to them to follow him, which they did, as he exited the cell. Rogue and the rest of the group looked up and when they saw Erik heading their way, Wanda, Pietro, and Lorna right behind them, they sighed in relief, glad to know that one of the most powerful mutants on the planet was on their side. However, the Brotherhood glared at Erik, not having forgiven him for what he had done to them in the past.
Rogue stepped forward and, holding out hand said, "Welcome back, Erik. Ah told yah that Ah'd vouch for yah, didn't Ah?" Erik stared at Rogue's bare hand and on seeing the Brotherhood watching him carefully, looking for signs of his next move, Erik nodded and took Rogue's hand, surprised when he didn't feel any drain on his body.
Erik then apologized and Rogue explained to Jason and Erik how to travel in the hallways. She then added, "Now that we've gotten ta everyone from hallways #17 ta #28 there's only one hallway left: Professor Xavier's. We're goin' ta meet up with Remy's group in front of tha door, go in, rescue him, and then go and battle Apocalypse. We will win!" Her group let out a cry of victory and left the hallway, Erik at the front with his children right behind him, letting him know that he had their support for the present and future.