A month later:

A unified moan of protest broke through the mouth of everyone in the room when Erik flipped on the television with a twitch of his finger. He was becoming more and more powerful by the day, as if Charles's absence gave him the strength to continue beyond normal human bounds.

"This past month has seen a tidal wave of human charity and teamwork, hasn't it Holly?" Jim asked, sounding considerably more cheerful than he did regularly. Cecilia supposed that was a step forward. She yawned.

"Indeed, Jim, indeed! As most of the world knows, little over a month ago, Professor Xavier was kidnapped from his home by Anti-Mutant Society members, giving himself for the sake of his students," Cecilia closed her eyes in somber protest at the remembrance of that horrible night. She felt Emma place a hand on her shoulder, silently comforting.

Be strong, Cecilia. I love you.

I'm trying, Charles.

"Since then, humans and mutants from many a country around the world have pulled together to create the largest Man-Hunt in the world, led by the X-Men. They've already covered more than one-fifth of the Earth's surface, Jim!"

"Amazing," Jim gasped.

"Erik, can we watch something educational please? I already know everything they're telling me," Sean griped. Bobby and Scott laughed.

"Hush," Erik scolded, his eyes stuck on the screen as if it held secrets. "I want to know what they're saying about it," of all the people, Erik, Raven and Cecilia had been the ones most obsessed with the Manhunts, gleaning every bit of information from their search parties all over the world. But after a month of doing this, only Erik seemed to get more obsessed by the day.

Cecilia just missed him more and more every day. So much it hurt.

"Who cares? This is waste of my beauty sleep time!" Cecilia smiled and ruffled Sean's wild orange hair.

"You'll survive," she promised him. She turned to Moira, standing behind them. "Moira, I wanted to ask you…?"

"Ssshhh!" Erik hissed.

"If you would teach me how to fight," Cecilia finished, having learned to ignore Erik when he was like this. Moira cocked a curious eyebrow at her, but said nothing as Holly and Jim went on.

"It seems as if mutants and humans have finally found something to bring them together, then Holly!"

"I agree, Jim. Why, I've never seen such a variety of people getting along and joining together for a common cause before in my life. Professor X would be proud," no, Charles would have been ecstatic if he could have seen the overall tolerance people show for one another. Cecilia had seen four mutants walking in the streets, freely and no one had done a thing about it. Not an insult, not a word of protest.

It was as if they were all human, which had never been truer. "Why?" Moira asked her at last. Cecilia gulped.

"Because, if… When we find Charles, we might have to fight for him," she tipped her chin back. "And I will not be left behind," she growled.

Moira nodded understandingly. "Are you sure? You might be forced to kill."

"For Charles? Anything," another nod of understanding, and a glance of approval from Erik. She trusted he would be right at her side.

"Erik!" That was Kitty, bounding in with Ororo and Rogue on her heels. She was waving an envelope in the air. "We got a letter from Mr. Kennedy!" Cecilia smiled a bit at the reminder of the secret Mutant president. When he and shown them that… She didn't remember much besides catching Raven when the younger girl literally fainted.

Since then, he and his wife had visited them often, offering their silent encouragement and support. Erik and Mr. Kennedy had become fast friends in their pursuit of Charles, and Cecilia and Emma were close to Mrs. Kennedy. They were good people. Erik looked up from the television just as Sean let out a sonic scream which knocked it over.

He sent Sean harsh glance and took the simple envelope stamped with the president's seal from Kitty. "What does it say?" Rogue asked curiously.

"They've come to arrest Sean for driving me crazy," Hank guessed.

Erik shook his head and opened the envelope. He read it aloud before anyone could ask him a second time what it said. "Dear X-Men and school," he began. "I wanted you to be the first to get the news of this. Yesterday, a new bill was put on my desk by an aide. It had passed through the Congress unanimously, and I nearly fell out of my chair with surprise. It is the Mutant Equality Act, and I passed it," Erik stopped.

Time did too.

Cecilia gasped as her eyes snapped up to meet Jason's. The bill… Passed? They were free? "All Laboratories with the purpose of Mutant Experimentation are now illegal and are to be destroyed. Mutants have the full rights of any American citizen. Congratulations, my friends; your generosity has earned our people peace. And finally, we are free. Thank you."

Alex collapsed into the plush couch seat, stunned. The others stood in an tense, breathless circle, all staring at the letter in Erik's hand as the meaning of what it meant sunk in. The silence smothered them. Cecilia felt as if she couldn't breathe. It had been so long. So long that they had yearned for freedom, and now that they had it… She and the others were at a loss. What did they do now?

Whatever you want.

Was it really that simple? "I can't…." Hank's voice cracked. "I can't believe it," he stammered.

"We're free?" Rogue choked, eyes glistening. They all looked at each other, searching for the answer in the eyes of the person next to them. When that did not work, they turned to Erik. Erik's eyes widened as he realized what they were so astonished about.

It couldn't be true. Dozens of years living in fear couldn't just be over. Not like that. They had fought for this, but never seen it in their future. "We're free?" He echoed uncertainly.

Seeing as how he did not know, everyone naturally looked at her. Then it hit Cecilia, square in the chest and through the heart like a lance.

They were free. They were equal. Her brother didn't have to fear. She could marry Charles. The world was at peace.

"We are free," she decreed.

Raven looked at Hank, standing next to her, swathed in the same wonder as she. All these years…"Hank!" Raven screamed, as if she had not seen him in all this time either, and really they had not. The people they had been in the old world-the world of two minutes ago- had been desperate, hungry, hardened by malice and cruelty; that had not been them.

For the first time in their lives, Raven was staring at Hank as a free man. For once, the scientist did not need the emotions spelled out for him. "Raven!" He cried also, with jubilance as they threw their arms around each other. The joy spread. It was then that Emma threw her arms around Erik's neck from behind.

"We're free! Whoo hoo!" she shouted, raising a fist in the air. Cecilia had to cover her ears a second later as Moira and Ororo screeched with joy. Alex and Cassidy threw their arms around each other.

Rogue raced to Logan and hugged his middle tightly. Sean and Alejandro danced in a circle, roaring elatedly, slamming their hands down on his knees.

Azazel let laughter bubble past his lips and Jason laughed his immature snickering laugh and grabbed her in a bear hug.

"Sis," he whispered into her ear. "I'm safe."

At last. Cecilia gently touched the necklace around her neck. Oh, Charles. "Hey, Erik?" she whispered as the celebrations grew even more excited. She released her brother and walked over just as Erik released Emma from an elated kiss.

"Hmm?" Erik wondered, arms around Emma's waist. He looked down at her with new eyes.

Cecilia grinned, and gripped his hand in hers. They were all weeping tears of gladness. She spoke the truth. "Since Charles isn't here to say it; I will," She grinned devilishly. "You lose!" she laughed.

"With a month to spare in the bet!" Alex added.

Erik roared with laughter. "Ah, yeah. He was right then," he acquiesced, squeezing her hand. "He was right all along."

A week later:

"Erik… The Germans have come," Erik turned around to see Emma in the doorway of the communications tent. Her face was grave in the dim light, beautiful in an intense, unearthly way. He gave a curt nod to what she said, the innards of his soul aflame. The Germans were the last of their attack force to arrive. Which meant that they could begin now. After almost two months, they were going to retrieve Charles.

Or die trying.

Silently, he stepped out after her, into the blinding snowstorm. The criminals had hidden Charles away in Antarctica. He could still see the base, obscured and blotted out by the snowflakes which bit his cheeks the second he walked into the storm. He glanced around, seeing over a hundred of the world's finest human and mutants standing there, awaiting his orders.

At the front stood his X-Men, shoulders back, eyes ablaze despite the pervasive chill in the air. Alex, Sean, Hank and Cassidy stood next to them, arms crossed. As the students of Xavier they stood back, allowing the X-Men to do what they did best, but he knew that they would manage to get a few hits in. Moira and Cecilia were ready. He saw the same fire which burned in his heart in Cecilia's eyes, and knew that this fight would as much be her revenge as it would be his.

His mind flashed over the statistics of their chosen plan one more time. It was as it had been on Cuba, ironically. Their forces would distract whatever guards and soldiers protected this monstrous fortress. Emma would guide him once inside to the inner chamber where Charles was hidden in an anti-telepathic vault. He would grab Charles and escape. He looked at Cecilia, the heart of his brother.

"Are you ready?" A swift nod.

"Bring him home, Erik," she commanded him seriously. Erik nodded to this woman-who was uncannily worthy of Charles Xavier- and laid a hand on Raven's shoulder, including her in his next statement.

"I promise." Then, he squinted at the snowstorm, and raised a hand. "Aerial forces," That was Sean, Cassidy and the flying mutants. "Go!" they took off into the air, carrying large rocks and guns. They would take out the sentries in the disguising snow. They had the element of surprise.

"Ground forces, after them!" Led by Logan and Riptide. The army tensed, every single person attuned to his commands. Then they charged down the steep slope leading to the compound. Erik folded his hands behind his back, watching as the three forces collided. He had assumed that Charles's father would have defenses. He would have known that they had been searching, and that it was only a matter of time until they found him.

That time had come.

"Emma?"

"Good luck." He gave her a firm smile and nod, he had promised to marry her as soon they found Charles. This day would prove victorious in more than one way, he could feel it.

It was time for him to get started. Erik nodded. "Right. You too," he said as he suddenly charged down the hill, escaping sliding a bare handful of times. He did slide to a halt a few feet from the door though. The guards were too busy being overwhelmed by his forces to notice him slip inside.

In the second it took for him to do so, Erik leapt to take cover behind a wall. With a huff, he scanned the empty hall for cameras. Are you in?

Yes.

Alright, head left and look out for those cameras sweetheart.

There, four of them between him and the door. Erik smiled and gently moved the cameras to the side with a swipe of his hand. Then, with feet light from war, he slipped between the space that separated him from the door as the cameras re-adjusted themselves. A simple wind could have blown them off course.

Smashing himself against the nearest door, he glanced over his shoulder at the empty hallway beyond.

Good. Now I want you to take three more rights. The spot is deep inside the compound, he grunted. He would worry about what that meant for Charles later. First, he had to get there. He followed Emma's directions. He could fairly feel Charles getting closer, in the pocket of his mind that Charles occupied.

"Now," he muttered as he knocked out two guards. "Where am I going?" His eyes roamed the inside of the hollow and titanium walls. He cursed beneath his breath. He couldn't manipulate this metal. He was vulnerable. He grabbed the two metal balls in his pocket and levitated them above his head, ready for an attack.

Down the next two hallways. No turns. That's where the… spot is, before he could move, though, he heard light footsteps. Soundlessly, he ran down the hall and vaulted behind a corner. "Why didn't Xavier warn us that the Mutants were going to attack this way?" A feminine voice hissed as they walked down the hall towards the door.

"I don't know, but our prisoner will not last much longer," another answered almost boredily. Erik felt his eyebrows scrunch together. He poked his head around to see a man and woman.

The woman was a Mutant. Her skin was a tawny gold, with long chestnut hair running down her back. She wore an exaggerated red skirt and black shirt that covered basically zero of her body. The man was… Odd. His skin was milky grey, his eyes feline like.

Erik inhaled sharply and pressed his back against the wall again. Who were they? And can they lead me to Charles? He looked over his shoulder, meaning to track them. His eye scanned the hallway. It was empty. He frowned. Where did they go?

Erik, behind you!

"Looking for someone Magneto?" Erik felt a sharp pain in his head, then saw nothing.

"No!" Emma screamed, pounding her fists down on the hard icy ground. Azazel glanced at her. "I lost him!" Emma shouted anxiously, jumping to her feet, about to run in and find them both herself. Azazel put a soothing hand on her shoulder.

"The Chief is strong," he told her. "Besides, we need you to help us coordinate the battle here. Stay, Emma," every fiber of her being demanded that she smack Azazel for even suggesting that she leave him, but her mind- at least- knew that he was right. Erik would want her to stay.

With a hiss of frustration, she yanked her shoulder from his grip and knelt down. For goodness sakes, why was it Cecilia and Moira were allowed to fight but she had to stay on the sidelines like some sort of puppet-master? She wanted to fight, wanted to run in.

Charles, you'd better be alright. Because this is your job…