Chapter 24

Magneto's Base...

So far Sinister had not had much success in waking Mystique up. It seemed more extreme, and therefore more risky to Mystique's health, measures were going to be required. This is why he dislikes magic. It is so unpredictable.

Sinister fills a syringe from a bottle. This drug was experimental. Designed to pull coma patients out of their condition. On Mystique's unique physiology and with magic present he must admit at not being sure what will happen. It will be fascinating to find out though.

He moves to inject the solution in her neck, directly into the artery, so it gets delivered straight into the brain. He is millimetres from her blue skin when her hand jerks up and grabs his wrist.

Mystique's cold yellow eyes fixate upon Sinister. "Make one movement and I swear you shall never use that hand again," she says venomously.

"Mother!" Alicia's happy cry can be heard at seeing Mystique awake.

Next thing Mystique knows is being encased in Alicia's arms being hugged nearly to death. Mystique can feel Alicia shaking and can hear her cry and muffled 'I was so worried' and 'I was afraid I'd lose you'. "Shh," she soothes Alicia as she strokes her back. "It's ok my daughter," she says although Mystique has no idea what is going on. She only knows her daughter is deeply upset.

Mystique turns her frosty glare on Sinister. "You better explain to me why my daughter is so upset and it better be really good or even your regenerative healing factor won't save you," she threatens him.

Sinister grins at that, highly amused by her threats. "As fun as that sounds her overly emotional distress comes out of worry for you. It seems you were under some sort of spell."

"Spell?" Mystique inquires. "As in magical spell?"

"Yes."

Mystique looks to the heavens. Magic. Why did it have to be magic? She has a feeling she won't like it when she finds out what happened.

Bayville...

"Uh...what are we doing here?" Fred asks, scratching his head in confusion, as he finds himself and the other members of the Brotherhood hiding out in some back alley, with no memory of how they came to be here.

"What is going on yo?" Toad asks, as confused, if not more so, than Fred.

"Is this a sick game of your old man?" Avalanche asks Pietro, more angry sounding than confused.

"Why would you blame him?" Pietro asks Lance.

"Oh I don't know. Maybe because he's the one willing to use telepaths on people!" Avalanche yells.

Neutron, who for some reason he can't figure he seems to be covered in pieces of road tarmac dust, finds himself agreeing with Lance. "This ain't what I signed up for either."

"It wasn't him," Pietro insists, for the sole reason his father would not do that to him. Them maybe but not Pietro himself.

Plastique mutters a few things in French in the same angry tone as Avalanche and Neutron.

"Right there with ya," Neutron agrees without knowing what she actually said.

"Where's Val?" Fred asks at the missing Puzzler.

"A very good question Blob," that familiar dark, cold voice says.

They all jump out of their skins as Magneto descends into the narrow alley they currently inhabit. It hadn't been hard for him to work out where they would go.

"Father," Pietro says in a suddenly squeaky tone.

"Pietro," Magneto says menacingly. "Care to explain what you have been up to?"

"Uh...well you see the thing there is..."

"We can't remember a thing," Plastique says in a sudden, surprising, burst of good English which she doesn't often speak.

"Is that so?" Magneto queries.

"Yeah. That's so!" Neutron says in an aggressive tone. "You know something about it?"

"I have my suspicions."

"Care to share what those are?" Lance asks.

"No."

"It wasn't you right?" Pietro says in a fearful tone, afraid how his father will react to that question.

"Of course not!" Magneto snaps at the foolishness of his son. Oh what a disappointment Pietro is. How he wishes for for one child who could follow him. "There was someone else behind this. I haven't discovered their identity yet but I shall and rest assured my mutants they will know my mind on this matter."

"So...uh what do we do now yo?" Toad wonders.

Magneto takes a moment. "Return to the Boarding House unseen by the authorities and pack."

"Pack?" Fred questions that.

"I am wrapping this operation up. I may in fact have another task for you," he informs them. It occurred to him as he was thinking things over on the way here.

"You don't want our help?" Pietro asks.

Magneto sighs. "You are missing your memory so I shall overlook that. You wrecked most of the main shopping street and the police are after you. It would be best if I work alone and you remain out of sight. Am I clear on this?"

Pietro looks at his father unable to believe what he is hearing. They've done what? Not that it doesn't sound like fun. It does but Pietro remembers nothing. Last thing he remembers is going to bed last night.

"Am I clear on this?" Magneto repeats his question.

"Yeah...yes," Pietro finally says in reply.

"Then make your way home and collect your belongings as I ask. I'll return to pick you up," Magneto instructs them before he takes off into the air. That's most of the Brotherhood dealt with. Only one thing remains before he hunts down the one responsible for this. His next task: find Puzzler.

Smallville...

Rogue had sat, mostly in stunned silence, as Clark relayed the day's events to her as they both sat on a small ledge inside the Kawatche caves. Witches, ghostly possessions, magical powers?

Seriously?

"You alright?" Clark asks, his voice full of soft, warm concern.

Rogue nods. "Yeah. It is just...our lives just can't beh normal can they?" she asks, with that disbelief in her eye that stuff this weird happens to them.

Clark smiles goofily. "Sorry. Normal went out the picture awhile ago."

"So...uh...what was ah lahke when as was possessed?"

Clark tries to choose his words carefully. "Brianna was...aggressive. Sexually."

"Oh great. Possessed by a 400 year old slut," Rogue remarks sarcastically. She drops her face into her hands. "Ah'm nevah living this down," she mutters to herself.

"Yeah well you weren't the only one possessed you know," Wanda points out in a sour tone, unhappy that Rogue seems to think she was the only one who suffered. Hell in Wanda's opinion she suffered less because she doesn't remember any of it unlike Wanda who remembers most of it.

Rogue looks up at glares at the raven haired mutant. It bugs the hell out of her that Wanda seems to need to gain some attention for herself. Wanda generally bugs her in such a fashion.

Storm intervenes before this breaks into another Rogue/Wanda spat. "If everyone is well then perhaps it is time to leave," she announces.

"Not yet," Clark contradicts that. "I have something I need to do," he says as he pulls out the silver hexagonal key.

Rogue looks at the object in Clark's hand and both reviles it, after somehow it spent a whole summer influencing her, and itches to hold it again. She feels like Gollum from Lord of the Rings...and yes that joke has been made at her by Bobby 'lame sense of humour' Drake after her whole summer of hanging onto it.

Clark stands up and helps Rogue back to her feet. "It's all best you leave," he advises out of worry for their safety.

"So Jor-El can brainwash ya again?" Rogue questions that. "Forget that!" she says with utter determination. "Ah ain't losin' ya again," she vows.

"You never lost me Rogue," Clark says gently. "But I'm here and I need to do this...if for no other reason than this cave is no longer safe until we find Isobel and Jor-El needs to know."

"Then we'll all tell him," Logan says.

"Absolutely," Jean says in agreement.

There are many other voices saying the same thing.

Clark appreciates his friends' loyalty. "This could be dangerous," he points out to them.

"Bah! We laugh in the face of danger!" Spider-Man says in a over the top macho tone followed by a loud fake manly laugh, "Ahahahahahaha!"

Wanda rolls her eyes. She has never met Spider-Man before and now she is kind of wishing that was still the case. How can anyone talk so much is beyond her.

"Alright. Follow me," Clark says as he leads everyone back into the alcove with the pedestal. They all gather around it. "Please be very careful about what you say," he asks of them, especially Domino and Peter. "Jor-El can hold me against my will and you all are aware of how powerful I am," he cautions them about invoking Jor-El's wrath.

"We understand Clark," Scott assures him.

Rogue takes Clark by the hand as he holds the key over a thin slot in the top of the stone pedestal.

Clark drops it in. The entire room goes dark and seems to vanish before they all find themselves surrounded by a column of light.

Kitty looks around, her expression one of awed wonder. She ends up reaching for a hand just for some reassurance as they stand here in this nothingness and finds Spider-Man's.

Jean and Scott are holding hands in the same manner too.

"Kal-El!" Jor-El's voice booms and echoes.

"Jor-El," Clark says back in a controlled tone.

"You are restored to your previous incarnation."

"If you mean I broke free of your brainwashing you are correct," Clark says, anger lacing his voice at what Jor-El did to him.

"How could ya do that?" Rogue demands to know, unable to hold in her question. "In fact why we're on tha subject what tha hell did ya do ta meh through that key?" she wants to know.

"Kal-El why did you bring these people here? This is not their concern," Jor-El dismisses the presence of the others.

"They are my friends and friends are there for one another and Rogue's questions are valid and I would like some answers," Clark demands of Jor-El.

"I did nothing to your mate Kal-El," Jor-El pleads innocence for what happened to Rogue.

"Someone did," Rogue insists.

"Yes," Jor-El says simply.

"Who?"

"All answers come in time and the time for that one has not yet come," Jor-El says.

"Excuse me?" Rogue says, more than a little peeved at being fobbed off. "It was mah mind that was getting messed with!" she says with rising ire.

"Impatience is one of humanity's biggest flaws," Jor-El criticises.

"Oh ah am so goin..."

Rogue's rant is cut off by Clark placing a hand on her shoulder. She looks up and can see him pleading for her not to lose her temper although he sympathises about Jor-El's continual way of never giving straight answers. It angers him too.

Clark takes a moment. He spent enough time in his father's company this summer past to know when Jor-El will not give an answer no matter what you say and he is not going to answer that question about Rogue. Although it strangely does tie in with Clark's thinking that it made no sense for Jor-El to use the key to save Rogue and the others but if it wasn't Jor-El then who was it? And why doesn't Jor-El seem too concerned about someone else being able to influence someone through the key? The only thing Clark can think of is that Jor-El allowed it to happen because he just didn't care one way or the other if his friends lived or died. That in the end it didn't make a difference...at least to Jor-El.

Seeing no point in dragging out a question Jor-El has decided he won't answer Clark moves onto the other one Rogue asked. "Why did you recondition me?"

"It was necessary," Jor-El replies.

"Jackass," Wanda mutters angrily. It is something like her father would say and do. In fact it is exactly like something her father would say and do.

Clark holds a hand up to Wanda to ask her to leave this to him because he knows emotional outbursts don't get you anywhere. "I know why you think it was necessary. I remember everything you said to me. That doesn't answer the question of why you did it when, if you had simply explained what you needed me to do, I would have done it."

"Would you?" Jor-El questions that sceptically. "On what basis would I have made that conclusion considering your continual defiance of me?"

"Oh now you make a good point," Clark mumbles, seeing Jor-El's argument as at least vaguely valid.

"You could and should have asked," Storm steps in. "Assumptions are dangerous when it is clear you do not understand how your son thinks."

"I understand my son perfectly," Jor-El responds to that. "Kal-El's thoughts are transparent to me. He has inherited humanity's flaw. It had and will have to be purged."

"I dare ya ta try it bub!" Logan challenges.

"Kal-El this...barbarian is the company you keep?" Jor-El asks, sounding deeply disapproval of Clark's choice of companionship.

Logan growls at that.

"Yes," Clark says with what sounds like pride in his voice. "And this flaw, as you call it, it is not unique to humanity. You blame it for Krypton's destruction," he recalls.

"Which is why it must be removed or Earth will share Krypton's fate."

"Maybe it will. Maybe it won't. The problem is the only way your removed it in me was to essentially remove my free will. That's great if you want a world of mindless slaves but if you do that you will remove what is great in people."

"That is not what I desire."

"Isn't it?"

"No. I want you to lead them away from their path of self-destruction."

Clark sighs. "They don't need me for that. They can manage that themselves."

"On what do you base that on?" Jor-El asks of his son.

"The people here with me who fight against that very thing and fight for a world of peace. I can help them...I can inspire them with my actions but in the end what you want cannot be imposed. Humanity must want it for themselves."

"That Kal-El is the problem. Humans always want to create a better world. Instead they keep rebuilding the same flawed one over and over. They need a strong leader to light their way out of the darkness. For as long as you hold onto human emotions all you will do is help build that flawed world again."

"And here we go round and round," Clark complains about the endless argument he and Jor-El have. "That flaw you refer to is what allows me to understand them. When you turned me into Kal-El I lost that ability. I can't lead people I can't understand!" he almost shouts in exasperation. That thing about no emotional outbursts...forget that. Clark is at the end of his rope with frustration about this stupid argument he cannot seem to win.

"Human anger," Jor-El says in a clearly disapproving, condescending tone.

"Arrogant prick," Clark mutters.

Rogue's eyebrows rise. Clark never curses...except in the bedroom when they're...he never curses otherwise.

"That is no way to address your father," Jor-El chides him.

"You're not my father! Jonathan Kent is! You're nothing but wires and circuits or whatever the Kryptonian equivalent is!" Clark snaps off, as he can actually feel a vein throb in his forehead, due to his anger.

Clark then feels his hand squeezed by Rogue and he takes a minute to calm down. He looks to his friends. "See the crux of the problem?" he asks them about the issue he has with Jor-El.

Storm nods. She can see the dividing line over which neither Clark nor Jor-El seem willing to shift. She could make a light joke about how similar they are but that would probably not be wise.

Clark takes another moment to calm himself. "I did not come to settle a dispute we obviously will never agree on," he says to Jor-El. "You can read my mind. You know why I am here."

"The witch Thoreaux and her hunt for the stones."

"Yes."

"She must not find them. You know the consequences if a human gains possession of them."

"I do. That being the case care to tell me where they are?"

"A good attempt Kal-El," Jor-El says in a wry sounding tone, "but if you wish to remain as you are I shall give you this opportunity to prove your humanity isn't a weakness like you claim and to find the stones."

"It was worth a try," Clark says with a shrug. "How do we stop her returning and gaining access to this place?" he asks.

"I had not considered before the possibility of someone of Thoreaux's power finding this place so I had not prepared the appropriate defence."

"Was that an admission of a mistake?" Clark asks, in total...nay absolute shock that Jor-El would admit such a thing.

"I think it was," Evan says.

"An oversight," Jor-El corrects. "Once you leave here a protective field shall be placed around this chamber. Not even one who wields magic shall be able to penetrate it."

"How do you know that unless...you know about magic," Clark realises.

"I encountered it in my youth...although magic is hardly the correct term," Jor-El says as if saying the word magic leaves a foul taste in his metaphorical mouth. "It is merely the ability to harness fundamental energies and channel them to achieve a desired outcome. Any advanced civilisation can achieve the same results through technology."

"Clarke's 3rd Law," Peter whispers to Kitty.

Kitty nods. Peter refers to the author Arthur C. Clarke who made the assertion that any sufficiently advanced technology would be indistinguishable from magic.

"I think it wise, for now, that I find a new secure place for the Crystal of Fire until I have all three," Clark informs Jor-El of what he feels is correct.

"A wise precaution Kal-El. When you have all 3 return here, unite them and you shall take the next step to your destiny."

"Was that a compliment?" Clark asks, unable to believe Jor-El would ever give him one.

"I zhink it vas," Kurt says.

Jor-El says nothing more as the light vanishes and the group find themselves back in the cave. Clark pulls the key out of the slot.

"So that's your father huh?" Domino queries.

"Yep. Such an inspiring role model isn't he?" Clark says, tongue firmly in cheek.

"Oh yeah. I'm just thinking how I should follow his example," Dom drawls sarcastically.

"Can we go home now?" Evan asks wearily.

"That's the best idea I've heard today," Logan says.

The group exit through the opening and as the last of them leave there is a strange 'humming' sound and a static like field pops up behind them. Domino, the last one, stops and reaches her hand out before jerking it back when she hits something that gives her an electric-like shock. She looks to Clark with an expectant expression.

"Forcefield," he says with a shrug.

"I'm going to geek out," Spider-Man says.

"Oh I'm like right there with you," Kitty says, her eyes wide in true wonder.

"Think you could phase through it?"

"I wouldn't advise that," Clark warns Kitty off from trying. Not that he knows for certain that she can't but he has a feeling it probably wouldn't be safe for her to try. He moves over to the slot in the wall for the key and places the key inside it. Symbols light up around it and move and rotate. Clark presses them in the correct order and the wall slides shut and seals as if there was never a gap there to begin with.

That should be sufficient to keep Lex from discovering the chamber because now Lex knows that Superman hid the stone here he'll come and look regardless of what Clark says to him. A conversation Clark is not looking forward to. Lex is the type of person who can't leave things alone even when he should.

That done Clark takes the key and slips it back in his pocket, along with the stone. That'll just have to stay with him until he figures out a new secure hiding spot. He'll have to do that quick so there's no chance of SHIELD realising the stone is at the mansion.

The group them head out of the cave to the x-jet so they can go home. Clark sighs at how much he has failed...and he still has to tell Lex about Lana yet. Oh that is going to be so much fun.

A hand slips into his as Rogue kind of senses Clark is already beating himself up. It's what he always does.

That sense of failure diffuses amongst all of them. While they protected the stone and got Rogue and Wanda back, Lana is still out there, still possessed. That is a failure on their part.

On the way back Kurt notices Wanda limping a little. "You alright Vanda?" he queries with slight concern.

"Take my advice, high-heeled boots and long walks don't mix," Wanda grouses and then mentally gripes at the fact Clark may have healed her head and ribs but he didn't do anything for her blisters. Damn witch and big dumb alien!

"Ok," Kurt says, a little perplexed. "How about vith, you know, zhe whole being possessed bit?"

Wanda growls under her breath. "Can we not talk about it," she snaps, rather waspishly, not really desiring to 'share' at the minute.

"Ok...but if you do feel like talking about it you have friends who are villing to listen," he reminds her.

Wanda glances at Kurt. Suddenly she feels bad about snapping at him. He doesn't deserve that when he's just trying to be nice. It is just...she needs time to process everything. She looks down at her hands...her hands that can perform magic. How does she process that?

They soon all get on-board the x-jet and are soon on their way back home. Rogue sits on Clark's lap as he holds her close. He's brooding. Rogue can tell. She gently rubs his arm.

They give the Professor the low-down on what transpired inside the cave. He joins in with that sense of failure over Lana. With Isobel's ability to teleport she could be anywhere. He's not giving up hope of finding her but now it will almost certainly need Stephen's help to have any realistic chance of doing so in the short term. Charles can only hope his friend gets that message soon.

"Clark, I'm killing your friend Lois when we get back by the way," Domino suddenly says.

"She's not my friend!" Clark insists quite vehemently about that annoying woman. Only Live Wire beats Lois in the annoyance stakes.

"Why are you killing her?" Scott asks Domino.

"Because she was the one who talked me into that damn tub of beans."

Evan laughs. "I remember that. She bet you...and how do I remember that?" he suddenly asks in confusion.

Rogue's eyes suddenly widen as her own memory of the party returns. Particularly one specific memory. "Clark did we tell everyone we were...ya know?" she asks him in a horrified whisper.

"Yep," he says, in a grave tone, as his eyes flicker as he processes the memories that are flooding back into his mind.

"Oh gawd," Rogue groans as she shuts her eyes and places her hands over her face. How is she ever going to live that down?

The Professor's eyes shift back and forth as his own forgotten memories start to return. "Is everyone else starting to remember the missing time?"

"Yes," Jean says, her voice squeaky and her cheeks ruby red with embarrassment as she remembers just what she did. Scott's cheeks match hers.

In the cockpit Logan and Storm share a look as they start to remember everything they did together. Storm's cheeks feels very warm all of a sudden. Logan's eyes return to staring out the window. Dealing with things emotionally has never been his strong suit. When he gets home he is definitely having many, many drinks.

At the Institute...

"Is it always like this?" Amanda asks Amara as she has stayed all day, hanging around with the New Mutants, as the two girls wander through the mansion.

"Like what?" Amara asks back.

"You know that sliver of constant tension and worry while they are out there fighting," Amanda clarifies and god is she worried about Kurt.

"You get use to it," Amara says with that air of royal aloofness that permeates from her from time to time.

Amanda can't see how you could. "Where's Tabby gotten to by the way?" she asks having not seen the mouthy blond for awhile.

Amara sighs. "Trying to avoid Sam over the whole wanting to be his boyfriend bit."

"Tabby? Avoiding something?" Amanda queries that in bemusement.

"Miracles never cease," Amara quips.

Amanda laughs. "I don't know why considering the lip-lock she ended up giving him and..." Amanda trails off and her eyes open wide as the missing memories resurface...especially what she and Kurt got up to.

Amara screeches to a stop. "Oh my gods," she whispers.

"What?" Amanda asks.

"Lets just say Sam wasn't the only one Tabby gave a lip-lock too," Amara relays what she has suddenly remembered about how she ended up in bed next to Tabby and Sam this morning.

Amanda looks at Amara, her face a mixture of conflicting thoughts and feelings at that. "Why can we suddenly remember all that?" she asks the pertinent question.

"I do not know. Nor do I know why Tabby tasted like mint," Amara's mind wanders off on a tangent. She ends up licking her lips at the memory.

"Right," Amanda says a little off put by that revelation. "Do you think the others remember all of it as well?" she wonders.

"OH MY GOD!" is the shout...several shouts from several different parts of the mansion.

"I believe that answers your question," Amara says.

Amanda guesses so.

Author's Note: I decided that with the destruction of Isobel's book the block on everyone's memory would break down. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; The return to the mansion means dealing with the fallout of the witches' actions.