Chapter 67
"We're descending...rapidly," Storm reports, her voice strained at the helplessness she feels as the x-jet, under what is probably Magneto's control, plummets towards the ground.
"He's going to crash us!" Evan cries, panic creeping into his voice because they're helpless.
Actually the Professor doesn't think so. A belief he is relieved to say is enforced when their descent starts to slow.
"We're slowing," Storm reports, even her normally calm tones showing relief.
"He wants us alive," Hank makes the obvious deduction.
"Why?" Jean asks. "What does he want?"
"What do you think?" Clark asks back, in a disrespectful tone. He knew it! He just knew something like this would happen. He is so sick of this. Is it any wonder he did what he did with the Hellfire Club.
"Tha stone," Rogue groans.
"Just vhen you zhink ve can get a break," Kurt complains.
Scott's whole demeanour shifts into serious determination. Magneto was not getting the stone. Full stop. If they had to fight then fight they would.
"How did he like know where we would be?" Kitty asks.
That's a good question, Charles agrees. This is the 2nd time now Magneto knew where and when to show up. Assuming they survive this and he certainly wants to believe they will, they must find an answer as to how Magneto always manages to seem to know where they are.
"Don't suppose there's any chance he just wants to have a friendly chat and catch up is there?" Amara asks, trying to add some humour to the situation. Blame Tabby's influence for that.
Charles smiles a tiny smile. "As much as I wish that to be the case I doubt it, Amara. Just stay calm and listen to Cyclops," he advises her as she has limited experience of situations like this.
"We're coming into land," Storm reports and now they are this close to the ground they can see Magneto, accompanied by the Acolytes. A confrontation seemed to be inevitable.
"Let me talk to him first," the Professor requests.
"You're wasting your time, Chuck," Logan pours scorn on that idea. A Logan still unable to move and getting more pissed off about it by the second. Not to mention he can already smell Creed's stink from here.
"Perhaps but I must try," Charles says even if he knows the chances are slim Magneto will listen to him.
The jet sets down in the middle of a dusty wilderness somewhere on the American plains. Logan feels the pull on his bones ease off as Magneto releases him. The ramp is lowered and they all disembark to line up opposite Magneto, Live Wire, Sandman, Ruckus, Gambit, Colossus, Pyro, Sabretooth and Frenzy. Same line-up as they faced in China.
"Magneto," the Professor acknowledges his old friend.
"Charles," Magneto returns the acknowledgement.
"I was not aware you possessed a gift of foresight," Charles remarks in relation as to how Magneto happens to be here.
A tight smile comes to Magneto's face. "Don't make this harder than it need be, Charles," he asks although he knows his old friend will refuse.
"I don't. It is your actions that make it more difficult for all of us."
"Of what do you refer to?"
"The series of attacks on the Friends of Humanity."
Magneto shows no surprise that Charles figured it was him. To be honest he was not trying very hard to hide it was him. "I am simply doing what must be done to ensure our survival," he states in flat, emotionless tones.
"And a certain incident in Eureka, California?" Charles inquires about. It was still a mystery to the X-Men about the missing girl and her mother.
Magneto says nothing.
"Where's the girl and her mother, Magneto?" Charles asks. He might as well take advantage of the situation to ask about those things he believes Magneto had been doing lately. It also buys Scott time to make a plan.
"Safe."
"I have your word on that."
"If you wish."
"Why?" Charles asks the question as in why did Magneto abduct these particular two people.
"Not your concern, Charles."
"You abduct two people and I am to not be concerned?"
"I abducted no-one...and that is all I have to say on the matter."
Charles can see it is pointless to keep pursuing that line of questioning. "Why have you brought us here?" he finally gets to it.
"Hand the stone over, Charles," Magneto demands.
"Oh wow, that wasn't predictable in the least or anything," Superman mocks. "Don't you have better things to do? I'm sure there's a kitten somewhere that needs stepped on," he says, implying something about the level of cartoon villainy he ranks Magneto at.
Live Wire sniggers. That was funny. Almost as good as something she would say. If only he was on their side. The delicious fun they could have together.
Magneto is not amused by Live Wire's reaction nor Superman's tone. "You seemed to have developed a streak of disrespect, Superman," Magneto says in his cold, dark tones.
"Well haven't had the best few weeks, you see. Got kidnapped by the Inner Circle...oh but wait, you knew that," Superman says.
"I regret that you endured that. I am aware of how they treat their 'guests'. Rest assured in the revolution to come organisations like that will have no place. That'll be made easier if you were willing to join me and use the power of the 3 stones to assist our cause."
"Yeah how about I go with no, not a chance...and seriously how has George Lucas not sued you yet for the Darth Vader rip off?"
Live Wire sniggers more.
"He's got a point there, mate," Pyro ends up agreeing.
Magneto shoots Pyro a withering glare before returning his focus upon Superman. "This is a pointless discussion."
"Ah. I get you. Secret deal on the side. Wink, wink and all that. You sly dog!" Superman says with his lips half-curved up into a smirk.
A few of the X-Men giggle. Clark was really letting it rip today.
Charles, too, has to smile reluctantly at Clark's humorous barbs. "While I may have phrased it differently, Magneto, Superman expresses a view I have already expressed to you. The stones are not meant for you. They will not bring about what you believe. I ask you to let us leave peacefully."
"You know I must refuse," Magneto says flatly. "It is not hard to make a guess that, with Superman standing at your side, he escaped the Hellfire Club with the 2nd stone. You are currently returning with the 3rd and final one."
"How does he like know that?" Shadowcat whispers.
Behind his visor Cyclops' eyes narrow. It was a very good question. They needed an answer to that soon or Magneto would have a constant advantage over them.
"Hand the stone over," Magneto repeats his demand. "You may not think I should have them but I will not allow anyone else to possess all 3," he declares. This way he at least makes sure his enemies do not have access to the power.
"You will not allow? Your arrogance is astounding!" a haughty toned voice declares of Magneto.
All turn their heads in the same direction to the source of the voice.
Superman groans at the female figure that has appeared a short distance away. "Isobel."
Isobel smiles thinly. "Superman. So nice to see you again. Don't you fret. I won't be tying you up this time. I have a magical prison prepared for you instead," she informs him, countering his accusation from last time that she isn't original thinking in how she imprisons him.
"Oh, gee, thanks. That's so thoughtful!" Superman proclaims with award winning sarcasm.
"Only the best for you," Isobel says with a dark smile.
"Uh, lady," Live Wire says in her classic irritating tones. "In case you didn't notice you're a little outnumbered."
Isobel chuckles...in fact it is more of a witchly cackle.
"Oh zhat can't be good," Nightcrawler comments at Isobel's laughter.
"With my mother indisposed I...borrowed a few of her darker mystical tomes."
"Oh definitely not good," Nightcrawler further adds as his beliefs are only confirmed.
"Hear my warning, witch, for I shall only give it once," Magneto says to her in grave tones. "Leave now or prepare to return to being the ghost you truly are."
"No mutant, no matter how much power they wield, dictates to me!" Isobel rebuffs him. "I have not endured fire, death and 4 centuries in purgatory to meekly fade into the aether. I shall have what belongs to me and anyone who stands in my way shall learn what it means to be burned to death!" Isobel looks at Amara. "And I'm afraid, my dear niece, that includes you," she says with little to no care for her relative. A sign of how desperate she has become.
"Well I would have hated to be left out," Amara mutters sarcastically while glaring at her dear auntie.
"I have seen more death, in more horrific ways, than even one such as yourself can imagine," Magneto says, showing there is nothing Isobel can say that can intimidate him. "I have seen and endured and I shall endure long past the moment you return to where you belong," he promises her.
"Wow. When did this turn into a pissing contest?" Live Wire asks.
Isobel holds her hands out in front of her and a book materialises into her hands. She chants some words and the book melts into her hands, into her skin. Lines of black travel under her skin, rising up her neck, over her face and into her eyes which turn as coal black as her mother's. The sky above mirror's Isobel's eyes turning pitch black. The shadows on the ground grow darker before they start to move, taking the shape on unnatural, spindly, humanoid creatures. They lumber forward to gather next to Isobel.
"Merde," Gambit swears under his breath.
Isobel pats one of the creatures on its head. "My mother's minions," she explains what they are. "Adorable aren't they?"
"About as much as your ass, lady," Live Wire says back insultingly.
Isobel smiles in a way that is as equally cruel as anything her mother is capable of. "Rip them apart," she commands. "Oh, except him," she points at Superman. "I want him alive. Bring me him and the stone."
"I feel so special at being spared!" Superman says in a mocking tone.
"I said alive. I didn't say you had to be in good shape. Make him suffer."
"Me and my big mouth," Superman grumbles. "Now I know how Spidey feels."
"Hey!" Shadowcat protests, in defence of her boyfriend.
Isobel rolls her eyes. "Attack already!" she commands impatiently of what are now her minions.
The creatures lumber forward, advancing on the two groups.
"What's the plan now?" Sandman asks Magneto.
"The same as before. We retrieve the stone and leave," Magneto states, showing remarkable calmness considering what they are facing. "It is Superman we must reach. We only need to create a path to him."
"It's nice to be wanted," Superman quips, having heard that of course.
"What our plan?" Spyke asks Cyclops, looking to the X-Men's leader for guidance and inspiration to overcome the fear gnawing at his gut that, this time, they're in big trouble.
"I'll tell you when I have one," Cyclops replies as he desperately tries to think of one. His original plan had been to immobilise Magneto since they couldn't leave as long as he could hold the jet in his magnetic grip. Now he had to deal with Isobel and whatever these things are that she has summoned up as well as Magneto and the Acolytes. These creatures that had, as their first move, cut them off from the jet. Their primary means of escape. "Defence posture," he orders until he figures something out.
The X-Men form a circle, back to back, protecting each other with the Professor in the centre. The shadow creatures have split into two groups. One group going for the Acolytes. One heading for the X-Men.
Cyclops unleashes a crimson blast, shattering the creature he hits to pieces. There is a brief moment of triumphalism at his success. It is only a very brief moment as the pieces meld back together, the creature reforms and lumbers forward once again.
Jean unleashes a telekinetic wave, knocking a few of the creatures down...only for them to get right back up and continue forward.
Spyke unleashes his bone darts but the creatures shrug them off, almost as if they never happened.
Magma had transformed into her beautiful fire form of deep orange and was throwing various fire attacks at the creatures. Like Spyke's attacks the creatures just shrugged them off and kept marching. Creatures courtesy of her Auntie Isobel. Now there was one member of her newly extended family she could do without.
Rogue makes a quick copy of Shadowcat's power and the two girls run forward looking to phase the creatures into the ground to see if that will stop them. The creatures split into oily puddles at the attempt before reforming. A couple raise their hands, now in the shape of lethal looking claws, ready to strike the two girls down.
Nightcrawler and Superman react instantly at seeing their teammates in trouble. Kurt teleports in and grabs Kitty while Clark shifts into superspeed and sweeps his girlfriend out of the way. He then unleashes a blast of freeze-breath, freezing a few of the creatures in ice...but they manage to slide through cracks in the imperfect chunk of ice, reform and keep coming.
Storm unleashes a barrage of lightning upon the creatures. They make a hideous inhuman screech as the electricity passes through their forms.
Wolverine, who is cutting a few creatures to pieces, notices. "Ya hurt them, Ro," he remarks.
"Not enough," Storm says grimly as the creatures with literally smoking bodies, continue their relentless march.
Logan had to admit that, as the creatures he cut up reform, it was not enough. There seemed to be no way to stop them.
Beast throws one creature into several others and they collapse down in a heap before he turns to Charles at the centre of their circle. "Anything?" he inquires.
"The creatures have no mind. I can't even sense that they exist at all," Charles reports what he had found with his telepathy. This rules out any possibility of him shutting them down.
"Charles, we can only hold them off for so long," Beast makes the grim assessment. If the creatures couldn't be hurt and don't tire, sooner or later they will wear the X-Men down.
The key was, of course Isobel, but there was an army between them and her. An army that seemed to grow by the moment as more and more of the creatures emerged from the darkness.
The X-Men were not the only ones discovering the seemingly unstoppable nature of the creatures. The Acolytes were too.
Gambit bombarded them with his charged cards. Pieces of the creatures would be blasted off but they would reform and walk on as if nothing had happened.
Ruckus screams knocking several creatures down but they get back up and advance.
Sandman dissolves into a tornado of sand, picking the creatures up and flinging them away. That only buys a little more time in how long it takes the creatures to get back up and lumber back.
Pyro unleashes waves of fire, laughing manically(his normal...if that word can ever be applied to Pyro) as he does so. The creatures lumber on as of the fire isn't there at all.
Live Wire, like Storm, has the most effect on them with her electrical attacks but it only slows them down a little.
Sabretooth, Colossus and Frenzy resort to having to use brute force close in but since the creatures can't feel pain and can't be hurt that's a battle they can only inevitable lose in time.
Magneto floats above the scene, making no move yet as he assesses the situation. A wise man might think retreat is the most prudent course but he remembers Blindfold's words about this being his final chance. He doesn't believe she was lying so therefore he cannot take the option of withdrawing.
Magneto knows his objective. Question is how does he get it. He needs to isolate Superman from the X-Men. If he can get Superman away, these creatures will prevent the X-Men coming to the rescue.
Magneto turns round and spies the metal transport spheres that brought them here. Yes. He can use them. He raises them into the air and melds them into one large metallic blob which he reshapes to his needs. It takes on the shape of a wedge or a plough. He'll use it to plough a path through the army of spindly shadow creatures for his Acolytes to reach Superman.
Magneto brings his creation down, crashing into the Earth and order his Acolytes to line up behind it as he propels it forward, carving a great gouge in the earth, knocking the creatures flying in every direction. The odd one that somehow manages to get over the edge is dealt with by his Acolytes.
Magneto aims his plough right at the X-Men.
Superman spots the danger and zips directly into the path of it...just as Magneto was hoping he would. The plough melts like liquid and wraps itself around Superman before yanking him away in a sudden change of direction.
The X-Men remain too busy fighting the creatures to get to him.
Magma watches Clark get pulled away in horror. She had tried not to say it to him because she knew he would be uncomfortable but despite everything he said, to her, Jor-El is a God. She has worshipped him for as long as she can remember and as Jor-El's son Clark too is a God to her and she can't...she won't let Magneto harm him. Not while she's still breathing.
At this thought something inside Amara snaps and a never before used instinct inside her wakes up. The fiery aura around her flares up bright as she slams her hands into the ground. "STOP!" she screams at the top of her lungs and the ground in front of her tears open. The ground shakes like in the most powerful earthquake imaginable and the tear rips along at incredible speed, hits the Acolytes and catapults them like bowling pins through the air. By luck Frenzy ends up hitting Magneto and both fall to the ground which results in Clark being dropped.
Then there is silence. Everyone has just stopped, stunned at Amara's display of power.
Even Isobel can only stand there, slack-jawed at what her niece just did.
Magma is on her knees, breathing hard, her fiery aura dimmed well below its normal after the energy she just expelled.
"Vhoa," Nightcrawler says, somewhat awe-struck.
"Right there with you dude," Spyke says in equally awed tone.
"Magma...what did you just do?" Cyclops asks, his voice bereft of its usual authority but he is as off kilter as anyone. He didn't know Amara could do that.
Magma looks at what she did for the 1st time as her mind lets it sink in. She raises her hands and looks at them, confused. "I don't know," she says at a whisper, unable to believe she just did that.
Isobel snaps out of it first. "My creatures, finish them!" she commands as she vanishes in her purple mist.
Nightcrawler teleports an obviously exhausted Amara next to the Professor as the X-Men reform their defence position.
The Acolytes, meanwhile, just have to fight to survive as the creatures swarm over their fallen bodies.
Superman dusts himself down as he gets back to his feet. He hears footsteps crunch in the dirt and spins round. A fist comes for his face which he catches easily. He looks into the intense gaze of the superstrong girl with brown skin and black hair. "We've never been formally introduced. I'm Superman and you are?"
"The girl who is going to kick your ass," Frenzy promises through gritted teeth.
"Ah, no. That's extremely unlikely...but if it's any consolation I think you would embarrass the Blob in an arm wrestling contest," Superman assesses her strength to at least be on a par with Fred.
With a cry of aggression Frenzy swings her other fist at him only for Superman to duck under it and give her a push-kick away on her posterior.
"Look, lady, no matter how strong you think you are, I'm faster than a speeding bullet..." Superman blurs into motion directly into her, knocking her flying with a superpowered, superspeed punch, "which you're not."
Frenzy wipes the back of her hand against her lip and is surprised to see a drop of blood...well a drop of her blood. She's seen other people's blood on her hands starting with her father's. After that 'incident' she didn't know what to do, she drifted from one place to the next, to one job to the next. She will admit she lacked purpose until the day she saw Magneto's broadcast to the world after mutants were revealed. Then she knew her purpose. The future, like Magneto said, belonged to mutants and she would help him ensure that that future would come to pass no matter what she had to do even if that included removing the traitors to their own kind. She gets to her feet and charges at him.
"FRENZY!" Magneto's booming voice almost causes her to fall flat on her face in surprise.
Frenzy looks at him incredulously.
"Go assist the other Acolytes," Magneto commands.
"But..." she starts to protest.
"Now!" Magneto commands, his voice broaching no argument.
Frenzy's hands clench tightly into fists and for a moment her anger almost overcomes her sense to obey but she manages to keep her temper at bay and does as is ordered.
Magneto had done this for 2 reasons. One; the Acolytes needed saving and he needed them. Two; on her own she was no match for Superman. That's what he needed the Acolytes for.
Superman activates the switch on his belt buckle that turns on the small current that has the molecules of his costume realign to protect him from somewhat from the radiation kryptonite produces...like the piece Magneto has cleverly concealed into his armour. The piece glowing even at this distance and Clark can feel the sickness start to slowly creep in even as protected as he is.
"It had been awhile since our last encounter," Magneto remarks.
"Not long enough," Superman snorts rudely, taking a careful step or two away from the kryptonite.
Magneto raises his hands in a gesture of peace. "Before we resort to any unpleasantness, I request you hear what I have to say. It could aid your friends out of this dilemma."
Superman glances over at his friends. They were holding their own but who knows for how long. "Make it quick," he demands of Magneto.
Magneto smiles graciously. "We do not have to be enemies. Quite the opposite as matter of fact."
"I'm sorry did you hit your head when you fell? Because that sounded like you thought we could be allies?" Superman asks in a tone like he can't believe he heard that.
Magneto manages a smile. "My response is why have you chosen a side in a dispute of a people resident of a world you don't come from?"
Superman's expression is completely flat. "The Professor mentioned you figured that out. Congratulations," he says, his tone flat and humourless.
"So what do I call you? And not that pseudonym you allowed that cockroach Jameson to label you with. What is your real name?"
"Kal-El," Superman says, thinking it makes little difference if Magneto knows his name or not since Magneto already knows he is an alien.
"Kal-El," Magneto repeats, satisfied by the response. "So I ask again, why have you chosen a side?"
"I didn't. The Professor simply offered to help me learn control of my powers. You're the one who tried to force me to choose a side," Superman says and then hides the grimace off his face as best he can. His grimace at mentioning something he isn't entirely sure Magneto remembers. Their first encounter in Smallville when Magneto threatened his parents and hit him with the tractor...Clark isn't sure what Magneto remembers of that after Wanda's spell.
"I didn't know what you were then," Magneto offers in his defence. "Now I do."
"And that changes things?" Superman queries sceptically.
"Of course it does. You're unique. Evolved far above and beyond any mutant on this planet and to have travelled so far across the stars have a technology more advanced than anyone on this world can dream of. Which brings us to the 3 stones doesn't it? They're not magical. They come from your world don't they?" Magneto asks a question he suspects he knows the answer to. "Now in time I'm certain I can discover their secrets but it would be so much easier and quicker if you were to do it."
"I'm not helping you conquer the world, Magneto," Superman dismisses the man. "I've got more important things to do like this stupid crossword puzzle I've been stuck on all week. I tell you it is getting on my nerves."
"I have no desire to conquer the world, Kal-El," Magneto says, amused sounding by the allegation. "I only desire to protect mutantkind and you can help me in that task better than anyone else because you are uniquely placed to do the one thing I can't."
Superman arches an eyebrow. "Which is?"
"Unite us. You are not of this world and can be above our petty disputes. More than that, from our previous encounters, I have seen the spark of greatness inside you. You can be a great leader if you choose to be."
Superman laughs a little which puzzles Magneto. "Magneto," Superman says. "There is one tiny little flaw with your proposal."
"Which is?"
"The little part where you wage war against humanity."
"War is inevitable. Humanity is too bigoted and closed minded. Too many people in power fear change, even the change of progress that mutants can bring of transforming this world into a paradise. They fear losing their power, losing what they have. Look at what has happened since mutants were revealed. You know, as well as I, of their little hate groups. Attacking people in the street if they are suspected of being a mutant. Intimidating even the enlightened few who have an open mind into silence. Plotting and planning how to exterminate us and what have those in power done about them? Nothing." Magneto's expression turns almost sad. "I wish it was not the case. I desire to live in peace but I am also a realist. There are simply too few good people amongst the humans to bring about peace."
Clark's heard this pitch before and he also has the perfect counter argument. "You're wrong. You say there are too few good people but I know that for every bad deed committed there are at last 3 good ones because I hear it every second of every day. For some reason you have convinced yourself of the opposite. You may have given up on humanity but I haven't. Worse still you almost dragged your own daughter down with you. Take this one consolation Magneto, before I give you that concussion you are long overdue, that Wanda, despite what you did to her, is a far better person than you shall ever be."
Magneto's expression hardens. He glances over at his Acolytes. Despite Frenzy's help they were still struggling to stave off the creatures. However, the lump of metal that comprised the transport spheres had dropped nearby after Frenzy had impacted him and he had lost his concentration. He reaches out with his powers to connect with it and readies himself for the combat against his powerful foe.
Superman's foot digs into the surface as he prepares to push off. The ground cracks under his power and in a blur he is off.
Magneto raises the metal which moves like a wave across the ground towards the red/blue blur.
Moments until they collide...
They never do.
Both combatants are struck by purplish energy bolts. Mystical bolts.
Superman goes skidding across the ground, his costume slightly scorched as Magneto is knocked down hard.
"I grow weary of you both," a cold voice expresses her displeasure.
"Isn't there a castle somewhere you can be haunting?" Superman asks with a slight pained groan as he pushes himself back to his feet.
"I may not have expressed it quite that way but the sentiment I agree with," Magneto says as he too rises to his feet.
"I shall not be denied my destiny!" Isobel proclaims loudly.
Superman rolls her eyes. "She sounds like a spoilt child demanding stuff from her parents, doesn't she?"
"Indeed," Magneto agrees.
"Then again considering who her mother is I can just about excuse it."
Isobel fumes. "You leave my mother out of this! I'm greater than her!" she proclaims.
"Wow. I'm sensing mommy issues but that isn't your main problem right now Isobel," Superman says to her.
"Is that so?" she sneers.
"Yes. Your main issue is that the bulk of your power came from your spell book, which we destroyed, so the question becomes how are you pulling this off?"
Magneto remembers Blindfold's words about the ghost's desperation. He looks closely at her and can see the strain on her face, the sweat peppering her brow. "You've gambled everything in this act," he assesses. "If you fail you shall leave yourself drained and helpless. Foolish," he critiques.
Isobel glares hard, fighting off the fatigue. "I shall not fail and you, old man, shall not live long enough to see my triumph!"
"I'm not the one who can barely stand," Magneto retorts. Oh she's hiding it well but Magneto can see it in the way she is holding her body. "And I do believe I owe you for bewitching the minds of my followers and engineering the possession of my daughter," Magneto tells her of the payback he has not forgotten she is owed.
"Just try it," Isobel dares Magneto.
Magneto summons the metal blob to him and then spots Isobel's eyes widening in wonder. His head snaps round and there, embedded in the metal is a black object.
It's the stone.
Superman's hands reach into his pockets. Oh crap! It must have fallen out when Magneto grabbed him that first time. His hand reaches out to summon it.
Isobel slams a spell bolt into the metal lump sending it flying everywhere and tries to grab the stone with a spell. The energy seems to react with it and the symbol on the stone lights up. "It is mine!" she proclaims as she fights the pull of the stone to return to Clark.
With Superman and the witch locked in this battle Magneto can see a chance for himself. He propels himself forward through the air and reaches out to grab the stone.
"NO!" Superman cries breaking the battle with Isobel and propels himself at the stone, reaching out to grab it.
Magneto and Superman grab it at the exact same moment and a blinding flash occurs.
Isobel is forced to cover her eyes. It takes several moments for the spots to clear. When they do she finds Superman standing directly in front of her. Next moment a powerful crushing hand is around her throat.
"Listen to me carefully," Superman says, his voice dark and cold and sounding almost like another person. "If you value your life you will teleport myself and my Acolytes out of here."
"Your Acolytes?" Isobel queries, puzzled and then that is when she looks into his eyes and sees what or more accurately who is in there. "Magneto!" she gasps in shock.
Magneto doesn't know how it happened. One moment he was reaching for the stone. Next he was looking at his own prone body lying in the dirt. How it happened doesn't matter. Now what matters is leaving because he has what he wants. He holds the stone up in front of Isobel's face. "You want this? Then we can cut a deal," he offers. "Or I can simply squeeze," he says maliciously and tightens his grip around her throat.
"Deal," Isobel chokes out. "We can make a deal," she says in desperation to preserve her own life.
Magneto loosens his grip but still holds his hand around her throat. "Then do it...and no tricks. Betray me and I will snap your neck," he promises.
"No tricks," Isobel promises...mostly because she is too tired to do anything else. "I don't know how far I can get us. You know why."
"Foolish," Magneto mutters, repeating his criticism from earlier. "Just get us as far as you can," he commands.
Isobel closes her eyes, reaches for what power she has left and chants her spell. Her and Magneto in Superman's body vanish in a purple mist and then one by one so do the Acolytes. Once they are all gone the spell that summoned the creatures collapses. They disintegrate into nothing and the darkness over the sky lifts.
"What...just...happened?" a breathless Rogue asks. All the X-Men are breathless after fighting for their lives.
No-one has a good answer to her question. They all take several minutes to regain their breath.
"Hey!" Kitty suddenly says. "Where's Amara?" she asks since the Princess has vanished.
Amara's head pops out of the x-jet. "I'm here!" she announces her location. "Do we have blankets or something in here?" she asks.
"Why?" Beast asks.
"Because I...um...wasn't wearing my uniform when I transformed," Amara admits. She had never brought it. She had been wearing her dress.
"So?" Evan asks, not understanding what that means.
Rogue rolls her eyes and hits him across the back of the head. "Her clothes would have burned off, dumbass!" In other words Amara is naked. The uniforms are made of a special material that can adjust and survive whatever power someone has. Normal clothes on Amara just disintegrate as soon as she transforms.
Evan rubs the back of his head. "How was I suppose to know what she meant?" he protests.
Rogue rolls her eyes again. How could he not know? It's pretty flamin obvious.
Charles has to smile a little. "Storm. If you would," he asks the weather witch to deal with this.
Storm heads to the x-jet to assist Amara.
"Thanks!" Amara says. It is, by the way, not because she is embarrassed or anything. Nova Roman's have a different view on modesty. It is more she knows that other people find it uncomfortable.
The sound of footsteps approaching gets everyone's attention. They turn to the direction it is coming from and find walking towards them comes Magneto sans helmet. They are all completely surprised by this.
"Stop right there, Magneto!" Cyclops orders as his fingers twitch on his visor control.
'Magneto' stops and raises his hands. "Scott, please. It's me," he pleads.
Wolverine growls and charges at Magneto.
Charles knows instantly something is wrong. Magneto without his helmet just walking towards them. There is no way his old friend would just do that. He reaches out with his mind and connects with 'Magneto'. His eyes widen in shock...and horror as the mind he connects with shows him what has happened. "Clark," he gasps.
"Clark?!" the X-Men exclaim.
"Logan! Stop!" the Professor yells.
Logan skids to a halt mere feet from his goal and shoots the Professor a glare.
"It's Clark, Logan."
Logan wants to dismiss it but the certainty in the Professor tone means he can't. He looks into 'Magneto's' eyes and can see the difference instantly. "Space boy?"
A tiny reluctant smile forms on Clark's face. At least he survived. After waking up and finding himself in Magneto's body seeking out his friends was all he could think of to do despite knowing how they might react to seeing Magneto. Also now he knows what Transference meant in relation to the stone. Next Clark comes up with what may be the greatest understatement ever made. "I think we've got a bit of a problem."
Author's Note: Amara's powers extend far beyond generating a few fireballs into being able to generate earthquakes(Avalanche eat your heart out!) and control over magma(hence the true reason behind her name) and I thought this place was a good as time as any to start expanding them into their full might. In fact if you read up on her power set she's up there with the most powerful mutants on the planet. Oh dear, Magneto has Clark's body. That is a new level of badness. Wonder how I'm fixing this? Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; There's no time to waste as the X-Men must come up with a plan to find Magneto and get Clark his body back.