Chapter 8: United We Stand
"The battle is about to begin, Charles. Are you ready?" "Always. Please don't mistake my diplomacy for hesitance or cowardice." Magneto rasps his throat. "In the event of… Since we don't know for sure what awaits us.. I guess I'm trying to say…" "You're welcome. He's a great kid. Perhaps you could thank me by sending him back to school after the battle." Magneto scowls at him, but with shining eyes. "I need to sleep on that, but he did turn out very well, indeed." "He certainly has temperament."
Mystique and Hank try to keep each other at a distance which is easier said than done, with a pumped up Pietro engaging them both in conversation. "Wow, taking on the military. I could never have dreamt of doing that!" "It may not be as nice as you think," Hank warns him. "Or, on the other hand," Mystique says testily, "it may be ever better than you could have imagined." Pietro glances at both of them, suddenly detecting the tense atmosphere. "Of course, Hank here, " Mystique continues, "isn't really used to this way of dealing with humankind. Whereas we, the Brotherhood…" "I'm in the lion's den often enough, fighting for our rights from the other side." "Did you know that Dr. Lovely was the one who stole..?" "No, of course not. I knew she is very unpleasant," Mystique snorts and Pietro huffs, "but I never would have thought... I suppose that's the main reason I'm here." "To release the Beast," Mystique suggests.
Their ordinary MO of bringing buildings to the ground may not work in a place as water tight as this. They've decided that it would be best to try to get as far as possible, undetected. Hank and Mystique will attempt to enter the building as a Major and doctor. Hopefully Hank's clearance will help them pass security. They manage to pass the initial gate and even the first screening. The soldiers laugh about Hank being a doctor, "looks like you need a chip yourself," which he rebuffs with a remark about checking on the guinea pigs who just might have developed a taste for fresh soldier. The soldiers react insulted but an authoritative look from Mystique keeps them in their place. So far, so good.
Charles keeps track of their progress, narrating to the others what is happening. "If they pass the next security point, they will have entered the main building." "Still a very large building though," someone mumbles. "It will be a maze in there, and we don't even know on what floor they are, or if they are on the same floor." "Yes, that's why we've sent them in before us, to discover as much as possible." Magneto doesn't like these negative predictions; the last thing he needs is another mutiny on his hands. He hasn't forgotten the last one. Best not think about that as the bitterness about Charles not coming to his aid isn't particularly helpful at the moment.
Luck only takes one so far, as Fortuna's wheel is turning. Hank and Mystique are no longer under the radar. Their presence is noticed and noted. An unexpected phone call of the real Major in South America dashes their cover. Time to engage. Pietro is thrilled to use his powers again. The compound is attacked from four sides at once, but the eight watchtowers, on the corners and between them, are a nasty disadvantage. They are spotted fairly quickly and each team needs to figure out their own way of dealing with the soaring bullets. Magneto halts them and sends them straight back; other teams block them with shields, or absorb their energy. One mutant catches them, melts them and throws them back as cannonballs. Old fashioned, but effective.
In the meantime, Dr. Lovely is being interrogated in hospital. The ambulance had found her just in time. A few of the diamond toothed rats had eaten the steel cable and were about to begin on her abdomen. A special agent and his partner wanted to know all about the attack. The mention of Magneto's son had especially caught his attention. "He did have another child, didn't he? I thought they had died in that fire." "Apparently the boy didn't. He is just as dangerous as his father." She is still mortified by the memories. "You'd do anything to bring them to justice? Take out as much of them as possible?" "Of course, that goes without saying." She chooses to ignore the fact that another mutant had saved her life. "Good, very good," the man mumbles, his thoughts elsewhere.
Several years before the special agent had lost his wife, who was an architect, in an accident. At least that was what he thought at the time. Further inquiry had revealed that the falling scaffolding that had crushed her didn't have metal fatigue, but that an internal struggle of the Brotherhood had taken place inside the renovated building. He had been a regular cop back then, but had taken a great interest in the case, and had soon become an amateur expert in the Brotherhood. Only one of them, as far as he knew, was a wielder of metal. His interest had not gone unnoticed by the powers that be. A promotion had been in store for him.
The operation is going extremely well. Hank and Mystique have found the first 5 captives and are pleased to see that the chips have not been placed yet. They take off their restraints. Although the patients are drugged and won't be able to perform optimally, they are riled up and ready to fight. The mutants don't know where the others are kept prisoner, but Charles is able to figure it out. Out of precaution, the most dangerous ones are in the basement, whereas the others are just one floor below. The teleport has placed various soldiers, especially the more strategically placed ones, in deserts, forests and prairies. They'll have a long march ahead of them.
The floor below contains a gigantic laboratory, as well as, 3 more mutants. They were the most interesting ones for testing and already have chips implanted. A few mutants protect Hank as he removes them as quickly as possible. It is not an easy task as they are deeply imbedded in their arms. Hank collects the chips to examine them later. It will be interesting, though disturbing, to see what kind of data is collected on them.
Pietro has joined his father's team. They are trying to reach the basement where the final 7 mutants should be. The basement is heavily guarded and the soldiers are equipped with better weapons. Magneto is having a blast; completely in his element. Pietro is scared. The soldiers are radiating so much hate: it is almost a force in itself. They can hear some of the locked up mutants roar, who have noticed the disturbance, but reaching them will be another matter entirely.
As the fight becomes more fierce and intense, and several mutants are wounded, Charles can no longer watch this suffering. He freezes the guards of the basement, giving them time to release the incarcerated mutants. "Couldn't you have done that sooner!" Magneto yells at him. "It does take some effort, you know," he replies. As they are leaving the site, he wipes out their memories, protecting everyone's identities so they can't be persecuted for this particular mission.