Chapter 25: The Problem with the Dead
Lorna shot up.
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The night began so well for Charles. Emma finished grading the final projects and turned them in. Most of the X-Men went to Harry’s, leaving the mansion peaceful and relaxing, devoid of its usual (frankly, sometimes grating) mental white noise. Tessa informed him of her closing investigation. To top it all off, Masterpiece Theatre was showing The Lost Prince, something which he’d anticipated for weeks.
He tucked himself further into his bed and put on his glasses. A mug of spiced cider and a batch of fresh Christmas cookies put a festive accent on the evening. With holiday cheers, returning students, and general good will, Charles’ stress almost seemed disappear.
Then all hell broke loose.
During a touching introductory scene, Jean went ballistic, saying something about Scott and Logan being trapped in space. No other explanation came, but Kitty, X’ian, and Rachel left with her. In one fell swoop, six of his X-Men became unreachable.
He was putting on his sweater when an injured Forge reached out to him. A brief image of Rogue and Mystique made it through before their connection fizzled. So he had Rogue, her wildcard mother, and a disabled Forge sitting with Cerebra. Excellent, just the things to cause ulcers.
Calling out to all available X-Men , he furiously wheeled to the elevator in hopes of saving his prized device. Then the mansion shook, rocked by an explosion downstairs. Alarms sounded. Xorn, Polaris, Havok, and Husk could no longer be reached. Nightcrawler gasped in surprise, saying something about others getting wounded and Betsy’s room being blown to bits, maybe Betsy even being dead... again. At least Iceman, Bishop, Storm, and Sage were uninjured.
They converged on Betsy’s second floor, demolished room.
If all this wasn’t enough, when he made it down to the living quarters, Polaris, Esme, Toad, and Magneto (Magneto? Yes, Magneto.), loomed over the scattered remains of the X-Men--Havok and Husk were unmoving as everyone tried to form some kind of resistance. Bishop thundered down the hall firing all his blasters, but a dismissive wave from Lorna had him disarmed.
“Ahh yes, Charles, old friend,” greeted the ring leader, “I was wondering when you’d be joining us.”
Magneto? Magneto couldn’t be here. He was in Genosha laying low. He wouldn’t be doing this. He couldn’t be doing this. Something about this Magneto seemed off, but the infamous helmet prevented the Professor’s scans. Needed help; needed his other X-Men to return but he couldn’t connect to all them. Not enough time, not enough concentration, and not sure if there were still more traitors. Charles sent a truncated mental cry, but suddenly, an object moving too fast to identify whipped around his neck and closed with a click.
His telepathy left him.
They took Bishop first, laid down by Esme’s ever growing psychic powers. Storm retaliated, but the awesome magnetic shields negated her attacks. Caught in her increasing rage, Toad weaved through her lightning bolts and violent gusts to knock her out. They tried to surround a bloodied Kurt to no avail--a puff of smoke and brimstone filled the air in place of the X-Man.
Metal pipes torn from the walls bound the unconscious combatants. Collars floated from Magneto’s outstretched hand and clasped themselves around everyone... everyone except Bobby and Tessa.
The four victors glowered at the two unconquered.
“Any brilliant plans?” Magneto chuckled, “Or are you ready to submit and join our cause?”
Bobby iced up and took a defensive stance. “Fat chance, meatwad. I haven’t even begun to fight!”
Despite the impossible odds and foolhardy declaration, Bobby’s perseverance brought a smile to Charles. A part of the old man beamed for instilling such confidence in one of his first pupils. Another part of him cried because the four here seemed to have no qualms about deadly force.
“Do not be stupid, Robert,” said Tessa as she removed her sunglasses, “We are outmaneuvered with no means of escape. Our only choice is surrender.”
Magneto nodded appreciatively at Tessa. “A wise woman--no wonder they call you Sage. My new regime will need ones such as you.”
“No way, Tessa! This is big bad! This is Magneto! I don’t know what he’s done to Lorna and what he plans to do with everyone else, but I’m not going to take this lying down!”
“When there is life, there is a way,” she replied. “If you persist with your inane attitude, you will die. What use to the world will you be then?”
The two stared long and hard at each other, a silent battle of wills raging; however, the outcome was never in doubt. Bobby looked away first, his shoulders slumping like Xavier’s night.
“This is the only way, Robert.”
“I know,” he sighed, “But I don’t have to like this.”
Lorna blew a kiss at Bobby. “You’ll love it. Papa’s going to have the world on a string and we’ll get to play with it!”
“What’s wrong with you, Lorna? You damn near took Alex’s head off. What’s Magneto done to you?”
“There’s nothing wrong with me. Papa came back, and he’s doing things none of you had the courage to do: make the world a better place. So, can you shut up now? Bringing a new dawn of existence takes time and we’re on a tight schedule.”
“Enough,” bellowed Magneto. He summoned his powers and surrounded everyone in a magnetic field. “Show a measure of your loyalty and make yourself useful, Iceman. Restrain each X-Man with your mutant powers.”
“What?!”
Sage pushed him forward. “Do it, Robert.” Her voice lowered so only he could hear. “If not to spare their lives, then at least to spare ours.”
Put that way, Bobby went about his grim task, though he did so joylessly. He saved the Professor for last, mouthing a silent “I’m sorry” before ice raced around his body.
Lifting into the air, Magneto demolished most of the mansion on his way out. He was a happy, happy man--not many times one felled his greatest enemies, gutted their base, claimed their own, held said enemies as trophies, and looked forward to world domination all in a night’s work. Yes, Magneto was very happy, so that made Lorna and Toad happy. Esme pretended to be happy to fit in. Honestly, she had concerns about her sisters.
Bobby frowned.
Tessa smiled and put back on her sunglasses, data immediately filtering across her vision.
And Charles?
All in all, Charles Xavier was having a pretty bad night. He didn’t even get to finish Masterpiece Theatre.
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A tiny speaker droned, “You’ve got mail.”
Dane Whitman opened the message and smiled.
It read, “The portal is in Battery Park.”
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- To be continued...
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