Story [X-Men First Class] Repercussions - Update: 1/1/12

Title: Repercussions
Author: yodaminch
Genre: Action, Adventure
Characters: Professor X, Magneto, Moira McTaggert, Havoc, Banshee, Beast, Mystique, Emma Frost and more.
Summary: Following the events of X-Men First Class, Professor Charles Xavier and his X-Men adjust to their new lives, Magneto and his brotherhood continue to form and the US Government struggles to decide what to do with the knowledge of the existance of mutants.
Disclaimer: X-Men belong to Marvel. X-Men First Class belong to Fox.

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[b]Prologue[/b] Washington DC, December 1962- Nearly 2 months after Cuban Missile Crisis

The snow covered streets of Washington DC bustled with busy tourists buying Christmas gifts and enjoying the city?s entertainment. Despite the continuous stream of snow, many people seemed to be out at such a late hour. Bundled in heavy winter clothes, a man and woman made their way down the block.

The man known as Riptide strode confidently past several tourists heading home for the evening. Next to him, his companion sneered in disgust. Emma Frost?s face portrayed utter revulsion.

?Another first date?? he asked.

?It would appear men do indeed only have one thing on their minds? she replied.

Riptide let out a smirk. The pair rounded the corner at the end of the street. Around the corner, Emma paused. Riptide felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle.

?What is it?? he asked.

Emma didn?t answer. She seemed to be searching for something. Riptide followed her gaze and turned his head frantically.

?What?!? he repeated, urgency creeping into his voice.

?I can?t feel them.? Emma replied.

?Feel who??

?Anyone? Emma craned her own neck around, she had both hands touched to her temples.

?This area is completely deserted? she stated matter-of-factly.

?So?? he asked. He couldn?t figure out why the White Queen was so concerned.

?We?re one block away from a residential neighborhood. I should be feeling dozens of minds.?

Now Riptide was starting to understand. Something was definitely amiss.

?What if it?s like Magneto?s helmet?? he asked.

Emma shook her head. Her gaze turned to steel. ?This isn?t the same. There is no one within a 2 mile radius in front of us."

Riptide absorbed that information and then shrugged it off. It was probably something harmless. Emma was known for overreacting. Besides, the two of them could take care of whatever got in their way.

?We?re nearly at our target anyway. We?ll be in and out. And if no one is around, even better.?

?I don?t like this. We should abort. I?m calling Azazel?

?No!? Riptide hissed. ?We can do this!?

He grabbed Emma?s wrist firmly and proceeded to drag her down the next deserted block. Emma did not waste time struggling. Instead, she seemed to have accepted Riptide?s decision.

?You?ll have 10 minutes. After that, we?re leaving. Something is not right?

?I?ll only need 5.?

Finally, their destination loomed up ahead. A large office building stood empty in front of them. To the untrained eye, it would appear as though the building were deserted. No crews had cleared the mountain of snow that obscured the walkways and all the windows were dark. But Riptide knew better. He and Frost had not spent a week observing this building just to find it abandoned. Something was going on in there. Something the government wanted to keep very quiet.

?Not even security? Emma muttered, ?I don?t like this?

?You worry too much?

Still, Riptide kept both eyes open as he proceeded cautiously towards the building in front of them. Emma grabbed his shoulder.

?Remember. This is reconnaissance only. Find out what this Sentinel Project is about and get out.?

?I heard you the first forty times Ms. Frost. I?ll be in and out before you know it.? With that, he bowed his head and began to spin, Emma wrapped her coat tightly around her as the snow began to kick up. When her vision had cleared, Riptide was already headed into the office building.

[hr]
The glass shards of the main door flew in every direction as Riptide entered the building. The lack of alarms and guards would normally be a b

 

I wish to God that they will put the Sentinels in the movies. Either them or Apocolyps.

 

I too wish the Sentinels had a larger role than just the 'cameo' in Last Stand.

---

[b]Chapter 1[/b] Westchester

Sunlight streamed through the windows of the bedroom of Professor Charles Xavier. The man?s eyes fluttered open and began to search around the bedroom as he started to awaken. He looked around the room, and then began to stir. And then he remembered. He looked down at his waist and remembered. It had been two months since the accident that had claimed his legs and Charles still could not remember that he was unable to walk when he woke each morning. He felt as if he could still feel them. And of course he could still see them as they were still attached to his body. And yet, they would not move when he wished them to. Hank had explained about the feeling of phantom limbs. Charles understood it all logically of course. But his mind simply was not ready to accept the fact that he would never walk again.

Charles was wrenched out of his thoughts by a soft knock on his door.

?Come in? Charles called.

Alex Summers opened the door gently and peered in. The younger man was still clad in his pajama bottoms and a tank top. His bare feet barely made a sound as he quietly entered the room.

?I thought I heard you up Professor. Are you ready??

Charles let out a sigh. ?Yes Alex. I suppose I am?

He moved to prop himself up and remove the covers that had become more of a prison than a comfort. Alex walked over to the closet and retrieved Xavier's bathrobe. He then moved to the bed and carefully pulled the covers the rest of the way down. Alex helped Charles into the bathrobe and helped him sit on the edge of the bed. Then he bent low and scooped the man into his arms. Charles wrapped his arms around the young man?s neck as Alex carefully lifted his Professor out of bed and began making his way carefully through the doorway.

?How much longer until Hank has the elevator working?? Charles asked for what was certainly the hundredth time since he?d been paralyzed.

?He said it would be ready by the end of next week? Alex replied.

?Good? His eyes searched over the hallway as he saw the large white tarp where the new elevator was being installed.

Alex rounded the end of the hallway and came to the top of the stairwell. ?Ready?? he asked.

?Ready? Charles replied, tightening his grip around the young man as Alex carefully descended each step.

As they made their way to the bottom of the stairs, Charles heard Sean Cassidy say ?Good morning Professor?

Charles craned his neck and saw Sean, also in his pajamas, standing with Xavier?s chair ready for him. Hank had personally designed the motorized chair to help Charles get around without much aid. Unfortunately, the chair was no match for his ultimate enemy: stairs. Alex descended the last step and Sean moved over to help him place Charles in the chair.

Charles had grown to despise this morning ritual and could not wait for the elevator to be finished. The mansion had already been fitted with other handicap friendly walkways and ramps, but the main stairwell to the bedroom area necessitated an elevator. If he were less stubborn, Charles could have slept on the sofa in the sitting room or converted his study into a guest bedroom. But he wished to sleep in his bed. And so the boys had come up with this solution for the moment.

Every morning, Alex would carry him down the stairs to his chair for breakfast. After that, his physical therapist would come in. She would help him bathe and dress and he would spend the day helping the others learn about their powers. And then at night, Alex would carry him back up to bed.

Despite being very wealthy, there was only so much momentum he could get from contractors during the winter. He had already ordered a new tub for the master bathroom and designed a new layout for his closet, but neither would be ready until after the new year. And, while he used to love the snow when he was younger, Charles now viewed it as yet another obstacle as his wheelchair struggled to push through it. Still, these obstacles were not impossible to

 

Oh oh, Magnito is at the door. Probably coming to get Charles and the X-mens help to deal with the Sentinals.

 

Yes, that's why he's shown up. But he's in for a bit of surprise

---

[b]Chapter 1 (continued)
[/b]

Charles realized why he hadn?t sensed the man?s presence. Erik still wore the helmet he?d taken from Sebastian Shaw, though Charles saw it was now painted red. The ridiculous helmet would have made another man look foolish, but the menace Erik exuded made others forget about his appearance. He wore a long black winter coat which somehow seemed to work with his choice of headgear. Though he could not read his friend?s mind, Charles could tell something was amiss.

?Erik.?

?Hello Charles?. Erik lowered his gaze to meet Charles at eye level. Xavier could see his friend?s pain at seeing him in the chair. This was the first time the two had seen each other since Cuba.

Finally, Erik regained his composure.

?May I come in??

The commotion at the door had alerted Alex and Sean; who both seemed ready to rush to Xavier?s aid. Telepathically, Charles assured them that he was fine and asked them to stand down. He then turned to Erik.

?Of course.? He gestured his hand to welcome his former friend inside.

Like a soldier who had been gone from home too long, Erik cautiously entered the now unfamiliar territory he had once called home.

?I see that you?ve been making?changes? Erik said.

?Yes, we have. And I see you have made some as well? Charles indicated the helmet with a shrug.
He pointed his chair towards the sitting room. Eric followed at his side.

?It?s for protection? Erik replied.

?You should know you need not fear me. I would never abuse my abilities like that.?

?Perhaps? Erik said, but he made no motion to remove the helmet.

Charles decided to let the topic die for the moment. Instead, he motioned Erik to a chair near the chess set that
the two had used often in the past months. Erik eyed the chair uncomfortably, but sat without complaint.

?Somehow I doubt this is a social call Erik. Please get on with it.?

?Charles, I?m so sorry? Erik began.

Charles placed a hand to stop him. ?I?m certain you are my friend. But that is the past. We?ve each made our choice. I do not regret mine. And I hold no ill will toward you.?

Erik seemed to absorb that information for a moment. Charles could tell that this came as a great relief to his friend. Erik paused for another moment and then carefully reached up and removed his helmet. He placed the headgear on the chess table.

Charles eyed it with contempt. He then turned back to Erik.

?Now then, to what do I owe this visit??

Erik carefully opened his coat and withdrew a small manila file. He handed it wordlessly to Charles. He took the file and flipped through it for several moments.

?How did you obtain this??

?Myst- Raven was able to obtain it?

Charles bristled slightly at that knowledge and then closed the file. He handed it back to Erik.

?So what is the Sentinel Project??

Erik shifted uncomfortably in is chair. No matter how hard he tried, he could not get comfortable. Finally he leapt to his feet and began to pace nervously.

?It?s their plan to destroy us!? He announced, ?You saw what they call it. ?The mutant solution?! You were there
in Cuba. You know what their idea of a solution is!?

?Calm yourself my friend. Breathe.?

Erik whirled toward Xavier, and Charles felt his metal chair retreat several steps.
Erik?s face contorted with anger.

?Erik. Calm yourself.? Charles warned again. He could hear the gears in his chair screeching.

Finally the pressure on the chair ceased and Charles carefully moved the chair closer to Erik. Erik had collapsed back in the chair by the chess table. The helmet was now hovering next to him. Erik twirled it in the air in frustration.

?What?s happened?? Charles demanded.

?Last night, I sent two of my people to investigate the facility Raven found. One of them didn?t make it back.?

?Captured??

Erik shook his head. ?Emma Frost was in his mind when it happened. He was there. And then he was? gone.?

Charles was silent for another moment. He could see why Erik was so perturbed.

?So why come to me?? he finally asked.

?I need your help

 

Intense conversation. Charles will need to get his team involved to prevent Erik and the brotherhood for going to the extreme.

 

mrjop2: I'm not so sure Charles is yet in a condition to stop Erik. And while he talks big, I'm not so sure Erik is ready to go to such extreme measures. I guess we'll see.

Mira_Jade: Thank you so much for the kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed the interaction between Charles and Erik. They are definitely fun to write. I'll be sure to try and remember to PM you when I update. Generally I aim for an update every weekday evening.

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[b]Chapter 2[/b] [i]CIA Headquarters ? Langley[/i]

Agent Moira McTaggert had been on the fast track to a great future with the CIA. And in one instance, she had thrown it all away. It all started with her infiltration of the Hellfire Club where she had first learned about the existence of mutants and the dangers they could pose. Despite the warnings from her partner, she headed to Oxford and enlisted the help of Professor Charles Xavier in stopping Sebastian Shaw. And that?s when Moira?s life was turned upside-down.

She hadn?t realized it at first, but she?d fallen in love with Charles Xavier. She found herself doing things that she never would have done if not for love. She and the CIA formed their own team of mutants to counter Shaw?s group. But these were raw, untrained and untested recruits. And they were dangerous. Erik Lensherr especially frightened Moira. A man with that much power and such a terrible life was a dangerous man. But she had trusted Charles when he said he could help Erik. What neither of them realized was that Erik didn?t want help. And then came Cuba.

Charles had wiped away most of her memories of the past few weeks. She couldn?t remember where they had gone to train or the names of the other members of his team. But Charles didn?t seem to be able to make her forget everything. She could vividly remember the confrontation on the beach now. Erik had taken control of the American and Soviet missiles and had positioned them to attack the ships that had fired them. And Charles was there attempting to reason with him. The others were paralyzed with fear and unable to move. And Erik seemed distracted. And she fired her weapon. But Erik was prepared. She had overheard him tell Charles that he could stop a bullet from reaching him. But in the heat of the moment, she?d forgotten. And she fired. And he stopped her. And Charles had tried to stop them both and he was caught in the crossfire.

Moira replayed that moment over and over in her head. She could never understand how Charles had gotten there so fast. And then he was down. And she could remember him repeating ?I can?t feel my legs? over and over again. Their jet had gone down and the government had disavowed any knowledge of them. They were fortunate that Charles was still conscious enough to control an overhead plane and get it to land. Hank had done his best to stabilize him, but the damage was done. Charles would never walk again and it was all Moira?s fault.

Afterwards, she had helped Charles get settled with his team and he had kissed her. And that too was something she replayed over and over again. She had never been kissed quite like that. And then, he had wiped her mind. Her superiors had grilled her over and over again and yet no matter what, she could not remember anything of value. The director was furious and Moira found herself demoted back to the writing pen. But Moira didn?t care. She had come to realize that she would do the same thing all over again if given the choice. She loved Charles Xavier. And she longed to be with him.

No one at the CIA spoke about the existence of mutants. As far as they were concerned, they didn?t exist. Cuba didn?t happen. Moira would find herself locked up if she so much as breathed a word of this to anyone. That suited her just fine. She had sworn never to tell anyone about Charles and his 'X-Men' anyway.

"Telephone McTaggert"

Moira jerked upright in her chair, jolted out of thoughts of Charles and fumbled for the phone on her desk.

"This is McTaggert."

"It's so wonderful to here your voice again Moira"

At this, Moira nearly dropped the r

 

Oh oh, I sense trouble brewing.

 

mrjop2- As this next chapter will prove, trouble is indeed brewing.

Mira_Jade- I'm glad you enjoyed the part about Raven. That was actually added before posting. The original piece was just quick reveal about who was actually calling but I wanted something more about Raven's thoughts on what was going on. I too am a fan of Moira and enjoyed her in the movie (even if she wasn't Scottish or a Doctor!). And, as you'll see in Monday's chapter, there's likely a reason Charles hasn't called Moira.

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[b]Chapter 3[/b] - Undisclosed Facility - Washington DC

Dr. Bolivar Trask approached the assembled party with caution. He had been summoned to this abandoned area by his government backers- two of which were present. He nodded grimly to the two men. Agent Henry Peter Gyrich personified the public image of a federal agent. He seemed to always wear his sunglasses, his auburn hair was cropped short and he always wore a black suit. Next to him, Special Agent William Stryker made an impression of his own. The man also wore a black suit and his silver hair was swept back and neatly trimmed. He was the first to speak.

?We're told there was an incident in your facility last night Dr. Trask?

Trask was silent for a moment. He ran his hand over his jaw, touching the corners of his pencil thin mustache.

?A mutant attempted to break in. He was... dealt with.?

Several of the gathered men exchanged glances.

?So the prototype worked then? Gyrich stated. It was a rhetorical question.

?The mutant was identified and terminated. The program worked.?

Stryker clapped his hands in celebration.

?Finally! We have a way to track these...things.?

He looked over his shoulder and motioned to one of his aides. A young man immediately stepped forward and handed a manila folder to Trask. Trask opened it immediately.

?And this is??

?Your target. Professor Charles Xavier. The most dangerous mutant of them all.?

Trask was intrigued. ?What can he do??

?He can read your innermost thoughts. He can lay your mind bare. And worst of all, he can wipe your memories?

Stryker had of course seen this first hand. He vividly recalled the day Agent McTaggert had brought him in. Xavier had read Stryker's thoughts about his son William and then brought up the missiles being placed in Turkey. And he had been present weeks later when Agent McTaggert was debriefed after her mission in Cuba. He had seen how she struggled to remember what had happened. Xavier had wiped her memories. Stryker had seen enough that day. He had contacted members of other agencies and recruited Dr. Trask to form the Sentinel project.

Trask snapped Stryker out of his reverie.

?Where is he??

?That's what you're going to find out? Stryker replied, ?Xavier disappeared after a covert mission and he tied up any loose ends. He's out there and he's gathering others to join his cause. We need to find him and stop him.?

?And by stop him, you mean..? Trask motioned towards his neck.

?No doctor. The CIA wants this man alive. We can put him to use.?

Trask nodded in understanding. Brainwashing. The CIA would never willingly pass up such a valuable tool in their arsenal. He chose his next words carefully.

?The incident last night was unexpected. I can't promise the field test will be as successful. If this Xavier is as dangerous as you say, he'll be well protected.?

Gyrich moved to hand Trask another folder. Trask flipped it open and saw several more mutants listed. A picture of a young blonde haired boy named Alex Summers and a red haired boy named Sean Cassidy. Their was an extensive file on Dr. Henry McCoy. Trask was familiar with him of course. He saw a file marked deceased and skipped over that. There was another file for a young woman named Raven Darkholme. Someone had written 'Highly Dangerous' on the file. But the file after hers was even more disturbing. The file was for a man named Erik Lensherr. This one was marked 'Extremely Dangerous'. Trask wasn't sure what made this man so dangerous, but if his picture was any indication, he had no intention of finding out. Much

 

Of course, never kill someone who could be a valuable tool. Sheesh! Good luck trying to get him to coopoerate!

 

mrjop2: Keep in mind all of this is new territory for the government and Charles as well. So who knows how easy it will be to get him...

Mira_Jade: These are just some of the sleazes. One of the men in that group was not yet mentioned but he is an X-Men vet. Also, thanks for the comments on Styker Sr. I didn't realize how much time he actually had in the film. Fortunately, the local theater had First Class playing this weekend for 2 bucks. So I realized just how much Stryker did in the film. He's the one making fun of the magic trick, the one who says the law doesn't apply to Emma and a war is coming. And he's the one who wants to nuke the beach at the end. So, hopefully this does fit his character well. And yes, Charles is in some danger though I wish them luck. I'm glad you liked the bit on Erik. I didn't want things to be too easy for the government after all. And since Erik is not a US born citizen hopefully they don't have as much data on him. Great point about Stryker and his similarities to Magneto. Obviously we saw what Erik thought earlier. And it's safe to say things won't get much better any time soon.

Glad you expected the reference to Master Mold. See if you can count just how many references I managed to throw in this chapter.

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[b]Chapter 4[/b]

After Eric?s departure, Charles' physical therapist finally arrived. He realized, with a pang of regret, how much she reminded him of Moira. Her name was Amelia Voght. Henry had found her and recommended her to Charles. She was very good at her job. She never let Charles give into self-pity and she pushed him to his limits with his physical therapy. Though he would never be able to walk again, Amelia did not accept that as an excuse to give up on life. She had ensured that his upper body strength was in top form. Charles could not help but admire her inner strength. When she was with him, he felt like he could accomplish anything.

Today however was different. His meeting with Eric had exposed just how truly useless he had become. He had decided after Cuba that it was best if students were taught how to control their mutant powers and he believed that the safest thing they could do was hide from those who were seeking out mutants. Eric had not been wrong about that much at least. The world governments made their intentions very clear at Cuba. And Charles was not about to let his charges be caught in harm?s way.

And yet, he could not deny that whatever the government was planning, it could not be ignored. This time, Eric had found a cause worth fighting for. Charles believed that much. But he had meant what he said. His team could not help. The boys had spent their time focusing on controlling their powers. But as far as combat, they had stopped practicing some time ago. Perhaps, he reflected, that had been a mistake.

Amelia noted that Charles seemed detached throughout therapy and while she would normally have chided him for it, today she seemed to tell something was bothering him. She stayed until mid afternoon. At three o?clock, she called an end to the therapy sessions and helped Charles get settled before leaving for her next appointment.

Sean and Alex had been hovering around ever since Erik?s departure but Charles did not want to burden either one with the information his friend had obtained. They had already dealt with more than anyone their age should have to deal with. And Christmas was less than week away.

Now dressed in a black suit with silver tie, Charles entered the library to find Alex and Sean each immersed in a book. As he entered, both boys looked up and immediately closed what they were reading.

?I was thinking? Charles started, ?Since we?ve decided to have Christmas here, it would be appropriate for everyone to exchange gifts.? Charles withdrew his wallet and removed several large bills. He handed them to each boy.

?Consider it an allowance for all you?ve done. There's some extra for you two to have fun. I realize it's been a bit boring around here la

 

Hank seems to be keeping himself overly busy lately. i wonder if he feels betrayed or is blaming himself for Raven's joining the Brotherhood.

 

Before I get to replies, I have a question for both of you, as well as anyone else who is reading this: It is clear that the X-Men team as it stands is a bit empty. I've been trying up until now to use this story to tie in as much as possible to the two Singer films. I have not yet decided whether to tie in the Last Stand and Wolverine and the rather glaring continuity portions they cover (Jean and Scott respectively). I see several paths before me: I can continue tying in to all films and use mutants other than Scott, Jean and Ororo along with any other younger mutants who made an appearance in the Singer/Ratner films. I can treat this as a reboot which I thought the movie should have been anyway, freeing me to use the original 5 in full. Or, I can just ignore the last two films and still bring in Scott, Jean, Ororo and even Warren. Just not Bobby. I am curious to know which of these options appeals to you the reader and why. Your response may help shape the future of this story.


mrjop2: I think it's several things with Hank. The loss of Raven definitely was a betrayal. At the same time, perhaps he is envious that she's embraced who she is while he's become a monster. He's also had a lot happen in a short period of time: His old job is gone, the government has tried to kill them, some of his team members have left and his leader is adjusting to life as a cripple. Add blue fur to that and it's pretty clear Hank has issues which he's sorting through by throwing himself into his work.

Mira_Jade: Glad you liked Amelia. She was the only one I could see as Charles' physical therapist given that she was his nurse in the comics after the accident that took his legs. And the fact she resembles Moira made her an even easier choice for a bit of a love triangle (though, we've yet to hear from Amelia at all. So maybe she doesn't feel the same way as Charles). And yes, Charles has not yet determined she's a mutant. We'll chalk that up to how distracted he's been. Consequently, since Hank has been in hiding, it is safe to say Amelia isn't aware that Charles or his team are mutants either. So, that shall be a fun bombshell to address later. And then add Moira to that potent mix.

You are correct that Charles' lighter views often mean his charges are put in danger. But danger has a way of coming no matter what. And here, as Charles notes, Erik is not wrong. The government is actively trying to capture, contain or kill mutants. Charles doesn't wish to sit out on the sidelines, but at the moment, he has very little choice. And as this chapter shows, Charles isn't the only character wondering about that. As far as Cerebro. It's not finished yet.

As you pointed out and as mrjop2 noted, Hank's issues mirror Raven's. Obviously, Hank will have to come to terms with who he's become. Hank was afraid of what he might become. But perhaps being the Beast is not the worst he can become.

And glad you liked the nod to the chair. Always one of my favorite pieces in the comics.

---

[b]Chapter 5[/b]

Moira slowly pulled up to the abandoned CIA base. Though the CIA had scuttled the G-Men project and the base had been shut down after Shaw?s attack, Moira still felt a sense of dread approaching the place. It was here that great and terrible things had happened. She could understand why Charles had chosen this place to meet.

Satisfied that no one else was apparently nearby, Moira parked her car a safe distance from the condemned building and shut down the lights. After a moment of double checking she had not been followed, she shut down the engine and waited. It was nearly six o'clock. Charles would arrive at any moment. Moira glanced at the front of the building. It was the first time she'd seen it since the attack.

The old building looked eerie against the backdrop of snow. Snow had the ability to mask the truth of what it covered. But, for Moira, it could not mask the tragic loss of life that Sebastian Shaw and his Hellfire Club had caused. Out of habit, she patted her r

 

She should have run.

As for the story, either way, I would continue to read this story. I really can't tell if First Class was a reboot or not. I need to buy the Blu-Ray before making a final conclusion on that. If I remember correctly, First Class did have conflict with the other movies when it came to Wolverine. At least, I think it conflicted with the Wolverine movie. If you think it should serve as a reboot, then go for it.

I will state, that in my opinion, X-Men 1 and 2 were okay, and 3 was so bad, I rather watch The Last Airbender movie again. I hated how they killed Cyclops and Jean Gray off. Perhaps they should rebot the franchise. They are looking into X-Men 4, and a sequel to First Class. To tell you the truth, I'm more excited about a sequal to First Class than the original X-Men series.

As for this story, it would be nice to see new X-men and cameos of future X-Men.

 

mrjop2: Thanks for weighing in. As to Moira, perhaps she couldn't run?

I failed to get this chapter up yesterday. So today two chapters will be posted:

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[b]Chapter 6[/b]

Alex rounded the corner of the mall entrance and carefully pulled the dark blue Jaguar into a space far enough from the other cars. The mall itself was rather packed due to the few remaining days until Christmas. Alex turned off the ignition and looked over at Sean and grinned.

?Alright. Let the party begin!? Sean declared.

Alex let out a "whoo!" in agreement and then both boys exited the car and made their way towards the entrance of the mall.

Both of them were dressed sharply. Alex wore an open collar, button down navy shirt and black pants. Sean had a dark sports coat on over a an open collar emerald green shirt. He resisted the urge to strut past a large group of girls. Alex simply smiled and several girls in the group swooned.

?Man! You have got to teach me how to do that!? Sean exclaimed once they were out of earshot.

Alex looked at the younger boy and shrugged. ?It's not something you can teach.?

The two made their way through a department store and briefly browsed through. Seeing nothing that would interest Hank or the professor, the two made their way out of the department store and towards the food court. They had several days until Christmas and plenty of time before the mall closed for the evening.

As they walked past several frenzied Christmas shoppers, Sean turned to Alex.

?So what do you think about Magneto visiting?? he asked

?No idea. But at least he and the professor didn't kill each other? Alex replied. He spotted a pair of girls his age smiling at him and started leading Sean over towards their table.

?Yeah that?s true? Sean agreed, oblivious to Alex?s discovery. He continued, ?Did you see he wore the helmet inside??

Alex was focused on the girls and barely managed an ?Uh huh?

?What do you think they were talking about?? Sean continued.

Alex stopped in his tracks and turned to face Sean

?Look. I don't care what they were talking about. The professor gave us the night off. And there are two girls right over there who I'd like to meet.? Alex indicated the pair with jerk of his head. ?Let's just forget about Magneto for tonight and enjoy ourselves like the professor wanted. Okay??

Sean took a look over at the table Alex had indicated and realization dawned on him. He broke into a wide grin. ?Sure. Whatever it is, it couldn't be too important. Otherwise the professor would have told us.?

Alex slapped him on the back. ?Right!? He turned around again and made his way over to where the girls were sitting.

As he approached the table, he introduced himself ?Hey, I'm Alex. And this is Sean?
Sean, too shy to reply immediately, simply waved.

One of the girls looked up at Alex and smiled. Alex found himself smiling back. He found her stunning. Her long hair was a shade of bright green and she wore a dress matching that color. Several turquoise beads adorned her neck.

?I'm Lorna.? she said. She turned to her friend ?And this is my friend Maeve. She's visiting from Ireland.?

?Pleased to meet you? she said, looking directly at Sean.

Sean gaped at the girl, unable to move. Alex,seeing this,gave him a small push towards Maeve?s seat. Sean stumbled into the chair and let out a nervous laugh. Maeve chuckled. To Sean, her irish laugh was like music to his ears. He couldn't stop smiling.

Looking at the pair, Alex could tell she was interested in Sean. He hoped the younger boy would not blow it. Turning away from them, he sat down in the chair next to Lorna.

?So, you girls ever ride in a Jaguar before??

Lorna shook her head. ?Never? She looked directly into Alex?s eyes and said ?Have you Maeve??

Maeve was currently studying Sean?s face as well. She looked as if she were under some type of spell. Sean started to relax and flashed a small smile as Maeve shook her head ?No. I haven?t.?

?Would you like to go for a spin?? Sean said to her.

?We were plannin

 

Magneto is really becoming the menace he is destined to be, isn't he.

 

Mira_Jade: Thanks for weighing in. I appreciate your thoughts. Continuity is definitely messy even within the Singer films ("When I was 17, I met a young man named Erik Lensherr"), so I do think this will be treated as a reboot. What that means for some of the existing characters though... well, you'll see

Also, while there was a point where Moira could have run and trusted her gut, it wasn't long. Emma pretty much took over as soon as she got there. So Moira may have wanted to flee, but her body wouldn't let her.

Glad you enjoyed Maeve and Lorna. They'll be in the next few chapters for sure. I put Maeve in while I was deciding whether to keep the Singer films or not. In X2, Siren appears.

I'd agree that Raven and Magneto do work for each other in some twisted way. Whether or not it's as friends or lovers I'm not yet sure. In a way, I see Raven as what Charles would have been like had he shared Erik's views. She's not afraid to stand up to him and she's one of the few that can reason with him.

mrjop2: I'm not sure I agree. In First Class, Magneto killed two nazis (and a bartender ) and Shaw. While he was prepared to turn the missiles against the navy, he hasn't yet taken the step between murderer and terrorist. Right now, everything he's doing is reactionary. He's on the defensive, trying to protect his people and realize his dream. And while he'd certainly do whatever is necessary. I don't think he yet realizes just how far he'll have to be willing to go to achieve those goals.

---

[b]Chapter 8[/b]

Alex, Sean, Lorna and Maeve made their way to the mall parking lot while in several conversations at once. Alex and Lorna were currently discussing their favorite band. Maeve, upon learning that Sean?s parents were from Ireland, was engaged in a deep discussion over her home country.

Alex led the group towards the Jaguar and had the door open when Maeve spoke.

?What is that in the sky? It looks like some type of new plane.?

Lorna looked up as well ?If it?s a plane, it?s flying too close. It almost looks like it?s coming towards us.?

Now Sean looked up, his face paled as he saw the object the girls had pointed out.

?Uh...Alex? he said, tugging on the other boy?s arm.

Alex turned his attention away from the car and turned to look up where Sean was now pointing.

He turned to the girls. ?Get back inside? He ordered. He dove into the jaguar and retrieved something the girls could not see.

?Alex, What?s going on?? Lorna asked, clearly concerned.

Maeve turned towards Sean. ?Sean what is it? What?s wrong??

But Sean?s eyes were fixed at the incoming object that was growing larger by the second. It was clear that whatever it was, it was heading straight for them.

?GO!? Alex shouted. He slammed the door of the car for emphasis.

The girls, clearly unsure of what was going on, decided not to stick around and find out, they took off at a run towards the mall entrance.

Alex, eyes never leaving the incoming object, ripped open his shirt and attached the new harness Beast had made him. He secured it across his bare chest, wishing that he had thought to bring his bulletproof uniform.

Sean too had wished he?d remembered to pack his own uniform so that he could at least fly with ease. As it was, he gripped the edges of his sports coat and hoped that would be enough. He turned towards Alex.

?We have to contact the professor!?

?How?! We don?t exactly have a phone!?

Sean was silent for a moment. As the object grew closer, he noticed that it resembled a large man.

?THINK IT!? Sean exclaimed.

?What?? Alex replied. He was far more concerned with the object that was mere minutes from touching down in front of them.

?He?s a telepath. Think loudly!? Sean said. And as if to illustrate this, he closed his eyes and his face contracted in thought.

Alex hesitated another moment, not really willing to let this thing out of his sight for even a moment. Then he quickly squeezed his eyes shut and mentally shouted for help as loud as he possibly could.

[i]//Professor! We need help!//[/i

 

Mira_Jade: While I'm not sure full blown terrorist is always about protecting his people, so far as I've said, he is definitely not crossing the line to terrorist. I've actually plotted that particular point and I think it will be very clear when that line is crossed. When Magneto goes full blown terrorist in comics, it's normally about revenge and an eye for an eye. It's not always about defense and being protective. Though perhaps he sees it that way: If he annihalates all that oppose him, they can't ever hurt him or his people again. I think your thoughts on Raven are spot on. She's definitely looking for someone to accept her for all she is. And as we saw clearly in First Class that was NOT Charles or Hank.

I'm glad you enjoyed the banter. It's a shame that the movie focused almost too much on Charles and Erik and not enough on the mutants. What we did see of Sean and Alex and the others was pretty amusing. So I tried to keep them as much in character as possible. As to Lorna, you'll just have to keep reading for that one.

---

[b]Chapter 9[/b]

Charles tapped his fingers on the dining room table impatiently. It was now nearly 7pm. In front of him, Charles had managed to make a bowl of soup. This of course had once been a very easy thing to do. Now that he was eye level with the stove and could no longer bend to get the pots and pans, this was an achievement in and of itself. And so Charles had managed to make a fresh pot of soup for himself and Hank. It wasn?t much of course, but it was something.

The soup was now cold. Hank had failed to keep his promise to show up for supper and Charles found himself eating cold soup alone. He found that he had actually lost his appetite after the day's events and only took a few spoonfuls before setting it down in frustration.

Finished, he grasped the control on his chair and backed away from the table. He pointed the chair towards the side exit and shoved the controls forward as fast as possible. He had had enough of Hank?s behavior. It was time to confront him and end this.

Gripping tightly to the armrest with his left hand and still gripping the chair lever with his right, Charles raced down the series of ramps much faster than he?d ever gone before.

He didn?t bother stopping as he came to the end of the last ramp. Instead, he purposely slammed his chair into the large metal door and felt the entire chair shake as a large CLANG! sounded.

Immediately, Charles heard movement as Hank must have leapt to his feet and run over. The door flew open and Hank stood in the doorway, a look of terror on his face.

?What is it? What?s happened? Are you alright?!? He asked at once.

?You missed supper Hank. Your soup is cold.?

?I-What?? Hank said, clearly confused at what had happened. Apparently they weren?t under attack.

?You were supposed to be in the Dining Room by 6 o?clock. It is now 7 o?clock. I have eaten. Your supper is now cold.?

Realization dawned on Hank.

?I?m sorry Charles. I was just-?

Charles held up a hand to cut him off.

?-Hiding. From the world.? Charles finished.

Hank was silent. Charles' tone softened.

?Hank, you can not live your life inside this lab. You will have to go outside eventually.?

?I- I will.? Hank replied, ?Once I?ve reversed this?

?And if you can not?? Charles pressed.

?I WILL? Hank said, his eyes flashed in anger and he let out a low growl.

Charles knew he had pierced the heart of the problem. Hank had been unable to find a cure and he must have realized he was stuck in his current form.

?I believe you will one day find a cure Hank. But in the mean time, you must learn to socialize. If not out in the city, then at least inside with the rest of -?

Charles trailed off and he let out a cry of alarm.

?Charles-? Hank asked, concerned for his friend.

Charles did not hear him. In his mind, he saw a large object touch down in a parking lot. He then saw Alex and Sean attempting to fight it off. His eyes widened in fear as realization dawned upon him. This was

 

Wow, fell behind a little.

The Sentinels have revealed themselves. I sense things are about to get worse before they get better.