psinex@yahoo.com Academia Book I: Starting Block Chapter 14 by Phil Hartman DISCLAIMER: Everyone here is Marvel's, except for Aidan and Soraya, who are mine. No money is being made off of this. Please don't sue. NOTE: Violence, some harsh language. ------------------------------------------------------- 11/8/00: X-Mansion: War Room: 05:45 hrs EST: ------------------------------------------------------- Well, aren't WE up early ? I still don't understand how Xavier and his idealists can be so ... open about their mutancy. For years, they've been so quiet, hiding, and in two years, they get rights and crawl out from under their rock. I couldn't do it. It's called survival, kids - catch it ! Growing up a street kid in Bombay'll make you a little harsh, I guess. Probably why my x-factor turned out the way it did - shadow control lets me hide in plain sight ... Not that it did Mom any good. She was trampled by an elephant ... and I never knew my dad. But I was 12, so I thought I knew everything. Hah. Then he came along and lifted me out of my little hole in the wall. Me, Soraya Haspurinam - "rescued" from myself by the Master of Magnetism. And he drops me here - ------------------------------------------------------ ~You're not telepathically obscured, child.~ "Sorry, Professor," Soraya said, stepping from where she had been working on her Darkforce powers. The Hindu girl pushed her black hair out of her eyes as she watched Xavier remove his Cerebro helmet and smile blearily at her. "I am up early," Xavier admitted. "But I believe you may be able to help me. We have a problem: "There are, evidently, two Magnetos." "Two ... ?" Soraya breathed, looking at the two signals on the map of the United States. "One's -" "Coming here, without Rogue," Xavier said, a note of concern entering his voice. "From Washington, D.C., of all places, and not under his own power. The other is in-bound from Niagara Falls with Rogue, and they should arrive here at the same time. The problem is, their biosignatures are almost identical." "How - wouldn't Chuck be able to tell them apart ?" Soraya offered. "Charles' magnetic-sensing abilities, like many subtle applications of mutant powers, are his weakest area of control at present," Xavier said. "I had thought this might be a malfunction in Cerebro, but after thorough checking, it tested clean." "Great. If either of these bozos are anything like the old-school Maggie I've read up on, we're in for it," Soraya growled. "ETA ?" "30 minutes," Xavier said, hitting the alarm button. ------------------------------------------------------ He tried not to let his unease disrupt the helicopter's electronics, and almost missed Amelia Voght as she sat beside him. "Well, Mr. President-Elect, what next ?" Voght smiled at "Michael Xavier." "Steel yourself, Amelia," Magnus rejoined her. "We are approaching what will undoubtedly be a dangerous situation. Worse yet, I sensed ... something ... approaching us. It was ... oddly familiar." "'A disturbance in the Force,'" Amelia tried to joke. "Exactly," Magnus said, forcing a smile. "Those movies are ridiculous, you realize." "I thought you'd sympathize with Luke," Amelia said with a shrug. "One man, battling the forces of oppression ..." "An ideal I can but aspire to," Magnus breathed. "But not without my wife and son by my side ..." ------------------------------------------------------ "WHAT !?" "Don't go gettin' your spandex in a wad," Rogue rejoined her husband as they approached the X-Mansion. Their magnetic fields were blazing blue as they landed slowly, giving the sensors time to read them and relay their "non-threat" status to the security system. "That cannot be. I am the only Magneto," Magnus huffed, letting Rogue lead him to the War Room through the hangar entrance. They blinked when a yawning Rachel greeted them, rocking a baby with curious blue eyes in her arms. "Sinister grew him - God, I'm getting tired of explaining Aidan to everyone," Ray tried to joke. "He doesn't bite." "Your ... and Franklin's ?" Magnus said, his eyes widening imperceptibly as the baby regarded him. "You know Sinister - he'd cross-breed a Summers with a chihuahua if he thought it'd help him conquer the world," Chuck joked, walking to hug his mother. "C'mon. We've got to get this place ready for whoever's dumb enough to imitate you." ------------------------------------------------------ "Oh good grief. How did you get Secret Service protection ?" Bishop growled at the impeccably-dressed man on the front doorstep. "Haven't you been paying any attention to the news, Bishop ?" Amelia smiled as the phalanx of Secret Service agents entered the front hall ahead of her and Magnus. "Michael Xavier is the new president-elect, a dark-horse candidate." "The last time we saw 'Mister Xavier,'" Iceman said, approaching with Storm, Colossus and Angel, "he'd left with Rogue on an extended honeymoon, looking for you." #If they should tip my hand - !# Magnus thought, scowling. ~I fully intend for you to have every chance to explain yourself, 'cousin,'~ a familiar voice rang in Magnus' mind. ~Using the Michael Xavier identity to run for elected office was NOT what I intended.~ ~It serves a purpose, Charles,~ Magnus thought back, frowning as he waved the agents back and entered Xavier's study. And almost gasped, seeing himself stare back with Rogue and a nervous-looking young Charles. Xavier rounded the desk in his hoverchair and said, "What purpose ? To further a terrorist agenda through deceit ? You are President under false circumstances - and if you ARE the true Magnus, then I expect a good explanation of why you hid from your wife and son for the past two years ?" "I owe you nothing, Xavier," Magnus snorted, glaring at his double. "As for my deception, it was necessary for me to have time to plan my revenge upon the United States. Imagine my surprise when the Kelly Act was passed, making it legal for me to hold office, much less exist." "My father," Chuck said, looking at the costumed Magnus, "was time-shifted. He checks out through both DNA and psi-scans. And he wouldn't intentionally hide from his own family." "I hoped you would have learned by now that some things are necessary evils, Charles," Magnus sighed at his son. His glare at his double intensified as he growled, "You turned them against me." "I did nothing, doppelganger," the costumed Magnus snarled. "YOU are the false Magnus." Xavier looked from one Magnus to the other and sent, ~ENOUGH. I will not abide some cliched bloodbath to determine the 'real' Magneto in my house. Nor will I allow the elected Magnus to perpetuate some inane attempt at the Presidency.~ "And what do you intend to do to stop me, Xavier ?" the suit-Magnus frowned. Both Magnuses bellowed when the room's shadows grabbed them. "The true Magneto should have little difficulty breaking free of Darkforce," Xavier said, nodding at the sweating Soraya. "My student is capable of crushing steel in her bonds - although I'm sure she would rather just as soon imprison both of you." "J-just - decide soon - Prof," Soraya muttered. "Getting - hard to - concentrate ..." "FREEZE !" The mutants looked at where the Secret Service agents had burst into the room, but Amelia held up a hand. "Relax, boys," she said, breaking into a sigh. "The jig is up ..." Her image flickered, drawing a raised eyebrow from Xavier as she was replaced by an Asian woman in odd armor. "ASTRA !?" the costumed Magnus snarled. "You teleporting WITCH ! I exiled you -" "Just not without a few DNA samples, Mags," Astra grinned evilly. "Too bad my clone of you - damn fine workmanship, if I say so myself - crapped out on the accuracy scale. The feds'll be embarassed, though ... sorry, Ricky. If you'd been younger, had longer hair, we could've been great together ..." She pressed a control on her wrist, drawing a howl of agony from the suit-Magnus - - and he sloughed apart into a foul-smelling pool of matter. Chuck vomited, and Soraya screamed, her concentration shattered. Xavier closed his eyes, while the Secret Service agents recoiled. "Looks like I'm done here," Astra began. She screamed when a blue glow surrounded her. "You DARE play fast an' loose with mah son's trust in his father !?" Rogue snarled, her eyes blazing blue as she levitated amidst a biomagnetic field. "YOU DARE steal mah husband's DNA for yoah own vile use !? You are nothin', ya cheap piece o'genefilth ! Ya've dared t'cross th' Mistress o' Magnetism - the Lady of Avalon - the Bride of Magneto ! Y'R TIME IS AT HAND !" "Rogue - don't -" Xavier called. Astra collapsed, unconscious. "Get her outta here," Rogue muttered to the Secret Service agents, landing and powering down. "Diseased l'il ... how the hell'd we miss her sneakin' Erik's clone int' the presidential race ?" "We've been rather busy dealing with threats to the peace of the Kelly Act," Xavier said, summoning a cleaning robot to deal with the clone-Magnus' remains. "What a waste ..." "I'm just glad we know who's the real Magnus," Chuck said, hugging his father. "You gonna stay ?" "We have to find the real Amelia, son, and the rest of the Acolytes," Magnus said, walking with his wife and son towards the kitchen. "But I do want to talk with you, as well ..." ------------------------------------------------------ NEXT: Crazed Kentucky weregirl ! ------------------------------------------------------ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send instant messages with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com/ --- Support our Sponsor ------------------------------------ Get faster web speed! Install NetSonic, the #1 Web Accelerator for FREE! 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