psinex@yahoo.com Magnetot: The Lehnsherr Files by Phil Hartman DISCLAIMER: Everyone here is Marvel Comics'. Please don't sue. ------------------------------------------------------- X-Mansion, 12/25/1997: 12:00 hrs EST: Headmasters' Office: ------------------------------------------------------- Jean withdrew her psi-probe from Charles Lehnsherr's mind, stroking the sleeping boy's head and finally permitting tears to fall from her eyes. "Yes, he's your son, Rogue," she smiled sadly, telepathically sharing her findings with the assembled X-Men. The Fantastic Four and Avengers were across the hall in the living room, supervising the cleanup of the post-present paper deluge and keeping an eye on the collected children and foster children of superheroes. "Oh mah GOD ...," Rogue gasped, cradling the snoozing 5-year-old Charles to her. "One man really DID make the difference," Iceman muttered, mulling over the memories of the alternate X-Men Charles had grown among. Scott hugged Jean and whispered, "You're all right ?" "Knowing that such a horror could happen, Scott ?" Jean replied. "We HAVE to stop Apocalypse - as soon as we can ... or that'll be the legacy our children will face. It's a miracle that little Charles is as sane as he is, even hearing about such a nightmare second-hand." "The boy's presence raises a serious question: if Joseph is NOT Magneto, what do we do if Magneto shows up looking for him ?" Bishop said quietly. The glare in Rogue's eyes made even the timelost X-Man take a step back. "No one is makin' this boy suffer any more'n he has," Rogue hissed. "He stays, or ah go. Y'all hear me ?" "Rogue ! No one wants you or Charles to leave !" Scott said hurriedly. "He's a child - I don't have anything against him, no matter who his father might be !" Rogue relaxed, and said, "Thanks, Scott. That means a lot t'me." She smiled as Charles' eyes opened, and he looked around with a shy smile. "Hey, sleepyhead," Rogue said. "Ya feel OK ?" "Yeah, Mommy," Charles replied, hugging her carefully. "Is Daddy here ? I know this isn't my Earth - Daddy, my Daddy, said so ..." "B'fore he put ya int' th' M'Kraan Crystal," Rogue nodded. "Well ... there's somethin' we gotta tell ya 'bout your pa -" "He's awake !? Why didn't someone tell me ?!" a voice called from the hall. The X-Men parted to admit Joseph, who knelt before Rogue and Charles with a broad smile. "Hello, Charles," the mysterious magnetic X-Man said. "I ... I might be your father. We're not exactly sure ..." The desk videophone rang, and Scott answered, "Xavier's, Scott Summers speaking." "Summers !?" an imploring female voice rang. "We ... need the X-Men's help. Exodus is probably dead, and there's a homicidal mutant maniac tearing up the base !!" "Voght," Scott said tonelessly. "For you to call us -" "Yes, yes, it's deadly serious !" Amelia Voght snapped. The picture on the screen was one of devastation, and Scott paled at the sight of Javitz sprawled dead behind Amelia. "Damnit, Summers, we NEED your help, please !" "All right," Scott agreed, professionalism replacing his earlier concern. "We'll come." He cut the line and turned to the X-Men. "The Acolytes are under attack. It looks bad - very bad." "There goes Christmas," Maggott sighed. "Who's going ?" Logan asked. "The Blue Team - Joseph, you'll replace Hank on this one. We'll need him, Cecilia and Stevie to have the medlab fully staffed," Scott said. He turned to see Reed Richards' head peeking in the door, and asked, "Reed, the Acolytes need our help. I was wondering if ... ?" "Any help the Fantastic Four can give is yours, Scott," Mr. Fantastic agreed. "Thanks," Scott nodded. "We could use you in the medlab, and if Sue could help keep an eye on the kids ? Have the Avengers left ?" "The main team," Quicksilver said, appearing in a blur. "Wanda, Crystal, Arthur and I are still here, as are our children. What's the situation, Scott ?" His face darkened when Scott mentioned the Acolytes, but Pietro kept a civil tongue when next he spoke. "MOST of the Acolytes are halfway decent," he sighed. "If you want me to come along, perhaps I can talk some sense into them." "I'll be going, Pietro," Joseph said faintly. Quicksilver nodded, but said, "I'd still like to come ... if only to try and get Exodus into custody." "Then I'd better come as well," his twin Wanda Shade - the Scarlet Witch - called, joining the party ... ------------------------------------------------------- Filchner Ice Shelf, Antarctica: 12:03 hrs local time: ------------------------------------------------------- Voght's transubstantiation field rematerialized the X-Men Blue Team, Maggott, Joseph and the Maximoff twins amidst a mass of wreckage in what had been the main throne room. "Dis be one MAJOR problem, non ?" Gambit tried to joke. He silenced himself at the sight of Javitz and Milan's bodies. "You could say that," Amelia muttered. She motioned the others over to a seething, glowing mass of metal and warned, "Exodus and the attacker disappeared under here. Most of the other Acolytes are in the west wing - luckily, we've only lost Javitz and Milan. The rest are afraid, but otherwise relatively uninjured. I tried teleporting them all out, but we'd rather not lose this place if at all possible." Joseph put a hand on her shoulder and said, "Let me try to divine what's going on, Amelia." Voght nodded - more of a bow - and let the young man send a magnetic probe into the mass. Rogue frowned, but glared at Gambit when he whispered, "He not seem DAT holy, chere ..." "Don't be an idjit, Remy," Rogue muttered. "Ah may not remember what y'r great secret is, but ah'm not gonna jus' let ya roll back int' mah life 'til ya open up. Joseph may or may not be Magneto, but at least he's honest about his amnesia." #I never should've put Rogue, Gambit and Joseph on one team,# Scott frowned inwardly. "Psylocke - any hope your telepathy can pierce this mess ?" he asked Betsy Braddock. The Asian-British ninja-telepath shook her head and sighed. "Exodus' psionic signature is overwhelming any other psi-talents besides established rapports, Scott," Betsy said. "You should be able to contact Jean, but localized telepathic probes are next to impossible." "That's all right, Ms. Braddock," Joseph called, frowning. "Exodus is rising - and - GET DOWN !!" The mutants scattered as the mound of metal exploded outward. Joseph's magnetic talent and Scott's optic blasts deflected the shrapnel, but the X-Men cringed as a tattered Exodus rose with a skull-headed, flaming figure trying to strangle him. "It's flamin' Ghost Rider !!" Wolverine snarled. "How quaint," the figure sneered in a horrific, fleshless sort of way. "The animal can talk. I'd've thought Grey would be - wait a minute, Prelate SUMMERS !? WITH THE X-MEN !?" "Wrong world, monster," Cyclops snarled. His blast sent the being flying, and he spat, "X-Men - stop him !" "You CANNOT stop HOLOCAUST, SUMMERS !!" the being cackled. His eye sockets bulged in terror as Wanda called, "How DARE you mock the memories of the true Holocaust's victims, fiend !!" Holocaust screamed as Wanda's hex struck him. "I KILLED YOU !!" he shrieked. "I KILLED YOU ! YOU CAN'T BE ALIVE !!!" Wanda and Pietro's eyes narrowed. "Well ... then this IS personal," Quicksilver grinned. He pummeled Holocaust at superspeed, but had to turn away when his gloves caught fire. "THAT wasn't the most brilliant move," he muttered, shaking his hands to extinguish the flames. "I'll kill you AGAIN !!" Holocaust screamed. Faster than anyone could react, he fired at Wanda - - but the flames shredded and died just as they reached her. "Nice hex," Logan nodded. "I - I didn't do that !!" Wanda stammered. "Someone else did - someone with superb control of electromagnetism - " The impact of her words struck the collected mutants, and they spun about to see Joseph crouched over, chuckling. "Oh, HOLOOOOCAUUUUSSSTTT ...," he mocked in a deepening voice. "No ... oh, no," Holocaust whimpered. "Not now - not lahk THIS," Rogue cringed, letting Remy put an arm around her. "You attacked my loyal followers," "Joseph" spat, red and purple replacing black and yellow fabric from his feet up. "Betsy - tell me there's something of Joseph still in his mind," Scott begged. "Joseph, I could read, Cyclops," Psylocke gulped. "HIM - I can't." She met Scott's gaze and said, "Yes. It IS HIM." "You DARED to kill two of them," the Lord of the Electromagnetic Fire snarled, his costume nearly replaced. "This," Maggott winced, diving behind a shard of metal, "is gonna HURT." "Hskieel," Eeny and Meany agreed, slithering behind their master/host/body. "WELL, I'M BAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKK !!!!!" Holocaust screamed as a blue shockwave of raw EM energy hit him like a truck. His flames died down to a dull orange, and Magneto stood triumphant over the racist's broken body. "It's good to be home," he smiled from beneath his helmet. He removed it and turned back to Rogue and Remy with a deep sigh. "Adelaida," Magnus said to Rogue, levitating down to her. "Little Charles needs his mother. All I can ask is that you let me see him now and again ?" "Are ya flamin' NUTS !?" Logan snarled, claws unsheathed as he leapt at Magnus. Erik turned to meet the Canadian's gaze and looked - to Scott's shock - regretful. "Wolverine ... I committed a horrific crime against you," Magnus sighed. "I won't hide from that. What I CAN do - admittedly, it will hurt - is to restore the adamantium. The original act ... all I can do is say, I am truly sorry." Logan glared at him, but merely muttered, "Ya've done 'nough. B'sides, y'r lettin' Rogue raise th' kid ... that alone says ya've changed. Another screwup, tho', Mags, 'n y'r butt belongs t'me. Understand ?" "Completely," Magneto nodded. He turned to Pietro and Wanda and asked, "Are you all right ?" "Nothing a little Mercurochrome and bandages won't heal," Pietro smirked. "Thank you, Father," Wanda nodded. "I'll tell the boys hello for you." "Thank you, Wanda," Magnus smiled softly. "Pietro, kiss Luna good night for me, will you ?" Pietro nodded, but asked, "What of Exodus ?" The room shook, and Scott paled at the expression which crossed Magnus' face. "THAT filth is MINE to deal with," Magneto snarled. He maglevved Bennett's comatose body to his grip, and energy arced from Erik into Exodus. The psi screamed once - horribly - and fell in a heap at Magnus' feet. "NO ONE TRIES TO KILL ANY OF MY BLOODLINE. EVER," Magneto boomed. "Get OUT, Exodus. I have not, nor will I EVER, forget Genosha. Luna is MY flesh, MY blood, and I will NEVER countenance anyone harming her, her parents, Wanda or her twins, or my son Charles. EVER." Bennett coughed up blood, and Magnus said, "Amelia. Teleport this ... dog to wherever he asks. Then, he is to be shunned by all of my followers. Once he is dealt with, send the X-Men and my children to Xavier's mansion. We must begin to rebuild." He turned to Scott as Amelia disposed of Exodus and said, "Cyclops, carry this message to the world: I no longer wish to harm anyone. As long as this ... Haven is left alone, I will leave the world at peace." "That's all well and good, Magneto, but you can't actually think -" Scott's argument was cut off by Voght's transubstantiation mist, and the non-Acolytes were gone. Magnus began to create tombs for Javitz and Milan, but paused for a moment. A hologram of Charles hovered before him, and he whispered, "I do this for you, my little son. I pray the X-Men can teach you what I cannot - how to live at peace, instead of war ..." ------------------------------------------------------- The Reconstruction Trilogy will conclude in Pate Wars: A New Xavier ... ... and coming soon: GRANDCHILDREN OF THE ATOM: the ongoing story of the sons and daughters of Marvel's heroes ... ------------------------------------------------------- end _________________________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com