psinex@yahoo.com Blood and Iron Chapter 6 (Repost) by Phil Hartman DISCLAIMER: Everybody here is Marvel's, except for Steve, who's mine, and Buffy and Co., who're 20th Century Fox's. Please don't sue. NOTES: UGH. UGH UGH UGH. Magnetic Repulsion, and the end of the original version of this, SUCKED. My sincerest apologies - anyone who's archiving this, PLEASE use this version and please, please PLEASE delete Magnetic Repulsion. (What was I THINKING ?) -------------------------------------------------------- 9/10/2003: Location unidentifed: -------------------------------------------------------- Erik's jaw twitched while his brain dropped a few gears in nanoseconds. "Y-you're - you're - MY - son ?" the teen babbled, watching the New Son take a seat once more upon his "throne." "Please, sit, and I'll explain," Charles Lehnsherr smiled gently. Erik maglevved the offered chair over to himself, sitting across from Charles with wide eyes. "It all began in 1997 of my Earth's history," Charles began. "I was five years old - the son of my Earth's Magneto and Rogue. My parents co-led a group of mutant rebels against the immortal mutant tyrant Apocalypse. Our world began to collapse when my father's plan to rewrite history succeeded - and I was cast through the M'Kraan Crystal into the past of THIS Earth." "B-but ... Magneto was a VILLAIN here, the X-Men's first foe - but if he was your father, and I'm your - " Erik stammered. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to shove this all down your throat," Charles said softly. "I know you're not the Erik Magnus Lehnsherr who rampaged across the globe, finally bringing the United Nations to their knees in 1988 - not the man Alpha the Ultimate Mutant deaged into the infant you became." "DEAGED ... ?" Erik gasped. #Oh CRAP - it all makes sense - the dreams ...# "I'M MAGNETO ?!" Erik yelled. "You WERE," Charles insisted. "Your memories are no doubt suppressed, damaged by the deaging. You don't have to be that man anymore - I'd never ask that. But I DO need you as a figurehead - the Magneto I remember would be able to unify NATIONS with his charisma ! Your strategic brilliance could bring man and mutant together against Apocalypse !" "Whoa, WHOA," Erik demanded. "I gotta think about this - if you wound up in the past as a kid, anyway, who took care of you ?" [Why Erik, sweetums,] a cutesy mechanical voice called from behind Erik and Charles, [you don't remember me ?] Erik turned and gaped as a robot in a French maid outfit approached with a false smile. "NANNY ... ?" -------------------------------------------------------- Mass. Acad.: 22:10 hrs EDT: Danger Room: -------------------------------------------------------- "THE NEW SON IS YOUR WHAT !?" Sean, Emma, Moira and Giles, with all of the remaining New Mutants and a considerable number of X-Men, were stunned silent by Rogue's tearful explanation. "He got tossed here when he was a young'in, an' Nanny raised 'm," Rogue cried. "He's got magnetism out th' ying-yang, an' telepathy, an' God knows what else - an' he's plannin' t' go on a rampage t' kill Apocalypse !" "Apocalypse ? What connection would En Sabah Nur have to the son of Magneto ?" Beast asked. "De reality New Son escaped was run by 'Pocy, Hank," Remy explained, sipping a cup of coffee. "De kid wants t' kill Nur so he c'n prevent de cullings dat killed most o' de human population o' his world." "Dear God ..." Xavier whispered. "And if he was abandoned - or feels abandoned - by Magneto ... he'd want his father's acceptance. Which is why he took Erik ..." "Oh no - if the New Son reawakens Erik's memories ..." Jean moaned. Everyone shuddered, and the New Mutants slipped outside. "That dog of yours'd better be good, Frank," Nate frowned. "Trust me, Nate. Strongjaw'll find wherever Erik went - here he is," Frank smiled grimly. A giant Saint Bernard with a tuning fork on its' head reappeared, panting, and licked Frank's face. ~Master - dog found magnet boy !~ Strongjaw thought over a psi-link to Frank. ~Good dog !~ Frank psmiled, giving Strongjaw a treat. ~Take us there.~ ~OK,~ Strongjaw thought. The Mutants grabbed onto the dog, who winked - -------------------------------------------------------- - and Nanny screamed as a ton of dog fell on her. "NANNY !?" Charles cried. "Yeesh !" Erik whooped, helping the Mutants up. "You guys know how to come to the rescue !" "You OK ?" Ray asked, hugging Erik. "I ... dunno, Ray," Erik said, looking at the aghast Charles with an odd expression. "Meet my kid from an alternate timeline." "You got a lotta nerve kidnapping our big brother !" Nate yelled, getting in Charles' face. He gulped when Charles snarled at him and said, "How DARE you just barge in here and kill the closest being to a mother that I remember !?" "It was an accident," Erik said gently. Charles looked at him and nodded, sighing, "I ... know, Father." "FATHER !?" the Mutants yelled. "I told you already," Erik mumbled, rolling his eyes. "He's the one who saved Steve from Sinister, and he wants to kill Apocalypse." "I could use some help," Charles said, looking hopefully at the New Mutants. "Forget it," Erik added quickly. "Don't you get it ? Killing doesn't solve anything. If you kill Apocalypse, you'll sink to his level." "Some evils can only be burned from the face of the Earth, Father," Charles frowned. "But I grant you your right to remain innocent a while longer. The Reckoning will come soon enough - and then, you will have to make a choice - eh ?" The room began to shake, and the teens and Charles yelled when a powerful beam of energy shattered the ceiling. "He's found me," Charles said, turning pale. "We will meet again, Father - my fellow grandchildren of the atom - for now, I must away !" Charles vanished in a transportal with Nanny's head, while the base began to rumble."No time to waste, 'Rik," Ray said, looking around as the ceiling began to cave in. "Frank, have Strongjaw get us OUTTA here !" "C'mon, boy," Frank asked his dog. Strongjaw shook his head, panting, and thought, ~Dog tired, Master. Can't !~ "CAN'T !?" Steve yelled. "We're gonna get BOILED here, Richards !" Malachi shouted, pointing at the floor. Lava began to bubble up through it, but Frank shook his head. "Stand close," he said. The Mutants gathered around him and Strongjaw, and a blinding-white bubble of raw psi-energy surrounded them. The kids' jaws dropped as the bubble shot upwards, shattering rock and ignoring the rising lava. ~Al-most - THERE -~ Frank sent, deafening the others with the intensity of his telepathic voice. The Mutants gaped as they exploded out of the top of a mountain, and watched as it erupted in a titanic cloud of lava, gas and ash. The bubble landed on a nearby outcropping of rock, and Frank collapsed, sweating. "T-took ... all my ... concentration," he whispered, passing out. "My GOD - I know where we are !" Erik blurted. The kids looked away from the nascent volcano towards where Erik pointed, and saw ice. "ANTARCTICA !?" Ray cried. "Strongjaw, you better recover FAST." ~Still tired,~ Strongjaw whined, nuzzling Frank. The boy awoke, stretching, and shook his head, leaning against the dog. "I'm still beat too," he sighed. "Anyone got any ideas ?" "I COULD HAVE A FEW," a bass, accented voice boomed. The kids looked up in horror as a titanic - SHAPE - floated overhead, and the blood drained from Sarah, Artie and Leech's faces. "Apocalypse's Ship - he took it back just before Muir Island - guys, we are NOT ready - !" Sarah gulped. A hatch on the underside of the craft opened, but Erik looked up and snarled. "NOT TODAY, JERKWEED !" the boy yelled. The other Mutants gaped as a titanic bolt of EM energy leapt from him into the craft, shaking it and making the vehicle tilt. "'Rik - that might not be a good idea," Nate gulped. "Maybe, but we won't be here," Erik said. "Alexa, you teleport along magnetic lines of force, right ?" "Yeah - YEAH !" Alexa grinned. "And I oughta be able to get us home, if you could give me a direct orientation to the Earth's magnetic field ... ?" "On it," Erik winked. "Nate, psi-link us quick." Nate complied, and the Mutants linked hands as they vanished in a huge cloud of BAMF-smoke. High above, crewmembers and other brainwashed servitors scuttled around the bridge of the great ship. Apocalypse just watched a video monitor silently, finally looking at Ozymandias with a frown. "THOSE CHILDREN ARE MY GREATEST POTENTIAL THREAT," En Sabah Nur rumbled. "THE NEW SON PALES IN COMPARISON TO THE DANGER THEY PRESENT ME. FIND THEIR SCHOOL, SO I MAY TURN THEM ... "... OR CRUSH THEM." -------------------------------------------------------- Mass. Acad.: 9/11/2003: 00:01 hrs: -------------------------------------------------------- "Erik, you should be in bed," Jean called, levitating to the roof of the boys' dorm. She sat beside her foster son and put an arm around him, letting him lay his head on her shoulder. "Why ? Was Magneto really such a creep that you were afraid to tell me about my past ?" Erik asked sadly. Jean tried not to pull away, and replied, "Honey, we don't think of you as Magneto. You're a wonderful boy - a young man - and Magnus wasn't a monster. He was ... misguided. We just wanted to give you a second chance, to live a life free of the horrors he suffered." "And committed," Erik mumbled. "And the way Luna and the Shades look at me - ! Mom, I'm a GRANDPA !" "But they didn't run screaming, did they ?" Jean teased gently. "No," Erik smirked. "And Ray an' Buff an' the twinners stood by me - and you guys're too. I ... it's just a lot t'take in." "You're doing pretty darn well for a 75-year-old," Jean smiled. "Yeah, well ... I got you to blame for my coping mechanisms," Erik grinned, rising and floating to the ground. "Erik Lehnsherr, budding rock star ..." Jean laughed and hugged him, sending, ~You gonna be OK ? Your dad and I don't want to go unless -~ ~I'll be OK,~ Erik nodded. ~And tell Dad I love him, OK ? I don't care WHAT Magneto and Cyclops yelled at each other - the Scott Summers I know is a great guy.~ "I'll pass it on," Jean smiled. She flew to the Summers' waiting car, while Erik headed inside and went to bed. #But what about tomorrow ... ?# Erik thought, pulling the covers over his head. #Can I stay a nice guy ... ?# #I look GROSS in purple and red.# -------------------------------------------------------- NEXT: Meanwhile, down the dorm hallway ... -------------------------------------------------------- end _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? 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