38 Interlude: Located

Downtown Harlem, New York

Logan-Wolverine

Though his memories were fractured, Logan's muscle memories weren't affected if he let his instincts guide him.

Logan crouched in the darkness, sniffing at the air. There was nothing he hated more than cities. Despite having the teen scent, the cities reek made it nearly impossible.

"Where are you, bub?" he asked aloud, climbing a building for a better view of Harlem.

Storm clouds moved overhead, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, as a peel of thunder roared. The ground rumbled under Logan's foot, causing him to stumble.

Storm? Logan thought immediately. The white-haired beauty, a powerful mutant capable of manipulating the forces of nature, mentored him alongside the professor upon his arrival at the school.

Storm would not use her power without a reason. He pushed that thought from his mind. Smelling an all-too-familiar smell, he sniffed the air.

He bared his teeth; Wolverine whirled around. His timing was off. Suddenly, a yellow fur-clad blur slammed into him.

Both bestial mutants tore into each other with teeth, claws, snarls, and animalistic ferocity. As the larger, almost Sasquatch-like mutant tore flesh and mask away from the small mutant face, the pristine metal could be seen.

In response to Wolverine's bestial cry, his metal claws extended and penetrated the mutant's rib cage; his eyes reddened as he lifted the mutant off the ground and ran him forward, moving his claws in and out as the fur-clad mutant tore into his exposed back and neck.

The fight ensued. Wolverine was thrown from the building, his clawd shredding the giant mutant as the blades were ripped out.

Immediately after Wolverine was thrown from the rooftop, a bus turned the corner. He went through the windshield, causing the driver to swerve, hitting a row of parked cars before flipping on its side.

Sabertooth

Sabertooth laughed boisterously, his grievous wounds healing at a visible rate.

"Come, James, show your big brother you still have it." The feral man roared, saying a name over a century old. Sabertooth leaped from the roof, arms and claws wide and splayed.

Wolverine ripped his way from the bus. His eyes flashed red as his berserker side threatened to come forth.

"Yes. Show me! Show me Wolverine! Show Sabertooth what you got, little brother. The two slammed into each other, uncaring about the populace as they fought to kill, each nigh-unkillable.

Near the Blackbird, New York.

Charles Xavier

The shrill psionic cry of Nightcrawler rippled across his mind, shaking him from his thoughts.

Xavier had immediately connected himself with his students using his vast telepathic abilities.

Nightcrawler's painful cry echoed through his mind, greatly alarming him. He latched on to his signature, quickly locating the threat.

'Blackbird is under attack, prepare.' He sent telepathically.

Heat waves washed over them, scorching the pitched armor that protected the jet. Fire spontaneously combusts from thin air. Bobby acts without order, snuffling out the dangerous embers.

Charles scanned the vicinity, hurt at his student, or former, standing with his former best friend.

His mind almost instantaneously lashed out, but at the last second, he stopped himself; the halfhearted psionic energies receded into his mind.

Bobby appeared beside the professor. His skin held a hint of blue. 'His powers are growing alarmingly fast.' The telepath thought.

Bobby raised both hands and in the suffocating heat, a second wave of an attack from his former student vanished.

The peel of thunder reverberated outside. Storm had gone on the offensive.

'Storm, can you get to Kurt?' He asked telepathically.

'I have him, professor; we're returning to the blackbird.' She sent back; prolonged use to speaking to him telepathically had made her quite capable of the art.

The Brotherhood and X-men attended the same high school, Bayville High, Midtown High sports rival. He had hoped their proximity to the misguided youths would produce fruits and form a bond of togetherness, but it seemed it was thorns and discord.

The ground rumbled, shaking and shifting everyone inside. Avalanche work, no doubt. Scott rushed toward Jean but stopped and fired an optic blast at a console that had come undone and threatened to brain the girl.

His quick build-up of psionic energy had startled his student, and he could already tell in that nanosecond she had discovered he was more powerful than he had let on.

He reassured her telepathically. 'Focus, Jean, we shall talk later.' Xavier had connected with her to comfort her and ensure his psionic wards were still in place. He hadn't ever allowed Jean near the machine in fear of her access to more power than he dreamed healthy for the young mind that was a teenager.

He felt her distraction, worries, and confusion by the spike in his psionic abilities. She hadn't known how strong Charles was, and not many people knew his true strength; aside from his friend, his unwillingness to stop Magneto was related to his questionable actions; if he acted against the man, he would expose him.

He turned his wheelchair, looking at his protege. He couldn't allow that entity inside her to see the light of day.

Charles placed his hand on his temple.

'X-men, we have been betrayed. Scott, lead your team, young Bobby; I'm afraid The Brotherhood has misguided our young friend St. John. I ask all of you to remember who you face, classmates, and to some of you, potentially a friend, but know we all want what's best for our kind, so temper your blows to tread carefully and be careful.' He sent it out through the mind link.

He had known St.John Allerdyce was becoming disillusioned when young Bobby Drake had joined the institution. The younger teen had attempted friendship with the pyrokinetic because of the powers' similarities. Still, when Bobby showed the ability to be able to control heat and was able to sniff off his abilities, everything changed.

St. John believed his powers, pyrokinesis, were weak and had been promised strength by the Brotherhood. Hadn't he talked to the boy and explained the intricacies of mutant abilities, it was quite possible the pyrokinetic hadn't reached his limits. He sighed inwardly in displeasure.

Bobby Drake had been the second Omega mutant he had discovered. He was a hundred percent positive; many held the potential and were yet to be found.

Ororo Munroe has an almost innate potential. The nature of her gifts wasn't explored like most simply because of their complexity; she couldn't truthfully let go, and he feared for anyone who pushed her to such length and for the world.

Charles Xavier flexed his considerable telepathic powers. He was searching for Magneto, knowing he would have to personally face his friend, afraid to allow his burden to fall on the young children's shoulders.

The Brotherhood had learned of their discovery from St. John. Charles looked at Bobby, the boy's eyes downcast.

Erik must know that the newly awakened is willing to use his abilities with lethality and wants to sway him.

In a sudden pop of sound and displacement of air, the blue youth, Kurt Wagner, known as Nightcrawler, appeared with the furious Storm. Xavier had sensed his distress, but seeing the bloodied teen had saddened him.

"Storm," hollered Scott Summers, their captain. He stepped toward being stopped, realizing he needed to protect Jean.

"Hank, he needs medical attention." Storm sobbed. Her head shifted, looking for their team medic. A noticeable smell of ozone permeated around her figure, her eyes cracking with the force of nature.

"Scott, we need to prepare. Magneto has brought a small army." She had to hurt a lot of people to get away.

"Rogue, take Scott's power; we will need the firepower, she called to the teen, who was quivering in her seat, shaken by the sudden attack and fire.

Jubilee had slid off her gloves, hands sparking in readiness. Kitty Pryde stood beside Jean, her face a mask of preparedness. She had trained hard to be a member of the famous X-'men.

Hank leaped over, white lab coat flapping in the air as he landed before his hurt charge. He growled a guttural howl. His nose scrunched before he turned his furious yellow eyes toward the bay doors.

The blackbird was grappled again. The metal specification had protected them from the master of magnetism, but the man could still manipulate other parts. The bay doors creaked, and before, meaty paws crunched at the opening and ripped it away.

Charles turned and faced the Brotherhood. His face fell as his former friend stared at him with anger, no, hatred.

He cast his gaze toward Mystique. The lady had her firearm drawn; she hadn't aimed it, and neither started attacking.

Erik Magnus Lehnsherr

Brotherhood members haven't been idle in recent years; they have conducted terroristic attacks worldwide, but many have occurred on American soil. Erik Lensherr, holocaust survival, mutant extremes, had believed the governments of the world were experimenting on his kind.

Xavier hadn't thought his stories held any credibility, at least not to the level his once-upon-a-time friend had reported.

"Old friend," Xavier started, but the rise of Magneto's hand halted him, and his chair began to whine as the metal started to warp.

"How dare you call me your friend, traitor?" Magneto roared. Storm, not taking chances, rose from where she stood over Kurt, her eyes crackling and letting loose bolts of iridescent lightning. Magneto laughed at her attempt. He was encased in one of the force fields of Unus, the untouchable.

Magneto snorted, "I've come prepared, each Brotherhood a counter to what you have here. It's a pity Logan's not around; he owes a debt, and I tend to take it from his skeleton."

Scott responded, letting loose a concentrated optic blast. Rogue, seeing the assault, opened her eyes, and wild arcs of power leaped across the distance. Unfortunately, Blob didn't even let Unus defend their leader a second time. The immovable mountain fat moved before Magneto, the large, mutant teen, carried his considerable bulk efficiently and was quite spry for his size.

Blob guffawed and jeered Scott and Rogue. Moments later, his skin burned, more of a sunburn, but it stung, and the mutant face scrunched in irritation.

"That's all you got, pretty boy." Blob teased as his ham-sized hands flexed, anticipating crushing the famous and extremely popular Scott Summers finally.

"Yeah, bring it on one eye." Toad sneered, reading his acid spit.

Vanisher suddenly appeared out of thin air, a scowl on his face; he looked around, ignoring the back and forth. He scowled deeply when he noticed his arch nemesis still breathing.

"Blue bastard got away." Mystique's eyes quirked at Vanisher's words, scrutinizing eyes cut toward him.

"Nothing wrong with blue, principal." He said, moving beside the large teen to avoid her ire.

"Er-"Charles halted. Magneto's eyes hardened at the use of his name.

Pyro smiled as he appeared in the bay in a newly obtained suit. He smiled, eyeing the professor before his eyes burned in hatred as Bobby stood at the ready.

"Try it. I'll put you on ice like I've always had." Bobby declared, staring at the teen he had tried to befriend.

"We'll see. I got some fuel to burn now." Pyro fired back.

"So, this is the mutant I've been hearing about," Magneto said, looking at Bobby like another asset other than a newly awakened teenager.

Charles sighed but remained steadfast. "Magneto, what is the meaning of this attack?"

Mystique scowled at her foster brother, displeasure written across her face; she reached into a side pouch, tossing papers across the bay floor.

"You are a fool, Charles. How could you work with the government?

"Mystique, you of all people know what I do is for the betterment of our kind. Didn't we all participate in many operations with the government in the past?" Charles defended himself.

"The past is the past. You seen how that turned out for us. What you are doing is not the betterment of our kind, Charles. Have you looked in on the mutants you allowed them to take?"

"Read my mind. I'll allow you a glimpse." She stepped forward.

"No. Mystique." Magneto disagreed. "Charles isn't as feebles as he lets own. He-

Xavier's mouth opened and closed, but Jean screamed out. Her vast psionic powers forced everyone back."

Magneto, buffered by the psionics blast, had reoriented himself. He had noticed Jean Grey and the helmet. 'It seems Hank has been able to update it.' He thought briefly. He had helped create this tool, and to think he trusted the man with such an item that he had weaponized for the government.

He raised his hand, mind made up. He would retrieve the helmet and then show those scientists that mutants weren't Guinea pigs.

But Charles had acted beforehand. He had pushed outward, hitting Unus with a telekinetic blast that forced the man to exert his full attention to protect himself. Vanish had dispersed, dodging easily.

Erik knew where his friend's natural ability lay. He would try and invade their minds; his abilities weren't as powerful as Jeans, and Erik knew without his helmet, he wouldn't be able to hold him at bay.

He had pulled on his electromagnetic powers, rippling cords, wiring, and metal from the blackbird. He raised his hand and deflected lightning bolts, sending a scalding look at her.

"You Jest? Electricity again against the master of magnetism. The earth is my domain."

Mystique had engaged Rogue; her catlike movements kept the teen on the back foot, and afraid to open her eyes and hurt her teammates, she was only capable of small bursts of blasts at the nimble elder mutant. Mystique laughed at her brother's student. Poor training and lack of form had shackled what she considered a powerful mutant. Her powers, the least of those around her, made her the ideal opponent of the mimic.

Pyro roared and dashed toward Booby, sending out a blast of superheated fire, which Bobby quickly met with even greater glacial frost—the two launched at each other.

Vanisher appeared between the two, "Not the plan. Go somewhere else and duke it out." In a blink, they were gone.

Blob lumbered past, aiming at Scott, who began quickly blasting him with optic shots. Toad and Kitty played a game of cat and mouse, both superhumanly nimble; Toad had a slight advantage in ranged attack, and Kitty had to stay incorporeal so as not to be burned by nasty green spit.

"Storm, Jubilee, defend Jean," Charles said aloud, concentrating hard. His telekinesis powers were weak; he had years of training to even get to the point where he could fight with it, but it was useless against someone like Magneto. He had to remove the helmet, but the man was fighting him, and in the strength department, he came up lacking.

Xavier and Magneto had stood off against each other, Xavier's hand extended, freezing his former friend in his footsteps; Magneto, the self-appointed master of magnetism, hadn't been completely stopped.

He slowly rose from the earth, pulling on the electromagnetic energies to cast himself aloft as Xavier's chair whined in protest.

"Don't… do... this?" Xavier pleaded as his chair crumbled with the inside of it.

"I wear red, the color of blood, in tribute to their lost lives. And the harder I try to cast it aside, to find the gentler path, the more irresistibly I am drawn back." Erik said unemotionally.

"I should have died myself with those that I loved. Instead, I carted the bodies by the hundreds, by the thousands, from the death house to the crematorium and the ashes to the burial ground."

"Erik, I understand your pain. That part of history will never be again. We won, my friend." Xavier said, his hands stretched out Erik's helmet, barely moving as the man fought against its displacement.

"I am asking myself now what I could not then—

Kitty had appeared, disengaging from the toad. She was upside down, and her hand grasped the helmet, pulling it from Magneto's head.

"I'm Jewish. I don't have a quote-unquote Jewish-sounding name. I don't look or sound Jewish, whatever that looks or sounds like... So, if you didn't know I was Jewish, you might not know... unless I told you."

"My grandfather and grandmother were there too. And they have more compassion than you." The young lady said, yanking the helmet from his head.

Charles acted, invading his friend's mind. He was wrong to think the fight was over, but his push to calm his friend faltered as images of chambers, bases, and faculties appeared in his mind.

Cold iron pressed against his head, but he was defeated long before Mystique spoke. Having personally been around him when he was less scrupulous, Mystique had developed a resistance to his powers. He had attributed it to her mutation, or a secondary, always telling her powers weren't what they seemed on the surface.

"Stand down." Xavier and Mystique said at the same time.

"You have seen? Yes. What you have done is unforgivable, Charles. By your guilt-ridden face, you had no idea," Erik groaned; stabilizing himself after having his mind invaded wasn't ideal. He would have to find another method of defense.

"Professor, I discovered him!" Jean removed Cerebro, eyes adjusting, noticing the aftermath of a minute battle and the tense standoff.