Chapter 95
I gave the kids a heads-up about the Captain by connecting with Kitty and having her talk to them. Then Kurt and Captain America went in. The former was for quick transportation, and the latter was insurance in case the old blowhard catches on.
I informed every X-men and Rin about the plan I had running in the background, even Scott. While he was bombastic and often angry, he was dedicated to the children, and I could count on that.
"You should be glad this is happening," Magneto said. "The children would've floundered under your command. They would've never accepted you, the woman who killed their beloved Professor," he chuckled. "Children. Old enough to love but not old enough to understand how twisted love can be," he laughed, and I leveled a glare at him that was only half forced.
In the periphery of my mind, I kept a mental link with Captain America, who tasked me with the oddest of requests after using Kurt to teleport to the house.
He wanted me to bring down the electric poles to cut the electricity to the main house so that he could save the kids.
'Given everything you've told me about this character, he might kill some of those children to prove a point,' the cap sent.
'He wouldn't', I thought. 'Not if he thinks he still has me on his side.'
'Scott,' I sent out. I need you to channel your anger and fire your thickest beam at Magneto.'
'What! Why?' he demanded, already visibly emoting. I almost let out an exasperated groan. He was going to give away the plan without even trying.
'Just trust me, please.'
I saw his face bunch up in conflict, but he eventually relented.
'Fine,' he said. 'I'll do it. I'm ready whenever you are.'
Tense seconds passed as Kurt got into position and the other X-men prepped for the plan.
"You're going to let my men recover, then detain you, and after that, we can discuss the new hierarchy of things. I look forward to having two omega-level telekinetics on my team."
'Now!' I sent to Scott, and he acted immediately.'
"Yeah, no!" Scott snapped and tapped on his visor. A thick energy beam speared straight at Magneto, which I diverted with a speedily generated telekinetic shield. The effort left me wincing slightly from the impact.
Magneto stood there stunned, but before he could act, I shifted the shield, causing the laser to wildly flare out, carving a thick trench through the driveway.
With careful angling, I shifted the direction of the beam until it sliced through the powerline. Moments later, Rin and Logan tackled Scott, pinning him to the ground.
"Are you trying to get those kids killed, you asshole!" Rin growled.
Sweat covered my brow, and Magneto looked at me with awe and respect. The Redhead, slowly rising to her feet, still regarded me carefully. It seemed rescuing their leader did not make up for nearly killing her. Then again, it would be strange to expect otherwise.
Magneto's ire shifted to Scott now that he had recovered some. Rin and Logan released him, and he defiantly glared at the mutant leader.
"I should kill you for what you did," Magneto said, then looked at me, "but that would be wasting all her goodwill. Cross me again, and I won't be so lenient. "
---
Captain America
I watched in amazement as a thin burning line arc out into the sky, and electricity winked out. And to think that potent power came out from a kid's eyes, of all places.
Howard Stark would've killed for a weapon with that kind of firepower during the war.
I'm glad the kid was on our side.
"I'm ready," Kurt Wagner said beside me, and I nodded, grabbing hold of his shoulder and raising the improvised torch I made.
The world twisted around us, and I found myself standing in the belly of the house, with low moonlight peeking in. The kids yelped at my sudden appearance, and many of them oohed and awed at my costume and Kurt's appearance.
"Settle down, kids," I said. I know you're excited and a little bit scared, but I promise we'll get you all out of here in no time at all."
---
Jean
The operation proceeded entirely too smoothly. The Brotherhood was regrouping, and Kitty had just started removing Sabertooth from the tree when the Cap gave his okay. She appropriately left him in, and I concentrated my full might on Magneto's bubble while the rest of the team tackled the weakened Brotherhood.
The Redhead tried focusing her attention on me again, but Ren and Kitty were on her like white on Rice. Without Sabertooth to keep Wolverine at bay, Night Kat fell a second time. Toad was folded with a slap, following a quick grab of his tongue by Dr. Hank, and Pyro had barely recovered enough juice to throw one low-effort fireball. Bobby froze him, pinning him to the ground.
Magneto gasped at the sudden pressure, roaring.
"You fool! You just doomed them all. Stop this at once or—"
"Do your worst," I bit back, resolute as I redoubled my effort.
His bubble shattered just as the house ripped itself apart. Metal rods, appliances, and wiring came ripping out at strange angles.
Before my power could crush him, I felt the air shift. Faster than I could blink, several X-Men were flipping through the air. I reformed my Telekinetic shield nearly too late.
An incredible force crashed into my shield, sending me skidding several feet back. When I looked up, I found Pietro gasping and grunting, with his leg bloodied and barely holding on. Behind him was Mystique, who was completely unconscious.
"Where is Kelly?" Magneto demanded as he surveyed their battered appearances. "What the hell happened."
A portal of gold and yellow materialized behind me, and a familiar face stepped out. He was flanked by Natasha and Clint.
Dante was in a different pair of pants than he had on earlier and had switched to sneakers. Only his jacket was the same and was probably the only thing that survived the ordeal he'd had to endure.
"Kelly is toast," Dante declared. "Literally. Quick Silver can tell you all about it."
'Are you alright?' I sent to him through our telepathic link.
'Could be better, but that's a conversation for another time,' Dante sent back.
"Dante Sparda," Magneto said, still frazzled and tired, but he put up a brave front. "So, you're the mutant I've heard so much about."
"Half-demon," Dante corrected. "That's what I am, and those are who you need to worry about if you want to protect mutant kind. I mean, look at what they did to the fastest member of your team," I said, gesturing at Quick Silver.
"What is he going on about?" Magneto demanded, and Quick Silver fell back on one knee.
"Pietro," his sister called as she hurried over, wrapping him up a hug. She threw Magneto and the lot of us a dirty stare.
"Can't this wait? He's injured."
"And he will get the help he needs," Clint said, "but first, you need to hear what he was to say."
"It's fine," Pietro said, grabbing a hold of his sister's shoulder. He looked straight at Dante and said the last thing I expected.
"Thank you. If you hadn't acted when you did…"
"You both be dead, yeah," Dante waved somewhat dismissively, earning an annoyed look from the Redhead. "Don't give me that look, Wanda," he huffed, startling her.
I saw the mirth spread across Dante's face. Only I officially knew his Clairvoyant thing was a total hack. He told me he was drawing on information carried over from his time with Shin.
Pietro was slow to speak, but when he finally got going, he gained everybody's attention.
Apparently, the demons wanted the Mutant Registration Act to pass and went as far as kidnapping and compelling Kelly to put out an insurance video he recorded earlier, just in case. When Quick Silver and Mystique found him, Isha Stormfire, the Cambion, was about to eliminate him.
He lasted all of five seconds against her invisible wind attack that shred through his leg, nearly crippling him. Mystique took an attack to the chest, and she only survived, thanks to her healing factor and durability.
"I think it's fairly obvious who our true enemy is," Dante said. "Forget who rules what. There'll be nothing to rule over or lead if the government rounds up all of the mutants and delivers them to the Alien demons who want to rule over our world."
"Aren't you one of them?" Toad croaked in obvious distrust. "And why should we listen to somebody so weak and spineless? Do they know that you torched down your friend's store just to cover up murdering my men!"
His comment earned a mixed look from every mutant present. A few looked at him with respect, others with fear. Rin was a proud mix of both.
Dante could've asked that boy to kill for him, and he probably would've.
Dante, for his part, snorted. "Which is it? Am I so weak that I stood no chance against you and your goons and had to be saved by a random freak fire? Or was I strong enough to eliminate them, kill Donnie, and incinerate his store as I made my escape? And let's not forget that you forced me to fight when you stuck me with a 100k debt and tried to recruit me into your ridiculous outfit," Dante growled and jabbed his finger at Toad.
"Donnie's death is on your head. As a matter of fact, I would've dropped you where you fucking stood if it wouldn't jeopardize this budding alliance."
Toad tried to raise his voice in protest, but Magneto shut him up with a look.
"As impertinent as Toad is, he does have a point. What makes you different from the other half-demons?"
"For one, I've chosen to ally myself with you and rescued hundreds of mutants from their clutches," he said. "And for a second, they want me dead and have tried to come for me three times now. I figured putting them in the ground before they did to me was in my best interest. You can only get lucky so many times."
Magneto hummed at that, seemingly in agreement.
"While that's certainly not the tonality I would've chosen, Dante does have a point," Dr. Hank said. "From the change of clothes and the look about you, it must've been quite the fight."
He laughed awkwardly. "You have no idea. I would've died if it wasn't for Clint, and I pulled out all the stops. We need to come together, or we're fucked, but first, I vote we tackle the Kelly issue?"
"What do you have in mind?" Wolverine asked.
"Something I think you'll all like," he said with a wide, calculating smile.
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