Arc Seven. Chapter One Hundred Ninety-Six. The Fire In Which We Burn

"Before we get off the plane, Peter. I need you to promise me you won't antagonise Charles, in fact, that you won't antagonise anyone." and Peter nodded. He knew his anger at Charles had isolated a few of the Augments who would have been happy to help, but his behaviour had just rubbed Peter the wrong way and it spiralled from there.

"I will. Want me to stay on the plane?" but Selene shook her head,

"No, I need you to show Charles what you showed me." and as they disembarked he could see that they were already waiting and ready for a fight.

"Charles, that is not why we are here." Selene confidently strode down the plane's steps and stopped in front of him. "We are here because of Shaw."

"I am aware of what Shaw has been up to," and as Peter felt the urge to smack the man,

Selene turned and placed a hand on his chest, "remember your promise."

"If you are aware then why are you sitting here doing nothing?" and Charles sighed,

"It was only recently, and after you removed the needle from Laura, that we found out just how insidious his operation was." and Charles turned his chair, "please. I know it hasn't been the most pleasant time conversing with you, but we need to remain civil."

As his chair rolled forward Scott glared at him and Jean gave Peter a small wave, much to Scott's annoyance. As he turned and followed the professor, Jean and Logan both stayed back.

"So, Laura?" Jean asked while Logan growled,

"Yeah, you can screw off, hairball. You know she found your laptop, so you don't get to make any kind of comments at all or I let everyone know exactly what's on it, or I let Laura tell them, cause you know, they think I'm a dick"

"You are a dick," Scott shouted from the mansion and while Jean giggled, Peter sighed.

"See he's as charming as ever." and Jean nodded, "So, get it over with, already had one overprotective father guilt trip me, might as well get it done now."

In a move that surprised Peter, Logan laughed, "guilt trip? I ain't gonna guilt trip you boy. You hurt her and I'll cut your balls off. Pretty sure they ain't gonna grow back."

"Uh yeah, great, ball severing for upsetting Laura, sure. Family dinner? I mean, my mom wants to meet everyone so might as well get as many as possible, just you know, shower, maybe shave, and Jean, you're invited too. I mean, we won't expect you to sit in your home while we eat," and she went slightly red and nodded,

"Great, awkward moment dealt with, let's see what Charles wants now," and as Peter left, Logan looked over at Jean,

"You know that's seven right, and I can't prove it but I'm pretty sure Selene and Ororo both smelled of him last time I met 'em," and Jean hung her head and nodded,

"He, just," but Logan shook his head,

"I can smell 'em, an' on you too. It's a power an' I don't like it Jeannie, but I ain't gonna stop you, just not with Scott. He's as big a dick as Parker but it ain't fair." Logan moved closer, "an' if he hurts you, just let me know, and I'll cut 'em off and make 'em into earrings," and she snorted and nodded. "Come on now, let's get inside an' hear what he has to say. Charles has been awfully quiet the last few weeks, so guessin' it's important."

As the pair entered the mansion and headed to Charles study they heard shouting and as Logan raised and burst through the door, blades sliding out from his hands he saw Charles leaning over a wastepaper basket being sick and as he saw the concern on the pairs face he raised a hand,

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he repeated, and Peter sat with a concerned-looking Selene.

"Mind tellin' us what's going on?" Logan asked.

"Shaw has been experimenting on mutants, and a lot of dead bodies are because of him," Selene explained. "Peter showed Charles not just his memories, but Laura's as well, and well"

"I'm fine, I just never-" and he was sick again.

Selene poured a glass of water from the pitcher on Charles desk and sat it next to him, even though he was pale and sweating he scowled and moved a coaster underneath it. "Thank you," and she nodded.

"So, mind sharing for those of us who won't be sick?" Logan asked and Peter shrugged,

"Your brain. But uh, no fishing" and as he stuck out a hand, Logan took it and was swamped by the vision of not just Laura's rescue but the time she spent in the facility.

"Yup, an' now we got a problem," and as he looked over at Charles he nodded,

"I've been there before, maybe not the same place, but somewhere like it, same smell." and as he held up a fist and clenched, three razor-sharp blades slid out from his hands, "where I got these."

"So what?" Peter asked, he had done his show and tell, and now he felt it was their turn.

"Charles was helpin' me with some memory loss. Unlike Laura but they just put a bullet in my head. We thought it was military, creatin' a program of controlled mutants," and Peter stood,

"Wait, uh paper?" and Charles took a notepad out of his desk. After a few moments of drawing, Peter showed the pad to Logan, who took one look at it and growled.

"Yup, that's it," Peter had shown him the collar, and Logan had recognised it at once. "So, seems Oscorp was workin' with Shaw, an' they were making collars to control mutants."

"Can someone explain what's happening?" Jean asked, "I uh don't really want to see though, last time was bad enough," and Charles raised an eyebrow at Peter,

"Oh come on, she did it on her own, but yeah, evil bad guys are kidnapping and killing mutants, making a collar that can control their minds, and uh, well. He's a big shot in New York."

"But Peter, your plan is," and Charles paused and put down the basket, taking a small sip of water, "lacking. You really can't just walk into his clutches and expect him not to expect you." and Peter nodded,

"Erik said the same, but what else can we do? If I just start smashing stuff he's got cops and who knows what else waiting probably, I mean, if we know he knows, then he knows that we know that he knows." and Jean laughed and shook her head,

"You've been waiting to use that huh?" and Peter grinned and shrugged.

"You're asking an awful lot though. I can't in good conscience allow anyone to accompany you, not if the danger is so high." and as he wheeled himself back behind his desk, he pressed a button on the old rotary phone he had sat on the massive mahogany desk. "Hank, can you and Ororo please come to my office." as he leant back. "I don't like it Peter, but as I have been told, it is ultimately not up to me."

As they waited Charles made sure the basket was hidden in his private bathroom, and Peter looked over the richly decorated room, as the heavyset walls were filled with various journals and thick tomes on, surprisingly to Peter, mainly books on evolution, science, philosophy, and psychology.

As there was a knock at the door it was not just Hank and Ororo, who raised an eyebrow at Peter but Scott, a smaller young-looking clean baby-faced boy and a petite but serious looking girl.

"I think I was quite clear, Hank?" and he shrugged,

"I contacted them, professor," Jean explained. "You sometimes have a habit of keeping things from us," and Charles frowned and shook his head.

"For good reason Jean, it would be up to Hank and Ororo if the X-Men were to be involved," but Scott stepped forwards,

"No professor, it's up to us, you taught us, trained us as a team but we all agreed, you lead us, but we get to choose the mission, and saving people like us from camps, that's a mission we won't say no to." and Login nodded,

"Right then. I'll take 'em," he said and moved in front of Scott. "I know Hank's not interested, an' Roro, well, you ain't been too happy around here, maybe take a bit of time at home eh?" and Ororor just glared at him,

"My personal life has no bearing on this mission. It has been, and always shall be about saving lives. A lesson some people forgot."

Charles looked down and took a breath. "I had, I became more interested in hiding, and for that Peter I am sorry." and as Peter rubbed the back of his head,

"Yeah, I guess I'm sorry too, especially about the hair thing, and the captain baldy, and uh, Laura calling Scott a douchebag, and yeah, think that's it? Is that it?" and he winked and smiled at Jean, while the professor rubbed a hand over his eyes.

"Maybe some lessons on social etiquette might be helpful, or perhaps a gag?" The professor suggested and Logan barked out a laugh,

"I deserved that," and Peter smiled, "But, this isn't a picnic, you might need to kill." and Scott frowned,

"Only someone with no skill takes a life." and Peter sighed,

"Yup, cause it takes skill to stop someone invading your home with the intent to murder your two girlfriends and the person they rescued. It takes skill to stop someone from hunting your family after they find out where you live and who you are, and it really takes skill to stop an army of fascists with energy weapons capable of disintegrating you." but Logan stepped in front of Peter and shook his head.

Before Peter could say a word, Logan looked him in the eye and with a resolution he recognised Peter stepped back, Logan looked over at Charles before he turned and faced Scott and the group,

"And that's your last lesson kids, you ain't seen war, you ain't seen death, an' you ain't ready to. Scott, Kitty, Bobby. You're all great kids, but he's right, this ain't a picnic, and you ain't killers, and if you don't want to be, then, go back to class. Study and become lawyers an' scientists, or whatever the hell you want, cause some of us fight, and yeah, some of us kill." He held up a hand and clenching his fist, the three blades slid out, "an' these ain't for opening mail."

Scott stepped forwards, "You trained us, we can do this," and the other two nodded.

Logan crossed his arms and stared at the trio, "Well then, suit up," and Scott and the pair smiled and bolted from the room. As Jean moved to follow them Logan put a hand on her arm, "an' you know that goes for you too right?" and she nodded and followed the trio,

"Peter, a word please." and as Logan moved and closed the door. "I want you to persuade Jean to remain here." and as Peter frowned at the professor he raised a hand, "I'm sorry but we are all protective of Jean, but not for the reason you think."

Peter shrugged and sat down in a large leather chair in front of his desk, "then explain it to me." Charles gave Ororo and Hank a look, and after the pair shared a pained exchange they nodded,

"You are aware that Jean's parents were killed in a car crash, yes?" and Peter nodded, "Jean's mutant power caused the crash." and Peter leant forward,

"Let me guess, she doesn't know, and you kept it from her, maybe even removed a few key memories?" and as Charles's face fell Peter tutted, "You are an asshole. I take back everything, she needs therapy, not mind control."

Charles shook his head, "We tried that, Jean's powers overwhelm her emotions, and when you can crush a car with a single thought, therapy doesn't, and didn't work. The guilt of killing them drove her powers to a tipping point, and she could have killed a lot more people. You are touching something that will burn you, Peter. Jean is stable, and safe but once she starts to lose control she can be a danger to those around her." but even Ororo shook her head,

"I have warned you about this Charles, ignoring a problem does not make it go away, and having Scott keep an eye on her does not make for a good relationship." and as she spoke Peter clenched his fist,

"Did you put Scott and Jean together?" but Charles raised his hands,

"God no, they had a high school fling and it simply progressed from there. But his proximity does allow us to make sure her powers are under her control. Once she gets a firm grip on them the mental blocks I placed dissolve naturally. It's not mind control Peter, just mental stitching that keeps her together, but please. If she loses control she may kill a lot of people." Charles begged, "Please, don't do this."

Peter stood and looked at the concern on the faces of the four supposed adults around him. He could see they cared and even feel it slightly but he shook his head,

"I said the same thing to Erik about Wanda. Jean and I are friends. I can't control her, and you shouldn't be. If she wants to come, then she gets to. I didn't stop her from helping when Hydra attacked, and I won't stop her now. It's her life, maybe you need to realise that."