The fray at its end, Jacilon turns her borrowed ferrokinesis to freeing those Magneto had encaged.
Warren (landing): "Those of you still here, thanks for still giving us a chance. And don't worry. Our intentions won't be halted by a little structural damage. We'll make things work while the halfway house undergoes repairs."
The news crew are quick to get back up and running, soliciting comment.
Warren gets in their way: "You'll get your comments, just not now." Turning away while keeping his wings out in a blocking fashion -moving as needed- Warren speed-dials a number on the phone he's just taken from his belt: "Gonna' need you down here A.S.A.P."
Later, after the would-be-occupants have been taken care of, and the X-Men have started back to the Mansion, Warren and Jacilon -now sporting wings identical to his- finish setting some tarps in place to seal off the damaged sections of the building for the time being.
Jacilon (landing): "I should've manifested your mutation in the fight than to've tried countering Magneto with his own power."
Warren (doing the same): "It came in handy at the end. Anyway I wouldn't be hard on yourself, it takes time and training to be able to react properly. Just ask Scott next time you see him."
"I might ask him for the training if I'm going to be in more scrapes like this."
Warren smiles teasingly. "Lookin' to be the next X-Man?"
Smoothing the hair back from her face, Jacilon smiles fleetingly. "No. I like where I am. But it's always smart to be prepared."
"Yet with Magneto, it seems we can never be prepared enough."
Cut-To
Newscaster: "Some are questioning if the entire transfer of the criminal mutants from local law enforcement into custody of the ABMC wasn't a ploy, with the real transfer intended all along for the one called Magneto. Cameron Hodge, PR rep for the ABMC, had this to say. . ."
Jubilee: "That questioning doesn't make any sense! Not all of the arrested mutants even went with Magneto. I wish I'd thought to blow out the camera!"
She and others are gathered around the TV in the X Mansion's rec room.
Hank: "Clever of Magneto to ensure the recording device remained functional and at an ideal vantage point even while its operator was detained." Footage of the event being replayed, Hank shakes his head at his own detainment, "and there it is, my own slip of cleverness preserved in digital eternity. It may've been a dog's day since last I engaged in non-simulated combat, though never would I have expected such a trouncing!" He turns to Ororo: "At least you and Warren can say you held your own."
Ororo: "Even if we had succeeded against Magneto, we failed where it counted. Branden's mother trusted us with her son."
Jubilee: "Once he realizes the truth about being on Magneto's side, Branden will want to come back to ours. We just have to be there when he changes his mind.
But as Ororo watches the broadcast for a few more moments, she seems to be of a different mind herself. She speaks it as she turns off the TV: "The truth, is Magneto's words were not wrong. The direction the idea of mutants is taking in other minds is unsettling."
Jubilee: "Even bad guys say things that sound good! It's not everyone's idea of us."
Storm: "No, but it does not have to be. Only the idea of those with power."
Beast: "Indeed. 'All struggles are power struggles. Who will define, refine, confine? Who will dominate?' Octavia E. Butler, Parable of the Sower."
. . .Meanwhile
By use of mild psychic suggestion, Jean had been able to get herself on a plane under the guise of skydiving, and have the pilot head towards the same coordinates she and Cyclops had been headed for.
She knew her hunch was correct once she felt a familiar psychic distortion at a point in the air; this was the place.
Releasing the pilot and dive instructor from psychic suggestion as she jumped out, they would return to the hanger thinking they had taken a test flight to scope out new landing zones, while Jean would be in a controlled fall.
She saw it on her way down - a large satellite dish in the distance.
Flashback
At the hanger by the truck stop, Jean had experienced a barrier to her psychic reach -an inability to feel the minds or telekinetically interact with anything beyond a certain physical point. When she passed that point herself, the area she could connect to and the one she couldn't swapped.
The hanger's navigation tower was that point, and Jean had found a peculiar device on one of the satellite dishes. Once it was removed, the barrier to her psychic powers was as well.
Flashback ends
Jean had a strong sense the satellite she now saw was related to the disturbance Xavier sent them here to understand. She hoped solving that would also bring her to Scott, and at that thought, another voice entered her mind.
Though not his.
This one was Enigmatic: 'No clemency.'
Jean began to blink as if her eyes were suddenly irritated.
Enigmatic Voice (CONT'D): 'Take his eyes to their limit.'
And then Jean was seeing through them
--the light of Scott's optic blast streaking down into the designated section in the floor. But beyond the blast itself Jean could see a bit of the surrounding area. . .the cold metal, the bottom portion of a distinct silhouette standing in the doorway. . .-- Then Jean was back to seeing through her own eyes --her sense of bodily awareness alerting her to the fact that she was still falling --and past the point her parachute should've been deployed!
Acting at once she deploys it and -thankfully- is able to use her telekinesis to slow herself down enough to counter the delay. She lands only slightly heavier than she should've though no worse for wear.
The second close call she's had. . .
. . .and speaking of close encounters of the second kind, a certain master of magnetism is about to have one with the other X-Men. . .
Nighttime - after-hours at a Grocery Store.
Access is gained by manipulation of the metal doors. An alarm is set off.
Magneto: "Take what you can. Remember, our purpose here is not to destroy."
So in go the new recruits, lead by Pyro.
Branden is reluctant to steal, but Pyro, grabbing a package of Texas-style bread in front of him, points out: "It's their doing we can't be 'productive members of society'. Gonna' let them starve you, too?" He grabs another package.
The fire-controller already seems to have influence over the fire-starter, and Branden goes for something on another shelf --by fluke or by nerves, however, fire blows out from his hands. Branden gasps and steps back.
"Whoa! Way to go, Scorch," though Pyro's voice is one of amusement not critique, as he uses his powers to lift the fire from anywhere it caught, "disobeying Magneto your first time out."
"I wasn't!"
"Doesn't matter." He gives Branden a little show, moving the wisps around in the air, molding the fire into small shapes, rings etc. before bringing them down as regular flames in front of his own hands. He then looks squarely at Branden. "If you ask me, the only one in control of you now is yourself." He moves the flames towards Branden's tightly closed hands, "don't be afraid of it."
Branden's eyes shift between the flames and Pyro's steady gaze. Gradually relaxing his hands, he touches the wisps before closing his fingers around them.
Pyro smiles. Then, at the sound of approaching sirens: "Showtime."
Outside, Magneto can be seen gliding to the roof of the store to greet his arriving audience --including the X-Men, presently comprised of Storm, Piotr Rasputin A.K.A. Colossus and Kitty Pryde A.K.A. Shadowcat.
Shadowcat: "Isn't stealing from a grocery store a little petty for you?"
Magneto: "Everyone needs to eat, child. And it's called making a point." At this, he turns his attention to the homo sapiens, smiling at the arrival of another news crew as though he was expecting such.
Shadowcat to Colossus: "He's not looking -quick, throw me--"
Storm holds out her hand: "No. I want to hear what Magneto has come to say. You two find where the others have gone," it's clear part of her mind is on recovering Branden.
Magneto: "Several years back, the question was posed of what was stopping a mutant who could walk through walls," he smiles at Shadowcat's departing form, "from walking into the vault of a bank? What is stopping any of us from using our gifts to their fullest height?" He sneers, "I could cripple this city's infrastructure in a day. This is not power I came into only recently. So what is stopping us? Simple, decidedly uncommon sense: what would be the point? Because we can?" he raises his brows, offering up what historically is homo sapiens' answer.
"No. We are superior in all ways." He nods down towards the grocery, "inside this building you will not find the shelves ransacked bare. We came to take only what we require for the time being. Because WE know restraint. We know it from you," he states with contempt, "and we know it better than you! You, who cut into the lungs of the earth so that you may breathe easy, living on excess while far away from your minds, others starve. You know not how to make use of your so-called gifts. Only to reach for the top of the heap you call the 'next big thing'. Well look upon it," he smiles superiorly "we mutants know how to use our gifts, and we were not made to become obsolete!"
At this the time for words is over -- all vehicles are sent careening away, though as he makes to grab the weapons of the police, he finds he cannot.
"We know who we're dealing with, mutant! There's not a stitch of metal on us!" They start to fire up at him but Magneto is already moving out of their visual field, completely unperturbed as literal fire now starts their way.
The two nearest officers gasp and curse, dropping their specialty plastic guns which have begun melting from two narrow streams of fire coming from Pyro's flame-throwing suit.
One of the new recruits uses their power to lift up a section of pavement, protecting Pyro from the other officers' bullets.
Colossus, however, charges right through -bullets and all- and grabs the surprised new recruit; he X-Man now also doing the job of the shattered pavement shield, protecting the two members of The Brotherhood from subsequent gunfire.
But the police are saving what's left of their rounds, now observing the mutant-on-mutant scene before them; waiting for their time to move back in.
Pyro turns up his flamethrowers, shooting fire up into an "X" shape before using his powers to contort it into two fire serpents he sends around Colossus, toward the police --intent on shifting the X-Man's attention that way.
--but a strong and sudden gust of wind counters the serpents' forward movement, and they soon snuff out altogether as their wielder grows distracted --his flame-throwing suit being disconnected from his body by the phasing Shadowcat. "What?! YOU!" He manages to turn in time to grab her arm, but of course she phases out of his grasp, taunting: "Not so hot, are you!"
Colossus, keeping the other Brotherhood member in check with one arm, grabs Pyro with the other when suddenly his whole body is arrested.
We see Magneto is behind this.
Branden (alerting): "Pyro!" Though looking indecisive, the youth doesn't hesitate after his call, shooting out his own fire for Pyro to manipulate.
One of Pyro's hands isn't restrained. We see him begin working his power while we hear Branden again: "Just don't hurt anyone! Get that metal guy to let you go!"
Colossus: "Your fire will do neither to me."
And emphasizing Colossus' statement, this fire, and any more that may come, is extinguished by the rain of Storm, who now sends lightning Magneto's way.
"AHHH!!" His hold on Colossus is dropped.
Shadowcat: "Open your eyes, Branden! Magneto's not the one to side with!"
Storm: "This is not what your mother meant for you."
Branden stares, conflicted, while--
--Police Officer: "Quick! Get the collars!" They reach for them on their belts.
But neither X-Men nor Brotherhood are as distracted as the police think.
Storm turns to cast strong winds their way, blowing the collars out of their hands- -to say the least.
Magneto, recovered, commands the vehicles again, this time launching them back towards their would-be drivers. Storm's winds must be directed that way now, while Colossus, no longer under Magneto's restraint, releases his hold on the Brotherhood members in favour of catching cars.
Shadowcat does her protective-part by phasing anyone out of harm's way.
This, however, proved to be yet another distraction more than a proper assault, as while the X-Men are focused on the public, The Brotherhood make their escape once more --Magneto using his powers to collect Pyro's suit so the youth can get away unencumbered by it -or so he doesn't decide to heat things back up- and Branden, conflicted though he still is, still going along with them. . .
Breaking News
Newscaster # 1: "...both times issuing a speech, followed by mass destruction of city property. Just what is this 'Magneto' trying to prove?"
Newscaster # 2: "Well it sounds like he's trying to rule the world! That's what it sounds like."
Next channel:
Newscaster # 3: "With an election year on the horizon, could we be looking at the first Mutant candidate? And what would the public have to say about that?"
cut-to interviews:
Youth: "Like, he's got some good stuff to say, about the environment and greed. I mean would we really have a choice in voting for him, though? He could just throw a car on us."
Senior Gentleman: "I think all kinds should be given a chance. Who knows? Maybe a mutant's just what this country needs! Couldn't be any worse than the last guy."
Next Channel:
Newscaster # 4: "...the X-Men, who proclaim to be our protectors against adversarial mutants, failed to keep the so-called Brotherhood from escaping for a second time. Are they truly our protectors, or will mutants stand by mutants every time?
Were such proclamations merely a ruse for some, ulterior purpose?"
Newscaster # 5: "Leaving in a shroud of fog before police could question or detain them makes you question everything."
Pulling back from the screen, we see this time it isn't the X-Men taking in this newscast, but Pyro and a few of the new recruits, in the Brotherhood's base.
Cut-to another room, where Magneto is using his powers to do some kind of redesigning of a Blackhawk helicopter. "Excellent. Our message will not be diluted by any counterpoints from the X-Men if the humans believe we're 'all in this together'." He shakes his head. "To think that's what Xavier still works towards with them."
Pyro, who it's clear had just come in and informed Magneto of the latest televised news, smirks. "Doesn't look like the X-Men have any counters."
Magneto looks at him. "It's always wise to think moves ahead. Remember that one."
He continues his adjustments on the Blackhawk.
X Mansion - Same Time
The X-Men have just finished watching the newscasts themselves.
Xavier: "Magneto is clearly building up to something. We must make it our priority to figure out what that is before it happens."
Kitty: "How are Jean and Cyclops doing on their mission? Are they headed back yet?"
"No. I've been checking regularly but the distortion field is still up."
Piotr: "Do we think Magneto is behind that too? Purposely separating us?"
"I don't believe so. Though the coincidence does give him slight advantage. . . We know the powersets of the mutants who have become his new recruits. Train yourselves with them in mind. We must leave no move unchecked."
His eyes shift to a chess board, and we transition from one of the black squares to the unlit room where one X-Man has been held in checkmate.
He was breathing in a way indicative of some degree of exertion or affected health. . .It was taking longer to recover between sessions, and he was beginning to feel at once inert, and like he was slipping farther and farther away. . .
Memory of Xavier's Voice: '
...There's something rather important I would like to trust you with. . .'
Memories transition into a dream: Cyclops observing scenes he can't influence; only a shadow on the periphery. . .and he can't know how it's going to turn out.
Footsteps were approaching.
But someone else was missing from these sequences. . .where was Jean? He had to find her. . .
Cyclops was roused as the door opened. He steadied his breathing, not inclined to let them know how much they were affecting him. ". . back already?"
Lost though time was to him, it hadn't felt like that long since last session. Something else was different.
Enigmatic Voice: "Someone is coming to join you."
Cyclops looked up--they couldn't--!
Enigmatic Voice (CONT'D): "This presents a change to our schedule."
The motions are gone through, and after replacing his visor with their contraption, Cyclops can hear something else being done. Then they're lining his forced-shut eyes up against something else while he hears the faint squelching of bags filled
with liquid -that sensation he can place, they're the bags of whatever they've been forcing his body to assimilate via the IV in his arm. Though why does it sound like so many--?
Enigmatic Voice: "It's time to run the gamut."
Back with Jean Grey, this time she's overcome by the sense of whatever's happening to- -"Scott!"
Though the call goes out both verbally and mentally, only the latter form has a chance of reaching him--Jean still apart from where ever he is--
--until she isn't--seeing through his eyes, again, though this time there's nothing to see but the intense force of his optic blast--
Yet there's the sound of a door closing, accompanied by the echoing, Enigmatic Voice: "Now we finish him."
. . . . . . .then the light goes out.
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X-Men Envisionings returns in the New Year.
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