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PHOENIX STOOD IN A CLEARING, LOOKING DOWN OVER THE SCORE OF MUTANTS MAGNETO HAD GATHERED

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PHOENIX STOOD IN A CLEARING, LOOKING DOWN OVER THE SCORE OF MUTANTS MAGNETO HAD GATHERED.

Magneto approached from behind. "Do you remember when we first met?" Phoenix remained silent. "When I looked at you back then, I saw the next stage in evolution. And all I could think was, 'Why would Charles want to turn this goddess into a mortal'?" Phoenix remained blank as Magneto produced the cure gun. "This weapon. I can manipulate the metal in it. But you, you can do anything. Anything you could possibly think of."

The gun floated between them. Jean turned her head slightly towards Magneto. She completely disassembled it, leaving just the four cure darts inside. She pushed the darts perilously close to Magneto, who panicked and backed away. "Jean. Stop!" She ignored him. "Enough!"

Phoenix smirked, and then the darts dropped to the ground. "You sound just like him. Scared. Like him."

"Charles wanted to hold you back." He reminded her. "I want you to be what you are, what nature intended you to be. This cure, it's meant for all of us. If we want freedom, we must fight. And that begins today."

Magneto smiled genially, then walked away from her. Pyro joined him, followed by Callisto and Quill. "She shouldn't be here with us." Callisto told him. "Her powers are unstable."

"Only in the wrong hands, my dear." Magneto raised an eyebrow to her.

"She's one of them." Pyro scoffed.

Magneto turned around to Pyro. "You were one of them, as well, Pyro."

"It's not the same." He brushed it off. "I've stuck with you all this way. I'd have killed the Professor myself if I got the chance."

At that, Magneto became enraged. He grabbed Pyro by the shoulders. "Charles Xavier did more for mutants than you will ever know." Magneto's face fell, remembering his old friend. "My single greatest regret is that he had to die for our dream to live."

Magneto said no more, dropping his hands from Pyro, who was shocked. Callisto walked on, leaving Pyro and Quill. "So, you were an X-Men?"

"At one point." Pyro frowned. "But that's in the past. I'm the Brotherhood now."

"Hm." Quill thought for a moment, smirking. "That's why that girl was asking for you."

Quill started to walk away, but Pyro pulled him back. "What girl?"

"A cute girl." Quill sneered. "Yeah, she was looking for you back at the house Xavier was killed at."

Quill walked away from Pyro, joining the others. Pyro hesitated for a moment. His heart ached for Grace.


***


Storm, Logan and Hank were all in one of the studies in the mansion. "What do we do about this?" Hank asked, looking around. "Jean is clearly dangerous, and now she's with Magneto."

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