Searching for You

The Hunt FINALLY Begins

I could tell that we were getting serious about this now. We were all sitting around in Charles's massive office, Chase, Bree and I on the couch and Leo and Adam on the floor in front of us. Charles was wheeled behind his desk and Logan and Raven sat in two different chairs opposite us.

I couldn't help but feel a little worried about this. Who wouldn't? And you guys might call me crazy or whatever, but I don't care. The conversation wasn't exactly going where I thought it was going to go.

Apparently, Charles and the others had been searching for my dad for a while, but had come up with nothing, which made Chase and I suspect that something else was going on. Logan and Raven had picked up on that too, mentioning that even using Cerebro---the machine we saw Charles using in the big, blue dome room---he wasn't able to find my dad, which was strange because using Cerebro he was able to see every single person on the earth at once because it amplified his telepathic abilities.

Chase suggested that maybe my dad was using something that blocked the machine, and Charles had suggested that was possible, but he didn't know how it would be without something like Magneto's helmet---

"Hold up, pause," I jumped in, stopping everyone else in their tracks. "Who is Magneto?"

The three mutants looked at each other like they had said something they shouldn't have, which instantly triggered my suspicions. What on earth did they have to hide? And why were they hiding it, whatever it was?

"He's another mutant," Logan said finally, sighing in defeat.

"Wait, just how many of you guys are there?" Leo asked, his eyes growing wide. "I thought the picture was it, except for Abby."

"Mutants are about as numerous as gingers, maybe a little more common," Raven explained, re-tying her ponytail and wincing as she pulled a strand of hair a little too hard.

"Oh, so there are like millions of you guys," Bree finished, frowning in an impressed way. "Adam, Chase and I are the only living people with bionics."

"Explain to me how that works again," Charles urged, leaning forward and clasping his hands on his desk as if he were deep into a debate.

Chase took him through a brief explanation that the other Davenports and I had heard thousands of times. I almost asked why Charles didn't just read his mind to figure it out, but I guessed he just enjoyed speaking to people more than just busting into their brains whenever he wanted to. He was probably just polite like that. Weren't all British people super polite? I mean, I don't know, since he's the first Brit I've ever met, so . . .

"How very fascinating," Charles breathed with a smile. "It's a wonder that your father managed to do that without hurting your body permanently."

Chase clenched his jaw, but said nothing. I knew he didn't want to go over the truth of that statement and into the ordeal with Douglas and Donald, and honestly I wouldn't either. Adam, Bree and Leo all seemed equally uncomfortable at what Charles said.

And it looked like Mr. Xavier was getting his own answers to why we were all making faces.

His brow was ruffled in concentration and then relaxed with understanding. I didn't like how he could just figure us out like that. Mutants were so unfair.

Then again, you are one, I reminded myself. You're kind of unfair to the rest of the world.

Thankfully, the guy didn't talk about what he figured out. Could he tell what was private and what wasn't? Okay, that was pretty cool.

Logan loudly cleared his throat. "Anyways.

"Magneto's real name is Erik Lehnsherr," he explained, flexing his knuckles as if remembering something. "He goes by Magneto because his mutation is that he can control anything that's metal, including---" he held up his right hand--- "my claws. Or anything else in my body."

I blinked in shock. "Sorry, what?"

"Long story short, I've got metal bones now," he said gruffly. "'Nuff said."

I got the message. Quite frankly, I didn't want to throw up after hearing the rest of the story. I was already getting a tad light-headed from the random revelation I was just dropped with.

Chase snapped his fingers with understanding. "He's the guy who attacked us!"

After a barrage of questions from Raven and Logan, Chase went into an explanation of what happened to us on the street with the bench and a car getting thrown at us. I couldn't help but blush when I remembered Chase throwing his body on top of mine to protect me. I shook the thought out of my mind. Not now.

The three mutants looked at each other again and then returned their attention to us. 

"You guys know something and aren't telling us," I snapped. "Spill."

Logan grinned wickedly. "Just like her father."

"There is a possibility that Erik and your father could be working together," Charles said plainly.

"What?"

"It would explain why you were his target," Chase told me grimly.

"Oh, so your dad's a murderer?" Adam jumped in. "That's awesome but also not awesome at the same time!"

"Adam, I think you need to keep some things to yourself," Leo said, patting his shoulder.

But I barely heard Leo's words of encouragement. The only thing I could think about was the fact that my dad---my own father---could be working with the same man that tried to kill us. It was terrible, everything I didn't want all at once. Why would he want to kill his own daughter? Did he really hate my family that much? To leave us and also try to wipe out his past in the form of killing his children?

Horror struck me. What about Landon? Mom didn't have a way to protect him from mutants back home.

He could die.

"Your father is not a murderer," Charles said defensively. "I've known him for decades, he wouldn't do such a thing, especially not his daughter."

"But you just said that he was working with Erik," I reminded him, fighting tears. 

Chase grabbed my hand to reassure me. "It'll be okay," he whispered.

I hoped he was right.

"I did say that, yes," Charles admitted. "But there is another thing: Erik has always had the plan for mutants to be on top of the food chain---above normal humans. While he and your father may be working together, Erik might also be doing something behind his back because Hank doesn't want to conform to his ideals. And what's the best way to blackmail someone?"

"Get to their family," Logan growled, as if something similar had happened to him in the past. "It's the most disgusting thing a person could do."

"Odds are that your dad doesn't want to do things Erik's way and Erik is trying to rattle his cage," Raven finished. "But, the thing with Erik is that he'll get you to think that he's on your side and then flip it around and trick you again. He did it with me."

"So how do we find Abby's dad?" Bree asked, crossing her arms and raising her eyebrows. "I feel like we're kinda wasting time here. We don't have all year."

"You're right," Charles acknowledged. Something whirred and then he rolled out from behind the desk in his automatic wheelchair. "We can use Cerebro again."

"I thought you said that didn't work, Charles," Raven reminded him, giving him a suspicious look.

"Yes, but Erik only has one helmet."

Understanding passed between them, leaving us confused yet again. I hated it when they did that. It was like they were the only ones in the room or something.

"Clue us in, please," I snapped.

Logan looked to me and sighed. "Erik has a helmet that blocks Charles's telepathy. He wears it on occasion to keep eyes off him in Cerebro. If Hank is using the helmet and he's working with Erik, then Erik will be exposed."

"And then we can find my dad by finding Erik," I finished.

I couldn't believe we were actually getting somewhere. I almost jumped for joy.