Searching for You

Magneto

I was beyond nervous about this.

Charles had suggested that I be put outside of the mansion as bait for Magneto, since he seemed to be following me, and the only person who was really excited about it was Adam---of course. He had a huge grin on his face and was just about to jump out of his pants.

"It's just like a movie!" he exclaimed, clapping. "This is gonna be so cool!"

Chase's expression was grim. "I don't like it," he said. "What if something happened to Abby?"

"We would be right around the corner prepared to help her," Charles assured him, wheeling toward his bookshelf and looking it over. He picked up a book. "It's not like we'd let her face Erik alone. That would be suicidal."

"The only person that could face Erik alone would either be Charles or Erik's son, Peter," Raven said, placing her hands on her hips. "Peter would be too fast for Erik to see and Charles could just attack Erik with his mind if he didn't have the helmet on."

"All it takes is one thought and your girl is saved," Logan added with a thumbs up at Chase. "Charles isn't an idiot."

And none of us thought that he was an idiot, we just hated the idea. But, what use was there fighting against a guy who could stop us from moving with just a thought? That wouldn't help anything, and if anything at all it would just impede progress. By a lot, depending on how much we ticked the guy off. 

I stood in the middle of the courtyard in front of the house as everyone else made their way around the corner. A sense of dread overcame me and I suddenly didn't want to do it anymore. But what other plan did we have?

Chase hesitated for a moment before turning back and running up to me, pulling me into a tight hug. I hugged him back and inhaled as I squeezed him, and he did the same. We stayed like that for a second until he let go and offered a small smile.

"Stay safe, okay?"

I nodded. "Obviously."

As Chase ran back over to the others, I couldn't help but question everything I was feeling. Something about that hug felt so tender, so final.

So familiar.

Marcus had hugged me the same way. How could I ever forget that? The tenderness, the urgency, everything about it. It made my heart flutter thinking about him again. But I couldn't let that distract me at this moment. I needed to focus on the task laid out in front of me. 

I definitely need to look into robotics construction when I get back home.

Pushing the thought away, I tried my best to look natural. Charles would be on stand bye in case anything went sideways, and the others were just backup in case Erik actually brought his helmet. That would be a bad thing, in case you can't tell. Imagine the most powerful telepath in the world rendered useless by some costume headpiece. It was almost laughable, if you think about it, but of course it wasn't supposed to be. 

I couldn't help laughing while thinking about the arguments that would have caused when the two of them worked together.

But my laughing came to an abrupt stop when I heard the leaves behind me crunch.

I whirled around and scanned the landscape to see if I could pinpoint the source of the sound, my hyper-sensitive hearing working on overdrive. There was a tree a little far off to the right that caught my attention. I could have sworn I saw something shiny glint behind it. 

I decided to ignore every instinct within me that was screaming for me to go and check it out---beat up whoever was back there. I hated my cockiness sometimes. There was no way I could take a man who could control metal in a fight. He could probably turn my own glasses against me as a murder weapon if he wanted to.

Right as I was thinking that, the lamppost almost directly across from me tipped toward me, ripping up its foundation from the concrete. I screamed and dashed out of the way, ducking instinctively as I felt the ground tremble with its crash. He was here.

I whirled around and readied my powers, trying to pinpoint where the heck this guy was. My heart was pounding inside of my chest, making it very difficult for me to concentrate on anything other than dying.

"Come on, Charles," I murmured. "Work with me here."

A shadow covered me and I looked up to see yet another metal bench getting hurled at me from seemingly nowhere. I barely managed to dodge as it collided with the ground, sending up a cloud of dirt. Well, now Xavier's lawn was ruined. Great. Just great.

Okay, so more likely than not, Erik has his helmet, I thought. Wonderful.

Without further hesitation, I tore my glasses off and transformed, snarling at my unseen attacker. With claws drawn, I charged at the first sign of movement and tore around the side of the tree. Why was a mutant this powerful hiding from us?

With my teeth bared, I was shocked to find---

Nothing. He wasn't there.

Something hard and metal hit the back of my head, sending stars across my vision and pain rocketing through my skull. I collapsed and hit the ground, breathing hard and trying to shake myself back into consciousness as it was fading. I couldn't pass out. Not now. 

The sound of pounding footsteps and shouting was heard from behind me as a set of shoes stepped into my vision. I strained to look up and I saw a tall man looking down at me with a gloating smirk.

"You're just like your father," he said smugly. "He never knew when to give up either."

I snarled and swiped at his leg, making contact and feeling the skin tear underneath my claws. He yowled in pain and . . . flew away? Or, at least he started to.

Before Bree sped up behind him and knocked him on the back of his head with a metal crowbar she had found somewhere. Apparently it hit him so hard that he staggered backward and collapsed, his metal helmet falling off. Bree sped up to it and grabbed it, holding it triumphantly above her head. 

I stumbled to my feet and leaned against the tree for balance. I hadn't expected to get hit in the head with something metal. It really hurt a lot.

Chase was beside me in an instant and asking me question after question about if I was okay, where I was hurt, etc. I kept telling him it was fine and that I just needed a second but he insisted that Adam go grab the park bench that Erik had thrown and bring it over for me to sit on.

Adam did and practically skipped all the way over to me and placed the bench down where I could sit on it.

I was still in shock with everything that happened. 

Had we really won that easily?

Erik was standing, looking rather upset. I guess he hadn't anticipated the bionic kids that would have joined the fight as well. 

"Charles," he snarled, "what is the meaning of this?"

Charles wheeled up to him and looked at him indignantly. "I could ask you the same question, Erik."

"And why would I have to explain that to you?"

"Because you're teaming up with my dad," I snapped. "And I would like to know where he is."

Sorry for the late update! I've been working on another writing project and totally forgot about the fic. Please forgive meeeeee 

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Things be getting juicyyyyyy