Chapter 13
I sat with Jubilee on the porch as we leisurely sipped drinks. The sun was going to set soon and it was always neat to watch. I loved looking at all the different colors. The latest word was that it would be a long while before the baby would arrive, probably not until the morning at the earliest.
“Hey, um, Jubilee?” I began. “Can I ask you a question?”
She nodded.
“I know it’s none of my business, but I was just curious. I saw you leaving Colossus’s room last night…so I was just wondering…”
Jubilee smiled. “We’re sleeping together,” she said. She then added, playfully, “Well, duh, since you saw him leaving my room “ I’m sure you figured he wasn’t giving me painting lessons!”
I laughed along with her. Then I asked, “But…what about Cannonball?”
“What about him? We’re doing a friends-with-benefits thing, remember? If I want to sleep with someone else too, it’s my business only”. She paused and asked, “Do you think I’m like a total slut?”
I decided a truthful approach would be best. “Uh, Jubes, if you knew how many guys I’d slept with back in the day, you’d know I’m like not in a position to make that sort of judgment. You have a way to go to catch up with me in terms of numbers of different guys”. I silently added, ‘A long, *long* ways’.
“But now you want only Northstar?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I’ve sowed my wild oats and there’s a difference between having sex and making love”. I then added, “But hey, nothing wrong with having sex. We all need it”.
“Definitely,” she said.
“So…Peter does know that it’s just a friends-with-benefits thing too, right? Like, he’s not expecting that you’ll be his girlfriend now, right?”
“Oh, I was real clear about the score when I approached him”.
“That’s good. Honesty’s a good thing. And Peter must be really happy. If he’s anything like most guys I know, and given that it’s been a while for him. And of course given what a beautiful lady you are”.
“He’s happy,” Jubilee smiled.
“You do, um, use protection, right?” If Hank could ask me about it, then I could ask Jubilee.
“Of course,” she said, sounding like she’d wanted to say an exasperated ‘Duh’ instead.
Jubilee’s gaze drifted. “Hey, look. There’s the Professor and Storm and Wolvie coming back from the field. I wonder what they were doing out there”.
“Maybe taking a walk “ or ride “ in the forest. You never know. It’s a beautiful place; it doesn’t get old”.
“Yeah, that’s true”.
I would later find out that Colossus had made a sketch for Jubilee before their first night together. Jubilee showed it to me once. It was a beautiful drawing of two people embracing. I wasn’t an art critic or anything, but Peter’s work always seemed to have so much depth in it. ‘Romantic’ was the first word I thought of when I saw the sketch. ‘Warm’ was the second. His artwork was always rich.
***
Two happenings occurred in the early hours of the following morning: the Professor made contact with Moira, and Jean and Scott’s baby was born.
//It is true, Charles// Moira responded to Charles’ telepathic contact. //I am on a starship with Magneto and a handful of other mutants. We are coming to your planet. He has no intension of attacking you, of that I am quite certain. We will be there in a matter of days.//
As he probed her mind to feel her response. Charles knew that something was wrong. //What is wrong, Moira? I feel intense sorrow from you.//
//My son and my husband are dead. I saw FOH kill them in front of my own eyes. And Siryn’s own eyes, God bless her soul; my poor stepdaughter is fatherless.//
//My deepest condolences, Moira. I cannot imagine the pain you must be feeling. I am so deeply sorry.//
Moira’s mind was silent. //Let us wait until the ship arrives and we can speak in person, Charles. The pain is too deep right now. FOH did other things to us too, things that I canna even speak about. Please, Charles, I would rather wait until I see you in person before we talk more.//
//I understand, Moira. I will wait to contact you until I see you in person. You are certain that Magneto is not planning to attack?//
//Completely.//
From his gentle probing of Moira’s mind, he knew that this was indeed the case. Of course Magneto’s mind was impenetrable to him due to Magneto’s formidable helmet. That fact provided very little comfort to Xavier, however. Moira’s comment about FOH doing “other things” to Moira and her family was haunting the Professor. He feared the worst and had to will his mind away from speculating on that, in order to preserve his sanity.
Moments later, the Professor’s communicator beeped and Hank spoke, “Professor? Jean just gave birth to a healthy baby boy. He is 7 lbs, 2 ounces. Mother and baby are doing well. If you are awake, they are eager for visitors”.
“I will be right there, Hank”.
***
“We’re naming him John Charles,” Jean said. “John after my father, and….well I suppose I don’t need to explain the Charles part”.
“I am very honored, Jean and Scott,” the Professor said, humbly. “I am delighted for you, and deeply honored,” he repeated.
The baby was red and small, fast asleep in Xavier’s arms. He had a bolt of red hair on his head. Scott sat next to Jean’s bed.
A few other X-men had begun to filter into and near the hut. “You must be godawful tired,” Rogue said.
“The word ‘exhausted’ doesn’t even begin to cover it,” Jean smiled wearily. “My body has never been through anything like that. It was very hard…but now that I’ve done it, I also feel a bit exhilarated, if that makes any sense. The whole process is rather…awesome”.
“And we had an awesome doctor,” Scott added. Hank had only left the hut when he had been satisfied that all was well, and he now dozed inside his own room though attached to his communicator.
“We are going to have a party to celebrate John’s birth, right?” Bobby asked.
“Once Jean and I get caught up on sleep, we’d love to,” Scott answered.
“Good luck with that,” Heather smiled knowingly, her slumbering infant strapped to her back. “I suspect you’ll have trouble sleeping for the next eighteen years or so”.
“We also plan to have Nightcrawler baptize John,” Scott added. His religious background was Protestant, not Catholic, but Nightcrawler’s religious ministrations would suffice especially given that there was no alternative.
“Is John a mutant?” Rogue asked.
“Hank’s going to run some tests tomorrow to find out,” Jean said, stifling a yawn. “At this point, all I care about is the fact that he’s here and he’s healthy”.
“Me too,” Scott said, gratitude evident in his voice.
***
As if the birth of Jean and Scott’s baby wasn’t enough to get us all talking, the Professor dropped a bomb on us during breakfast. We, of course, didn’t usually all eat breakfast together since we didn’t all get up at the same time, but he said that enough of us were there that he wanted to share with us what he knew.
It was shocking news. Magneto “ on his way here. With Moira MacTaggert, who says that Magneto’s not coming here to fight us. And then the news that Banshee’s dead, along with Moira’s son.
“I will discuss this one-on-one with those who aren’t here,” the Professor added.
“At this point, our strategy will be to continue on as we always have,” Storm said. “Continue to train and be prepared for anything. Though it seems as though Magneto is not bringing a war with him, it still behooves us to continue to train hard”.
“Magneto always means trouble,” Colossus added.
“So Moira is not telling you anything else?” Nightcrawler asked the Professor.
“I must respect her wishes,” the Professor answered. “She is in such an intense state of grieving. It was nearly painful to be in contact with her mind. Magneto’s ship will be here soon enough and I believe that we must find out from him face to face what his plans are”.
I looked closely at the Professor’s face. It looked like an odd mixture of hope and worry, covered by his always-present calmness.
***
Jean cradled the sleeping infant as Hank activated the tricorder in front of him. The doctor pressed several buttons.
“The odds would have it that he’s probably a mutant, right?” Scott asked.
Hank smiled. He had had this conversation with Jean and Scott before, not long after they announced their pregnancy. But there was no harm in having it again. He could only dream of what it would be like to be an anxious, excited parent. Hank knew that it was an experience he would never have. He banished the brief sensation of self-pity and sadness and replaced it quickly with his usual serenity.
“It is difficult to say with absolute certainty,” Hank began. “It is not as if we can reference decades of research on this subject matter. In all likelihood, John is a mutant. However, having two mutant parents does not guarantee a mutant child either”. He didn’t want to bring up the most infamous example of this: Graydon Creed.
“Being a mutant “ being an X-man “ has brought me such happiness in life,” Jean began. “If John is a mutant, I hope it will do the same for him”.
Moments later the test was completed. John was indeed a mutant. Jean and Scott greeted the news with a kiss.
“Just fourteen more years to go to find out what his mutation will be,” Scott smiled.
***
“Two mont’s of nothin’ happen’ and now Jean and Scott had the baby and we got Magneto on his way”. Gambit shook his head. “I know if the Professor say Magneto ain’t comin’ to fight, den Magneto ain’t comin’ to fight. Still makes me wonder dough”.
“I know,” Rogue said, sitting next to Gambit on the porch, taking a sip of her sweet tea. “I guess Storm’s right, though. Not much we can do other than keep trainin’. An’ hope that the Professor ain’t lost his touch. I’m sure he’s right”.
“Me too. An’ dis group’s fightin’ is as strong as ever. If it is all a trick “ say, if Magneto’s holdin’ Moira hostage “ den we can beat him. Always did in the past”.
“He may be powerful but there’s fifteen of us to fight back!” Rogue agreed. “He’d actually be crazy to try and pull somethin’”.
Rogue looked down at her hands. Since she didn’t have her bracelet on, she wore her gloves. She gently tugged at the fingertips. “I wonder if Mystique’s with him,” she said quietly.
“She may not be, chere. Don’t sound like Moira said he had dat many mutants wit’ him. What are the odds?”
“Not too high”. Rogue sighed. “But she did usedta fight along with him, sometimes. I wonder where she’s at now. Things on earth are such a mess. But she’s a shapeshifter “ she oughtta be able to find her way outta anythin’”.
“You feelin’ sad, like you miss her?” Gambit asked quietly.
“I dunno. I never know what I feel ‘bout her. I talked to Kurt and he said he feels the same way. I’d almost rather that she *ain’t* with Magneto now,” Rogue said resolutely.
The two sat together in silence for several moments. “Glad Jean and Scott’s baby okay,” Gambit said.
“Me too, thank goodness. Cute little thing. Wonder if he’ll keep that red hair or if it’ll get darker. Wonder what his mutation will be. Good thing he don’t have his daddy’s eyes”.
Gambit leaned in closer, after checking to ensure that no one was approaching the porch. “Remy’s still surprised dat Jubilee and Colossus sleepin’ toget’er”.
“Me too. Peter sure seems happy ‘bout it”.
“Did you see the look on Sam’s face dough? I don’t t’ink he and Jubes gonna be ‘friends wit’ benefits’ dat much longer”.
Rogue nodded as she took another sip of her tea. “Can’t imagine the whole thing myself. ‘Friends with benefits’? Ain’t for me. Why wouldn’t a girl want a real relationship instead?” She paused and added, “I ain’t judgin’ “ just wonderin’”.
“Everyone different, Rogue. But I sure agree dat I like what we got instead”.
Gambit’s prediction regarding Cannonball and Jubilee would turn out to be correct. Sam soon decided that he didn’t like the fact that Jubilee was sleeping with Colossus, even though Jubilee was neither man’s girlfriend, and so Cannonball ended his arrangement with Jubilee. Jubilee continued to have Peter as a “friend with benefit”.
***
The days leading up to Magneto’s arrival contained a flurry of activity. The X-men opened the Danger Room for extended hours. They also planned to put Victory’s bridge into a sort of stand-by mode, though planning the timing for this proved difficult. The sensors didn’t detect Magneto’s ship at all and the X-men didn’t know exactly what he would arrive.
“Got one hell of a cloakin’ device,” Gambit muttered, standing on the bridge next to Storm.
“The cloaking device on Victory should be equally strong, according to our last diagnostic,” Storm said.
“Still, ain’t for the Professor, we’d not even know Magneto be on his way here”.
Meanwhile, Scott and Jean tried to get used to being parents. Their sleep was interrupted by John no fewer than two times each night. However, the night Magneto arrived, it was Xavier who roused them from their bed.
“He’s almost here; it’s just a matter of hours,” the Professor said. “I can feel it. I’m going to tell Storm”.
“We’d better wake up everyone and get them ready,” Cyclops said, vaulting out of bed. He felt the bodily aches of one not getting quite enough sleep, suffused with a jolt of adrenaline. He had several ideas of what he would do if Magneto tried to harm his son.
“I’ll have Storm start up the bridge in case we will be in a fight”.
Cyclops smiled when he saw how quickly the X-men were prepared. Despite months of inactivity, they hadn’t lost their touch. The entire team was in uniform and looked ready for anything. `Now I have to hope that *I* haven’t lost my touch either,’ he said to himself.
Jean and Heather trooped with the others to Victory’s bridge and with their babies strapped on their backs. Scott hoped that he could focus on the events at hand without worrying about his wife and son.
In the end, however, the X-men’s preparations were for nothing. As Magneto’s ship approached, Xavier was able to sense his foe’s mind. Apparently Magnus had removed his helmet.
“Moira is right,” Xavier said. “I am completely convinced that he is not here to fight us”.
When he had gently probed Magneto’s mind, he also tapped into Moira’s once again. He nearly recoiled at the depths of pain stored inside his former love.
***
I was glad when the Professor told us that we truly had no reason to be ready for battle. Fighting in the Danger Room is one thing, but the thought of a real battle had made my stomach knot up. Even after we left Victory and stood in the field, waiting for Magneto’s arrival, the knot remained even though the threat of a fight was gone.
It was still dark outside. Gambit kept using his lighted cards to illuminate the area in front of him, and a few others had flashlights. My eyes adjusted. Along with Jubilee, I made a run to the kitchen and brought coffee and tea for those who wanted it. Heather and Jean brought out those stroller/carriage type things so their babies could more easily go back to sleep. Some sat down in the field or even migrated to the porch to relax as they waited.
Magneto’s ship decloaked only just before it landed. I scrambled to my feet and watched it land, feeling the strong wind it kicked up and hearing its engines. The ship looked nearly identical to Victory.
“Could he have stolen one of FOH’s ships too?” I heard Cyclops wonder.
It landed smoothly, settling down on the grass alongside Victory “ where the Maple Leaf had been earlier, though Magneto’s ship was much larger than Alpha Flight’s. We all stood watching as the ship’s ramp descended, and its inhabitants walked out.
Magneto walked down first. The knot in my stomach intensified. I knew the Professor said we had nothing to worry about but for years I had thought of this man as our powerful enemy and it was hard to see that dark uniform, cape, and that white hair without remembering battle. I felt a comforting hand on my shoulder. It was Hank. He must’ve noticed that I was shivering. I whispered a thank you to him.
Moira and her stepdaughter Siryn disembarked next. Good god, they looked terrible. Both were clad all in black. Both were rail-thin, at least as far as I could tell from looking at the bones jutting on their faces, since their clothing was quite baggy. I couldn’t quite read the expression on Moira’s face, but Siryn looked a bit…blank. A bit absent. I don’t know how else to describe it. Moira went up to the Professor and stood next to him, but didn’t hug him or touch him in any way. I saw him make a brief gesture with his arms, maybe like he wanted to hug, but it went nowhere. Siryn stood back, looking like a statue.
There were a handful of others with them, some of whom we already were acquainted with. Pyro and Avalanche were there, and I quietly muttered, ‘Oh great’ to Hank when I spotted the two troublemakers. But they were quiet “ neither Pyro nor Avalanche said anything or tried to provoke us in any way. That was kind of weird, I thought.
Next, a good-looking blonde woman descended the ramp and I had thought that I’d seen her somewhere before. Then I remembered where. I had read the reports and seen pictures of what my teammates fought during the Dark Phoenix saga. She was Emma Frost “ like Magneto, another old enemy and a very powerful one too. I wasn’t happy to see her there either. I tried to see the look on Jean’s face but she was out of my visual range. Those X-men I could see sure didn’t look thrilled at Emma’s arrival. I wondered where the rest of the lunatics from the Hellfire Club were since there were none here with Emma.
There were some friendlier faces coming down that ramp too. The small green Morlock known as Leech was there, along with another of his brethren “ Caliban. I tried to remember what their powers were but it was hard for me since I had never actually gone on any of the missions where the X-men had encountered them.
The last two people to disembark the ship were two young women, neither of whom we had met before. One had short hair and a tough look on her face. When she got closer to us I saw that she had some odd protrusions coming from her body. They looked like sticks or clubs, and it seemed like they just were just growing right through the skin. It was too bad she couldn’t, apparently, retract them. Next to her stood a shorter girl with long black hair and light brown skin. She looked “normal”. The young women were introduced to us as Marrow and Moonstar.
“Enough with the introductions,” Magneto said. “We must talk at once”.
“I am all ears, Magneto,” the Professor said. “Would you like to talk here or inside?”
I heard some of Magneto’s group make comments about wanting to sit down and wanting something to drink. And Magneto did look a bit tired, I noticed. I reminded myself that he wasn’t exactly twenty years old anymore. So we X-men led Magneto’s ragtag team inside our building and before I knew it, we were all sitting in the room with the fireplace. Food replicators had been activated and many people had drinks in their hands.
Jean and Scott’s baby began to cry in the background. Jean, who looked strong and not at all like she’d given birth a few days ago, shushed John.
Magneto began talking. “Caliban sensed that you would be here. I come to you because the situation for mutants on earth is grave”.
“We know, Magneto,” the Professor said. “We have not been gone that long and it is our greatest wish to return and make a difference”.
I noticed that Cyke and Storm were holding back a bit. It only made sense to have the Professor be the one to lead the discussion with his former friend and enemy.
“It had been my intention to leave earth once and for all. I saw that life for mutants was becoming only more and more bleak -- and thus at one point I had been content with the idea of finding a haven in space to live out the rest of my life. I am old and tired of fighting what I thought was a hopeless cause. I did in fact find a planet, a peaceful retreat. So I left, along with my children, Wanda and Pietro. But then I received news that FOH is building concentration camps for mutants. They intend to ‘exterminate’ each and every one of us”.
Although this wasn’t exactly a surprise “ we had to have known that that was FOH’s final goal “ it still was hard to hear. We all exchanged looks with each other.
“Have they begun imprisoning mutants into these camps yet?” the Professor asked.
“When I left earth six weeks ago, they had not but they were very close to doing so. Very few countries had any laws or protections for mutants any longer and most governments were more than willing to cooperate with FOH fully. I returned to earth attempting to build an army but…” Magneto paused. “But there are few mutant fighters left. Most of the Brotherhood was killed when I left earth the first time”. Magneto looked at Wolverine. “Sabretooth is dead. As is Mystique”.
There was a bit of rumbling heard around the room at that news. It was hard to tell what Wolverine thought of anything but I had to guess that he wouldn’t be mourning Sabretooth much. He didn’t look jubilant either though; what Magneto had said about concentration camps would certainly mute any happiness in the room. I wondered what Rogue and Nightcrawler were feeling about Mystique’s death. It was safe to say that neither was close to her. But heck, I had been estranged from my parents for a long time; if I were to receive news that either had died, I wasn’t sure exactly how I’d feel either but I would be at least a little sad.
“Are you certain?” Nightcrawler asked quietly.
“Yes”.
Nightcrawler closed his eyes and I saw his lips moving though he spoke no words. He made the sign of the cross.
Magneto continued, “These are the only mutant fighters I was able to round up. Pyro and Avalanche have been with me since I left earth the first time. I rescued Moira and Siryn from FOH on my return trip to earth. By then, those mutant-haters had already killed Banshee and Proteus. They’ve destroyed most of the Morlocks too. Marrow, Caliban, and Leech were the only ones I could find and rescue”.
“My group was also killed in battle against FOH,” Emma Frost said. “I am all that is left of the Hellfire Club”.
I looked down at my hands. I was sad to hear what had happened to the Morlocks but I sure couldn’t mourn the Hellfire Club that much, not when I think of what they did to us. But still, Emma looked a bit weakened and diminished “ the loss of her group must have impacted her in some way. The rest of the X-men didn’t look that moved though.
“I knew I needed more people than I have here to bring down FOH,” Magneto said. “We can’t do it alone. So we used Caliban’s powers to locate you here. We must join together. We must destroy FOH”.
“We must prevent mutants from being rounded up into concentration camps,” the Professor said. “And we must get the public to see the evil that is espoused by FOH. But I will not destroy or harm individual FOH soldiers”.
“Charles,” Magneto shook his head. “Can’t you see that this is war? No, it is beyond war. It is genocide. If we do not fight back, and fight with all we have, we will be annihilated. When I returned to earth, I was shocked by how far FOH had gone and how brutal they have become. I “ who had been planning to live out my final years removed from conflict “ was forced back into action. FOH will stop at nothing to torture and kill all of us”.
“I see the need to fight back inasmuch as we need to defend individual mutants. But we must work with the common man. We need to help people see the truth that is FOH, while doing so in a way that won’t incite more violence”.
I looked at the two older men. And as bad as it sounds, I almost said to myself ‘Here we go again’. It was the same argument the two had been having for years now and I worried we’d be sitting here until the sun rose and set again, listening to our leaders rehash it.
But then Moira said something that shocked me, shocked everyone.
“Charles, we need to do whatever it takes to stop FOH,” Moira began. She still had that beautiful lilting accent. But her voice also sounded icy, hoarse, distant, and broken. It was freaky. “FOH held my family in custody for weeks, trying to learn how to replicate Banshee and Siryn’s powers. They raped me. They did it repeatedly, in front of Banshee and Kevin, while they held us prisoner. My son actually went blind for days from it. I’ve no doubt that FOH will rape every mutant female on the planet before killing us all. FOH must be defeated at all costs and I donna care how many of those bastards have ta be killed!”
It was like a bomb went off in the room. Or like someone dumped freezing cold water over each of us. Everyone started talking at once.
I saw the Professor turn to Moira and it looked like he was apologizing to her. I heard Rogue express some agreement with the idea of killing “FOH bastards”. Siryn was sitting across from me and she still looked alarmingly blank and detached, even a bit like she wasn’t really in the room with us.
Magneto’s voice rose above everyone else’s and the room quieted down so he could be heard. “You see what is in store for us! You heard it from one of your own. All mutants will be enslaved and all of our women will be raped “ just as Siryn and Moira were - if we do not stop FOH!” His voice was adamant and even a bit majestic as he said, “Let us find a way to work together, Xavier! I have a strong ship and plenty of dilithium. Come with us back to earth and let’s bring down FOH together. I cannot do it without you. And I suspect that you need something from me as well “ perhaps dilithium “ otherwise you would have returned to earth long ago”.
I looked at the Professor and wondered if I saw a bit of uncertainty, something I didn’t usually see on his face. Then again, he had to still have been reeling at hearing what had happened to Moira and Siryn. I wondered if he had ever stopped being in love with Moira throughout all these years.
“I know that my X-men agree that we must stop FOH,” the Professor began.
“That is right, Professor,” Storm said. “There is no doubt that we all agree with the idea of overthrowing FOH. I am certain that the area where we disagree with Magneto is in terms of exact tactics”.
“Maybe not,” Wolverine spoke up. I craned my head to see him and then nearly jumped back. He looked ready to kill someone. “We gotta stop FOH. I don’t care if any of their bastards get killed in battle against us. You saw what they did. They were gonna do it to us and it was just a stroke of luck that we got out in time”.
Magneto said, “I know that you might not trust me. That is understandable. We have been foes for a long time. But I am willing to give you enough dilithium to return you to earth. You can take your own ship, provided it is space-worthy. We may not always agree on tactics, but we have the same goal and we must prevent mutants from being placed into extermination camps!”
“I still do not know if we can work together,” the Professor began. Where Magneto was now sounding energized and inspiring, the Professor now sounded deflated and injured. “I will not condone killing of anyone, even those who have done horrible things to mutants. If we do that, the hope of mutants and non-mutants ever working together will be dashed and the public will just view us as a bunch of murderers”.
“We will have a much better chance of defeating FOH if we all agree on tactics,” Cyclops pointed out. “A united team is a lot more effective than a divided one”.
“Perhaps we should take some time to think about this,” Storm said. “Maybe even tomorrow we can all fight together in the Danger Room and see how we do as a team”.
“I say we get off this rock and kill some FOH bastards,” Wolverine said. “Right now. Why the hell are we sitting here talking about this??”
“Because the risk is too great if we team up with Magneto and our different beliefs cause the situation for mutants to get even worse,” the Professor answered patiently.
“Xavier, I tell you that it *cannot* get any worse!” Magneto insisted. His tone then softened a bit. “But yes, please do take some time to think about it. My group would be more than happy to train with yours in the Danger Room if you think that would be best. Tell us when and where”.
So it was settled and our meeting ended at that point. The plan was that we’d all turn in for the night and regroup the next day. Magneto and his group rose to return to their ship where they said they would spend the night.
Just as I was wondering if any of Magneto’s people might want to explore Haven (it was still the middle of the night but we had lanterns), the young woman named Moonstar walked right up to Hank.
“You’re Henry McCoy, right?” she asked. The look on her face, even her tone of voice and demeanor, were not of the type that I’d associate with a Magneto crony. She sounded level-headed. Self-assured but not the least bit conceited. Actually, she also seemed…nice.
“Yes I am,” he said.
“I briefly knew a female mutant on earth who reminded me of you. She looked like you, but more like a panda bear. She was with the group I was hiding out with when we got captured by FOH. In fact, we all called her Panda “ I don’t know what her real name was. A few of us fought back and I escaped, but she was fatally shot during the escape. I’m sorry to bring this up, it’s just that I didn’t know her for very long but something about you really reminded me of her. I’m sad that she’s gone”.
“I am very sad as well,” he said solemnly. “Though I did not know her, FOH’s treatment of mutants is nothing short of a tragedy”.
“That’s for sure”.
The one named Marrow then went up next to Moonstar. The two held hands and followed Magneto back to their ship. I stood there watching them and looking at their joined hands.
***
The Professor watched the large group disperse from the room. He felt chilled to his bones; even the heat from the fireplace did not warm him. His head throbbed and he suddenly felt very old. The serenity he had found here over the past several months had already drained.
He and Magneto exchanged a look before Magneto left to board his ship. “You mentioned your children,” Xavier began. “Where are they now?”
“I left them on the planet I mentioned earlier, the place to which I retreated,” he explained. “I wanted them to stay safe. We must take on FOH, but of course there will be danger”. With that, Magneto nodded, “Until tomorrow, Charles”.
As Magneto departed, Xavier saw Moira out of the corner of his eye. She looked as if she was going to follow Magneto back to his ship.
“Moira,” he began softly, “would you like to talk? I would also be happy to offer my listening ear to Siryn if she would like that as well”.
Moira gazed at the man she once loved passionately. She knew in her heart that she could not take another loss, could not open herself up to someone else after everything she had been through.
“Siryn doesna talk at all anymore, Charles,” she said, her voice chilly and barely above a whisper. “I think it would be best if I went to bed now. Thank you for the offer”.
“The offer is always extended to you and Siryn. If there is anything at all I can do to help ““
“Thank you, Charles. Goodnight”.
Moira turned and walked towards Magneto’s ship, Siryn mutely following. The Professor remained sitting by the fireplace for a long while.
***
“I wonder why Magneto rescued Moira and Siryn,” Storm pondered. She sat on her bed and removed her boots. “I suppose he knew that Siryn’s powers could be useful and he wanted to understand how FOH had replicated them. Perhaps he also wished to gain more leverage and credibility with us”.
Wolverine stood facing the door, his arms crossed.
“I’m gonna sleep outside tonight,” he said. “I hope it’s our last night on this planet before we get back”.
“I know you must be feeling restless and angry. Perhaps some time outdoors would do you good. Would you like company?”
Logan turned to face her. “I’m pissed off that we’re waitin’ here, thinking it over. We oughtta be headin’ back for earth this very second”.
Ororo gently touched a hand to his arm. “I know that it frustrates you. But Magneto has been our deadly foe for so long. We don’t trust him. Working with him could end up being a disaster”.
“I don’t think life for mutants could get any worse. You saw Moira! And her daughter”. Logan clenched a fist. “When I think of what they were gonna do to you and Jubilee and Jeanie…I can’t sit still and be okay with it!”
Ororo stepped closer to him but he pulled back. She saw the look in his eyes and noticed him trembling with rage.
“Maybe we could open up the Danger Room now,” Ororo suggested. “Give you an outlet for your understandable anger”. She knew that he would not be feeling calmed down for a while.
“No thanks, darlin’. I guess I need to be alone”.
Ororo nodded. “Call me on the communicator if you change your mind”. She wanted to tell him that if sex would make him feel better then she would be ready and willing. But once again, the proper words failed her and she marveled at how Logan could do that to her, cause her to question what to say.
After Logan departed, Ororo could not get to sleep. There was too much going on, and keeping the nerves and anticipation calm in her belly required a lot of effort. As she lay on her bed she watched the sun’s rays begin to paint the sky with the early light of morning. Ororo showered and then decided to fly around Haven, saying goodbye to its splendor as she, too, suspected that the X-men would not be here for much longer. She willed her eyes and her mind to commit each detail of the place to memory
During one of her overhead sweeps, she located her lover inside the forest. Ororo landed near him. He was sitting on a stump, looking at a creek.
“If you still wish to be alone, I will leave. I, um, I thought you might like some…well, some lovemaking though”.
Logan looked at her. He once again wondered how she could keep her emotions in check so well, how she could remain so calm. He was also stirred, as he always was, by her beauty.
“Only if it’s what *you* want”. He didn’t need to explain more than that. He inhaled the scents coming from her body and understood that she did, indeed, want it.
Storm deftly removed her blue, silk nightgown and stepped close to her lover. This time he didn’t pull back. Logan wrapped his arms around her and kissed her with passion and love.
***
Cyclops and Jean did not sleep for the remainder of that night either. They sat on their bed watching their son slumber peacefully. Cyclops was drinking coffee, a rare treat for him since it tended to irritate his stomach.
“It looks like one way or another the X-men are going back to earth,” Cyclops said. “I think the Professor and Magneto will reach some sort of agreement. Everyone was so shaken by what happened to Moira and her family…” he let his voice trail off.
“I agree,” Jean said, her voice equally soft and glum. “The mood in that room was definitely one of joining up with Magneto. Whether we trust him or not, I’m sure it’s what we’ll do”.
They looked at each other.
“It’s going to be a war,” Jean said. “We can’t bring our son into it”.
“Maybe you and he could stay on the ship and not go into combat? That might be the safest way”“
“Scott,” Jean cut him off. “We can’t put John in any sort of danger like that. Cloaking device or not, it’s too risky to bring the baby on the starship and bring him to earth when FOH runs everything. We can’t do that that to him”.
“You’re right. So are you thinking that you would stay here with him?” It was hard for Cyclops to keep his voice steady. He set his drink down and put his arms around his wife.
“I just don’t see any other option. This is a safe place. And John needs me. My powers would be useful on the mission but the Professor is a powerful telepath too. As is Emma Frost. So I am not crucial to this mission. Or this war,” she corrected herself.
Scott’s voice had a hint of desperation. “I want to stay here with you two. I can’t imagine being separated”.
“I know. But what do you think is best?”
Scott had known it would come to this. In the back of his mind, he had known as soon as Magneto had started talking with the group.
He was quiet for several moments. “The best thing for us, for our family, would be if I stayed here with you. But the best thing for mutants back on earth is if we do everything possible to make this mission a success. Which would include me playing a part in leading our team”.
Jean nodded. “I know. Like you, I suspected it would come to this as well”.
“I can’t imagine being apart from you and John. It feels like having my heart torn open! It was hard enough during the Phoenix saga, and I can’t imagine being parted again. And from John, he’s just a few days old and he hardly knows me”.
“It will be very hard,” Jean said soothingly. Her eyes were dewy with muted tears. “But it is better if you are there to lead the team. You’re such a strong and powerful leader”. She struggled to keep her voice from wavering. “Perhaps the battle “ or the war “ will not be a long one. Maybe we wouldn’t be apart for that long”.
“Maybe. We just don’t know though. FOH is so powerful. It could be months or years, if we are even able to defeat them at all”.
“And all this time, I’ll be back here, not knowing how you are! We have a psychic bond but…but is it strong enough that we’ll be able to sense each other so far away?” By now, the tears were cascading down Jean’s face.
“Maybe there’s another way. Maybe you and John really could come with us. If we keep the ship cloaked at all times….”
“I’ve thought about that, Scott, I really have. It’s so tempting. But we just don’t know what we’ll face on earth. For all we know, they might develop the technology to sense our cloak by the time we get there. If anything happened to our son, would we ever forgive ourselves? Can you imagine what FOH would do to him? He must stay safe at all costs. And he’s a newborn who needs his mother if he’s to survive”.
“You’re right,” Scott said. Despite his years of practiced control, he was having trouble keeping his voice steady now too. “We just can’t bring him with, and he needs you here with him. At least when I’m fighting FOH, I’ll have one consolation. I’ll know you and John are safe here. That will help”.
Jean didn’t add the fact that she would spend every moment of her existence worried about Scott while he was away. Instead she let herself cry freely now, and Scott held her tenderly as the tears flowed out unfettered.
***
Not long after the sun rose, word started circulating that the X-men would be having a meeting early in the morning. It made sense. I didn’t think anyone had slept the night before. I had managed maybe an hour or two. I never knew Moira or her family that well, but I felt ill and terrified on their behalf. We had to stop FOH.
After I’d showered and dressed, I sought out Storm. I found her, walking next to Wolverine as they emerged from the woods.
“Um, hi guys,” I said. I started feeling very awkward all of a sudden, just because I could tell from their general disheveled state what they had been up to. Storm, especially, had that flushed face look. Wolverine was undressed from the waist up. “I’m sorry if I’m bothering you. I was just hoping I could talk to you for a second, Storm”.
“You’re never a bother, Bobby. We can talk right now if you’d like”. She glanced at Wolverine. “Is it of a private matter?”
“Well, no, not really,” I said, falling into step beside them. “I was just wondering that if the X-men do go back to earth with Magneto “ which I’m guessing we will “ what about Alpha Flight? Will we plan to meet up with them? Some of them might want to join us in fighting against FOH”.
“And of course one of our own, Angel, is with them,” Storm added. “I am certain that we will want to meet up with them and ask if any would like to join us”.
“Where’d you think they’re at now?” Wolverine asked.
“If their mission’s going as planned, they should be near earth now,” I offered. “So maybe we’ll meet them as they’re returning to Haven and we’re on our way to Earth. But I know that space is really really big”.
“With the Professor’s help, we should be able to sense them,” Storm said. “Do not worry, Bobby. I know you are eager to be reunited with Northstar and we will do all we can to ensure that you are reunited. No one will question that “ and of course we’d like to get Angel back and see if anyone in Alpha Flight will want to join us”.
“We’ll need all the help we can get,” Wolverine said. “This is gonna be the fight of our lives”.
I got the assurance I needed, so I thanked them and left. I had wanted to talk to one of our leaders beforehand just to get a sense of that sort of thing. I then went to the kitchen to get something to eat and saw Rogue there.
“Good morning,” I said.
“’Mornin’ sugar,” she greeted me. She looked only half awake. “Meeting’s in 35 minutes. I’m bringin’ coffee to Gambit. Hope that’ll wake him up. Man can sleep through anything, don’t know how I’m gonna get him to this meetin’”.
“He just should’ve stayed up all night,” I said. “He’s done it in the past”. Then I got serious. I knew standing here alone with Rogue in the kitchen that this might be my only chance to say what needed to be said today. “I, um, was sorry to hear about Mystique. I wanted to offer my condolences to you”.
It sounded stiff and formal but it was the best I could come up with. These things are never easy.
“Thanks, sugar,” she said, and then hugged me. I was a bit surprised at that. “I’m doin’ okay. Maybe her poor soul will find more comfort in the next world than this world. Though she’s probably givin’ ole Lucifer a scare right bout now!”
I smiled and chatted with her for a minute before she took the coffee to Gambit. She seemed fine, and I resolved to find Kurt and say a few words to him too.
***
The Professor had used his communicator to invite Moira and Siryn to the meeting the X-men were having that morning. He had expected them to decline but was surprised when he sensed Moira walking through the building’s main entrance.
“Would you like some breakfast, Moira? I didn’t get a chance to show you around the place last night,” Xavier said.
“No thank you, Charles. With the time we’ve been keeping aboard Magneto’s ship, it’s the middle of the afternoon for us right now”.
“Ah, yes, jet lag,” he responded, observing that he felt tongue-tied. “Is Siryn coming to the meeting?”
“No. She decided to stay in her room. She doesna leave it too much “ it took all my effort to get her off the ship with everyone else last night”.
“Moira, I…I was wondering whether you would like us to have a memorial service for your husband and son. You might ““
“No thank you, Charles,” Moira said, abruptly turning away from him. “Will the meeting be in the same room as last night?”
“Yes. I will show you the way”.
***
The X-men assembled in the large room with the fireplace. Their emotions were a mixture of excitement, anticipation, outrage, and fear, tempered by general grogginess.
“I have been thinking about what Magneto said last night,” the Professor began. “I, of course, have some thoughts regarding it but I want to hear from all of you first”.
“Actually, Professor,” Jean began, “maybe you should share your thoughts with us first. You know him better than any of the rest of us”.
Upon seeing a few nods at Jean’s words, Xavier replied, “Very well then. I have grave reservations about our ability to trust Magneto. However those reservations are outweighed, in my mind, by the need to return to earth and stop FOH. What I believe we should do is talk with Magneto and attempt to get more specifics. I believe we should take him up on his offer to give us dilithium, and we should require that we take our own ship “ as he said last night. I think we should talk with him about what tactics we can plan to use when we reach earth, keeping in mind that reaching an exact agreement with him on this may be difficult”.
The X-men looked at each other.
“You could not have summarized better my views on this quandary,” Hank said.
“Yes, I agree as well,” Storm said.
Cyclops looked around the room and interpreted the others’ looks as agreement. “Does anyone have any differing views?”
No one did. Cyclops then added, “There is something that Jean and I would like to share with everyone”.
From the tone of Cyclops’s voice, the Professor knew what he was going to say. He had guessed that the couple would have no choice should these circumstances arise.
“I will be staying here, with the baby,” Jean said. “I will miss all of you very, very much”.
Heather Hudson sat in the room with her baby as well. “So it will be you and me, Jean, along with our babies left here?”
Jean tilted her head. “I guess there’s no choice, is there? It’s too risky to bring them with. We just can’t expose our children to potential danger like that”.
“I agree”.
“Cyke,” Wolverine began, “you could stay here with Jean and the baby. You don’t haveta be separated”.
Cyclops’s reply sounded a bit wooden. “I feel so strongly that defeating FOH is one of the most important missions we ever had or ever will have. I’m compelled to be there and to co-lead the team”. His voice then softened. “As wrenching as it will be for me to be apart from my wife and son”.
After some silence and a bit more discussion, Xavier requested Magneto’s presence in the room. As the X-men waited, they talked. Jubilee sat, still sleepy, watching the others. She saw Moira sitting next to the Professor, not speaking to anyone.
`Wow,’ Jubilee thought to herself. `Moira was a total brainbox, and she was always with it. Now she just looks like an empty shell. God, that could’ve been *me*’. Jubilee looked down and squeezed her eyes shut. Moira’s son and husband had been killed by FOH, which was bad enough. But Jubilee shuddered at the thought of what else FOH had done to Moira and Siryn. `Repeatedly,’ Jubilee reminded herself. `And we barely escaped from that last time’. She had to remind herself of her duty as an X-men though a large part of her wished she had a valid reason to remain on Haven with Jean and Heather.
“You cold, my dear? I bring you some tea,” Colossus said quietly.
“No, it’s okay,” Jubilee said. “I’m fine”. She also wanted to add, ‘Quit acting like I’m your girlfriend just ‘cause we’re sleeping together “ and I don’t like tea anyway’ but couldn’t think of a polite way to say that to the very gentle person.
***
Magneto joined us after not long at all. He sat down next to the Professor and they talked. I don’t think I’ll rehash the whole thing for you. Basically the two were like, yeah we don’t totally trust each other but we need to bring down FOH. Magneto again reiterated that he’d give us plenty of dilithium and that we could take our own ship.
“And when we get to earth “ then what?” the Professor asked. “All-out war is not acceptable to me “ any plan where innocent bystanders could be killed is not acceptable”.
“I knew that you would say that, Charles. And I believe so strongly in the need for us to work together that I have thought of a few ideas for you to consider during our trip back to earth. We could infiltrate FOH’s headquarters and use their communications equipment to broadcast messages showing the truth about their plans and what they have done to mutants”. He paused. “My other plan is for you, Charles, to use your powers and enter the minds of FOH leaders, world leaders, and ordinary citizens to convince them that mutants mean them no harm and to show them what FOH has done”.
“I am sure you know that I do not care for your second idea. But I am quite impressed with your first. I cannot tell if you are describing these more peaceful tactics only because you know I will approve of them. But I can tell you, Magnus, that if we reach earth and you engage in tactics that cause havoc and harm citizens, or if you torture any FOH soldiers, my team will fight you first before any of us can do anything about FOH”.
“Understood”.
I was actually surprised that the Professor didn’t look even more strongly opposed to Magneto’s second idea of using telepathy. But then I glanced at Moira and reminded myself of the reason. I looked at the Professor again and wondered if he was a bit heartbroken. I think he was.
So that was basically it. The Professor, Storm, and Cyclops looked at each other. “X-men, pack your bags,” the Professor said. He gave us a departure time that left less than five hours on Haven.
Then I looked at Jean and Scott again. I was giddy at the thought of getting to possibly see Northstar sooner, but I wasn’t insensitive to my teammates’ pain either. Obviously the Professor wasn’t the only heartbroken one.
***
Wolverine spent his last few hours on Haven bidding it farewell. Though not a sentimental man, he loved nature and knew he would miss Haven’s thick forest, grassy field, and clean lake. He was eager for battle, eager to take down FOH. As he walked through the forest, he appreciated the serenity he had experienced on Haven even as he looked forward to a fight, a victory.
Logan knew that he was trading the carefree life on Haven for a month and a half of schedules and bridge duty shifts on board Victory, walled up inside the metallic ship every day. At least he would have Storm with him to help make the days go by more pleasantly.
He would miss Jean, he contemplated, as he walked. She was not his and never would be, but he still liked her presence “ her smile, her stunning beauty, her sense of humor. That was one thing he wished he could change about Ororo; she had a more serious demeanor than Jean. But he was content with Ororo and glad for her love. In fact, he realized as he continued to say silent farewells to Haven, he would not trade Ororo for Jean even if the choice had been his.
Logan wished that he had a camera. His surroundings for the next six weeks would be comprised of metal and machines instead of lakes and sky. And then, a battle “ one which could last for months or even years. One that the X-men had to win.
***
//Moira, as you know we will be departing in less than an hour. Would you and Siryn like to move your belongings to our ship and travel with us back to earth?//
The Professor had not seen Moira since the meeting, which she had abruptly left, so he contacted her telepathically.
//I dona think so, Charles. Siryn doesna leave her room much. It is better if we stay here.//
Xavier understood. Moira had lost too much for her to seek out the companionship of others. Isolation and solitude were useful in preventing someone from getting one’s heart ripped open again.
//If you change your mind, please do let me know. Magneto has given us a good supply of dilithium, so we could use a shuttle to transport you from his ship to ours.//
Moira did not respond.
***
We hauled our bags and belongings from the building back to Victory. Nightcrawler offered his teleportation services to anyone who needed it but most of us didn’t have that much to carry. Storm, Rogue, and Wolverine had loaded Victory with the dilithium that Magneto had given us.
I had a lump in my throat at leaving Haven. I had met Jean Paul here, the Professor had been healed here “ it was such a peaceful place. Who knew when we would be back?
Jean and Cyclops had spent the hours leading up to our departure alone together. So we didn’t see Jean until our final boarding when she came out to say goodbye to the rest of the team. I felt my insides quiver just looking at her; it was obvious that she’d been crying. We hugged goodbye but didn’t say much. I felt that every second she spent with another X-man was a second she’d rather have had with her husband, and who could blame her for wanting to use every last minute of dwindling time with Cyclops?
Out of the corner of my eye, I did see Jean spending a bit more time with the Professor, Hank, and Storm “ the ones who I guessed she was closest to after Cyclops. I couldn’t really read Cyclops’s expression as he stood by. It’s hard to see what is under those glasses, but his jaw looked set and stern and he seemed to be standing more stiffly than usual.
Magneto’s team had spent most of their brief time at Haven aboard their ship, which I learned they called The Prevail. I was glad that unsavory losers like Pyro and Avalanche had stayed out of our way. There was talk that perhaps Magneto had tightly leashed his group, so to speak, so as to make the task of convincing us to come with him easier.
But two members of his team walked down The Prevail’s ramp and over to us while Jean was saying her goodbyes to the team. They were Marrow and Moonstar. They each held a duffle bag and walked up to Storm.
“Can we come with you guys?” Marrow asked. It sounded a bit abrupt to me; I didn’t think she’d even said hello.
“We’d like to learn more about this whole X-man thing. It seems like you have a really cool team,” Moonstar said. “We promise not to cause any trouble. Magneto said it’s okay, and if you do get tired of us he said he’d send a shuttle so you could return us to him if you wanted to”.
“Maybe you could train us to fight too,” Marrow said. “Magneto’s a good talker but he doesn’t have a clue how to actually *train* someone. But Emma said that you guys do know what to do”.
I saw Wolverine looking at the young women. He said, “We do need trained fighters. Nothin’ whips people into shape better than our Danger Room”.
Storm looked at the Professor. The Professor gave a tiny nod, which made me wonder if he had done some sort of brief scan of their minds.
“I do not see why not,” I heard Storm answer.
But Forge was standing nearby and he said, “We would have a problem with personnel quarters though,” he said. “Remember, there are only twelve officer quarters. Angel isn’t with us on this trip, but the Professor will be using the room that was his before”.
Forge was right. During our trip to Haven, the comatose Professor hadn’t had his own room since he’d been in sick bay the entire time. So each of the twelve officer rooms was occupied. I was wondering if Storm and Wolverine would offer to share a room, when Marrow spoke up.
“Your ship’s got the same layout as The Prevail,” Marrow said. “Dani and I can sleep in the troop barracks”.
The barracks was basically a huge room that contained lots of bunk beds and a bathroom down the hall “ apparently where FOH had intended its rank and file to sleep. It was far from the officer quarters that we inhabited and even more sparse, if that was possible. There really was nothing else in it except for bunk beds and a few shelves. The one time I’d looked through them, the word that had popped into my head had been “dingy”, though Victory had never actually been inhabited by any FOH soldiers so I don’t know where the shabbiness would have come from.
“That would be fine,” Storm said.
“Yay!” Moonstar said. “Thank you”. She had a really nice smile, and I was glad that she’d be with us for the trip. She just didn’t seem like she belonged with Magneto’s people. She looked sincere and laid back.
Marrow, on the other hand, just didn’t look that friendly. I couldn’t remember ever seeing her smile and she often looked bored too. Maybe I was weirded out by those bones growing right through her skin but she just didn’t seem personable.
Colossus carried one of his paintings up the ramp to the ship. He left the sunset painting in the foyer of the building but was taking his portrait of the lake at dawn with him.
Anyway, there wasn’t much to it after that. We boarded the ship, communicated with Magneto over subspace, set the coordinates, and warped towards earth. We set up a bridge duty schedule and a training schedule, and I was assigned to both - same as any other X-man. For my first bridge duty shift, Forge said he would sit with me and train me. Hank added that it wasn’t hard and he was sure I could do it.
The first night in my room on Victory was weird and it took me a while to fall asleep as my mind tried to process all the sensory changes. We’d been on Haven for more than five months, after all. My room on Victory had a small window, as did all the Officer quarters we X-men slept in. But instead of looking out and seeing trees or the lake as I had on Haven, now all that stared back at me was darkness interspersed with a few bright but distant stars. Haven had been fairly quiet other than the chirping of birds but now there was the constant hum of Victory’s engines as background noise. And space was really cold; the temperature on board the ship would never be as balmy as on Haven. I liked the cold but tended to wear a jacket or sweater most of the time on the ship.
I hoped we’d reach the Maple Leaf soon. Despite all the excitement, first and foremost on my mind was the Quebecer I’d fallen for. I prayed that Jean Paul and the rest of Alpha Flight had been safe on earth and hadn’t encountered any problems.
TO BE CONTINUED
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