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CELEBRATING 2 YEARS OF VISIONS
VISIONS 2nd ANNIVERSARY: What does that mean? It means we've been around for 2 years!!!! Woohoo! Through the time, we've changed from a small one title fan fiction group, Vision Comics, to Visions a 3 book, and always growing universe that is making its own rules very quickly. It hasn't been an easy ride, I'll admit, but we've managed through our catastrophes (can anyone say Unpredictable X-Force?), and came out stronger than before. We continue to grow, with the debut of a new series, X-Factor in couple of weeks, and one more series before the new millennium, which I know will be a shock. I've seen many fan fic universes fall apart after 6 months of functioning, but we're not like that, we've been around for 2 years, with what I think is a constant fan base, and believe us, we are in no way thinking of stopping, especially now that we're getting to the interesting stuff. If you maybe haven't been much interested in our writing before, then now is your chance to check it again, because we are about to turn over a totally new leaf, and with it, will come stories like we've never told before. I hope you've enjoyed the ride as much as I have, and I hope to see you down the line, because well, we're just getting started! As always remember, if you like us, hate us, think we could improve, let us know. As someone once said, "feedback to a writer, is like water to a flower." Well think of us as a garden in a constant need of watering. You have the power! :)
Of course, we would not be able to get this far without support of certain people, who in one way or another, have helped us in the past, either if it was through archiving our stories, beta reading, helping out, giving inspiration, whatever. I would like to officially thank each and one of you, and I hope I'm not missing anyone. If I am, let me know so I can kick myself in the head. Without further ado, thank you:
Darqstar, Christine Demearth, Lady Phoenix, Reuben M. "Supereub", Samy Merchi, Kingbob, Jfive, Cloud, Jason Kenney, Jenna, Susan the Neon Nurse, Link, queenB, Midnight, Sandi Bowser, Jaque Koh, Alara Rogers, Indigo, OTL, ACFF, Sean Duggan, Tangerine, Lia Brown, Raven Adams, Rogue, Joe Kelly, Steven Seagle, Chris Bachalo, Kurt Busiek and Mark Waid
May 1999
VISIONS CELEBRATES 2 YEARS IN BUSINESS WITH A SPECIAL TALE TITLED: "PRESENT TENSE" The Story of a man known as Magneto! Told by: Tom Beta Read by: Link With much thanks to Alara Rogers for amazing help with Magneto's history.
I am not sure how, but suddenly it hits me. I know who they are, and how I met them. I can remember, faintly at first, but soon the images become more vivid, and suddenly all is clear. I remember those days, when I acted like I had a mind, and when I realized how much I was hurting people. After making amends with my best and only friend, Charles Xavier, and helping him defeat the being known as Beyonder, I decided that if I could be a man of honour again, I had to turn myself in. There I was, the mighty Magneto, standing trial before the world. They were shocked, and to some extent so was I. But it felt right, and at that time I would have done anything to atone for all the damage I have caused. All the suffering and pain dealt by my hand alone.
I remember standing in that room, before the judge, appointed by the United Nations Organization, as I was trialed for crimes against mankind. Charles, and his old love and my old friend, Gabriele Haller stood by my side, defending me, trying to convince the world that I had understood my mistakes, and that I was willing to change, to accept any punishment. The offense was tough, and the man, I can't quite place his name right now, everything is still fuzzy, brought up all the dirt he could find on me. Unfortunately, we never got a fair trial.
As my trial went on, subsequently, serial places were attacked such as a military base in Poland, and a hospital in Paris. The attackers were unseen, but every time they left a message painted on the wall. I can remember seeing it on the news clearly, "Free Magneto-- X-Men." Of course, it was not the X-Men who caused such mayhem, but not many people believed them. As it later turned out, it was the twins who had been destroying X-Men's name. Unfortunately, I was their real target.
They turned up in the middle of my trial, and attacked furiously. I remember now, how I saw them for the first time, dressed up in costumes, and straight away I knew I had seen them before. Only later, I would find out that I had indeed known their father, Baron Stuker, a Nazi from World War II, who Charles and I fought in Israel before he founded Hydra, one of the deadliest terrorist groups around. Right now, I can remember how stupid I felt when they blew the floor from under me, and how we fell to the lower levels of the court building. We quickly managed to defeat Fenris, they were untrained and of little threat, and just as we were to hand them over to the authorities, Charles had a heart attack. Fenris joined their mischievous hands together, creating energy that if used properly could cut buildings in half.
Fenris brought the walls down, and water sprayed everywhere, I remember seeing Charles struggling and I knew he wasn't going to survive. I caught him and we somehow we made it to surface, but it was too late, he was dying. It was then, the turning point of my life, when Charles asked me to lead his New Mutants, after his death. In the rush of the moment I agreed, though I knew I was not the man for the job. But if this was Charles's last request, then I would comply with it. Fortunately, Lilandria turned up, saying she could save Charles's life if she took him back to Shi'ar. It wasn't much of a choice, Charles disappeared, but not before he got my word that I would keep the promise that I made to him, that I would take care of his New Mutants. And because he didn't show a sign of life for months, and didn't return for a year, that was exactly what I did, and I failed, or so I heard.
Thinking about it, if not for Fenris, I would probably never become the headmaster of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Had they really changed my life so much? I never really gave it this much thought. Maybe, maybe if my memories would go further I could fully answer that question. Unfortunately, the flashback ends as soon as I take over the New Mutants. I have to admit, this is the most vivid scene I have ever remembered, and considering the timing, that has to mean something. What, I will probably never find out. The pounding at the back of my head grows stronger, and stronger and I am starting to hear voices in front of me. I think I am coming around....
***
As I slowly open my eyes, my throat is dry and my lungs feel like I have just smoked a entire packet of cigarettes at once. ^It must be the effect of Black Lotus,^ I think as I remember the poisonous flower which only grows in Savage Land and if inhaled by people, it puts people into a state of unconsciousness. Too bad Fenris got their hands on it.
As my vision returns, I notice that my arms are tied to the chair I'm sitting on and I'm wearing a strange costume, that after a while, becomes strangely familiar. ^It is my old Magneto costume.^ I think looking at it in terror. Yep, there it is, dark purple and dark red, only thing missing is the helmet, which was hideous anyway, now that I think of it. Unfortunately, my head is not left unprotected. I'm wearing something that I can only describe as a wired helmet, with the fashion sense of the 30's. Oh God, and what are those wires for?
Now that I understood my situation, I look around. I know I'm sitting tied to a chair with a bunch of wires tied to my head, wearing my old Magneto costume. Now, I find out that I'm in the core of a large round room, and that X-Men and Anne Marie are chained to the walls around me, their heads down low, each one of them waking up from being drugged like me. I can see the anger from far away in Bishop's eyes. He was the leader today, and he failed, and got us captured. I know it's my fault, and if we ever get out of this, I'm going to have to apologize deeply and convince him it wasn't his fault. If we get out...
I try to open my mouth to speak, but no sound comes. The Black Lotus must have gotten me badly. Finally I mange to mumble a few words, with great effort.
"Wh..a. Where... am... I?" I can just barley hear my own voice.
"Joseph, ya're awake!!" Rogue shouts from where she's chained. "Thank Gwad. Are you okay?" It is more than just curiosity in her tone, that woman has feelings for me. Or unless she used to.... when I was Magneto. And I'm not Magneto now, but there was still something between us. Suddenly my head hurts again.
"That is none of your business, Rogue, and if I were you, I'd keep your mouth shut," comes a evil female voice from my left. It's Andrea Stucker, one of the Fenris. She was always evil and corrupt, much more powerful than her brother. He always was a coward. If she didn't need him to generate the energy, she would have dumped him long ago.
She looks down on me like I'm scum, like I'm the thing she hates most in her life. Daddy taught her well. "So, Magneto you're finally awake. I must say it is incredibly pleasing to see you so humiliated. Ha!" She laughs out loud to herself. "The mighty Magneto, Master of Magnetism, tied to a chair. You know once we've done with you, I'm going to enjoy kil..."
She doesn't finish her sentence because Rogue yells out behind her. "What do you want from him?! Haven't you learned from the last time? You will never be able to defeat him!"
When she turns around I can see anger and furry building in her eyes. Bad move Rogue.
Andrea stormed up to Rogue and looked down at her in disgust. "I have told you to keep your mouth shut once scum. I WILL NOT REPEAT MYSELF!" With that cry of rage, she brings her foot up straight into Rogue's stomach. The poor girl can't defend herself, her arms are tied to the wall by chains. Andrea seems out of control, and she keeps kicking Rogue in the head and stomach leaving painful marks after each bow. No one says anything, they just watch helplessly pulling at their chains uselessly.
"Andrea stop wasting your time on her, we've got work to do!" calls a voice from behind me. I don't even have to turn around to know it's her brother, Andreass. She pauses her torture of Rogue, and looks up at her brother, I can see her eyes are empty, and she's no longer in control. Effects of Nazi upbringing I suppose. For a moment I think she's going to loose it and lash out at her brother, but as suddenly as it disappeared it returns, and her gaze mellows slightly.
"Never, ever order me around brother." She finally says walking away from the bruised Rogue. He got off easy. "Now let's get back to work."
I want to look at her, ask her if she's okay, but I can't. I hang my head low and stare at the ground. This is all my fault.
***
Mexico
The beam left his visor like a lightning and struck the door in front of him, knocking it out with a loud bang. As the dust settled he stood there, watching as a strange feeling overcame him. Something was not right here. He couldn't quite work out what it was.
"Okay we've got an entrance. Now let's go, and remember, stick together and look in every direction. There could be Prime Sentinels anywhere," Cyclops said slowly walking into the Hulkbuster Base.
"Cyclops, don't you think maybe we should split up? That way we could cover more ground and surely we can manage any Sentinels, even if we're split up," Cannonball asked from behind. He was hoping Cyclops would at least consider his suggestion.
"No Sam, as I said we stick together, the Sentinels are dangerous and we can't take any chances," Cyclops replied as he continued walking down the endless corridor.
^Of course dismiss any of my suggestions, whatever they are, just because I'm young. I'm getting tired of this.^ Sam thought.
As soon as Phoenix, Beast, Iceman and Cannonball were inside the complex Cyclops stopped and turned around. "Jean I want you to check for any life forms, humans or Prime Sentinels. We know they are part human so you should be able to pick up some slight trace of life in them."
"Consider it done," Jean said as he concentrated on searching the whole base.
Scott stood there, watching her every move, thinking just how much she'd changed since he first met her. And especially now, after Professor fell into a coma. She had mood swings, she was using her powers in a more advanced way, and now to top it all off, she changed her costume into something that looked like the one she wore during their X-Factor days. What was going on with her? ^Is she not telling me something. If so, what?^ Scott wondered.
"I can't feel anything." Jean's voice brought him back to reality. "But that could mean that Bastion put blocking devices here, and knowing him, he probably did. So unless there's someone within the range of hundred meters I won't be able to detect them."
"Okay Jean, keep a constant look out for anything close to us, and meanwhile we'll move toward the computer center, and if I remember correctly, it's just a couple of blocks away. Let's go."
They began moving down the corridor, Cyclops standing behind Iceman and Beast on his ice platform, Phoenix and Cannonball following them.
"Man I never imagined this place was so big." Bobby said as they passed enormous abandoned rooms.
"That's because you've never been here, Bobby. Believe me we're only seeing a fraction of the building here," Cyclops answered. "And if our calculations are right, the computer center should be right.... here," he said pointing in front of himself as they turned a corner.
And there it was, straight before them, a massive screen that was the size of about half a football filed with numerous endless controls underneath. "Hank, I believe you know what to do with these," Cyclops said as he pointed at the computers in front of him.
"Of course my fearless leader. I only pray that I was here to use these computers instead of destroy them. Are you sure we can't take them home?" Beast said looking back Cyclops hopefully.
"No Hank, as I said we are here to find, retrieve and destroy any information that Bastion had. I suggest you start now," Cyclops answered.
^Hmm, Scott's not really himself today, what's bothering him?^ Hank thought as he bounced over to the computers in front of him. His inner thoughts were not shown, however by his actions. "Of course Cyclops, your favourite blue furball will get to work at once. I understand the rest of you is going to watch my back in case the millennium bug wants to bite?" Hank chuckled to himself at his own joke which no one else seemed to get.
"Yes, me and Jean will stay here. Bobby, you and Sam will have to deploy explosives around the complex. I've already given you the map so you know which way to go. Jean will be in constant telepathic contact with you. Also make sure that you look around to see if there are any people around. I know Jean said the base is empty, but there could be telepathic shields put up. As soon as you're done, return here. Is that clear?"
"Sure, Cyke, now if you could sit down before you get tired of standing up so straight." Bobby joked as he began forming an ice platform and putting explosives on it.
"Very funny, Bobby, now go," Cyclops answered turning around.
Iceman began sliding down the corridor laughing to himself, followed by Cannonball who said nothing but his grim face revealed just what he was thinking. He didn't like being Cyclops's bum boy.
Scott himself began walking up to Hank when Jean stopped him. "What's wrong Scott?" she simply asked looking him straight in the eyes.
"Nothing's wrong Jean," Scott said trying to side step her.
"Don't lie to me Scott. I know something's wrong with you, it shows through your behaviour."
"Nothing is wrong, Jean. Now if you don't mind I've got a job to do. And you need to keep in contact with Bobby and Sam as well." With those words Scott walked around Jean and came up to Hank.
Jean looked at him. He was ignoring her. Why? Was it because of their recent arguments? She thought they settled the power problem long ago. ^Fine have it your way, you want to be a snob, I'll be a snob too.^
"So Hank what have you found?" Scott asked leaning over Beast's shoulder.
"Well to put it literally, nothing. The whole database is wiped. And it seems that only Bastion was able to do such thing," Hank answered with a sigh.
"So then that means that he erased everything before he died? Well at least the information won't leak anywhere," Scott said straightening up.
"You haven't heard the best part yet," Hank said turning to face Cyclops. "The database was wiped a month after Bastion died."
***
Xavier's Institute for Higher Learning, Salem Center, NY
The empty hallways of the newly rebuilt mansion stand silent as no one occupied the building. No one conscious that is.
In the lower basement levels of the mansion is a high tech center, built mostly from alien Shi'ar technology the underground center has got everything, hangar bays, training rooms, meeting rooms, labs and medical centers. Right now one of these medical rooms is occupied by Charles Francis Xavier, the founder of the school, and the secret organization, the X-Men who live in this very mansion.
Xavier has been in a coma for the past couple of months, after his fight with the mutant hating Bastion. Prior to that Xavier was being held captive by Bastion himself, after he surrendered to the authorities for destroying half of New York and killing the Avengers and Fantastic Four as Onslaught. Bastion held him because he thought he had some connections to the X-Men, who he hated and wanted to destroy.
Then, we he found out that Xavier was the actual founder of X-Men and he transported him to the mansion, so he could see the destruction that Bastion was doing to his dream. It was there where X-Men managed to break out and this was when Xavier, together with one of Gen. X's newest student, Elizabeth fought Bastion and won. He managed to pull the young girl away from the wreckage that used to be his mansion, and fell into a coma over using his powers to such a large extent, not to mention his sudden ability to walk.
Since then he's been in a coma, in one of the medical rooms, always being checked on by one of his X-Men. Every day they came in a hoped that their mentor would wake up, and every day they went away disappointed, hope of him waking up fading with every day. How unfortunate it is, that on a day when the mansion is completely empty, Charles Xavier awakes.
***
Savage Land
After a while, they return to the main room. Rogue is alright by now, fortunately Andrea didn't manage to do any serious damage, and a few bruises should heal quickly. If we ever get out.
They approach me slowly, dressed in the same green/black/red costumes they wore when I first met them. With Andreass's hair cut short and Andera's grown long again, they look exactly the same as they did then, and I'm suddenly experiencing deja vu.
"So, Magneto we meet again," Andreass says a wide grin spread across his face.
"Don't call me that! I am not the man you want, this is a big misunderstanding." I lash out of the sudden. They are surprised, for a while, but only a while.
"Oh believe us, this is in no way a misunderstanding. We have the right man, all you need is some of your memories and you'll be perfect," Andrea answers, and a cold chill runs down my back. Memories?
"What do you mean?"
"I suppose the word Maelstorm doesn't tell you much does it?"
"No, it doesn't," I answer. I've got a bad feeling about this.
"Well let us fill you in," Andreass says grinning evilly one again. "Years ago, as Magneto you discovered a cache of technology, capable of creating a humanoid! You used that technology to create Mutant Alpha who deaged you to a mere child, and much, much later you created all these mutants here, in Savage Land using that technology, the Maelstorm technology!"
"Up until recently, all this technology was kept right here, in this citadel," Andrea continued. "But it's gone. You hid it somewhere Magneto, before your mind was wiped, and we want to know where it is Magneto. Just imagine the things we could do with it. Creating a whole army of humanoids would be just the beginning, the world would be ours!"
"I don't see what you want from me, Fenris. I might have hid that technology somewhere, but I have no idea where, all of my memory's gone."
"Exactly. That is why we broke into the SHIELD headquarters and stole information about you. We searched each of your known old bases but didn't find it. So we came here, and attacked your Acolytes. We let one of them escape so she could get you. We knew you would come here to save your people, and fall straight into our trap." She took a deep breath and looked around to make sure everyone was listening.
"So we could capture you and return your memory!"
"W..w..what?!!!" I choke out, fully surprised. I hear X-Men and Anne gasp in surprise in the distance.
"You heard us. We will return your memory to you. It's really easy after all and then once we know where Maelstorm technology is... we'll kill you."
"But... but you can't, return my memory, I've been trying to avoid that happening, if my memory returns then so will my wrongdoings."
"Like we really care about that. You'll be dead. Now, we've wasted too much time talking already. Let's get started." Andrea turns on her heel, a wide smile on her face and she's followed by her brother as they walk up to a set of controls I can see in the corner of the room. All that, however is just a blur to me, as Andrea's words still sing in my mind. Return your memories. The event that I had been trying so hard to avoid ever since I've joined X-Men. I've been afraid that once my memories would return, so would my twisted and crazy psyche, and once again I would be the unstoppable Master of Magnetism. That was the thing I feared the most, and right now, Fenris are making that nightmare a reality. I try to pull at the straps holding me down, but with no use they are too strong. I call out for my powers, but they too do not answer. I'm helpless and hopeless against Fenris. I see Andrea pulling a lever down, activating the machine, and electricity runs along the wires which are connected to the helmet I'm wearing. As they reach the target, my brain is electrified with thunders of energy, and I scream like I've never screamed before.
The machine is an electrical amplifier sending large amounts of electricity to the brain. Once inside, the electrical shocks ambush the nerve cells in the frontal area of the cortex, awakening the RNA acids in the protein material which store memories. Just then, as the recall process begins, and finds nothing on the surface, the subject is shown snippets of his old memories, recorded in some form, to increase the recall volume. The recall area suddenly finds the memory that the subject is being shown, buried deep inside the protein material, and remembers it. Once one memory is found, a chain reaction begins, with memories returning all at once, and subject remembering all of his actions in the past.
That's a scientific explanation which doesn't mean much to Fenris as they acquired the machinery without having a slightest idea how it works. All they want to see are results. And results they're getting.
Joseph's scream filled the room as first of the electrical shocks hit his brain. The sound of X-Men calling out to him and trying to break free were silenced by Joseph's howling scream of pain. "We've got to do something!" Rogue shouted to Gambit who was next to her.
"I wish I could chere, but I ain't goin' nowhere. These chains don' even have locks. Don' look like this time I'll be able to break us loose," he shouted back over Joseph's screaming.
"Well, well what do you know. It is working," Andrea said to herself smiling. "Andreass, I think it's time we played Magneto those tapes we stole from SHIELD."
As Andreass pressed few buttons a large screen appeared before Joseph's eyes. After few seconds an old video footage began rolling, straight before him. He tired to close his eyes but the terrible pain from the electricity totally stunned him, and he stared straight forward, as he watched himself, almost ten years ago, attacking Cape Citadel.
His mouth dropped in disbelief as he watched himself attacking the X-Men, as he watched his face, with no humanity, with no feelings, a face of a raged animal.
And then, it began. The footage hit home and the recall process began, drilling into his brain and pulling out memories like weeds, making Joseph loose his voice and the room suddenly fell silent as everyone watched him pull on his straps and wrench in his chair.
"They're returning! They're really returning!" Andreass called out excited.
"Put them on the big screen so we can see them." Andrea told her brother as she turned around to face the screen. It went blank for a while and then vivid images of Magneto's past began appearing.
***
FLASH!
A young boy ran down the street, his eyes full of tears, his white hair ruffled, his gray shirt ripped. He was being chased by a group of people his age, no more than ten years old, welding baseball bats and fists. The boy turned around to notice his attackers getting closer and he clenched his teeth and fists to continue running. But the crowd was catching up fast with him, and his lungs were running out of air. His foot slipped and he fell to the ground, face first into mud.
The crowd was at him in a mere moment, bashing him wherever they could, shouting swear words to describe the scum they were cleansing.
FLASH!
A slightly older boy, around the age of 13, stands in a line, facing a deep ditch in front of him. He clenches to his mother, standing next to him, tears of dread in both of their eyes. People all around them are doing similar things, each clinging to their children and loved ones as the soldiers behind them, begin to aim. The young boy looks around in devastation, not understanding what is happening and why it's happening. He's wearing a large white six pointed star on his chest, pinned to him with force to recognize his nationality.
He hears shots and turns around to see soldiers, their swastika bearing arms raised as they fired round after round of ammunition, killing people one by one. The young boy looks to his right and he sees people falling into the ditch nearer and nearer him. He bursts to tears holding on to his mother only to feel her body suddenly shake and then lifelessly fall into the ditch before her. He leaps up and screams in rage but a bullet gets him straight at the back of his head, sending him into the ditch with the others. There's blackness.
FLASH!
There's blackness. The young boy tries to move but feels a heavy weight upon his chest. At first he thinks it's a rock, but it's too soft. Using all the strength he's got, and ignoring the enormous pain at the back of his head, he pushes the weight off. He manages, slightly only to find a dead, blooded face staring back at him, it's features hollow and dead. The young boy tries to scream, but finds he can't get his voice out of his mouth.
Just then, he finds himself surrounded by a strange aura of brightness, creating a bubble around his body, separating him from the massacre that's around him. He sees dead bodies everywhere, with holes in their heads, with their skull's busted open, their brains spilled all over the place. He looks away in disgust only to see the same scenario all around him. He screams, this time his voice filling the air around in his bubble.
He struggles forward, but finds there's soil on him, and now he realizes his full horror, of being buried alive. He clenches his teeth, he begins pushing the bubble upwards, digging through the earth. He closes his eyes as tears sprung to them, praying to reach the surface. Suddenly he feels his hands reach into emptiness, and soon his whole body is out of the earth, as he drags himself out of his grave.
He looks around, his breath short and rugged to find that night has already fallen. Everything around him is burning, and he sees soldiers marching down the street. He looks around with terror in his eyes, not understanding what happened here. He looks down at the grave under him, and tears come to his eyes, he remembers what happened here. Clenching his fists, he turns around and runs.
FLASH!
The young boy is once again cuffed, and once again he's in a line, this time walking into a camp of sort. His face is full of purple bruises, his clothes are ripped apart. As he crosses the gate as just another subject, he looks up at a sign, towering above the gate, it's iron letters reading "Arbeit Macht Frei."
The young man gulps as he's hurdled into this camp and as he watches soldiers pointing their guns at the innocent people, spitting at them, firing and pushing them into the mud. The young boy looks down and tries to not be noticed.
FLASH!
The boy is now slightly older, and his white hair is fully shaved exposing his bald head. He's wearing white and gray stripped clothes, and the white six pointed star is still on his chest. He lifts up a dead body and throws it onto a large conveyer belt which is slowly moving towards a giant burning chamber. He closes his eyes and wipes his tears away, as the dead body slowly approaches the fire, until the flame consumes it's frame, swallowing it, and coughing up mere ashes.
He turns back and lifts yet another person to the tape. She's a young girl who is about his age, her body heavily abused and her eyes still open, her hands still trying to clutch something. He turns away, not able to stop his tears anymore, and unable to watch the young girl fall into the flames as her naked body turns into ashes.
He turns around once again and picks up a middle aged woman, and his expression turns into shock. He looks at the woman, as she slowly approaches the flame, and recognizes her. He stands there like he's carved from stone as she slowly disappears, her body burned like an animal.
FLASH!
The corridor is dark, and the only light comes from a slightly open door at the end. The night is in full, and the young boy is slowly approaching the opened door. As he gets there, he peeks in to see a operating table with people around it. They speak a strange language, and they weld strange devices. They push those devices into a body of a dead woman, and rip her stomach open, pulling out her intestines and throwing them into a rubbish bin. They begin placing plastic dishes into the body, but the young boy turns around and runs, holding his mouth.
As he bolts outside, he can't hold it any longer and he vomits on the grass under him, tears blinding him.
FLASH!
It's still night, and the young boy is sitting in a corner of a large room, holding his knees, tears flowing down his face. Whenever he looks up, his face is white as a sheet as his mouth is trembling.
A girl his age, walks across the room and sits next to him. He tries to push her away, but she starts talking to him, her hand running through his hair that by now has grown. She too, is wearing gray/white stripped clothes, and the ever present star is on her right breast as well. She pulls him towards her, and he opens up, embracing her as she embraces him. They cry in each other's shoulders, clenching together.
FLASH!
The young man and the young woman duck as low as they can as they run across the alleys of the camp. The whole place seems asleep. Not even one light is on, and the camp is lit only by moonlight. The young man is holding the woman's hand as they use buildings for cover, watching every step, looking behind all the time.
They make it to the fence unseen and the woman begins to climb it, ripping her skin and clothes on the barbed wire. The man however, pulls her down and once she's off, he kicks the fence, making a small hole in it. Grabbing the wire he pulls it apart, making a hole large enough to escape. As they step outside, they once again join hands and run for their lives.
FLASH!
The forest is cold and dark. The trees around them are standing tall and silent, howling with the wind. The man and woman clutching each other, pulling a small coat over themselves as they try to warm themselves from a small fire that's burning before them. Their hair has grown to a reasonable length now, and their stolen clothes replace the dooming camp clothes they wore before.
But despite their hopeless situation, their eyes shone with happiness, and they smile, feeling each other close.
FLASH!
The man looks before him helplessly, as the woman he loves lays on a bed, a grimace of pain on her face. She has long hair by now, and is wearing normal every day clothes, same as the man, who's white hair was neatly trimmed. He is wearing a gray shirt and black pants, and is standing inside a house, with a faint light burning behind him.
He looks at his wife, speechless as she lays there on the bed, her legs spread apart, and her swollen belly almost shaking. She screams in pain and he grabs her hands, squeezing them tight. Clenching her teeth she keeps pushing and screaming, begging for the intruder to get out of her body.
Suddenly, she stops screaming and the room is filled with a completely new noise, of a young child crying, as it makes it's way out of her mother's womb. The doctor gently picks up the young baby girl and hands her over to her father, as he looks at her, proud as ever.
FLASH!
The man must be five or six years older now. His hair ruffled, his clothes torn into shreds and he holds a lifeless body in his hands. The aura of energy that glow around him when he was buried alive had returned and he is floating in air, slowly descending for the ground. His eyes are filled with rage, and his jaw was clenched, and remains of tears are dried of his face as he lands on the ground, with a loud thump and looks around himself.
Bodies of almost a dozen people lay on the ground, with forks, spades, axes and anything metal in sight pierced through their bodies. The ground beneath them is soaked with blood, and some, yet undead let out moans of pain, as they slowly breathe towards death. The man looks around and clutches the little girl in his arms closer, his little girl, his daughter. They killed her, and paid for it.
Then he hears it. A scream from behind. He turns around, to see his wife, the woman he escaped Auswitz with staring at him with fear. She starts asking questions, of what he is and how he could just kill all those people.
His expression softens for a while as he tries to explain, but she isn't listening. She begins yelling at him, telling him she hates him, and that he is responsible for the death of their daughter. These words break him and he falls to his knees, still clutching his unmoving daughter.
His wife spares him a last look before turning around and walking of into the darkness, never to be seen again.
FLASH!
Savage Land
Joseph screamed.
***
Mexico
Cyclops stood atop of the hill, watching as Cannonball and Iceman made their way towards him, exiting the Hulkbuster base. They had found nothing on the computers in whole of the complex, everything was wiped out a month after Bastion was killed. Which seemed logical to Scott, one of the Bastion helpers would wipe the database before they fully desert the base, following Bastion's death. But according to Hank, the database could only be wiped by Bastion himself, no one else would be able to do that. So how could that be possible if Bastion died a month before everything was wiped? Could that mean that Bastion was not dead?
Iceman and Cannonball finally reached the top of a hill that overlooked the Hulkbuster Base. "Did you place the explosives everywhere?" Scott asked turning his attention to these two.
"Yeah," Sam simply answered before looking away.
Scott sighed. Sam wasn't bonding with the team so well. "Okay then I suppose there's nothing else to do except push the switch," Cyclops said as he nodded towards Bobby, who pushed down a lever sending an electric spark to the dynamite inside the building. A loud explosion tore the air and the base began shaking in front of their eyes, walls and ceilings coming down. This was the end of Operation Zero Tolerance.
"Scott!" Jean suddenly shouted, making him jump. "There's someone inside I just received a call for help..." Jean didn't have time to finish as Scott was already running down the hill towards the base. He knew he had a bad feeling about this, he knew Sam was going to screw up.
He entered through the door that he knocked down just few hours before and instantly began coughing from all the smoke. A loud voice appeared in his head. #Scott!# it was Jean. #Scott you have to get out of there, it's too dangerous.#
#There's someone in here, Jean. I have to help them. I knew I shouldn't have trusted Sam with this. Now tell me where that person is.#
#Are you crazy? You'll burn alive! Come out right now while you still can.#
#Look Jean. You either show me the way or I'll find him myself.#
There was a short silence as Jean realized that there was no way she was going to convince her husband to leave. #Okay. But be careful. Run down the corridor 'til it splits in two and then turn left.# Jean instructed as Scott began running, barely able to see though the smoke. He turned left continued.
#What now?#
#Now keep going for about hundred meters and turn right, into the first corridor. Is it bad in there?#
#It's not so bad yet, but it's quickly getting worse,# Scott said as he ran down the corridor, looking for the way.
#Maybe I should come in help you, or at least send Sam in there, he's safe when he blasts.#
#No! I'm going to talk to Sam about this later. Right now tell me how much further to go. I've already turned right.#
#It's about hundred more meters. Can you see her yet?#
#No... yes I can. She's a young woman, there's a piece of ceiling over her, she can't get up. I'll have to help her.#
Scott kneeled down beside the young woman. She was dressed in a traditional Operation Zero Tolerance uniform, and her jet black hair was tied back. She was no more than thirty and Scott had to admit to himself that she was an attractive woman. Right now she was begging for help.
As soon as she saw Scott she stiffened. Then she smiled. "Thank god, oh please help me, I'm going to die."
"Don't worry, ma'am, I'm here to help you," Scott said as he tried to move the large piece of concrete that was holding her down.
"How did you find me?"
"That's a story for later," Scott said clenching his teeth as he tired to push the concrete beam away. "Are you injured?"
"I'm not sure, I think my leg is crushed but I don't feel any pain from my back."
"Pray that you were lucky," Scott said slowly pushing the beam away.
"Hey aren't you one of the X-Men?" She suddenly asked, her tone lower.
"Yes I am. And I'm saving your life. How ironic is that?" Scott said finally pushing the rock away.
"I'm not quite sure," she said. "I used to hate mutants, but now that one of them is risking his life to save mine...."
"Common case with people," Scott said breathing deeply. "Now, can you walk?"
"I don't think so," she said looking at her right leg which was brutally crushed.
"Okay, I'll have to carry you," Scott said picking her up. As he did that, a large amount of the ceiling came down, right next to them, where she was lying before. "We better move," Scott said as the corridor filled with smoke and everything began coming down. He lifted her in his arms and began running, heading out.
#Jean! Jean can you hear me?#
#I can. What's happening?#
#I've got her, I'm running back.#
#Be careful.#
#I will.# Scott turned around the corner and began running down the corridor that he came through before. By now it was fully filled with smoke and he couldn't see a thing.
"Do you know where you're going?" she asked from his arms, trying to keep the smoke out of her lungs.
Scott simply nodded and proceeded down the corridor. He knew it wasn't much further. Walls were coming down everywhere, and almost everything around was on fire. Just as he was about to turn into the main corridor his foot slipped and he fell to the ground, the woman with him. She fell out of his arms like a bullet out of a gun, and when she landed, she was few meters away in one of the numerous rooms along the corridor. She began crawling out of the room towards Cyclops who was slowly getting up as well when one of the walls came down straight before him and caught on fire.
Within seconds she was separated from Cyclops by a wall of fire. "HELP!" she shouted.
Terrified Cyclops ran up to the room only to back of from the intense heat. "Help me, X-Man!" she shouted on top of her lungs. "The ceiling is going to come down any second."
"I... I.." Scott had no idea what to do. He had to stay a couple of meters away from the wall of fire itself as it was so hot. He could barely see her outline behind the fire.
"HURRY UP!!" she shouted through tears. "I'M GOING TO DIE!"
"I can't do anything!" Scott shouted back. He had to do something. He took few steps back and prepared to dive through the fire. His powers would only make the matters worse by probably bringing down another wall.
"Hurry up! God I don't want to die!!" She was fully crying by now.
"I'm coming!" Scott shouted as he began running towards the wall of fire.
"QUICK!"
"MY GOD IT'S COMING DOWN! HELP! ARRGHRHRRGRH..........."
Scott stopped dead in his tracks. The wall of fire before him was put out by tones of concrete that used to make up the ceiling. She was buried somewhere under that. She was dead.
He backed few steps away, realizing he just left her to die. She died because he couldn't help her.
Everything began coming down, but he didn't notice. He still stood there watching the ruins before him, paralyzed with what happened. It was only when a piece of ceiling came down at him, landing on his shoulder that he was brought back to realty. He screamed in pain and fell to the floor.
#Jean...# he called out faintly.
The pain shot all the way through his body as his eyes went red. He tried to see his arm but he couldn't, he couldn't even tell if it was there anymore. His instinct told him that he should try to get out of here before it will be too late and he began crawling for the exit with a speed of a snail. He screamed in pain, and tears filled his eyes as he remembered what he was leaving behind.
Exhausted he fell to the ground and was now indifferent to what was going to happen to him. He didn't hear the sound of a cannonball roaring and he didn't hear his wife's soft voice as she whispered to him that he was going to be okay. He didn't feel when someone picked him up and bolted out of the building at an amazing speed. All he did was repeat several words over and over. "I...co…couldn't... save her."
Jean landed next to the Blackbird with Scott in Cannonball's arms behind her. "Hank! He's in a really bad shape!" she shouted. "He needs medical help now!" Jean lifted Scott telekinetically and ran into the Blackbird, placing him on the medical bed.
"All right! Bobby and Jean, I need you here to assist me! Sam! Get behind those controls and fly us home. I may not have enough resources to help Scott here!"
The Blackbird lifted off the ground almost immediately and disappeared in an instant, becoming less than a blur in the crystal clear sky. One man stood there, watching as the plane disappeared. He smiled as he turned around and limped down the hill, away from the remains of the Hulkbuster Base.
***
Back in Savage Land
Joseph's memory recall comes to an end as he remembers his last actions before his death on Asteroid M, and finally after digging in Magneto's past Fenris are about to find out the secret location of the Maelstorm technology.
FLASH!
The man, in a red and purple costume levitates through the air with the greatest of ease, as he carries a cache of technology, using his blue aura of magnetic powers. He lands on the ground gracefully, extending his hands outwards and opening the doors in front of him. Far in the background, the endless Amazon jungle stretched across forever, never seeming to cease. This is a place up in the mountains, impossible to find, along the countless canyons and ridges. Somehow, he always remembers where it is, as if it was recorded in his brain.
He walks through the doors and closes them, disappearing inside. Once there, he looks around the complex, and he notices it had been untouched since he last visited here. Slowly, he begins manipulating the technology behind him, molding it into place, settling it down on it's new place.
He can't stand straight after a while and he sits down on a chair, wiping his face with the back of his hand and letting out a exhausted breath. His eyes are hollow and bloodshot and his face is pale white as if he was sick. Taking a deep breath he grabs the table next to him and pulls himself up returning to his task.
FLASH!
Back in the real world
"Quick Andreass, record those readings, it's the only way we can find that base!" Andrea shouted leaning over her brother watching the screen carefully.
"Don't worry, I've got it!" Andreass announced as the readings on the whereabouts of Magneto's South American base were recorded into their computer and began printing a full map of the area.
"Yes! We did it, brother! We found the Maelstorm technology! With it we'll be unstoppable, the world will bow before the Stuckers once again!"
"You are right, sister, our plan has worked as we predicted. Now what do we do with him?" Andreass said pointing at Joseph who still sat in the chair his life flashing before him.
"His memory recall is almost finished. Let's watch him suffer until the end and then kill him," she said, a evil grin spreading across her face
FLASH!
The man watches as he helplessly fall through the black void around him. The armored man, made of steel who pulled him out of his doom is quickly falling away from him, his large body quickly becoming no more than just a distant blur. He looks around and he sees Earth coming at him at an amazing speed. He pulls his long white hair away from his face and he looks down helplessly. There is no way of escaping, he's trapped in a round capsule, with no doorway or way out.
The capsule hits the atmosphere, decreasing in speed dramatically, still speeding at an amazing speed. The man inside backs to the rear of the vessel, looking forward with horror in his eyes. The clouds of the atmosphere are long gone and he can see land underneath him coming at him, fast.
The capsule hits the ground hard, diving into the carpet of trees underneath, taking down any living creature within the perimeter of five hundred meters. The trees slow it down slightly, but the impact is still colossal, and when the vessel connects with the ground it digs into it finally settling with a loud bang.
The man watches all this, terrified as he speeds for the ground locked inside. The moment the capsule hits the ground he's thrust violently forward, his head hitting the wall of the vessel. His eyes go blank.
FLASH!
The man is being dragged by someone. He can feel this much. The capsule in which he landed is now a long way behind him, someone pulling his body away from it. He has no idea how long he spent there, his mind is a endless blur. He looks up at his saviour but can't make out the face.
A feminine voice starts talking to him, assuring him that he is going to live. What happens next is even more complicated. The woman somehow manages to drag him to a place in the mountains, which he for some reason recognizes. She puts him on a table and begins connecting strange apparatuses to him. All the time he's was half awake, not fully aware of what is going on around him. All the time, he is not able to work out the face of the person that saved him. He knows it was a woman. Her voice seems familiar.
As soon as he is connected to the apparatus something strange begins happening to him, the woman is working at the controls and he feels as if he is being ripped apart. He passes out before he can realize what is happening.
FLASH!
Much, much later he awakes. He however looks differently. His face seems much younger as if he is twenty instead of forty like he was before. His white beard is still there but there is something about him, he is younger. He looks down at himself and sees that he's wearing a purple robe and nothing else.
Still half hypnotized he rolls off his bed. For no reason fear overcomes him. He looks around the room cautiously, noticing that no one is in sight. Slowly limping he heads for the nearest door he can see. He pushes on the door in front of him, leaning his whole weight on it. It isn't letting go so he turns around and begins stumbling down the corridor, his head is a mess. He trips few times and stops often to gain breath.
He is very determined to get out of here for some reason. He has no idea where he is or how he got here, but it doesn't matter to him now. He just wants to get out of this place. He finds a next doorway and pushes on it. When it doesn't open he takes few steps back and throws himself at it. The door opens and he bolts outside. What he doesn't suspect is that there was no ground underneath. He begins falling and hits the ground, rolling down a steep hill. The place he got out of is quickly becoming a distant blur.
He continues rolling down, trying to protect his face from rocks, praying to stop as the world around him swirls in all directions.
Suddenly, it all stops.
He lifts his head and looks up to find himself at the bottom of a steep hill, the place which he left so high up, he can't even see it. He has no idea where he is but when he looks around he notices he is in some sort of a jungle. Getting up to his feet, only one thought is on his mind. To get as far away from here as possible.
FLASH!
He has no idea how far or how long he has walked. The sun disappeared and appeared again and right now it shines through the cracks in the umbrella of trees high above him. He is exhausted and his eyes are bloodshot. His legs are cut by sharps razor plants and he has to support himself to walk.
He stops for a while and pulls at his beard, trying to ponder his next move, his thoughts becoming more complicated as he feels more and more tired. Just then, he sees a small child not far away, running through the forest. At first he thinks it's an illusion, and rubs his eyes, but the child is still there, running straight towards him, clearly not noticing him. Yet. Suddenly, she stops and gazes at him, just mere feet away from him.
For a moment they both stand silent and unmoving, eyeing each other carefully, trying to figure out what to do. Then, suddenly he extends his hand and tries to speak, but only a low grumble escapes his throat.
The young girl screams and begins running away. He looks at her for few seconds and then takes off after her, trying to stop her and apologize. He is slow and tired, but quickly catches up to the young girl. She turns around a corner and disappears from his view. When he gets there, few seconds later, he finds that the young girl met up with six or so other children, of same age. They all scream terrified and begin running away, out of the jungle. He follows them, trying to call out to them, to make them stop, but they don't listen.
One by one, they bolt out of the jungle onto a open plane, breathing heavily and screaming in fear. The man runs after them, his head spinning his lungs barely pumping air. The children suddenly find themselves against a wall of some wooden building, and stop dead in their tracks. They embrace each other, closing their eyes in fear of the man in the purple robe and white hair coming at them.
The man approaches them with the same vigour as before, and he is now just few feet away from them, when he suddenly slips. He lands hard on the ground, face first into the mud and it takes him a while to get up. He reaches towards the frightened kids and begs for help in some strange language. Just then, he looks straight into a barrel of a double barreled gun.
Looking up slowly, he sees a nun standing over him, pointing the gun straight at his head. He opens his mouth, but doesn't manage to say anything as he falls face first into the mud again, this time unconscious.
FLASH!
Savage Land
"That is enough Andreass, we've seen too much already. Turn the machine off."
As Andreass turned the machine off Joseph screamed once again before finally collapsing unconscious in the chair. For a while the whole room feel silent as they all watched the man in the center. His chest was barely moving, his head was hanging downwards his long hair hiding the grimace of pain on his face.
Then the silence was broken by Andrea rising from her chair and screaming. "YES!! WE'VE DONE IT BROTHER! We've discovered the Maelstorm technology! The world is ours!"
"We've got the location pinned down exactly from Magneto's memories. It should be no problem to find it now." Andreass added smiling as well. He was annoyed enough of losing all the time. For the first time he felt like he was winning.
"Now we've just got to dispose of the trash," Andrea said as she picked up a gun and began walking towards Joseph. "Ironic isn't it Magneto? The same gun that my father tried to kill you with, now I will use to dispose to you. I'm going to finish what my father started."
As she moved towards the helpless Joseph, Bishop looked at her, pulling once again on his chains, trying to escape. His powers were gone. ^The cuffs must have some sort of blocking device in them.^ He struggled and still could not find a way to get out of his cuffs. And as Andrea neared Joseph with every step he understood that maybe his mistakes in leadership were going to cost Joseph his life. A cold chill ran down his spine.
Meanwhile Andrea had reached the chair that Joseph was sitting on. With a huge grin on her face she lifted the gun and pointed it at Joseph's head.
"Wait! Don't kill him!!! What has he ever done to you!??!!" Rogue shouted over from the corner. Andrea turned around annoyed and pointed her gun at Rogue.
"You've been getting at my nerves, witch. If you don't shut up right now you'll be next," She spat out with anger. Rogue began shouting at her, begging her not to do it but she was simply not listening. This time the distraction came from somewhere else.
"Andrea are you sure we should kill him now? I mean he could be lying about the Maelstorm technology." Andreass cut in from behind.
Andrea turned around in furry, her teeth clenched, her eyes narrowed. "Don't interrupt me!"
"But Andrea, what if he's lying? Then we'll never find out where the stuff is. Maybe we should let him live until we make sure that he's not lying."
"And what?! In the meantime let him escape? No thank you very much I have ruined my plans by thinking like that too often. We're getting rid of him now!"
"Yes but what if we kill him and we don't get the Maelstorm cache? Then we'll lose again."
"You are a fool Andreass! There is no way he can be lying. I will never get a better chance to kill Magneto. So you're going to be either with or against me. And if you're going to object," she said raising the gun to Andreass's head. "Then I'll blow your brains out before his." She paused for a while and watched her brother gulp. "Well?" she asked with a grin across her face.
"All right then, you're right," he said choosing his words carefully. "Let's kill him right now."
"Wise choice, brother." Andrea said lowering the gun. Andreass let out a sigh of relief and wiped sweat off his forehead. They both turned towards Joseph not noticing his eyes were open.
Ignoring the screams from Rogue, Andrea raised the gun towards Joseph's head once more. "You have no idea how long I have been waiting for this Magneto," she said pulling back the lock. "All my life."
A shot echoed around the room as Andrea buried a bullet within Joseph's head. As blood began shooting out of his wound and onto Andrea, Rogue screamed while the X-Men and Andreass turned away in disgust.
As Rogue curled up in a ball and began weeping Andrea stood there, shocked, looking at the lifeless Joseph in front of her, blood running down his head and onto his costume. "I did it... I DID IT! I KILLED MAGNETO!" she shouted as she lifted her bloody hands up to the air, dropping the gun to the floor.
"I KILLED MAGNETO!"
She looked down again, her eyes misty as if she was in a trance. "I did it, I did it," she repeated to herself continuously looking at her hands covered in Magneto's blood.
"You sure did it, sis," Andreass said from behind looking as Joseph's lifeless form sat still tied to the chair. "Our greatest enemy is finally dead."
Suddenly, Joseph's eyes snapped right open.
Out of his head, a bullet shot out, speeding through the air at an amazing velocity. It speed right towards Andrea and scratched her face, ripping off some skin, tearing a deep scar across her face before heading towards the ceiling.
It all happened so fast, before she knew it Andrea was on the floor screaming in pain holding onto her bleeding face. Andreass was right next to her, holding her up, his hands shaking, his vision blurring.
"FENRIS!" Came an angry growl from above them. They both looked up to see Joseph standing above them, holding onto the remains of the straps that held him down, blood still running down his face, his hands glowing with energy.
"You have done enough damage today!" He shouted in a surprisingly low voice, pointing his index finger at them.
"He's... he's alive?" Andrea mumbled.
"But that means.... Dear god that means he's got the memories and powers of Magneto!!!" Andreass choked out looking up at the man standing above them. He was nothing like Joseph. He stood straight up and carried an aura of strength, and bravery, his eyes seeming much more hollow and blood shot. He was going to kill them. Andreass could feel it.
"You are right, I am Magneto. And I'm going to do what I should have done a long time ago." With those words he lifted his hands and blew up the floor under Fenris, sending them flying into the air. When they landed on the ground Magneto was already hovering towards them.
"You monsters! You ripped me off any privacy I had! Every memory I had, you ripped it out of me and exposed it, took a look at it. Every intimate moment of my life, you looked at it. For that, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" he shouted with furry as he threw himself at Fenris and began choking Andreass with his own hands.
"You bastards I should have killed you when I had the chance, better yet I should have killed your father when I had the chance. You would have never been born!"
"Leave him alone you scum!!" Andrea shouted throwing herself at Magneto, pushing him off her brother and onto the ground. Magneto looked up at her, staring at him with hate, the wound on her face still bleeding.
"You little...." Magneto spat out. "You waited all life to kill me? I must say I've waited even longer." With those words he hit Andrea on the face sending her onto the floor, yelling in pain.
"No one hurts my sister like that! Andreass shouted grabbing her and pulling her towards himself.
"Believe me boy it's nothing compared with what you did to me," Magneto said as he grabbed Andreass with his powers and pinned him against the wall. Out of nowhere millions of pieces of razor sharp metal rose and surrounded Andreass. He looked around with fear in his eyes as he saw that he was about to be pierced everywhere. Sweat began running down his face and he gulped.
Magneto hovered up to him looking him straight into the eyes. "This is it, little scum. Digging in my memories was not a wise idea. If I had disposed of you the first time I met you this would not happen. I'm not making that mistake twice.
"Joe, don't do it!" Rogue shouted from behind. "You don't want to kill again!"
Magneto pretended he didn't hear that as he looked straight into Andreass's eyes, just mere inches away from his face. "Prepare to die."
"NOOOO!" Andrea shouted from behind. Holding a large rock, she swung her arm at Magneto's head, hitting him from the behind. He fell to the ground slightly dazed, but distracted enough to drop all the sharp pieces of metal surrounding Andreass's body. "We're leaving Magneto. You might have beaten us this time, but we will be back more powerful next time," she shouted as she ran up to Andreass.
Grabbing his hand she pressed a button on a small box she was holding in her left hand and they disappeared in a flash of white light, just as Magneto looked up.
Just then, it hit him. He was a step away from killing them both. When he promised himself he wouldn't harm a human being once again, good or bad. His rage over his memories overran him, fueled his hate, and he almost went one step too far. He, who vowed to never become the mad he had used to be, he just reverted to that man. Magneto was back.
He fell to his knees, watching the ground underneath him, not saying a word. His clenched his teeth and closed his eyes, clenching his fists. He almost killed.
Without moving at all, he opened X-Men's cuffs and far away deep in the complex the cells that the Acolytes were held in opened, letting them out.
The X-Men slowly advanced him, as he sat there on his knees, unsure what to say or do. Before they could say anything he confronted them, without even turning around or lifting his head.
"Leave X-Men. I know you mean best, but I must be alone now. When it is time I will come back and explain."
Rogue stopped and looked around, noticing the remaining Acolytes enter. She looked at her teammates and one by one they nodded. They understood that Magneto needed time alone. He wasn't a threat yet, and hopefully that time with them brought him something. "Okay, sugah. Remember you're always welcomed with the X-Men."
Magneto simply nodded, as his Acolytes, joined by Anne Marie sat down around him, sharing their master's pain.
The X-Men turned around and began walking away, as Magneto sat there, staring at the ground, reliving his life of a monster. Do you see the way that tree bends? Does it inspire? Leaning out to catch the sun's rays A lesson to be applied Are you getting something out of this All encompassing tree? You can spend your time alone Redigesting past regrets, Or you can come to terms and realize You're the only one who can't forgive yourself Makes much more sense To live in the present tense Have you ideas on how this life ends? Check your hands and study the lines Have you ever believed that the road ahead Ascends off into the light? Seems that needlessly it's getting harder To find an approach and a way to live Are we getting something out of this All encompassing dream? You can spend your time alone Redigesting past regrets, Or you can come to terms and realize You're the only one who cannot forgive yourself, Makes much more sense To live in the present tense
END
NEXT ISSUE:
"I seem to recognize your face."
What is going to happen to Cyclops? And how is that going to affect the X-Men? Plus, when Professor Xavier returns, how will everyone else react, what will he do, now that he killed his own dream? It's not going to be easy for him. Meanwhile Magneto begins to make decisions that will affect the whole Visions universe. And an introduction of a character you never thought you'd see in Visions! Plus the set up for the 1999 X-Men Gold and Blue Annual! Be there as we prepare to launch off year three of XMGB. It's going to be a wild ride!
Lyrics to "Presenttense" belong to Pearl Jam, used without permission, no money made.
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