Straight Outta Avalon
Posted on Sat Jul 6th, 2024 @ 4:52pm by Charles Xavier & Erik Magnus Lehnsherr & Patrick Manco & Connor Bruin & Bobby Drake & Iris Walker & Bliss Hawkins & Levi Rousseau & Shinobi Shaw & Ethan Hale & Aurora Summers & Kennedy Kelly & Jade Farwynd
7,485 words; about a 37 minute read
Mission:
Episode 4: The Savage ConneXion
Location: Asteroid M | Earth Orbit
Timeline: September 19th, 1990
The Citadel's rise from the Savage Land was far from vertical. Magneto effected a transverse shift of several miles of landmass from crust to exosphere and he did it without shattering the floating chunk of earth between the resonant forces of the planet's rotation played against one another. All things considered, the trip to Asteroid M wasn't much bumpier than the trip to the Savage Land had been in the wrecked Brotherhood transport vessel.
After they locked down the Citadel to ensure it stayed pressurized and wasn't at risk of being microwaved in the Van Allen Belt of radiation surrounding the planet, the X-Men settled in to await whatever waited for them on Asteroid M. That was the only possible destination. Would Magneto be grateful? How would he repay them for their sacrifices?
Bobby had been inconsolable for the first several hours. Anytime anybody tried speaking to him, he just ranted and raved and bawled Lorna's name. He'd eventually nodded off, huddled in a fetal position in a dark, lonely corner.
Things settled down enough that Jade told Connor and Iris about Sonya. Everyone had assumed that Magnetika had ditched the Mansion. Nobody could've expected that she would turn up in the Savage Land. What was she doing here? Why had Lorna been there for that matter? Sonya had been used as Zaladane's electromagnetic garage door opener by way of her electromagnetic powers, but Lorna appeared to be have been suppressed through that ancient machine. Belasco and Zaladane were at odds with one another, and Belasco appeared to have used Polaris similarly to Zaladane using Magnetika. It all lined up too neatly to be coincidental. Something bizarre had been afoot in the Savage Land which went far beyond Zaladane's imperial ambitions.
Nobody had any ideas. With the position they were in, there wasn't anything for them to do but wait and see.
Professor Xavier had reactivated Cerebro and without interference he was able to reach out to them with encouraging admiration.
~You have done the impossible, my X-Men~ The Professor had said. ~I will treat with Magneto and ensure you receive the hospitality of his mutant haven until safe passage home can be secured~
Jade shook off the voice in her head visibly. After all they had gone through, she really didn't feel comfortable with The Prof's voice in her head. Too much had happened, there was too much to consider.
~ Understood Professor ~ Aurora looked around. ~ Though I’d rather be back at home at the Mansion. ~
Eventually the Citadel came to rest next to Asteroid M on the opposite side of its enormous habitation dome. There it would undoubtedly be annexed as an advanced research facility and serve as yet another of Magneto's larger than life trophies. Whatever rumors of his depowering persisted in his absence were dispelled in that moment.
Maestro couldn't help but grin. It had required much of his treacherous intellect in order to keep Avalon in order while Magneto was away, to say nothing of Quicksilver's brute force and ability to be nearly everywhere at once. Between them, the Acolytes maintained an iron grip that he was now pleased to hand back to Magneto upon the Master of Magnetism's triumphant return.
The next order of business was for Maestro to take out the trash. Of course he wasn't allowed to phrase it that way. The X-Men were honored guests, dignitaries of the human-loving Xavier, and evidently had been aided Magneto in his victory.
Whatever.
As the lead Acolyte, it fell to Maestro to escort the X-Men away from the Citadel, which was now a restricted area, to temporary quarters where they would be lodged until the next scheduled transport to the planet. The armored guards surrounding the umbilical connection between the Citadel and the rest of Avalon stepped aside to allow Maestro free entrance. He entered the open space of the Citadel, noted a few of the X-Men were in sight, and decided it would do.
"Bienvenue and welcome, preppies." Maestro's smirk was condescending and snarky to match his tone. Hands waved in sardonic display as if the X-Men were disembarking a Gulfstream jet instead of huddled up together in the half-destroyed ancient stronghold of a forgotten advanced civilization. "Avalon greets you as honored dignitaries. Isn't that grand? Come with me and I'll take you to your ambassadorial suites where you will enjoy the finest amenities that Asteroid M has to offer!"
Jade flat out ignored the smirk and the jibing in his words and helped the others out first. A bath and some clean, non singed, non frozen, non gunked clothes were on her mind. Those of the X-Men who survived would be fine, she could tell, so she didn't worry too much. She was more concerned with herself and the changes within she was aware of. She needed a quiet moment to make sense of it all. The feeling of power, the revulsion, the world view, everything.
Aurora followed on silently, she was annoyed with herself for what she thought would be a safe rescue for her friends and teammates. Instead she’d almost gotten them killed setting them down in an area with a fading atmosphere, at least they were all safe now, that’s what mattered the most. Walking across to where Bobby still lay sleeping she gently reached out her hand to wake him. “Bobby...wake up.”
"No... sleep..." Bobby rolled over and gave Aurora his back. "Lorna..."
Aurora sighed. “I’m sorry about Lorna, as much as I hate to say it...she’s gone.” She gently touched Bobby’s shoulder. “If there was something we could do we’d do it. If there was a way to bring her back to you I would.”
"Everybody leaves..." Bobby murmured. He rolled back over and gave his eyes a hard knuckling. "I'm up. Let's go do whatever we gotta' do now."
Aurora sighed and nodded, following Bobby as they rejoined everyone else.
Iris had decided to remain hidden as long as possible. For one, it would allow her to gain valuable intel on the Brotherhood; not only might it be useful to Xavier, she couldn’t help but think of the brownie points it would earn her with the leader of the free world. So, she trailed behind the others, keeping herself unseen and watching everything she could.
Now this was an interesting turn of events for Jace. He never expected to see Patrick again after he made that fateful decision. He strolled out alongside the others with the filth, stench, and injuries of battle still clinging. "Well, aren't you still the paragon of effervescence, Maestro," said Jace, full of snark.
"Ah, yes... you," Maestro said, feigning to forget Jace's name. "Made you one of the herd, did they? Far be it for Xavier to let a bad case of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome keep anybody out of his fucktard brigade." His smirk turned cruel. "I'm sure your parents must be proud."
"That remains to be seen," he said in response to the 'parent's comment. "But their pride doesn't matter to me. What matters is how far beyond them I go." Jace put a hand on Kennedy's shoulder and continued, without giving her name. "Let me introduce you to Maestro, the one who orchestrated our initial escape from that Canadian mutant prison," he said to her.
"And then he chose the losing team," Maestro said to Kennedy. "Then again you both wound up at Xavier's. Sounds like a perfect match made on a short bus to me."
“Knock it off!” Kennedy was tired and she was starving which put her in a terrible mood. Add Maestro’s dickhead behavior on top of it all and she had no patience for it, especially when he talked to Jace that way. “It’s your job to show us around as ‘honored guests’ so how about you do as you’re told?” Kennedy raised a snide eyebrow as she finished, a subtle command for Patrick to remember his place and who was in charge around here. Magneto had returned and it was by his request that they be sheltered before being returned home.
Jace grinned and then chuckled. Kennedy was a spitfire.
Kennedy had been raised in a world filled with privilege and she was no stranger to the ugly way the ‘help’ was spoken to. She didn’t hold back with that condescending and arrogant attitude, she even managed to look down her nose at Maestro. “I’m hungry. How about you show us were we can get something to eat.”
Jade rolled her eyes. "All of you, enough!" Jade bellowed. "You!" She pointed to Maestro, "get on with what the old man got you to do! The rest of you!" She motioned over to the Xmen, "you're X-Men, act like it and stop egging them on! We're on their turf. Respect the fact!"
Jace smirked at the bellowing. "At any rate, it's good to see you again, Patrick. Whether you like it or not."
From the back of the group, Bobby glowered at Patrick with an icy stare. Only three weeks had passed since Maestro had doused him with napalm at Niagara Falls. Turning to his iceform had saved his life but had done little to quench the chemical burn. What happened next was lost to his memory, as he had awakened at the X-Mansion much later. All that he knew was this asshole deserved to suffer.
"Oh-ho-ho-hooo! Look-it, everybody! It's the Iceman!" Maestro had caught Bobby's glare and returned it with a snide grin. "You look a little hot under the collar there. Got something to say, Iceman? No, Iceman is chill. Right this way, Iceman."
It took a deep breath and all the self-control Bobby could muster, but he kept his peace and said nothing. He refused to give him the satisfaction.
Maestro turned on his heel and entered the umbilical corridor through which he'd entered. "Watch your heads and try not to stomp too hard. The umbilical isn't made for fatsos."
"I AM NOT OVERWEIGHT." Connor turned huffy as his signing turned indignant, a tone that was lost on his speech-generating device. "MY MUSCLE MASS MERELY EXCEEDS YOUR OWN BY A HIGH STANDARD DEVIATION."
"Sorry, couldn't hear that over the sound of your mouth breathing," Maestro said just as he disappeared into the chute.
Bliss has been quietly observing as they move through the Citadel. You never knew when you needed to make a quick exit. But that kept her from sniping back at the supposing Maestro.
"Don't mind him Connor. Bullies are the same everywhere. He's like the McDonald's assistant manager who thinks he owns the place, when all he really is is disposable."
“Bullies don’t like it when they’re stood up to” Aurora offered Connor and Bliss a smile. “I’ve met his kind before.”
"I WONDER IF THIS IS HOW THE SOCIAL DYNAMICS OF ASTEROID M FUNCTION," Connor signed. "IF SO, IT IS DOOMED TO IMPLODE."
One by one, the team crossed the umbilical away from the Citadel and onto Asteroid M proper. The change in scenery and architecture was profound. Gone were the stone facades of an ancient culture, replaced by the soulless modernity of metal plating held together by industrial rated struts and fittings. There was the occasional attempt to add a creature comfort or aesthetic—a lamppost here, a piece of shrubbery there, a statue or curio featuring in every corner—but there was no hiding the fact they were in a giant metal egg embedded into a floating rock.
A vast promenade opened up before them. Rather than a bazaar full of vendor stalls, it was a menagerie of workers going about their day with assigned tasks, whether maintenance, cleaning, or hauling food or supplies from one module to another. Everyone milling about, hard at work gave a sense of mission and purpose to what would otherwise be an overcrowded environment.
"Here she is!" Maestro said proudly, his hands in the air like an orchestra conductor. "Avalon, in all her glory. It's okay to cry." He shot the group a smarmy sidelong glance. "Many refugees weep on first sight. Nobody will call you pussies, I promise."
Silently, Iris rolled her eyes, but said nothing. This guy was a grade A asshole, but he wasn’t bad enough to break her cover. The intell would be worth it, surely.
"Impressive," said Jace, taking in the entire scene before them. "Magneto has certainly built nice haven for himself. Staffing it well, too, I see." So many workers running around. He seemed to have no trouble finding mutants to aid his cause. Yet, finding mutants to teach, and stay, at Xavier's School...the numbers just didn't compare.
"WHERE IS THE FOOD?" Connor asked.
"Lardass," Maestro coughed into his fist.
"POSTERIOR ADIPOSE TISSUE DIFFERS FROM CONVENTIONAL LARD IN A NUMBER OF WAYS," Connor began to explain. "FIRSTLY..."
Bobby stepped up and grabbed Connor's hand so he would stop signing. "Don't, Connor. Just don't. He doesn't care and he isn't worth it."
That was probably true. Connor hated letting a false fact stand, but it was what it was. And he really was too hungry to care.
"There are a few canteens and mess halls on this side of the hab complex," Maestro explained. "It's near shift change so any one of them ought to have food available. And for you heavyweight contenders, we offer our orphan special." Cupping his hands together, he affected a whiny British accent in an obnoxious Oliver Twist impression. "Please, sir, I want some more."
Bliss just smiled at him sweetly.
"Have you ever been hungry, kid? I'm not talking like stomach rumbling like when you missed breakfast. I'm talking about gnawing, painful cramping that doesn't go away?"
"I imagine the answer is no. So for now, tour guide, you're no longer needed. You're dismissed."
With that she purposely turned her back to the maestro to see who needed assistance.
Aurora glared at Maestro. “I’d watch your mouth if I were you, or someone might just arrange for you to go on a binge...until you burst!” She knew she wasn’t allowed to harm Maestro, but it felt good to make the threat nonetheless.
"You look more likely to burst out of everyone here," Maestro said, pointing at her small pregnant hump.
"SHE IS PREGNANT," Connor cut in. "YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF BASIC ANATOMY IS EMBARRASSING."
Maestro through his head back and laughed. "Pregnant?" He looked back at Aurora. "The Speak & Spell says you're pregnant. I guess that means you were doing a different sort of binge." He pumped his fist next to his mouth and pressed his tongue against the opposite cheek. "If I knew that was the kind of burst you meant, I might've blushed."
Aurora offered a wry smile. “I doubt you’ve even experienced it, what woman in her right mind would want to kiss a mouth like that!? Now as Bliss said...you’re dismissed!” She gave Maestro a telekinetic shove, pushing him well clear of the group.
Iris decided she’d had enough of this jazz and decided to slip off to find some food and listen to some conversation. Maybe she would hear something useful. But, she paused long enough to see pushed away, cackling internally at the sight. She then attempted to stare the memory away for when she was down and needed a pick-me-up before slipping off into the crowd.
With the slight shove, Maestro needed to take a step back in order to keep his footing. A scowl appeared on his usually smug face as the line had been drawn in the sand. “Spent pussy is like throwing a hot dog down the hallway anyways.” He tilted his head towards the dining options as he continued to take a few steps backwards. “I don’t want to lose my lunch so I’ll come back after you fucking squares have finished eating.”
Patrick turned and left, and with his departure the building tension left too. Jade was in no mood to eat or continue playing babysitter to the angst filled teenager. With a brief excusal she left the team and began to explore Avalon on her own.
While the others had followed Maestro, Iris had taken her leave early on and went snooping as she was wont to do. At first she stuck to common areas, trying to swiftly get a lay of the land before she tried anything more ambitious. There were certainly a diversity of mutants on this space station, many of them with visible mutations that could never passed as human out in the open. It was clear to see why so many desperate souls had flocked to Avalon. They had no other hope for surviving in any civilized sense.
Wait. She knew that man. Well, okay, knew was the wrong word. She had seen him once before, during the rescue mission to get their people back from… her memory was fuzzy on that. She had still been fresh from the accident that had left her disoriented and with some memory loss, so her memories of the event were fuzzy. But he had helped them, if she remembered correctly. Oh, what was his name? Someone had said it. Lester? Lucas? Something starting with an L. In any case, he was here and he had just gone through a door marked RESTRICTED. Quickly, she darted forward and slipped silently through the door before it closed. She was going to find out what he was doing.
Unfortunately, Iris didn't make it tens steps before a slimy snake-like coil took her by the ankle and slammed her face first onto the cold metal floor. When she looked down at her leg, she realized it was an over-sized tongue! It recoiled back into a disgusting little man's mouth with a moist snap. Her ankle was soaked with viscous saliva.
"Oi! Look-it here! Toad found a nosy little X-Man wandering where she don't belong." He turned giddy and cackled before shooting his sticky tongue back at Iris. This time it wrapped her around the middle, pinning her arms to her body. He waved her over his head like a kite as he hopped his way to turn her in.
Iris was so surprised that he had managed to detect her, she could only say the first thing that came to her mind. “Don’t lick me!” she said. “You don’t know where I’ve been! I could be covered in germs! Hey!” she exclaimed as he began dragging her away. “Put me down!”
~Forgive the intrusion, Jade~ It was the soft, knowing, but indomitable voice of Professor Xavier. ~I would ask whether you were enjoying your stay on Asteroid M, but we both know that question would be rather academic at this point, wouldn't we?~
Jade stopped short at the sudden presence in her mind. "Professor?" She said aloud, before repeating it in her mind. ~Professor?~ The Australian sighed and stepped to the side, so as not to be in the way of anyone who may come up behind her. ~Shouldn't you be checking in on the others? This place is not bad.~ She had to admit. ~It's different than the Mansion, that's for sure.~
~That is as radical an understatement as can be expressed~ The Professor's agreement was tinged with disappointment. ~And for that reason, I am grieved to ascertain your intentions to remain. I know recent times have been difficult for you. Certain developments...~ Flashes of Scott and Aurora, Cameron and Sean, battling the Purifiers appeared within her mind's eye unbidden and unsummoned. ~... may have sullied the X-Mansion for you, but you still have a place with us. I understand the powerful allure of Erik's philosophy, yet in the end it will never bring you peace. Please remember that in the days to come~
There was no changing her mind. It had already been made even before they arrived. Xavier knew that as surely Jade had. Riding the Citadel up into orbit had merely saved her a trip in one of the Brotherhood transports from a designated launch site. The only thing Xavier could do was bid her farewell in the best way possible so that her path might one day lead back to the X-Men.
~Thank you, Jade, for all that you have done. I remain in your debt, so I will not stand in your way. All that is one thing: Always remember who you are~
~That's just it, Prof. I need to figure that out and I don't think I can do that at the school. I'm not cut out to mind after teenagers.~ She said as she leaned against the side of a wall. ~I'm grateful for all you've done for me, Prof and I wish you well, all of you. But I think I have to find my own way.~
~I pray you do not lose yourself in that pursuit~ With that final word, Xavier's mind lifted from Jade and left her to herself.
“Holy cow, how do you put up with that guy?” Kennedy asked Jace before heading towards the closest mess hall.
There was a cafeteria style line of hot meals available for anyone who was hungry. While it may not have been 5-star dining, it was the closest thing to a real meal any of them had seen in weeks.
“Is that cake?” Kennedy’s heart fluttered at the idea of a dessert after weeks of roasted lizard, porridge, and dinosaur sized roughage. “I‘ve missed you, sugar.” She skipped the rest of the cafeteria and went straight to dessert.
"I don't know if he thinks he hurts people or if it's just his abrasive personality," said Jace. "Either way, I just trade barbs with him and let him be."
Jace walked with Kennedy up to the lines and stared at the food. The real food. No more rations. No more ugly prehistoric fish. Just a hot cheeseburger and fries. "You go right ahead, Kennedy. I want to eat something that didn't look at me before it died," said Jace. "Though, if you find a slice of apple pie over there, let me know. It's my weakness."
Connor and Bliss walked just behind him. "I AM FAMISHED," he signed to Bliss and whoever else would listen. "IS THERE A PORTION LIMIT?" What manners Moira had been unable to instill in him left him rough around the edges, but he was still a considerate soul. "I MIGHT TAKE SECONDS ALONG WITH MY FIRST."
Aurora was already choosing herself some food, her energy levels were practically in the floor given all the exertion and her pregnancy. Looking around as she took a seat to eat she looked towards Bobby. “Bobby, would you like to join me?”
Bobby shrugged and mumbled an affirmative noise. He wasn't much for eating. Everything sucked. But Aurora's positive energy was enough of a bright light that he followed her lead and sat beside her in sullen silence.
Aurora gave Bobby a warm smile before she started eating, he’d been there for her when she’d needed it so now she was going to be there for him.
Across from them, Connor had two plates piled high. One might think he had been a gentleman and was carrying Bliss's plate to the table for her. But she followed on his heels with a plate of her own. "I AM HUNGRY," Connor said in response to the stares.
A few chairs down at the end of the table, Ethan and Levi sat together. They'd kept to their own company in the Citadel, in the back of the line walking through Asteroid M to the cafeteria, and now taking food together. Whatever was brewing didn't leave room for a third wheel.
Everyone was too famished for extended small talk. After spending nearly 3 weeks in the Savage Land, normal food tasted like a forgotten luxury. Mouths and bellies were filled in short order.
Maestro returned, however, with a small army at his back. Big, tall, short, stout, lanky, no one Acolyte looked the same. Only the matching emblem on their shoulder pauldrons identified them as anybody of note.
"X-Men," said Maestro in an imperious tone, perhaps even an imitation of Magneto. "Put down your plates and come with me. Your quarters have been arranged and—" He did a quick head count. "Some of you are missing."
At that moment, Toad came hopping along at great speed, his slippery tongue dangling behind him, waving Iris around like a kite. He skidded to a halt and dropped her at Maestro's feet.
"This one set off an alarm at the side door to the databanks," Toad explained once he'd gotten his tongue back inside his mouth. "Can I be an Acolyte now?"
"No," Maestro said. "Now beat it."
Toad hopped away cursing under his breath while Maestro turned his attention to Iris and the others.
"So far, I have to say you've been among the worst people ever to set foot on this rock." He gave them a goading smirk. "If not for Magneto's special favor, you'd already be floated out the nearest airlock. And I do mean that in the most welcoming way possible. Mind your manners, X-Men." He chuckled at them and their plates of food. "Like leaving something for the rest of us to eat."
“It looks like you eat enough for all of us put together,” retorted Iris grumpily. She was covered in some weird dude’s slobber and her cover had been blown. Why wouldn’t she be grumpy?
"Somebody tell this girl her ass is neither a hat nor a megaphone," Maestro said to the other X-Men, ignoring Iris completely. "Not that any of you are prolific communicators yourselves." He leaned toward Connor and said in an overly loud voice. "Did you get that, dummy? If not, I'm sure your professor can put it directly into your feeb brain without so many syllables."
If he noticed, there was no indication. Connor hadn't even put down his fork.
“That’s rich, coming from you,” Iris retorted, hands going to her hips. “Someone who talks only in insults has the audacity to complain about the way other people communicate? Pff! I’ll buy you a dictionary so you can learn better words.”
Maestro sneered at the ridiculous little girl. "Acta est fabula, plaudite!" His sneer turned to a mocking smirk as he chuckled at the inferior lifeform who thought the ability to talk accounted for intelligence.
Iris’s Latin was rusty, so she took a couple of seconds to make sure of her reply. “I non laudabit pro tali perficientur substandard,” she said, giving him the most judgmental look up and down that she could manage.
"No fucking way..." Maestro's eyes grew wide at the way Iris had not only butchered the language and not just because she completely missed the substance of his barb, but because she actually demonstrated its meaning for anyone else who was fluent and erudite enough to understand. It was too much for his condescending smugness. He threw his head back and howled with vicious laughter. "God, I hope that got recorded! Just too perfect."
Iris rolled her eyes. She was tired of this self-righteous dingbat. “Es tut mir leid,” she said sardonically. “Ich spreche keine dummkopf.”
“Enough.” Kennedy got up from her seat and intervened in the banter between Maestro and Iris. Kennedy had not taken Latin but she had taken ancient history and understood the context of his statement. Maestro’s comment was a Roman theater expression used to signal the end of a poorly written comedy. A final joke at the author’s expense because of how foolish and terrible the play had been. In this conversation, he was calling Iris ill-equipped for a battle of wits with him.
Just because his barbs were taken from a cultured resource it was still a low tactic to insult someone. Kennedy felt petty stooping to his highbrow game but she couldn’t help herself. It irritated her that he thought he could get away with anything because he considered himself the smartest person in the room and Magneto’s favorite.
“Stop acting like a king when holding the position of consul,” Kennedy said with disdain. Her remark was a quote from Publius Clodius Pulcher’s political debates. It was a reminder to know his place and to stop acting like a haughty little prince around Avalon, a behavior that the Roman Republic and Magneto would both frown upon. A subtle reference to Kennedy’s knowledge of ancient Rome and that she too knew what arrogant bullshit he was trying to pull. “I assume you and your friends came back to show us to our sleeping quarters? Let’s get it over with.”
Maestro narrowed his eyes to slits and gave Kennedy a smirthless smirk. Her comment was harmless on the face of it, but truly she had undermined Maestro in a way that few people had. Everybody knew that his mind was his greatest weapon. He was a master of manipulation like Magneto was of magnetism. As the Conductor of Chaos, he sowed discord wherever he went in order to keep the world and everyone in it on their back foot, leveraging their off-balanced disposition to his benefit. To be called out in such an overt way was unacceptable. Even if nobody knew Kennedy's immediate meaning, there was nothing stopping them from finding out. The fact its full meaning was obscured would only lend further strength to her challenge once anyone sourced it out, giving credence to her challenge against his assertive posture as leader of the Acolytes. Oh, this could not stand.
"Yeah, of course a dirty little slut like you would enjoy that, wouldn't you?" Maestro spoke each word with cruel enunciation. "Gangbangs might be a quotidian affair at the X-Mansion, especially between teacher and student..." He shot a savage side-eye glance at Aurora that scorned her pregnant condition. "... but here at Avalon, everyone is expected to behave as civilized adults, not rutting animals in heat. If you require prophylactics, we can swing by the clinic on the way to your quarters to make sure you or anybody else doesn't get knocked u—"
From over two sets of tables, Bobby had slid on an ice sled that rose up and came down in a sharp drop. His fist collided with Maestro's in a flying haymaker that sent the lanky twerp spinning on his heels. He managed not to drop to the ground only with the help of the Acolytes at his back.
Bobby pivoted on his heels and doubled back with a hammer fist to the side of Maestro's face. His palm opened wide to encase Maestro in ice from nose to jaw. "Keep your fucking dirty mouth shut," Bobby spat with rage that he was no longer able to contain. "Otherwise I'll shut for you!"
The inability to breath made Maestro's fingertips dig into the frosty layer around his mouth. Once he managed to break it free, he screeched a hoarse command. "Take them! Float them! Get them the hell off this rock!"
Bobby went straight for Maestro who had done his best to retreat. He managed to land another punch before a burly brickwall of a giant hooked him under the arm and slammed him straight to the ground.
"Stay down!" the more than 2 meter tall man said with a finger pointed at Bobby sprawled on his back. Despite what Maestro had said, only Magneto did the sentencing around here. Their job was to subdue. Of course, if someone perished in the act of resisting, their death was justified.
For Bobby's part, he had been given a warning. He just didn't care. His hands came together in a clap that formed an ice spike that shot directly at the giant's groin.
The giant howled in pain and sunk to his knees, clutching the wounded area. And the scuffle was on.
Connor took a defensive position near Bliss, but it wasn't necessary, for the little blonde bombshell had already launched herself into the fray. Ethan and Levi looked annoyed, though they weren't about to let their friends get dogpiled by a bunch of bullies. And that was certainly Bobby's predicament. Most of the Acolytes had centered around him, keeping him on the defensive and trying not to get hogtied.
Jace wasn't going to stand for Patrick's words this time. It was one thing when he shot them his direction. But this...this was different. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood. "Kennedy, if you will excuse me for a moment, I have an old acquaintance to put back in his place."
Without waiting for a response, Jace phased and sprinted towards Patrick. He ran through several mutants already engaged in the brawl and ignored them. He slowed when he came to where Bobby had left Patrick and immediately thrust his hand into the young man's chest.
Heart in hand, Jace squeezed a little. "In the game of power, one must be willing to do whatever it takes to secure one's place at the top. Morality is a luxury afforded to those without ambition. That said, you will apologize to the lady. And you will do so as gentlemanly as you can. Or so help me...me...I'll rip your heart out and it'll be the last thing you see. Nod if you understand me."
Aurora had sat in shock at the suddenness of the outbreak of fighting before shaking it off. In all honesty she was enjoying seeing Maestro getting what he deserved, maybe a small dark part of her wanted to shut him up. Getting up she walked over to Bobby, seconds later he was up on his feet as she gave him a telekinetic lift before stepping closer to Maestro. “I suggest you nod, Maestro, or I’ll lock you away in that filthy mind of yours forever more!”
Before Maestro could conjure a biting response that matched the seething fury in his eyes, every surface around them began to rattle.
"You had better put your hand somewhere safe, Flux, if you wish to keep it."
The inimitable and imperious tone of Magneto echoed throughout the cafeteria. His alighted from above, hands outstretched in glowing armored gauntlets that sent pulsating energies off the walls. Every individual body within the immediate vicinity became ionized links in a chain, wholly encapsulated within these steel walls which were designed in such a way as to turn everybody into Magneto's potential plaything.
Maestro was forcibly separated from Jace's grasp which was fortunately free of the former's beating heart. Lined up in a row like twinkling Christmas lights, Magneto hovered over the X-Men and shook his head with disgust.
"I gave you welcome." Magneto glowered, his contempt growing more pronounced along with the crisp diction of each word that sounded like a shout despite his mitigated volume. "You came into my home and violated the peace of my sanctuary."
"But Maestro—" Bobby began but was interrupted.
"Maestro is my servant!" Magneto interjected. "He answers to me. Do you think yourself master of this station, Iceman, that he should answer to you? Do you think to contend with my will? You obviously do. Your insolence is brazen and bare before me. Security footage shows that you threw the first punch. That violates the cardinal rule of Avalon: No Mutant Shall Harm Another. And for that you must pay. You and your accomplices."
The floor split apart with the pieces sliding toward the wall. Others who had not already vacated the area scampered away from the growing pit in the middle of the room. Suspended helplessly inside their forcefields, the team exchanged nervous glances with one another as a trash pit revealed below.
"Let all bear witness on this day that I, Magneto, did offer shelter and hospitality to my enemies, the much vaunted X-Men, only to have it thrown back in my face!" The melodramatic proclamation resonated out of the cafeteria throughout much of that module for the station. "In recompense for his treachery, I hereby banish Iceman from Avalon, a sentence to be executed forthwith!"
After his display, Magneto waved his hand in dismissal. The X-Men were thrown into the garbage chute down below and the floor closed overhead, returning the tables welded in place back to their original configuration. It was as though they never were.
In the scenic window that overlooked the planet, a refuse pod detached from the station. Magneto knit his brow in anger, sending it hurtling toward North America. Those who cared to watch did so from a safe distance. Most denizens of Asteroid M returned about their business. This wasn't the first banishment they'd seen.
Maestro strode confidently to Magneto's side with a blank expression on his face. "That was beneath you, Erik." The words came out stilted and awkward, as if he was unfamiliar with his own mouth. "Those are my students you just ejected into space. You owe them a great debt. Is this how you mean to repay them?"
"So nice of you to drop in, Charles." The scoff in Magneto's voice expressed precisely the opposite. He didn't bother to turn and look at Maestro. It wasn't really him speaking anyway. "Do not speak to me of repayment. They broke the peace of my sanctuary. I could not let that stand. And I do not deal in demerits."
"They broke the peace of your ego, Erik! You can lie to the others, old friend, but you cannot lie to me."
That brought a snort of contempt from Magneto. Try as he might, he couldn't resist turning to Maestro and seizing him by the collar. He stared into those glazed-over eyes in search of the overpowered remote consciousness behind them. "I have abused your students; you have seized my servant. We are not so different, Charles! I am returning your pets to your house. Your lake, to be more precise. Splash down should happen within the hour. Now be gone from me and mine, unless you wish to declare war between us."
Blinking. Blinking. Groaning. Maestro slowly began to return to himself. "What..." He looked around at the window, at being within arm's reach of Magneto. Nobody stood that close to the Master of Magnetism. Maestro instinctively took a few paces back. "Forgive me, Magneto. I... I have forgotten myself."
"Yes..." Magneto stared out the window and watched the descending pod disappear into the cloud banks. "You have." Turning about, he fixed Maestro with a leveling stare. "The next time I order you to escort my guests to their accommodations, you will do so silently or I will grant you the gift of eternal silence."
Maestro bowed low at the hips. "Yes, Magneto. I understand."
"Then make yourself scarce." Magneto gave him his back in order to face the hundred foot tall window alone. "Goodbye, X-Men."
Down below, Xavier watched from the Mansion as a large streak of light lit up the sky. It would take some doing to remove all record of this impact from being traced to the school. The last thing he needed was everything from the Pentagon to the National Meteorological Society sending investigators into his home.
Why did Magneto have to be so stubborn? Why did his students have to be so impetuous? Why was the world in the condition it was? These were questions for another time.
Professor Xavier had changed out of his sleep clothes. Tempting though it was to simply put on a robe, his students had been gone all month long. He had missed them. Their return, insulting and demeaning though it was, deserved full pomp and circumstance. Instead, a hot meal prepared by Hank and Mara while Professor Xavier greeted them wearing his best would have to suffice.
By the time the pod crashed into the lake, the X-Men had already broken free from its confines. Their combined powers made for a safe final descent back to the Mansion grounds with only a few hundred feet to control. When they made their landing in the green space behind the Mansion which led to the lake, the Professor sat in barely contained excitement.
"Welcome back, my X-Men." He smiled at them, sensitive to their weary state and their undignified return. "You were sorely missed. Come inside, eat, rest. You're home at last."
“If that guy ever asks for help again,” said Iris irritably, picking a bit of something stringy out of her hair, “I’m going to tell him to get stuffed!”
“You and me both Iris!” Aurora gave Iris a smile. “Maybe we didn’t help matters as much as we could have, but I wasn’t about to let Maestro hurt anyone.” She looked towards Bobby hoping he was okay.
Bobby brushed past everyone, including the Professor, and stormed into the mansion. Even without his powers, he left a frigid feeling in his wake.
"DID YOU MENTION FOOD?" Connor asked. His meal had been disrupted on Asteroid M. "WHAT FOOD?"
A mentally drained Bliss reached out to ruffle her fingers gently through his shaggy hair.
"Don't ever change, Connor."
“Thank you for standing up for me.” Kennedy said to Jace in a brief moment of private sincerity. She would have thanked Bobby too, but like always he has stormed off in his cloud of rage. “I don’t know if ripping someone’s heart from their chest is technically considered chivalrous but I appreciate someone looking out for me, thinking of me.”
Jace shrugged. "I've never really been accused of being chivalrous." He placed a caring hand gently on her shoulder. "But I'll always stand up for you...look out for you. Now," he said as he removed his hand, "I'm going to go take a shower. I'll meet you in the kitchen with that big bowl of ice cream you mentioned when you were fishing." He winked and phased intangible before heading up the stairs and through the front doors.
As he passed by the Professor, he gave a casual wave of his hand and a smile. Foot soldier in another man's army indeed, thought the phased young man to himself. I need to call Hogarth and get an update from that man.
“Sir,” Kennedy turned her attention towards Xavier. “We’ve been gone for so long, has there been any updates, any news since the senator’s assassination?” Her words were generic enough as to not make the request too obvious that she was asking about her father. A return to New York meant a return to reality for all of them.
"The gunman has not been apprehended," the Professor said. "Federal authorities are not releasing any further information at this time, but for my own curiosity I looked into matters... personally... and can confirm the investigators are short on leads." Being the sensitive topic that it was, Xavier deigned not say more than that. There was an even bigger matter at hand. "Unfortunately, national discourse has taken a hard turn. The Mutant Registration Act was resurrected. We can talk more about what that means tomorrow, but mutant rights may soon become far more complicated in the near future."
Bliss had been standing by to offer support to Kennedy, even though her roommate seemed to be doing just fine with Jace. But this latest news seemed to twist into the sullen anger percolating since the time in the Savage Land. She felt as if the world was hating on her at every turn. A part of her was still upset about Magneto. She had hoped to somehow find some good in the man, something she could park into something better. That being said, she felt the man was more lost than she was. His arrogance about her team's efforts to undo his screw-ups only pissed her off more.
She still had doubts about the professors dream. She knew enough about humanity to know they would never willingly accept them, and this news only drove a nail into that coffin. She knew that she would never serve a man like Erik. She knew enough about history to know that his life under the Nazis had scarred him beyond repair. He was going to adopt their cruel methods to satisfy his hunger for revenge against mankind. She wanted no part of that.
Bliss looked to the professor with a profound sense of personal failure. She felt as if she had let him down, let them all down. She stepped away from the dispersing band of mutants and took to the skies to consider what was to come.
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