Chapter Ten- Guilt


Remy Lebeau stood in front of the mahogany desk, waiting patiently for his task, his red eyes glowing in the darkness. Magneto sat on his metallic chair, thinking.

““So, they are in Muir Island?”” he asked quietly.

Remy nodded, not saying anything.

““How did you find them?””

Remy hesitated. ““I don’’ t’’ink matters how I found them. All dat matters is dat I did,”” he answered quietly, his voice completely calm.

Magneto smiled beneath his helmet. This young mutant was not afraid, so unlike the others. ““I want you to go to them and ‘‘invite’’ them here.””

““And if they gon’’ refuse?””

““Persuade them. Do what you need to, but I need them here,”” said Magneto, his voice stern. ““You need not bring the younger ones. I doubt they’’ll be much help, anyways. But I need most of the others for my plan, especially the leader, or else the chances of succeeding……will not be very good.””

Remy nodded once more. ““Dat all?””

Magneto paused. ““No, I want you to also bring the one called ‘‘Banshee’’……””

==

Jean saw it. A sign, a very familiar street sign. She knew where it lead to, after all, she did saw the sign almost everyday. She didn’’t know what made her decide to follow the sign, but she did. Scott’’s right arm around her shoulder, Jean struggled to walk. Just one more mile, she thought wearily.

Halfway there, Jean gave up walking and used the last of her strength to carry both her and Scott as she used her TK to levitate them towards the house. As they flew towards it, Jean noticed that the lights were out, and it was quiet. There was a blue convertible in front, but the red Mercedes and the silver family van were missing. She breathed a sigh of relief as they landed near the doorstep, where Jean willed herself to walk again.

We’’re almost there damn it……

Finally, they reached the door. Scott’’s arm still around her shoulders, Jean struggled to raise her hand to the doorbell. Just as she was about to push the button, the door swung open, and she came face to face with Duncan.

==

Kitty climbed to the top bunk lazily, and saw that Lance was already lying on the bottom bed. His eyes were open.

““Hey,”” Lance said in the dark. ““Hey,”” Kitty replied sleepily, as she lay on the soft bed. She remembered Jean and Scott. I wonder where they’’re sleeping……

““Don’’t worry, we’’ll find them,”” Lance said out of the blue, almost as if he read her mind.

““Are you sure you’’re not telepathic?”” Kitty asked from above.

““Heh. Yeah, I’’m pretty sure.””

““Cuz you just completely read my mind there,”” said Kitty. ““It was kinda freaky……””

““I’’ll try not to do it again,”” said Lance, a hint of amusement in his voice.

““Yeah……okay,”” Kitty said, ““It’’s just that…….I don’’t know……””

““I wonder where they are right now,”” Lance thought loudly. A sad smile appeared on Kitty’’s face.

““Wherever they are, I hope they’’re alright.””

Lance paused for a moment. ““Me, too, Kitty. Me too.””

==

Duncan blinked. It was her, the girl from TV, dressed in the same black outfit. She looked exactly like Jean……but it couldn’’t be. Could it? When he was finally able to take his eyes off her, he noticed the bleeding teenage boy beside her, wearing a strange visor. ““Help me, Duncan……”” Jean pleaded. Without a moment’’s thought, Duncan lifted him up, easing Jean’’s burden. Then, he headed to his own room where he put him on the bed. Jean followed him to his room, and knelt beside the unconscious boy. She examined the wound for a minute, as Duncan stood at the doorway, still trying to take all of it in. He wasn’’t thinking clearly, he couldn’’t think clearly. Everything was getting dizzy……

““Do you have something like a first-aid kit?”” she asked, taking him out of his trance. He nodded, almost shakily. ““I-I’’ll go get it,”” he said, as he headed to his parents’’ bedroom. The kit was under the bathroom sink. He quickly grabbed it and ran back. Jean had taken off the boy’’s visor. As Duncan handed her the kit, he saw that the boy was Summers. It was Scott Summers. Duncan stopped breathing. How did all this happen? Why was Summers lying there, wounded? Was he going to die? He’’s 18 for god’’s sake! He had so many questions, but stopped himself from asking his ‘‘girlfriend’’, who was busily taking care of Summers’’ wound. When he couldn’’t watch anymore, he went to living room and sat on the couch. He shook his head. This isn’’t possible. This can’’t be happening. It’’s just a nightmare. He started to run his fingers through his hair, but the moment the skin to skin contact was made, he felt something thick and warm. It was Summers’’ blood. Right then he knew, this was not a dream.

==

Rogue could not sleep. Right now, she was lying on a comfortable bed. But she could not sleep. She felt guilty. It’’s like feeling guilty because you survived and your friends……

She quickly erased the thought and tossed to her side. A few minutes later, she sat up…….and buried her face in her hands, shaking her head uncontrollably.

==

Magneto stared absently at the earth. It was a beautiful sight. White clouds swirling over the brown deserts, the blue ocean surrounding the white arctic. So beautiful, so soothing……and peaceful.

But Erik Lensherr knew better. The humans who live there were full of hatred, always hating those they could not understand, always wanting to destroy those who were more powerful than they. His eyebrows furrowed as he sighed a deep sigh. ““Where are you, Charles?””