Blueshift

Blueshift Chapter Fifty Seven (NC-17)
Disclaimers Apply

A/N Goddess Foxfeather, Queen of Mad Plotbunnies, BUSIEST WOMAN ALIVE ™, Prophetic Muse, Hamster Witch and Uberbeta… Now I’m up…. *yawn * InterNutter, TC, Maxwell Pink and Dracena are loverly and wondermous for archiving/hosting. :) ProPhile: *GLOMP* Morgan: You rock, you know that? ;) Readers/Reviewers: Okay. Back now. More chapters, lol. Thanks for reading/reviewing as you get the chance. Happy Easter/Happy Purim/Happy last week to anyone who celebrates… sorry I’m late!

Friday morning dawned cold and clear, a faint mist rising off the lake giving the entire scene outside the Professor’s upstairs office an almost otherworldly bent. He closed his mind from the roiling emotions simmering in Amara and the odd blankness of her companion. Instead, he sent out feelers for Lance, visualizing the tendrils spreading across Bayville, through the woods and rivers and streams, down the slope towards Lambert and Shore Town… Nothing. He opened his eyes and, not turning to face the pair, said in a pacific tone, “I am disappointed in you, Amara, for your disregard for a fellow school mate and your own companion. Report to Logan immediately and tell him I request that he organize a small group to search for Lance in the western woods. Now.”
“But,” she began, glancing at Mars. When he nodded subtly, she sighed. “Yes, sir.”
Professor Xavier was not quite sure if she were assenting to him or to her new companion. He did not address her in either case as she skulked from the office. He turned his chair to face the tall, dark haired man still in his personal space, staring down at him, and frowned. “I know you for what you are,” he said softly. “I know about the project, I know Doctor Raimi… I ask you know to return to where you came from and leave my charge alone. You and your lot have caused enough damage this past year. Leave now, cease this harassment.”
Mars was silent for a long moment, almost too long. The atmosphere of the room became one of strict discomfort as the two sized each other up. Finally, he sighed. “I am not one of Raimi’s bootlicks. I am a god… I am *the* God to that girl you sent out of the room,” he added, jabbing a finger in the direction Amara had departed. “Your aiding these…creatures…is making it very hard for me and mine to exist peacefully, doing our tasks. They will destroy us all, including you and your defective strain.” He smiled briefly, the expression making him look less war like and more like the friendly eighth grade science teacher all the girls had a crush on. The smile flickered away in a heartbeat, his face returning to hard, expressionless lines. “I do my job and I do it well. I was created for this task, Charles Xavier. You are in my way. I saved your charges from that place in the south where you know as well as I not even your most powerful friends could have helped them. I brought them here faster, safer than any other being in the universe could have…”
“Then you assaulted Lance and left him alone in the woods. Nice.” Professor Xavier was almost intimidated by the stern, military attitude of the man before him but he reminded himself that this was a construct, not a real person anymore, if ever at all. “Mars, as you call yourself, I ask you once more to leave my home, this school, my property.”
Mars snorted. “You kick me out but allow the Shi’ar to stay. You have sorely misplaced your priorities.” He leaned forward then, bracing his hands on the arms of the Professor’s wheelchair, and practically snarled his words. “You are harboring a viper… They will be the death of your little children and your friends.” He narrowed his eyes so they were glittering blue slits and added, “The Majestrix has enchanted you… you are ensorcelled.”
Professor Xavier felt a dull flush creep up the back of his neck but he did not look away from Mars. “You are overstepping your boundaries, sir. Leave now or you will be removed by force.”
Mars smiled again, this time more feral than the previous, and stood. He smoothed his hands over his black t-shirt and picked an imaginary piece of lint off the sleeve. “Very well, Professor Charles Xavier. I am not the only one of my ilk seeking to stop this union. There are others. Ask Kitty. Ask Jubilee. They’ll tell you.”
The door to the office opened and Wanda stood there, blinking sleepily. She had been awakened by the voices, filtering through the door to the small antechamber where she had been sleeping on the sofa, waiting for the Professor to tell her he had brought Tabby over. She stared at Mars for a long moment before speaking, her gaze taking in the black jeans, black t-shirt and black, scuffed boots along with his scowl and hard jawline. “Dude… David Hasselhoff called from nineteen eighty six… he wants his look back.”
Mars’ expression became oddly stuffed. “Good day, Professor Xavier. I’ll call on you again some time.” He nodded cordially and strode past Wanda, shooting her a look that should have been lethal in most states.
Wanda snorted. “What the fuck…er…heck…was that about? You two arguing woke me up.” She yawned widely, belatedly covering her mouth only when she caught the Professor’s raised brow. “Sorry,” she muttered as an afterthought.
“It is of no matter to you,” he said simply before moving on to the next subject. “I’ve been doing some thinking about our visit last night and I have come to the conclusion that I have been blinded by my previous experiences with the Brotherhood.”
Wanda waited, expecting him to continue. The silence stretched awkwardly before she realized that he was waiting for her. “Um, right. Look, I came to you because I figured you really needed to know what’s going on so something could be done, you know? I’m not just sharing the news for shits and giggles.” She flopped down on the divan in his office and sighed heavily. “Tabby and Lucas are more important to me than the fucking Brotherhood, you know? They’re more important to me than anything and I have no idea why I’m telling you all of this except…” she paused and closed her eyes, gathering her thoughts. “I thought I wanted to join the Brotherhood again, then I thought I wanted to help Mystique. Tabby doesn’t want to choose sides and that’s cool. I can respect that whole Ronin lone warrior thing but…” She bit her lip and tried not to sound too needy and helpless, tried to sound as if she did not give a fuck when, in fact, she was more scared than she had been in years. “I want to join you guys. For real. I want to help put a stop to my father’s plans. He’s…he’s gone too far this time.”