The Front Entrance

[Wanda Maximoff]

Wanda had been taking a walk on the grounds, to cool off and clear her head. She often had problems these days, and a walk through the night usually worked. It was dark out, and the air cool. Yet, there was an eerie feeling to the air, and she couldn't put her finger on it. Something didn't feel right to her.

Then she realized that there were no night sounds. No crickets chirping, or animal noises at all. It was creepy.

Walking to the front entrance, she stopped. No, it couldn't be. It was as if the ghost of Christmas past had appeared before her. It might as well have been.

The man before her was Magneto. Her biological father, and nothing else, to her or Pietro. How dare he have the audacity to appear here. "You." Her voice held barely contained fury, as her anger began to rise.

[Erik Lensherr]

Magneto offered his daughter a small smile.

"Your manners still leave something to be desired." He raised his right slightly and the sound of shredding metal screeched from behind Wanda. "Unfortunately, I can't risk greeting you properly either after our last... encounter."

The metal Erik had summoned began to wrap around Wanda.

[Wanda Maximoff]

She cried out as the sheet of metal began to wrap around her. Struggling to free herself, she swore at him.

[Pietro Maximoff]

::Pietro had been in the library swapping books before his late security sweep. He heard a voice cry out. Wanda! Dropping the books, he was out of the room and in the front hall before they hit the ground.

Standing in the corridor was a man he had hoped to never lay his eyes upon again. Magneto. It had been five months since he had last seen the man he had once called "father." Without the emotional damage, the physical abuse, and the attrocities committed in the name of mutant superiority, Pietro had a score to settle with him. He was wrapping Wanda in metal and hurting her. Hurting his precious sister.

Within a split second from when he had left the library, he found himself lunging at Magneto, yelling as he tried to knock the other man to the ground.:: "Verlassen Sie sie allein, Sie Ungeheuer!"

[Erik Lensherr]

Erik didn’t notice his speedy son until Pietro had knocked him to ground, landing on top of him.

But Erik had come prepared for another altercation with his offspring.

A thin coil of metal wire unwrapped itself from around Erik’s wrist and caught Pietro around the neck like a noose. Memories of his injuries at the hands of his son caused Magneto to tighten the wire till he saw blood trickle down Pietro’s neck.

[Wanda Maximoff]

Seeing him tighten metal around her brother's neck, Wanda screamed. "Sie Ungeheuer! Lässt ihn gehen!" She struggled, trying to wiggle her fingers. All she needed was to move her hands, and she could hex him. Hex him and stop him from hurting her precious Pietro.

"Get away from him!"

[Erik Lensherr]

Magneto heard Wanda’s scream and saw her struggling to free herself. He motioned with his right hand to secure her more firmly. Using his left he pulled metal from part of mansion’s lawn sprinkler system and used it to bind Pietro’s feet.

Only then did he ease the magnetic field on the wire that was cutting into his son’s neck. He took a moment to recover. The fall to the ground had knocked his breath from him.

"Now perhaps we can have a civil conversation."

Erik considered his words carefully. After their recent battle his patience had worn thin with his children and he was no longer trying to restore himself to their good graces.

“Despite your best efforts to the contrary, I’ve returned to help my fellow mutants in their hour of need. I won’t have you two getting in my way. In the past I may have been forgiving but not this time. If you can’t behave yourself I suggest you leave the mansion. I haven't the time for these family squabbles.”

[Pietro Maximoff]

::Pietro's success at knocking Magneto down was cut short by the wire which wrapped around his neck. If he had paid closer attention, he could have dodged easily, but he had gotten careless. He always was when it came to Wanda; she was both his greatest weakness and his best asset.

The wire tightened around his neck, causing blood to trickle down. He struggled to breathe and his eyes widened, before his brow narrowed in anger. Magneto might have been forgiving? How dare he!He had *never* been gentle with them, never been forgiving for their shortcomings. Had abused them, neglected them, scarred them. And he dared tell them to leave the mansion.

When the wire loosened, he took a deep breath, and managed not to growl. He wouldn't debase himself so in Magneto's presence.:: "We will not leave."

[Wanda Maximoff]

She whimpered in pain as the metal tightened around her body. How dare he! Her mouth would not be stopped, however, by her pain. "Release him this instant!" She cried, eyes containing rage.

[Erik Lensherr]

His daughter was being annoyingly insolent as usual.

“Not yet Wanda.” He turned to his son who was still bound by the neck and feet.

“If you will not leave then I suggest you learn to control your temper. I will be staying at the mansion for some duration. I am not unaware how you and your sister feel about me. It will be an unfortunate situation for everyone if we cannot come to some agreement. I suggest we see as little of each other as possible.”

[Wanda Maximoff]

"You're not staying here," she snarled. She continued to struggle, and felt, rather than saw, the blood trickling down her leg, from scraping against the metal. Damn it, she couldn't break free. And Pietro's feet were bound, rendering his mutation useless at the moment.

[Erik Lensherr]

“Oh, but I am.” Erik walked over to Wanda still bound up in a makeshift metal straight jacket. “After nearly killing your father, the least you can do is offer him a place to stay.” Erik touched her cheek with his gloved hand lightly knowing nothing would repulse her more.

He noticed Wanda had cut herself in her struggle. Foolish as ever.

“Now that you’ve both calmed down I won’t be needing these.”

Magneto motioned the metal restraints on his children away.

[Pietro Maximoff]

::Pietro seethed, as the metal restaints were removed from his body. He checked his neck for injuries, felt the wound and knew he would need to have it looked at. As soon as he could walk, he crossed over to Wanda, opening his arm to draw her close to him, while staring daggers at Magneto.:: "After nearly committing genocide, the least you can do is have shame."

[Wanda Maximoff]

Released, she stumbled, her injured leg not quite able to support her so soon. "We have nothing to offer you," she said to Magneto, her voice cold.

[The Man]

::Xavier had been in his office, tending to some last minute work. The beach trip had been a success, helping the students and faculty alike to let off steam and take two days of rest. Now that they had returned, there was work to do.

He felt a familiar tingle in his mind. Erik. Here. He had never before been more elated to feel that presence, nor more distraught over what would come of it. He dearly hoped Raven would not see him yet, or Jean. Or the twins...the twins. The thought flashed into his mind then, the sense of danger. The twins and their father had reunited again, and it could be just as violent as the first time.

He wheeled from his office as fast as possible, not particularly fast considering the limitations of a motorized wheelchair, and soon enough found himself in the corridor. Pietro had his arm around Wanda, who was limping. There was blood on the floor, and the twins were angry. Erik was frustrated, but maintained his usually calm demeanor. He wanted to greet the man with an embrace, and at the same time, he wanted to ask him if he'd taken leave of his senses. He kept a calm tone, kept his emotions and desires in check, speaking, perhaps too much like he had when he and Erik had raised them.:: "Pietro, Wanda, go to the medical laboratory for your injuries. Then go upstairs."