Escape
Lance grimaced in pain as he slowly applied the healing cream to the deep bruises that littered his chest, arms, legs, his entire body was different shades of purple, green, yellow, blue, and other colors which have no place on the human body.
Where there were not bruises he was scarred, long ones, short ones, there was no place empty of them, not even his hands had escaped, though luckily the gloves he always wore hid them well.
His wrists and ankles were torn and abraded and he didn't even want to consider what his back must look like. Absently he ran his fingers across the small scar that slashed through his left eyebrow, his low bangs hid it very well.
He had just returned from another session with Magneto, his body hurt in so many places and in so many ways he could barely walk, but he knew he had to, no matter what pain raced along his spine.
He gulped down six aspirin to try and quell the rocketing pain. It had been one month since Magneto had stolen what was most precious to him and turned him into something he had never wanted to become. Lance wasn't an evil person, just a teenager trying to find his path in the world.
Lance stopped for a moment as he considered his last thought, perhaps he was evil, maybe this was God's idea of punishment, and could he really call himself a teenager?
He was a father figure to a very messed up speed demon and a disturbed 14 year old, any traces of innocence that he had, or any remnants of a true teenager had been ripped away by Magneto. Lance suddenly collapsed to the bathroom floor and rocked himself back and forth as silent tears rolled down his face, he had learned long ago how to be silent in his anguish, he would never want Todd or Pietro to find out what he had become.
Fred had left them, headed back to his home town, where at least they respected him as a freak. Since then it had just been the three boys in the boarding house, Todd and Pietro had enough problems in their own lives, and they depended upon him to be sturdy like the earth that he commanded.
Neither of them knew about the double life that he now led, or the new powers which were starting to emerge within his body, new powers that both terrified and thrilled him. He stroked the smooth metal band around his neck, it had no crease or latch since Magneto had simply made it stretch and then tighten.
He ran his fingers down the letters that Magneto had imprinted upon it to remind him of what he was. He did this as he thought about how his old life had ended a new one, a terrifying one, had begun...
Flashback – One Month Previous
Lance was curled up on the couch in the living room of the boarding house reading a book, despite what everyone, especially those X-geeks, thought he was a very intelligent young man. The other members of the Brotherhood were out doing something, Pietro was most likely working, and Todd was also probably working, though what he did was not necessarily considered legal.
Lance was happy, he finally had a day off from work, he worked in Farrisburgh, which was just outside Bayville, close enough to get to, but far enough away that it was very unlikely he would ever see anyone he would know. He was currently reading an old favorite, one of the few things left over from before the long string of foster homes that he was in, a very worn and torn version of Crime and Punishment. (irony alert!! irony alert!!)
Lance had read the book so many times he could nearly recite it front to back, Lance had always loved reading, the only ones who knew about this secret fetish were Todd and Pietro, and if they dared to utter a word to anyone they knew Lance would rock their world, quite literally.
He barely looked up as he heard the front door open and close with a bang and called out, "Don't slam the door you guys! Some of us are trying to read!"
He was chuckling to himself when he heard an answer, but it was not Todd or Pietro, nor even one of the X-geeks, "I would advise you not to try and tell me what to do Avalanche, after all I do believe I own this place."
Lance glanced up, quickly realizing who had just entered, he jumped up from the couch dropping his book behind him, "Ummm, Magneto sir what brings you here?" Lance shifted nervously from side to side, Magneto had always made him nervous, the way his eyes seemed to bore into him, to strip him down, made him shudder.
Slowly a rather dark and vicious smirk came across Magneto's face, his eyes were like two shards of blue ice and they held an emotion that Lance could not identify, though it terrified him to his very bones.
Lance flinched as he felt Magneto's fingers trail down his cheek, "I have been thinking that it is time for this arrangement to change."
"What arrangement Sir?" Lance decided to be doubly polite hoping that perhaps it would hold off whatever was about to happen.
"My son and Toad are of no use in any fight, I wish to dispose of them, perhaps give them to the Acolytes for some fun, if they survive then they obviously are stronger then I thought, if they die, well then no great loss."
A regal shrug was given wit the last statement, Lance couldn't believe that this man could be that heartless! Especially to his own son, Lance now had a better understanding of why Wanda wanted to kill the man whose blood flowed through her veins, it was too bad she was not there at that moment. "Magneto, sir, you can't do that, please!!!!"
Lance's voice was high and panicked as he looked into Magneto's eyes, "And how in the world would you be able to stop me, boy?"
The ground started to move beneath them as Lance got angry and Magneto raised an arm and backhanded Lance sending him to the floor. "Stop that foolishness now, or I will kill those two pathetic mutants myself!"
Lance slowly brought himself back as the ground stopped its violent motions. Magneto leaned down and ran a hand through Lance's hair and pulled him up as he winced in pain, "If you do exactly what I say, I will let those two worthless ones live, and no harm will come to them, but if you disobey me, you will have hell to pay."
Lance nodded slowly, thinking perhaps joining the X-Men was not such a bad idea after all, but then they would never accept them after everything they had done, the many times they had battled against each other, no, all he could do was protect those who needed him.
Magneto gave a chuckle as he watched Lance agree, "Well then, come along boy." Magneto flicked his wrist and a silver ball appeared, obviously he had been planning this all along.
"Just let me write a note to say I will be back" Lance turned to walk away and was struck from behind, "Did I give you permission to turn your back on me boy?"
Magneto hissed in his ear as he threw him in the pod, "Well, Answer me" "No you didn't" Lance moaned in pain as Magneto kicked him in his side, "No what, boy?" "No Sir, you didn't"
Magneto motioned for the pod to close and turned back, "Learn your place and we will get on splendidly, now just in case you forget..."
Before Lance could even move a piece of titanium flew from the edge of the pod and wrapped itself around his neck, forming a collar, he could feel the words being imprinted upon it by Magneto's power: PROPERTY OF ERIC LENCHER.
"What the fuck are you....." Lance's statement was cut off as the band suddenly tightened around his neck cutting of his air.
He gasped gulps as it loosened. "Speak with respect boy, to your new Master."
Magneto glanced at the clock, "A pity we do not have more time, the others will be back soon, but do not worry I will be back and you will be waiting for me, and I suggest unless you want them to see your new accessory you go find a shirt with a high neck."
With a laugh Magneto dumped Lance backing front of the house and left, leaving him to wonder what the hell he had just gotten himself into...."
End Flashback
Lance laughed bitterly as he remembered that day, "Oh, if only it had stopped there, but no fate has always hated me, so why should this part of my life suddenly change?"
He heard the back door open and close, he quickly wiped his eyes and straightened his clothes, he let out a steadying breath as he walked downstairs to greet those who he hoped would never know he was protecting them, he hid his pain behind the mask again as he threw out what would seem like a casual question to the two. "Hey guys, how was school?"
Tbc.........
Lance grimaced in pain as he slowly applied the healing cream to the deep bruises that littered his chest, arms, legs, his entire body was different shades of purple, green, yellow, blue, and other colors which have no place on the human body.
Where there were not bruises he was scarred, long ones, short ones, there was no place empty of them, not even his hands had escaped, though luckily the gloves he always wore hid them well.
His wrists and ankles were torn and abraded and he didn't even want to consider what his back must look like. Absently he ran his fingers across the small scar that slashed through his left eyebrow, his low bangs hid it very well.
He had just returned from another session with Magneto, his body hurt in so many places and in so many ways he could barely walk, but he knew he had to, no matter what pain raced along his spine.
He gulped down six aspirin to try and quell the rocketing pain. It had been one month since Magneto had stolen what was most precious to him and turned him into something he had never wanted to become. Lance wasn't an evil person, just a teenager trying to find his path in the world.
Lance stopped for a moment as he considered his last thought, perhaps he was evil, maybe this was God's idea of punishment, and could he really call himself a teenager?
He was a father figure to a very messed up speed demon and a disturbed 14 year old, any traces of innocence that he had, or any remnants of a true teenager had been ripped away by Magneto. Lance suddenly collapsed to the bathroom floor and rocked himself back and forth as silent tears rolled down his face, he had learned long ago how to be silent in his anguish, he would never want Todd or Pietro to find out what he had become.
Fred had left them, headed back to his home town, where at least they respected him as a freak. Since then it had just been the three boys in the boarding house, Todd and Pietro had enough problems in their own lives, and they depended upon him to be sturdy like the earth that he commanded.
Neither of them knew about the double life that he now led, or the new powers which were starting to emerge within his body, new powers that both terrified and thrilled him. He stroked the smooth metal band around his neck, it had no crease or latch since Magneto had simply made it stretch and then tighten.
He ran his fingers down the letters that Magneto had imprinted upon it to remind him of what he was. He did this as he thought about how his old life had ended a new one, a terrifying one, had begun...
Flashback – One Month Previous
Lance was curled up on the couch in the living room of the boarding house reading a book, despite what everyone, especially those X-geeks, thought he was a very intelligent young man. The other members of the Brotherhood were out doing something, Pietro was most likely working, and Todd was also probably working, though what he did was not necessarily considered legal.
Lance was happy, he finally had a day off from work, he worked in Farrisburgh, which was just outside Bayville, close enough to get to, but far enough away that it was very unlikely he would ever see anyone he would know. He was currently reading an old favorite, one of the few things left over from before the long string of foster homes that he was in, a very worn and torn version of Crime and Punishment. (irony alert!! irony alert!!)
Lance had read the book so many times he could nearly recite it front to back, Lance had always loved reading, the only ones who knew about this secret fetish were Todd and Pietro, and if they dared to utter a word to anyone they knew Lance would rock their world, quite literally.
He barely looked up as he heard the front door open and close with a bang and called out, "Don't slam the door you guys! Some of us are trying to read!"
He was chuckling to himself when he heard an answer, but it was not Todd or Pietro, nor even one of the X-geeks, "I would advise you not to try and tell me what to do Avalanche, after all I do believe I own this place."
Lance glanced up, quickly realizing who had just entered, he jumped up from the couch dropping his book behind him, "Ummm, Magneto sir what brings you here?" Lance shifted nervously from side to side, Magneto had always made him nervous, the way his eyes seemed to bore into him, to strip him down, made him shudder.
Slowly a rather dark and vicious smirk came across Magneto's face, his eyes were like two shards of blue ice and they held an emotion that Lance could not identify, though it terrified him to his very bones.
Lance flinched as he felt Magneto's fingers trail down his cheek, "I have been thinking that it is time for this arrangement to change."
"What arrangement Sir?" Lance decided to be doubly polite hoping that perhaps it would hold off whatever was about to happen.
"My son and Toad are of no use in any fight, I wish to dispose of them, perhaps give them to the Acolytes for some fun, if they survive then they obviously are stronger then I thought, if they die, well then no great loss."
A regal shrug was given wit the last statement, Lance couldn't believe that this man could be that heartless! Especially to his own son, Lance now had a better understanding of why Wanda wanted to kill the man whose blood flowed through her veins, it was too bad she was not there at that moment. "Magneto, sir, you can't do that, please!!!!"
Lance's voice was high and panicked as he looked into Magneto's eyes, "And how in the world would you be able to stop me, boy?"
The ground started to move beneath them as Lance got angry and Magneto raised an arm and backhanded Lance sending him to the floor. "Stop that foolishness now, or I will kill those two pathetic mutants myself!"
Lance slowly brought himself back as the ground stopped its violent motions. Magneto leaned down and ran a hand through Lance's hair and pulled him up as he winced in pain, "If you do exactly what I say, I will let those two worthless ones live, and no harm will come to them, but if you disobey me, you will have hell to pay."
Lance nodded slowly, thinking perhaps joining the X-Men was not such a bad idea after all, but then they would never accept them after everything they had done, the many times they had battled against each other, no, all he could do was protect those who needed him.
Magneto gave a chuckle as he watched Lance agree, "Well then, come along boy." Magneto flicked his wrist and a silver ball appeared, obviously he had been planning this all along.
"Just let me write a note to say I will be back" Lance turned to walk away and was struck from behind, "Did I give you permission to turn your back on me boy?"
Magneto hissed in his ear as he threw him in the pod, "Well, Answer me" "No you didn't" Lance moaned in pain as Magneto kicked him in his side, "No what, boy?" "No Sir, you didn't"
Magneto motioned for the pod to close and turned back, "Learn your place and we will get on splendidly, now just in case you forget..."
Before Lance could even move a piece of titanium flew from the edge of the pod and wrapped itself around his neck, forming a collar, he could feel the words being imprinted upon it by Magneto's power: PROPERTY OF ERIC LENCHER.
"What the fuck are you....." Lance's statement was cut off as the band suddenly tightened around his neck cutting of his air.
He gasped gulps as it loosened. "Speak with respect boy, to your new Master."
Magneto glanced at the clock, "A pity we do not have more time, the others will be back soon, but do not worry I will be back and you will be waiting for me, and I suggest unless you want them to see your new accessory you go find a shirt with a high neck."
With a laugh Magneto dumped Lance backing front of the house and left, leaving him to wonder what the hell he had just gotten himself into...."
End Flashback
Lance laughed bitterly as he remembered that day, "Oh, if only it had stopped there, but no fate has always hated me, so why should this part of my life suddenly change?"
He heard the back door open and close, he quickly wiped his eyes and straightened his clothes, he let out a steadying breath as he walked downstairs to greet those who he hoped would never know he was protecting them, he hid his pain behind the mask again as he threw out what would seem like a casual question to the two. "Hey guys, how was school?"
Tbc.........