:) Thanks, all, for your encouragement and more-than kindly words! Seriously. You guys completely BLEW MY MIND. I'm glad I have a shovel! I had to scoop bits of brain off the walls O.O

Well, I'm more than pleased that you all think there's nothing to improve on in this story. So, without further a-

WAIT WAIT I STILL NEED TO DO THANK YOUS!

Fine. Get to them.

*Ahem* (Brace yourselves, I'll be saying 'thanks' a lot!)

SilverPedals1402-Thanks! I'm glad you like it. If there's anything at ALL you don't like, or think should be different, plot holes, etc., then just say so! (This goes for anyone else who might be reading this!)

PercyJacksonLover14-:') That was so kind! Thank you! :D You know, I always look forward to reading your reviews, because you always bring me up and say the right things (Except when you say that I might possibly be a better writer than you-there's honestly NO contest whatsoever! You. Are. AMAZING.) And don't worry about me not continuing this story; I'm sticking with it 'till the end!

imaAvenger-O_O Noo! Not the straightjackets, ANYTHING BUT THEM! ;) Okay, little less graphic violence, got it! Thanks a million, hundred billion, trillion, quadrillion, quintillion, sextillion, septillion, octillion, nonillion, decillion, and whatever follows after!

Lupss-Ah-ah-ah, not too much Pepperony yet! *Waggles finger* ;) There are a lot of other things going on, like the MRD trying to find The School, killing and imprisoning mutants, etc. But I promise you, there's DEFINETELY Pepperony. Just wait a tic, please, and thanks as always!

Cindylou30-LOL! I'm sorry I made you insane, I truly am! This chapter tones things down quite a bit, looking more into Erik's past and pain, so hopefully it'll give you some recovery time! ;) Thanks again for reviewing! You're AWESOME! (By the way, don't look into the sun, please! You won't be able to write anymore! *Cries at the thought*)

dragonborn360-Yes, exactly! He's not as much of an arrogant show-off as he is in the series. Nice job on noticing that! Hope you enjoy and thanks for reviewing! :)

*Sigh* You know, I really am happy I started writing. You all are so supportive and generous, uplifting, and wonderful friends to have. Thanks, to the ends of the earth, for all of this!

Now then.

That's all! Allons-y!

Chapter 21 "Erik's Plan"

Erik Lehnsherr watched from the shadows as Charles, Pepper, and Rhodey gently set Tony down on the bed, back in the Xavier Institute, in the infirmary room. He was still unconscious, and would be for a while, due to all the blood he lost. They talked among themselves for a while and then left, shutting the door behind them. With the room now empty, Erik walked up to the hospital bed that held Tony's listless form. He looked at the deep wounds the teen had suffered, long, jagged slashes that ran from collarbone to his midsection, now stitched up. His healing ability kicked in now, and the edges of the gashes slowly began to close.

Erik's hatred for humanity had long been underneath his other emotions, but now they bubbled back up to the surface. He clenched his fists, remembering that day when one of the M.R.D.'s former leaders, Sebastian Shaw, murdered his mother because Erik couldn't move a coin he set out. Those were back in the days when mutantkind was thought to be a myth, merely an old scientist's ravings.

He remembered his primal rage completely.

(A young boy gasped as the man at the desk pulled the trigger and ended her life. Erik's mother dropped to the floor, dead, a stream of blood flowing from her head.

Erik screamed and all things metal in the room went crazy. Desks crumpled. Cabinets collapsed on themselves. Most brutally, the helmets of the guards in the room shrunk and crinkled, and Erik paid no heed to their tortured screams as the helmets crushed their skulls with an awful crunching noise and drove shards of bone into their brains.

Erik continued his bestial scream, using his voice and powers for all he was worth, crushed in the agony of his mother's death. He hadn't seen her in years-years of nothing but torment!-and then suddenly she was taken away in a matter of seconds.

Gone.

After what felt like an hour his rage had subsided somewhat, and everything was quiet once more. Peaceful, never, due to the three dead bodies on the floor, crimson liquid pooling from their heads, and the shattered remains of cabinets and desks.

"Well done, Erik." The cruel man said, walking forward and placing his hand on the trembling boy's shoulder.

"You and I, we're going to have so much fun.")

Erik shuddered to himself. He could find no words that would ever describe the agony-filled years that had gone by after his mother's death. Shaw had used him as a lab rat; relentlessly experimenting on the poor boy with neither mercy nor pity, and exposed him to pain that implanted itself in the boy's heart and mind forever.

He smiled ruefully. His mind was set on one thing-destroying all of humankind from the earth, leaving only the mutants, who, he believed, were the next step in evolution.

(We, as mutants, are superior to them!)

He didn't need Charles anymore; he could find help elsewhere…especially in the young boys, Gene and John. He suspected they, too had the same ideas about humanity.

~Later on, in the plaza with Gene and John ~

Gene frowned and stalked up and down the plaza.

"So, you're basically saying we should leave here, the one safe haven for mutants." He stated. Erik nodded.

"…That humanity needs to be eliminated completely…" Erik nodded once more.

"…And also that we should try and kill the Professor?" His voice dropped low. Once more, Erik nodded.

"We don't need that old fool getting in our way." He replied coldly.

Cold was his tone, but, deep inside his twisted being, he felt a pang of guilt at those words. He and Charles had been friends for a long time-Charles had even saved his life and taught him to better control his powers!-and to suddenly stab him in the back, literally…no. No, he couldn't think about that now, he'd cross that bridge when it came to that.

Gene stopped and grinned at John.

"I'm in."

"Me, too."

Erik smiled. "Not yet, however. We should wait until after the contest, when everyone's celebrating in the great hall. Then, amidst all the dancing and pandemonium, we shall do away with him and be gone in a matter of seconds."

(And once the School and everyone against me is out of the plan, then the war against humanity will ensue. And nobody will be able to resist an army of trained mutants-or myself!)

NOTE: The contest that Erik spoke of shall be explained in the next chapter, so hold on 'till then! See ya'll soon!