Welcome to Gaia! ::

Fingers of fear clutched Oliver's throat. He became acutely aware of Anna's presence behind him, of her trembling body and her breath on the back of his neck. He stared at the guns pointing directly at the two of them, and he knew he'd have to give in. Much as he wanted to resist and defiantly tell this man who had ruined his life from birth that he would rather die than go along with his plans to ruin even more lives...he had Anna's fate to think of, and he wasn't about to let harm come to her.

So he took a deep breath instead, and glared murderously into Dr. Smith's eyes. "All right, we agree to your conditions. Let's get this over with."

And so began the worst few hours of Oliver's life. Copperstone seemed filled with scientists again, as though they had all come back from a mass lunch break, and without further ado more armed scientists led the two mutants back to the lab they had just left. First they just took blood samples and ran ordinary medical check-ups. If Dr. Smith hadn't been watching the read-out on a large computer screen off to the side, Oliver might almost have been able to relax.

But then they began to run tests more focused on their powers. They seemed well aware of each of their powers, and brought in a potted plant - a real one this time - for Oliver to work with. But Anna was sitting on the second operating table that they had wheeled next to Oliver's, so they were too close to make it work.

Dr. Smith seemed obsessively interested in this phenomenon of their shared powers. He repeatedly had them move farther away and closer together, demonstrating how weak or strong their powers were. Oliver grew more and more irritated and impatient to be away from the scientists' probing questions, but he was constantly aware of the armed scientists guarding the exit and training their rifles on the two subjects. He knew he would have to abide by Dr. Smith's demands if they were to make it out alive.

Finally Dr. Smith came up to them, looking positively gleeful. "All right, then. One more test and we should have all the results we need." He gestured to one of his assistants, who handed him a syringe filled with a pinkish substance. The other assistants pushed Anna's bed to the side and pushed on Oliver's shoulders to lay him flat on his back, beginning to strap him in with the leather restraints they'd noticed before.

"Wait, what are you going to do?" Oliver asked, fear jabbing him in the stomach.

"Nothing to worry about," Dr. Smith said calmly, advancing with the syringe. "Now that you're 'genetically responsive,' as it were, we must observe the effects of another's genes being presented to your DNA."

Oliver stared up at him while the assistants buckled the last strap down so he couldn't move an inch. He could barely comprehend what Dr. Smith had said, but he said weakly, "Another's genes? Whose?"

"Anna's, of course." Oliver started, making his bed creak, but the eager scientist continued. "Previous trials have led to mutations rendering the subject incapable of survival, but you two have already proven compatible. You have, after all, been injected with each other's genes since birth."

Now Oliver was too stunned to even attempt to resist; he barely even noticed what Dr. Smith was doing until he swiped Oliver's arm with an alcohol swab. Then Oliver tried to reach out for the air around him, or the plant still sitting in its pot on the table in the corner, or anything that could help him, but Dr. Smith boredly signaled the guards, who advanced on Anna. Oliver immediately fell still, and Dr. Smith held up a hand. The guards stopped, but stood menacingly close to Anna.

Defeated, Oliver lay still and locked his gaze with Anna's. He had no idea what this was going to do to him, but he had a feeling he wouldn't like it.

((Sorry if I'm putting the spotlight on Oliver too much sweatdrop I don't want it to seem like Anna is just passive this whole time, but I also want to move the action forward because I'M EXCITED!!!!!! 8D))

Dr. Smith didn't seem to hear Anna's plea, lowering the syringe to Oliver's exposed skin. Oliver tried to pull away, but the leather straps held his arm still and he could do nothing. He felt the p***k of the needle, but kept his eyes on Anna. If he was going to die, he wanted her to be the last thing he saw. He felt the needle pull back out of his skin, and swallowed nervously. Soon, whatever was in that syringe would find its way to his heart, and from there get pumped all through his body.

He wished he could hold Anna's hand as he faced the unknown, but she was halfway across the room. So he ignored the scientists bustling about the room, and called to her, "I love you."

Almost as soon as the words left his mouth, he felt his heart increase its pace. At first it just felt like the effects of a caffeine rush, but soon pain shot through every nerve in his body. He was vaguely aware of people rushing around, talking, attaching various instruments to his body, but he just bit his lip against the pain and rising nausea and kept gazing at Anna. He became aware that his limbs were twitching, and someone stuffed something between his teeth. Then everything hazed over into darkness.

----------

When Oliver opened his eyes again, he couldn't remember ever feeling worse in his life. He was slimy with sweat, his stomach churned, and there was a bitter taste in his mouth. But he was alive. He supposed that was the most important part.

Gradually, he became aware of his surroundings. He was in the same room, lying in the same bed. As far as he could tell, only minutes had passed; Anna was still sitting on her bed and the scientists were still scurrying about and reporting the readouts on various screens around them.

Dr. Smith bent over him, looking quite pleased with himself. "Experiment successful, as I knew it would be. You coughed up blood and your muscles seized up, but such is to be expected. You will probably not notice any difference, because I have only replaced one of your recessive genes with one dominant gene of hers."

Oliver flicked his gaze over to Anna in confusion. "Wait..." he said sluggishly, still feeling sick. "Don't tell me that's what you've been doing all this time."

Smiling indulgently, Dr. Smith said, "Precisely. I'm glad you caught on so quickly. Our only hope was to mutate your genes to their optimal formation, by replacing all your recessive genes with Anna's dominant ones. And vice versa, of course, to make a full investigation. But I think we can dispense with that now; we have enough samples of her DNA that now she is expendable."

"Tut tut. Not very scientific of you."

Dr. Smith whirled around, and Oliver raised his head as far as he could. Standing in the doorway were several of the teachers, surrounding Xavier himself. The Professor sat calmly in his wheelchair, but all the scientists' guns were already floating in a corner of the ceiling, far out of reach, while the scientists looked momentarily stunned.

"Now, let my students go free, or we will use force."

((Now all hell can break loose twisted And, um...do you think Xavier is the kind of guy who would say 'tut, tut'? sweatdrop ))

((Happy Birthday! ...a few days late sweatdrop ))

"Agreed," Xavier said calmly, folding his hands in his lap as though he was sitting by a cozy fireplace. "Don't kill anyone."

As though that was a signal, chaos broke out in the room as the teachers rushed the scientists who were now defenseless. Dr. Smith seemed to be the only mutant among them; he immediately threw up his bubble-like shield, absorbing the red beam of energy that shot his way. He tried to make a run for it, but one of the guns Xavier was holding up high in the air tilted downward slightly. A shot rang out, the bullet piercing through Dr. Smith's shield and into his leg. The man fell down with a scream, clutching his bloody leg, and the shield disappeared. Soon he had his arms and legs tied, so even if he created his shield again, it wouldn't do him any good.

The rest of the scientists, being normal humans, were easy to round up, and soon the teachers sent them marching back to the surface, hands tied securely behind their backs.

Meanwhile, Oliver had been trying to master himself, but had been unable to do much more than breathe and rest in Anna's arms. He had never felt so weak in his life, but it was over now...it was all over. He wasn't strong enough to access Anna's powers, but it seemed that was unnecessary anyway, so he just smiled wearily at Anna and slung his arm around her shoulders. "M-Maybe...that's why I can use your powers, but you can't use mine...." He closed his eyes briefly, fighting down a new wave of nausea.

Xavier was at the foot of the bed when Oliver opened his eyes. "Are you all right?" the old man asked with genuine concern. Oliver bit his lip and nodded, expecting a severe scolding. But all Xavier said was, "Can you walk? We need to get you two to safety."

"I think..." Oliver summoned his strength and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "I think I can make it...if Anna helps me."

His legs shook under him as he tried to stand, but Anna took his weight and together they somehow managed to walk through the halls. Xavier followed their slow progress, so he could help them if they fell. The walk back out to freedom seemed to take forever, but Oliver relished it despite his weakness and how much he just wanted to lie down again. Anna was there, and they were alive, and that was all that mattered.

Of course, he reconsidered when he got to the surface and saw that they were surrounded by Magneto and his men. "Erik!" Xavier exclaimed when the three of them emerged under the blazing sun.

"Now, now," Magneto said calmly. "You needn't be afraid that I would try another attack on you so soon. We'll be on our way shortly; I was in the neighborhood and thought I would drop by. I have a little deal to settle with Miss Roads."

Oliver looked at her in surprise. "What's he talking about?"

Xavier closed his eyes as if pained, but Oliver had no attention to spare for deciding how he felt about his teacher. He tried to grab Anna's sleeve as she pulled away from him, but his fingers closed on air. "No...Anna, wait!" When she reached Magneto's side, he pushed away from Emma Frost and tried to run towards her. One of Magneto's henchmen started to raise his hand threateningly, but he needn't have worried. Before he had taken two steps, Oliver's weak knees gave out and he fell on his face.

Emma Frost helped him back up, and Oliver slumped helplessly against her. There was nothing he could do. He gazed earnestly at Anna, even though she wouldn't look at him. After everything they'd been through, after all they'd endured to get to this point...was this where everything would end? Whatever Magneto had in store for her, he knew it couldn't be good. He had a horrible feeling that if he let her go off with Magneto, he would never see her again.

How could he go on without her? She'd been there for him ever since he first set foot in Xavier's school. She'd helped him, whether with her own knowledge or just with emotional support, whenever he had a problem. She was...everything. Without her, there was no meaning to life, no purpose to anything he could do or say.

And Magneto's eyes locked with his, his lips curling in a triumphant smirk. Mocking. As though he knew exactly what was going through Oliver's mind...and relishing every ounce of torment. Finally he broke their gaze and looked at Xavier again. "Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I have things to do and I'm sure you do as well. Until we meet again."

They left, leaving Oliver and the small group of teachers alone in a desert wasteland.

((If you don't mind, I think I'll do a timeskip. Oh and by the way, if you're wondering about my sister, I haven't actually been able to contact her since I came back to school because they just moved and so far only have dial-up internet, so they're limiting all non-essential access. Hopefully they'll get something better soon so I can actually TALK TO MY FAMILY AGAIN :XP smile )

The first few weeks after the Copperstone incident, Oliver spoke little and revealed few of his emotions. In fact, sometimes he even reminded the teachers of Anna before she had befriended Oliver. He slept a lot, but even when he was awake he would lie on his back and stare at the ceiling or sit in a chair and stare out the window. He didn't betray any signs of grieving or giving Anna up for lost, even though he had to know that it was unlikely she would ever be freed from Magneto's clutches. It was like something inside him had died.

But slowly, his health and strength returned. The experiment had weakened him, but seemed to leave no other side effects, good or bad. His physical appearance remained unchanged, and after a few weeks, he even tested out his powers and found no change. Anna was certainly far enough away to let him use them to their full extent.

One day, Xavier rolled his chair silently out onto the grass of the lawn behind the school to find Oliver sitting with his back against the wall, right next to a window. Next to him was a large, flourishing lilac bush, covered with pale purple flowers even though it wasn't the right time of year. As he approached, Oliver gestured and another sprig of lilacs bloomed before his eyes.

Then Oliver looked up and noticed Xavier. He pushed himself to his feet and said, "Professor, when are we going to rescue Anna?"

Xavier gently probed Oliver's mind, careful not to be too invasive. All he could find in there was iron-hard resolve. "Tomorrow." While Oliver had been recovering, Xavier had closely examined the Copperstone records and analyzed the data the scientists had collected. He had an inkling now of Magneto's plan, the one he'd been formulating ever since the Cold War. This had ceased to be just about Anna and Oliver; Magneto had to be stopped or the whole world would be in peril.

"Are you sure you want to come?" It would be dangerous to bring Oliver along, especially since he would be practically defenseless since there was so much more metal in Genosha than soil, and his abilities with Anna's wind power would also be limited even once they got close enough for him to use them. But Xavier knew better, now, than to insist that Oliver stay behind. Look at the disaster that had fallen when they took matters into their own hands last time.

"I'm positive." Oliver's expression was determined. His love for Anna would drive him onward, even though he must know how unlikely it was that either of them would make it out alive.

"All right," Xavier said finally. "But when we get there, I want you to stay right by my side at all times. At all times, understand? Don't go running off looking for her yourself. We will rescue her together."

For the first time, Oliver looked surprised. "You're going into Genosha with us, Professor?"

Xavier smiled grimly. "Oh yes. I owe Erik a visit."

((That was an appropriate song. My family just moved a few neighborhoods away; they had to because our landlord sold the house rolleyes ))

They were finally leaving. They sped over the land, heading out to sea where Genosha lay hidden. Where Anna lay hidden. Oliver felt more alive already, just knowing that they were finally doing something, that they weren't going to just leave her there to submit to whatever awful things Magneto must have wanted her for. Maybe they were already too late....

But no, he knew he couldn't think like that. He had to believe that she was all right, that she would soon be safe at his side. They'd gotten through so much together, and they would get through this too. The plane was more crowded than Oliver had ever seen it, even when they had gone to retrieve the Cerebro. Everyone who had ever gone to Xavier's school seemed to be on board, and a few of the students who had graduated alongside Oliver and Anna. Luke was there, but Valon had stayed behind since his powers weren't suited for combat. But Oliver couldn't think of anything to say to his old friends anyway. It felt like years since all he'd had to worry about was grades and harnessing his powers. It felt like years since he had seen Anna last....

But at last they came in sight of the island, and Oliver unbuckled his seat belt and headed for the door. The others on his team were already there, and Oliver marveled again that Xavier had given this task to his best men. Cyclops, Storm, Frost...even Wolverine was there. Oliver felt small and useless next to them, but they didn't seem to mind. He had to wonder what Xavier had said to them to convince them to do this.

This time, there was no diversion, no distraction. Magneto already knew what they had come for, and they knew their only hope of rescuing Anna would be charging Genosha from as many directions as possible. A few telekinetic mutants dropped everyone swiftly down from the hidden jet, even the Professor in his wheelchair. As soon as they were seen, Magneto's mutants surged out to attack them, hoping to push them into the sea, but they were prepared. Everyone accessed their powers the moment their feet touched the land, and with the element of surprise, they were able to press on towards the entrance.

Oliver hurried forward at Xavier's side, making trees and spiky plants erupt from the soil to ensnare their enemies. He had never seen the Professor fight before, and was amazed to see that the old man looked as calm as ever, barely raising a finger but still tossing people aside in one direction or another. Everyone who went up against him fell back, clutching their heads and screaming in agony, or fainting immediately.

Even his voice in Oliver's head was calm and measured. This way, Oliver. Oliver followed him and the others down a side passage into the fortress, amazed and just trying to keep up.

((Lol, of course it's legal razz He owned the house; we were just renting it. He wasn't very nice about it, but it's totally legal.))

For a moment, Xavier looked doubtfully at Oliver, who quickly spoke up. "I'm coming too, Professor." Thankfully, there was no protest, though Xavier looked like he wanted to.

Without further ado, they hurried on, following Xavier as though he could see an invisible trail of breadcrumbs that would lead them to Anna. They met some mutants along the way, but with three such powerful warriors, they pushed onward. Oliver barely even had to do anything, though he tried to keep hold of his connection to the earth. Maybe it was just the thick barrier of steel, but he dared to hope that Anna's proximity was what made that connection weak.

Then at last they burst into a huge, round chamber filled with large equipment that could pass either for experiments like Copperstone's or just extremely creative torture devices. Whatever they were for, it was obviously sinister. Worse, Magneto stood there as though waiting for them, and Anna was there as well, held still by a large, brawny mutant.

"Anna!" Oliver yelled, starting to run forward despite everything else, but Xavier threw out a hand before he could take a single step. No, his voice said sharply in Oliver's mind, and Oliver drew up short, startled at the undercurrent of fear in that voice. The Professor had seemed so calm up until now.

"How good of you to come, Mr. Harding," Magneto said calmly, ignoring the low, almost bestial growl in Wolverine's throat.

"Let Anna go!" Oliver interrupted. He had eyes only for her; now that they were in each other's presence again, his connection to the earth was completely shut off, but all of his deadened emotions came surging back. The pressure in his chest was almost too much to bear; he thought he would explode into a thousand pieces if he couldn't be at her side.

"A reasonable request," Magneto said, "and one I will grant...for the proper price."

Slowly, Oliver shifted his gaze back to his enemy. "What price?"

A triumphant smile snaked across Magneto's lips. "You, of course. Haven't you figured out that was my true purpose in taking Miss Roads hostage?"

The Professor was trying to say something in his mind, but Oliver paid no attention. He could only stare with dawning horror at Magneto. "What? Me? Why?"

"Because you, my boy, are the result of all my meticulous experiments." An almost fond expression crossed his face, like someone looking at a trusty hammer they always used to make repairs. "You are the ultimate mutant...my ultimate weapon. So come, Oliver! Come to your master, and I will let your little friend go free."

Finally, Xavier spoke aloud. "Don't listen to him, Oliver! Don't give in; we'll find another-"

"Oh, I don't think you understand me," Magneto interrupted silkily. "You have no choice."

The mutant holding Anna captive whipped out a knife more quickly than the eye could follow, and pressed it so hard against Anna's neck that it sliced a thin ribbon of blood across her throat.

"Stop!" Oliver pleaded, staring at the red droplets trickling down her beautiful neck. "Please, I'll do whatever you want, just don't hurt her!"

"Then come." Magneto held out his hand, and Oliver had no choice. He started across the room to join the most evil man in the world.