So, what's the word, Cap? Is Christmas cancelled, or what?"
It's a somber mood around the table in the Mansion meeting room, turns out that there's nothing like a wannabe mutant warlord throwing a coup to really take the Christmas cheer out of everyone. The Avengers are gathered, most of us having changed from our holiday outfits to our costumes, with the exception of Stark, who's wearing an immaculate business suit.
Steve is sitting at the head of the table, wearing his Captain America uniform with the hood pulled back "I just got off the phone with President Kennedy, and he's officially requesting The Avengers help with the situation in Santo Marco. And due to the nature of the threat, we aren't going to recieve any military backup."
"Oh goodie, we're going to spend the holidays fighting a war all by ourselves, just what I wanted."
"Not alone, we're just not going to be getting any support from the MILITARY. We'll be rendevouzing with another team who will serve as backup."
"They got the Fantastic Four on this?" Janet says curiously "Reed and his family usually don't involve themselves in these kinds of fights."
Steve shakes his head "No, it's-"
"The X-Men, right?" I cut him off, drawing the attention of the room "What? It's not like it's hard to guess, there's only like three other superteams besides us, and they've fought Magneto before."
"X-Men, I've heard that name before..." Hank says, a massive finger tapping against the table, making it shake until Janet pokes the side of his neck, making him stop with a sheepish look "Weren't they in the papers a while back?"
"I assume so, they were the ones who stopped Magneto when he had the bright idea of attacking Cape Citadel earlier this year. They're a group of mutants like him and me, but they prefer to work under the rader. You know, as much under the radar as they can be as a bunch of costumed teenagers with superpowers, they tend to stick out a bit."
"Hold on, they're kids?!" Stark says incredulously "The hell is Kennedy thinking, sending a bunch of kids into a warzone with a genocidal maniac?!"
"Did you seriously just forget one of our members is in high school, Tony?" Janet gives him a flat look from her perch on Hanks shoulder.
"That's different!"
"How, exactly?"
Stark doesn't answer for a moment "Spider-Man is just part time! It's like an internship, but for superheroes! Not this... secret paramilitary mutant force or whatever the hell is going on here. Steve, you're with me, right?"
"Under normal circumstances, yes, but I'm afraid we're not in any position to turn down the intel or extra manpower for this mission. Especially since I'm going to have to bench you for the duration, Mr. Stark." Stark's face takes on an interesting shade of red, but before he can start yelling, Steve keeps explaining "It's nothing personal, but considering what I've been told about Magneto's abilities, you'd be at risk just entering the combat zone, your suit would be more a liability than an asset, and you'd almost certainly be killed."
"The hell I will, I'm not sitting this one out and just watching you march into-"
Oh for god's sake "Tony, before this becomes a whole big fit on your part, Steve is right. Magneto is powerful enough to tear planes out of the sky and ships out of the ocean, you'd be a sitting duck. Well, a flying duck, but yeah, if all he did was peel you out of your suit like a banana and let you fall to your death, you'd be lucky, and that's not even touching on what would happen if he destroyed your chest plate or even so much as nudged the shrapnel in your chest a little bit. Sorry, but if you go in with us, you wouldn't last a minute."
Stark looks like he wants to argue the point some more, but one look around the room and the concerned faces of his teammates, and he slumps back down in his seat with a sulk on his face.
"Alright, while we're on the topic, guys, please leave ANY unecessary metal items behind, because Magneto will turn them against you if given the chance." I nod towards Janet "Wasp, that means any jewelry you have on, that's gotta stay here." Janet nods hesitantly, running a finger over the necklace around her neck "Thor, I'm not sure if Magneto can affect your hammer or not, but both you and Cap are kind of stuck with your weapons, so I'm guessing risk it?"
"Do not fear, friend Sunshine!" Thor booms merrily "Whatever powers our vile foe may possess, Mjolnir is of a different nature than mere terrestrial ore, it's mystical nature will protect it against any attempts at magnetic thievery!"
"...right. And Cap, your shield?"
Steve shakes his head "Never had to fight this kind of enemy before, so I have no idea how vibranium will hold up against him, but worse comes to worst, I can fight without it should I need to."
I nod "Okay, before we go, I have a phone call to make, I'll meet up with you guys at the airfield, alright?"
...
The shrill noise of the phone ringing brought Peter and May Parker out of the pleasant mood they were in, sitting in the living room and listening to the christmas music coming from the radio, the crackling fire doing a good job of fending off the December chill from outside. It was only the second Christmas they had spent without Ben, but unlike last years miserable occasion, which had only been made worse by the faintly desperate air brought on by their financial situation, this year had actually been the first time in a long while either of them hadn't felt Ben's absence like a raw, open wound. The longing was still there, of course, and likely always would be, but now, it didn't seem like they couldn't go on without him.
"Now who could that be, calling on Christmas like this?" May said, moving to get out of her rocking chair, but Peter was on his feet first, stopping her.
"Don't get up, Aunt May. I'll get it." Before she could protest, he hurried out into the hall, towards the phone on the dresser, and quickly picked up the reciever. "Parker residence!"
A familiar voice answered "Hey, Peter, don't say anything, just listen. There's an Avengers emergency in South America, the team is heading out, but I wanted to put you on alert before we left. I figured you didn't want to get dragged away from your aunt on Christmas, so you'll be sitting this one out, but we're putting you on reserve in case there's an emergency in the city when we're gone. Iron Man is staying behind in New York as well, so if something comes up, just call up the mansion and get in contact with him. You get all that?"
Mr. Sunshine stopped speaking, and Peter just gaped for a moment, trying to process what he'd just been told, before finally snapping back out of it. "Uh, yes. Yes, thank you. I'll do that. Sir."
"Good boy. Sunshine out!" There was a click on the other end, followed by a dial tone, and Peter slipped the reciever back on it's hook in a daze.
"Peter, dear? Who was it?" May called from the other room.
"Uh... just from work, Aunt May. They wanted to wish us a merry christmas!"
...
"Professor, are you sure this is a good idea? You've always been so insistant on secrecy before..."
Xavier regarded his students with a carefully constructed blank face. They were gathered in the Danger Room beneath the mansion, dragged away from their Christmas celebration by events far outside their control, and felt the faint, familiar stirring of guilt as he watched five teenagers prepare for war, trying to pretend they weren't terrified. Even know, after all their training, and their success as a team so far, he didn't need his powers to tell him that they were still afraid. And as usual, he pushed that feeling down, and buried it in his mind. This wasn't the time for pointless self-flagellation.
The world wasn't a fair place, and they were working towards the future, a future for which sacrifices had to be made. For the good of all. For the dream.
Unsurprisingly, it was Scott, clever, rational Scott, who voiced the doubt they all felt. While all of his X-Men had felt the cruelty the world dealt to those who were different, Scott had by far gotten the worst of it. Orphaned, blinded, and outcast, he'd resigned himself to a life of misery until Xavier had found him, and his past had made him an ideal leader for the team. And it had also given him an understandable distrust towards the world outside the mansion. "Under normal circumstances, you'd be right, Scott, but I fear events have overtaken us, and the usefullness of secrecy is quickly coming to an end. Magneto has forced our hands, and wether we like it or not, mutantkind is about to be thrust into the spotlight. All we can do now is make sure mutants are not vilified because of the madness of one man..."
"Are we really going to be fighting with the Avengers, Professor?" Jean said, her nervousness mixed with a sense of awe and teenaged excitement "With Captain America? And Wasp?"
"And Sunshine..." Scott added with a snide tone. Xavier frowned, Scott had not taken to his fellow mutant since their failed recruitment back in October, having taken the man's rejection and dislike of Xavier himself as a personal insult. Despite the man's public heroics since then, Scott had not seen fit to put the incident past him, and Xavier worried that it might cause friction during the mission. Putting it aside for now, he turned to Jean "Yes, Jean, by President Kennedy's request, the Avengers will be taking the lead on this mission, and Captain America will be serving as main leader. I expect you to defer to him as you normally would to me, is that clear?"
There were reluctant nods all around, and then Bobby spoke "What about these other mutants Magneto has with him? He didn't have backup last time. He didn't decide to recruit The Blob, did he?" Bobby gives an exagerated shudder at the thought of their last fight.
"As far as I'm aware, Fred Dukes is still at the circus where we left him, but as far as actual names, I'm afraid I have little to offer you, Mr. Drake. I do know that in numbers, Magneto's Brotherhood only consists of five members, presumably intended as a counter to yours."
"But the news report said that there had been an entire ARMY sighted in the city" Beast said, his face frowning in confusion under his blue mask "Not to mention he couldn't possibly hold an entire country hostage with just five mutants, no matter how powerful they are, the logistics doesn't make any sense!"
"You're right, Mr. McCoy, and there's also the fact that to gain enough members for an entire army, Magneto would have had to recruit roughly 80% percent or so of all mutants currently existing on Earth, there simply isn't enough of us to create an entire military. Not yet. Most likely, the raw numbers probably consists of mercenaries, or possibly conscripts, I know for a fact Magneto has the resources to pay for both. But don't mistake a lack of superhuman powers for weakness, as you all well know, a trained soldier is just as dangerous, or even more so, depending on a mutants abilities. I will defer to Captain America's expertise for this, but I believe his plans will be the same as mine; your mission will be to disable the Brotherhood and take down Magneto, not take on his army in open combat. Once the army is decapitated, it will likely fall apart."
"We won't let you down, Professor."
"I know you won't, my X-Men. Now go, the Avengers are waiting for you."