Xmen is the trademarked property of Marvel, all Marvel Characters are copyrighted to Marvel, their characters are borrowed, for the purposes of the story.
This is a work of Gay fiction, containing adult situations between consenting males. If you are under the legal age in your country, DO NOT CONTINUE, otherwise, I hope you enjoy.
WEAVER X
Chapter Ten.
Alex leant back and examined his work closely. It was a miniature in glass of a Grecian woman in the ancient flowing drapes. Her hair was unbound and looked like it was swept back by some wind. All in all it was a credible creation, something worthy of his talents.
In the months since his night-time escape from the Professor's academy, Alex had set himself up in Paris, as a glass sculptor. What he made from selling his figurines in the various marketplaces across the city was more than sufficient for his needs, a small townhouse on the outskirts of the city proper, food, power and an ongoing supply of quality sand.
Taking one last look over his latest creation, Alex carefully wrapped her and placed her in his specially made cases. Casually weaving air, he stacked the cases onto his trolley and pulled it to the front door. In short order Alex headed to one of the larger tourist markets on the left bank, he always made a killing selling his work to enchanted tourists.
It started out a slow day. Alex watched the never ending flow of people drift through the isles and rows of stalls and semi-permanent vendors.
"How much for this one?" A customer interrupted his train of thought as he watched the people drift. The older man indicated the Grecian statue.
Alex smiled softly. "For her, it's one hundred and fifty euros." He smiled up at the wizened visage of the man, who stared, entranced at the statue.
"Done and done." The old man sighed softly, drawing out his wallet. "And a cheap price for one such as her. She almost seems alive."
Alex smiled knowingly as he took the statue. "Would you like me to wrap her for you?"
The man nodded and counted out the bills. "It would be a tragedy to allow her to be damaged. How do you do it?"
Alex wrapped the statue in tissue paper and then in soft felt before nestling her into a small cardboard box. "It's a craft secret." He replied softly. "If I told, then there would be many people doing what I do, instead of just me."
The old man laughed, almost bitterly. "I doubt that." He flipped the money onto the table. "I would guess that your talents are utterly unique."
Alex smiled neutrally and slid a warding around himself. "One hopes so, that way I've got a monopoly on the market." He tucked the money into the cash box and locked it.
The old man sneered slightly. "Yes." He took the statue and tucked it into a coat pocket. "Perhaps I'll see you around."
Alex watched the man walk away and disappear into the crowd. There was something about him Alex just didn't trust, but to pack up now would mean attracting unnecessary attention.
The afternoon was a busy one, and he'd soon sold out, and made nearly two thousand euros for his pains, enough to support him, if he lived modestly, for a month or more. But the whole afternoon, he couldn't shake the memory of the old man, and the feeling that he was now being watched. Alex packed quickly, emptying the cash box into his wallet, folding up his table and packing his small trolley.
Alex quickly made his way through the market, to the metro. The whole journey home, Alex could feel unseen eyes watching his every move, but each time he tried to target where they were, there was nothing. As the train reached his station, Alex tested his wards, they showed nothing, and no-one was close enough to trigger an alarm.
Alex got off the train and walked quickly down the road, the early evening cast long shadows between the brightly lit streetlights, and there were few about. Alex had chosen the area specifically because it was so quiet, but now the isolation seemed to be working against him. If someone was really following him, he would have been better off with people around him.
A scraping noise coincided with his wards flaring in alarm and Alex threw up a personal shield as he swung around to confront his shadow.
"Greetings, I told you we'd meet again." The old man smiled indulgently. "I think I'd very much like to have a conversation with you."
Alex glared at him. "What do you want? If you want to return the sculpture, I'll give you your money back."
"That sculpture is an exquisite piece of art." The man chided arrogantly. "My interest is more in you Alexander Allerdyce."
Alex froze. He hadn't told anyone his last name, not the Professor, the boys on the street, no-one. "Who are you?" He asked icily, suddenly aware of a presence behind him.
"I am a mutant, like you." The man drew himself up. "And I am very interested in your talents."
"A name." Alex demanded, holding several weaves in abeyance, in case he needed to fight his way to freedom.
"Call me Magneto." The man smiled and bowed his head. "My friend there is Sabertooth." He gestured to the presence behind Alex.
"What do you want with me?" Alex asked him warily, angling slightly so he could get a look at Sabertooth.
"Simple, I want you to join my Brotherhood of Mutants." Magneto announced grandly. "There is a war coming, between them and us."
"Excuse me, them and us?" Alex interrupted disbelievingly.
"Humans and mutant-kind." Magneto explained condescendingly. "If we do not seize power, carve a place for ourselves, then we shall find ourselves trapped, forced into labour camps and hunted down like rats. Why should we suffer such indignities at the hands of those who are less than us?"
Alex froze. Magneto was a grade 'A' psychopathic megalomaniac. "And you'd like to rule us all." He remarked deprecatingly. "Humans don't bother me, I don't bother them. It's a rule I've got, and it works just fine."
Magneto sneered. "I thought you might see things that way. Charles always did ruin the best of us. Mezmero!"
Alex frowned as a short man with strange facial tattoos stepped forward out of the shadows, then smiled, feeling the feather probing of the wards around his mind. "It's going to take a lot more than some psychic to get into my mind." He taunted Magneto.
"Your powers are even more impressive than I first thought." Magneto smiled, there was nothing of kindness in it, it was a covetous, possessive smile.
For the first time, Alex realised just how dangerous Magneto really was. That smile gave it all away, there was nothing this mutant wouldn't do to get his hands on Alex's abilities.
"If Mezmero's abilities are unable to affect you, perhaps we can come to some kind of agreement." Magneto smiled. "What will it take to have you join my Brotherhood willingly, I have no desire to harm you."
Alex trusted that as much as he trusted that scorpions weren't poisonous. "There is nothing you have, nothing you could do that would convince me to join you." He took a deep breath. "I don't want in on your war."
Magneto's lips compressed in a parody of a smile. "We'll just have to see about that, won't we?" Before he'd even finished his sentence, the creaking of wrought iron sounded through the air, Alex spun around in time to see the remains of iron railings, torn from the surrounding balconies slam into his personal shield.
"I won't follow you." Alex said, his voice eerily calm. Spinning Earth and Fire, he wrested control of the iron from Magneto's power and blasted it into ashes.
Magneto frowned and his eyes blazed with fire, but he dropped his hands. "Nothing, I have, nothing I could do?" He said flatly, his eyes flickering to the ashes sifting around on the ground. "I doubt that is true. Nevertheless, as I said, I have no real desire to do you any harm. I shall go."
Alex watched him with distrust. "You'll give up, just like that?" He demanded angrily.
"My dear boy, I never said that I would give up, I merely said that I will not do you any harm." He smiled coldly. "Come Sabertooth. We have much to do."
Alex watched them as they walked out of sight and released a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. How did Magneto even know who he was, let alone where to find him.
Alex shook his head and re-wove his wards. Paris was no longer safe. Without bothering to check for onlookers, Alex wove a gateway and stepped through into his apartment. Releasing the gateway, he probed his wards. None of them had been triggered. The apartment was safe, at least for the time being. Sighing he began to pack, it was time to return to New York.
AUTHORS NOTE: Well, it's that time of year again, when we all go insane and spend big on presents that we hope people like, fight little old grannies who gain immense ninja abilities when you both reach for that last toy on the shelf... Happy Holidays everyone!