FOREWORD: THIS IS ANOTHER LONG CHAPTER WOOT WOOT ALSO EVAN PETERS IS SO ADORABLE

"it's been the story all our lives"

~

Hank unrolled some big papers onto the table in the middle of the atrium room.

"Uh why do we have blueprints of the Pentagon in this house?" Neva asked, peering over his shoulder.

"No reason," Hank waved his hand. She raised an eyebrow. Logan and Charles both looked at the maps. "Erik is here." He pointed to a small area thousands of feet under the actual Pentagon. "The room they're holding him in was built during the Second World War when there was a shortage of steel. So the foundation is pure concrete and sand. No metal."

"At least the American government is good for something," Neva murmured.

"He's being held hundred of floors beneath the most heavily guarded building in the planet," Charles commented.

"Why is he in there?" Logan asked. Hank and Charles exchanged glances. Neva raised an eyebrow again.

"What, he forgot to mention?" Charles laughed.

"Uh JFK," Hank said. Logan looked surprised.

"What else explains a bullet miraculously curving through the air?" Charles scoffed. "Erik's always had a way with guns. Are you sure you want to carry on with this?" Logan nodded. "Alright, this is your plan not mine."

"We don't have any resources to get us in," Hank frowned.

"Or out," added the Brit. "It's just me, Hank, and Neva."

"River is too young to help," Neva cut in. Logan nodded.

"I know a guy," he said, thinking for a few seconds. "Yeah, he'd be a young man right now. Grew up out of DC. He could get into anywhere." Logan looked up. "I just don't know how the hell we're going to find him." Hank glanced at Charles.

"Is Cerebro out of the question?" he asked hesitantly. Charles looked down. "I mean, we have a phonebook."

"Alright, let's find this mystery man," Neva said with a smile.

~

Charles was a horrible driver.

Neva had to hold River close to her, so the little girl wouldn't fall out of the door as the British man swerved along the road.

"Charles!" she almost yelled. "Can you drive normally?!"

"I'm trying!" he said back. Hank had his head in his hands, and Logan looked a little scared. They took another turn and ended up in a quaint looking neighborhood outside of DC. Logan looked out the window in his fancy sunglasses.

"Here! Here, here!" he shouted.

"Where?!"

"Just stop here!"

"Alright, alright!" Charles took a sharp turn and parked crookedly. The mutants got out of the car quickly. River was giggling.

"That was one of the worst car rides of my life," Neva said, a bit sick.

"Next time, I'm driving," Logan grumbled.

"Don't get used to it," Charles shot back. Hank suppressed a smile.

They walked up the stone walkway and passed a mailbox that read: MAXIMOFF. Neva held onto River's hand. Hank had at first protested against River coming, but Neva couldn't just leave the girl at the mansion by herself so he finally gave in.

Logan went to the ornate door and knocked on it. They waited outside, and he knocked again. There was a slight movement behind the glass, and a woman with frizzy brown hair opened it. She looked at them and sighed. Neva guessed she was a mother.

"What's he done now?" she asked. Charles pushed up his sunglasses. "I can just write you a check for whatever he took-"

"We just need to talk to him," Logan said gently. She sighed again and opened the door for them to come inside. Neva looked down at the welcome mat - it was burned in the center by something very fast.

"Peter!" she yelled. "The cops are here! Again." She muttered the last part, and Neva smiled. She could tell kid was a hassle, just like Alex when he was younger. "He's in the basement; you can just go in," she said.

"Can River stay here while we talk to him, Mrs. Maximoff? Can I call you that?" Neva asked as the others walked past her towards the stairs. She motioned towards the little girl who was walking around the house in awe. The lady nodded with a smile.

"Yes, call me whatever you'd like. And of course! I'm sure Wanda would like to have a friend to play with. I can take care of your daughter," Mrs. Maximoff said.

"Oh she's not...um...ok!" Neva stammered. "Thanks." She gave a thankful smile and followed Hank, Charles, and Logan.

The four walked down the stairs into a large basement full of stolen things: TV's, chocolate bars, arcade games, even a vending machine full of Pepsi's. Neva and Charles exchanged looks. Then Neva noticed a boy playing ping pong.

He wasn't much older than 17 or 18, about the age when she met Alex and first went to the mansion. Peter (Neva assumed his name was that) had long silver hair, a black jacket over a grey Pink Floyd shirt, jeans, and silver sneakers. But the most interesting part, he was fast. In fact, he was so fast that he was playing ping pong against himself.

"What do you guys want?" he said as he continued to play. "I didn't do anything!" All of a sudden, there was a burst of air and the ping pong paddles were down while Peter appeared on the couch, hands behind his head. "I've been here all day."

"Just relax, Peter," Logan said. He took off his sunglasses. "We aren't cops." Peter scoffed.

"Of course you're not," he said. "If you were, you wouldn't be driving a rental car." Neva raised her eyebrows.

"How did you know we've got a rental car?" Charles asked, giving a look.

"I checked your registration when you were walking to the door," Peter interrupted quickly. "I also had some time to kill so I went through your rental agreement. Saw you were from out of town. Are you FBI?" Before they could respond, there was a zoom and Peter appeared across from them, holding Charles wallet. "No, you're not cops." He took out a card. "Hey, what's with this gifted youngsters place?" There was another burst of air, and the wallet and card dropped on the ping pong table. Peter was now zooming around the room. Charles went to pick up his wallet.

"That's an old card..." he muttered. He slid the card back and put his wallet into his pocket. Hank watched Peter with excitement.

"He's fascinating," he said.

"He's a pain in the arse," Charles said back. Neva rolled her eyes.

"What, a teleporter?" Hank asked. Logan shook his head.

"No, he's just fast. But when I knew him, he wasn't so..." he searched for a word, "young." Peter reappeared on the couch, now almost done eating a popsicle.

"Young? You're just old."

"I disagree," Neva said.

"So you're not afraid to show your powers?" Hank said curiously. Peter raised his eyebrows.

"Powers? What powers? What are you talking about? Do you see something strange here?" he asked with a smirk. "Nothing anybody would believe if you told them." Neva was about to say something when he zoomed past them and onto playing a video game. He was playing so quickly that the score number increased rapidly on screen. "So who are you? What do you want?"

"We need your help, Peter," Logan said. Peter kept playing.

"For what?"

"To break into a highly secure facility," Logan explained. "And to get someone out."

"Prison break?" Peter said with a hint of amusement. "Isn't that illegal?"

"Uh..." The adult mutants looked around the basement at the stolen goods. "Well only if you get caught."

"So what's in it for me?" Peter asked. Charles rubbed his eyes.

"You, you kleptomaniac, get to break into the Pentagon."

"So now we're encouraging kids to break into the Pentagon; that's great," Neva whispered to Hank. He laughed a little.

Peter stopped playing and turned around, clearly interested.

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"Because we're just like you," said Neva.

"Show him," Charles nodded to Logan. Logan raised a hand, and claws slowly extended out of his skin. Neva winced a little at the sound, and Peter made a face.

"That's cool, but it's disgusting."

~

January 27, 1973

Dear Alex,

Right now, I am in a car driving to the Pentagon on a mission to release Magneto. I found a spare piece of paper and thought that I should maybe write to you in case we get arrested and I never see you again. I hope that doesn't happen.

So yes, we are going to the Pentagon, the most highly secure building in the world, to prison break the man who killed JFK and who broke Charles' back.

Great.

We found two more mutants. One is named Logan, and he didn't tell us his last name. He's apparently from the future, sent back by Charles and Erik together. He has these claws that come up from his bones, but since he has a quick healing mutation, the wounds just heal right away. It's kind of gross, but he seems like a very harcore person, if that makes any sense. Logan also lead us to the second mutant. His name is Peter Maximoff, and you'd love him. He's a complete maniac and troublemaker. His mutation is quickness, and he is so fast that Logan believes he can get Erik out before they both get shot by soldiers. This plan is crazy. Why did I agree to it?!

River is also here with us. She's asleep, that's why I can write this letter. Hank didn't want her to come in case of danger, but I refused to leave her at home.

Anyways, I wish you were here with us. It's almost like being in the old missions with the X-Men back in the day. Remember that one mission where we handcuffed you to the bed? Fun times.

Why does all this mission stuff take me by surprise? I mean, being an X-Men means dangerous missions, right?

I hope you are doing well, and that maybe you'd come back after this whole ordeal with Erik and everything. Charles seems a bit better at the moment. I think going on a missions with a purpose is good for him.

I miss you.

Love, Neva Liu

~

"Ok, Riv, repeat back what I just said." Neva bent down to look into River's eyes.

"I can't leave Uncle Hank and I can't use my powers at all," she recited. "I'm not allowed to talk." Neva nodded and stood back up.

The mutants were now all in disguise: Hank looked like a typical tourist complete with an dark fisherman's hat and a fanny pack (or bum bag as Charles said), Charles was in a casual suit, Logan still had his leather jacket, and Neva had a white long-sleeved blouse matched with a formal-looking skirt and her usual gloves. Peter was in an bright outfit: silver leather jacket, silver sneakers, black jeans, and his Pink Floyd shirt. He also had silver goggles and some headphones.

The plan was Hank would first interfere with the Pentagon's security cameras, Peter would then get Erik out of his cell, and finally, Logan, Charles, and Neva would go downstairs to meet up with the quick boy in the kitchen.

It was a crazy plan.

"Here." She gave River's hand to Hank, who smiled down at the girl. River didn't really understand what was going on, but she went along with it. Neva fixed her hair and took a deep breath.

"Are we ready?" she asked. The group nodded, Peter grinning. "Ok. Let's do this." Peter disappeared, and the rest of the mutants tagged along onto a tour guide.

A few minutes passed, and Neva looked around as they walked in the building. It was very impressive.

"Built in 1943," the guide was saying, "the Pentagon is the world's largest office building, housing more than 25, 000 military employees and stretched out over six million square feet."

"Where's the bathroom?" a little girl asked. "He always has to pee!" She pointed to her brother, and the whole group laughed. The guide smiled.

"Well, lucky for you, you'll have plenty to choose from. The building was constructed during the segregation so there are plenty to choose from..." Logan, Charles, and Neva quietly slipped away from the group and went down some marble stairs. Neva's heart beat faster and faster. There were a lot of stairs, and the three threw away their tourist pamphlets. Luckily, few people walked past them. They went into an elevator that was labeled to go down into the prison kitchens.

"I hope this works," Neva murmured.

"Can't you see the future?" Logan said. Neva shook her head.

"Only if I touch someone, remember?"

"Like Rogue," he said softly.

"Who?" Charles asked.

"No one." Logan cleared his throat and the rest of the elevator ride was silent.

They walked into the kitchen and saw that Hank had been successful - the kitchen was practically empty, save a few chefs clearing the food, because of sprinklers on the ceiling spraying water everywhere. There were a couple guards though. Two walked up to the mutants with stern expressions.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls," Charles said, his long hair getting damp, "this is a Code Red situation. We are evacuating the entire floor, so that my associate and I...can uh secure the prison." Neva wanted to facepalm herself. Charles was as horrible at this stuff as he was in driving.

"Who are you?" a security guard asked.

"We're special operations, CB... FB-CID," Charles made up some letters. He regained his composure by continuing. "Perhaps you didn't hear me when I first spoke, but it is imperative that you understand - we're in a complete lockdown situation. We have to get you to the third floor..." Neva was about to tell him to stop, when Logan gave an impatient mutter and punched the two guards unconscious. He looked up at Charles.

"Oh I'm sorry, were you finished?" he said. Charles picked up one of the guard's keys.

"I'm sorry, I'm just not very good with violence," Charles replied. There was a ding, and they turned around to see Peter and a man in a white outfit - Erik Lensherr, Magneto. Neva tried not to get scared. Erik isn't too dangerous, right? Charles and Erik came face to face.

"Charles?"

Charles narrowed his eyes and proceeded to punch Erik in the face. Logan raised an eyebrow. Erik rubbed his jaw.

"Good to see you too, old friend." He stood back up. "And walking too."

"No thanks to you," Charles spat.

"You're the last person I expected to see today," said Erik.

"Believe me," Charles replied. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't have to. If we get you out of here, we do it my way. No killing." Erik held his hands up.

"No helmet," he pointed. "I couldn't disobey you even if I wanted."

"I'm never getting inside of that head again," Charles said with a slight shudder. Neva wondered what was inside Erik's head. She knew he had been through the Holocaust, but no one had ever told her details. "I need your word, Erik." Erik took a moment and then nodded. They stared at each other.

"Peter! Are you ok?" Neva said, breaking the silence. She went up to him and gave him a small hug. He grinned.

"Yep! That was great!" he said, still grinning. She shook her head with a smile, and then slipped one glove off.

"Can I...?" She held her hand near his face, and he nodded, a little confused. "This is going to feel kinda weird at first." She put her palm to his cheek and felt the newest memories flow through her mind.

Peter met up with a guard who was taking Erik's food to his cell. Peter grinned and then duct-taped the guard to the elevator wall, taking his uniform. With the stolen outfit on, Peter carried the tray into the cell. He noted that all the guards had glass guns, not metal ones.

Peter slipped the tray into the little slot, and Erik looked down at the food, noticing a note that said, "Mind your head." Erik looked back up, and Peter grinned. He put his hands on the glass and began moving his hands faster and faster until the glass started shaking. Suddenly, the glass shattered and Erik shielded his head from the incoming glass shards. After the glass was all gone, Erik pulled himself up. Peter watched him with curiosity.

"In three seconds, those doors are going to open and 20 guards will be here to shoot us," Erik said. Peter nodded and zoomed towards Erik. He reappeared next to him, holding the older man's neck.

"I know," he said cheerfully. "That's what I'm waiting for."

"What are you doing?" Erik asked.

"I'm holding your neck, so you don't get whiplash," replied the boy.

"What?"

"Whip-lash," Peter said slower. Erik looked confused and a little scared. The doors opened, and guards rushed to fill the opening.

"Don't move!" one yelled. Erik took in a breath, but before the guards could shoot, Peter raced out of the room, down the hallway, and into the elevator. The guard was still taped to the wall. He widened his eyes.

Peter let go of Erik, and the man leaned on the wall, pushing down the urge to throw up. Peter quickly changed back into his silver suit, and Erik did a double take.

"It'll pass," Peter said, looking at his watch. His goggles were slid up. "It happens to everyone." Erik didn't respond. "So...you must've done something serious. What you do? What you do? What you do?" Peter grinned. "Why did they have you in there?"

"For killing the president," Erik said curtly. It was Peter's turn to widen his eyes.

"Oh." He turned back towards the guard. "Shit!" he mouthed. The guard nodded in agreement, mouth taped shut.

"If there's one thing I'm guilty for," Erik said, "it's fighting for people like us."

"You take karate?" Peter asked. "You know karate, man?" Erik sighed.

"I don't know karate. But I know crazy."

"They told me you control metal," Peter said. Erik looked worried,

"They?"

"You know," Peter said with a thoughtful glance, "my mom once knew a guy who could do that." Before Erik could say anything (he looked like he was about to say something), the elevator dinged and the doors opened to show Charles, Neva, and Logan drenched in water from the sprinklers.

Neva pulled her hand away before she could see anymore. Peter looked at her.

"That was weird," he said.

"I told you," she replied. "But uh couldn't you not have taped that naked guy to the wall?" Peter shrugged, and the mutants glanced at the man taped to the elevator.

Suddenly, guards appeared and cornered them. They all had glass guns aiming right at the six.

"Nobody move! Hold it right there!" one yelled.

"Charles..." Erik said slowly. Charles began to breathe quicker.

"Don't move!" another guard shouted. "Hands up or we shoot!" They all put their hands up.

"Freeze them, Charles," Erik said.

"I-I can't," said Charles, looking pained. Erik moved his hand slightly, and the metal objects in the room began to float upwards. A thousand thoughts ran through Neva's brain. The knives and pans started pointing at the guards, and they shot their guns in fear. "Erik, no!" Neva closed her eyes and waited for the bullet to hit her.

It never did.

She opened her eyes and saw that the whole kitchen was in a chaos that had appeared out nowhere. Two guards ran into each other, one punched his own face, the rest of them fell down for various reasons (such as atomic wedgies or plates colliding their faces), and the bullets that had been clearly aimed at the group hit the wall instead. They all ducked as they inbedded themselves into the metal. The mutants looked up and saw Peter across the kitchen, a guard's hat on his head and a satisfied smirk on his face. Alarms, sprinklers, and food combined to make a huge mess.

Neva grabbed Charles' hand and walked to Peter and the elevator behind him, smiling at the teenager.

"Thanks, Peter," she said. He grinned and nodded. Erik and Logan followed them.

~

Neva made sure that Hank was doing well in the cockpit and then walked out into the jet. They were flying to Paris to find Mystique, or Raven. Neva was a bit excited; she had never been to France before. She wished Alex was there to visit it with her.

She saw Logan sitting down with a newspaper in front of him. Erik went to pick it up, but Logan used his claws to stop him.

"Imagine if they were metal," was all Erik said. He sat in a seat on the opposite isle. Neva sighed to herself and walked out onto the stairs leading up to the plane's door. She shielded her eyes from the sun and went down to see Charles talking to Peter, who was next to the rental car. River was inside, pretending to drive.

"Peter, thank you very, very much," Charles said. Peter smiled.

"Hey, I saw your flight plan in the cockpit," Peter said in his quick voice. "Why are you going to Paris?" Charles just shook his head with a smile. He threw the car keys at the boy. Peter caught them.

"Do me a favor and return it for me," Charles said, motioning to the car.

"Ok," Peter said. Neva could tell he was a little disappointed that they weren't taking him to Paris.

"You be safe, ok?" she said. She gave him a hug, and he nodded. "Tell your mom that I'm sorry to put River's burden on her." She gave an apologetic smile and handed him a note she had written to Mrs. Maximoff telling her that she was very sorry to give her River without warning. Peter shook his head.

"I'm sure it'll be ok with her. My mom's pretty nice anyways, and I think Wanda liked River," he replied. Neva smiled.

"Thanks again for the whole thing at the Pentagon," she said. River ran out of the car and went to hug Neva's legs.

"Where are you going, Auntie Neva? Are you coming back soon? Where am I going? Can I drive the car?" she asked. Neva bent down to hug her.

"Woah slow down there, Riv," she laughed. "I'm going to visit someone, I'm going back soon, you're going to the Maximoff's again, and no, sorry but Peter is driving." Peter jingled the keys next to them, and River giggled.

"Ok," she said. "Come back soon, Auntie." Neva nodded and had to pull herself away from the little girl. She, Hank, and Charles had decided to let River stay at the Maximoff's for her own safety. Neva objected at first, not wanting to think about separating herself from the girl, but Hank convinced her.

"I will. Have fun with Wanda!" Neva waved, and she followed Charles up the stairs.

"And Peter?" Charles said. Peter looked up, about to go into the car. "Take it slow." Peter grinned and nodded.

Neva and Charles went inside, and Hank raised the staircase, which folded into the plane. Neva took a deep breath and sat down near the front of the plane by the Brit. She had only flown a couple times, and now she was in a plane with a criminal. She really wished for Alex to hold onto.

"I don't believe we've met," Erik said to Neva. She jumped a little but the nodded. The plane started up.

"Yeah. I came after Cuba."

"Right."

"I'm Neveah Liu." She smiled as much as she could. He gave a small frown.

"She's important to us," Charles said, facing the window. Erik scoffed a little.

"And where did they dig you up?" Erik asked Logan, coldly. Logan lit a cigar.

"You're gonna find this hard to believe," Logan said, "but, uh, you sent me. You and Charles. From the future." Erik gave a confused look.

"I'm stuck with my old friend, a beast, a strange girl, and a man from the future. Lovely."