"So, you're just going to let him do that?" said Thomas.

"I don't know why you're still arguing with them," said William under his breath.

Kate and Eli did not respond. Teddy assumed that they didn't believe for one second that Vision would do any such thing. But the bluff wouldn't be effective if the princes didn't believe it.

Thomas ignored his brother, turning towards Kate. "So you're all set to chop us to pieces, and you think we're murderers?"

"We know you're murderers." said Kate, bringing out the photo again.

"Self defense, like I said."

William stared at the picture. "They're mad about the failed assassination attempts?"

"I know, seriously." said Thomas.

"We grew up in hiding because one of you might shoot us in the head." said William.

"And now they're pissed that they tried it, and it didn't work." said Thomas.

"We were after Magneto." said Eli.

"Like you wouldn't have settled for mom or Uncle Pietro or us, even if we'd been little kids? You think we're garbage." Thomas turned to William. "He said mutants aren't people."

William's mouth hung open for a moment as he stared openly at Eli.

"What era are you from?" said William.

"He got a little overexcited," said Kate in a disapproving tone, arms folded.

"What about you?" said Thomas, indicating Teddy with a bop of his head, "You're a mutant. You're fine with the skulker there spouting off anti-mutant garbage?"

Eli waved his hand for a moment before catching the words he was looking for. "Hold up. There's a difference between you and everybody else. No one can argue that you're garbage."

"I can," said William.

"I'll admit, I tried being one of them," said Teddy quietly, "The anti-sapiens. Anti-humans. But I realized how fake it was. That's why I'm here."

"Killing for peace." said Thomas, "That's like fucking for chastity."

"Screwing for virginity," corrected William. "Look. People like granpa. When they find out some sapiens killed him, they'll start lynch mobs. Things have been quiet lately, and you'll stir it all up again!"

Eli jabbed a finger at them. "Things have been quiet because we've been crushed under your foot!"

"It can get worse." said William, "It will. You can't fix things like this."

"We were going to fix all that in a couple years anyway." said Thomas. "We can't do that if we're chopped to bits."

"You'll say anything to save yourselves!" said Eli.

Teddy couldn't help but roll his eyes. Yeah, who wouldn't?

It was hard. The princes were scared, they were injured--though the same could be said of his own team. But Thomas looked like some normal kid you went to school with, and he'd saved a lot of people for whatever reason. And William looked like a prince. Even roughed up and breathing hard, he looked somehow ... something. Not refined, exactly, but more like gentle and well-mannered and well-raised.

Which was a stupid, stupid thing to think.

I have met the enemy, thought Teddy, and it is us.

They guarded in silence for hours. The twins seemed to have run out of witty repartee, although every once in a while Thomas would make a comment about the morality (or lack thereof) of what they were doing.

Eventually, the Vision returned.

"They're stalling," he said.

"It's only been a few hours." said Eli.

"They're hoping we'll give them enough time to find us," said the Vision, "But we won't."

He unpocketed a fist, and a coin gleamed momentarily under his thumb before arcing above his head.

"Heads for Thomas, tails for William."

He caught it and with a glance, declared it. "Tails."

He walked towards William without hesitation. Suddenly, the rest of the room came alive, the twins especially.

"Hold on!" Thomas said, struggling in his chair, "This was my fault, if you're going to carve up anyone, it'll be me!"

The Vision paused from where he loomed over William's shoulder. "...all right."

The room froze in place again as the Vision moved to Thomas's side and took ahold of his wrist.

Thomas screamed.

The Vision found the place between the bones expertly, and, with a quick cut, Thomas's detached hand was now in one of his own, his other hand flashing with light as he cauterized the wound.

"Tommy!" shouted William.

Eli, Kate, and Teddy watched soundlessly as the Vision quietly exited the room. William scooted his chair next to his brother's, thankfully obscuring the stump of Thomas's hand from Teddy's view.

"It's okay, we'll fix it somehow..." said William. Thomas just shuddered in reply.

"I can't believe he..." said Kate quietly.

Teddy swallowed. That was the most violent thing he'd ever seen. This was what he got for assuming.

"Is he going to keep doing that? If they don't..." said Teddy.

There was a long pause.

"He said that was the plan." said Eli.

"It's too late to back out of this," said Kate. Teddy turned to her sharply.

"They won't die," she said, "and they've got healers who can fix this. We have to take this seriously."

Teddy frowned. It was true that there were omega-level mutants who could probably undo the damage, and they were princes after all. No effort would be spared. It would be all right.

So he squashed his racing heart and waited.

A few more hours passed. Thomas was no longer eager to talk, his face flushed and his breath panting.

The Vision returned, walked up to Thomas and knelt, catching him by the knee.

"Don't you dare--!" shouted William.

It took longer this time. Thomas's screams filled the small room in its entirety as the Vision worked at cutting his way through the tough tendons and flesh of Thomas's knee. Eli, Kate, and Teddy were struck dead in grimacing poses. Teddy had thought what he'd seen before was violent, but there was no comparison to the hackjob that followed.

Again, the Vision cauterized the wound and left as though nothing had happened.

Thomas whimpered into his collar, the visible parts of his face as stark white as his hair. William leaned as far over him as he could, tears streaming silently down his face.

"I can't stand this," said Teddy.

Eli took a few deep breaths. "It'll be all right."

"What's bigger than a leg?" said Kate. She was shaking.

"They have to give in now," said Eli, sounding like he was trying to convince himself.

They dissolved into the silence of those who don't know what to do. Teddy's heart refused to stop racing, no matter how many deep breaths he took.

"That's it." said Kate, "We won't let him do it anymore."

Teddy shivered. Yes. They'd made their point. He felt a little relieved at the declaration and noticed that even Eli didn't object. Now it was just a matter of waiting for the reply. Either they would win, and Magneto would die today, or their bluff would be called, and they'd be killed.

He filled his lungs again, willing himself to calm down. This was the end of the road, and he knew--had known all along--that it would end with someone's death.

More hours passed, slowly and in silence. Thomas and William sat with their heads bent, as if they could disappear if only they refused eye contact. Their guards had given up pacing for remaining tense in their positions around the room.

The Vision entered, and once again walked towards Thomas.

Kate said, "We've decided not to--"

The Vision's hand lashed out towards Thomas's chest. Teddy leapt forward, thinking he could grab his arm or get in the way or something. And he must be able to, he was the only powered mutant in the room, he must be quick enough--he could certainly take the blow and survive it, all he had to do was get in front of it.

Teddy choked. He looked down to see the Vision's arm sticking out of his chest, but he was all right, some distant voice told him, he would heal, and Thomas would survive.

"Oh my God," said Kate.

The Vision withdrew his arm from Teddy's chest, and wow, it was strange to see his flesh heal before his eyes. Teddy took a big breath and drew himself together again. He had fallen back onto Thomas' knees, he realized, and he took a quick look behind himself.

Thomas's front was stained with blood, and not Teddy's, it was obvious. Blood trickled down his chin to his already stained front, his eyes wide in shock.

"Oh my God," said Teddy.

"Tommy..." said William in a bewildered tone. His brother gave no response.

The Vision quietly grasped Teddy by the shoulders and moved him out of the way.

"Wait!" said Teddy, "Maybe, if we get him help--"

"No," said the Vision. And with that, he undid the shackles and picked up the slumped body of his son.

"I can save him!" said William, "Just let me go!"

Teddy hesitated.

"Please!"

"It's too late," said the Vision, "I aimed for his heart."

William looked like his heart, too, had been torn out. Teddy's own heart ached--he had failed.

"My boys..."

The team startled. There, out of the darkness, was the rosy glowing figure of the Scarlet Witch.

Before Teddy could even wrap his mind around it, the Vision had fired into the figure. The blasts faded into the rest of her glow. She smiled sadly.

"What the--"

"Mom," choked Billy. He could barely get out the words, flush with tears as he was.

"My poor boys," said the Scarlet Witch, floating forward.

"I should have known you would sense his death," said the Vision.

"How could you?" said the Scarlet Witch, cupping the Vision's face with a hand. "They're our boys."

"No, they're not," said the Vision, "You know as well as I do, they--and I--are just your toys."

The Scarlet Witch's sad smile faded, and she kissed him. All around her the world distorted, until the Vision simply was no longer. Thomas, meanwhile, floated for a moment before lying still but whole in her arms.

She brushed her hand through his hair, and he was clean of blood. His face tensed, and his eyes opened.

"What happened?" he said.

"Nothing," said the Scarlet Witch, "Go to sleep."

Teddy's eyes fluttered closed, and everything became one big pink blur.

"Teddy, you've got five minutes! Wake up!"

Teddy shot up straight up in bed. Five minutes? He half fell out of bed and scrambled for his pants.

Amazingly, he made it to school on time, although he missed breakfast and was going to be starving by lunch. He slid into his chair and half off of it with a "whew!"

"Up late again, Teddy?"

Teddy turned to smile at Kate. Of course she was perfectly poised and looking at him with some amusement. In the few weeks since he moved to this school and met her, she'd already become a good friend.

"I was playing Marvel Fighter with Eli ... you wouldn't know it, but he can be such a geek."

Kate chuckled into her hand. "You two would make a cute couple."

Teddy blushed. "When he does his 'girls are icky' shtick, I don't think that's what he means, Kate."

Thankfully, the teacher finished roll call before Kate could embarrass him further. Not that he minded much. It was a relief to be going to a school where he could be himself and had friends he could confide in enough for them to tease.

Honestly, he was the happiest he'd been in his life.

Tommy looked wistfully at the horizon.

"Don't even think about it," said Billy.

"But I'm bored!" said Tommy, "How did she even catch me?"

"She's a mom. She has special mom powers that tell her when you're lying."

"But I've been lying since I was little! Did she have to catch on now?" Tommy sighed. "I don't know why she's so afraid of us leaving Genosha anyway. I can handle myself."

"She's a mom." Billy repeated, "Besides, you know there's those rumors about a resistance movement."

"Pft. Rumors." said Tommy, "She's just being paranoid. We're sixteen!"

"Two more years and we can do what we want," said Billy, "...I hope."

Tommy flopped against the banister in a sulk. Billy gave him a few pats on the shoulder.

"Nothing ever happens to me," said Tommy with a sigh.

"I'm so sorry, my love," said Wanda, "How could I forget you?"

"It's all right," said Vision, clasping her hands in his own, "We're together again."

"Yes," said Wanda, "I'll make it right. It'll be as if you were always there."

He hugged her tight against him.

"Everyone will be happy, I promise," said Wanda,

"Forever."