Well, this is certainly turning out to be a wonderful day. We've got annoyances like Mysterio trying to cause a ruckus. Crystal leaves me, no surprise there. Then the Witness is manipulating my team, driving them and myself crazy! I thought Witness was a figment of Bishop's imagination! Now I'm in some distant era, which is undoubtedly ruled by my father, Magneto. Hello, I'm Quicksilver...I may run fast, but I can have nervous breakdowns just like the rest of them.

The Future...

Pietro tears the poster of his father off the building wall. In two seconds, the poster has been ripped apart into tiny specks.

"You're not bitter much, hein?" Witness asks.

"Cut the sarcasm, Witness," Quicksilver spits. "Let's try and talk Magneto into changing his ways so I can get out of here and..."

"And what? Go back to your wife?" Witness asks. "Take your time, boy. That's why you're here. To learn."

"So, I suppose dear ol' Dad has a mutant army ready to tear me a new one?" Quicksilver asks. Except there's no one there. Quicksilver sighs.

Pietro takes a good look at his surroundings. The buildings look almost alien in nature the way they were randomly stuck around this city, whichever city it is. Quicksilver hears the rustling of a bum through what appears to be a dumpster. Quicksilver is instantly by the young man's side.

"Excuse me, where does Magneto--?"

"AHH!" the bum screams.

"Look, I'm not going to hurt you, just tell me--"

"AHH!!"

"I said I'm--"

"AHH!!"

"God damn--"

"AHHH!!!!"

The bum runs away. Quicksilver could easily catch up to him, but doesn't want to give the poor guy a heart attack. Why was he so afraid of him? All Pietro wanted to know was the exact date, and possibly the location, so maybe he could get a grasp of how this empire was forged.

"Maybe I bear an uncanny resemblance to the man in charge," Quicksilver ponders, muttering to himself. He peers up into the cityscape once more. He sees a towering building in the center of it all. The deathly silence in the streets of this futuristic burg are starting to make Quicksilver antsy. He darts for the tower...

Magneto sits in his throne at the top of the tower. At least ten guards are encircling the mutant tyrant. He is wearing what appears to be an evolved version of his original red and purple costume - it is much darker in color now. Suddenly, the Master of Magnetism becomes agitated.

"I sense something...something is tearing through the electromagnetic field in the immediate area..."

*FWOOSH*

*KLANG*

Quicksilver used his momentum to break down the bolted door to Magneto's throne room. He's tried this direct approach before... in the past.*

(* See M2K's Gambit #2-3 -- Brad)

Magneto rushes to his feet. He stretches his hand forward, calling out to his guards, who are already advancing in on the upstart. "NO! Leave us... my... son and I must have some words..."

The guards relent and exit the throne room. Quicksilver glances to the side, checking out the corner of his eye to make sure the guards really left. His stare lands back on his much older father.

"I'm surprised to find you here... Pietro," Magneto says, somewhat humorously. "You evaded the security well."

"What security?" Quicksilver says with a slight smile.

"Ah, yes. You just used your super-speed to disable the technology before it even detected you," Magneto says. "You also managed to learn quite a bit about my rise to power, didn't you? I could sense the flow of electrons through a certain computer... the information pertained to me."

"Impressive," Quicksilver says, "I'm only saying that because you've honed your abilities to their limit... NOT because I'm proud of your... empire. You've also managed to forge an army of loyal lapdogs."

Suddenly, Quicksilver feels the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. It is the Witness whispering into his ear.

"Don' underestimate him. He knows you bedder den you know..."

Quicksilver jerks his head to catch Witness, but he is already gone. Almost like he wasn't there. Quicksilver reiterates what he had learned of Magneto in three seconds,

"You seized power in the United Nations using force, thereby threatening the world with another EMP... originality doesn't seem to be your thing, father."

"It finally worked, didn't it?" Magneto asks, laughing. The echo of his laughter is unsettling to Pietro.

"Is there anything that can end your madness?! You're upset over a military-leader who seized power the EXACT way you did and slaughtered everyone who pissed him off. Now you're doing the same thing! You've become the monster you've hated all your life," Quicksilver says with a bitter tone. "Search your heart, father. You don't want that to happen. For Anya's sake..."

Magneto crosses his arms and sighs, "It's obvious you have no idea what you are talking about..."

"But--"

Before Quicksilver can say or do anything, he is rendered immobile by his father's command over magnetism. The iron in his blood is anchoring him to the ground.

"I could kill you with a whim," Magneto barks as he kneels to bring him face-to-face with his son.

"I... could say the same... father," Quicksilver says, struggling. "Believe me, I would if I had to..."

Witness is behind Quicksilver again. He can feel it. Witness whispers again, "Shadows are a difficult t'ing to find your way outta."

"Do you resist me, fool?" Magneto asks.

Witness whispers in Pietro's ear, "Jus' back down. You'll have yer chance... but not now."

Quicksilver has no choice but to obey his enigmatic spirit guide.

"I'll always resist you, father," Pietro says coldly.

Before Pietro realizes it, Magneto is commanding every metal object in the throne room to knock him unconscious. Quicksilver falls to the floor from his knees. Blood drips from his nose and the cut he received on his forehead.

"You were always reckless... damned fool," Magneto says as he magnetically ties his son up with thick metal coils.

When Quicksilver awakens, he is in the middle of the throne room, dangling above the center of the room. He is bound by thick metal coils. The guards Magneto told to leave from before were back, this time, with large guns.

Magneto, sitting in his large, dominating chair, smiles when he sees his son has regained consciousness.

"Congratulations, Pietro. You're an ornament."

Quicksilver anticipates some kind of warning from the Witness, but doesn't hear anything. Suddenly, something feels awfully familiar to Quicksilver.

Just like... my dream!* I'm bound together, facing my father... only something's different. Wanda isn't by his side... and my powers are still active!

(* Check last ish -- Brad)

Pietro kicks his powers into overdrive as he vibrates his entire body until it literally burns through the metal coils. He lands flat on his face, ten feet below, on the floor. Before the guards can take him out, their guns fall apart.

Quicksilver stands in the middle of the room with a bunch of small bolts in his hands. He smirks, "Looking for these?"

With the guards stalled in amazement, Quicksilver rapidly punches them out. Quicksilver drops the bolts on the floor.

It has been a mere ten seconds since Quicksilver dropped to the floor, although Magneto doesn't seem worried. Suddenly Magneto rushes in front of his son at alarming speeds.

How--?

Before he can react, Quicksilver is blocking super-fast punches and kicks from his father.

This is... impossible. Magneto doesn't have superspeed...

Suddenly, the hyperactive mind of Pietro Maximoff figures it out. He blocks a punch, then proceeds to knock "Magneto's" helmet off.

Before him stands the Master of Magnetism himself, unmasked as... himself? A bit older, but Pietro can recognize his own features in this man he will one day become.

Witness was right. This "Magneto" did know more about Pietro than he thought possible, because this "Magneto" was Pietro. Before Quicksilver knows it, his future self is strangling him. Pietro tries to move, but can't resist.

"How?? The magnetic powers?" Quicksilver manages to ask.

"Simple technological enhancements," Magneto says with a smile. "You always wanted power, Pietro. Don't deny that."

"NO!!!" Pietro shouts.

"Then you shall die..." Magneto says.

Suddenly, the feeling of dying slips away, and Quicksilver is no longer in Magneto's citadel, but a strange green room. The walls, floor, and ceiling all have some sort of neon green tiling. Witness walks into the holographic simulator.

"Well done, Pietro," Witness says, offering his hand for Quicksilver to shake. What surprises Witness is that Quicksilver punches him in the stomach.

"Bastard!" Pietro exclaims. "So, is it true? Do I turn out like that?"

Witness drops to his knees, trying not to vomit. "No... I... jus'... *cough* wanted to show you... not to... *coughcough* not to live in yer fadder's shadow... *cough*..."

Pietro grabs Witness by the collar, "I didn't need a pointless timejump and a holographic simulator to figure that out!"

"Oh?" Witness asks in an inquisitive tone. "Was he right? The possible future you? You want power, don' you?"

"Don't we all?" Quicksilver asks. "Why does it matter, that was all fake. I'll never turn out like... like... him!"

Witness crosses his arms as his eyes light up with pink energy, "Yer de leader of de X-Men now, Pietro. You have a responsibility to de world. We can't have you go corrupting yourself with your own selfish needs."

"What responsibility?" Pietro asks, annoyed.

"Everything is yer responsibility now..." Witness responds enigmatically.

"Look," Pietro begins, pausing. "I've never been able to make the best decisions. I'm just sick of everyone pointing out my flaws of the past. It gets frustrating after awhile, you know? You're not so squeaky-clean yourself, Witness."

"I understand completely, pup," Witness says. "You'll just have to learn to take some constructive criticism."

"Oh, SHUT UP!" Pietro exclaims. "My marriage was destroyed because of the X-Men! I'm sick of everyone relying on me to do everything. I'm not perfect! Then again... I'm not God."

"Dat's what bein' leader is all about, Pietro," Witness explains, putting a comforting hand on Quicksilver's shoulder. "Sometimes you have to make sacrifices for de greater good."

Quicksilver sighs heavily and sits down in the middle of the holographic simulator.

"De X-Men need you right now, Pietro," Witness says. "Everything's hectic 'round de world. De X-Men need a reliable leader to get 'em through it. Bishop chose you for a reason, pup."

"Of COURSE he chose me for a reason!" Quicksilver yells. "I've proved myself a thousand times over with the Avengers! I can lead the X-Men, Witness. Make no mistake...I will lead them!"

Witness' face is overcome by a giant smile, "Congratulations, you've passed de test."

Pietro stands up, pointing a finger in Witness' face, "Next time, give me a little prep time to study. About five seconds, tops." Quicksilver looks at the device Witness gave him that increased his powers.

"Where are we, anyway? If this was all a simulation, are we in the Danger Room?"

"Not quite..." Witness replied. "Despite de fact that th' whole Magneto t'ing was fake, we are in de future. My stronghold t'be precise. I needed access to my technology t' make the simulation as real as possible. Plus, it would help if you actually traveled in time."

"So how do I get home? Run backwards?" Witness peers over Quicksilver's shoulder, "It's not dat easy, pup."

Quicksilver turns his neck, his eyes following Witness' movements. "What do I have to do?"

"You have to relax your internal kinetic energy until you've reached the moment you left. I'll assist you...I have some control over kinetic energy," Witness explains.

Quicksilver nods as he slows his breathing to a steady pace. He feels his heart rate drop rapidly. Suddenly, the area seems to melt away into nothingness. Pietro feels the rush of time, going backwards this time. He sees a bright light for a few seconds... then he sees nothing but desert. He is back in Colorado.

"Pietro?" Rogue asks from the front door of the mansion. "You comin' in? Your breakfast is gettin' cold."

Quicksilver suddenly gets a groggy feeling. Was the whole test organized by Witness some kind of dream? He remembers it all so clearly, it had to have been real. He checks to see that Witness' speed-enhancement device is still in his hand.

Witness appears alongside Rogue, "Come on, pup. You need to lead your team through their daily Danger Room exercises."

Quicksilver let's out a sigh of relief. It was real.

"I'll be right there...don't get your spandex in a bundle..." Quicksilver calls out to them. Rogue rolls her eyes as she closes the door. Pietro listens to the birds signing on the brisk morning. He had been through a lot that tested his limits, but it was worth it.

NEXT ISSUE: Rogue takes a vacation from the X-Men. Her stop? Caldecott, Mississippi, to be exact. But will her search for old memories bring out an old enemy?

X-PRESSIONS

So the second issue of the Horton/Pollard collaboration comes to a close. And frankly, I have a feeling Brad and I will be working together on this book for a long time. We've got some fun things in store for the X-Men that, hopefully, you all will love.

-Dino Pollard
June 30, 2001

I expressed my concern over Quicksilver to Brad - and, hopefully, his dialogue in this issue suits him a bit more. You got sick of the Witness appearing in the dream sequences? I thought that was one of the best parts of the issue. Ahh well, can't win 'em all, eh?