I got my shields up barely in time to deflect his blast.

He's down, stunned, for all the good that does me.

I'm hitting him full strength, but I'm not getting through his shields.

There's not much time left.

He's already starting to gather his wits, pull himself together, and with Erik the Red involved, I've a hunch there's more at stake here than just the X-Men versus Magneto.

I must be getting old.

I should have seen the pattern the moment Banshee told me Erik was behind the ambush at Cassidy Keep, and if this pattern means what I think it does, Professor Xavier's in for a lot more danger than we are.

And so, minutes later, the Blackbird takes off into the skies.