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did.
    "Now," she said to the silenced crowd. "You can disperse immediately, and return to your homes, or I can do precisely the same thing to you. And if you doubt my ability to teleport you simultaneously, I would be more than happy to prove you wrong."
    Amid muttered curses, prayers, fearful glances, and vows of vengeance, the humans began to slowly drift away. They watched her carefully as they departed, and she watched them back. Though it was there in her heart, Amelia showed them no remorse. She needed them to know that she would kill them if she had to, and feel nothing for their deaths. It was a useful deceit.
    "A masterful performance," a soft voice said above her, and Amelia looked up to see their master, Magneto, hovering in the air, regal in his crimson and magenta uniform.
    "Lord Magneto," Senyaka said with hushed reverence, and fell to his knees. "I live to serve you."
    "Yes," Magneto said, as he lowered himself to the ground beside them. "Yes, you do."
    "I was almost frightened myself, Amelia," Magneto said, turning to her with a smile. Amelia was pleased with the warmth that existed between them, but knew that such special attentions would not endear her to the other Acolytes. Senyaka was spiteful, and was certain to report Magneto's preferential treatment of Amelia to the others. Still there was nothing she could do about it. And they would not dare to harm her, knowing that she was "teacher's pet."
    "Come," Magneto commanded. "There are other fires to put out before dawn breaks on the Mutant Empire."
    "Where would you like me to transport us, Lord?" she asked.
    Amelia looked into Magneto's face, awaiting his response, but then his manner changed. His smile at first disappeared, and then returned, brighter ever.
    "Well!" he exclaimed. "It appears that not all the humans were frightened away by your performance after all."
    Amelia and Senyaka both spun to see what Magneto was referring to. Amelia thought she had seen it all, believed that she had witnessed the limits of human audacity. But at that moment, those limits were redrawn in her mind. For there, at the edge of the park, stood a human news crew, camera and all, recording all of the events that had just occurred, and were even now occurring.
    Incredibly, Magneto was elated. For some reason, that bothered Amelia more than his anger.
    • • •
    "This is Annelise Dwyer at the CNN newsdesk. If you're just joining us, we're continuing live, uninterrupted coverage of the Crisis in Manhattan. Several hours ago, a band of mutant terrorists led by Eric Magnus Lehnsherr, known and feared throughout the world as Magneto, infiltrated and attacked New York, using robots known as Sentinels, to conquer Manhattan. Magneto has declared the city a safe haven for mutants, and sovereign state with himself in place as ruler.
    "This is not the first time that Sentinels have flown over the skies of Manhattan, but it is the first time they have been on the side of mutants. First created by Dr. Bolivar Trask, the Sentinels were mandated to combat the so-called mutant menace. However, Magneto has apparently reprogrammed these Sentinels to serve mutants rather than hunt them. Some CNN sources have suggested that these new Sentinels were created by the U.S. government, but so far, Washington denies any knowledge of the robots.
    "According to official sources, half a million people have already fled Manhattan on foot, and more are pouring through every tunnel and over every bridge as we speak. We take you now, live, to Jersey City at the mouth of the Holland Tunnel, where Steve Williams has recent footage of this mass exodus, and an interview with the governor of New York, in just a moment. First, though, Steve, tell us about this exodus. What are people saying? Are their friends and families trapped in Manhattan, or have they stated by choice?"
    • • •
    On the TV screen, thousands of people fled in terror from the Holland Tunnel. The reporter discussed concerns about the