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Post by Megan on Jun 26, 2011 16:13:43 GMT -5
"It's more complicated than that, sir. Luthor's flat-out made his intentions known- to me-"
She made a short, frustrated sound.
"Look, he's... I don't know what he's planning, but he's got it in for us. All kinds of us-es. Anybody who's ever put on a costume and stepped outside the usual constraints of society. Mutants, metahumans, vampires, people who use magic- even just... just humans in suits. And after what happened in Times Square, with everybody holding hands around the world now, I think he's going to try something.
"So... so I came here first.
Because you guys are used to having to fight to exist."
She rubbed her arm, looking forward as she walked.
"And we're gonna need as many of us against him as we can get."
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Magneto
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Post by Magneto on Jun 26, 2011 16:29:44 GMT -5
((Any chance of a Megan temper-flare and something she read once being a good source for rejuvenation?))
A call to arms... because someone had it in for them. Yet again.
And if he let them... well, he knew where it would end, didn't he? Camps. Enslavement. Pain. Suffering. Death. Ever so much death...
He would have to rise up again, would have to be the general he was born to be... once again take up the cape and helmet and be the man who'd inspired and led so many, the man who'd once literally stopped the world from turning!
Erik felt his back straighten just a little bit, his chest pumping out, his fists clenched... and then he looked down at those fists and deflated.
Those were the hands of an old man who had already fought too much in his life. And Charles... Charles would choose diplomacy... and he would try to follow that path too, if they even got involved at all... because he had lost him once because of these differences. No, that was a lie... he had lost him time and time again, hurt him with each and every choice... he would not do that again.
"Then I suggest you find the young ones and tell them... rather than an old man whose retirement had already been waiting far too long."
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Post by Megan on Jun 27, 2011 14:22:03 GMT -5
"Sir-"
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Magneto
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Post by Magneto on Jun 27, 2011 14:30:21 GMT -5
"Listen, Megan... you were right about us having fought just to exist. I've done it for a long, long time. So perhaps, now that I'm an old man, I have earned the right to do exactly that. Exist. In peace. I don't know if you've noticed, but this whole costume drama tends to end in dramatic deaths. I've managed to avoid that... even if the general public has thought differently at several points in time... so I hope I can live out my remaining years without one of those."
It all sounded so frighteningly reasonable... Erik wasn't sure who he was trying to convince. Well, actually, he was sure. He just didn't like the answer.
"So maybe, just maybe... I can just stay here, with Charles, the one brilliant person somehow idiotic enough to truly know me and still love me, and train others to fight so that we no longer have to. War is no place for old men."
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Post by Megan on Jun 27, 2011 14:36:32 GMT -5
"This is the only place I knew where to go, unless you expect me to not get arrested trying to talk to Tony Stark or someone-"
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Post by Magneto on Jun 27, 2011 14:39:30 GMT -5
"And you are welcome to be here, to talk to the young ones... I'm sure Charles has a mailing address for Scott and Ororo in New York, should you be interested in contacting them as well... and I have no doubt Logan is bumming around somewhere as well, he is always up for a fight and I would enjoy for once to not have that eagerness aimed at me... but myself... you can consider retired."
Sweet Lord, kill me now.
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Post by Megan on Jun 27, 2011 14:44:00 GMT -5
"Oh, for God's sake-"
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Magneto
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Post by Magneto on Jun 27, 2011 14:49:02 GMT -5
"Look, if I were a few" or more than a few "years younger, I would have fought with the rest of you. Those days are simply behind me. One day you'll understand."
The day she'll realize that the world doesn't like heroes, villains or any other idiot in a costume who is just trying to do what they think is right. Or the day where she herself realizes that if there was one thing in their entire life she'd change, it would be hurting the person she cared most about rather than any tactical war decision. Or any of the other terrible options Erik knew oh so well...
But then why was it so hard to truly believe his own words?
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Post by Megan on Jun 27, 2011 15:07:12 GMT -5
"...people listen to you," Megan said quietly. "Nobody ever gives a damn about me-"
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Post by Magneto on Jun 27, 2011 15:12:55 GMT -5
"Then make them listen. People didn't start listening to me before I made them do so."
And he'd been GOOD at it... he still was. Well, would be... if that sort of thing was still part of his new retired-into-teaching life. Which it wasn't, obviously.
"The next generation is going to need a voice too. Why leave that up to an old man who won't be around forever? Someone has to speak up for the young ones and it might as well be you, because eighty percent of people are cowards, ten percent just aren't leaders, nine percent are idiots and when you look around it is usually just going to be you left."
Or you and someone else... someone who wants in part the same thing, but in a way so radically different that it puts you on opposite sides of a conflict where there truly is a better enemy than each other... even if you're blinded to that at times.
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Post by Megan on Jun 27, 2011 15:19:44 GMT -5
"The only one here who thinks you're too old for this is you," Megan grumbled, turning away.
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Magneto
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Post by Magneto on Jun 27, 2011 15:21:43 GMT -5
"I am quite sure Charles would agree with me."
In fact, Charles would likely applaud his ever so sensible decision to turn away from a battle for once. Which was exactly why he wouldn't be mentioning this to his beloved later.
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Post by Megan on Jun 27, 2011 15:25:14 GMT -5
"But, you know, it figures that when I skip to the one place I thought I was guaranteed help, this would happen," she said bitterly. "Maybe I'll see you around when you decide to not let age get in the way of everything you used to believe in."
She nodded and started walking away.
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Magneto
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Post by Magneto on Jun 27, 2011 15:29:21 GMT -5
"You are still very welcome to come and talk to the younger ones... perhaps once you've found your own voice." The final part was mumbled.
Oh, how Erik would love to lead again... but the simple truth was, he loved Charles more.
With a sigh he opened the door to go inside, trying not to feel mocked by the very sign on that door that he'd so lovingly created.
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