Chapter Text
The silence during their chess game was far less companionable than usual. Erik might go so far as to characterize it as tense. He’d thought with the destruction of Onslaught Charles would go back to normal. Instead, the telepath was more withdrawn than ever.
“Are you alright, Charles?”
Charles blinked and shook his head minutely as if to clear it of the cobwebs of leftover thought. “Of course. I was just thinking of some of the things Onslaught said before you killed him.”
Unexpected, but he supposed he’d take the bait. “What could he have said that possibly deserves your attention now?”
The professor’s lips thinned. “As much as you may hate to admit it, Onslaught was part of me. While his actions were extreme, the foundations of his logic and observations may not have been flawed.”
“Are you telling me that you approve of him murdering Stryker and his son?”
“Of course not!” exclaimed an affronted Charles.
“Then what could he have said that warrants your attention now that he’s gone?”
"You.”
“Me,” Erik scoffed.
“Tell me, Erik, if you win this war you're so set on waging, what then?"
Erik blinked as he tried to wrap his mind around the abrupt shift in their conversation. "I…what?"
"You've always been so singled-minded in your goals that you forget to have a plan for after your success."
"Of course I have a plan,” Magneto replied, somewhat offended. “We'll have our own society. All of us, as equals."
"As easy as that? What do you think will happen once you eradicate the humans and found the mutant paradise you so desperately seek? Do you honestly believe the survivors won’t find a new group to turn against? A new group to persecute? It’s already begun."
What? “What are you talking about?”
“I think I know exactly who the next crusade will target,” the telepath stated with a pointed glare at the helmet crowning Magneto’s head. “Fear is how it begins. The thirst for war isn’t limited to humans. There will always be difference and it will be feared unless we can find a way to alleviate those fears. The responsibility lies with us.”
Magneto wore his most insulted expression. “I wear this to keep you from having an unfair advantage. You know as well as I how easily you could have your way.”
“And I know how easily you could stab me with the spokes of my own wheelchair, yet here I sit. I believe it was Aristotle who said that fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil. You fear telepaths, but that fear is masked for the time being by your fear of humans and what they may or may not do to you.” Xavier paused, his eyes almost pleading. "If you allow yourself to be ruled by the constant anticipation of evil…Erik, my friend, I only ask that you consider the consequences of your actions."
"And I ask that you consider the consequences of your inaction," Erik returned. “You can’t honestly expect me to abandon my only defense against telepathy after a human enslaved his telepathic son so he could commit genocide. The humans must be dealt with. I won’t allow you or any other telepath the opportunity to change my mind.”
Silence fell as the two found themselves, as always, at an impasse. Charles glanced to the board.
“I have you in four moves. There is some business that needs to be taken care of for the school. If you’ll excuse me.”
Magneto watched the other man disappear, realizing only then that he’d never truly answered Charles’ question about telepaths and their role after mutants defeated the humans. He shook his head. It didn’t matter anyway. Mutants were a brotherhood. They wouldn’t turn on each other once they finally had the power they deserved. Charles and his X-Men would see reason once the world was right.
The paperclip wove a restless path through the air. It didn't distract Charles as he gazed out the window to the lawn below where his students were taking a well deserved break. The metal began threading through Charles' fingers like he'd seen Erik do with Shaw's coin so many times. It was the small things, he found, that took the most concentration and control. He could toss weights around all day, but making a paperclip float around his fingers was an art form.
As Charles watched the children, he couldn’t help but think back to something Onslaught had said to him after the Shaw debacle. Nobody on this earth is more powerful than us. Not yet at least. Charles looked down to the smiling Jean Grey. As he watched the girl, full of innocence and hope and something else, he couldn’t help but wonder if Onslaught knew more than he let on. Time would tell, he supposed. For now, Jean was laughing as Ororo used a burst of wind to counter Scott and Warren’s attack. In fact, all the children were smiling. Even Hank and Alex, who stood off to the side watching, had fond smiles plastered on their faces. Everyone was as happy and carefree as he’d ever seen them
They don’t know that I’m still here, do they?
Charles hesitated at the matter-of-fact tone of the voice in his head. You killed people.
We killed people. They had it coming anyway.
All of them?
A mental shrug. Necessary sacrifices.
The telepath shook his head. You used my body, but you were your own being for those months…when you killed Stryker and his son.
True. But now that I’m back in your head I feel much more myself than I did out there…and by ‘myself’ I mean you. And I may have been a bit insane with Magneto’s personality added in, but part of me still comes from you. Don’t tell me you’re having doubts about our deal.
After a pregnant pause, the unease that had manifested on Charles’ face dissolved. I’ve accepted that you’re part of me. I don’t have to be thrilled about it.
You didn’t answer my question. Do they know I’m still here?
Charles sighed. As I said, you killed people. They...they wouldn’t understand. Nobody knows you’re here…and I’d like to keep it that way.
Not even your good friend Erik? Onslaught’s voice sneered. He’s so very proud of himself for killing me.
You saw everything I saw. Erik is heading down a dangerous path. He knows now what we can do through Cerebro. If he was aware of your continued existence, I fear he would use us to destroy humanity.
He would try, Onslaught murmured dangerously.
Him manipulating me to use our power for his own purposes…that is something I could never forgive him for. I’m not ready to face that yet.
Charles looked back outside, this time focusing on the horizon. Dusk was quickly approaching, the sky splashed with the purples and reds that appeared before the plunge into the deep blue of night. This is what you wanted the whole time, isn’t it? Us reintegrated. Me to accept you as part of myself. The X-Men and the Brotherhood…we did exactly what you wanted us to do.
Not exactly. I did enjoy having my own body. But, as you so kindly pointed out to me, we’re more powerful together. Even more so now that Magneto is part of us too. The things we can do together…that’s why I’m still here. I may have gotten what I wanted out of this, but I suspect you did too. Stryker will no longer be a threat to us and your school and we both know that if it comes down to it, we can stop Magneto from doing something…regrettable. He’ll only be spurred on by the latest turn of events, after all.
Charles nodded thoughtfully to himself. The children were all sitting now, watching the sky as it transformed. The telepath turned away from the sunset and wheeled back into his room.
I suppose it’s time for us to begin training then.
Charles could feel Onslaught give one of his trademark grins in his head. This time, though, Charles felt a small smile form on his face too.
Outside, Jean leaned against Scott as the last remnants of the sunset glowed in the sky. An ember of it reflected in her eyes. Deep within the girl with flowing red hair, a spark began to flicker and grow.