Work Text:
Two men sat across from each other in a large lawn. In between them sat a checkered, black and white board with many figurines sat on both sides. They were organised along the sides at the beginning, but over time, the men had moved the pieces to different positions along the board. Though the game was supposedly both a sport and the paragon of intellectual activities, the men simply enjoyed spending time playing the game to calm their raging minds.
White Knight to E4.
Charles Xavier was playing the white pieces. He was a middle aged man, a reputed scholar. Born at the end of the Seventies, his family was very well reputed. His father was a renowned lawyer, while his mother ran a large store in the city of New York. Ever since he was young, Charles was known for his vast intelligence. While not at the level of Tony Stark or Bruce Banner, it was clear he was far above the average child his age. He had read Shakespeare's collective works at the age of five, Richard Feynman's lectures at eight, and Darwin's thesis at ten. From then, it was clear what his talent was. Biology, or more specifically genetics, was the area where he shone. Everyone around him knew he was destined for great things.
His parents were ardent supporters of Dr Martin Luther King Jr, and had marched with the famed preacher at all his rallies. They were big civil rights activists in their community, and had, from the very beginning, implanted their ideas into Charles's mind. From a very young age, he was actively involved in protests. Charles was a key player during the Million Man March in Washington, and was a keynote speaker at dozens of rallies for a variety of causes, be they nuclear non-proliferation, equal rights for women, or Black Lives Matter.
Black Bishop to D4.
The other man was named Emeka Musa, AKA Eric Magnus. He was playing the black pieces on the board. Eric was born around the same time as Charles, but in vastly different circumstances. His parents, immigrants from Nigeria, were prominent members of the Black Panther Party, who retired from active protests and demonstrations to raise him. They arrived by sneaking on the back of a freighter, and gained citizenship in the country during on of the naturalisation schemes. Known from a young age for his charisma and ruthlessness, he passed school, clearly making himself the leader of his friends, and found himself a part of a gang at the young age of eleven.
However, soon after that, his life was beset by tragedy. His parents, while leaving a gathering of their old friends, found themselves shot by a jumpy police officer. There was a massive uprising among their old friends at the Black Panther Party, because the officer who was responsible was said to have racist sentiments. From then, Eric's life path changed. He cut himself off from the gang, and started actively causing violence against those he found to be just as bigoted as his parents killer. Having no compunction about taking lives, or physically harassing people, he stood by and followed his principles, no matter what it took.
White Knight to A6.
However, the main thing in both their lives was, of course, that they possessed, what could be named superpowers. Charles, of course preferred to call it a mutation in the genes, and devoted his whole life to studying and analysing his genes to find out what makes him different. After meeting Eric at one of the rallies, he realised that they both had powers, and was able to conclusively detect the gene in his DNA that enabled this. The strand, officially called the X-Gene, was what won him his doctorate in genetics, as it was the next stage of human evolution. Charles and Eric were the forerunners of a new species, that Eric referred to as Homo-Superior.
Black Pawn to D3.
Charles was a telepath, as in he was able to vicariously send and receive information directly from a subject's brain with or without consent. Eric, meanwhile, possessed ability to create and manipulate magnetic fields. More specifically, he was able to manipulate any metal in his radius to do what he desires. Though they kept in contact after they discovered that they were alike, they parted ways to live their lives separately. However, with the sudden burst of energy from the Snap, they had since come together with a few of their colleagues that Charles had brought together in order to figure out how to tackle this new information.
White Pawn to D3. Black pawn taken.
"There is a steep rise in the new mutant population, Eric."
"Mutant, Charles. Could you really call them nothing else?"
"I apologise, but it was years ago in my doctorate. I was not aware that the name would stick."
Eric scoffed, but continued. "Yes. We had long believed that we would be the forerunners of a new population. I just did not think we would see this kind of rise in my lifetime. But I suppose it was inevitable."
"How so?"
Black Pawn to A6. White Knight Taken.
"It's obvious, isn't it? Every day, new superhumans climb out of the woodwork. It was only natural that the superior species' numbers would one day rise, wasn't it?"
"That's a dangerous line of thought, Eric."
"Is it? We, our people, we're blessed with great powers, Charles. The power to shake worlds and challenge gods. You said it yourself, we are the next stage of human evolution."
White Bishop to G4.
"We cannot afford to let ourselves think we're better, Eric. That would simply invite conflict."
"Humanity, as a whole, fears what is different, Charles, fears what they don't understand. I would say that conflict is already invited."
"And we must assuage that fear. It is an instinctive reaction that in all creatures, when a new species arrives, they do battle, and one loses."
Black Pawn to G3.
"The inferior, you mean?"
Both Charles and Eric were silent for a while, staring at the board.
"Do you trust him?" asked Eric.
White Pawn to D4.
"I do."
"He's not one of us."
"No, but he does have experience in dealing with strange abilities."
"Ah, yes, he was bitten by a radioactive spider. What nonsense."
"The world has gotten stranger and stranger, Eric. We cannot conclusively say that it didn't happen."
Black Knight to C4.
"I think it's too much of a stretch for even our new reality."
"Well, regardless, the fact remains that one day he woke up with powers, and he has adjusted admirably."
"By going around in tights and fighting criminals."
"By helping people. He is a man of astounding morals, ones we must learn to appreciate and emulate."
"Bah. Charles, people are cruel. You know this, as do I. why should we help those who would harm us?"
"To show that we are better than them."
"So you agree that we're better!"
White Bishop to D5.
"That is not what I meant, and you know it, Eric. I do not believe that all of them will be out to get us. Humans are inherently good."
"Perhaps. But they've always feared what don't understand. First it was our race, and now it will be our species."
"Then what do you suggest?"
"As you said earlier, there will always be conflicts between two different species. I think it would be irrational not to prepare ourselves for an inevitable conflict."
"So you would start a war?!"
Black Knight to D6. Check.
"No. I will simply prepare for one. And seeing our strength, they will desist."
"You will simply ignite the conflict between us, Eric. You will terrify them, and force them attack first."
"Then so be it."
White Queen to D6. Black Knight Taken.
"You would put not only them, but our young at risk as well! Or have you forgotten that mutants are born from humans as well?"
"We will keep them safe. We will find them and protect them."
"How can you guarantee that?"
"What other option do we have?"
"We can make peace with them!"
"Please, Charles, your unreasonable optimism would doom us all!"
"Not before your unbearable cynicism does worse."
Black Pawn to G4.
"Very well, Charles, your turn. What would you have us do?"
"We can show the world that we mean them no harm. With Peter's help, we have a firm backing from both the Stark empire, as well as the Avengers. We can work with them to help protect the world, and eventually win its favour."
"And in the event that things happen as you say, what would you do to those who get caught in the middle? Those children considered pariahs because of how they look or what they can do, who are chased away from their families and friends. Would you slowly wait for public sentiment to slowly turn towards you, knowing that at any moment, they could and would crucify us in a brand new series of witch hunts?"
White Bishop to C2. Black Pawn Taken. Check.
"Just like people of our race worked over time to get equality, so too should we."
"What equality? Even today, there are hate crimes against us. Racists openly roam the streets shouting their foul vitriol, and we are far better today than we were ever before. This country was built on the basis of abusing and mistreating people who look like you and me. I will not allow that to happen to our species as well!"
"It is the only long term assurance of peace and prosperity."
White King to C2.
"And therein lies the difference between you and me. You look for harmony between our species, while I merely look for our survival."
"It seems we must agree to disagree."
"Indeed."
"Well, I think it's time to get back to work, don't you think?"
"Yes, let's go. We need to make this ugly monstrosity into a school."
"Excuse me? This is my family manor."
"I stand by my words."
Laughing, both men stood up from the table, made their way across the lawn, and made their way into the mansion.
Without the players noticing, both Kings were checkmated by their own troops.