Bab 52: C52 Magneto Speaks

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As Magneto walked onto the stage and took the podium, everyone in the room waited with bated breath. They wondered if this man was as crazy as he seemed. After all, he broke into the building like some comic book villain.

"Good evening. As you've already heard from my old friend Charles, my name is Erik, Erik Lehnsherr. Though some have taken to calling me Magneto, for my magnetic powers, of course." Erik introduces himself very charismatically.

"I have lived a troubled life and felt the true cruelty of mankind, not only as a mutant but also as a Jew as well. When I was only a child, I was forced to watch as my people suffered under the horrors inflicted by the Nazis. I was filled with hatred and anger, mainly toward a certain Nazi scientist named Sebastian Shaw. Shaw murdered my mother before my very eyes and forced me to experience horrendous tortures." Magneto explains.

"Of course, these tortures were of him experimenting on me, like some sort of lab-rat." Erik says in disgust as he makes the microphone float above the podium. "He knew that I had this power and treated me less than human. Like a Jew. After all, we were in Auschwitz. A Jew has no rights or freedom there. He could do as he pleased to any of us and no one would bat an eye. In fact, they would celebrate my torture."

Erik pauses for just a moment, really letting his words sink in. He is truly a very charismatic man.

"I am absolutely devoted to the cause of protecting mutant kind, or meta-humans as it's called now. I refuse to let my people suffer a similar Holocaust, not when I have the power to protect them. I will protect my race at any cost, no matter who gets in my way. I will not allow a single man, woman, or child to go through the horrors I was subjected to." Magneto continues.

"Whether this makes me your enemy or not means little. So very little." Erik says this and turns to look Professor Xavier in the eyes. "I will become the cruelest of villains if it means keeping my people safe and happy. Though, I hope it never comes to that."

The room becomes deathly quiet as everyone took in Magneto's speech. They could all feel the emotion in his voice and the truth behind his threats. He would really slaughter them all if it meant keeping his people alive and safe.

*Clap Clap Clap...*

Clapping was heard as everyone turned to Spider-Man, who was giving Erik a standing ovation while wiping some nonexistent tears from his masked face.

"I applaud your ideals and I'm sorry you had to go through that." Peter says as he stops clapping. "Though have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, you're wasting a perfect opportunity?"

"How so?" Erik asks in confusion.

"Well..." Peter gestures toward Charles. "We have the carrot-" Then motions back toward Magneto. "-and the stick."

A reluctant look appears on Charles' face as Peter says this. He knew exactly where Peter was going with this.

"The kind guiding hand and face of meta-humans. A poor crippled man who wants nothing more than to make a school and protect superpowered children through peace and cooperation." Peter says as he takes a seat once again "Then we have you, Erik. The man that comes knocking when that cooperation and peace is being threatened. Whether it be from normal humans or meta-humans alike."

"I..." Erik was lost for words.

He tried working with Charles once before and it didn't end well. Their friendship was irrevocably ruined due to their different schools of thought.

"We've tried this before." Charles interjects. "Our opinions are just too different."

Erik simply nodded at his old friend's words. If there's one thing they can agree on, it's this.

"Except they're not." Peter says with a shake of his head. "Charles, you briefly mentioned the creation of a team of meta-humans, which would protect normal people from criminals of your kind, right?"

Charles nods, not fully understanding where this was going.

"Okay, so what happens when that team runs into criminal humans attacking a meta-human?" Peter asks, causing Charles to go silent.

"T-they would..." Charles was lost for words.

"What would you do, Erik" Peter turns to the stage and asks.

"I would save my people with any means necessary." Magneto answered instantly, sending a disappointed look toward Charles.

"You two old senile idiots may not see it, but you are made for each other. The carrot and the stick. The politician and the enforcement. The guiding hand and the hand that strikes when the other is bitten." Peter says, gesturing between the two. "The Principal and the leader of the team, which protects the peace through force when necessary. Partners working together for the betterment of mankind as a whole. Because that's what meta-humans are. Just a new part of mankind."

The room goes quiet as Peter pauses, looking at the confused and reluctant look on Professor Xavier's face. Meanwhile, Erik seemed thoughtful as he heard Peter's viewpoint of their situation.

"We can't. He's just too extreme. The second a meta-human is attacked, he'll slaughter everyone in the vicinity." Charles says in sadness as he shakes his head negatively. "Then what happens to all of my work? He's a liability."

"Do you truly think so little of me, Charles?" Erik asks with a surprised and sad look on his face.

"Yes, I've seen what you've done." Professor X says as he looks at Magneto in disgust.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I've never killed anyone that didn't deserve it. My death count is filled with r*pists, torturers, mad scientists, and other rotten folks, who have committed countless atrocities against our kind." Erik clarifies, shocking everyone in the room.

"So, you're telling me that if you see a normal man strike a weak and helpless meta-human in the face, you won't act rashly and murder him?" Charles throws out a theoretical scenario.

"Pfft, no. I may ruff him up a bit though." Magneto laughs incredulously. "You really believe that I'm some sort of madman, don't you?"

"Yes." Charles answers instantly without a hint of remorse.

"It seems that you two have some issues to work through, but that doesn't mean my assumption isn't correct. If you two truly want what's best for your people, then working together is the best decision on the table." Peter addresses both of the elderly mutant leaders. "Divided you and all meta-humans will fall, but together I can see this whole thing really working out."

"Separate, you two will be far too busy fighting each other to truly fight for the cause of meta-human equality." Peter says, getting reluctant nods from both parties. "At the end of the day, both of you want the same thing. A safe world, where meta-humans are accepted like any other race of people, so why not combine forces? Based on what I've seen here today, I'm sure arguments will unfold almost constantly, but you're both grown men. Elderly even. Speak like adults and come to the best solution possible. It's that easy."

As Peter finished speaking, neither side could find words to say and today's meeting was coming to an end. When everyone saw the time, the meeting was called to a stop for the day.

Charles and the X-men left the building almost immediately. Professor Xavier had a contemplative and undecided look on his face as he left in a puff of blue smoke alongside Nightcrawler and Storm.

Peter wanted to invite him to a meeting again, but sadly, they left before he could even ask them to join him.

With one option gone, Peter turned to the other. He would love to involve a levelheaded Magneto in the Avengers plan after all.

"Hey, Erik!" Peter calls Magneto before the man could take off as the X-men had.

"Yes?" Erik breaks from his contemplative thought and walks over to Spider-Man.

"I have a meeting and I'd like to invite you along. It's about something you may be interested in." Peter says, motioning for Magneto to follow him.

The President had already left to meet with the South Korean UN representative, so they needed to hurry.

"Alright, lead the way." Erik agrees with an interested glimmer in his eyes. "You haven't let me down so far."

A/N: 1427 words

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