บท 60: Otherworld

"I was serious you know. You can really become my successor. Owing to your outsider status, you even have that air of impartiality about you that is vital to the work I do. The locals just can't let go of their attachments, you see." Merlin said as he drank from the magic glass.

It was one of those glasses that never seemed to get empty no matter how much you drink from it. If someone had the patience to stand around holding a magic glass upside down, maybe the debate about whether there really is infinite liquid coming out of some magical dimension and filling up the glass could be settled.

While Merlin was savoring the alcoholic beverage coming from dubious source, Charles Xavier was confused about what the wizard was even talking about. He understood the meanings of the words but he seemed to be lacking the context for the meanings to make sense.

"What exactly are you two talking about? I think I deserve some explanation now." Professor X demanded an answer. It was rare that he didn't know what was going on in a conversation. Normally, he could have done some surface thoughts reading through telepathy but he knew for sure it was a bad idea to try it on the two sitting beside him.

Savant nodded. "I suppose we should do some proper introductions."

"This is Merlin, one of the strongest wizards in existence. He is also a self-fashioned reality police who observes the omniversal space-time and makes sure reality doesn't break. Personally, I wouldn't take such a burdensome and thankless task even if it was pushed on me but he created the job himself. As for Charles, you probably know all versions of him anyway, no introductions needed there."

The surprising details he had just heard gave Charles a lot to think. There was actually someone who was keeping watch over all the multiverses and universes and making sure the reality keeps on existing.

"So you fight off threats against the reality? That's what Savant meant when he said you might stop people who try universe hopping and meddling with reality." Charles nodded thoughtfully. He looked at Merlin with some respect in his eyes.

But Savant poured cold water on Charles' fantasies of a great old sorcerer who was toiling day and night unknown to the world just to keep the reality going. It was certainly a noble picture when one thought of it.

"Yeah, I can see what you're thinking just from that look in your eyes and let me tell you, he looks very noble and amiable but he isn't."

Merlin coughed out some beer, "There is no need to slander an old man like that. I don't think I've done anything to make you apprehensive about me, have I?"

Charles was looking at Savant with some confusion as well. He had formed the noble image of Merlin based on Savant's description after all.

"I don't have any particular feelings about you. Honestly, I'm just stating facts here. I just don't put my trust on deeply secretive and manipulative wizards with origins as vague as their beverages. As an outsider, as you call me, I have some insight to your nature you see. You protect the reality because your seemingly unending power comes from the matrix of otherworld energies. If the multiverse collapses, so does your energy source, isn't it?"

Merlin sighed and put down the glass of beer, "I have a love-hate relationship with knowledge for this exact reason. Knowledge when it is only in my hands is a great weapon but when others have it too, it just causes a stalemate scenario."

Merlin would have wiped Savant out of existence if he could. He had a multiversal power source and killing an outsider wasn't much of a big deal. He had killed quite a few of them who destabilized the fabric of reality in the past.

They always showed off their foreknowledge and the naked ambitions to rule all of reality. Foreknowledge was fine, there were so many with the powers of precognition in the multiverse, one would almost expect the future to file a lawsuit for invasion of privacy. But those ambitions were things that Merlin couldn't tolerate.

And to Merlin's curiosity and annoyance, they usually always appeared in one of the versions of the Universe-199999. He had once wondered if some civilization out there in the vast unknown was using this particular universe as some sort of vacation spot.

But Savant had never shown any ambitions for ruling reality, he was so focused on helping humanity grow that Merlin felt bored observing an outsider like him. He had never felt any threat from Savant at least that was until he met Savant in person.

Merlin could tell that unlike the other outsiders who would remain dead when he wiped them from existence, Savant had some power in him that would keep him alive no matter what.

"Don't look at me like that. You're making it too obvious that you are thinking of getting rid of me. Anyway, personally I feel that we should all share knowledge. Knowledge is power, literally in the cases of some of us." Savant smirked.

Merlin could feel that Savant was hinting at him while warning him at the same time. On the other hand, Charles was feeling left out of the conversation and from what he could tell of how it was going, he was quite happy about being left out of it.

"You really would make for a great successor." Merlin sighed.

"I can see through your tricks, old man. You don't want a successor, you want someone to give competition to your daughter who is gaining supporters and seemingly on the verge of usurping you. I become the villain who hinders your daughter while you get to keep ruling and gain a new subordinate while not estranging your daughter."

Merlin nodded nonchalantly, "That just about sums up what I had in mind."

Charles was surprised at the callous and cruel nature of Merlin and felt a bit disgusted at how easily he admitted to it. Savant didn't seem to care for the shameless admission made by Merlin though.

"Why don't you use the Braddocks? They have been your loyal dogs all this time. You even seem to have tamed Brian quite well. Though I'm sure you'd have chosen Jaime if he wasn't crazy."

"Are you talking about the Braddock family? Psylocke's brothers?" Charles asked curiously.

"Yeah, the older one is a crazy reality warper and the younger one is Merlin's soldier, Captain Britain. You can partly blame Merlin for the dysfunctional family, their father was his agent too." Savant said as he faked a sigh.

Somehow Charles felt a sort of kinship but also a deep revulsion towards the master manipulator that Merlin was turning out to be. It even made him reflect on all the instances of his own despicable manipulations of the people who trusted him.

"You're going to ruin my image at this rate." Merlin said in a sad tone and chugged the beer that refused to go down even a millimeter in height.

"Yeah, yeah. You're prepared to hand it over to her soon then? The guardianship I mean. You don't seem the type to answer random invites and come out for a chat and a drink from wherever it is that you hide. So, I'm guessing this is you being sentimental or whatever the equivalent is to you?"

Merlin just stared straight ahead at the somewhat rude and personal question posed by Savant. He wasn't really sure what he wanted to do. He definitely didn't want to hurt the only person he loved and cared for in the world just so he could have a lot of power. He had had it for centuries and he had long been tired of being a whole lot powerful than others.

"Maybe it is time for me to don the pointy hat and retire to some whimsical castle. My little Roma wouldn't be too bad of a leader and guardian." There seemed to be a touch of sentimentality in his voice.

"I'm still unsure why we would even need anyone to take care of reality itself. It has existed long before you came around and it will continue to do so long after you are gone. It should at least be resilient enough to continue existing no matter how much damage its inhabitants cause on it." Savant said while conjuring some Korean side dishes. He really wanted Korean with the drinks today for some reason.

"It is far more complicated than that but I agree with you on one point. Even if somehow some idiot manages to destroy reality, another one will quickly replace it and things will continue to move along. I just don't think inaction is an answer." Merlin conjured chopsticks and picked up some fried pork belly and ate it.

Charles was still wondering if he should even contribute to this discussion. As for the fragrant food, he wondered if he using his telekinetic powers to levitate the food to his mouth would be considered rude. Having shared the responsibilities of saving the mutants and stepping down as the leader of mutants, Charles was feeling that he was acting a lot more frivolously in the recent times.

While Charles was contemplating, a pair of chopsticks appeared in his hands. He looked at Merlin who was grinning at him. He should try to see if he could do any of this magic too. Strange is starting a school he had heard, maybe he could learn there.

The conversations continued, Charles also contributed a little when the topics about science, politics and things he was comfortable speaking about were raised. Although there were a lot of arguments, the meal was mostly pleasant.

"Okay, I need to go get some work done. See you again next time, if you are still alive, old man Merlin. Maybe you can help Charles with his hair problem before you leave." Savant gave his farewell and just disappeared abruptly.

"Kids these days are so rude." Charles could swear he saw visions of 13th century when he heard Merlin say that. Merlin continued, "I should be leaving too. If what I've surmised about my future is to be believed, I am in for quite a betrayal from my daughter when I return."

Charles had always held the belief that knowing the future was a terrible thing, He reaffirmed this belief even more when he saw the futures that Moira MacTaggart had lived through. So he could somewhat relate to Merlin's melancholy.

Just as Merlin waved a portal into existence, something came over Charles and he spoke, "About what Savant said earlier…" He had immediately regretted saying that. It was not how he acted at all. It felt like being around Merlin and Savant had affected his mental age.

Merlin had already been halfway through the portal but he still looked back and waved his hand at Charles before disappearing completely.

Charles instinctively felt for his head but he didn't feel a single thread of hair. He went to scratch his chin and then he felt it, his head was growing hair after all, just in the wrong area.

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