Captivate Me By Your Resonating Light | By : Zoisite84 Category: X-Men - Animated Series (all) > Slash - Male/Male Views: 961 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0 |
Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men or any characters therein. I am not making any money from this work of fiction. |
After ruminating on the "Sanctuary" two-parter from the "X-Men" animated series some more (and giggling with patientalien over Magneto's voice-over artist's hammy acting), I realized that sufficient attention had not been paid to a) Magneto's bathrobe, and b) the fact that there are apparently hidden cameras all over Asteroid M. I also thought Fabian Cortez kind of playing the bad cop to Charles' good one the entire time was interesting, and before I knew it, this popped out.
Summary: Charles uses the leverage of his friendship with Magneto to negotiate the details of his peace mission to Asteroid M., but Fabian Cortez gets in his way. Erik/Charles, implied Charles/Amelia. Title is from Evanescence's "My Immortal."
They have to flee from the asteroid for the sake of self-preservation; Charles isn't sure precisely what happened to Magneto, though he has his suspicions. Still, being framed for his old friend's demise forces his hand; soon, he and Beast, reluctantly sans Gambit, are speeding back towards the earth, Cortez's smug face emblazoned on his mind.
He feels Magneto reach out to him, and tries with all of his might to sustain the connection. Alas, the other man has been incredibly weakened; when their connection disappears completely, Charles thinks that a piece of his soul might have gone with it.
He knows their work isn't over yet; however, it is imperative to him that he is allowed to say a few words about Erik before smoothing the feathers of so many riled human government officials and stopping Fabian Cortez from initiating a nuclear war with Magneto's warheads. Rogue, Wolverine, and Beast listen respectfully, though Charles can tell that they're uncomfortable; Charles rarely speaks of his relationship with Magneto, and he realizes that the sentiment probably seems out of place. On the other hand, Charles senses that it's the only thing keeping him from not losing his composure completely. There is a lot riding on his ability to keep cool under considerable pressure, perhaps now more than ever; it won't do, he thinks, to put himself out of commission.
There are several goals that need to be accomplished upon their second arrival on Asteroid M. Charles sends Hank out to disarm some 250 warheads, and Rogue leaves with Wolverine to find Gambit. Charles, realizing his obvious physical limitations in the realm of combat, opts to stay aboard the ship, keeping watch over things telepathically.
Suddenly, however, everything seems to go awry at once. 'Professor, only 16% of the warheads are inactive ... the rest have been set to launch ... have to abandon the mission ...'
'Get yourself to safety, Hank,' Charles communicates, and then decides that he can no longer sit idle. Docking on the asteroid again zaps precious minutes that he doesn't have, but he finally manages, and seeks out Cortez's mind in the chaos, knowing that he runs the best chance of success if he can be stopped directly. When he finds it, Charles is taken aback by the rollicking cycle of fear-rage-panic that encompasses it. He holds off on a full-on mental infiltration, hoping that, in fact, the angry young man might still see reason.
When he does locate Cortez at last, the other man's eyes are frantic, wild, his teeth bared ferociously. "How dare you show your face," he snarls.
Charles holds up his hands in supplication. "Mr. Cortez, I mean you no harm. I merely wish for you to cease this attack on humanity. It's not too late to turn back."
Cortez's eyes gleam. "Always the negotiator, aren't you, Xavier? You really think that if we pander and supplicate ourselves enough to those worthless flat-scans, they'll eventually throw us a bone and maybe let us live on their planet outside of cages." Charles remains silent; he's had shades of this conversation with Magneto more times than he can count; best to simply let Cortez blow off steam.
However, Cortez is not content with simply ranting at Charles. When he reaches out a hand, Charles sees a stream of energy, and then gasps when he feels an invisible hand clench around his throat, cutting off his air supply. The grip is tight, but more than that, Charles can feel his strength ebbing away. "C-Cortez, please ... stop," he croaks, but Cortez simply smiles and makes a squeezing motion with his fist. "I didn't ... kill ... Magneto ..." Charles gets out, bursts of light beginning to obscure his vision.
When Cortez suddenly lets him go, Charles sags in his chair with relief, clutching his throat with his own hand. "Fool," Cortez spats. "I killed Magneto; though he was hardly the man his reputation had built him up to be."
Charles coughs and winces. "I don't understand," he ventures.
This seems to be the wrong response. Cortez grits his teeth, his eyes full of loathing. "As if you don't know," he hisses; then, he depresses a button on the control panel behind him, and a tell-tale image blinks to life on one of the room's large screens. "H-harder, Magnus," Charles is saying, and even though the camera is set at a bird's eye view, obscuring facial expressions and much more than a splaying of limbs, it's obvious to a casual observer what it is that's occurring.
Cortez presses another button and the screen shuts off again. "The Acolytes' idol, Magneto, was dead before the events of this evening," he says, and points accusingly at Charles. "And you helped murder him, by perverting him." His hand balls into a fist again, and Charles once more finds himself unable to breathe. Soon, Cortez has lifted him completely out of his chair, his deadened legs dangling a good foot above the ground. "That's treason, I'm afraid," Cortez rasps, and his unpleasant smile is back. "You'll join him soon enou-"
"That is enough, Cortez."
Magneto's voice is startling, and even if Charles weren't choking to death, he's fairly certain he'd question whether the purple-caped being standing before them now is a hallucination. Then Magneto reaches out his own arm, and lifts Cortez in the air easily, effectively loosening his own grip on Charles. He falls hard to the ground, and watches weakly as Magneto floats Cortez higher. Cortez shakes visibly, and begins making a case for his own survival: "Lord Magneto, you must understand ... I had to make sure that your ideals had not been compromised ... by him," he bites out, thrusting a finger in Charles' direction. "I believe the professor has brainwashed you, my lord! His influence over you will ruin everything you've built. He must be stopped ..."
Magneto seems bored with this train of chatter, and ceases it, as Cortez did himself to Charles, with a tightening of his hand across the other man's windpipe. "You know nothing about my relationship with Charles Xavier, Cortez," he says coolly. "Do not presume to believe that you do." Charles watches as Magneto rips a strip of metal from a nearby wall into smaller pieces, and then uses them to bind Cortez from head to foot. "My lord ... my lord, please ..." Cortez begs, and then his words are being stymied by a makeshift metal gag.
Charles wraps his arms gratefully around Magneto's neck as the other man plucks him from the ground, brushing him off before setting him carefully in his chair. "The warheads have all been deactivated or destroyed, Charles," he informs him. "Mr. McCoy did an admirable job with a significant portion of them, and then I took care of the rest."
"Thank goodness," Charles breathes. He cocks his head, looking Magneto up and down. "Your powers have been recharged," he notes aloud. "How?"
Magneto just smiles. "The earth's magnetism has seen fit to nourish me, as a mother nourishes her son." He turns and frowns severely at Fabian Cortez, who gulps and wiggles uselessly in his bonds, and then glances back at Charles. "And now, it is time for us to part ways again. I must take care of unfinished business," he emphasizes, glancing back once more at Cortez, whose eyes widen in fear, and back again, "and then make sure that Asteroid M. never again poses a threat to human- or mutantkind. It has to be destroyed, of course."
Charles nods slowly around the growing lump in his throat. "I understand," he says, "but I feel like it's counterproductive to simply leave you here. Come with me, Magnus," he entreats. "Come back with me, and we can talk, work through everything together with the United Nations." In his head, Charles thinks of the desolation he felt when he thought that Magneto was dead, and tries not to sound frantic at being abandoned again so soon.
Magneto simply shakes his head, however. "I'm afraid our paths must diverge once more, my old friend. Our destinies will forever entwine and break apart." He nods towards the entrance of the room. "But I must ask you and Mr. McCoy and the other X-Men to leave post-haste."
Charles sighs. "I understand," he acknowledges. He does not dare risk a kiss or even any less visible forms of affection in front of Cortez, and simply begins traveling slowly towards the door. At the last minute, however, he turns back, unable to resist. "Be safe, Magnus," he calls, and Magneto nods, his mouth curved into a smile.
"Stop worrying, Charles," he admonishes, and Charles leaves and tries to pretend that his heart has been broken and poorly pieced back together twice in the same day. Once he boards the Blackbird, he implores Hank to intentionally drift past Asteroid M. just once, and places his fingers to his temple.
'Come with me, Erik,' he begs again. 'Please?'
'Go, Charles,' Magneto nudges, and there's a smile in his voice: 'Go make amends with that Amelia woman already.'
Charles sighs and nods, even though he knows that Magneto cannot see him. 'Until we meet again,' he proffers, and then motions for Hank to bring them home.
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