Had Charles Xavier approached him first, he might not have turned down the path he was on. As it was, he barely knew anything of the esteemed professor of genetics. But Magneto had been the first, and he offered everything a young man like Eric Wu dreamed of; power, others submitting to his will, women, money. What Eric hadn't know was that it was all a lie.
Magneto had recruited him when he was only seventeen and left for dead by a rival gang. He was a mutant Magneto had dreamed of. He excelled in hand-to-hand combat, knew his way around firearms, and his powers were complete control over electricity, ranging from super-charging the atoms in the air around him to personal electronics to the human electromagnetic field. Not only that, his previous brainwashing from the gang had made him almost completely obediant.
But now Eric wished he hadn't have joined. He didn't want to take the place of Gambit and Colossus. He ran his fingers through his short, thick black hair. Months had passed, and he'd seen nothing of the money or the women he'd been promised. All he had to his name since joining the Acolytes were a few clothes and his guns. He had taken to practicing taijiquan, the one thing that kept him level, with a broomstick.
An alarm began to go off in the building. He headed to the conference room, the area designated by the bell. There sat Magneto at the head of a long table. Eric took the last seat on the left and drummed his fingers on the table.
"Suit up, men. We're heading to the compound at Westchester. Today we attack directly. No more machinations, no more sneaking around. Now is the time for action. Now is the time to strike. Meet me in the launch bay in fifteen minutes. That is all." Magneto waved them all away. Eric rose to leave, but something in Magneto's eyes told him to stay.
"Mister Wu, today will be the firt battle you do with the X-Men. I hope you're not afraid."
Eric simply shook his head. Magneto knew that he'd been in scuffles and scrapes before; most much more deadly than this.
"You understand that your guns will only be useful in the beginning? They won't expect it. After the first volley, the troublesome telekinetic girl will create a mental shield that will stop your bullets. Make them count, but don't shoot to kill. It will definitely shake them up."
Eric stared stonily into Magneto's eyes. His silence gave his consent.
"Suit up."
Eric nodded and retreated to his room. He relished this feeling, the feeling of excitement that ran through his gut every time something like this happened. But he was disappointed by Magneto demanding that he not kill. He'd tasted blood before and his mouth was red; he enjoyed it. More so than he let on. He pulled on his uniform, a highly stylized black spandex one-piece with a mandarin collar. In a case next to the suit, he pulled out his shoulder, chest and back armour piece; along with that were his metal armbraces, cartridge belt, and his boots.
Out of the footlocker in front of his bed, he took out two Colt .45s and a Chinese-made AK-47 with a folding stock. He smiled and put all extra clips on his belt. Quickly, he disassembled his pistols, cleaned them, and snapped them back together. It was done in less than five minutes. He wondered for a moment if it came from experience, practice, skill, talent, or was part of some other as-of-yet untapped mutant ability. Fully ready, he made his way down the hall into the launch bay and crawled into one of the silver orbs. He began to feel the familiar sensation of nausea as the thing began to lift into the air, seemingly of its own accord.
While inside, he created a light for himself by making a small electrical orb with his finger. It bobbed and floated overhead like a small lamp. Sitting there, he reached into his belt and pulled out a bit of gun oil and a cloth. He spent the time cleaning and oiling his weapons, making sure that they were in perfect working order. The silver orb made a sudden plummet and eased onto the ground, signalling their arrival. The top of the ball swirled open and Eric stepped into the light.
Eric was greeted by whining alarm systems, to which he promptly responded with automatic gunfire. A short figure dressed in black leaped out at him, six metal claws jutting from his fists. Eric swiveled his rifle to the man, spraying him with bullets. He dropped like a stone, only to get on his feet and attack again. Eric dropped his rifle, letting it dangle from its strap and drew one of his pistols. He pumped six bullets into the man's skull, slowing him down considerably. For a moment, detached, he wondered why Magneto wasn't stopping his obviously lethal assault.
The man shook it off like one would a glancing blow to the jaw. Eric realized he'd let the man get too close and ran farther back. By this time, an entire squad of X-Men had streamed out of the house, including Gambit and Colossus. He dodged several kinetically charged playing cards and fired off several rounds in Gambit's direction. One glanced his cheek, another his arm. Eric was filled with hate and loathing at the sight of the two former Acolytes. He was disgusted by traitors of any kind. Loyalty was very important to him.
Gambit staggered backwards and whipped out his staff. He moved towards Eric, twirling it in a way that he recognized after all of his years practicing martial arts. Eric dropped his own guns and unbuttoned the ammunition clips. He took a stance from Tsai Lee Fu boxing and beckoned Gambit to advance. Each of the opposing mutant's steps were careful, calculated, exact. Eric took the initiative and was the first to strike, punching Gambit square in the chest with a jackhammer fist loaded with electricity. It coursed through the red-eyed mutant and caused him to collapse on the ground, unconscious. A beam of red concussive energy struck the ground next to Eric, causing a massive crater.
"Eric, too me! They're too much!"
He began to retreat, annoyed the whole way. Eric had been ready to kill Gambit then and there. He would abide by no cowards or traitors. That night, in his room, he was visited by Magneto.
"I saw the hatred in your eyes, Eric. I know how much you wanted to kill Gambit. But what you must understand is the fact that you are much more ruthless than the others. Sabertooth is a simpleton; Allerdyce is a psychotic fool. You, however... You are a force to be reckoned with. You're cunning and you're ruthless. Truly a potent combination. But your most deadly trait is your sense of right and wrong... and your willingness to kill. This is why I have a job for you. A special job. Later on, at one a.m., you'll find a car in the garage waiting for you. You will drive to the mansion. You will sneak in. And you will kill Gambit. Colossus is not to be touched. I willingly let him go, as I had forcibly made him join. But Gambit... Kill him, Eric."
Eric nodded in compliance. Magneto turned and left, with one final word.
"Oh, and Eric... This conversation never took place," he said and continued to walk away.
Silently, as he did nearly everything, Eric began to rifle through his belongings. He pulled on the black spandex that Magneto had given him. But that wasn't enough; his feet were exposed. His boots he'd worn earlier were much too flashy. They would've definitely attracted unwanted attention. Finally, he found a pair of old, dull-black combat boots. To finish his attire, he pulled on thin, skin-tight black gloves. He looked through his footlocker to find the perfect tool: a black-handled butterfly knife with a six-inch blade. He looked at his watch. One in the morning.
The car ride was completely silent. He liked it better this way. It wasn't the first time he'd done something like this. He parked the car far off in the wooded area and set out for the compound on foot. His power began working overtime as soon as he set foot on the ground, short circuiting every bit of electrical equipment within the entire school. It had gone pitch black. He hoped no one was awake to see what was happening. The front door turned so easily that he wondered why none of them had tried this before. He stepped quietly through the living room, up the stairs, and to the boy's dormitories. According to the layout that Magneto had left in the car, he had arrived at Gambit's room. This time the door was locked. He just continued turning the knob, not caring at this point, and breaking it. The door swung open with a eerie squeak.
Eric approached the bed quietly, and began twirling his knife open. He pulled back the blankets and stabbed wildly only to feel a tap on his shoulder.
"Mind telling me what you're doing in my room, monsiur?"
It took Eric a split second to swing his arm around and slice open Gambit's bare chest. He looked down to see that all he had been stabbing was a pile of pillows. He couldn't believe he'd been fooled. Eric flew into a fury and advanced on his nearly nude target, throwing powerful punches, most connecting. He seemed to forget about the knife in his hand for a moment; when he remembered it was there, he advanced with it. Gambit was unsure of what to do; his life was on the line and he had to think of something quick. His brain had really been rattled by the blows rained upon his head from Eric. He hadn't used his powers so he wouldn't wake the entire mansion. For some reason, he didn't want Eric caught. But his life was sure to end if he didn't think of something, and fast.
"Stop! Wait!"
It was all he could think to do; but it seemed to work. Eric stopped momentarily, giving Gambit more time to think.
"Magneto sent you here didn't he? Yeah. I recognize you. From earlier today. That's some right you've got. My name is Gambit." He stuck out his hand. Eric stared at it, unsure of what to do. He still had his knife in one hand, poised to strike. Slowly, steadily, he brought it down and tossed his knife away. Gambit noted the way it quivered into the wood, and how deep in it went. He brought up his own to shake the man's he was sent to kill. Gambit then spent several minutes talking down the assassin, one much more skilled than any of the Guild he'd ever met. It was probably due to him being a mutant. Slowly, he put on a pair of jeans and a wifebeater and suggested to the killer that they go out for a bite to eat. Eric nodded his head. Gambit judged that he had no clothes other than what he had on, an dug through his closet to find something for Eric to wear. He slipped on the sweatpants and black t-shirt quietly. Gambit noticed he'd never heard the mutant speak.
Together they went to the garage and drove out in the van. Gambit made another judgement call and drove all the way into New York to an all-night Chinese place that was almost like a diner. Eric knew the place well, and Gambit's judgement proved to be a good one.
"Just a little plate of steamed dumplings, please," Gambit ordered. Eric looked up at the waitress and mumbled his order in Cantonese. Gambit looked at him, astonished. It was the first time he'd heard him speak. Eric was staring right through Gambit, his eyes cold and lifeless. They'd spent the entire car ride talking about how Gambit came to join Magneto and then the X-Men. Or rather, Gambit had spent the entire time jawing away while Eric sat in relative silence.
"So. Tell me how you came to join Magneto. If you want, that is."
"You know, I think I might." Gambit was looking in shock. It was the first time he'd heard Eric speak English, and he was surprised not to hear any trace of an accent. And so he told. He told about joining the Wah-Ching youth gang just a block away from here when he was thirteen. He told of his mutant powers manifesting themselves. And of how the elder Tong men would send him on assassination missions much like he'd done that night. He told of the Joey Boys wanting to recruit him, saying that they'd pay him better. And then he told of how he was executed, or how he was supposedly executed. The men that night had been careless, and hadn't hit anyplace vital. Before they shot him, they told him that they were sent by Wah-Ching, and that Wah-Ching and the Joey Boys had cooperated to murder him. That if he were willing to switch sides over the promise of money, then he was no use to them or the Joeys, who had planned on killing him already out of fear.
He told of how Magneto had found him, bleeding in the streets, and begging for someone to come and finish the job. But Magneto hadn't come for that, oh, no. He had heard the cry of a fellow brother mutant in peril and had come as Eric's saviour. Eric thought nothing of the lavish promises Magneto had lain upon him (much the same as Gambit had heard) and only of his recovery. But once he had made a complete turnaround, Magneto had given him no chance for vengeance. He made Eric pledge his undying loyalty, much like the Wah-Ching had. And now Eric knew the price of betrayal, and hated traitors like he never had before, as he had now experienced what it was like to be one.
And then, one day, Eric was given the revenge that he desired with every part of his being. Magneto had rounded up the leaders of the Wah-Ching and Joey Boys, as well as those who orchestrated the plan to kill Eric. To see him, healthy as he was, was like seeing a nightmare come to life for the gang members. He recounted the brutal ways he had murdered the each gang leader in front of the others.
"And the rest," he said, "is history."
Gambit stared hard at the man who revealed himself to be a cold-blooded murderer. They spoke at length, over food. After their meal, Eric felt around his pockets for his cigarettes, but remembered that he'd left them behind, not wanting any sent to give him away. Magneto had filled him in on the small, angry, beast-like man after their return. Gambit saw the look on his face and sympathized. He reached into his pocket and gave him one of his Marlboros as well as a box of matches. Eric thanked him and they continued to discuss over their smoke. Gambit tried his damndest to convince Eric to leave Magneto and join the X-Men. He finally agreed and the two drove back to the mansion; the sun was slowly rising as they approached. Eric shook his new friend's hand and headed out to the woods. He drove off, satisfied, and formulating the lie he'd prepare to give Magneto. As he entered his room, he saw his former leader standing in his quarters.
"Did you do the job?"
Eric nodded. Magneto smirked and shook his head.
"You know the price of betrayal well, don't you?" he said.
Eric nodded once again. Something told him that all was not fine.
"I watched the entire farce play out, Eric. I know what happened."
From behind him, a long, thin piece of pointed steel rose up and hovered in the air. It zoomed like a bullet and smashed through Eric's chest. Blood spilled everywhere and Eric dropped to his knees. The steel retracted itself from Eric's chest.
"I had such high hopes for you."
The steel flew once again and rammed itself into Eric's brain.