Summary: In Apocalypse's grasp, Charles has little to do but wait. Spoilers for the series finale of "Evolution." Implied Magneto/Charles. Title is from the Britney Spears song of the same name.
'Til The World Ends
The transportation into Apocalypse's energy sphere is not as painful as he initially suspects it will be; he is still fairly incapacitated, both physically and mentally, to be sure, but he realizes rather quickly that the aim is not to harm him, and is able to calm himself and accept, for now, his fate.
He hears Storm struggling beside him. 'No sudden movements,' he tries to warn her telepathically, and that's when he discovers that he no longer feels the weather witch's unique mental signature in the back of his mind. It disturbs him quite a lot that his powers now seem to be defunct; he suspects that it is temporary, Apocalypse's will being superimposed over his own. Nonetheless, his telepathy serves as a security blanket, and now, it's just gone, and he's not quite sure how to feel.
He gazes around at his surroundings, and startles once more to realize that, in fact, he can walk. The ground beneath his feet is not particularly solid, or particularly ground, at that, but he does revel briefly in the feeling of having working legs again, even if only for a while. "Curious," he murmurs out loud, and then comes his third surprise: He's (they're) not alone.
"Charles. What a sight for sore eyes." The voice is low and familiar, and Charles feels relief course through him.
"Magneto," he breathes. The energy encasement seems to expand automatically to accommodate their sharing the space - 'does it conform to our whims?', Charles wonders idly - and he finds himself striding to where the Master of Magnetism sits, as best he can. "I ... watched your battle with Apocalypse," Charles tells him, and Magneto quirks an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, my friend. All the same, I am relieved to find you here."
"And I you." Magneto pauses. "I've a feeling we are being ... safe-kept for a greater purpose than simply remaining in captivity. Apocalypse desires to collect the most powerful mutants in the world to assist him. Obviously," he continues, flashing Charles a small grin, "that is why he's taken you."
Charles sighs. He slinks carefully down to sit next to Magneto, legs splayed in front of him, and inwardly delights a little at his ability to flex his toes in his shoes. "I've missed you, Magnus," he admits, and Magneto claps him on the shoulder, his hand lingering. Charles looks at his lap. "A lot has happened in your absence. I suppose I've yearned to share it with someone."
Magneto moves minutely closer, inclining his head forward a bit. "Tell me now," he entreats, and Charles begins to tick things off on his fingers.
"Let's see ... Mystique was turned into a statue by Apocalypse during our last shared battle. I was unable to change her back, or locate any consciousness; and then I heard that Rogue and Kurt had some sort of altercation, and the statue was lost, broken into pieces."
Magneto's brow furrows. "Is Mystique dead, then?"
Charles shrugs, feeling a little helpless. "One can only guess. Kurt has had some conflicting emotions about it."
"Of course," Magneto murmurs, and Charles continues.
"Logan's clone returned, seeking revenge ... I believe Gambit was seeking out Rogue for a while ... Kitty was possessed briefly by the spirit of a Native mutant girl ... oh," Charles exclaims, pursing his lips a little, "I have a son."
"Do you now?" Magneto looks amused.
"Oh, yes. Gabrielle - my ex-wife, you remember - has been keeping him from me all this time. Apparently," he insinuates sarcastically, "it is my fault for not running a search for any and all illegitimate children I might have weekly using Cerebro."
"Obviously," Magneto snorts. He runs the fingers of his left hand lightly up Charles' arm. "So I presume you've taken the lad under your wing in the meantime, yes?"
"Oh, well, no," Charles admits. Here, he sighs and rubs at his temples a little. "It's ... a long story," he ventures, and Magneto watches him intently. "David - my son - had some alter-egos; one younger, and generally harmless, and the other who ended up taking over David's body and consciousness. It was his idea to lure me there in the first place. I'm embarrassed to admit that I played right into his hands." At this, Charles looks away, eyes downcast. "I don't know that I'll ever get to know my son, now," he sighs. "And we've already lost so much time together."
Magneto clucks at him sympathetically, coaxing Charles to turn back to him. "I am sure," he says firmly, taking the other man by the shoulders in something of an embrace, "that you did not intend for David to be lost. You acted out of compassion, as always. It is not your fault. Should David find his way back, I am sure he will understand that you did not act out of any malicious intent." Suddenly, Magneto's lips quirk upwards. "All the same, though, Charles," he smirks, and Charles blinks in surprise, "perhaps there is a certain irony to you admonishing me for acting rashly against an adversary when you, yourself, seem to have some inclinations towards the same pattern of behavior."
Charles chuckles. Ruefully, he recalls taking Magneto to task for destroying a gigantic energy-based spider, an act necessitated in order for Mesmero to finish opening all three of Apocalypse's gates, thus ensuring his release. In retrospect, there is a notable similarity betwixt their situations. "Perhaps I spoke too soon," he admits, and Magneto snorts.
"Perhaps."
When Apocalypse comes for them, he does not speak for several moments, preferring simply to regard them silently, his gaze slow, appreciative. "Welcome, my Horsemen," he says finally in greeting, and suddenly, it all makes sense to Charles.
"Horsemen ... of the ..."
"Apocalypse." The overlord smiles at him. "You, Charles Xavier, will be their leader. Do not fear," he admonishes, watching Charles stiffen instinctively. "Everything will be clear soon enough."
Charles blinks, looking around. "There are only three of us," he ventures, and Apocalypse gestures.
"Not quite."
The pieces of Mystique's statue appear suddenly, retrieved from where, Charles can only guess, the young woman's head and torso separated from one another, each missing large stone chunks. With but a gesture from Apocalypse, the pieces float and seal themselves together, and then appear to be transmutating into another material entirely. "She's alive ..." Charles hears Storm murmur. Sure enough, Mystique's blue form soon appears. She cries out, and then it peters off abruptly, and she looks around, yellow eyes wild.
"Welcome, Mystique," Apocalypse greets her. Mystique, to her benefit, appears unimpressed by her surroundings, and says as much.
"Xavier. Magneto. The pleasure is all yours, I'm sure." Next, she glowers at Apocalypse. "Mesmero lied to me. I have been trapped in that stone enclave ever since. I have no interest in cooperating with someone who does not tell me what is at stake from the beginning. Release me," she demands, but Apocalypse just smirks.
"I'm afraid I cannot do that, Ms. Darkholme. In fact," the giant mutant says, and suddenly, a large, electric-looking band that seems to be some sort of collar or necklace spins into existence a few inches above his fingers, "you will be the first to go through the transformation."
Mystique tries to struggle, but to little avail; similarly powerless, now, as the rest, Apocalypse simply gestures and she remains immobilized. Horrified, Charles watches the collar fasten around Mystique's neck. The young woman begins to buck and cry out. Her clothing tears as strange energy designs slide up her skin. Her eyes glow unnaturally bright. She hisses, and then, suddenly, the screaming peters off.
Pleased, Apocalypse reaches out a hand and pulls her into a standing position from where Mystique is crouched on the ground. "Behold," he tells them all, "my first Horseman." Involuntarily, Charles shudders, but Mystique does not seem bothered by what has transpired; in fact, he thinks, she appears almost peaceful.
Apocalypse's gaze roams over them. At last, his eyes come to rest on Storm. "The weather witch will be next," he says, and Charles feels Magneto tense beside him. Briefly, his hand pats the other man's arm; and then they watch as Storm, too, succumbs to Apocalypse's whims.
The transformation is strange; more painful than his initial capture at the start, but like Mystique and then Storm and eventually Magneto - Apocalypse had smiled when he informed Charles he would have "the pleasure" of watching the others go through the change first - he eventually stands before the larger mutant (his master now, he thinks), ready and able to do his bidding.
"I sense the tides of war approaching," Apocalypse tells them. In his head, Charles can hear the thoughts and emotions of all of his fellow Horsemen: Mystique's muted anger; Storm's worry about how the X-Men will fare against this threat; Magneto, whose mind flits from glimpses of his own previous battle with Apocalypse, to Charles, to images of his children, Wanda and Pietro. For his part, Charles is curious about the larger mutant's master plan, and what it means for all of humanity, including homo superior. He ruminates briefly on the future, and then, it is time to separate, to travel to the four corners of the earth and defend Apocalypse's territory.
"Go, my Horsemen," their master bids them, and Charles is first, hitching up the beast that will take him where he must go, delighting in the feel of stretching leg muscles that have been unused and numb for years. Briefly, he feels ridiculous as he takes in the rest of his body, post-transformation: His jacket has been lost at some point, his shirt ripped, the energy tattoos pulsing on his skin underneath. He feels powerful, however, measured, and he rides off into the night, impervious to the human forces that will undoubtedly pose a threat to him, and reveling in his newfound immortality.
In his head, Magneto and the others keep up a running commentary, a comforting hum that he contributes to when the mood takes him. "We are strong, Charles," Magneto tells him appreciatively, and Charles agrees. "Together, in Apocalypse's stead, we can do anything."
"Yes," Charles asserts, and that's when he spots Jean, floating in the distance, her hair a fiery red, her mouth set in a grim line of determination. "She must not be allowed to stop Apocalypse from bringing about the future of humanity," Magneto murmurs to him, and Charles agrees.
"You're right," he thinks, and watches Jean approach, her eyes blazing with hurt and barely bridled power. "She will not get in our way," Charles promises to himself, to them all, and then levitates yet closer to his prized student to meet his fate.