Author's Note: I'm a Legion fan. I liked him in he comics, and actually grew very attached to the Evo version, as well (despite the lack of Cyndi, who was hillarious). I thought it was a great reboot, and when writing a villain he's kind of the gift that keeps on giving for the author: Get bored with one personality, replace it with the next one, and then continue the fight with whole new powers, and a whole new game plan. Anyway, this is a quickie that should have been a full fledged chapter fic, but just, meh, my brain juices said "no" to writing this.
If Pietro had been born Pietro Haller, he never would have known his father. He would have been king of his group, worshiped like Hermes, with no darkness to stain his arrogant heart. Eventually, when his mother moved to Scotland, he would come to the attention of the Braddock siblings, and there would have been marvelous adventures. There might even have been a date with the incredible, self-possesed, and equally self-centered Betsy Braddock.
But if Pietro had been born Pietro Haller, the balance would have shifted, so David would have been born David Lensherr. While Pietro became the center of what was to be known as Excalibur, David would have joined the Brotherhood of Mutants, manipulated there by the father who's last name he never wanted to share. His powers would not appear until late into his teen-aged years, and not even Magneto could have realized that he shut away the wrong twin until too late.
Wanda's fingers knew the bloodshed of Lucas when he confronted Cyclops over his feelings for Jean. They felt the strings of reality burn with Ian's flames as the little boy killed their own father. They recognized David's helplessness as his mind fractured, each new personality carving its wave of bitterness at being a pawn. Because David was Legion. Not even Wanda could match his demonic, pointless fury at the universe that had created him.
She would only help, seeing an ally in her determination to stop Magneto. She kept the other Acolytes at bay as Ian destroyed Erik Lensherr. Lucas then turned; older, confident Lucas, and gave the Acolytes an ultimatum. Those who did not accept his crusade against everything could die.
He kept Piotr's skull like a trophy in his room.
Pyro was absorbed into the souls time sharing David's body for attempting to stop Ian from destroying a group of Senator Kelly's supporters.
Gambit was smart enough to serve, and make himself scarce when he needed to, but that did not stop Cyndi from reading his mind, and seeing the double cross. Lucas snapped every bone in his body when Gambit led them to an X-Man team.
Only Avalanche switching sides at last minute saved the tattered remains of the X-Men, who never became the team of heroes because Legion had deprived them of Spyke, who was now in jail. Nightcrawler had been stuck in a strange dimension that would never be reopened, once David smashed the device that transported matter into it. Rogue never dared join the few, beaten X-Men, choosing to enhance her powers on Asteroid M, working as Magneto's loyal Acolyte, until she betrayed him to his son. Legion focused on manipulating Xavier into giving away the location of his twin. Using Wanda, he was able to take down all of his enemies, and rule as he should have. A multi-faceted god among lesser beings.
Wanda's fingers knew everything, including the moments when Lance's pleas reached her, and she finally turned her hexes on the twin who cared about nothing but himselves. So they never changed reality to rid her of her real, traitorous Pietro. Because twisted was not the same thing as mind frothingly insane. They were older, she knew everything that had happened, and she had nearly killed Pietro for breaking her trust on every level. But she never would actually kill him. He was her brother, after all. The one thing she would never be forced to do was kill him. He was not perfect, but there were worse siblings.
Any comments/suggestions would be appreciated. I'm not certain if it makes sense.
~ MF