Disclaimer: X-Men is the creation of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, not mine.
Summary: Charles called in a favour.
Author's notes: Written for Livejournal community Spring Kinkfest, prompt: October 9 - X-Men, Xavier/Magneto: Beloved enemies - "Some of my best work was you." Set sometime after the end of X-2. Title from a lecture on behavioural ecology; the alliteration was too cute to pass up :-)
Why Do Starlings Sing In Spring
by monitor screen
-o-
He moved through the hushed hallway. There were distant noises - the mansion was never really silent - but he knew it was deserted at least in this wing. Which was fortunate, because he did not think any of his charges would welcome this particular visitor he was letting in.
"Charles."
"Erik," he inclined his head briefly, "I take it you come alone?"
"Why, do you require the others' ability?"
He smiled wryly at that. Still the sharp old tongue. "No, no. It's quite fine."
They walked leisurely along, the gentle mechanical whirring and the measured steps of solid boots a subtle rhyme. Doors slid open and close. Soon they arrived at the hollow space, barren and derelict unlike the rest of the place which had mostly recovered from the trauma of intrusion.
"Did you even recover the plates?" A dismissing wave of hand. "No, no, forget it. I saw them drown as well as you did."
"I'm afraid you'll have to start anew, yes."
"Well, let's get a move on, then."
The materials he had asked unsuspecting students to pile aside rattled, until a single sheet of steel rose gracefully under a mere raise of hand. It froze in midair, shook a little, then bended itself into shape. Another swipe, and the newly formed plate sailed
smoothly to its assigned position. Another sheet followed suit. Then another , and another, and another. He could have watched all night and never got tired of it, this graceful manipulation of power.
It took longer than it did before, when everything had to be conformed from scratch; but it was still over too soon. He had never imagined that he would regret seeing the darling of his innovations whole and functional again.
"There you are. Good as new."
"It is new," he gave a wry smile. "Thank you, Erik."
"This is as much for me as it is for you. Useful, this Cerebro." A brass laugh at his bristling. "I should go."
He wanted to say something, to prolong the visit, but in the end abstained. It would have achieved nothing. He saw his guest to the door.
"And so it is, my friend. Still sure you're on the right side?"
Same old, same old. "Of course. Are you?"
"I'll see you again, Charles."
He watched the cloaked figure disappearing into the night, then went to join his charges in the TV Room. They were showing a documentary about birds.
"Ecologists believe that the behaviour of a species is the result of evolution..."
-o-