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Author's note: Magneto's PoV (again, he's just so much fun to write!) on when he was in prison (during X2)
No one knows this, but when the police came to investigate the activity taking place on the Statue of Liberty, I gave up. I was still conscious even after Cyclops blasted me in the shoulder while I was already weakened from Rogue absorbing my power.
I watched as Storm, Jean and Scott helped Rouge and Wolverine get down from the torch, and then into their jet. I watched them fly off into the night, and I gave up. Mystique was dead; otherwise, they would never have made it to the statue's head. They never would have made it past her, I'm sure of that. But the X-men making it as far as they did was proof that she had fallen in battle.
So, I gave up. I lay there on the torch's railing, staring after the X-jet long after it had faded against the horizon. Without Mystique, there was really nothing left for me. So, I did nothing. I heard some policemen calling to each other, giving out orders and such, but it didn't matter to me. Someone had kneeled down beside me, and injected my something into my forearm. Even as my vision blurred and everything faded away, I didn't bother to fight back.
A world without Mystique is hardly a world worth fighting for.
*****
When I finally came to, I was quite surprised-and angered- to find myself in what could only be described as a large plastic box. Everything inside of it was completely transparent; save for my own prisoner's uniform, the blankets on the bed, and the few books they allowed me. From the first guard assigned to me- a nice fellow- I learned that there was not a scrap of metal within a half mile in any direction of my cell. He had not meant to tell me mockingly (that came later, from a different guard), he had simply answered my question.
I do not have energy blasts that come from my eyes; I do not have sharp claws, a shape-shifting body, or the ability to control people with my mind. Without my powers, I am what I appear to be: an old man. My next guard took advantage of that simple truth every chance he had.
Mr. Mitchell Laurio appeared in place of the regular guard one day, and he greeted me with a snap of his nightstick to the back of my head. There was nothing I could do; I'm still stronger than I look, but he was more than twice my strength and half my age. He was strong, fast and vicious. He was very similar to some people who took that much pleasure in my pain, over 50 years ago.
Nearly everyday he would give me a new bruise to hide from Charles. At first I tried to fight back, give whatever resistance I could, but then I realized that without her, I really had nothing to fight for...so I gave up.
Charles would visit every once in a great while, and despite being the 'most powerful psychic on the planet', he was still oblivious to the fact that it was a struggle for me to breath, much less talk, for all the bruises to my stomach and chest. He did notice a change in my attitude, though.
"Eric, you are slightly downhearted today." He had once remarked.
"Charles, given my surroundings, can you blame me? But it's nothing for you to worry about, I'm sure you wouldn't understand." He seemed a little hurt by my dismissal of his concern, but I didn't care. It was partly his fault that I was locked in here, tortured by both the guard and my memories of freedom. He wouldn't understand anyway, he couldn't.
He's never loved and lost before, and if he has, I'm sure his circumstances were much different.
Mystique, did I ever even tell you how much you meant to me? Even though I never said it, did you have the slightest idea how much I cared? With all I have, I hoped you did. It was I who sent you to your death; I told you not to let the X-men stop me, no matter what the cost. Surely you knew that I was willing to let Sabretooth die for my cause; I was even willing to sacrifice Toad if need be. But not you, never you, Mystique! I would never have asked you to die for me, so why did you do it? Was it because it "felt right"?
*****
I would daydream about her often when I was awake, and dream of her when I was asleep, remembering when we first met. She was so troubled, hating herself. Bundled up in so many layers of clothing that it didn't even look comfortable, but why? Why would she have wanted to hide that remarkable body? Her family probably turned their backs on her, the poor girl. She grew to trust me, and I grew fond of having someone I could relate to.
She was beautiful and never realized it until I told her, on our first night together.
It was strange really, everyone has heard about "office romances", but I never would have dreamed that I would fall into one! It just seemed to fall into place. An accidental brush of our hands, or prolonged eye contact had created this sort of tension. Then, she broke it when she kissed me. I was surprised that she would make such an advance, but decided for once to just dive in head- or lips- first and kiss her back, hungrily. Things just progressed from there.
I had never had any idea what time it was, or for how long a time I was incarcerated, but after a while, I began to grow restless. I missed her, terribly. Sometimes I would reach out in my sleep, expecting to feel her beside me. Then I would wake up, alone and trapped. It was all I could do not to scream in frustration. I have lived alone for most of my life, but I had grown used to having her with me.
This behavior may have seemed familiar to the very astute Mr. Laurio, and I suppose that one day- or night- his curiosity got the better of him.
"You got a Missus Magnetism out there somewhere?" he asked, feigning indifference as he delivered a novel to me.
'The Once and Future King'
There was no point in lying, and I was exhausted from playing the part of cold, bitter "Magneto the Master of Magnetism". I had had so little contact with another person that I was desperate for a real conversation...even if it had to be with this moron.
"In a manner of speaking, yes; although, it wasn't a legal union." It was an odd answer, but the best way that I could sum up Mystique and my relationship.
"Hmm. What did you just fall in love at first sight or something?"
"No, no, we became more than platonic companions years after we met."
"So, where is she now? How come she hasn't tried to break you out of here yet?"
That question got to me. I knew she was gone, but I had yet to voice it. "She's dead now, at the Statue of Liberty."
The answer seemed to satisfy him somewhat, his curiosity fed. I had given him a piece of my past, a rather meaningful one. However, his attitude towards me never softened...neither did the blows of his nightstick.
*****
Somewhere, near the end of my novel, Mr. Laurio had a rendezvous with a trollop. At least, I'm sure that was what the rest of the guards assumed. Locker room talk and all that. I felt him approach my cell before I heard or saw him. I was napping, and then, I felt the presence of metal. I woke up, and focused on where it was, it could be my only chance for escape.
There was something different about him...I just couldn't put it into words. He was irritated at my interest, and as fools often do, he immediately became aggressive. He tried to threaten me with his oh-so-handy nightstick, but he never got the chance to use it.
I'm sure he was very disappointed.
I held him up, wondering how he had gotten metal past the security guards. Surely, he was not trying to help me escape, so why was he doing this? Then, I looked closer, at the evidence. On his neck, was a small purple bruise. A love bite. So, my dear Mystique had lived to help me escape. She was probably close, all the more reason to do away with Laurio as quickly as possible.
"A word of advice, Mr. Laurio. Never trust a beautiful woman...especially one who is interested in you." The words were cruel, and heartless. I was completely indifferent about killing him. He was standing right in my way, he was an obstacle that needed removing. Yes, I would find Mystique and we would be reunited...right after I effectively destroyed this horrible place.
Once I fully escaped the compound at which I was being held- all that damage done with just three iron marbles, thank you very much!- I saw her.
Standing outside the gates, in her true blue form, waiting for me.
Bottom of Form
Author's note: Magneto's PoV (again, he's just so much fun to write!) on when he was in prison (during X2)
No one knows this, but when the police came to investigate the activity taking place on the Statue of Liberty, I gave up. I was still conscious even after Cyclops blasted me in the shoulder while I was already weakened from Rogue absorbing my power.
I watched as Storm, Jean and Scott helped Rouge and Wolverine get down from the torch, and then into their jet. I watched them fly off into the night, and I gave up. Mystique was dead; otherwise, they would never have made it to the statue's head. They never would have made it past her, I'm sure of that. But the X-men making it as far as they did was proof that she had fallen in battle.
So, I gave up. I lay there on the torch's railing, staring after the X-jet long after it had faded against the horizon. Without Mystique, there was really nothing left for me. So, I did nothing. I heard some policemen calling to each other, giving out orders and such, but it didn't matter to me. Someone had kneeled down beside me, and injected my something into my forearm. Even as my vision blurred and everything faded away, I didn't bother to fight back.
A world without Mystique is hardly a world worth fighting for.
*****
When I finally came to, I was quite surprised-and angered- to find myself in what could only be described as a large plastic box. Everything inside of it was completely transparent; save for my own prisoner's uniform, the blankets on the bed, and the few books they allowed me. From the first guard assigned to me- a nice fellow- I learned that there was not a scrap of metal within a half mile in any direction of my cell. He had not meant to tell me mockingly (that came later, from a different guard), he had simply answered my question.
I do not have energy blasts that come from my eyes; I do not have sharp claws, a shape-shifting body, or the ability to control people with my mind. Without my powers, I am what I appear to be: an old man. My next guard took advantage of that simple truth every chance he had.
Mr. Mitchell Laurio appeared in place of the regular guard one day, and he greeted me with a snap of his nightstick to the back of my head. There was nothing I could do; I'm still stronger than I look, but he was more than twice my strength and half my age. He was strong, fast and vicious. He was very similar to some people who took that much pleasure in my pain, over 50 years ago.
Nearly everyday he would give me a new bruise to hide from Charles. At first I tried to fight back, give whatever resistance I could, but then I realized that without her, I really had nothing to fight for...so I gave up.
Charles would visit every once in a great while, and despite being the 'most powerful psychic on the planet', he was still oblivious to the fact that it was a struggle for me to breath, much less talk, for all the bruises to my stomach and chest. He did notice a change in my attitude, though.
"Eric, you are slightly downhearted today." He had once remarked.
"Charles, given my surroundings, can you blame me? But it's nothing for you to worry about, I'm sure you wouldn't understand." He seemed a little hurt by my dismissal of his concern, but I didn't care. It was partly his fault that I was locked in here, tortured by both the guard and my memories of freedom. He wouldn't understand anyway, he couldn't.
He's never loved and lost before, and if he has, I'm sure his circumstances were much different.
Mystique, did I ever even tell you how much you meant to me? Even though I never said it, did you have the slightest idea how much I cared? With all I have, I hoped you did. It was I who sent you to your death; I told you not to let the X-men stop me, no matter what the cost. Surely you knew that I was willing to let Sabretooth die for my cause; I was even willing to sacrifice Toad if need be. But not you, never you, Mystique! I would never have asked you to die for me, so why did you do it? Was it because it "felt right"?
*****
I would daydream about her often when I was awake, and dream of her when I was asleep, remembering when we first met. She was so troubled, hating herself. Bundled up in so many layers of clothing that it didn't even look comfortable, but why? Why would she have wanted to hide that remarkable body? Her family probably turned their backs on her, the poor girl. She grew to trust me, and I grew fond of having someone I could relate to.
She was beautiful and never realized it until I told her, on our first night together.
It was strange really, everyone has heard about "office romances", but I never would have dreamed that I would fall into one! It just seemed to fall into place. An accidental brush of our hands, or prolonged eye contact had created this sort of tension. Then, she broke it when she kissed me. I was surprised that she would make such an advance, but decided for once to just dive in head- or lips- first and kiss her back, hungrily. Things just progressed from there.
I had never had any idea what time it was, or for how long a time I was incarcerated, but after a while, I began to grow restless. I missed her, terribly. Sometimes I would reach out in my sleep, expecting to feel her beside me. Then I would wake up, alone and trapped. It was all I could do not to scream in frustration. I have lived alone for most of my life, but I had grown used to having her with me.
This behavior may have seemed familiar to the very astute Mr. Laurio, and I suppose that one day- or night- his curiosity got the better of him.
"You got a Missus Magnetism out there somewhere?" he asked, feigning indifference as he delivered a novel to me.
'The Once and Future King'
There was no point in lying, and I was exhausted from playing the part of cold, bitter "Magneto the Master of Magnetism". I had had so little contact with another person that I was desperate for a real conversation...even if it had to be with this moron.
"In a manner of speaking, yes; although, it wasn't a legal union." It was an odd answer, but the best way that I could sum up Mystique and my relationship.
"Hmm. What did you just fall in love at first sight or something?"
"No, no, we became more than platonic companions years after we met."
"So, where is she now? How come she hasn't tried to break you out of here yet?"
That question got to me. I knew she was gone, but I had yet to voice it. "She's dead now, at the Statue of Liberty."
The answer seemed to satisfy him somewhat, his curiosity fed. I had given him a piece of my past, a rather meaningful one. However, his attitude towards me never softened...neither did the blows of his nightstick.
*****
Somewhere, near the end of my novel, Mr. Laurio had a rendezvous with a trollop. At least, I'm sure that was what the rest of the guards assumed. Locker room talk and all that. I felt him approach my cell before I heard or saw him. I was napping, and then, I felt the presence of metal. I woke up, and focused on where it was, it could be my only chance for escape.
There was something different about him...I just couldn't put it into words. He was irritated at my interest, and as fools often do, he immediately became aggressive. He tried to threaten me with his oh-so-handy nightstick, but he never got the chance to use it.
I'm sure he was very disappointed.
I held him up, wondering how he had gotten metal past the security guards. Surely, he was not trying to help me escape, so why was he doing this? Then, I looked closer, at the evidence. On his neck, was a small purple bruise. A love bite. So, my dear Mystique had lived to help me escape. She was probably close, all the more reason to do away with Laurio as quickly as possible.
"A word of advice, Mr. Laurio. Never trust a beautiful woman...especially one who is interested in you." The words were cruel, and heartless. I was completely indifferent about killing him. He was standing right in my way, he was an obstacle that needed removing. Yes, I would find Mystique and we would be reunited...right after I effectively destroyed this horrible place.
Once I fully escaped the compound at which I was being held- all that damage done with just three iron marbles, thank you very much!- I saw her.
Standing outside the gates, in her true blue form, waiting for me.