Now Erik had experienced a little happiness, he hungered for more. How much
better his life could have been if he hadn't wasted years in a Pietroesque
sulk! He could have happily kissed Xavier at that moment for the new lease
of life he had been given but he suspected doing such a thing might send
dear Charles into cardiac arrest.
After he had made his peace with Pietro, Erik made up his mind to apologise to Colossus. Apologise… When was the last time he had done that?
As he waited for Gambit (now complete with red spotted bandana to hide his scorched hair) he tried rolling the word 'sorry' off his tongue.
"Thorry," he said on his first attempt, spraying a large amount of saliva into the air. Not one to give up easily, to tried again.
"Th… th… ths… s…. ssss… ssssoo.."
Had it really been so long since he said those words that he had quite forgotten how to say them?
"Sssooo.. ss, ss… ssssoooorrr.. eeee… sorry," his eyes lit up and he tried it again.
"Sorry!" he cried, punching the air with a triumphant fist. "Sorry, sorry, sorry!"
"So'm'I," drawled the Cajun at the door, who now resembled a pirate. "Gambit leave you alone for a little while, he come back and find you gone insane."
Erik grinned, in the eyes of Gambit confirming that he was indeed a lunatic.
"Did you get it?" he asked and the Cajun handed him an envelope in reply.
"Oh, marvellous!" Erik said as he put the envelope carefully into his pocket and headed for the metallic one's sleeping quarters.
"You startin' to scare me, boss," muttered Gambit as he opened the latest issue of 'Tits 'n' Claws' to the centrefold.
Erik knocked carefully on Colossus' door.
"Colossus," he called. "It's Magneto."
"Boss!" the Russian replied, scrambling to the door and falling instantly to his knees.
"How may I serve you, boss? Are you vanting to control me again? Am I getting the punishment?" Erik's insides squirmed as he saw that Colossus lit up at the thought of a punishment.
"No, Colossus, on the contrary." Erik smiled at the grovelling mutant and motioned for him to take a seat.
"Something in me has changed, Piotr. I have seen the error of my ways. Where I once wanted to destroy this world we live in, I now only want to make it a better place. That is why, Piotr, I have come to this decision."
"Vat decision?" asked the worried looking Russian. "Vat can I do forr you you, Magneto? There is not a thing in this world I would not do forr you!"
"Then you will take this," Erik said and handed him the envelope. Colossus clutched it, afraid to know what was inside.
"Open it."
Piotr's thick fingers slowly tore open the envelope and he tentatively took out the rectangular piece of paper inside. Slowly, his eyes skimmed over it and then widened in disbelief.
"You are sending me back to Russia? Have I failed you, Magneto?"
"No, no," Erik waved the ludicrous suggestion away. As he remembered, Colossus had never done anything but obey. That was part of the problem and the one of the reasons that it was time for the metallic Acolyte to fly the nest.
"I have been your most loyal servant!" cried the Russian, his voice rising in volume. Erik watched him carefully, hoping he wasn't going to start hyperventilating.
"I am nothing vithout you!" wailed Colossus and started speaking in Russian at a very high speed. Erik saw with some discomfort that the metal-man was crying, resembling an overgrown and hairy baby.
"Pull yourself together, Piotr," Erik said firmly. "Your life is not here. You are not happy here. As your master, I demand you to leave and be happy. If you disobey me, then indeed, you will not be my most loyal servant."
Piotr mulled this over and made a small, squeaking noise in response,
"You have family in Russia, yes?" Erik asked, watching Piotr's face soften at the word 'family'.
"Yes," nodded Colossus and pulled a photograph out from under his pillow, handing it to Erik.
"You must want to see them again," said Erik, feeling rather saintly again. "I have only just realised the importance of family, Piotr. Do not neglect them like I did- there is no pain greater than regret."
He smiled smugly at his words of wisdom, thinking he could give old Baldylocks Xavier a run for his money.
"But," Colossus appeared to be having as huge eternal struggle. "Vat vill happen to you?"
"I'll get by, my friend. Now I demand you take that ticket and get on that plane. It is your last order."
Piotr nodded. If it was an order, then he had to follow it. And it would be so nice to see Dmitri and Vasily and his little Varia again..
"Yes, sir!" he cried, bringing a sturdy hand to his forehead in salute. To his surprise, Erik bowed back to him majestically and swept out of the room.
Erik sank into his chair contentedly. Doing good deeds was about a thousand times as rewarding as causing evil everywhere in his wake. It felt good to let go of the sycophantic Colossus, but even better to know that his actions were making the former Acolyte happy.
Their happiness, he realised, was his happiness as he watched his three other Acolytes with a fond smile.
Gambit was staring at pictures of female mutants on Magneto's files. The costumes always seemed to cling in just the right places on their perfect bodies. Some wore little more than a leotard- he had a particular favourite that chose to wear only a few strips of PVC, a mask and those spiked, thigh- high boots he always dreamt about..
Pietro was boredly stirring something that the Cajun had set up a while ago on the hob. He was accompanied by Pyro, who had misplaced his lighter and seemed to content to switch the gas on and off as he watched the blue flames flicker.
"I vill be leaving now," said Colossus who had entered the room a while ago and been instantly shocked by the lightness of the atmosphere. So shocked that he had stood there for at least a minute with his mouth open before being told by an amused Erik that he might catch flies like that.
"You've packed already?" Erik asked, shocked.
"Vell I vas being helped by Master Pietro," admitted Piotr shyly, fiddling with the label on his suitcase.
Pietro? Helping? Erik got the feeling that he wasn't the only one who had changed.
"Wait," Gambit looked up from a picture of Lady Deathstrike, one of his personal favourites. "Where Colossus goin', boss?"
Pyro merely continued to croon something that sounded suspiciously like Waltzing Matilda into the flames.
"I have dismissed Colossus from the Acolytes and he is returning home. The rest of you are welcome to leave too, if you'd like."
At this news, Pyro stirred from his trance. Both he and Gambit were completely taken aback. Colossus had been the perfect Acolyte and Magneto was getting rid of him! What exactly were the intentions of their Master?
Pietro thought carefully about leaving for a few seconds. That was all he needed, given his unhuman speed. What might take an ordinary human being days to decide took him only minutes.
A part of him wanted to leave so that he could go back to the Brotherhood who were his best and only friends, except they hadn't really parted on friendly terms and were probably burning effigies of him at that moment. He had a change of heart about his father since Magneto's Big Transformation. For once, Erik was acting like a proper father and for once, he felt tired of playing the angst-ridden, world-weary son.
The three of them shook their heads and said that they were happy to stay. Pietro wanted to spend more time with his father before the effect of his whatever Magneto was taking wore off. Gambit and Pyro simply wanted to see what their boss would do for them if Colossus' gift had been so great.
"Then we will all go to the airport to see off our friend," Erik decided and led the group into one of his travelling spheres.
It was not a far distance to the airport, but with Gambit's continous complaints that the sphere made him feel sick it seemed much longer. By the time their Cajun friend had tired of moaning feverishly and wiping his hand across his moist brow they were just inches off the ground and came to a jarring halt. Colossus hung on to his suitcase to prevent the embarrassment of it bursting open when dropped, revealing what he thought of as very personal items.
Whilst Colossus went through the monotonous business of checking in, the three Acolytes discussed their boss who was engaged in avid discussion with a young boy carrying an action figure.
"Look like your old man's losing his mind," drawled Gambit who was circling for prey of the female kind.
Pietro was inclined to agree, but not without a fight.
"People change, you know," he tried valiantly as his fellow mutants fell into a fit of rowdy laughter.
"What, you think he's up to something?" the speed demon asked nervously, watching his father examining the action figure as if it were an antique out of the corner of his eye.
"No, mate," Pyro quipped as he set a piece of plastic on fire, inhaling the toxic fumes lovingly. "He's just gone mental! Mental! Barmy, nuts, crazy, loony, mental!"
Both Gambit and Pietro were about to comment on the fact that the pyromaniax had just given a perfectly apt description of himself when Colossus returned, looking considerably happier. He had even traded his normal shirt with a garish Hawaiian one which they could only presume he saved for special occasions.
"I vill be getting on my plane now and I must be saying my goodbyes."
He leant down to shake Pyro's hand only to inhale a large amount of noxious fumes from the burning plastic. He coughed wildly and decided to just settle on a smile and a curt "farewell" for the headcase of the group.
Both Gambit and Pietro were civilised in their goodbyes. Unknown to him until he got on the plane, Gambit had stuffed a racy magazine in his back pocket across which he had scrawled 'For light reading. Subscription form at the back!'
And then, finally he approached Erik who took him completely aback by giving him one of those manly hugs that would usually be seen between a sports coach and their star player. He also received a firm pat on the shoulder and a wink.
In a way, he was glad to be leaving Magneto behind. This transition from Evil Overlord to Serial Do-Gooder, the kind who gave bear-hugs at that was just too hard to take in for him.
With a final goodbye to his mutant brothers and his beloved boss, he went to board the aeroplane that would take him back home.
"One down," whispered Gambit to his fellow team-mates.
Erik was completely unaware of this remark. He was feeling a great sense of pride of what he had done, a swelling in his chest. He knew that Piotr would have a wonderful life now and how the dear Russian deserved it! As they watched the plane break into the clouds and disappear, he felt his paternal side shining through. He wished Piotr all the best, a safe and happy life completely devoid of the troubles he had encountered at all.
Erik led the three back to the sphere, still looking at the sky with the kind of smile that would leave his face aching afterwards.
Happiness really was better than any drug. And to see that you alone could make someone else feel like that was the most amazing tonic.
Erik blinked through a curtain of blurriness, unfamiliar with the feeling. Cataracts, perhaps? At his age it was more than likely.
Or was it..? It couldn't be.
Erik Lehnsherr suspected very strongly that he had just found a tear of pride in his eye.
After he had made his peace with Pietro, Erik made up his mind to apologise to Colossus. Apologise… When was the last time he had done that?
As he waited for Gambit (now complete with red spotted bandana to hide his scorched hair) he tried rolling the word 'sorry' off his tongue.
"Thorry," he said on his first attempt, spraying a large amount of saliva into the air. Not one to give up easily, to tried again.
"Th… th… ths… s…. ssss… ssssoo.."
Had it really been so long since he said those words that he had quite forgotten how to say them?
"Sssooo.. ss, ss… ssssoooorrr.. eeee… sorry," his eyes lit up and he tried it again.
"Sorry!" he cried, punching the air with a triumphant fist. "Sorry, sorry, sorry!"
"So'm'I," drawled the Cajun at the door, who now resembled a pirate. "Gambit leave you alone for a little while, he come back and find you gone insane."
Erik grinned, in the eyes of Gambit confirming that he was indeed a lunatic.
"Did you get it?" he asked and the Cajun handed him an envelope in reply.
"Oh, marvellous!" Erik said as he put the envelope carefully into his pocket and headed for the metallic one's sleeping quarters.
"You startin' to scare me, boss," muttered Gambit as he opened the latest issue of 'Tits 'n' Claws' to the centrefold.
Erik knocked carefully on Colossus' door.
"Colossus," he called. "It's Magneto."
"Boss!" the Russian replied, scrambling to the door and falling instantly to his knees.
"How may I serve you, boss? Are you vanting to control me again? Am I getting the punishment?" Erik's insides squirmed as he saw that Colossus lit up at the thought of a punishment.
"No, Colossus, on the contrary." Erik smiled at the grovelling mutant and motioned for him to take a seat.
"Something in me has changed, Piotr. I have seen the error of my ways. Where I once wanted to destroy this world we live in, I now only want to make it a better place. That is why, Piotr, I have come to this decision."
"Vat decision?" asked the worried looking Russian. "Vat can I do forr you you, Magneto? There is not a thing in this world I would not do forr you!"
"Then you will take this," Erik said and handed him the envelope. Colossus clutched it, afraid to know what was inside.
"Open it."
Piotr's thick fingers slowly tore open the envelope and he tentatively took out the rectangular piece of paper inside. Slowly, his eyes skimmed over it and then widened in disbelief.
"You are sending me back to Russia? Have I failed you, Magneto?"
"No, no," Erik waved the ludicrous suggestion away. As he remembered, Colossus had never done anything but obey. That was part of the problem and the one of the reasons that it was time for the metallic Acolyte to fly the nest.
"I have been your most loyal servant!" cried the Russian, his voice rising in volume. Erik watched him carefully, hoping he wasn't going to start hyperventilating.
"I am nothing vithout you!" wailed Colossus and started speaking in Russian at a very high speed. Erik saw with some discomfort that the metal-man was crying, resembling an overgrown and hairy baby.
"Pull yourself together, Piotr," Erik said firmly. "Your life is not here. You are not happy here. As your master, I demand you to leave and be happy. If you disobey me, then indeed, you will not be my most loyal servant."
Piotr mulled this over and made a small, squeaking noise in response,
"You have family in Russia, yes?" Erik asked, watching Piotr's face soften at the word 'family'.
"Yes," nodded Colossus and pulled a photograph out from under his pillow, handing it to Erik.
"You must want to see them again," said Erik, feeling rather saintly again. "I have only just realised the importance of family, Piotr. Do not neglect them like I did- there is no pain greater than regret."
He smiled smugly at his words of wisdom, thinking he could give old Baldylocks Xavier a run for his money.
"But," Colossus appeared to be having as huge eternal struggle. "Vat vill happen to you?"
"I'll get by, my friend. Now I demand you take that ticket and get on that plane. It is your last order."
Piotr nodded. If it was an order, then he had to follow it. And it would be so nice to see Dmitri and Vasily and his little Varia again..
"Yes, sir!" he cried, bringing a sturdy hand to his forehead in salute. To his surprise, Erik bowed back to him majestically and swept out of the room.
Erik sank into his chair contentedly. Doing good deeds was about a thousand times as rewarding as causing evil everywhere in his wake. It felt good to let go of the sycophantic Colossus, but even better to know that his actions were making the former Acolyte happy.
Their happiness, he realised, was his happiness as he watched his three other Acolytes with a fond smile.
Gambit was staring at pictures of female mutants on Magneto's files. The costumes always seemed to cling in just the right places on their perfect bodies. Some wore little more than a leotard- he had a particular favourite that chose to wear only a few strips of PVC, a mask and those spiked, thigh- high boots he always dreamt about..
Pietro was boredly stirring something that the Cajun had set up a while ago on the hob. He was accompanied by Pyro, who had misplaced his lighter and seemed to content to switch the gas on and off as he watched the blue flames flicker.
"I vill be leaving now," said Colossus who had entered the room a while ago and been instantly shocked by the lightness of the atmosphere. So shocked that he had stood there for at least a minute with his mouth open before being told by an amused Erik that he might catch flies like that.
"You've packed already?" Erik asked, shocked.
"Vell I vas being helped by Master Pietro," admitted Piotr shyly, fiddling with the label on his suitcase.
Pietro? Helping? Erik got the feeling that he wasn't the only one who had changed.
"Wait," Gambit looked up from a picture of Lady Deathstrike, one of his personal favourites. "Where Colossus goin', boss?"
Pyro merely continued to croon something that sounded suspiciously like Waltzing Matilda into the flames.
"I have dismissed Colossus from the Acolytes and he is returning home. The rest of you are welcome to leave too, if you'd like."
At this news, Pyro stirred from his trance. Both he and Gambit were completely taken aback. Colossus had been the perfect Acolyte and Magneto was getting rid of him! What exactly were the intentions of their Master?
Pietro thought carefully about leaving for a few seconds. That was all he needed, given his unhuman speed. What might take an ordinary human being days to decide took him only minutes.
A part of him wanted to leave so that he could go back to the Brotherhood who were his best and only friends, except they hadn't really parted on friendly terms and were probably burning effigies of him at that moment. He had a change of heart about his father since Magneto's Big Transformation. For once, Erik was acting like a proper father and for once, he felt tired of playing the angst-ridden, world-weary son.
The three of them shook their heads and said that they were happy to stay. Pietro wanted to spend more time with his father before the effect of his whatever Magneto was taking wore off. Gambit and Pyro simply wanted to see what their boss would do for them if Colossus' gift had been so great.
"Then we will all go to the airport to see off our friend," Erik decided and led the group into one of his travelling spheres.
It was not a far distance to the airport, but with Gambit's continous complaints that the sphere made him feel sick it seemed much longer. By the time their Cajun friend had tired of moaning feverishly and wiping his hand across his moist brow they were just inches off the ground and came to a jarring halt. Colossus hung on to his suitcase to prevent the embarrassment of it bursting open when dropped, revealing what he thought of as very personal items.
Whilst Colossus went through the monotonous business of checking in, the three Acolytes discussed their boss who was engaged in avid discussion with a young boy carrying an action figure.
"Look like your old man's losing his mind," drawled Gambit who was circling for prey of the female kind.
Pietro was inclined to agree, but not without a fight.
"People change, you know," he tried valiantly as his fellow mutants fell into a fit of rowdy laughter.
"What, you think he's up to something?" the speed demon asked nervously, watching his father examining the action figure as if it were an antique out of the corner of his eye.
"No, mate," Pyro quipped as he set a piece of plastic on fire, inhaling the toxic fumes lovingly. "He's just gone mental! Mental! Barmy, nuts, crazy, loony, mental!"
Both Gambit and Pietro were about to comment on the fact that the pyromaniax had just given a perfectly apt description of himself when Colossus returned, looking considerably happier. He had even traded his normal shirt with a garish Hawaiian one which they could only presume he saved for special occasions.
"I vill be getting on my plane now and I must be saying my goodbyes."
He leant down to shake Pyro's hand only to inhale a large amount of noxious fumes from the burning plastic. He coughed wildly and decided to just settle on a smile and a curt "farewell" for the headcase of the group.
Both Gambit and Pietro were civilised in their goodbyes. Unknown to him until he got on the plane, Gambit had stuffed a racy magazine in his back pocket across which he had scrawled 'For light reading. Subscription form at the back!'
And then, finally he approached Erik who took him completely aback by giving him one of those manly hugs that would usually be seen between a sports coach and their star player. He also received a firm pat on the shoulder and a wink.
In a way, he was glad to be leaving Magneto behind. This transition from Evil Overlord to Serial Do-Gooder, the kind who gave bear-hugs at that was just too hard to take in for him.
With a final goodbye to his mutant brothers and his beloved boss, he went to board the aeroplane that would take him back home.
"One down," whispered Gambit to his fellow team-mates.
Erik was completely unaware of this remark. He was feeling a great sense of pride of what he had done, a swelling in his chest. He knew that Piotr would have a wonderful life now and how the dear Russian deserved it! As they watched the plane break into the clouds and disappear, he felt his paternal side shining through. He wished Piotr all the best, a safe and happy life completely devoid of the troubles he had encountered at all.
Erik led the three back to the sphere, still looking at the sky with the kind of smile that would leave his face aching afterwards.
Happiness really was better than any drug. And to see that you alone could make someone else feel like that was the most amazing tonic.
Erik blinked through a curtain of blurriness, unfamiliar with the feeling. Cataracts, perhaps? At his age it was more than likely.
Or was it..? It couldn't be.
Erik Lehnsherr suspected very strongly that he had just found a tear of pride in his eye.