Title: Joining Hands
Author: Loki
Disclaimer: I do not own X-men or any related characters, this is a piece of amateur writing and I make no money from it.
Feedback: AU/Comic
Archiving: Nadja Lee's web pages, otherwise sure, just ask ;)
Summary: Xavier is forced to ask Magneto for help as he is set to start a battle on two fronts against the Sentinel menace
Author's notes: Stick with me while I'm prepping some tasty action and romance, okay? ;)
Great thank you goes to Lauryn for beta! Your resilience is remarkable /laughs/ I'm very grateful to you, lov!
Joining Hands
The hour was late and Scott couldn't sleep. The Professor's behavior that day concerned Scott. Since Professor X had gotten back from his mystery trip his expression had been dark and his words few and poor. Whatever had happened to him, it had to be something very important to disturb him in that manner.
Jean and Storm had both tried to speak to him, but the Professor just seemed out of reach. He had been in his study all afternoon, and he hadn't come out of there even for dinner. Seeing his mentor tormented also made Scott feel troubled and sleep seemed to avoid him.
Scot got out of bed very carefully so as not to wake Jean up. He put his slippers on and walked silently out the door. He was headed towards the bathroom when he saw light coming from the kitchen. Scott was curious of who could be up this late so he decided to see who it was. It was no surprise to him when found Xavier sitting at the table, with the same troubled look in his eyes as he had all day.
"Well, drowning your troubles in... milk, I see..." Scott said with a small smile, and picked a seat next to the Professor.
"I did miss dinner, you know?" Xavier smiled back, playing along. Then his smile disappeared and his figure got its troubled posture again.
"Tell me, Scott, how do you destroy something you are forced to protect?"
An old reflex born through training and sweat kicked in as Cyclops took over, analyzing the question and giving the answer he sought best almost instantaneously.
"You do not have to destroy it but simply take out whatever fact makes it dangerous to you. For example, if you tear the fangs off a snake, it is still a snake, but it is harmless."
Xavier smiled at the reverse in roles. Usually it was Scott who came to Xavier looking for answers.
"Tell me, Professor, who is the snake that poisoned your heart today?" Cyclops made way for Scott's warm voice.
Xavier eyed Cyclops and gave him a small smile. That was Scott: always trying to help in any way he could, always trying to take pain away from others, always putting others before himself. And that was one of the main reasons for which Scott could be the good leader that he was. Xavier knew the reason why Scott was still awake at this hour as well as the reason why Scott was asking him this: his forever-present will to help, and Scott's feeling of helplessness when another would not let him share his pain.
"Scott, I went out to meet with Magneto today."
Cyclops stood up from his chair, concern and confusion written clear over his face.
"What has that man done now?" Scott asked knowing what Magneto was capable of, while an abundance of worst-case scenarios flashed quickly in his mid.
"Scott, calm yourself." The Professor's reassuring voice had the gift to ease Scott's worry but the young mutant was still confused. "Magneto did not do anything but reveal a very painful truth to me," Xavier continued in the same voice, now only tainted by the slightest hint of sadness.
"Which is?" Scott asked still standing.
"Sit down Scott and let us talk things through," the Professor asked before resting his chin on his hands.
The composed and patient tone in the Professor's voice finally convinced Scott to sit down.
Xavier explained the difficult situation they were put in, explained how the one whose life they had saved had now betrayed them. Sleep was exiled from their minds as they considered how to approach the delicate position they were in, on the brink of diving into hell. They were flowing on betrayal and pain towards doom, like a small boat flowing on a river towards the waterfall's edge. Plans had to be made, and decisions taken to ensure that the Sentinels would never raise again from the iron grave the X-Men had put them in.
The dawn came, spreading silver light over the Xavier estate, and found the two men at the same table. In their minds a plan was formed and they hoped that all the pieces would come together, to ensure their survival, not as mutants but as human beings.
Jean had gotten up much earlier than usual, only to have found that Scott was already out of bed. She had decided to worry about it later as she had something more important in mind.
Right now she was in the bathroom, holding her breath.
/Okay, it said here that if it turns blue it's positive, and if it stays the same it's negative/ Jean thought as she read the instructions of the pregnancy test for the tenth time. /Wait ten to fifteen seconds/ she read on. She rubbed her hands together anxiously waiting for the time to pass.
Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen! she counted in her mind and then looked at the test. To her great disappointment the test hadn't changed colors. Tears slowly formed behind her eyes and she started weeping in sorrow. She looked through her tears at the test one more time and noticed it had turned to a very pale azure color. The test became more and more colored until it reached an intense, almost dark blue. Her tears turned to ones of joy for the small wonder she bore within her. She wiped her tears and looked at the test again as to make sure she had not imagined things. But the test remained the same strong blue it showed before, making tears of joy once again appear in Jean's eyes.
In his room, Kurt was as always up early and was saying his prayers. Although he could no longer go to church, in his heart he was still a catholic monk, and his love for God had never diminished. If anything it only got stronger.
In his youth, when people had called him a demon and threw stones after him and cursed his name he had no one else to turn to but God. And God had kept him safe. When he had grown up, he went to a somewhat isolated church 'over the hills and far away' -as he had said back then- and God's servants received him as their brother, despite his devilish looks. He became a monk and dedicated his life to God, and his days were happy there. God took good care of his faithful soul. Then the Professor had come and had taken him away from God's protective shelter to face a world that hated and feared him. At first Kurt had thought he would lose God's appreciation, but The Lord had taken care of him here too.
Kurt felt he owed everything to The Merciful Lord and thus he never forgot early morning prayers. They helped cleanse his sinful soul and strengthen him for the following day.
Kurt was about to head back to bed as he had just finished his prayers. He never wandered around the mansion this early in the morning out of fear he might disturb the other's sleep. Just as he was about to set himself down on his bed he was surprised to hear the Professor's warm voice ring in his head.
/X-Men! X-Men! Wake up. I apologize for having to wake you up so early, but there is an urgent matter that needs attending and it won't suffer any delay. Meet Scott and me in the Danger room in fifteen minutes. Do not be late/
Kurt slowly opened the door, still careful not to wake anybody up although the Professor's orders had clearly suggested everyone was up. He stepped out of the room and into the main hallway. To his surprise he saw Jean already heading downstairs. Was it his imagination or had he truly seen traces of tears on her cheeks?
Ororo was also up and was heading downstairs herself. She looked so beautiful and moved as graceful as a cat and as proud as a goddess. As she was approaching him, Kurt lowered his gaze.
"Good morning, Kurt," she greeted him warmly. She gently picked up his chin and turned his gaze towards her. "What is the matter, aren't you coming?"
"Good morning," the blue mutant said shyly in his thick German accent. "Yes... I am coming, please..." he said and indicated with a gesture that it would be fit if she walked first.
Ororo smiled and led the way.
"You are so sweet," she said and he blushed, although it didn't show through his fur. Then her tone got serious and her pace quickened. "Let's see what happened."
And they rushed to the danger room, she leading the way, and Kurt following.
Fifteen minutes later all the X-Men were gathered in the Danger Room waiting for Xavier to begin.
Scott's gaze jumped to all the X-Men gathered around the round table. In his head he made a comparison to Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table. The X-Men were also knights. Leather uniforms and superhuman powers might have replaced the shinning armors and swords, but on the inside they were all knights defending truth, peace, and honor.
"I think we're ready to begin, Professor," Scott said from his chair while sorting through some dossiers.
"Yes, Scott, thank you," Xavier started in a soft voice before he turned to the other mutants.
"Let me explain why I have called you here in such haste. Time is not a feat I have the luxury to spend now so I'll be as brief as possible. It seems that Senator Kelly, the vulnerable victim whose life we recently saved, has gone behind everyone's backs, most of all the government's, and has already started the heavy production of Sentinels. The manner in which he accomplished this is staggering and I have yet to discover what resources he could have used to trick the government of the most powerful state in the world! I have some pictures here that show one of the facilities producing these robots. Scott, if you please?" He asked Cyclops to distribute every X-Men a copy of the pictures.
"It is at best one or two weeks old. That is more than sufficient time to create a very threatening Sentinel fighting force."
"Impossible!" Colossus shook his head in disbelief. "We destroyed the sentinels. We hunted down every last one of them. How could he have rebuilt them?" The Russian's figure could have just as well been of steel as it betrayed the same coldness and tenacity.
"Yes! Furthermore, the mutant control law was not voted upon," Kitty joined the discussion. "I think the key to all this is finding who it was behind Kelly who had this sort of influence as to keep a network of factories hidden from sight right here on American soil." She bit her lower lip in frustration.
"Kelly's influences reach high, and it is not excluded that the government might have given him a hand, or they might have closed their eyes," Xavier replied. "Whichever the case, two things are certain. First: we must act immediately and destroy the Sentinel production center. And second: I'm afraid we cannot do this alone. As I have already said, the Sentinels must already be extremely numerous."
"And we have reason to believe there are more than just one of these production centers," Scott added. "Magneto's people took shots of Sentinels flying in and out of the facility, taking flight in specific patterns and directions." Scott took a moment to study his teammate's faces before he continued. "We have to assume the worst, of course, and think that they were patrolling between these facilities, or perhaps, facilitating communications, who knows… This would, however, mean that a small Sentinel army has already been created."
"X-Men, we must seek help," Xavier stated.
"But to who, Professor?" Rogue asked. "We have always been alone in this battle."
Regretfully, Rogue was right. Yes the occasional ally appeared but never something constant, never something reliable.
The Professor allowed himself a moment before speaking again.
"I know you might not like it, and I assure you I do not find it anymore pleasing than you, but the only solution is for us to ask Magneto and the Brotherhood for help," Xavier said in the same calm but firm tone.
"No way, Prof!" Wolverine spat. "Ain't no way I'm gonna gut Sentinels alongside those slackers! We went at each other's throats barely a few days ago and now you want us to team up with them! Not gonna happen!" Wolverine's words were accompanied by frantic gesticulations from his part, which further strengthened his stance.
The Professor had expected exactly this kind of situation, as he was perfectly aware of the alliance he wished to form and its consequences.
"Wolverine, please try to understand. We are left with no choice. Besides, I am certain that Magneto will respond with the same amount of anger towards this. It would be better to fight by his side than meet him there and fight each other as well as the Sentinels. We must be united in this dark hour or else all is lost."
An awkward silence claimed rights in the Danger Room for the next few moments.
The first to speak was surprisingly Gambit, well known for his mysterious and reserved nature.
"Gambit say if this be th'only way t'live through this then we take it. We can die fightin' les Sentinels and the Brotherhood, or we can die fightin' les Sentinels only. Seems like easy choice t'Gambit, " he spoke while his hands never stopped fondling a deck of cards.
"I have to admit the odds would be much higher with Magneto by our side," Ororo agreed after evaluating the situation.
Sensing the need of one last intervention to turn the situation in the needed direction Scott stood up and spoke.
"We are X-Men, and if going through hell and shaking hands with the devil is what has to be done, then we do it!" Scott tried to stand tall and look inspiring as a leader, but he realized he was still in his boxers and his cheeks caught just the palest shade of red.
"I do not trust Magneto, or any of his men, but I will fight alongside them if you ask it of me Professor," Colossus said while a reverberation of steel crossed his rugged figure hinting his determination.
Jean and Kurt were quiet. Kurt was a silent man but that was not usually Jean's case and the Professor noticed that.
"Then it is settled," Xavier said, satisfied with how smoothly things had went. "I will go arrange a meeting for myself with Magneto immediately. The odds are that we will be fighting tomorrow night X-Men. Be prepared." And with those words the Professor left the room, leaving the X-Men to their thoughts.
Scott was quick to follow Xavier to his office.
As he wheeled himself to the desk using the electronic commands on his chair's left arm Xavier addressed the X-Men's leader.
"Scott, I will need to meet Magneto myself. And we will most certainly have to go to the Brotherhood's hideout. The problem would be that I never know where I can find Magneto. But we can find out.
"Wolverine and Colossus said they are sure that the police have apprehended both the Blob and the Scarlet Witch. I will find out where they are being kept, and I shall have to pay them a visit." Xavier's hands were already moving rapidly along the keyboard of his personal computer.
"But how will you..." Scott started.
"Find out where they are?" Xavier finished his sentence for him and smiled. "Like our beloved senator, I also have great influences; greater than most would suspect. I will have to pull some strings, but I will find them. I want you to accompany me Scott," he said smiling at his student.
"Yes, Sir. I'm ready when you are," came Scott's reply.
Xavier smile widened.
"I know Scott, thank you. I will have to make some calls now. Please get the Blackbird ready until I'm finished." With that, Xavier's eyes began studying the computer screen lively.
Scott nodded and turned around to leave but was stopped in his tracks by Xavier's voice.
"Oh and Scott?" the Professor asked without lifting his gaze from the computer monitor.
"Yes Sir?" Scott awaited his further orders.
"Do put some pants on my dear boy." Xavier allowed himself the luxury of a chuckle before waving Scott away.
After Scott's nod and departure Xavier pulled out of a drawer a black agenda. It had beautiful golden writing on it and looked very old but surprisingly well looked after. The Professor put his glasses on and started looking for a name.
"Nick Fury..." he mumbled to himself.
Upon finding the name he started feeding the data into the computer, which then started displaying a whole record on the agent and his activity on the screen.
An hour later The Blackbird had landed in front of the well-hidden secret facility in which the Scarlet Witch and the Blob were held.
Fury had already announced the authorities in charge of the facility that Xavier was coming so he and Scott were allowed free passing everywhere while under the close attention of specially trained S.H.I.E.L.D guards, of course.
Upon the completion of all formalities, which confirmed Xavier's identity, the mutant asked one of the guards to take him to Blob's cell.
"I can find out what I want from Blob much easier. His only strength is a physical one. His mind is weak. Wanda's powers are very unpredictable and it is best to avoid her as much as possible," he explained his choice to Scott as the young man wheeled him down a long hallway.
With them were two doctors. Because there was no chain he couldn't break and no bars he couldn't bend, the Blob had to be constantly given sedatives in order to keep him at bay. The doctors carried a very large suitcase with them. They looked like they knew what they were doing.
When they reached his cell they found Blob tied to a wall with incredibly strong chains. Although he was conscious, his body was numb from the sedatives.
The doctors pulled out a syringe with a needle that looked big enough for an elephant shot. After they fed the serum into the oversized mutant they quickly vanished to let Xavier do his job as the security cameras on the ceiling were keeping a tight watch on the events happening in the room.
Xavier reached Blob's mind with an ease that surprised even him. Truly the Blob was an awesome force to tamper with physically, but Xavier found the challenge of extracting information out of his mind no more challenging than the proverbial candy being taken away from children.
As they rushed out Scott asked Xavier if he had been able to secure the desired information.
"Yes, as I expected Blob's mind was easy enough to read through," Xavier responded.
Scott had his own holdbacks about this.
"But Magneto is not naive, Professor," he spoke. "He'll surely have fled his former hideout by now knowing that Blob and Wanda are being held captive," Scott pointed out.
Having thought of this himself, Xavier was quick to answer.
"Magneto does not know they are being held by S.H.I.E.L.D. He thinks they are in a penitentiary. He knows they will not talk, and that there are no psychics working for the police. Besides, if I think about it, not even S.H.I.E.L.D. has any psychics. We must move quickly and reach Magneto, Scott, we cannot afford to waste anymore time," Xavier explained as they headed towards the exit.
As they completed the departure procedures of S.H.I.E.L.D. Xavier was quiet, his mind on the task of actually confronting the Brotherhood.
"Professor..." Scott hesitated after carefully placing his mentor on one of the leather seats of the jet.
Noticing Scott's difficulty in speaking his mind the Professor waited patiently.
"I know you have known Magneto for a long time, and you trust him, but I do not like the idea of you in there with the Brotherhood," Scott finally spoke as he locked gazes with the older mutant.
"As far back as you and Magneto may go, you must not forget that right now you two are enemies, and a lot has changed since you were friends. People change and Magneto clearly changed for the worse. You and he might have been friends, but at this moment Magneto is a terrorist, and you are his enemy," Scott said, waiting for the other man's reaction.
While flattered by his student's intention Xavier did not back away from his earlier decision.
"I understand Scott, but I must show Magneto that I trust him," Xavier explained.
"You can show you trust him just as he showed he trusts you by meeting him somewhere in private," Scott was quick to suggest.
Xavier rested his chin on his hand. "Exactly what are you saying?" he asked with a small, curious frown.
"Let me go and deliver them a message from you. There's no point in risking both our necks. If they are truly worth trusting, no harm will come to me." Scott said in a satisfied tone.
/Jean would kill me if she knew this/ Xavier thought but the boy's logic was unquestionable.
"All right Scott," he agreed. "But only if you promise me to be very careful!" Xavier asked of him.
Scott smiled in confidence. "Don't worry Professor, we've been dealing with Magneto for a very long time and we've become damn good at it; especially me," Scott added before climbing into the pilot's seat and firing up the jet's powerful engines.
In his chair Xavier wished he could have smiled with the confidence that Scott had.
As he landed the Blackbird on the small island in the middle of nowhere, Scott could already see the Brotherhood emerging from the shadows. Their scanners must have picked him up minutes ago he thought.
Cyclops stepped out of the blackbird holding his hands halfway raised, in a sign of peace but also his right hand was close to the button that opened his visor. Cyclops did not believe in chance. He liked to make his own chances and being ready for anything was always the first step in any situation.
"I am only here to deliver a message to Magneto," he shouted at the approaching mutants.
"So, the good Professor has finally found out my little playground. This means we must be expecting other company as well. The officials can't be far." Magneto smiled ironically.
"We're not with the officials," Cyclops said, not lowering his hands. "We only want to ask you if you would agree to meet the Professor."
Sabretooth growled and stalked towards Cyclops. The visor-clad man already had his targets set on the feral mutant but luckily Magneto avoided a showdown by stopping Sabretooth with a simple hand gesture.
"And why should I trust you?" asked Magneto in his booming voice.
Cyclops decided to play all his cards right then and there.
"The Professor gives you his word nothing will happen. He only asks for the same trust that he gave you a day ago."
Magneto did not like feeling like he owed anybody anything. And right now he felt he owed this proof of trust to his old friend. Not to mention that Xavier wouldn't have sent his best student alone to him unless it was something crucial.
"Don't tell me he wants to kiss and make up?" Magneto asked, a sarcastic smile playing on his lips.
Cyclops slowly let out a sigh as he lowered his hands.
"You'd be surprised," the X-Man mumbled.
Magneto stepped onto the playground and scouted the small area for Xavier. Children were playing all around him while the sunset enveloped everything in a golden-brownish light.
"Magnus," Xavier called out to Magneto.
Magneto turned to find Xavier in a far away corner of the playground. There were no children playing there, only Xavier.
"Good evening, Charles. It is my turn to ask why you have brought me here." Magneto greeted him as he made his way towards this strange foe of his who was also, deep inside, his friend.
"Magnus, I come to you in this dark hour seeking your aid," the professor said without making any effort to hide the sadness and worry from his voice.
"You need my aid with what? It would seem as though you only do things against me, Charles. Why should I give you my aid when all you offer me is hostility and strong opposition?" Magneto seemed unready to go past the grinding offences on the surface of their confrontation and sink into its more meaningful depths.
Xavier knew Magneto was a hard man to reach but he also knew that it was worth the effort of trying to reach that noble soul now trapped in the cocoon of suffering and hate which had turned Magnus into Magneto.
"Because you and I now have the same goal: to stop the Sentinels from being freed upon this world again." Xavier tried to instigate Magneto's sense of efficiency and interest.
Though Magneto knew the situation well, he would not miss the opportunity of once again stinging Xavier with the obvious truth. "I, old friend, have already tried to do that. And I have you to thank for my failure." Magneto's ice blue eyes never blinked as he spoke.
Instead of being taken aback by his foe's fierce gaze and edgy words Xavier retorted calmly, "And that is a thing for which I will never be sorry, Magnus." His smile further enforced his belief.
Disappointed at the obvious miss of his stinging words, Magneto let his frustration get the better of him.
"Then why are we even having this conversation, Charles?" he spat back. still trying to hold on to the advantage he had from the fact that Xavier was asking his help and not the other way around.
Knowing how to keep his own posture but also allow Magneto a taste of psychological victory was the thing that enabled Xavier to drive the conversation to the wanted destination. "Because you know my X-Men are not enough to stop the Sentinels, just as I know your Brotherhood are not enough to stop them either. But together..." he left the sentence unfinished for Magneto's mind to finish off scheme on its own.
No reply came from Magneto and Xavier continued trying to take advantage of that fruitful moment.
"Fight with us, Magneto. The only way to put a stop to this madness is by joining hands. All eyes are closed to this matter, except ours. If you do not help us now, the dark future you predicted will come, and the iron justice of the Sentinels will be cast upon us. And you know what their verdict is for those such as ourselves," he finished hoping that reason and interest in Magneto would prevail in the face of his pride and feuding desires.
Magneto gave him a sarcastic smile and an accusing gaze and asked him, "And are you sure you are not just going to let the Sentinels escape as well when we come close to our victory?"
Staying true to his code Magneto's words sank their hurtful intentions into Xavier like a lion's fangs into its prey. Even after indirectly agreeing to Xavier's plans Magneto still sought to be incisive in any way possible.
Again Xavier found himself in the situation of letting himself fall prey to Magneto's acid words, while still he did not wish to back off and shun his dream not even in word or thought. Equilibrium was needed. He needed to show Magnus he accepted his move and was now making one himself. Just like a game of chess. And Xavier knew Magneto always liked a good opponent in chess. "I do not regret saving Kelly's life, Magnus. I don't want to get rid of him because his heart is filled with hate for us. I want to turn that hate into acceptance. I want him to live and see the truth, not die in blindness as you thought was fit. No, dear friend, I will not respond with blind vengeance. I will not become one that takes fathers away from their children. I will not become a murderer. I will not become... you," Xavier did his best to keep his voice in check and his tone level.
/Checkmate, old friend./ Xavier thought and hoped with all his heart that his premonitory feeling was right.
Magneto clenched his fists but said nothing. He was smart enough not to let the accusation of him being a murderer cloud his judgment. Especially when he knew it was true. And it seemed as though ages had passed since he and Xavier were sitting at the same table working together rather than against each other.
"It would be an honor to be at your side again old friend, but why fight for a weak world and sacrifice more than I already have? Why fight for these hateful humans?" Though he had taken in by Xavier's words, Magneto was still solid in his own beliefs and he made that very clear with those two questions.
"Magnus, we do not fight for hateful humans. We fight, for them," Xavier said and pointed to the children playing happily on the playground. Their crystalline voices filled the air, and their laughter showed not even the smallest concern hanging over their innocent hearts.
"Look at them, and at the setting sun, Magnus," Xavier continued. "If we sit by, and do nothing, the darkness will spread, and the sun will never rise for them again. Do you wish this to be the last sunset these children see?
"Join hands with me again, old friend, not for the humans, nor for the mutants, least of all for ourselves, but to make sure the children will see another sunrise, after this sunset." Xavier closed his speech and waited patiently for the other man's reaction.
Magneto's gaze swept the playing field and his teeth clenched as he remembered a little boy in Poland being struck to the muddy ground by the back of a rifle. "And what about Kelly?" Magneto asked, his voice sounding a bit unsure.
Xavier made an obvious gesture with his hands. "Senator Kelly has broken the law and I will see to it that he gets what he deserves. I have arranged for a meeting of the Senate to judge his actions. The President will be there too. Kelly will, of course, not know what the purpose of the meeting is until he is confronted with the facts."
Magneto's satisfaction could be read in is expression. "But how?" he asked in curiosity.
Xavier gave a mysterious smile as he took little time to explain.
"My influences reach very high, Magnus. Let's just say I know someone who does not like military secrets being kept hidden from him and the U.S. government. He has pulled some strings and now the whole Senate's under alert of Kelly's hidden plots."
Magneto's eyes narrowed as he weighed things. A nod from him gestured by a gentle tilt of his head told Xavier of acceptance. "I will bring the Brotherhood to your mansion in a few hours. We will then devise a plan to strike our common nemesis. May this allegiance be blessed, and the joining of our hands prevent the black clouds of despair from ever darkening the horizon." And with those words and a confident smile Magneto turned away and began walking in the opposite direction.
And as he knew this was the first step in the fulfilling of his dream, hope blossomed in Xavier's heart.
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