By Ravenpan and Todd Fan
Disclaimer: We no own, you no sue. Wow, I did a real disclaimer for once!
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This is a co-written piece between myself and my good pal, Ravenpan. It's a post X3 fic, so expect spoilers. Incidentally, this was written with a real online chess game (the moves being those seen during the fic), albeit a doctored one. Oh, and Ravenpan was the one good enough to beta it Enjoy!
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In Central Park, New York, there is a place where Chess boards are set up like picnic tables - and men of all ages (though often well beyond their prime) come to interact; to play and visit. Not so for one man, sitting alone before a board, staring at para-magnetic metal pieces forlornly.
On the edge of this bit of park now stood a man dressed in a simple day-suit, a fedora perched on his head. He watched the other man for several long minutes, and a small smile soon tugged at his lips as he wandered over and sat across from him. "Like a game?" he asked.
Erik glanced up at the man, as always, a little guarded at first. After all, he was still a wanted man. Once he'd decided the newcomer was no threat, he gave a small nod, but didn't smile... he didn't smile very much anymore. "Why not?" He waved a hand for the other man to go first.
The man had an easy manner about him, and smiled fully as he relocated a brass pawn for his first move. "I'm glad you were here - it's been a long time since I've played."
Erik moved his piece, also a pawn, frowning softly. "Yes... it has been a while for me, too."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Another move, knight.
He shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant, he was good at keeping his feelings locked up. The death of his best friend, however, had been a huge blow... and the wound wasn't really healing. "We can't help these things", he said, making his move. Nickel pawn.
"Indeed," the man nodded. "When I was younger..." he paused selecting a piece then changing his mind and moving another, this time a pawn. "I used to come here at least once a week, in fair weather."
Erik smiled slightly at the move, finding a sense of familiarity in the mans caution. "Yes, so did I," he said, moving his own pawn without hesitation. "I only really come here to think, now."
"Yet you bring this lovely set with you," the man looked up, "so you must be looking for an opponent of some sort."
Erik sighed. "Old habits die hard", he said simply. "I suppose I am, in some ways; though I doubt I will ever find the right one." Not again, anyway, that was a hole no one else could fill.
"I once heard it said that every chess player has one ideal opponent, a match of players," the man mused as he carefully chose a piece to move.
Erik glanced away, mostly to disguise the pained look on his face. "Yes, I had mine," he said quietly, "our games could last all day."
The other man remained silent a long moment, taking in the way Erik was reacting. He half nodded and moved the piece, brass bishop capturing nickel pawn.
Erik allowed himself a small smile, this man was a cautious player, much like Charles; really thinking about his moves before making them. Very unlike himself, who just went for his first instinct... how strange their chess tequniques echoed their own ways of battle. He moved his own piece calmly, nickel pawn.
The man smiled to himself as he saw the quick movements being made. Not too quick - but... "You play by instinct," he observed.
Erik gave a small nod. "It is the best way to play. Rather to make a good offence, than use up time making a defence."
"It's one strategy," the other man agreed. "However, it only Truly works if your opponent allows you to force him into playing at your speed," he said, taking his time as he looked at the board and planned his next move.
"Perhaps", said Erik, allowing a small smirk to cross his lips, "My old friend played like you, he really considered his actions before he took them." He knew he wasn't completely talking about chess anymore... but still, the other man would assume he was.
"I like to be sure of what I'm doing. Any piece lost is a disadvantage, and if I'm going to place a piece in for sacrifice..." he paused and shrugged as he sat back. "I just don't like losing pieces, I guess. Maybe he didn't either?"
"Sometimes, one has to make sacrifices to achieve one's goal," said Erik simply, "however much we dislike it."
The man picked back up the pawn he'd captured and studied it a moment before looking at Erik. "Sometimes - but if it isn't necessary, you shouldn't throw your pawns away," he mused, setting the captured pawn back down and studying the board for his next move once more.
"True", said Erik, "I only sacrifice pawns for the greater good, however."
He toyed a bit with his knight, finally choosing to move it and capture the pawn Erik had just moved. "The greater good?" he asked, looking up after he'd finished his move. "Now, what if the pawns have a chance to make a difference later in the game?"
Erik gave a smirk that those familiar to him would know only too well. It was his cocky smirk. "Because when it comes down to it, the big guns are what makes a difference". He moved another pawn.
"Everyone makes a difference," the man chuckled as he saw the cocky smirk. "Ah, I see you've immobilised half my useable force." He looked at the board a moment longer, then moved a pawn a single step.
"Only sometimes", said Erik, enjoying the banter... it felt familiar, and it gave him some comfort. "Yes, pawns are sacrificed for better fighters to attack you unaware." As if to prove a point, one of his nickel knights took the man's brass bishop.
The man carefully moved his own knight to mirror the last move. He sighed. "I hate losing pieces."
Erik shrugged. "It is a way of life," he said. "The game must continue." As must life, though losing living piece... living friends were a lot harder to get over. He sighed, moving another pawn.
The man also moved a pawn, allowing the silence to continue a few moments. "It must," he murmured in agreement.
Erik nodded, moving one of his own pawns, glancing at the board.
"Our playing seems well matched," the stranger mused, after several long moments, before he moved his knight once more.
Erik allowed a small smile to cross his face. A part of him didn't WANT another person to be a well matched player to him. However, this man did remind him a lot of his lost friend. "I suppose we are", he replied, moving a rook.
"It's been a long time since I've played someone like you, friend." Another pawn moved forward.
Erik nodded. His fingers shifted to move a knight. With a soft metallic humm, the piece move a little of it's own accord, before resting itself in his hand. Erik winced. His abilities were coming and going at the moment... but that was better than nothing at all. He sighed, making his move. "It has been a while for me, too."
The man moved another pawn. "You seem to be in excellent form, though - considering."
Magneto arched a brow, moving a pawn. "Considering?", he asked, the smallest hint of challenge in his voice.
"You said it had been a while." He moved a pawn and captured one of its kind.
Erik relaxed slightly. Sometimes, it was hard to remember he wasn't exactly 'The Master of Magnetism' anymore. "Ahh, yes, of course," he said, moving a knight.
The man smiled, folding his arms on the table as he pondered his next move.
Erik took a moment to watch him. There was definitely a familiar air about him, he was so much like Charles... it was almost scary. He frowned inwardly. He shouldn't think like that. He knew Charles was dead. He SAW him being killed... disintegrated... there wasn't even anything left to bury. Still, it was hard to let go, hard not to hope that his old friend had survived. Like Charles has said once before, he'd always be there.
He finally chose to move a pawn and sat back, looking at the board a moment, then smiling slightly to himself as he nodded. If he could pull this off... He sighed, then looked up again. "Your move."
Erik blinked out of his thoughts and looked at the board, quickly moving a rook. He was getting foolish in his old age, he chided himself. People didn't come back from the dead, not even Charles. But Jean did...
He chuckled slightly and, instead of moving his knight out of the line of fire, he chose to move another pawn, capturing another of its own kind. Saying nothing, he sat back to see if the pawn would be taken, or the more 'important' knight.
Erik arched a brow at this seemingly suicidal move. "It seems you have made a mistake..." he very nearly called the man 'Old Friend', but stopped himself in time. "You leave yourself open for people to take advantage of you." With that, he took the knight.
"Hmmm, seems I have." He forwent moving the pawn he wished to move right away - hoping it remained unnoticed a bit longer. He moved his queen instead with a sigh.
Erik nodded, shifting a pawn over. "Interesting play."
"Might seem so," he agreed. He smiled slightly to himself and moved not his queen from danger, but a pawn.
Erik blinked, trying to fathom the mans reasoning. It was nearly a suicidal move. He frowned and, instead of taking the queen, moved a knight to trap the queen instead. Partly from curiosity of what the man was planning... and partly because he was giving him a chance if he'd unintentionally made a mistake. Yes, since his powers had been weakened - not lost, no, but weakened - he'd shown a little more mercy... even to humans.
The man saw he had an option now. He could escape capture... or he could take the knight with his queen and be in line to be taken right afterward. He chose the latter, moving his queen to take the knight, thus moving one step closer to his object lesson for the lonely man sitting across him.
Erik arched a brow. He'd taken the bait, it seemed. Surely this man knew he was putting himself up for an attack. He shook his head, then made his move and captured the stranger's queen.
"I suppose you're right," he spoke at long last, moving a lowly pawn.
"Right about what?" he asked, moving a pawn of his own.
"Sometimes it's necessary to make sacrifices," he replied, looking Erik in the eye.
Erik blinked... he was starting to feel a little spooked. A few of the chess pieces rattled slightly, before resting where they were. "Are you making a point?" he asked, trying to keep a calm front. Something felt mighty strange, here, though.
"I'll let you know when I am." The man smiled enigmatically as he captured the rook that had taken his knight... with a lowly pawn.
Erik blinked at the move, frowning softly; this was starting to get very Twilight Zoney. He moved his bishop. "Clever," he murmured.
The stranger moved his own in response. "Am I?"
He nodded, moving his rook, taking a pawn. "You have your moments."
"Only moments?" he chuckled. "I must be slipping."
"Perhaps", mused Erik, watching the stranger out of the corner of his eye... he didn't seem a stranger though, he was too much like Charles in his mannerisms. Of course, there were many personalities that seemed the same... There was only one Charles Xavier.
"Perhaps." Nickel rook was taken with brass knight. "Perhaps not."
Erik frowned softly at the board. He was losing his touch, his grief had most definitely put him off his game. He hadn't been this upset since he lost his parents in Auschwitz, and he'd never thought anything could make him feel like that again. Apparently, he was wrong. He sighed, moving his queen and taking the mans knight.
Silence reigned, and bishops were exchanged with quiet metallic clinks.
Erik moved a pawn then. It was a dangerous move, yes, but he didn't want to open up his lower ranks... not just yet.
The other men did not show the mercy he might have, taking the pawn with one of his own. He glanced up from the board to gauge his opponent's reaction.
Erik merely gave a shrug, as though to say 'que sera sera' before moving another pawn.
"You lost another knight," the other man observed as his pawn captured it.
"So I have," replied Erik while making his move, "and you lost another pawn."
"Should have moved your queen," he replied as he took it with a pawn.
Erik frowned at the board. How could he have missed that? His game really had sunk. "Yes... I suppose I should have," he murmured softly, moving his remaining bishop.
Brass rook blocked nickel pawn. "It's okay," he said, seemingly non sequitor. "Sometimes queens can come back."
Erik frowned, wary again. "Can they, now?", he said. Not in life, he was certain. Not his parents or sister, not his wife, and certainly not Charles. He sighed, moving a pawn.
"Sometimes pawns seem useless - but sometimes they can be used more effectively for, what was it you called it?" he asked as he moved a pawn, allowing it to be promoted to a queen itself. "The greater good."
Erik looked at the newly made queen, then at the man. He watched him for a long time. "Yes, you may have a point, there," he sighed. He could move the bishop, get rid of the new queen before it caused trouble. There was something about that queen though, about this game, which seemed... different. He smiled, moving his king harmlessly.
The brass queen took his remaining bishop, and the stranger watched Erik for a reaction.
Erik frowned, before moving his king, taking a pawn.
Another pawn was moved, almost to take its place.
Erik arched a brow, moving his king in the only direction he could send it.
In response, the other man moved his rook. "Checkmate."
Despite being defeated, Erik gave a small smile. "Good game."
"Was it, friend?" the other man asked, sitting back and regarding him.
Erik arched a brow, watching him for a few moments. "It was a game," he replied simply, "and one I haven't played for a while... I suppose that makes it good by default."
"Perhaps - though you seem to consider the game like life, as well," the other man replied cryptically. "Perhaps."
Erik frowned, watching the man carefully. "Yes, I have been told I do that," he admitted.
Stretching slightly, the stranger sat back and smiled. "The point is made."
Erik nodded. The familiarity of this man still spooked him, but he couldn't... wouldn't let himself believe he was back. He couldn't set himself up for something like that.
"Yes you can. You won't be disappointed," the smile grew a bit wider, a twinkle in eyes that was a dash of familiarity in the unfamiliar.
"I really don't like it when you do that", he said, his response automatic, before blinking, looking over at him. "...Charles?"
"Sometimes pieces can come back into play," he replied, still smiling. "Less often in life than in game, unfortunately."
Erik frowned. "I'm having a very strange dream... aren't I?" he asked, ever the realist.
The man seated across from him leaned forward, reached, and pinched Erik's arm.
"Oww!" snapped Erik. "That was not an invitation to pinch me."
"But it did give me an excuse to," he chuckled. "Of course if you still don't believe it, I could always start talking about that time in Borneo..."
Erik blinked a few times, before smiling slightly. "It is you," he said quietly. "...How?"
He closed his eyes and looked at the sparse Chess board, then up at Erik. "A very difficult decision," he said. "I hope it was the right one."
"Sometimes even you have to do something against character, Charles", said Erik with a soft smile. "I am glad you're back. I missed you, Old Friend." He sighed. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop you from dying... or at least your body dying. She was too strong."
"It's alright now, though. Next time just don't provoke her, I did warn you, Erik."
"Since when did I ever listen to your warnings?" he asked with a gentle smirk. "You know how stubborn I am, Charles."
"I think that's why we ended up friends in the first place," he responded with a small smile of his own.
"True", he said, then cocked his head to the side, "...how long have you been back?" He paused. "Do your X-Men know you're here?"
"I just got back today," he admitted, then looked down at the board again. "Not yet. Surprisingly enough, I came here to think," he smiled slightly.
Erik chuckled softly. "Great minds and all that, hmm Charles?", he said, then frowned, "I take it you don't know how it all turned out, then?"
He shook his head. "Muir island is rather isolated."
Erik sighed. "I'm not sure you'd like it, Charles," he said. "Though I suppose you can guess who won."
Charles frowned, looking up at him and leaning back. "What happened?" it was more a statement than a question.
Erik glanced away for a moment, in contemplation, before sighing. "You can read it, if you wish," he said. It was a great display of trust towards his old friend. He never liked having his mind prodded, even by Charles, that's why he created his helmet, after all.
"Are you sure?"
Erik nodded. "I trust you, Charles. Amazing as it may seem, I always have."
"I know, my friend." Charles looked him in the eye, gently prodding his mind for the story of what happened after.
After Charles' death, Magneto and his band moved onwards, Jean... or rather Phoenix, in tow. They learned that the 'cure' was held in Alcatraz, in the form of a small boy with the ability to stop mutations... the boy nicknamed 'Leech'. To get to the former prison, Magneto had used his abilities to tear off the Golden Gate Bridge, forming it onto the island. In Magneto's eye, Charles saw the ensuing fight, his X-Men coming to defend the island, having the fight of their lives. Logan was thrown by the young Russian (Piotr, Charles?) toward Magneto, though he was easily deflected. This turned out to be a bluff, as the real attack came from behind. Magneto himself being injected with the cure. As Phoenix grew in power, millions died; disintegrated, just like Charles. Only Logan, with his healing factor, managed to get to her, ending her life with his deadly claws.
Charles' mind abruptly pulled back. "My God..."
"I told you that you wouldn't like it," replied Erik, then he sighed. "From what I hear, young Shadowcat saved the Leech boy... but not before Rogue took the so-called cure."
Charles put his head in his hands as he silently mourned the needless losses, on both sides. "It has to end sometime," he murmured to himself.
"I agree," said Erik. He then frowned. "You and your X-Men won't get opposition from me anymore, Charles. I am no longer a threat."
He scrubbed his hands over his face as he looked up again, speaking quietly. "And why is that, Erik?" he asked seriously.
He frowned, reaching out a hand to one of the metallic chess pieces still on the board. The piece gave a small shudder, then stopped. "That's why."
"No other reason than that?" he asked sombrely.
"I am not much of a threat when I can't even get a chess piece off the board anymore," said Erik. "My powers aren't gone completely... but what's left is hardly worth a party trick."
He sadly shook his head as he spoke softly. "Have you learned nothing from this travesty?"
"Charles, they had that cure in GUNS," said Erik, "they were going to use it as weapons against us."
"Because our kind was, unfortunately, rightfully perceived as a threat. How many humans died, Erik, how many mutants in that war you waged?"
"A great many, I'll admit," said Erik, "but with or without the war, those weapons would have been made. It was the war that revealed their plans."
"Plans they felt they had to make to protect themselves, due to past events," Charles pointed out.
Erik rolled his eyes. "Okay, so I made a few rather large mistakes," he sighed. "Let's not ruin the moment, we're never going to agree on that issue, we may as well stop arguing before we continue all night." He sighed. "Besides, I don't particularly want to argue, not now, anyway."
"I just don't want to find us on opposite sides of battle, yet again," Charles said, waving his hand slightly between them as though to clear the subject from the air. "Alright, then."
"As I said, Charles, I won't be battling any time soon," he sighed. "So...are you going home to your X-Men? I hear Storm took over the Institute for you."
"I don't know yet. Storm is well suited to keeping the school running - she was going to have to eventually, and my return would disrupt things."
Erik arched a brow in surprise. "Then where will you go?"
"I haven't decided yet, to be honest. I will have to go back eventually, I realise, but just now..." he shrugged and shook his head.
Erik gave him a small smile. "Well, if you ever need a place to stay, you're more than welcome to stay in one of my safehouses. I have many dotted around... it helps to have places to hide when you have a price on your head."
"That's a generous offer," he nodded to him in acknowledgement.
"You're welcome." Erik smiled. "I wouldn't have my best friend living on the streets" He chuckled softly. "Though I suppose it makes life easier to be able to walk again, hmmm?"
Charles smiled, then nodded. "I almost feel a bit guilty."
"Why?" he asked. "I am assuming the body was pretty much an empty shell, when you're concerned; anyway, why not use it?"
"I'm wearing someone's son, because I selfishly wanted to continue living - needed to still be here."
Erik couldn't help but smile fondly. "Still so moral," he said, then shrugged, "if you hadn't, what would have happened to the body you're in? Would it just lie there, doing nothing, being of no use?" He shook his head. "You're not selfish in wanting to continue living, Charles, it's in your nature."
"Nature or not..." he stopped and simply shook his head.
"I know you, Charles, you've probably already lost a lot of sleep over this; but trust me, it's good you're alive," he smiled. "The world needs you around."
"I'd thought that, too - but everyone seems to be doing alright."
"I wasn't," said Erik with a frown.
"We're stubborn old men - set in our ways."
Erik chuckled. "An understatement if ever there was one, Charles."
He laughed in response. "I've missed this."
"Yes, I have to admit, so have I."
Charles began setting up the pieces again. "Care for another game - now that you are in a better mind to play?"
"Okay," Erik smiled. "Now I know who I am really playing against; I'm sure I can give a better show this time around."
"I'll be sure to look out for any sneaky moves then," he said with a chuckle, looking up when the board was done being set up. He moved his light piece for opening. "I'm surprised you still have this set."
"Yes, well, I never could quite part with it", he said, moving his own piece. "It held too many happy memories."
"Let's hope it can handle a few more," Charles moved again after a few moments of deliberation.
Erik couldn't help but laugh. "I'm certain it can, Old Friend."
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And there we go. Don't it make you warm'n'fuzzy? Do review, and thanks for reading!