Robin listened to the call with disbelief. She was visited Magneto because Mystique had offered to babysit Hermes while Tonks learned to not be so clumsy.
"You're not going to believe this. I just got asked to speak on national television on why I defend a mutant's rights," she said in surprise.
"What did you say?"
"Yes of course. If I can get it through people's heads that this idiotic bill and their persecution of mutants is nothing more than what people did to the slaves or women before they spoke up, then maybe we can get them to add mutants under minority groups."
"Why minority?" asked Eric.
"Think about this. While mutants are superior in terms of power and ability, humans outnumber you five to one easily. And there are countless laws against persecution of minority groups that can help you. People like Kelly or Stryker would be hard pressed to get anything done when Americans and the world are against them instead of you. Can you imagine how hard it would be to get backers when people are trying like mad to keep their reputations afloat in this new order?"
"Point taken," he admitted.
Politicians would go to great lengths to keep the people happy and in office. Persecuting a minority group simply for an odd ability would be tantamount to political suicide if they mishandled it.
"Plus it would give all those with magic in their blood their best chance at restoring the balance between mundane and magical. Not to mention piss off the idiots in England."
Magneto immediately saw why she agreed to it now. She hated her home country and the bigots she left behind, not that he could really blame her.
"Mrs. Black, I can call you Mrs. Black right?"
"Absolutely," said Robin.
"Now I have here a recording of your stand against Senator Kelly during the recent proposal of the Mutant Registration Act, and your counter argument against it is very compelling. Why exactly do you side with mutants?"
"Well Trent, to be honest I see no difference between this current MRA and how the slaves were treated shortly after the civil war you Americans had. Yes, they are people with unique abilities, but in the end they are still people."
"I am curious as to why you compared Senator Kelly to Adolf Hitler."
"What many people failed to remember is that the first country Hitler invaded was his own. He was a tyrant who branded those of different faith as inhuman and forced them to wear identifying markers so that his party could make their lives difficult. And later once his control was solidified enough that he could move onto other countries, he used the Jews and gypsies for inhumane experimentation. I have met one of his mutant experiments, and I can tell you right now that he has no love for humans after the treatment Hitler's science division has given him."
"Hitler experimented with mutants?"
"He had a powerful psychic experiment on them, putting them through torture and other inhumane methods to bring out there powers. The mutant I am referring to is one of the rare few who survived, and I am told he later took out that man."
"We are getting off topic. Why do you think Mutants should be given the same rights as minority groups?"
"It's quite simple really, and I am astonished that you Americans haven't realized this on your own. While normal people outnumber mutants, the fact is that any child of mutant birth is in the clear minority. And according to your government after the African Americans were finally recognized as those allowed the same rights as those not of African descent, it is against the law in every American state to persecute a minority group because of race, belief, or in this case ability. One thing that concerns me is that if this bill is passed, then where does it stop? A corrupt politician might have all those of above average intelligence register as a 'mutant', and what of those with extraordinary gifts like Hawk-Eye or the infamous Black Widow? They are as human as you or I, and yet someone might try to get them to register under this act because they can do things most normal people can't."
"And what of the rumors that you are in fact a mutant?"
"I am not a mutant. In fact I am something similar, but I cannot say what for reasons I cannot go into."
"So you are not human?"
"Tell me Trent, have you heard of the hero Thor?"
"The demi-god from Asgard? What of him?"
"One of the laws of Asgard is that if someone of suitable power levels marries into their pantheon, then that person can become an Aesir after a certain period of time. I married into it, though I cannot say to who as it may make the American people biased against me."
"Humans can become gods?" asked Trent.
"Only certain humans. For example, if the Sorcerer Supreme were to marry, say Sif, then chances are he would eventually become one of the Aesir. I happen to be a good friend of Stephen as he has helped with my control issues recently."
Which was true. Shortly after her ascension to full Aesir, she went to meet the Sorcerer Supreme for help in controlling her magic. He had been delighted to finally meet her and Hermes, which was why she started to leave her son with the man for magic lessons that didn't involve a wand.
Needless to say Robin would be spending more time with him in the future to fine-tune her control over her magic. She got bored easily and this was the perfect way to kill time.
As they talked, Robin kept up her calm persona. They way she talked and pointed out critical details, it was clear that most of her support for mutants came from personal experience with an Aunt who was less than pleased to have a niece who was smarter than her own son. Robin would be very surprised if her little speech did nothing for the more intellectual Americans.
Some of them had been on the fence about mutants, and the way she pointed out that their powers could be used for good and to further science would have peaked their interest for sure.
If need be she would work with them to put boundaries in place so that the mutants kids could get out more and gain support they desperately needed. Unlike the magicals, who grew complacent and arrogant over the centuries, they didn't have a universal power that would allow them to wipe memories away with a word. It was the only real difference she saw between the mutants and magically inclined.
"So let me get this straight, you abducted Senator Kelly and intend to make him a mutant by force, thus getting him to see from your point of view?" she said with a snort.
Magneto didn't see why she had a problem with it. She made it very clear she didn't like the man to begin with.
"It never occurred to you that this would hinder my efforts to help mutants and I don't know, kill the idiot? Besides, why the hell would you want to make him a mutant? I thought you had the opinion that mutants were superior in every way!" said Robin pointedly.
Magneto thought back on what she just said and his plans to make the world leaders mutants by use of a dangerous machine. To be fair, he wasn't a big fan of Kelly at all and the idea of making him a mutant was something he normally wouldn't even consider.
"I'm using him as a test subject," he said after a moment.
"That's different. Now as for the replacement. We can have Mystique take his place, but we'll need a very good excuse for why his opinion took a one-eighty," said Robin.
"You're not going to stop me?" said Magneto in surprise.
"Hell no. If this works, it might bridge the gap. Besides, if it doesn't, there's a woman I know who could possibly serve as a viable second test subject. That toad must pay," said Robin irritably.
In her mind, Kelly was no better than that damn Umbitch, who was still alive. If not, Fudge would be a good second choice.
"At the moment I am more surprised that you aren't trying to stop me from possibly killing him."
"He reminds me too much of a woman who deliberately tortured students in an effort to get rid of the only person keeping them safe. He's no better than a pure-blood from England, so why the hell should I care if someone decided to get their kicks in? I mean it's not like you'll lose any sleep over him if he dies, and I plan to have Hermes off the island to insure he doesn't bring it up later," said Robin with a snort. She clenched her fist, and Magneto could see the barely remaining scars of the sentence she had been made to write out of her own hand.
'I must not tell lies...' he read silently.
"So when do you planned to do this experiment, and should I bring you extras?" asked Robin a little too eagerly.
"We don't have enough chairs and only one actual cell," he replied.
"Easily fixed, and who said that they can't share a cell? Hell, it would be funny to see their reaction to Kelly!"
"How many are you planning to bring?"
"Right now just two, why?"
"Should I add an extra bed or make them fight for it?"
"Fight for it. Way more amusing plus I have to add the runes to keep them there."
A few hours after Robin made the place escape proof (with magic anyway) she literally dropped a horrid woman wearing a tacky pink cardigan and a man who needed exercise wearing a bowler hat. Both were furious to have been kidnapped, and that was only made worse when she gleefully informed them of who she was.
Magneto didn't need to be his old friend Charles to know that they were calling her every name under the sun and would gladly seek retribution once they were free.
A few days after Kelly was kidnapped, Mystique took his place an they staged a suitable 'accident' for him in order for people to actually believe the 'change of heart' he was having. The fun thing was that she warned the Professor of the accident beforehand (claiming she was a seer, though she neglected to tell him it was a set up) so he could have the X-Men save Kelly at the last moment.
She had made sure Wolverine wasn't there and Mystique had her mental shields up. The fake memories would keep Jean from detecting the fake.
Three days later Kelly had a 'change of heart' and everyone bought it more or less. Without forcing him through genetic testing (which Stryker couldn't do as it as Mystique covered her tracks too well) there was literally nothing the anti-mutant coalition could do to prove the Senator had been replaced.
Robin had taken enough blood from Kelly and placed it in a stasis charm so that when they 'killed' him off, no one would think to actually look for him later. She planned to make it look like a random mugging by the anti-mutant factions as payback for switching sides. It would be a massive blow for them once Robin had the culprit forcibly caught and arrested for it.
"So give me the details," said Robin, with Hermes playing with Sabertooth. Surprisingly the feral mutant was good with kids, or it could be because Hermes was adept at changing his scent so that animals would like him more.
"Kelly escaped, through from what we can tell there is no noticeable change in the magicals," said Eric. He sounded disappointed.
"Damn. Seems the only way to change their DNA at all is through an injection."
"If that's true then how did you become a goddess?" asked Eric.
"I had a different kind of injection," she said blandly, wondering if all these years without a girlfriend would insure he didn't catch the innuendo.
It took Tonks snickering behind him for him to catch on, and surprisingly he blushed. Considering he was one of the people persecuted in Hitler's internment camps, it was surprising he was such a prude.
Then again from what she could tell he hadn't actually gotten any in years.
"So what do you plan to do with them if the experiment isn't a success?"
"Drop their ass in a werewolf colony who's had run-ins with the Ministry during the full moon then leave their ass in the magical hospital with full knowledge of the fact they were bitten. By the time they come out they won't have much support anymore and I'll have directed the colony in question to this island. You don't mind do you?"
"I can manipulate silver as easily as most metals. If nothing else I'll have the doors locked and the island surrounded by a silver fence," shrugged Eric.
"Which is precisely the reason why I fully plan to offer to take you off planet when the purge hits. You can stay on a planet with the humans, or you can try elsewhere."
"This planet...how sustainable is it?"
"We're dropping a castle and several animals on it. Including magically inclined, as it's where they are going to be staying until the Purge passes. Think about it, no more arrogant humans who want to hurt mutants. All you would have to deal with are magicals, most of which are muggleborn or half-bloods with the occasional pure-blood thrown in."
"Tempting. Can we keep that offer on the table?"
"Two more years. I can drop you off once the time lines start to synch up."
To Robin's disappointment, Fudge and Umbitch didn't turn mutant. Apparently magical blood filtered out the mutant if they weren't born to it. She kept Hermes far away from the two, claiming she didn't want her son 'infected' by them. This was a deliberate insult, and she was pleased by their reactions. So was Magneto, who found them disgusting to be around. He was half tempted to leave Toad in there to annoy them, but was afraid he might fall for the harridan in pink.
"So where did Senator Kelly disappear to?" she asked.
"No idea. Fool went through the bars like water and Sabertooth couldn't hold him."
"Well he had to have...son of a bitch. Jean just sent me a message. Kelly's at the Institute!"
Magneto winced. Robin couldn't go back at the moment because if Kelly saw her he would blow their cover. Charles would be angry if he knew Robin had allowed the experiment.
It was a good thing she had considered this might happen, as she had changed her hair to blond and had kept her face from Kelly the entire time. Hermes wasn't allowed near the man, as he might draw the wrong assumptions.
Eric didn't doubt that Charles would read the man's mind.
"So are you going to kidnap Marie for that machine of yours?"
"Not really. I just did that to keep them from trying to find this island. The more time they spend protecting her, the less likely it is that they'll find out about Mystique."
"Clever. We wait until Kelly dies from radiation exposure, then I'll show up and mention the fact that it didn't work on magical blood. After that we'll pretend you were still planning to infect the humans."
Eric gave her a look.
"Some of the leaders at the summit might be Squibs, but you should pretend you don't realize that fact." she explained.
"And if I can't infect them all, then I would never know it didn't work entire and continue working on it until it does work on magical blood," he realized.
"Which gives me time to 'find' and destroy it, according to them. You keep the schematics while I destroy the first one. That way they won't think I'm a double agent, despite our little chats," said Robin.
It was a simple, yet ingenious plan. Since Charles wouldn't be able to read her mind, he wouldn't know she was helping him.
"And what of the Wolverine?"
"I'll keep him busy by leading him to Stryker. Once he gets to Canada he won't be our problem. But we will have to leave a body double of you so that the X-Men will assume that you were captured."
They decided to kidnap Marie so that Robin could work on her magical gifts in private, namely her Occulmency shields. Once Marie knew that all she had to do was power a fancy magical light show, she should be willing to help.