February 18, 1957

"Brothers and sisters! The war that we have fought for our very lives has brought us here, to the gates of our enemies!"

The crowd roared, Erik's words ringing in their ears. There were no microphones so his friend was yelling at the top of his lungs. Everyone had become quiet when he began to speak. Erik had that effect on people, the same effect that Charles had in the war room or during discussions of how the new government was to be run. His affect had been achieved with a level tone though. He'd never been one for raising his voice.

Charles stood next to him at attention, his hands folded behind his back. Nearly half of a mile behind him were the walls Genosha's capitol city. He said a silent prayer, remembering the fact that the commanders of the battalions listened to him. Otherwise he would have feared for the lives of the innocents who had taken refuge behind the city's ancient walls.

He knew how important this was. How important it was that Erik made this speech. They had edited it together, going through it until Erik had it memorized. Charles had remained in Erik's mind though, just in case his concentration slipped. This was not the time to have such carefully crafted words fumbled.

Charles also knew how important it was that he stand by Erik when they assaulted the capitol. Some of the mutants were wary of Erik's leadership. Their biggest ambition after the rebellion was over was to return to a normal life, to search for missing family members. They didn't know just how much they had in common with Erik.

Some simply wanted peace after such a long period of war. Charles didn't blame them. Others wanted to take on the world and Charles knew that they thought him naïve. However, as Erik had pointed out countless times, they made the perfect team. If a mutant didn't trust Charles, then they trusted Erik. If they didn't trust Erik, then they trusted Charles. Together they held their forces together.

Those forces were making history, overturning the order of a nation. Beyond that, who knew how far things could go? The world was starting to burn with the match they had struck. Keeping such a rebellion confined to Genosha was impossible and, in many ways, irresponsible. Even if they didn't march out then news of what had happened could and would spread. Charles had no doubt of it.

Erik had asked him if this is what he thought the Founding Fathers had felt. They had started something which turned the world upside down and trampled on the expected ideas of the government. Benjamin Franklin of the 1950's. Charles had countered by saying that if he was Benjamin Franklin then that meant that Erik was Alexander Hamilton. The conversation had died away after that.

Still, the idea had stuck with them. Azazel had already started explaining the native tongue to them. He acted as their chief translator, but Charles and Erik agreed that they shouldn't run a country whose language they couldn't understand. It hadn't gone so well for the Hanovers, and they didn't feel like repeating their mistakes.

However, in the course of their studies they had found out something that both flattered him and made him feel uncomfortable. There were names that the native mutants called them, which were equivalent to their ideas as Founding Fathers, as liberators. He and Erik had exchanged glances at the information.

Charles looked around him and tugged on his collar. He had always wondered how much of the political game was played with images. Certainly they had an image to maintain as the leaders of such a diverse group. The uniforms that they had been given were a bit much though. His only comfort was that other members of the core strike force had their own uniforms. It wasn't just him and Erik who were trapped with him.

It wasn't as though he didn't like the uniforms. He understood their design if not their construction. The necks were high and the gloves were tight on his hands. It was all very practical, grip and perspiration filters, but not very comfortable. Blue and yellow were colors worn by heroes in Genosha when questing for thier people. It was very symbolic, but he didn't see how the colors went together.

"After today, all of Genosha will be ours!" Erik shouted, "Today is the end of a war that was brought on us, that forced us to fight for our survival! This war was brought on us when we were dragged from our homes, our families, our very lives, to be experimented and destroyed as though we were vermin!"

There were more cheers.

"The struggle has been long, has lasted over two years now," said Erik, "But we have never given up! And we never will. Our lives and our rights have been taken from us because of a quirk in our DNA. No matter where we came from, this is our story!"

The unity image was a good one. It had been Raven's tentative addition. She had only been in the room because she'd been bringing Charles his coat. Her suggestion was taken seriously though. After all, not all of the mutants there were from Genosha. Both of the rebellion leaders weren't.

They had been careful to cultivate the image of mutant unity instead of unity of a nationality. It had worked, but they needed to hammer in the message in their final speech. How they could have forgotten it was beyond him. So they had added it in. The line was almost exactly like the one Raven had suggested.

It was almost scary how involved Raven was getting. Her organizational skills were good, but he knew she wanted to fight. Currently his excuse was her age. She wasn't even fourteen yet. In a few years that excuse would no longer be valid, but the bulk of the fighting would be over by then. At least, he hoped so.

"Today we take back our rights as citizens of this country, of the world! Those who were born here, and those who were transported here, take back who you were, take back your place! Today we establish a haven for our kind!"

The cheering was reaching a deafening point. Charles had been particularly proud of those lines. He was even happier how the original line 'We take our rightful places as rulers of those who have oppressed us' had been amended. He still didn't know who had suggested that, although he had winced at how Erik had fought to keep it in.

"Today we stand free! Today we say no more! Today, we end this!"

The cheering still filled the air as Erik turned to him. Charles cast a worried glance at the gates before looking back at his friend.

"Are you ready?" asked Charles.

The two of them had practiced for years trying to pinpoint the perfect balance between rage and serenity that unleashed Erik's potential. Charles hadn't just been training Erik though. He'd been drilling other mutants too. It would seem that he had a knack for it. Some had even started calling him Professor.

He winced when he thought of his old choice of career path. A genetics professor, a teacher. Well, he was still teaching. He wasn't teaching the way he had hoped. The world had changed for him too much for that. Now he had a different role. It certainly wasn't what he thought he'd do when he grew up. Life had curious twists and turns to it though.

Now, genetics professor or not, it was all coming down to his star pupil. Next to him Erik took a deep breath. This time everything depended on Erik's abilities. It was a frightening process if they couldn't get this right. He didn't like to think of the heavy casualties that would be incurred on both sides if they failed.

Even at the distance they were at Charles could see the snipers on the walls. Their outdated weapons didn't have the perfect range, but it was enough to kill many of their soldiers if they even approached the walls. This was, sadly enough, their lowest risk plan and they weren't even sure if they could pull it off.

Beside him Erik took another deep breath and tilted his head back cockily, pulling his gloves against his hands.

"Let's find out."

Erik extended his hand. The walls trembled, the outer doors groaning under the force Erik's powers. A hush came over the assembled army. Thousands of eyes were on them in that moment, watching the walls that had shut them out in tremble under the force of their leader's powers.

Only Charles was close enough to see that Erik was faltering. It was a big task ahead of him, much bigger than anything he had ever tackled before. The doors were thousands of feet high and several feet thick. There was metal in there, true enough, but it there was such a thing as too much metal.

Seeing his friend's struggles Charles calmly put his fingers up to his temples. He knew that the crowd could see him do this and had no idea what they'd make of it. Probably they would think that he was involved in the downfall of the gates. In a way they would be right. It just had to look like it had all been planned.

He squeezed his eyes shut. Erik's mind was familiar to him, almost as much as Raven's. That first year he had been in their minds all the time, Raven giving him a pass on his promise to stay out of her head due to the gravity of their situation. After the fighting ended he promised to give her her privacy. He always kept a respectful distance from their most personal thoughts though. The minute he became an intrusion he left immediately and apologized.

Charles knew that his power required restraint, something that Emma hadn't quite grasped. She dove in jaggedly, causing the mind pain. He was trying to teach her that control but he suspected she didn't want to. It wasn't just out of politeness though; it was also dangerous. If you didn't keep the walls up then you could easily get lost in someone else's mind. It was too tempting to absorb someone else's emotions. And Emma seemed like a girl trying to lose herself.

Charles moved into Erik's mind, diving along the webs of memories. He needed to give him some memory of peace. His speech against the injustices done had raised his temper too much. Charles was glad that some of the angrier lines had been edited out. He wanted justice to be carried out, but for that justice to be tempered with mercy.

Finally he found the brightest corner of his memories. Charles had visited this place before, always trying not to look too deeply. On this occasion though he knew time was of the essence. So he grabbed a glowing memory, beautiful in its shine. He didn't even know what it was as brought it to the forefront of Erik's mind and let it go.

"Daddy, that's not how the story goes!"

Erik grinned and moved the book aside. A young girl lay in a small bed, her eyes a bright green framed by wispy brown curls.

"Really Lorna?" he asked, "Are you sure of that? Because I'm quite sure that Red Riding Hood was going to visit her wolf in the woods when she was stopped by a grandmother telling her it was okay to stray from the path-"

"You're lying," the little girl pouted.

Erik tossed the book into the air and caught it.

"It's what the book says Lorna, what the author wrote. Read it for yourself," he said.

"I can't read," Lorna said, her frown deepening.

"Then why do you think I'm doing it wrong?" asked Erik, "Awful sure for someone who can't read, aren't you?"

"Daddy!"

"They grow up so fast Susanna," sighed Erik, "One day they're playing quietly and the next they're demanding different endings. But if you insist, I'll change it. Although I don't see what sense it makes for her to be going to her grandmother's house."

Lorna let out a frustrated breath.

"You're mean sometimes daddy," she said.

"Oh, that's too harsh. You've broken my heart," he said dramatically, putting a hand over his heart.

Lorna sat up straight, obviously alarmed.

"I didn't mean it daddy," she said, "I really didn't."

He grinned and removed his hand. Understanding flashed in her eyes and she started giggling. Erik reached out and stroked her hair.

"You're still mean sometimes," she said.

"But funny," Erik said, "Mean but funny."

"Mean but funny."

"And now," said Erik, putting the book away, "it's time for you to go to bed."

She let out another frustrated breath but got settled under the covers. Erik leaned over and kissed her forehead.

"Goodnight Lorna," Susanna said.

"Goodnight."

"Night daddy," she whispered, "I love you."

"Love you too."

Next to him Erik's eyes widened. Charles thought he saw a tear drip down his cheek, but he wouldn't blame him if he had. This was the girl he was fighting for. Revolutions had been fought over many things, but perhaps this was the best embodiment. This was a battle for the future, a battle fought so a little girl wouldn't have to know the horrors of the past generation.

His friend's eyes narrowed in concentration. The doors of the walls began to tremble, the vibrations knocking several soldiers off the walls. The trembled some more before they broke free of their hinges. His face red with the effort and the veins standing out on his neck, Erik tossed them to either side of the path. He bent them so they provided a bulletproof tunnel into the city. Perfect.

The assembled crowd let out an earth shattering cheer. Erik turned his head to Charles.

"Thank you," he murmured.

"Any time my friend," Charles replied.

Erik nodded to him and they turned to face the future.