Chapter 24

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Dr Doom was able to escape from Latvaria. It was painfully obvious that the coup against him had been largely successful, he would need his allies if he was to have any chance of reclaiming his power. Magneto was able to give Doom sanctuary in Genosha, Killmonger also came to this meeting.

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Doom: Thank you again for your help in this Magneto.

Magneto: Of course.

Doom: Now, we need to discuss how to return me to power.

Magneto: I'm not in the best position to offer much help. My resources are being taxed just protecting the mutant homeland. As long as I'm in charge, you have sanctuary in Genosha. That's about all I can do.

Killmonger: And my followers are having a hard enough time fighting for democracy in Wakanda. Maybe if you had called for elections, you'd have more credibility now.

Doom: Hindsight is 20/20.

Magneto: Perhaps I should learn from that mistake. Democratic elections might be the best way to create stability for Genosha.

Doom: And if you lose this election? Would you let the Colonel come back and oppress mutants?

Magneto: Of course not. I am trying to create a new constitution, one that will prohibit specifically anti-mutant candidates from running for office.

Killmonger: So it wouldn't be a true democracy?

Magneto: Perhaps not. My priority has always been to protect my people. If democracy helps me achieve this so be it. But mutant survival takes precedence over whatever strategy might be used.

Doom: I have spent well over a decade stopping democracy in Latvaria, I can't exactly now call myself a believer in that system and demand elections. I have a fair amount of loyal supporters remaining, but I would still prefer to avoid civil war.

Magneto: Do you have other options? When the Colonel knew he was defeated he stole what he could from the Treasury and fled. I believe he's living quite well in Switzerland.

Doom: I cannot abandon my people. They will starve, and Bardas is too arrogant to ask our neighbors for help. She would rather just invade.

Killmonger: So why not ally with those neighbors? They have to be worried about an invasion from Latvaria.

Doom: Yes, and I am certain they will ally with my side to protect themselves. But even with outside intervention, it still amounts to a Latvarian civil war.

Magneto: A tragedy, but what choice is there?

Doom: Have you two ever heard of the infinity stones?

Magneto: Yes. Six powerful stones, the origin of them is unknown. Some say that God committed suicide because he was tired of being God, and the infinity stones are the result.

Killmonger: Others say that the stones were created from the birth of the universe. I've heard the rumors, but as far as I know they are just myth and legend.

Doom: But you know the main point of this "legend." That whoever has all six stones can remake the universe. We could make this world a true Utopia. Imagine, no discrimination against mutants, against any race. We could stop Galactus and Apocalypse before they ever make themselves known to the world. And someone has to rule the world, why shouldn't it be us?

Magneto: Why not us indeed? We three are all willing to do what is necessary for our respective peoples. I love Charles Xavier, but his moral code prohibits him from doing what is necessary to win.

Killmonger: But the three of us all have different definitions for "Our people." For me it's the oppressed peoples of the world. For Magneto here his people are mutants. For Doom, his people are anyone who holds Latvarian citizenship and is loyal to the state. For now our interests can coincide, but can we really trust each other on this.

Doom: I don't know. But, if all three of us are looking for six stones, it seems possible we would each get at least one. So when the day comes, and it may, we'll have to trust each other a little.

Magneto: I suppose we will. What the hell, I'm in.

Killmonger: I still have my doubts that these stones even exist. But I don't trust either of you to have all six of them, and I sure as hell don't want our enemies to have that much power. I'll do what I can. If between the three of us we at some point have all six stones, we'll see where we stand then.

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Doom was able to make contact with his loyal supporters in Latvaria. For all his faults he had kept a certain order between Latvaria's different ethnic groups. Bardas on the other hand was quick to try and satisfy the passions and prejudices of her biggest supporters. She was willing to put one ethnic group over others if it meant herself staying in power. Latvaria's neighbors had been willing to give food to prevent starvation, and tried to keep this deal with the new regime. But Bardas seemed intent on "Making Latvaria Great Again" and the nationalism she appealed to made invading her neighbors almost inevitable. Because of this Doom was able to ally with Latvaria's neighbors who were facing invasion. It was becoming more and more likely that Latvaria would soon face civil war.

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Killmonger believed in democracy, up to a point. He was well aware that he was an outsider in Wakanda, that he might very well lose this election. That he could begrudgingly tolerate, but he was more worried about the possibility of W'Kabi taking power. T'Challa at least believed in equality between the tribes, believed in some rights for the migrants coming into Wakanda. But W'Kabi appealed to a certain nationalism, spoke of the migrants workers as vermin. Killmonger feared what would happen if someone like that took power in Wakanda. As critical as Killmonger had been of his cousin, he called T'Challa a dictator to his face, he knew that W'Kabi would be much worse. Perhaps he needed to take matters into his own hands.

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President Kelly was briefed on the situations in Genosha, Wakanda, and Latvaria.

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Kelly: Magneto actually calling for elections. Maybe I'm biased, since he tried to murder me, but I am skeptical that these elections will be legitimate.

Geyrich: We'll be monitoring this election, he has agreed to let the United Nations officially monitor them.

Kelly: I guess with our country's history people would give the UN more credibility in this area.

Geyrich: You've heard about the assassination of W'Kabi in Wakanda. Some people believe we were behind it.

Kelly: We weren't. Were we?

Geyrich: No, but Killmonger definitely had issues with this opponent, and he was originally trained by us.

Kelly: But he left the American military and basically renounced his American citizenship. All things considered, maybe we do bare some moral responsibility for that.

Geyrich: I wouldn't say that in public Mr president.

Kelly: Killmonger is allied with Dr Doom correct?

Geyrich: Yes sir.

Kelly: Would he use him to murder Bardas?

Geyrich: Doom is suspected of killing political opponents before, and if he thinks it could prevent a civil war in his country, absolutely. But Bardas certainly has her own bodyguards, I'm sure she considers the possibility of assassination. And I don't see how we can prevent it, not without serious intervention on our part.

Kelly: That usually doesn't go well. In the event of war we will try and pressure both sides to allow humanitarian aid into the country. But for the most part we stay out of it.

Geyrich: Understood Mr president.

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Peter Parker still occasionally came to Xavier's school, so when he came to see Mystique noone thought it unusual.

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Peter: Thank you for agreeing to speak with me.

Mystique: What did you want to speak to me about?

Peter: I'm doing a story on vice-president Creed, how he is now running for president. According to his own statements he was placed in the foster system at the age of six. His father was physically abusive, his mother wasn't even around.

Mystique: I heard that, I think those records are supposed to be sealed.

Peter: They are, but I have sources.

Mystique: I don't like what he stands for, but is it really moral to go into his foster records?

Peter: Maybe not, but my children could conceivably turn out to be mutants, and I'm scared. Kelly was always just an opportunist, but Creed has a real genuine hatred for mutants, the kind that comes from real pain. I think his parents were mutants. It wasn't easy, but I traced them. So I'm asking, are you Graydon Creed's mother?

Mystique: Possibly. Victor, Sabertooth, he and I were close at one point. I didn't intend to become pregnant, but it happened. I tried to make it work, but I couldn't take him for long. So eventually, I left. I should have taken him with me, but I was scared. About a year later I came back, and it was clear that the child was scared of his father. I don't know for certain he ever abused our son, but I couldn't take the chance. I called Child Protective Services, let them know the child was in danger. The irony is they assumed Victor was guilty because he was a mutant. I didn't like using anti-mutant prejudices, but I did. I don't know for certain it is the same boy who is now running for president, but yes, I believe it is.

Peter: But you still went back to Sabertooth?

Mystique: I went back to Magneto's Brotherhood. Whatever our differences, Sabertooth and I both believed in Magneto's cause.

Peter: If both his parents are mutants, why isn't Creed?

Mystique: The way it was explained to me, if one of your parents is a mutant, you have a 50/50 chance of being a mutant. If both of your parents you have a 99.99% chance of being a mutant, but there is always that 0.01 chance of it not happening. And now, Creed hates all mutants, because I abandoned him and Sabertooth abused him. If he is a monster, it is because we made him that way. I couldn't blame him if he never forgave me.

Peter: I understand why you blame yourself, but as a journalist I have a duty to expose the truth. And if a presidential candidate who runs on an anti-mutant platform is part mutant, the people have a right to know.

Mystique: I realize that. Do what you have to do.