[ Erik grabs two beers and hands her one, then takes a seat at the table. ]
Well, I have you to thank for that.
[ He offers her a smile as he takes a drink. ]
The quality of these pictures is absolutely remarkable. It's like nothing I've ever seen. [ He remarks while glancing at the one atop the table. The photographic advancements just weren't present in that time period; but Erik doesn't really question it. She did gather the images directly from his mind, so it's honestly not the strangest aspect.
He has more serious questions to ask, and they need to talk about what happened; but he's giving them both a moment to settle in. ]
[Ah, so he noticed. Wanda smiles and takes a drink of her beer, though she's not particularly eager to tackle that tonight. One day, maybe. She'd like to be honest with him, as he's been with her.]
I'm happy to see them out in the open.
[He could have decided to put them away in a drawer somewhere. But no, they're here, where he lives his day to day.]
You're okay?
[There had been a brief once over for cuts or injuries on the way out, but now that they're standing still, she figures they can take better stock.
[ He reassures. He's seen worse fights than that, and he also wasn't the one who'd had Matthew sneaking around in his mind uninvited. Erik would like to think he's gained better control over his reactions, and he has for the most part; but he doesn't know how much worse the night could have turned had Matthew attempted to use his illusions on him. It gave him an even greater respect for Wanda's mental fortitude, the way she had dealt with shaking him off. ]
You had me worried.
[ He watches her, that same concern showing faintly in his gaze. ]
When Matthew got into your head it was as if you were in a different place all of a sudden. You looked straight through me. Told me to stay back.
[ There's a brief pause, and then - ] What happened? What did he do?
[It feels like a long time since anyone was genuinely worried for her. Not just about her. He cares. She knows that.
Wanda's expression falls as she looks down at her hands around her beer, knowing he'd ask, but still unsure on what to say.]
He reminded me that I was not a good person before I came here.
[Neither was he, apparently, but her sins are still fresh on her mind. Close enough to the surface that Matthew was able to make them stand before her very eyes.]
I was a monster. You would have tried to put me down.
[ Erik can only guess at the things Matthew had shown her, the things that still haunt her. But he recognizes the look in her eyes, it's familiar. He's felt the same before.
He wonders how he might have reacted had Matthew shown him any of the countless lives he'd taken, put actual faces to the victims; their families.
It's a difficult topic, especially because he can't necessarily argue with her point. Had she come to Genosha as a force bent on destroying it, and not knowing anything about her; he would have tried to take her down, like she'd said. ]
What you've done in your past isn't all of who you are. No matter how monstrous the things you've done. You're still the person that has made Kira and Nic feel like they aren't alone here, you've made them feel cared for.
[ Erik reaches across the table to place his hand atop one of hers. ]
You're also the person that has given me peace in a form I didn't think could exist.
[ He knows all too well what she's feeling, what it feels like to think you're a monster. He's had time to sort through it a bit, it's less loud now. For her, it's clear it's much more fresh. He wants to help in whatever way he can. ]
[He's good with words. Another good trait for the leader of this place. Wanda thinks of Kira and Nic, their big curious eyes, their grins when given sweets. She thinks about Erik, moved to tears at the memory of his family.
It doesn't make up for all the harm she's caused, but nothing ever will.
I know. [ He says with a small sigh, and he keeps his hand on hers; hoping it will help. ] I know how that feels.
[ How many times had he had that exact thought over the years? Sometimes it had been impossible to focus on the good, when the bad outweighed it. ]
It is harder to focus on the good. Especially when the pain is still new.
[ He wants to reassure her that things get easier with time, but it seems a useless thing to vocalize when her hurt is still so recent. For Erik, healing was a slow ongoing process, and sometimes it stalled entirely. He's taken steps forward only to backslide when something happened that he didn't know how to deal with. But since Genosha, things had taken a steady turn for the better. He can only hope this place will have the same effect on Wanda as it has for him. But he doesn't expect it will be an overnight process either. ]
[Of course he knows. Wanda gives him a sympathetic smile, bringing her other hand to rest atop his. She loved a man that was metal and data and wires, and she mourns children she knew for a handful of days. He might think her crazy when he learns the full truth of it. Though the longer she spends around him, the more she finds herself hoping he won't.]
You're very sweet.
[Gentle, caring. Not attributes many would give to him, she's sure.]
I know you understand. I do. It's just... relentless.
[ He gives a small smile at the word she uses. No, not many would call him sweet. It was a rare thing, but certain people and situations did bring it out of him; and for that he was grateful. He did, deep down, like to care for people. It's just that his life hadn't been filled with too many opportunities to do so. And he'd made choices which complicated that even more so.
He understands how relentless it feels. And his gaze studies her face for a moment, before he speaks again. ]
I should have done more research into who Matthew was; and what he could do. I regret taking you into a situation like that so unprepared.
[ There would always be some unpredictability when going on missions and meeting potential new recruits. But he wishes he'd known about Matthew's powers before going into it; to warn her, and maybe she would have wanted to go anyway. But at least then they wouldn't have been blindsided. ]
You have undoubtedly saved lives tonight by ensuring Matthew cannot continue to harm and kill others. But I'm sorry for the harm it's caused you.
No, [She says quickly, fingers tightening around his hand for a moment,] that's not on you. Almost everything about him was a a lie. I'm glad I was with you. I could handle it.
[She hates that she had to end his life, but he was a murderer. He enjoyed killing people. He couldn't be allowed to live and potentially pose a threat to Genosha if he found more mutants that shares his views.]
This could have ended much worse if you were alone or if someone else was with you. You know that, Erik.
I know. [ He agrees with a nod. It was true. It would have been much worse if he'd gone with one of the less powerful telepaths he usually took with him. Typically that was all that had been necessary, as most of the recruits had been non confrontational, and he didn't have too many concerns going into it. Matthew had been different than anything he'd come across before. ]
I still wish he hadn't done what he did to you.
[ He pauses a moment. ]
I'm glad we stopped him. There is no telling the kind of threat he would have brought upon Genosha.
[ Erik's lost in thought about that for a moment, thinking how close he'd come to having his home put at risk. He would need to be more careful next time. He's quiet for a moment, debating whether to ask; but they've been honest with each other so far and it's served both of them well; though it hasn't always been easy. ]
Did it... upset you? Taking his life. I ask because I wouldn't want it to burden you, or intrude on your thoughts. If there's anything I can do to help, I want to do so.
[ Maybe upset wasn't quite the right word for it, but he lacked what word would fit.]
It... [She takes a breath, choosing her words carefully.] I'm sad it needed to be done. I'm not happy to kill, but I think it's better me than you.
[Cleaner, in a way. Killed in the mind and then his body. Much of it was fueled by anger, for making her see the faces of those she had killed, but he had to go regardless.]
I don't regret going with you.
[This was an unlucky first time. She turns her hand so that both are holding his one, and she looks him in the eyes, sincere.]
I want to go again. Let me be your partner.
[Someone to have his back when meeting with potential residents. Someone to handle men like Matthew. She thinks about the children on the island, Kira and Nic, and how she knows he'd never forgive himself if someone managed to come here and cause harm.]
[ Better me than you. Initially he wonders what she means, but then he thinks back to the scene and it's clear that their individual methods of killing were very different. In a way, the death she'd given him was 'cleaner'. Some might even say more merciful than what Erik had intended for him; even if she'd given Matthew a taste of his own medicine beforehand.
So he agrees. It was better that way.
When she looks at him with sincerity in her gaze and tells him she doesn't regret going, and even asks to be his partner in future missions he's momentarily surprised. But it gives way to a look of approval, it's a good idea; and he'd be better off with her as his partner.
Erik's the only class four mutant in Genosha, and whatever Wanda is; it's at least that level of power if not much greater. Tactically, it's advantageous to have her join him for that reason alone. But still, since he cares about her, he wants to caution her. ]
It can get difficult, like today. Most of the people I meet aren't like Matthew, but there might be more like him. In fact, if there are; that poses a great danger to Genosha, and I would rather find out and eliminate the threat before they can gather a group of like minded mutants.
[ A controversial opinion to some, but Erik knows how badly things can go when groups like that gain momentum. ]
[The look of approval makes her chest ache. He's not saying no. They could be a formidable, unstoppable team. Not to hurt or conquer, but to protect this place. Protect others, if more like Matthew crossed their path.]
Yes.
[Wanda nods.]
I trust you.
[His judgement, his direction. She hadn't stepped out of line, and even if the ended with her feeling emotionally bruised, she doesn't blame Erik for that.]
[ Erik gives both her hands a squeeze and then eventually lets go, there's a small smile on his face as his expression softens. He's grateful to have her support. ]
Then I would be honored.
[ They already made a good team, he'd seen flickers of that even from the first day of the two of them working in tandem to construct what ended up being her home. And in the way they were with Kira and Nic. There was an unspoken understanding and communication between them that lent itself naturally to working together on missions.
He couldn't have wanted for a better partner. He trusted her, and with her assurance that she trusted him, and that she wasn't put off by the sometimes harsh circumstances they'd have to face; Erik doesn't have any further hesitations. ]
[ That gets a rare laugh from Erik. He shakes his head a bit. ]
No resume. It's very unprofessional I know.
[ It felt nice to have a bit of a break from the tension of the evening, and a smile lingers for a moment on his face before he continues. ]
Most of the time, it's fairly straight forward. In fact, I have never met with a potential recruit and ended up not inviting them to the island. That's how carefully my contacts screen people.
[ Matthew was definitely not the standard case. But it was a valuable lesson in caution, at the very least. There could be more out there like him. ]
You handled yourself well tonight. Not everyone would have been able to withstand an attack like that and maintain control.
[ He wouldn't have blamed her if she had lost control; that was the thing with telepathic attacks, they were meant to destabilize. Given what little he knows of her past, Erik can gather that she's been in fights before, she had the right instincts for it. ]
[It's a small victory every time she can get him to laugh. It draws out a small smile of her own every time, and it does so now despite the terrible night.]
So you're saying I'm just lucky.
[She jokes, because she does think of herself as a bit of a bad luck charm now and then, but in this instance she believes it for the best she was with him. Had this happened and it been someone else, or Wanda heard after the fact what went down, she'd be irritated she didn't go.
When he praises her, she thinks it's about time she at least fess up to what he might suspect. This isn't her first rodeo.]
I was on a team, before. We would try to help people when and where we could. I was younger, then. Inexperienced. I'm much stronger now.
[ He's glad she shared that, and he takes in the information with a slight chuckle, not at her; but because it's another area they have in common. He probably shouldn't be surprised at this point. ]
I was involved in something like that as well when I was younger, and less experienced.
[ And he too had been made much stronger now. It seemed like ages ago that he was working alongside Charles, Raven and Hank. How different things used to be. ]
I was never very good at working in a team, back then.
[ Might have been the fact that he was only half committed; while his real motive had been revenge. ]
So did you - end up helping people? Your team, I mean.
[ He asks because sometimes it's the good intentions that end up with complicated results. ]
[Oh, of course he was. She wonders if it went as well as it did for her. Wanda knows she can't mention the accords because she imagines if she brought up anything about the American government and legalities involving people like her, he'd wonder when he missed that, with all the ties he has.]
Some. The rest of them, they were more... like heroes, than I was. They taught me a lot. [How to fight smarter. How to cooperate with others. Subtle skills.] But we made mistakes. Sometimes, in helping people, there was a lot of collateral damage. Innocents. Over time, we became divided and ended up fighting one another instead of the bad guys.
[She shrugs a shoulder. That, at least, was a long time ago now. She thinks she can do a partner. No more teams.]
What happened to yours? Did you leave because you realized it wasn't for you?
[ He's not surprised to hear it. Groups like that tended to fall apart one way or another; unless everyone held the exact same ideology. Even then, small fractures eventually lead to breaks. It had happened with Charles's x-men, and it had happened with Erik's brotherhood of mutants. ]
A similar thing happened within the group I worked with. My motives in joining were primarily to find the man responsible for the death of my parents. I wasn't invested the same way the others were. And I wasn't a hero. The people I worked with... I suppose they could fit into that category.
[ They had believed in doing good. And they had tried, to make peace with humans, to work together; show them that mutants could be allies and not threats. It hadn't ended well. ]
It's why I left. Mutants and humans have been at war for so long; my friend Charles had one way of looking at that fight; and I ...disagreed. I wanted mutants to take the lead. I didn't think we should have to hide, or scrape for belonging in a society that feared us. And I saw humans as lesser.
[ A brief glance toward the photo of Erik with his family is enough to convey that he no longer holds to that belief. How could he, when he'd loved Magda. He still thought mutants shouldn't have to hide, but he no longer sought to take over power. ]
[She understands, of course, that Erik is no longer that person. Not to such an extreme, at least. He only wants to protect and preserve, not conquer or eradicate.]
It's easy to get caught up in that thinking. I can understand it. I was already an angry youth before I gained my abilities. I would have probably gone down a similar path.
[But instead of destroying the Avengers, she joined them. Only, maybe, hasten their fracturing anyway.]
[ He admits, glancing down for a moment. Erik knows the key differences between them, but it was still somewhat jarring; coming into contact with someone that once thought as he did about humans. ]
What do you think the group you were with would have done with someone like Matthew?
[ He's curious to know, as his experience has been mostly with either side of an extreme. He knows what Charles would have done - tried to help him at all costs; and he knows what someone like Shaw would have done - utilized him, stoked the fire of his anger to benefit his own motives. ]
[The question hurts, because she can practically hear Steve in her head: We try to save as many people as we can. So often she thinks of how disappointed he would be to know what she's done. Matthew might be another to add to the list.]
... I think they would have tried harder to reason with him. Try to give him an opportunity to be a better person. [Her hands go back to resting around her beer.] They did that with me. I was their enemy, at first. They let me join their cause and gave me a place when I had none.
[She's often at the mercy of other's kindness, apparently.]
But we have children here. People that have already been treated terribly by the world. We don't have room for error with rehabilitation. The risk would be too great with someone like Matthew.
[ Her answer makes him think for a moment. Could someone like Matthew have been reasoned with? In Erik's experience, no, and it was safer to eliminate a potential threat rather than deal in the possibility of rehabilitation.
But she'd said that's what they did with her - gave her a chance. It wasn't so black and white, and he thinks it's a case by case basis. Instinct told him what to do about Matthew, and he had no regrets. Just like instinct told him to give Wanda a chance, and once again, he has no regrets. ]
I'm glad they offered you that opportunity.
[ He says with sincerity. ]
The group I was once with, I think they would have tried to give Matthew a chance as well. They would have thought me a monster for the decision I made. I would have called them foolish.
[ Said in a conversational tone because it's ultimately just a hypothetical; what was done was already done. ]
I agree however. There is no room for error when children are involved as they are here. They've been through enough already, they deserve stability and safety. If that means making decisions like the one made today, then so be it.
[ There's a brief pause. ]
But, as my partner, should you ever have reason to question a decision I make; please don't hesitate to make it known.
[ She doesn't strike him as the type that would keep her opinions to herself, but still, he puts it out there just so she knows. ]
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Well, I have you to thank for that.
[ He offers her a smile as he takes a drink. ]
The quality of these pictures is absolutely remarkable. It's like nothing I've ever seen. [ He remarks while glancing at the one atop the table. The photographic advancements just weren't present in that time period; but Erik doesn't really question it. She did gather the images directly from his mind, so it's honestly not the strangest aspect.
He has more serious questions to ask, and they need to talk about what happened; but he's giving them both a moment to settle in. ]
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I'm happy to see them out in the open.
[He could have decided to put them away in a drawer somewhere. But no, they're here, where he lives his day to day.]
You're okay?
[There had been a brief once over for cuts or injuries on the way out, but now that they're standing still, she figures they can take better stock.
And he can ask what she knows he wants to ask.]
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[ He reassures. He's seen worse fights than that, and he also wasn't the one who'd had Matthew sneaking around in his mind uninvited. Erik would like to think he's gained better control over his reactions, and he has for the most part; but he doesn't know how much worse the night could have turned had Matthew attempted to use his illusions on him. It gave him an even greater respect for Wanda's mental fortitude, the way she had dealt with shaking him off. ]
You had me worried.
[ He watches her, that same concern showing faintly in his gaze. ]
When Matthew got into your head it was as if you were in a different place all of a sudden. You looked straight through me. Told me to stay back.
[ There's a brief pause, and then - ] What happened? What did he do?
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Wanda's expression falls as she looks down at her hands around her beer, knowing he'd ask, but still unsure on what to say.]
He reminded me that I was not a good person before I came here.
[Neither was he, apparently, but her sins are still fresh on her mind. Close enough to the surface that Matthew was able to make them stand before her very eyes.]
I was a monster. You would have tried to put me down.
[If Matthew is anything to go by.]
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He wonders how he might have reacted had Matthew shown him any of the countless lives he'd taken, put actual faces to the victims; their families.
It's a difficult topic, especially because he can't necessarily argue with her point. Had she come to Genosha as a force bent on destroying it, and not knowing anything about her; he would have tried to take her down, like she'd said. ]
What you've done in your past isn't all of who you are. No matter how monstrous the things you've done. You're still the person that has made Kira and Nic feel like they aren't alone here, you've made them feel cared for.
[ Erik reaches across the table to place his hand atop one of hers. ]
You're also the person that has given me peace in a form I didn't think could exist.
[ He knows all too well what she's feeling, what it feels like to think you're a monster. He's had time to sort through it a bit, it's less loud now. For her, it's clear it's much more fresh. He wants to help in whatever way he can. ]
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It doesn't make up for all the harm she's caused, but nothing ever will.
Her eyes rest on their hands.]
I wish I could only focus on the good.
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[ How many times had he had that exact thought over the years? Sometimes it had been impossible to focus on the good, when the bad outweighed it. ]
It is harder to focus on the good. Especially when the pain is still new.
[ He wants to reassure her that things get easier with time, but it seems a useless thing to vocalize when her hurt is still so recent. For Erik, healing was a slow ongoing process, and sometimes it stalled entirely. He's taken steps forward only to backslide when something happened that he didn't know how to deal with. But since Genosha, things had taken a steady turn for the better. He can only hope this place will have the same effect on Wanda as it has for him. But he doesn't expect it will be an overnight process either. ]
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You're very sweet.
[Gentle, caring. Not attributes many would give to him, she's sure.]
I know you understand. I do. It's just... relentless.
[And she's tired. She's been tired.]
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He understands how relentless it feels. And his gaze studies her face for a moment, before he speaks again. ]
I should have done more research into who Matthew was; and what he could do. I regret taking you into a situation like that so unprepared.
[ There would always be some unpredictability when going on missions and meeting potential new recruits. But he wishes he'd known about Matthew's powers before going into it; to warn her, and maybe she would have wanted to go anyway. But at least then they wouldn't have been blindsided. ]
You have undoubtedly saved lives tonight by ensuring Matthew cannot continue to harm and kill others. But I'm sorry for the harm it's caused you.
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[She hates that she had to end his life, but he was a murderer. He enjoyed killing people. He couldn't be allowed to live and potentially pose a threat to Genosha if he found more mutants that shares his views.]
This could have ended much worse if you were alone or if someone else was with you. You know that, Erik.
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I still wish he hadn't done what he did to you.
[ He pauses a moment. ]
I'm glad we stopped him. There is no telling the kind of threat he would have brought upon Genosha.
[ Erik's lost in thought about that for a moment, thinking how close he'd come to having his home put at risk. He would need to be more careful next time. He's quiet for a moment, debating whether to ask; but they've been honest with each other so far and it's served both of them well; though it hasn't always been easy. ]
Did it... upset you? Taking his life. I ask because I wouldn't want it to burden you, or intrude on your thoughts. If there's anything I can do to help, I want to do so.
[ Maybe upset wasn't quite the right word for it, but he lacked what word would fit.]
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[Cleaner, in a way. Killed in the mind and then his body. Much of it was fueled by anger, for making her see the faces of those she had killed, but he had to go regardless.]
I don't regret going with you.
[This was an unlucky first time. She turns her hand so that both are holding his one, and she looks him in the eyes, sincere.]
I want to go again. Let me be your partner.
[Someone to have his back when meeting with potential residents. Someone to handle men like Matthew. She thinks about the children on the island, Kira and Nic, and how she knows he'd never forgive himself if someone managed to come here and cause harm.]
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So he agrees. It was better that way.
When she looks at him with sincerity in her gaze and tells him she doesn't regret going, and even asks to be his partner in future missions he's momentarily surprised. But it gives way to a look of approval, it's a good idea; and he'd be better off with her as his partner.
Erik's the only class four mutant in Genosha, and whatever Wanda is; it's at least that level of power if not much greater. Tactically, it's advantageous to have her join him for that reason alone. But still, since he cares about her, he wants to caution her. ]
It can get difficult, like today. Most of the people I meet aren't like Matthew, but there might be more like him. In fact, if there are; that poses a great danger to Genosha, and I would rather find out and eliminate the threat before they can gather a group of like minded mutants.
[ A controversial opinion to some, but Erik knows how badly things can go when groups like that gain momentum. ]
Is that something that you could accept?
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Yes.
[Wanda nods.]
I trust you.
[His judgement, his direction. She hadn't stepped out of line, and even if the ended with her feeling emotionally bruised, she doesn't blame Erik for that.]
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Then I would be honored.
[ They already made a good team, he'd seen flickers of that even from the first day of the two of them working in tandem to construct what ended up being her home. And in the way they were with Kira and Nic. There was an unspoken understanding and communication between them that lent itself naturally to working together on missions.
He couldn't have wanted for a better partner. He trusted her, and with her assurance that she trusted him, and that she wasn't put off by the sometimes harsh circumstances they'd have to face; Erik doesn't have any further hesitations. ]
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Good. I thought I'd have to submit my resume.
["Avenger" until she held a town hostage. No references.]
I know they won't all be like tonight.
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No resume. It's very unprofessional I know.
[ It felt nice to have a bit of a break from the tension of the evening, and a smile lingers for a moment on his face before he continues. ]
Most of the time, it's fairly straight forward. In fact, I have never met with a potential recruit and ended up not inviting them to the island. That's how carefully my contacts screen people.
[ Matthew was definitely not the standard case. But it was a valuable lesson in caution, at the very least. There could be more out there like him. ]
You handled yourself well tonight. Not everyone would have been able to withstand an attack like that and maintain control.
[ He wouldn't have blamed her if she had lost control; that was the thing with telepathic attacks, they were meant to destabilize. Given what little he knows of her past, Erik can gather that she's been in fights before, she had the right instincts for it. ]
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So you're saying I'm just lucky.
[She jokes, because she does think of herself as a bit of a bad luck charm now and then, but in this instance she believes it for the best she was with him. Had this happened and it been someone else, or Wanda heard after the fact what went down, she'd be irritated she didn't go.
When he praises her, she thinks it's about time she at least fess up to what he might suspect. This isn't her first rodeo.]
I was on a team, before. We would try to help people when and where we could. I was younger, then. Inexperienced. I'm much stronger now.
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I was involved in something like that as well when I was younger, and less experienced.
[ And he too had been made much stronger now. It seemed like ages ago that he was working alongside Charles, Raven and Hank. How different things used to be. ]
I was never very good at working in a team, back then.
[ Might have been the fact that he was only half committed; while his real motive had been revenge. ]
So did you - end up helping people? Your team, I mean.
[ He asks because sometimes it's the good intentions that end up with complicated results. ]
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Some. The rest of them, they were more... like heroes, than I was. They taught me a lot. [How to fight smarter. How to cooperate with others. Subtle skills.] But we made mistakes. Sometimes, in helping people, there was a lot of collateral damage. Innocents. Over time, we became divided and ended up fighting one another instead of the bad guys.
[She shrugs a shoulder. That, at least, was a long time ago now. She thinks she can do a partner. No more teams.]
What happened to yours? Did you leave because you realized it wasn't for you?
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A similar thing happened within the group I worked with. My motives in joining were primarily to find the man responsible for the death of my parents. I wasn't invested the same way the others were. And I wasn't a hero. The people I worked with... I suppose they could fit into that category.
[ They had believed in doing good. And they had tried, to make peace with humans, to work together; show them that mutants could be allies and not threats. It hadn't ended well. ]
It's why I left. Mutants and humans have been at war for so long; my friend Charles had one way of looking at that fight; and I ...disagreed. I wanted mutants to take the lead. I didn't think we should have to hide, or scrape for belonging in a society that feared us. And I saw humans as lesser.
[ A brief glance toward the photo of Erik with his family is enough to convey that he no longer holds to that belief. How could he, when he'd loved Magda. He still thought mutants shouldn't have to hide, but he no longer sought to take over power. ]
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[She understands, of course, that Erik is no longer that person. Not to such an extreme, at least. He only wants to protect and preserve, not conquer or eradicate.]
It's easy to get caught up in that thinking. I can understand it. I was already an angry youth before I gained my abilities. I would have probably gone down a similar path.
[But instead of destroying the Avengers, she joined them. Only, maybe, hasten their fracturing anyway.]
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[ He admits, glancing down for a moment. Erik knows the key differences between them, but it was still somewhat jarring; coming into contact with someone that once thought as he did about humans. ]
What do you think the group you were with would have done with someone like Matthew?
[ He's curious to know, as his experience has been mostly with either side of an extreme. He knows what Charles would have done - tried to help him at all costs; and he knows what someone like Shaw would have done - utilized him, stoked the fire of his anger to benefit his own motives. ]
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... I think they would have tried harder to reason with him. Try to give him an opportunity to be a better person. [Her hands go back to resting around her beer.] They did that with me. I was their enemy, at first. They let me join their cause and gave me a place when I had none.
[She's often at the mercy of other's kindness, apparently.]
But we have children here. People that have already been treated terribly by the world. We don't have room for error with rehabilitation. The risk would be too great with someone like Matthew.
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But she'd said that's what they did with her - gave her a chance. It wasn't so black and white, and he thinks it's a case by case basis. Instinct told him what to do about Matthew, and he had no regrets. Just like instinct told him to give Wanda a chance, and once again, he has no regrets. ]
I'm glad they offered you that opportunity.
[ He says with sincerity. ]
The group I was once with, I think they would have tried to give Matthew a chance as well. They would have thought me a monster for the decision I made. I would have called them foolish.
[ Said in a conversational tone because it's ultimately just a hypothetical; what was done was already done. ]
I agree however. There is no room for error when children are involved as they are here. They've been through enough already, they deserve stability and safety. If that means making decisions like the one made today, then so be it.
[ There's a brief pause. ]
But, as my partner, should you ever have reason to question a decision I make; please don't hesitate to make it known.
[ She doesn't strike him as the type that would keep her opinions to herself, but still, he puts it out there just so she knows. ]
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