The Meeting…
[POV Rumi]
"Is this how teleportation feels?" Mystique asked emptying her stomach. I looked towards Magneto, he was also not looking good.
"Yeah, I know it's bad. You just have to get used to it. Teleportation is based on Space manipulation and displacement… stuff like that. Human bodies are fragile and can't handle long-distance space displacement, that is why you feel unpleasant… the portkey has built-in safety charms, that is why you feel like being squeezed through the tube" I explained and conjured a glass and used Aguamenti to fill it up. I handed the glass to Mystique then I did the same for Magneto.
"Do all of you use teleportation like that?" Magneto asked looking curious.
"No, a Portkey has to be prepared beforehand, these things are used for really long-distance travels like we just did but we mostly use Apparation. Long-distance Apparation takes a huge amount of magic power… only Reo and Nemuri can do that" I explained and suddenly remembered something and pulled out a bangle Nemuri gave me and threw it to Mystique.
"Wear it. It will protect your mind, no one will be able to look into it or mess with it" I explained when Mystique and Magneto kept staring at the bangle I just handed Mystique.
Both Magneto and Mystique stared at the bangle in awe, shock, and surprise… though I didn't say that someone magically strong like Nemuri or Reo will be able to ignore the effects of those bangles. From what I have heard from Momo and Fleur, all enchanted artifacts have a threshold… and there might be someone who goes above that threshold namely Reo or Nemuri. So, they won't be affected by the bangle's effects.
"You mean to say that this bangle will act like my helmet?" Magneto asked looking slightly skeptical.
"Yes, this was something Nemuri made in her younger years… she was still in school at that time" I said and both of them had their jaws hanging near the ground. Mystique quickly put on the bangle. The meeting was set to happen in a park, quite an open place for my liking…
The three of us arrived in the park, it wasn't exactly a park or a red-robed guy wearing a helmet who would not have agreed to meet in a place like this, especially with everything happening around. Mystique would have caused more problems but she was using a disguise… so, no naked blue woman roaming around. The meeting was scheduled to happen after dark, which will make it hard for me to notice if someone was watching us or not.
We were the first to arrive so I decided to look around while Mystique and Magneto decided to wait. I quickly hopped around without making a sound… being a rabbit has its perks. I saw Charles arrive in the park along with a man with funny goggles and a woman with white or silver hair. She looked slightly magical…
I could easily feel the magical power she was releasing casually. It was quite clear that she was untrained and she could be taught, I didn't expect to meet anyone with a magical core in this world. I need to ask Reo if this is a common or a one-time incident. I will keep a close eye on her… she is the one who poses more risk than that stupid-looking guy.
Suddenly my body shuddered in disgust and I badly wanted to punch that guy's face. I had to use all of my willpower to stay where I am. I decided to look around and just as I had thought Charles and his entourage had been followed… the followers in a black van, how cliché. I cast a disillusionment charm on myself and went towards the van… there were three people inside the van completely fitted with surveillance tech.
I have heard from Reo that Charles is a really powerful telepath, how the hell did he miss this or did he knowingly bring them here??? I stunned all three of them and decided to take a peek in their mind and found that they have been keeping a watch on the Xavier Mansion and when they found that Charles was meeting someone here, they send a team here beforehand. That means these guys didn't follow Charles from the Xavier mansion.
I left them alive not to cause problems… after all, these guys weren't my problem. After leaving them there I quickly dashed back to Magneto and Mystique. Charles's entourage was very slow…
"Did you find something?" Mystique asked me.
"Yes, the Xavier Mansion is under surveillance by a guy named William Stryker. I took out the team that they have sent here… they will be knocked out until tomorrow morning" I said and sat down on a nearby bench. Xavier finally arrived, he had a gentle smile on his face… no matter how much I try, I am still getting Dumbledore vibes from him. I had to again crush the impulse to punch that goggles guy.
"Charles, my old friend. It is nice to meet you after so many days" Magneto greeted Charles.
"Me too, Erik. So, how have you been and how is your Brotherhood?" Charles asked Magneto. Charles turned his eyes towards Mystique and suddenly frowned. Then he immediately turned his eyes towards me and I felt several mental probes collide against my mental defenses. I was immediately annoyed…
"I would be pleased if you didn't try to look inside my head" I said in an annoyed tone getting up from my bench. The silver-haired woman frowned but didn't say anything while the dude in goggles scowled, the geezer on wheels decided to remain silent… if I had any respect for him I immediately lost it. Now, I understand why I was getting Dumbledore vibes from him.
"Ohoho!" Magneto laughed mockingly. "Already trying your stupid games? Don't worry Charles, it won't work" Magneto said and laughed.
"Since you asked me about the Brotherhood… I disbanded it. I don't need it anymore" Magneto said in a neutral tone. This time all of them were surprised.
"Why? The Magneto I knew would never do that" Charles said in a grave tone.
"Yes, but circumstances have changed. You have already heard the announcement what do you think is going to happen to us? They have already said that we are going to be treated like cattle and I for one would never accept that" Magneto said heatedly.
"So, what are you planning?" Charles asked.
"Wouldn't you like to know, so you can go and babble it to the humans? But let me ask you what are you going to do with the X-Men? What have you planned?" Magneto said. The guy in goggles looked like he was about to attack after hearing Magneto. Charles didn't look happy but he knew he couldn't say anything.
"My mansion is quite safe my friend, I think that humans would come to see the errors in their ways…" Charles was about to say something more but I burst out laughing. Is he serious? Did he really mean that?
Magneto and Mystique were looking at me curiously while Charles and his group were looking at me with a frown on their faces. I finally stopped laughing…
"You must be really stupid, geezer if you think humans will ever see the errors of their ways. Humans have a superiority complex and they would never allow someone better than them to live freely. Why do you think mutants always face oppression? It's because humans can never swallow the pill that there is something out there superior to them… and you are an even bigger fool if you think your Mansion is safe? Your mansion is already being watched" I said with a neutral tone but Charles's group didn't seem happy. The silver-haired woman still nodded even though she wasn't happy.
"You think you are superior to humans? That will be your undoing" Charles said in a disappointed grandfatherly tone.
"Yes, she is superior. That aside, I didn't come here to tell you anything, I rather came here to tell you that you can stay in your damn Mansion as long as you want but please don't drag down our brethren along with you to the pits of hell" Magneto said with a serious tone.
"Let's go…" Magneto said but he was cut off by Charles who had a desperate look on his face.
"Please Erik, I don't know what you are planning but this will only create more hate… we can't get peace through hate" Charles said in a desperate tone.
"Heh! We will see about that" Magneto said and the three of us walked away from his group. I was waiting to see if they would attack us from behind but thankfully they had some grey matter left in their brains and didn't attack us. After exiting the park, I pulled out a stone, and Magneto and Mystique grabbed my shoulders. I activated the Portkey and the three of us were whisked away after that.
We arrived at Magneto's base and both Magneto and Mystique ended up flat on the floor.
"I am never doing that again" Mystique said in a whiny tone. I just chuckled after watching their condition.
Magneto pulled himself up from the floor while dusting his robes.
"Do you think he will listen?" I asked Magneto who just shook his head.
"I think he will inform the authorities that I am planning something… stupid fool!" Magneto said in annoyance.
"If there is nothing more then I will be leaving to help Momo and Fleur with the barrier" Magneto said and left.
"Charles was my friend too… but he always loved humans more than our kind. All of us has paid a heavy price for that… so many of my friends were captured and experimented on… he did nothing. He still stood up for the humans" Mystique spoke in a sullen voice while I clearly saw tears flowing down her face.
"Don't worry, everything will get better. Since Reo has decided to make a safe place for mutants he will definitely do it" I said trying to reassure Mystique. I clearly saw the pain and anguish in her eyes…
"I sincerely hope that he succeeds" Mystique said in a melancholic voice and then left the room…