A Chance Meeting?
by
Zerelda X



Magnus belongs to Marvel. Charlotte belongs to me. No profit, don't sue. Entertainment purposes only.




"Is there anything else I can do for you?" William Addison asked, writing on a legal pad.

Charlotte looked down at the notes she made. "I don't think so. If you'll can have all that for me next week, that will be fine." She smiled at her attorney.

The restaurant was clearing of midday clients, beginning preparations for the evening crowd. She'd been lucky to get him before he'd gone to lunch.

"I have another appointment," he looked at his watch. "I'm sorry to rush off like this." He put his pad in his briefcase, snapping the locks.

"No worries. I'll have another cup of coffee and head back home. Thank you for meeting me on such short notice."

He squeezed her hand and left.

She asked the waiter for more coffee and scanned back through her notes. At least she wouldn't have to do this for another year. She hated having to make these decisions, but Thomas was right. Now that she was contemplating joining the X-Men her legal issues needed to be kept up to date. After all, what was the average life span of a crusading mutant these days?

"May I join you for dessert?" A rich, smooth, slightly accented voice broke into her thoughts.

She looked up at an older man, expensively attired in a dark suit and white shirt, no tie. His mane of white hair was combed back off his face and his blue eyes alive with dark humor. His face struck a memory in her, but she couldn't place it right away.

"Have a seat," she invited. "I am not having dessert, but please feel free to have some yourself." Her curiosity was always getting the better of her. It would probably get her killed one of these days. Just hopefully not today.

"Then I will just have coffee with you. I have been waiting for an opportunity to speak to you for some time."

"I have time now." She slipped the papers into the briefcase by her chair and turned her attention to him.

He waited until the waiter brought him a cup and poured. "You are not afraid of me?"

"No. Should I be?" Raven had always told her she needed to exercise more caution, show some fear sometimes. Fear and caution would keep her alive. Bored, but alive.

"A great many people are wary of me, including your...associates."

"Perhaps if you told me who you are?"

Understanding lit his face and he laughed. He was really quite handsome. "I see Charles has not seen fit to tell you our little story. My name is Magnus. Your associates know me as Magneto."

Now she knew where she recognized him from. "I am familiar with your history," she said. "I have, of course, seen pictures of you. You look somewhat different."

"We all grow older," he said modestly.

"So, why are you here? Have you come to take me captive? I must warn you, I make a very tedious prisoner." She touched her medallion under her shirt in a reflexive motion. She didn't know what effect his magnetism would have on her shields and she was unwilling to find out. This was one of the most powerful mutants on Earth.

"No, nothing of the sort, I merely wish to speak to you." He managed to look hurt and disappointed at her assumption. "I have been observing you for some time. You are a member of the X-Men, yes?"

"I haven't decided. Do you always approach potential members of other mutant teams?" Something was holding her back, but she hadn't been able to pin it down. Logan, bless his everlovin' heart, was trying not to push her, but the effort was costing him. He did so hate to not know what was going to happen.

"When the opportunity presents itself. If you haven't made your choice, perhaps I can convince you to join my efforts." He smiled quite charmingly at her. She was sure that many women were charmed by that smile.

"I've followed your 'career' for many years now," she told him, returning his smile. "I don't think I'd be an asset to you." Older men did have something special about them, 'older' being the relative term for her.

That put him off momentarily, but he recovered quickly. "I do not know about that. What exactly is your gift?"

"Gift? You mean mutant power?"

"Of course. It is a gift, you understand. It elevates you to a superior position in the evolutionary chain."

"Oh yes, the 'homo sapien superior' theory. I've read about it, but I find little to recommend the idea. I believe it's a self-serving, self-promotional theory. Simply because some humans are born differently, they should be allowed to lord it over the others?"

"It is our destiny." The gleam of a true believer shown in his eyes.

"That has been a prevalent idea all through history, the English, the Germans, the white man, to name a few. Do you also subscribe to Manifest Destiny?" She sipped her coffee and waited for his answer.

"I believe that I must deal from a position of strength. Survival of the fittest. I am a mutant, I am strong. Should I follow the dictates of a lesser being?"

"All depends on your definition of a 'lesser being.' I don't believe I am inherently better than those around me. If I'd behaved in that manner I probably would have been killed years ago. Acting like a playground bully only leads to being treated like one. Sooner or later, the 'lesser beings' will take you down. There are generally more of them. It makes more sense to learn to cohabitate with them."

"I see Charles has already infected you with his dream," Magnus frowned. "Why haven't you become one of his X-Men?"

"That's more of a group interaction problem. I have been alone so long I don't know if I can function within a team structure. I'm still working on that. But infected? You make it sound like a horrible disease." Her attempt at levity didn't lighten his expression. "I also have doubts about his dream."

"But what is your gift? What is it that you do?"

"I am a telepath."

He nodded. "A valuable asset. Charles is certainly collecting them."

"I don't know if 'collected' is the word I'd use. He's asked me to join the team. If I do, I'm sure we'll meet again, at least in battle."

"I do not want to battle with Charles and his X-Men. He is, was my best friend, but he could never truly understand why I feel this way."

"He never lost his family to the Holocaust. Your rage is understandable." She nodded towards his right arm. "He was never marked by the Nazis."

Magnus looked down at his arm, seeming to peer through the layers of cloth to the numbers branded into his forearm. His eyes emptied for a moment, then he shook himself slightly. "How unusual to find a young person with knowledge of the greatest atrocity of our time. Unless your family is Jewish?"

"No, my family is neither Jewish or Christian in any sense of the word. I know the horrors of war, not as well as you do, of course. I have never grown accustomed to the atrocities humans are capable of committing on each other."

"Then you do agree with me."

"No. I understand your position, but that's all. Mutants, no matter how hard they try to forget, are still human. And humans as a species prey on each other daily."

"How can you know these tragedies you speak of and still remain unmoved?" His eyes bored into hers, glowing fiercely with true fanatical conviction.

"Unmoved?" She suddenly felt tired. The memories he spoke of weren't things she wanted to remember, it was enough she dreamed of them. "I've lived a long time. I've seen racism and hatred in many different forms, in many different societies on Earth. I've tried to combat it, tried to change it. I don't try anymore."

Her voice chilled him and made him angry all at once. "Why not? Have you given up on your own kind? Are you truly without pity?"

"You have caused destruction all over the world, and you question my beliefs?"

"Then tell me, who is it that deserves concern? The 'normal' humans," he injected a wealth of disdain into that one word, "or your own kind?"

The waiter interrupted their conversation to refill their cups. Charlotte was glad for the distraction. She was close to losing her temper and it would be the height of stupidity to provoke Magneto. She released it with a slow breath and continued.

"The children. Normal, mutant, it doesn't matter. It's the children who will decide your future, who will ultimately write your history. How do you think you'll fare? What are your actions telling them? How will they remember this world and this place in time? Will they remember that mutants ravaged and destroyed their world? Or will they remember that mutants tried to help, tried to protect?"

"You are speculating on the future." He leaned back in his seat, feeling old himself.

"Aren't you planning the future? A future where mutants are in control and 'normal' humans are yoked to your dream? The future is the only certain thing I have. The here and now is easy, tomorrow is hard."

"I will not convince you to join me, will I?" He gave her a small smile. Older men *were* more interesting.

She shook her head. "No. You and Charles, you both are like children in this conflict. You each chase the opposite ends of the same goal. Perhaps in the future the two of you will come to terms with your dislike of each other's ideas. I may not believe he has much hope of attaining his dream, but it is more 'humane' to me. I can fight for something that is inherently good and sort out the details later."

"Who are you, little girl, to pass judgement on your elders?" His brow rose in indignation at her apparent dismissal of his dreams.

"I could ask you the same question. I believe at 304 years, I am the elder at this table."

"304? You did not say you had the gift of longevity. You are quite well preserved." His sarcasm was thick, his accent more pronounced in his irritation.

"It's not a gift, it is simply what I am."

Her mild words brought a slight flush to his cheeks. "Will you at least consider my offer?"

"So far, your offer is to help you achieve world domination. I don't believe that mutants are the master race and I don't believe you are destined to rule the world any more than I believed in Hitler." She signalled to the waiter and signed the check. "I must be going. I have really enjoyed our conversation. We must do this again."

He offered his arm to her as they left the restaurant for the elevator. "Perhaps we can have lunch sometime? If Charles will let you out again?"

Charlotte grinned up at him. "You don't have a high opinion of the team, do you?"

Maybe with enough time she would be swayed to his side, though something told him she could be stubborn. "I have a great deal of respect for the abilities of the X-Men, but he does seem to keep a tight rein on them." Would it be worth his time to convince her of the validity of his vision?

"Most of them, I've noticed, show the proper respect for Charles, but there are one or two rebels in the ranks. How about we meet here in four weeks from today for lunch? If you're free, of course."

"I will be free," he assured her.

The elevators opened on the ground floor.

"One last thing," he said. "If I may ask a question?"

She turned to him. "Ask away."

"In all your years, have you learned any wisdom that you still carry with you?"

Charlotte thought a moment. "Yes, I have. I've learned that the Bible was written by the same people who said the world was flat."

Of all the things she might have said. "Pardon me?" He couldn't have heard her right.

"People are fallible, even homo sapien superior."

The doorman hailed a cab for her. She waved goodbye.

How could he not be free? It had been too long since he had lunch with someone who could carry on an intelligent conversation and had some of the same experiences he did. It was a shame he couldn't talk to Charles like he used to. Conversation was something to be treasured. It was a lost art.

Magnus whistled to himself as he set off on foot.



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