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The news was finally revealed to the public.
Two of the most powerful mutants in the world, Professor X, director of the Xavier’s institute for gifted youngsters, and Magneto, the chief of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants had been captured the day before and were now sentenced to the death penalty.
Charles looked at Erik, seeing how exhausted he was. Not physically, no, Erik never seemed to be tired, but emotionally.
After years of fighting, years of advocating for their people, their end was here.
His white hair was messy and dirty, completely ruined by the dirt on the ground of their cell, as he was laying down, facing the ceiling.
His eyes were closed, but even without his telepathy, Charles knew that his old friend wasn’t asleep. How could he ?
Charles glanced at the special handcuffs that were completely covering his hands, metal, of course; these bastards had a sense of irony.
“-Erik ?” He whispered, hoping for an answer.
Only a little groan proved to him that Erik was indeed conscious.
“-I… I want to apologize to you, old friend.” Charles said, under his breath.
“-What for ?” Erik answered simply.
Charles had a sad smile on his face. Of course Erik wouldn’t want to talk to him more than what he had to. After all, they were supposed to be enemies. One destroying governments and the other trying to stop him.
But maybe… Maybe it had been a mistake since the beginning.
Maybe if they had stayed together that day, in Cuba, many years ago, they wouldn’t be here today.
“-You were right, my friend.” Charles said, sadness going through his voice as he spoke.
“-Look at us today. Look at how our people are treated… Erik, I should have listened to you… Because.. Maybe our children would still be alive today. Maybe mutants would be free. Maybe we would have stayed friends.” Charles mumbled these last few words.
“-I wish I could tell you “I told you so” but I wouldn’t mean it. Charles, you have always been the best of all of us. You believed in people even though they always let you down. You believed that humanity could get better, could change and accept us. That’s who you are. The fucking optimist. So don’t talk like that, my friend. That’s my role, not yours.”
Erik stood up and tried to approach Charles, only to be stopped by the chains at his feet, blocking him from walking toward his friend.
Charles was silent, meditating on Erik’s words.
For the second time in his life, Charles was losing hope, and Erik didn’t like that, at all.
After his unsuccessful attempt to reach for Charles, he sat down and looked at his ex-partner, a look of worry in his eyes.
“-How are your legs ? Now that you can feel them.
-It’s… Weird. I haven’t used them in almost twenty years so I don’t even know if I can stand up let alone walk. But I guess it feels good to know that I will leave this world feeling them. Even if it is just for a few minutes and with the help of a stupid serum that destroyed ten years of my life.
-Charles…
-You don’t have to.
-To what ?
-You don’t have to tell me anything, Erik. In a few minutes, ten guards will arrive here and take us to our execution pontoon. And I know you have a sense for drama, so you were probably going to say something that is going to piss me off, as usual. But right now, the only thing I want is a little peace, before having to face our doom.
-I wasn’t about to start any argument with you, Charles. I just wanted to be honest with you, and with myself. Because if I have to die in less than ten minutes, at least I could make sure to use this time to my advantage.
-I’m afraid I don’t understand.
-A long time ago, you saved my life. You offered me a home, a family. I want you to know that these few months with you, Myst-Raven, and the boys, were probably the best of my life.
I know I disappointed you, many times. But I want you to know, no. I need you to know that you are my family, Charles. All of you. I may have had a family with… Nina and Magda… But you and the kids were also a part of it.
So, I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but… I’m sorry, Charles. For everything.”
Even after all these years, it was still difficult for Erik to say the names of his ex-wife and child. But he needed to say it out loud one last time. To make sure the universe would still hear it one last time.
He held his breath after his declaration. He looked over at Charles, waiting for any kind of answer, only to hear a chuckle. He frowned at the sound, was Charles making fun of him ?
“-I am not making fun of you, darling. And before you say that I cannot read your mind, I don’t need to do so to know what you were thinking. You are quite an open book, my friend.
Erik, you have no need to apologize to me. I wish I could say that you did nothing wrong, but we both know that would be a lie. However, I forgave you a really long time ago, my dear.”
Charles looked over at Erik, making eye contact to emphasize his sayings. A small but sad smile appeared on his lips as he was analyzing every bit of Erik’s face, trying to remember every detail before it was too late.
Of course, time had brought its marks with it, leaving new wrinkles on his forehead and between his eyes, but oh God was he as handsome as Charles could remember.
“-Erik, you are also my family. All of you were. When you left the beach, all those years ago, I felt like you were taking a part of me with you. Of course you took Raven, but at the same time, I felt a part of my soul leaving me.
Darling, you and I have been a team for as long as I can remember. Even if we fought. Even if we had different ideologies. We were still two sides of the same coin.
I’ve never stopped caring for you, my friend. And, as long as I have a beating heart, you will always have someone on this earth who believes and loves you.”
Charles said firmly but with a tone that could totally reflect his love and adoration for the other man.
Erik, on the other hand, didn’t know what to answer. What do you say to the first person you’ve ever loved ?
Erik opened his mouth, ready to say something, anything but footsteps were approaching their cell.
He closed his mouth hardly and looked at Charles, determination shining in his eyes.
The heavy door that was locking them up, finally opened as a man in a complete white suit got inside.
He didn’t say anything to the two prisoners, just looked over at his guards, who entered the room, picked up the two men and unlocked the chains, only to lock them one to another.
The corridor was completely quiet, the only sound coming from their footsteps.
Charles could barely walk, grimacing in pain. And Erik swore to himself that, if he could find any solution for, at least Charles, to escape, he would kill every single guard himself.
But unfortunately, his thoughts quiet down the second they step outside.
The light coming from the sun burned their eyes a little and it took them a few seconds to adjust.
Erik looked around, seeing tons of journalists and political figures sitting at the frontrow, then, gathering around the pontoon, hundreds of people, humans of course, were here to see the execution of two mutants.
“Fucking disgusting” He thought to himself.
He glanced at Charles, feeling a bit of fear making its way to his heart.
He didn’t want to die, of course. He still had so many things to do with his life.
But Erik was prepared to die since he was an infant.
Charles, on the other hand, wasn’t used to this feeling. He didn’t deserve it. Not at all.
However, he kept silent. A cold look on his face and a straight back. He will not let them see him break.
Both of them were pushed on the pontoon, where cords were hanging, waiting to become the last necklace they would ever wear.
Erik dared to look at Charles, only to see the same determination on his face. A wave of pride crushed him. God he had missed him.
“-For crime against humanity and terrorism, the mutant known under the name of Magneto is being executed today at 11 o’clock.” White suit said, looking at the crowd.
Erik took a deep breath as the guards put the cord around his neck, tightening it to make sure the execution wouldn’t miss. Then, they uncuffed him, knowing he couldn’t do anything.
“-For creating an illegal army and fraternizing with a terrorist, the mutant known under the name of Professor X is being executed today at 11 o’clock” White suit had now a grin on his face, and Erik had only one desire, to rip off the smile on his face and torture him until he begged for misery.
Charles was pushed next to Erik, the cord put around his neck as his handcuffs were taken off. He seemed to be confident, but Erik could see through the mask. Charles was as afraid as he was.
White suit got down from the pontoon, leaving only the two mutants on it. Shown to the public as a warning; anyone who would be a mutant threat to the US nation would be hanged. No pity.
The flash of the cameras were almost blinding the two mutants, but honestly, it was the least of their problems.
Charles glanced at his friend, a smirk forming on his face.
“-Until the next life, my darling.” He said, softly, only for Erik to hear it.
Charles reached for Erik's hand, holding it tight when he found it, and Erik might have squeezed it hard enough to break it, but at this point, who cares ?
“-I love you, Schatz”
Eleven o’clock rang.
At eleven past five, two bodies were hanging from the gibbet.
And like that, it was the end of the two most powerful mutants in the world.
It was the end of a life-time of love and hate.
It was the end of the world as we know it, because mutants, all across the world, decided to reunite and to fight.
Their death was the premise of something even bigger than them.
Their death didn’t mean the end.
Because, in another life, another universe, the sound of their laughs could be heard clearly and loudly.