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"There is still good in you, Erik, I've seen it," Charles said with this pleading look in his blue, blue eyes.
"I know, Charles, but there is no good in them," Erik answered, his mask slipping just enough to see how desperate he actually was, "Can't you see that? Can't you look into their minds and see that they will never accept us? No matter how nice you are, how polite, how unobstrusive. No matter how hard you try to please them, to show them how similar we are to them, that we all just want to live in peace with our loved ones. All they see is our differences. All they think about is how they can annihilate us. All they feel is fear and hate."
"But isn't that exacty what you are feeling now, Erik? Fear and hate? Isn't all you're thinking about how you can annihilate them? Isn't all you see our differences?"
"Get out of my head"
"Didn't have to get in there. The hate is written on your face."
"But my hate is justified. All I have ever known from them is pain. They took my family not only once, but twice. They murdered them. They murdered my daughter, Charles. She was only a child and they murdered her like she was some kind of rabid dog. It wasn't her fault that she was born this way but they punished her for it anyway.
Do you think any of the humans I worked alongside with for ten years even lifted a finger to help me? I called them my colleagues, some even my friends. But you know what they did as soon as they found out who I really was. I tried to hide it, I really did, but it always shows eventually and once again I found myself betrayed and beaten by them.
They will do the same to you and the children in your school once they find out. Do you think any of your human "friends" will stop them? Or will they just stand and watch you die?"
"They will stand by my side. They will protect me and they will protect the children."
"That's just wishful thinking."
"I know how much pain they caused you, Erik, and I know how hard it can be to stop seeing everything in black and white. Or only black. But humans, they are so capable of gray. They are so capable of love, just like you and me. They are just scared of what they don't know but if we let them get to know us, if we show them how we don't pose any danger to them, there is no reason to be scared or to hate. But if we show them hate, they will react to it with hate."
"But why doesn't that apply to me? To us? Why is it wrong for me to react with hate when all they give me is hate? Why should I always hold the other cheek? Why shouldn't I fight back when me or my friends or my family are violated? Why don't you fight back? Why don't you care?"
"You know that I care. I care so much. I care for every single mutant in this world. I can feel their pain, I know how much they're suffering. I know how much you are suffering. But more suffering to them won't bring less suffering to you. Hate only ever results in more hate."
"Less hate didn't result in less hate either. Do you expect me to do nothing and watch them pass another law diminishing our rights, treat us like shit, kill us off one by one? What did you expect me to do when they shot my family right in front of me? What do you expect me to do when they kill you? Charles, we have to fight back. Together. Please fight with me, don't let them take you away from me, too."
"I am fighting. Taking in these kids, teaching them to accept and control their powers, to accept themselves in a world that seems to want to get rid of them. Showing them that they deserve a place in this world just like everyone else does. That their differences are no reason for hate but for curiosity and conversation.
I want them to be proud of who they are and open to the world. None of them should be ashamed like we were, or still are sometimes. They will give love to the world and the world will give them love back."
"Love doesn't always win, Charles."
"Yes, it does, Erik."