The Challenge
Magnus sighs as he leans his forehead against the portrait of Charles that hangs in Charles's----his office. Charles died over a year ago, an illness that Magnus had come to help him with. At least he got to see and hear one last time. It has been over a year since Charles has left the Earth, and the more Erik tries to remember Charles, his voice and mannerism especially, the more difficult it becomes. It has been hard running the school; not exactly abandoning his ideals but trying to keep Charles's more alive than anything. This is Charles's X-Men, Charles's school, Charles's home, it's best to try and keep his dream from being contaminated by having Magnus's own ideals mix with Charles's.
Max. He can almost hear Charles's american accent call to him. Max. It's been so long, too long, since someone has called him by his real name. Everyone calls him Magneto or Magnus, Raven and Hank call him Erik believing that to be his real name; only Charles has ever called him Max and even then the two were alone, Magnus's name slipping through Charles's lips as if a prayer. Charles and him stealing glances at one another as they play chess, less and less subtle the more they play. Nights play out when it's just the two of them, despite the savage lands being hard on them both, they got to reconnect in ways they hadn't been able to in years.
Magnus holds those memories closest to him, some of the last good memories they had before they were ripped apart.
"Erik," Beast knocks, "may I come in?"
"Of course, Hank." As the blue fur-covered man enters the two look at one another. It has been quite some time that the infamous Magneto and X-Man Beast have been in the same room without immediately trying to kill. "I mean Beast, apologizes if I overstepped."
"It is quite all right. I might ask have you given any thought about Senator Kelley said?"
Right. Kelly. Kelly used to be anti-mutant until the X-Men and Brotherhood saved him and now he's for the mutants and has tried to disband Friends of Humanity for a bit until Peter Krane took over. Kelly now has informed Magnus that he must pick a successor for the X-Men. Peter Krane's son, Arthur, is in the bidding for reasons no one knows, not even Jean or Wanda can find out. There is also Scott Summers, Magnus knows it is Scott's dream to lead the X-Men fully though Magnus is unsure if Scott knows the strains being in Charles's position can cause. There was a reason Charles, even Magnus now, are barely in the field; plus the young man has enough stress and grief as it is and with Scott and Jean trying to start a family, Magnus does not wish to cause anymore strife to the young man and his wife.
There's also Rogue. She has not made her wanting to be leader vocal but Magnus has been watching her, how she interacts with the others - Gambit misconstrueding Magnus's observation of Rogue as something more than it is. Magnus has sent the two away on a mission alone in the hopes that they will figure things out - and she can hold her own, knows her limitations.
"I have." Magnus turns away from the portrait, taking one last quick glance at the painting. "It is not an easy task; I have to consider all the X-Men, and then some other mutants. I know the others will not be happy but I do have to consider some of the Brotherhood as well. There are also mutants outside our. . . the two groups and then the concerning Arthur Krane. I do not wish Arthur of all people to lead any mutant group at any point in time but I need to know what his angle is. Both he and his father dislike mutants yet they want to lead our kind? I'll be damned if I allow what happened back in Germany sixty years ago repeat itself."
The air intensifies. The clouds darken as rain starts pouring, a great downside to his magnetic powers, Magnus has come to realize, is when there are electrical storms in the air. Lorna an him are the only mutants that anyone knows of that suffers through it. Magnus does not care, he has suffered worse. Tonight the storm feels different; it feels as if Magnus is being transported to another realm. The elder man has not felt this since he visited the astral plane with Charles. For the first time in a while, Magnus feels at ease.
In the weeks following the electrical storm Magnus has felt a shift in the air. He cannot explain it but something feels different; he has not felt like this since Charles was alive. Which means it's time. He goes over to a large cabinet in the office and grabs what he is looking for: a task that only Charles Xavier has been able to accomplish. Grabbing the items Magnus leaves the office and makes his way down to one of the training rooms where Arthur Krane, Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, and some random mutants that Magnus has not learned the names of - none of them have given a reason as why they want to lead the X-Men. Scott has been out of town talking to Senator Kelly, he is due back at the estate any minute now.
Magnus clears his throat to gain everyone's attention. "I have finally decided that it is time for me to choose." Arthur has the most sickening grin on his face. Magnus hones in on him, using his ability to slightly tighten his watch and belt. "The way the victor will be chosen is by stringing together this bow without using your hands, once that is done you must shoot between twelve axes cleanly."
"That's impossible!" One of the many suitors shouts.
"No it isn't!" Rogue calls back. "The Professor did it!" Magnus suppresses a smile as the suitors all roar an glare at her while Wolverine and Gambit show their teeth in glee.
She really is Raven's daughter, the white-hair man muses.
Magnus turns making his way to a his roo-no not his. Charles's room. He sits down on the bed, his shoulders hunching forward as everything comes crashing down around him. This is the closest he has been near Charles's most personal space in over a year. At first Magnus refused to come into the room, then when he gained the courage to enter he floated above the ground not wanting to disturb anything even now, feeling the soft carpet, the silk sheets under him it feels wrong being in these quarters without Charles fully. Glancing at the nightstand, Magnus sees a picture of Charles and him, arms around one another back when they were younger and Charles has just opened the school.
Magnus removes a glove running his hand over the cool frame.
It's been a long, long time still Magnus musters all his feelings and thoughts attempting to send them to Charles, hoping that the telepath is picking up on the fact that Magnus is waiting, will always wait, and will never turn the school over to someone unworthy to both of them. Opening the drawer Magnus grabs a piece of paper and a pen writing out his own last will and testament.