𝐌𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐟𝐟 • Wish You Were Here

Welcome to the Machine

A/N: The title of the chapter is the title of the second track on Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" album called "Welcome to the Machine." Lyrics from "Welcome to the Machine" and "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" are also featured in this chapter as well.

There's some minor Cherik in this chapter as well as some good Dadneto, so I hope you're a fan.

Genosha is a lot smaller than he thought it would be. In the times he'd imagined the place, he thought there would be some kind of castle where Erik was on his throne making speeches about the Homo superior and shit. But no. It's just a bunch of self-made homes made of old storage containers from barges and stuff. Oddly enough, it was a lot cooler than what he imagined the 'Mutant Haven' to be, even though it wasn't nearly any bit flashy.

The land was overgrown, and the homes rusted over from years of use both as storage containers and as houses. There also weren't very many homes or people, though there were definitely people. As they approached the main town area, Peter came to the decision Genosha was more loosely populated much like the American countryside. The sun shone brightly over the island. It was humid outside and unpleasantly so. Peter wondered if it even snowed in the winter or if it was this sticky hot all year long. As they made their way into the town area, Peter was shocked to see one real building standing. It looked out of place and felt wrong standing alongside all the other buildings. It looked like if always-smiling Kurt stood in the middle of normal miserable-looking people going to their 9-5 office jobs. The building looked like it belonged to a Viking village from centuries ago, not Genosha. It was a building out of place and time.

"So, this is your mutant paradise," Peter says as he looks around the place. Everyone was looking at him as they made their way to one of the homes. Well, they probably were not him, but Erik now that he thinks of it. It's kind of unnerving, and the people look intimidating, but Peter doesn't want to come off scared, so he does his best to act casual about the whole thing.

He is a little scared though, not going to lie. He didn't like how much attention was on him. He didn't like the idea of dying, and that dude over there in the blue shirt had way too many butcher knives. No, he didn't see any currently, but he just knew it – ok? Nobody looks at him – er – Magneto with such murder in their eyes while living in his country and not have some kind of murder attempt drawn up, right? Hell, most of these people living here were probably criminals, right? And he knows how hypocritical that sounds from the kleptomaniac who broke a presidential assassin out of the Pentagon, but doesn't that mean he knows a fellow criminal when he sees one? And celebrities still get starstruck when they see other famous people, so why can't he be a little skittish around other criminals?

"That's what we're working toward."

They're getting closer, but at a pace so slow he swears he once saw a turtle moving quicker. Peter knows he could easily just speed around the whole place and take note of everything and everyone, but he's trying to trust Erik right now. He knows Erik didn't bring him here to hurt him, but he can't help but think how ironic it would be for him, a mutant, and the son of Magneto, to die by Erik's hand in the place dubbed 'Mutant Haven.' Damn it, he needs to get out of his head and calm down.

Peter knows he shouldn't be surprised when he enters the place, but he still is. He knew that the professor was staying here, but when he agreed to come, he didn't think that he'd have to see him. Out of all the welcoming committees he could have been given, he had to be given Xavier. Sounds about right.

"Hello, Peter," he says. 'Hello, Peter?' What the fuck? Is he supposed to just act like the last few years didn't just happen? Peter still doesn't know exactly why everyone hates Xavier now, but he knows that if Hank, who stuck beside Xavier while he was practically a drug addict trying to free murderers from the mother-effing pentagon, is mad at him, then he probably should be too, right? Mean, Hank was there for him even – if he was miserable – the whole time. Hank was his friend after everything happened. So, shouldn't he be upset on Hank's behalf? Shouldn't he stand in solidarity with one of the only people who were in his life after waking up, even if it was albeit a short time?