X-Men: The Gifted Ones

46. MAGNETO HEADQUARTERS, LOCATION UNKNOWN

Magneto was ready to strike. He determined that the war in Vietnam was the best place to make his move.

Erik had trepidations, but Magneto felt no such need for reservations. He needed to strike when the time was right. He sent Azazel and Mystique on a scouting mission among the troops stationed in South Vietnam. Between Azazel's teleporting and Mystique's ability to blend in wherever she went, he received a report quickly. The news was better than he had expected.

He called the Brotherhood together. It was time to plan the attack. They were seated around a large table. Magneto, naturally, was at the head. His beloved Mystique was at his right hand. He called everyone to order and Mystique gave her report.

She walked over to a large map of Vietnam on the wall in the meeting room. "Azazel and I found an ideal company near a village called My Lai," she said, pointing to its location on the map. "It's Company C of the First Battalion, 20th Infantry, 11th Brigade, 23rd Infantry Division. They've suffered a lot of losses lately from landmines and booby-traps. The village is filled with sympathizers of the National Liberation Front. The men are starting to feel aggressive. This may be the right one to infiltrate. They have one member, a man named Creed, who is particularly bloodthirsty and is starting to get the others anxious for a fight. It won't take much to set them off."

Magneto found himself smiling, tapping his fingertips together in anticipation. "I love a company with too much pent-up aggression! We'll have to make it a massacre. What we need to do is get Jane, bring her with us. It is sure to lure Charles. Once we have Jane, he's sure to get his X-Men involved."

Azazel agreed. "The best part is that a few of the troops in the Company are X-Men trained by Charles."

Magneto raised his eyebrows and looked at Mystique. "My dear, is this true?"

"Yes."

"Charles' dear pets won't spoil for a fight, but this Creed sounds promising."

Quicksilver wasn't so easily convinced. "Aren't you worried that Charles is more guarded now since Raven here had her surprise visit?" he asked.

Mystique glared at him. How dare he call her by her slave name! He would do it to piss her off, and he did it more since her ill-considered visit to her former childhood home.

"I don't think we have much to worry about," Magneto countered. "We have Azazel. We can be in and out with her within seconds and on our way to South Vietnam."

Scarlet Witch looked at Magneto, confused. "What's the whole point of getting involved in Vietnam anyway?"

"Oh, my dear girl, you are looking at the small picture," he chuckled. "Right now the CIA is afraid of Charles and his X-Men, they are terrified of mutants, especially after they saw what we did in Cuba. If we frame them in this massacre, we could not only turn the United States against Charles, we could turn the whole world against the United States. Slaughtering innocent women and children! The rest of the world won't stand for it. They'll denounce the US and this war to the rest of the world!"

"That would make you no different from the people who killed your people in the camps!" Scarlet Witch knew the moment she had said that, she had went too far.

Magneto was furious at the comparison to the Nazis. How dare she say such a thing! The Nazis killed for no purpose other than Erik and his people were different. He manipulated the metal in Scarlet Witch's chair to restrain her, his chest heaving in anger as he glowered at the foolish girl. She struggled and looked up at Magneto with desperation in her eyes.

"Foolish girl! Don't you ever compare me with those people! These are... collateral damage. A few hundred. Not millions, and not for being different. My dear, they are simply the means to an end."

"To wipe out all humans, create a master race? Sounds the same to me!"

Magneto realized that he may have restrained her physically, but he clearly did not restrain her tongue. She wasn't scared of him.

Emma stood up and walked around the table to Scarlet Witch. Slowly everyone is walked toward her chair.

Magneto's face was red, he was breathing heavily. He leaned close to her face, touching her forehead to his. "Do you forget the rest of the world wants us dead? This is to survive." He stood up and backed away. "Azazel?"

"Yes?"

"Take this fool someplace where she won't get in our way."

"With pleasure."

Scarlet Witch struggled against the restraints. Magneto slowly let her go and Azazel wrapped his arms around her. There was a loud crack and he teleported the meddlesome girl away.

Magneto surveyed those that remained. "Anyone else have any foolish delusions of mercy?" he challenged. "Or can we carry on?"

The group snickered. Magneto knew they may have laughed more out of fear and respect than amusement. Let them fear him.

"The real trick will be breaking Jane and Charles," Mystique pointed out.

"Well, we have a telepath to take care of that, don't we?" Erik responded, smiling at Emma. She smiled back. "Now, let's get back to business. Riptide- you will need to control the weather around the village. Make sure nothing and no one can get to us."

Riptide nodded in acknowledgement, planting a fist in his hand. He was already ready for the task ahead. Magneto was pleased.

"Quicksilver, your job will be to lead the killing," Magneto continued. "And finishing anyone that we did not kill."

He nodded in agreement, a devious grin crossing his face. Magneto was delighted that the boy didn't seem to miss his sister. In fact, he seemed more vicious than ever now that she was gone.

He continued to issue his orders. "Angel, you will go through, burn every structure. Everything. Nothing must be left standing."

His favorite turncoat nodded, satisfied with her assignment.

"But Mystique, my dear, your job will be the most important. You need to disguise yourself as someone in the company, be a spy, and report back to us, so we find the right time to infiltrate."

She took a deep breath and nodded. "Where will you be? Where will Jane be?"

"My job is to keep Jane safe and alive at all costs. She is no use to us dead. If something happens to one of us, she is our only hope to survive it. We leave tomorrow. My Brothers, it is time we take a stand!"

The group looked at one another and everyone appeared to be ready for their big offensive. Magneto squared his shoulders and took Mystique's hand. She looked at him and smiled. He lifted his chin. They walked down a long hallway together, side by side. As if to be reminded of their places, the Brotherhood followed them single-file.