「 The Professor & I 」VOLUME II

(337) One of Them

Charles' POV

Although Kurt was substantially confused, he respected my authority without doubt. As I shut my eyes, inhaling a gulp of the chilly atmosphere, my mind was simultaneously calmed and invigorated by the harshness interlaced with the biting cold.

Duly fortified, I concentrated my powers and collectedly regained my vision of the appalling battle frozen in a moment. The entire vicinity of Alcatraz Island and San Francisco city had been induced into a state of artificial suspension, apart from the X-Men who were allowed a breath of respite amidst the temporarily halted combat.

Inevitably, Erik escaped the scope of my abilities and whilst the physical confrontations had ceased, I maintained partial consciousness in the hostile ones of his brotherhood, bearing a certain faith that they could be swayed towards my beliefs.

"Charles Xavier," Erik scoffed in disdain, readily appreciating the source of his odd surroundings as he scrutinised them with a revolted face.

"Hello, old friend," I greeted kindly through the lips of John and concurrently projected our conversation into the minds of his avid followers.

"Why are you always getting in my way?!" Erik snarled with a discontented expression.

"Why do you ask questions to which you already know the answers?" I retorted in a serene manner.

"Oh yes-your continuing search for hope," he mocked in contempt, rolling his eyes.

"Erik, you have to stop this. If you don't, this cycle of fear and hate is only going to repeat," I lectured cordially.

"If I don't, all these crazy homo sapiens are going to turn us into filthy human beings!" Erik rebutted in a fierce tone.

"Can't you see that they've been staging this?!" Erik argued and his savage eyes pierced directly through his underling's into mine.

"First, they synthesise a cure. Then, they commercialise it. Now, they've even weaponised it!" Erik debated, white mist puffing hotly from his lips, as he flung his arms around dramatically.

"They're trying to annihilate us, Charles!" He shouted, practically berserk.

"Only because you gave them reason to!" I lashed out indignantly and he stared at me blankly, seemingly flabbergasted by my blunt comeback.

"Erik, I know you think us superior but, really, it's just our genetic coding that's different," I established in a rational tone.

"Yes, we were born with discrepancies, surely. Yes, we should be proud to admit it and, of course, we deserve every right to celebrate it," I concurred with a genuine expression.

"But that does not mean we have to spend the rest of our lives being terrorists emphasising this disparity," I denounced severely.

"Our lives are not worth more because we are mutants, but we can make it worthwhile by creating a community free from discrimination; by developing a world capable of embracing differences," I propounded, gazing at him earnestly, but there was not a tinge of understanding, just a stark pair of bitter blue irises staring back at me.

"If you're always focused on dwelling in the dark, you will never see the goodness of the light. Even if you win this war, you will never truly find peace inside," I articulated, flashing him a sympathetic expression.

"Your name can go down in history either way. As the most notorious criminal the world has had to face; or an esteemed pioneer who facilitated mutants and humans to harmoniously integrate," I rehashed in an optimistic tone.