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Post by Erik Lehnsherr on Jul 28, 2012 19:33:36 GMT -5
Location: The Brotherhood's hideout, New York sewers
Date: 25/07/12
Time of Day: Evening
The sewer wasn't the most hygienic place to stay in. When Magneto and his forces arrived here, they had done their best to clean up their own section to use as a base. Setting up equipment, bunks to sleep in...all the essentials. Yet he still found pests (that weren't humans). The rats bothered him the most.
Surprisingly, he found the end of the sewer to be one of the better spots. It ran out to the sea, at the edge of Manhatten island. He stood there and looked at the wide expanse of blue. On the outside, it appeared to be a glorious site. It was pleasant to him. But despite that, he knew that secretly, it was dying. The hole he was inside was proof of that. Thanks to the humans. He hoped to fix that.
However, now was not the time to think on such a matter. Now was the time he was expecting to meet someone. One of his mutants. His daughter, or so she claimed. And for some reason, he found himself believing her more and more. But he'd been so busy and hadn't found a lot of time to talk to her. Though he had sent her a message to meet him here tonight, since he had time. Now he could find out the truth of these matters.
Shifting his helmet on his head, he patiently waited for Wanda.
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Post by Wanda Maximoff on Jul 28, 2012 21:14:49 GMT -5
Pietro hadn't liked it - he hadn't wanted to let Wanda, his twin sister, walk around in the sewers of New York by herself. He had wanted to go with her - to protect her and keep her safe - and Wanda understood and appreciated this, but... Magneto hadn't invited the both of them for a chat. Just Wanda. She wasn't entirely sure why, but she thought perhaps it was because Pietro tended to be such a hot-head, sometimes. Wanda was quite the opposite, though. She was calm and level-headed, while Pietro was impatient.
The young woman emerged from the shadows to join the man that her mother's letter had told the twins was their father. She was clad all in red and pink, with a cloak not unlike Magneto's, and a headpiece that kept her hair out of her face.
"You wished to see me, Magneto?" Wanda asked, though it wasn't really a question. Of course he'd asked her to come - that's why she was here. |
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Post by Erik Lehnsherr on Jul 28, 2012 22:18:14 GMT -5
Upon hearing her voice, he turned to find that she was standing beside him. She hadn't arrived a moment too late. Good. "Yes, he said, smiling slightly at her. "Come closer, my dear." He beckoned her over with his hand, and looked back out to the sea. "Look at it. Something that describes corruption so well. On the outside it looks nice, normal and friendly. But on the inside...it's rotten to the core. This is what we must cleanse. We must rise from this filth and take our place in this world."
A small fire smouldered in his eyes, brought on by his anger against the humans. But no sooner had it appeared, he calmed down again as if nothing had happened. "I wish to talk with you, Wanda," he said to her. "The main topic of discussion being you and your brother claiming to be my children." A brief memory of Magda flashed in his mind, though he did his best not to show it. "I would like to know what has led you to think this. Basically, if you have proof. Then we can talk about other things from there. So why don't you tell me about yourself...my daughter?"
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Post by Wanda Maximoff on Jul 28, 2012 22:42:01 GMT -5
"Come closer, my dear." He beckoned her over with his hand, and looked back out to the sea.
The Scarlet Witch did as he bid her and walked up beside Magneto and followed his gaze out towards the sea. She said nothing yet, but instead waited for the leader of the Brotherhood - her father - to speak.
"Look at it. Something that describes corruption so well. On the outside it looks nice, normal and friendly. But on the inside...it's rotten to the core. This is what we must cleanse. We must rise from this filth and take our place in this world."
Wanda nodded her understanding. "I've seen filth up-close. I've felt the hate that humans have for us firsthand," she softly spoke, referencing the sexual assault she'd endured at the hands of a hateful young man back in Europe. As if it wasn't bad enough to be persecuted and hated for being Roma, Wanda had also been persecuted and hated for being a mutant. She wasn't normally a violent young woman, but she had wished for that boy to meet a grisly fate after what he'd done to her. However, she'd rather forget that drama - it was too painful to think of, and it was in the past, now.
"I wish to talk with you, Wanda. The main topic of discussion being you and your brother claiming to be my children."
Wanda took her eyes off of the sea and turned to face the mighty Magneto. The look on her face betrayed her feelings - she was hurt that he had used the word 'claiming'. Wanda knew that this man was their father, because the letter from their birth-mother had said so - it had named him: Erik Lehnsherr, now known to the world only as Magneto.
"I would like to know what has led you to think this. Basically, if you have proof. Then we can talk about other things from there. So why don't you tell me about yourself...my daughter?"
"There is proof..." Wanda slowly replied. "A letter. From our birth-mother. Her name was Magda - Magda Lehnsherr, and in this letter, she named you as our father. She said that humans had tried to kill your young family because you were different than them, and that she somehow managed to get away. The Roma people - our foster parents - took her in, and about six months later, Pietro and I were born," Wanda explained, relating the most important part of the letter to her father. "Sadly, we never got the chance to know our mother, as she passed away shortly after giving birth," Wanda continued with a heavy heart. "And, the people who raised us... They were killed for being Roma and for being mutant sympathizers..." she trailed off, trying to fight off the tears that felt as if they may burst from her eyes at any moment - she'd never told this story to anyone before, and it was taking a toll on her emotions.
Wanda slowly made herself look into Magneto's eyes. "I think I would have loved her very much, if I'd had the chance," she said in regards to Magda, and she sounded quite heartbroken.
"Pietro and I came to look for you directly after... the incident," Wanda said bitterly, meaning the rape, and she cast her eyes almost shamefully back towards the sea and waited to hear what the Master of Magnetism would say. |
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Post by Erik Lehnsherr on Jul 30, 2012 9:28:55 GMT -5
Magneto saw the look on her face, and thought that maybe he should have been more careful with his words. But he did not say anything just yet. He thought it would be best to let Wanda tell him her story. So he listened to her.
"A letter. From our birth-mother. Her name was Magda - Magda Lehnsherr, and in this letter, she named you as our father. She said that humans had tried to kill your young family because you were different than them, and that she somehow managed to get away. The Roma people - our foster parents - took her in, and about six months later, Pietro and I were born," Wanda explained, relating the most important part of the letter to her father. "Sadly, we never got the chance to know our mother, as she passed away shortly after giving birth,"
That sentence was hardest for him to hear. When these two children had appeared, saying they were his, he had hoped that they would lead him back to Magda. But now, hearing that, he knew she was lost. He closed his eyes as he tried to take in that fact, but also kept his attention on his daughter.
"And, the people who raised us... They were killed for being Roma and for being mutant sympathizers..."
To him, that was even more upsetting. "Such a pity," he said. "The few people of their kind who are decent enough to help are themselves turned on. Just because they were doing what is right." He shook his head. "Another example which shows the scum of humanity."
"I think I would have loved her very much, if I'd had the chance," she said in regards to Magda, and she sounded quite heartbroken. "Pietro and I came to look for you directly after... the incident."
Magneto smiled at his daughter. It was bittersweet, tinged with a pain and sadness they both shared. "You would have," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "She was...an amazing person." It felt like a single tear fell from his eye, but he wasn't sure. Though now was not the time to cry. "You have had a tragic past," he said to Wanda. "We both share the pain of losing people we care about." He paused. "I...I would like to see the letter Magda left for you. Not as proof. Just...to see it. You don't have to prove anything to me any more." Somehow, in his gut instinct, he knew that. He knew that she and her brother had been telling the truth. "I believe you, my child."
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Post by Wanda Maximoff on Jul 30, 2012 18:11:45 GMT -5
It felt amazing to be officially accepted by her biological father - Pietro would be so pleased when Wanda told him the good news after she got back to their temporary H.Q.
She stood by silently and listened to her father's words with empathy. Wanda would never betray the softness Magneto was exhibiting in front of her, for she knew that he would hate it if she did. Instead, she felt deeply honored that he would allow himself to be so open in front of her.
Wanda decided she wouldn't even tell Pietro. He probably wouldn't believe her, anyway.
The Scarlet Witch gently smiled understandingly and replied to her father, "I am glad to hear this... Father," she said a little hesitantly, allowing her brain to get used to the idea of addressing the Master of Magnetism as such. "And of course I shall show you the letter. It's locked up with my things in my quarters," she informed him. "It's safe and waiting for your eyes - would you wish to be alone while you read it? Or, would you prefer I stay with you?"
Wanda trusted him with her and Pietro's precious letter - there was no question of that. She just wanted to know if he would need or want her around for the emotions he was bound to feel when he set eyes on his dead wife's handwriting - her letter to her babies.
"If you wish to be alone, I would be pleased to stand guard to ensure your privacy, Father." |
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Post by Erik Lehnsherr on Jul 30, 2012 18:50:36 GMT -5
"If you wish to be alone, I would be pleased to stand guard to ensure your privacy, Father."
Magneto shook his head. "No. Thank you, but it's quite alright. I'd like you to be there with me as well." He smiled again at his daughter, still enjoying how that word sounded. "You remind me of her. A spitting image, almost. You're both so pretty."
It felt somewhat relieving to speak all this out to the open. All his emotions. He would never have been like this with anyone else at another time. And if Wanda was to show how she was feeling at this moment, he wouldn't have minded. In fact, he probably would've welcomed it. She probably felt as happy as he did to find a lost family member. This would be the one time he would allow her to lose the hard exterior all of his followers had adopted.
Shaking himself, he broke away from his thoughts. "Show me," he said to Wanda. "Please." This would be it. The last remaining item of his wife that he would see.
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Post by Wanda Maximoff on Jul 30, 2012 20:31:50 GMT -5
Wanda was deeply touched that Magneto wanted her to be there when he read the letter that Magda had written over twenty years ago. She gave him a warm, gentle smile and nodded her agreement: she'd be there for him.
"You remind me of her. A spitting image, almost. You're both so pretty."
All her life, Wanda hadn't known much of anything about her birth mother - for so long, the Maximoffs had let the twins believe that they were their true parents. Wanda hadn't even known what the woman had looked like, though it was wonderful to learn that she looked a lot like her mother. This knowledge eased the hurt that her heart felt.
"Thank you - I would have loved to see a picture of her... We had none. But now, at least, I have a good idea," the Scarlet Witch said gratefully. She wanted to give him a hug, but... Wanda wasn't sure how well that would go over. Magneto had never been known by his people as a touchy-feely kind of guy.
But, she went ahead and did it anyway, wrapping her arms around the man she now felt comfortable calling Father and held him close for just a brief moment. Then, he asked for her to show him the letter, and Wanda nodded her head. "Of course. Please, come with me," she said gently, offering her father her hand to lead him back to their base - back to her quarters, where they would have privacy to look over the precious relic from the past. |
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Post by Erik Lehnsherr on Jul 30, 2012 21:09:25 GMT -5
He was caught off-guard somewhat when she hugged him. It was something he hadn't felt in quite some time. Not since Magda. The gesture caused him to freeze for a few moments, but then he realized that this was his daughter. He relaxed and put his arms around her, returning the hug. Silently, he thanked her for it.
Then Wanda was leading him by the hand. Magneto never thought someone would do that to him. More memories of Magda. He shook his head to clear them before they got too painful. The letter would probably do that to him, and he had to be ready. Eventually they arrived at her quarters, and he gestured for her to lead him in. He took a deep breath.
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Post by Wanda Maximoff on Jul 30, 2012 21:55:24 GMT -5
Wanda went to a trunk, unlocked it and withdrew a smaller box, also with a lock. Within this box were the few things that Wanda held dear, such as the letter from her mother to her and her brother. She drew out this letter, which, over the years had become a delicate, yellowing piece of ephemera. Wanda gave it a loving glance before she willingly handed it over to her father.
"Are you sure you don't wish to be alone with your thoughts, Father?" she asked, not questioning his decision, but rather, simply double-checking. This was a huge moment for the Master of Magnetism, and though he had let his daughter see his softer, gentler side, she wasn't sure if there would ever be a repeat performance, or if he'd wall himself off to her, just like he had to everyone else.
"Because, I will understand if you yearn for a few minutes of privacy. Any one of us would understand. It's only natural; though, I will indeed stay, if that is what you wish," she said delicately, ever the devoted daughter. |
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Post by Erik Lehnsherr on Jul 30, 2012 23:28:55 GMT -5
Magneto cradled the piece of paper in his hands as if it were a child. He was afraid it could crumble or rip at any moment. Holding it, he read what his wife had left in her message to their children. The familiar delicate strokes, the way the dots of her i's curved...so many memories. He read it twice more before kneeling down, and then he continued reading it.
What Wanda was saying didn't register for a few moments, but then he looked up at her. "I...I think..." Then he just nodded. She was right, he did need some time with his thoughts. "Just...please give me a moment on my own," he asked, giving his daughter a small smile.
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Post by Wanda Maximoff on Aug 1, 2012 14:06:00 GMT -5
Magneto's daughter returned his smile and gave a slight, graceful incline of her head. "Of course. I shall be right outside," she said softly, her voice full of empathy and understanding before she withdrew from the 'room'.
She was true to her word and stationed herself just outside the space she was using as her quarters and sort of took up a guard-like stance and crossed her arms over her chest, almost as if daring someone to try to challenge her.
Not that anyone would, really... Most of the rest of the Brotherhood seemed to like her quite a bit, and there wasn't really anyone who would need to enter her 'bedroom'. Wanda could think of about two people who might, though - if they knew Magneto was in there: her twin brother Pietro, and possibly Mystique.
Maybe. |
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Post by Erik Lehnsherr on Aug 8, 2012 15:51:02 GMT -5
When she closed the door, a single tear ran down Magneto's cheek. He rubbed it away with a gloved hand and looked at it. It had been so long since he'd shed tears. As he read the letter again and remembered more about his beloved wife, the tears started streaming down his face. He didn't make a sound. Even in weeping, he was too hard for that.
He wasn't sure how long he spent there, kneeling and crying silently. When he was done he got up, smoothed down his costume and wiped away the tears. In a few moments, Erik Lehnsherr was once again replaced by Magneto. His normal voice returned as he called out. "Wanda?"
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Post by Wanda Maximoff on Aug 20, 2012 16:21:02 GMT -5
When she heard her name, Wanda turned and re-entered her room. Her father as standing there, waiting for her.
"Yes, Father. I am here," the Scarlet Witch replied. She looked into his face, but Wanda saw nothing there that gave away his feelings. He was once again the stoic, strong leader of the Brotherhood of Mutants.
She knew better than to ask if he was alright - of course, he was alright, and he probably wouldn't wish to talk about his emotions, anyway. Wanda respected that.
She was also glad that she had been able to provide him with something she knew he would treasure and keep close to his heart, probably forever - though, it was even more likely that no one else would ever, ever know about the letter from his wife. Perhaps not even Pietro.
Wanda certainly wouldn't tell anyone - not even her twin, should Magneto wish to keep this moment between the two of them. |
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Post by Erik Lehnsherr on Jan 2, 2013 17:26:29 GMT -5
Magneto let his emotional shell down for one more moment to offer his daughter a small smile. "Here," he said, extending his hand and holding the letter out to her. "Keep it. I have plenty of memories about your mother. You have very little. This is the only thing belonging to her that you possess."
What he was saying was true, but Magneto also feared that keeping the letter would cause his emotions to be upset. He had all the good memories about Magda. And now he knew she was dead. That was all he needed. The last words she'd ever written were not his. They had been written to his children.
"Now then." Straightening himself, he took in a deep breath. Now his emotional shell was fully restored. "That's that settled. We have other issues that require attention."
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