2014.03.22 - Serbian Politics

It's another day in Genosha. How effortlessly the fight to take the camps had gone. Their perimeter defenses had been taken out of the fight by the EMP bow-wave preceding the island, and drop troops had neutralized communications as they went across the country. Magneto had planned the attack brilliantly, cruising between two mountains in a low valley with no access to the rest of the nation and 'pacifying' the population as they went. They'd landed just a few miles outside of the town nearest the camps and gone straight for the military base there. Other strike troops had moved out with quick speed, taking out Serbia's mobile AA guns and old Soviet missile trucks. Magneto's intelligence must have been impeccable, as so far, only minor casualties were being reported, and very few fatalities on his troop's side. And the population of the town, while terrified, had been sequestered in place, with no attacks on them. It truly was a Machiavellian victory, precisely ordered and elegant.

Magneto is, therefore, taking his morning repast on the veranda of the Spire once again, reading a series of news reports from the outside world on the 'invasion' of Serbia. So far, some condemnation from the usual celebrity groups, but no major G20 condemnations had occurred. Magneto nods approvingly to himself and reads on, taking another absent bite of his morning grapefruit.

There will likely be some amount of alarm that reaches Magneto in the midst of his reverie; someone just attempted to teleport onto Genosha, and was intercepted and sent to a teleport pad. However, it's Cable; whether Genosha has accepted him as someone able to rove freely or not at this point... that's another matter entirely. He'd simply wait on the pad with arms crossed, not looking particularly concerned either way.

Another guard- another scan. "Welcome back to Genosha, Cable," the guard says polite, examining his datapad. He taps on it a few times, then steps back and gestures vaguely at the Spire. "His Majesty has you flagged as welcome for aerial visits." He sends a message off, waits a few minutes, then nods as his pad *pings*. "Annnd you're clear to break the skyline. His Majesty is waiting for you on top of the Spire." He eyes Cable with clear envy, stepping back so the big man can takeoff and fly up to Magneto's veranda.

Standing around with arms crossed, there's no comment or idle conversation from the older mutant until he's finally given the okay. "Alright." Cable states, matter of factly. He steps out, sheathing himself in telekinetic energy before shooting up into the sky. A wise move, as the burst of kinetic force in his wake is rather disruptive. Slowing down quickly, he'd make to shift over the balcony where Magneto sits, opting to hover in place rather than take a physical seat. Magneto would easily assess this is something honed through many years. Always shielded. Always mobile in 360 degrees in a heartbeat. Something from a soldier, and not meant as any disrepect or subtle speech. No; Cable doesn't do the words between the lines game. "You work fast." he offers. "I knew you were going to invade, but to do it so quickly and thoroughly... it must have been long planned." There wasn't a single fist-shaking hero in Magneto's way, so it's clear that admitting this to Cable beforehand was not leaked to anyone, if such a 'test' was the intent.

"Very. I apologize for misleading you," Magneto tells Cable. He seems to mean it. "Lithuania is actually a lovely country. But Serbia has been rankling at me for some time, and my efforts at the global level to bring awareness and attention to the issues here have been stymied by a lack of interest among the G8 and the G20. And of course, the former state of Yugoslavia is not exactly welcoming of United Nations inspectors. I waited as long as I felt I could, once my intelligence confirmed the existence of the camps, and then... well." He gestures at the view in front of them, where Genosha cuts off and Serbia begins, a bizarre tableu. Seen from above, it's an off-shape oval, twenty miles at the widest bit and nearly sixty miles long.

"I have learned my lessons about invading nations," Magneto adds, inviting Cable to take a seat if he wishes. It's very likely Cable is safer here than anywhere else in the world. "When I occupied Genosha initially, there was enormous backlash. So I am being extraordinarily scrupulous. No human casualties, military targets only. I've even made sure the local city retains their utilities and power," he says with a rueful chuckle. "I am here for mutants, not to grab land."

There's a long look at the seat. But he does float over and twist, settling down as his telekinetics dissipate. Feet still heft up, to rest on the edge of the veranda. A lazy sort of lounge, for maximum comfort. "Like I told you. It wasn't my business what you were going to do." Which included not telling anyone. Magneto's networks showed not a single iota of difference in intel from Lithuania from before and after he spoke with Cable. "You're too classy for hard liquor, but I'll take the highest proof wine you got. ...The heroes are up at arms about you." Idly offered. "The X-Men want to take you down. I'm sure you know all this. Consider me your liason to them. None of them would come here to speak to you, and certainly not unbiased." A glance over Serbia follows. "I verified you took every diplomatic channel possible. And that this was a last resort. I also agree it was a necessary one. Just as much as breaking free those from Auschwitz. But there's a difference. In World War 2, the innocent were saved by a monster. Here, the hated are saved by who many think aims to be the next world dictator." He looks to Magneto, then. "Tell me, Erik. Are you willing to be that kind of martyr, take that kind of heat, if it means saving mutants?"

Magneto chews his food thoughtfully, then offers an oddly nonchalant shrug and gestures at the force field that permeates the air around them, the glowing apex of which glows like a second sun far overhead. "I am prepared for that possibility," he says, hedging his words. "I would not have the protections I do in place if I weren't. And, as you can observe, I have taken careful steps to ensure this does not appear as a land campaign. I have targeted only military forces that have resisted my forces. I have not deployed the Angels or any of my Vanguard forces. In fact, I should think that my presence here will act as quite a stabilizing force in the region for some time," he says, thoughtfully. "Though my departure may leave a power gap in Serbia. But, the Balkans have always been in turmoil. It would hardly be new for them," he says with a dismissive shrug.

His valet approaches, summoned by some quiet signal, and Magneto makes a gesture towards Cable. "Two fingers of the McClellan, the twelve year bottle," he instructs the valet. "It is a bit early for me to join you for a libation- you'll have to pardon me for settling for some strong tea," he says, hoisting his glass. He offers Cable a toast as the valet returns with a single glass of scotch on a silver tray and offers it to Cable.

A flick of the finger lifts the glass, and is shifted to tap gently against Magneto. The liquid inside didn't so much as slosh, and the contact as minute as the most distinguished gentleman. Mastery of mutant ability can always be respected. He brings it to hand and drinks it all in one shot, making a mild wince of satisfaction, and setting it on the table adjacent. "Good." After a few moments, "You are being rational, Erik. This world isn't rational. It never has been. It's about the political dance of countries, and in some cases, hero groups are little different. The internet world can paint any picture wanted, or hide any evil done. It's hard to convince people you are doing the right thing, even if you are." Although the shields are looked at once more. "I read the reports on Darkseid. He had an entire planet with shields. Heroes still breeched it. Still did damage. You can't stand against the entire world. My advice is to do what you can to convince people the truth of what you are doing here. The ones who are important." He then pushes to his feet, resting hands on the edge of the veranda. "Take me for a tour. Let me see what you've done with my own eyes."

"A moment. I am not quite done with breakfast," Magneto says, his voice calm. He is not a man who hops for anyone, it seems. He takes a few more bites of his grapefruit, calm as could be, then drains his tea in a few sips. He rises and makes a gesture behind him, to his quarters, and his armor flies at him with shocking speed, conforming to his person in a matter of moments.

"Shall we?" he says, his helmet clamping around his head, his face diving into shadow. He takes off with Cable in electromagnetic tow, flying west towards the city in the distance.

"I have been studying that sample you gave me. It does match the samples I've taken from Apocalypse, precisely," he tells the man as they cruise along at a sedate but surprisingly rapid speed, unfettered by air friction. "It is virulent in the extreme. Apocalypse has clearly found a workaround for it in some fashion, but it is killing him, albeit not as quickly as it is killing you," he says in matter-of-fact tones. "Your telekinesis is buying you time, but not much of it."

There's not even the slightest iota of response from Cable that indicates he expects Magneto to flip the table and soar off like Superman on a tour of the world. He just waits, eyeing the horizon, cybernetic zooming in here and there for a better view. He does shift himself to float before being tethered, keeping his shield up through habit even if it's not required. After all, it's intended to be a tour. "It won't kill him for centuries. He does it by jumping hosts." As for the latter comment, he offers no response. "The virus is amazing. I could show you the physiological benefits of controlling it's manifestation, if you like. But he doesn't want to spread it like a disease. No. He's not after utter genocide, and the TO-Virus is indiscriminate. That's one of our few advantages."

"I had suspected as much. I imagine he has altered the virus to suit his unique physiognmy, to help him alter a host body into the form he desires and the extends its lifespan considerably."

"It does seem to have given you several crucial advantages in certain areas," Magneto concedes to Cable, as they overfly some old Soviet-era missile tanks, crushed with their payloads still in place. The doors of the cabs are open, indicating the troops had fled.

"But I wonder how much it inhibits your psychic gifts. Nate Grey, one of your counterparts, is a telekinetic on par with Jean Grey in many respects. An arrogant sod," Magneto snorts, "but powerful, with no virus to contend with."

"The true power of En Sabah Nur is complete control of his every cell. So when the TO Virus bonded with him, he became something of a hybrid. Not organic. Not non-organic. Something else. And he can transfer to new hosts, along with his mutant power and TO Virus. Reshape it back to his old self. Really, every capability he has is from mastering the virus..." And those capabilities are very, very large. "I've reached my max right now. Going any higher and I'll risk dying. Virus stresses the system. But if I let loose every single shackle at once..." Cable looks around, curiously. "I'd probably be the strongest living mutant. For whatever amount of time I had. I'm not sure how much different than me Nate is. His origin here. But I was purposefully made by Mr. Sinister to be the most powerful mutant possible through manipulated genetics, in order to kill Apocalypse, his master. I guess his intended destiny is still working..." A mild snort of amusement follows that. "Take me down to the city, if you would."

"Ah. That explains Sinister's fascination with the Summers family," Magneto says thoughtfully, drifting them down to the ground near the center of the city. "He would drone on about them. Frankly, I never understood why. Scott Summers' latent genetics are nothing to boast of, and Jean Grey is as much defined by the Phoenix as she is by her own gifts." He casts a sidelong look to Cable from inside his helmet. "No offense intended, mind," he adds. "Jean was- very important to me. And she is gifted almost without peer. But Sinister was oddly obsessive. Poor science on his part. Ahh, here we are," he says, bringing them to land.

The city is... surprisingly active. Oh, not as busy as one would expect, with fewer pedestrians and cars, but there's still clearly commerce occurring. Cable would sense an aura of mild apprehension, but nothing like the outright terror of a heavily occupied and garrisoned city. Occasionally, a few of Genosha's armored infantry units can be seen on foot patrol, but overall there's little real sense of an occupation force. "The city was relatively undamaged, save for a few military facilities," Magneto explains, walking with an unhurried pace towards a market. "I temporarily disabled the power grid until I had secured their communications network. Fortunately, unlike the United States, my tactical strikes are a good deal more surgical. They had power back inside of 24 hours of my first strike teams hitting their targets. I am jamming their communications, of course," he adds. "For their own safety. Nothing is worse than an incipient rebellion in the hands of a few dangerously ambitious generals."

"Yep." Cable offers matter of factly. "Mr. Sinister, to be fair, knows more about mutant genetics than us both. Maybe more than Apocalypse. Whatever we might see, it worked." That seems to be his conclusion to it, not appearing to have needed the offhanded apology or offering much else on the topic. His bloodline gives him a headache. Immediately Nathan's right eye shimmers orange. Every armored infantry's brain is probed deeply. Checking orders given by Magneto. If any of them have done atrocities. And, if any did, whether Magneto was aware. He can do such in a heartbeat without the knower being any the wiser, if one doesn't have well-established defenses alongside an incredible will. Similarly, he glances into the minds of dozens and dozens of residents. To see how each reacted to the attack, the response of Serbia, how they genuinely feel about what is going on. All funneling into him in tandem, no outward appearance of it affecting him. In fact, he can still converse normally. The claims Magneto makes should be easily verified by the countless people here. "A global ban on communication is negative to your public image. Makes it seem you have something to hide. Allow people to be screened, and speak with others outside the country. Family, relatives, friends. Do the same for people between cities who can't move yet between them. If you don't have a telepath on hand to facilitate that, I'll do it." Idly, once the telepathic scans are done, he begins fixing any errant damage. A broken storefront window from someone trying to riot has the glass assembled and placed back into position, the faded print originally on it looking as if it had never happened. A dented sign from a startled crash straighted upright. Even other things unrelated to Magneto; a crack in a building's foundation is drawn together with narrowed eyes in effort, and damage to the road swirling back to a better condition. A feat of telekinesis that imply atomic-level adjustments on a massive scale, with a mind able to process it all as if second nature.

One of the perimeter guards does tweak in Cable's scrutiny. He'd been the one to break that window and join in the looting, 'liberating' a television and some entertainment medium for his squad. He comes to a salute as Magneto passes with his visitor in tow.

"You may have a point there. Perhaps limited communications," Magneto says thoughtfully. "My major concern is a military reprisal being formed. I genuinely do not wish to shed any blood if I can avoid it, and blocking telecommunications seemed prudent."

"You have an extraordinary talent, Nathan," Magneto notes, watching and sensing Cable's incredible prowess. "My talents run in different directions, but I would find those repairs a laborous task, simple though they be."

"One second." Cable suddenly stops, and then holds out a hand. The guard in the midst of saluting is snagged with telekinetic force and dragged over to stand before Magneto. "During the initial looting, this one broke that window. Took a TV to the barracks." After a moment, "He felt justified in doing it, too." That is just an aside, though. "Blocking telecommunications globally is a dangerous message. That means people can't talk to the citizens and get a feel for the reality of the situation. You don't need to open the door. Just open it a crack, with people who present the truth. Not something that seems coerced at gunpoint. The good, and the bad." As for the random fixing, "You know more than anyone that the strength of what you are born with is only the start. Your mutant gene was simple at first. You could do telekinetics with nothing but metal. Most people would laugh at that, Erik. But you... you kept mastering it, deeper and deeper, to the core foundation of physics. I did the same with my telekinesis."

Magneto makes a gentle motion for Cable to drop the man, approaching him directly. The guard is big, almost as big as Cable, and clearly shaken by the TK grasp. But when Magneto approaches, he immediately drops to a knee in a bow, literally trembling in fear.

Magneto lets the man stew in his own fear a few seconds, then gestures for his companions to come over. The rush over and stand at attention. "Prisoner detail. Extra duty, for the duration of our stay. He is to help with the screening process for the prisoners of war to make contact with their loved ones." He dismisses them with a gesture and turns back to Cable. He nods his head slightly in a gesture of thanks, and continues their walk. Many people start quietly slipping away as the duo enters the market, save for the merchants who are too wary of leaving their goods unguarded- but they do look fearfully at Magneto and Cable as the giant mutant hovers along next to the Imperator.

"You have a point," Magneto concedes to Cable, after mulling the point over thoughtfully. "I have tried to encourage my citizens to expand their powers in every way possible. The creches, the academies... my own genetic efforts. Sinister had cracked one of the parts of the X-gene code that has eluded me for decades," Magneto frowns, his tone pensive. "I should review his notes. He had discovered how to correctly predict a mutant's talents from specific genetic recessives in the X-gene. He was mad, insane- a tiger by the tail. But occassionally he would have moments of profound insight while we were working together."

Magneto looks curiously at Cable. "You should know that there is a very profound likelihood I could cure you of the techno-organic virus," Magneto says, quite calmly. "But I cannot guarantee being able to replace your eye or arm, or the other mechanical parts of your body. Not without some radical stem-cell therapy."

"Madness is many things. For some, it is the insanity of seeing the truth of the world too much, and realizing none of it makes sense. None of it fits together. Like all the building blocks of reality are square shapes meant to fit into circles. Mr. Sinister's madness is closer to the latter. He is obsessive, but his madness is due to his genius. I'd be curious to see any of his notes, as well. Genetics aren't my speciality, but I'm sort of a catch-all. And Graymalkin's got 40th century databases in it, too." At the latter offer, Cable finally stops. He even descends to land, looking into the distance, thoughtfully. "Not cure." he finally says. "Not yet. I've gained many benefits from it, benefits that are useful." He holds up his metal left hand, and in a whirl it suddenly becomes an intricate plasma cannon. Energy boils within it, and it's obvious he could fire if he wanted. Instead it ripples back into his hand once more. Following this, a long blade *shinks* out, edge becoming serrated, then non-serrated, before the whole thing goes back in. "I've used it to rebuild my entire body, down to my bones. I turned his cancer into a boon. But it's still a cancer. ...Slowing it. That's what I want. More time. Cell by cell, it's winning. And that timer right now is in 'months'."

"Of course. I do not imagine you will wish to loiter overmuch on Genosha- you are quite the busy man," Magneto says to Cable. "And besides, I cannot risk you running afoul of Apocalypse. I believe- well, I assume he is aware of your presence," Magneto clarifies. Ever the pragmatist. "And he has not acted out in any way. However, I am keeping him under close surveillance, and his computer access is on an air-gap system confined exclusively to the laboratory and my genetics programs. He is, as you have no doubt noticed, easy to spot," Magneto says wryly. "So for now, I am studying him, as I am sure he studies me. Your sample of the virus has been most helpful in learning about him."

"Speaking of which, how do you hold it back?" Magneto inquires, stopping at a vendor's stall. He puts some cash on the counter and picks up an apple. It's easily a hundred times more than the apple is worth, but he walks on, opening the T-visor in his helmet slightly so he can eat more comfortably. "Are you inhibiting the growth of new cells or simply blockading them from going forward?"

"I already tried to kill Apocalypse. Didn't work. He knows I'm in this dimension. And that I'm the one who foiled him last time." Since Magneto paid for so much, Cable extends a hand and grasps dozens of apples. It's still less than what was paid for. He begins handing them out to people on the streets, who he senses are hungry. The last one he bites into himself. "Like I said. You're smart enough to deal with him. Just be careful." No scolding. No speeches. That seems to be all Cable has to say on the subject. Once he finishes the apple, "I surround every active TO cell with a small telekinetic field. It prevents it from converting adjacent cells. I also mastered purging it; new growth can be removed, if I get to it within five, six hours. After that, it's part of me. Literally. If you ripped my arm off with your magnetism, every bit of the metal down to my real flesh, and I rebuilt it organic with my telekinesis... it would turn back into the TO-Virus within seconds." There's the sound of someone who might have tried this very thing himself at one point. "It's not something easy to cure. But for you, I wager it could be made easier to keep in check. Sometimes, my sheath misses a cell. Normally I notice them in time to fix it. But then I feel it spreading. Realize a single cell was missed, and let sit for so long it became permanent and started infecting wildly. ...Nobody's perfect. Those cells add up. Hundreds of them every day."

"Interesting," Magneto muses. He and Cable are obviously considering the same thing. "I... well." It's obvious and doesn't need saying. "But for someone to experiment on besides yourself," Magneto says, sounding minutely frustrated. "And... well. I am obviously interested. But I cannot risk myself, not unless the hour was truly dire," Magneto says. Cable will undoubtedly have a sudden moment of doubled vision- of this Magneto, saying that exact thing forty years in the future, a man of machine more than flesh, sitting forlorn on a metal throne far in the future, on an island of the dead, broken in half.

"Genosha is... not stable without me. I hate to compare myself to Darkseid, but I am not assured of her stability if I die. My person is critical to her success."

"That's the curse you have. Not being replaceable. Immortality won't cut it, either. You'd just stagnate for an eternity. Lose sight of your goals. Fall into routine. That's the problem we both have. Wanting to change the world within our lifetimes, enough that it won't change back." He's quite then, simply standing in the street. After some moments, "Show me the conquered. The military you defeated and imprisoned. Then I'll leave. We'll need a better method of communicating in the future. Don't want to stumble on Apocalypse; Graymalkin confirmed he was elsewhere, but that doesn't mean he can't come back early."

Magneto nods and without furthur discussion, brings them both winging to the POW camp. There, it's much of the same- men in tents, at least under shelter, and divided by chain-link fences. Senior leaders are in their own area, segregated from the rank and file, and Magneto is employing telepaths to constantly scan and search for mutinous thoughts. Cable will pick up on the usual- some guards doing their jobs, some indulging their inner bully- but above all, the knowledge that there is always someone watching and that they are accountable for their actions. "These are the military in the city. I left the police force intact with one of my people replacing the chief of police," Magneto explains. "Temporarily, of course- he will be restored, as will everyone else, when we depart."

Telepaths are here. That can be good or bad, depending. He probes for the strength of them, foremost; a telepath, after all, is the one where trust is required the most. If any are of a tier he feels he can overpower, his left eye would blaze orange and he'd move to burst through and search, unless Magneto otherwise smacks him or tells him to stop. After all, any telepath would be able to sense being invaded, and any telepathy worthy of working beneath Magneto has built guards. "I've seen nothing unreasonable here." Cable offers, in the end. Unless he finds out one of the telepaths was planning to secretly murder Magneto or is orchestrating a network of abuse. Always a risk. "I have an advantage you don't. I'm from the future. I read the past. I've seen this situation before, and know how it generally ends. If you keep Genosha here much longer, people are going to attack it. And you. Take the liberated mutants into Genosha. Leave the country. Let the nations worry about infrastructure. That's not why you came here. You came here to save those who had no savior. If you truly don't wish to steal the land, then let that be the end of it. You've sent a clear message. If you violate the rights of mutants based on racism, you'll come. And you'll take them. I think you'd find future countries would think twice about the defiance Serbia has shown."

Magneto's telepaths are laughably below Cable in power. But they are reasonably competent, and Magneto can see a few of them reacting to some stimulus, grimacing and clutching their heads. Competent is not the same as being on par with someone like the Summers progeny. "Cable," Magneto says, his tone one of gentle reprobation. "Do let them work, please," he says.

"You raise valid arguments, and more importantly, they mesh with the advice my council has given me," Magneto informs Cable, coming to a halt. "And I am not such a fool as to avoid the advice of people to whom I've delegated that position. I do not think Serbia needs Genosha here, and I suspect our journey is not over." He frowns, going over the reports of men speaking nothing but a dialect of eastern Russia being rescued, in his mind. "Do feel free to communicate with me via Graymalkin. And..." he considers. "We have the tiger by the tail, as I said, but I will not be bitten twice. I cannot let him run wild. But I would have a plan for defeating him if he turns on me. Call it the Omega Protocol," Magneto advises, his tone barely a murmur. "And forward me your best recommendations for how to handle our mutual... friend if he decides Genosha would be best with me deposed."

"Sorry. I'm sure you have telepaths you trust to do that. That's how I work. Elbow deep in the mud." None of the others are otherwise hassled as a result. Shifting adjacent to Magneto, he murmurs something else. "The X-Men will attack you, if nothing else. It doesn't matter that you are right. That will be an excuse for every hero and country to come down on you like the hammer of the Gods, and that is exactly what they are waiting for. An excuse to go all out. Who knows how many countries with nuclear options hate mutants and just need a reason to not be the instigator. Don't stay here to make sure this doesn't happen again. It's a waste of time. You can't change the thoughts of a whole country in one swoop. It takes decades of persistance. The history you are from already tells that tale well. The african americans. The gays. Woman's rights. This is a battle like that, Erik. I'm sure you know, but remember... you're just as important to that battle as Xavier." Although there's a grunt. "Graymalkin's no good. Apocalypse would sense the signals coming to Genosha. ...Between 12:00AM and 12:01AM, remove your telepathic guards. If there's a reason to meet, I can tell you that way, and where. On your end... there's no problem. Fling a metal meteor with a message scrawled on it to Graymalkin or something and I'll get it."

"I will be listening," Magneto informs Cable. "Or someone I trust will. I have ways of managing such signals." He nods at Cable, the gesture one of the mutual respect he's developing for 'this' Cable. "Farewell, Cable," he says, rising into the air. "Until we speak again." With that, he goes winging off into the morning sun, heading back to the Spire and the seat of his power.

Magneto is observed flitting away, lingering a few moments to look over the camps. Right or wrong, the view is sombering. That humanity works this way. That it HAS to work this way. But someday... not in a future he will ever see... it can be different. "Bodyslide by one." In a whisk, he's gone.