Not the Messiah Chapter 3 (Patreon)

[Manhattan, Daily Bugle Building]

J. Jonah Jameson

‘What to do now’

Many times, in the past, I’ve made rash decisions some turned out better than I hoped, some did not, now I have to decide what to do, the world has once more sparked into a debate about mutantkind, the prejudice they face and the fear a mutant creates.

But this time the once feared terrorist Magneto has given something to his cause that it didn’t have before…humanity, thanks to the internet information is easy to come by, one person checked the records there are about the concentration camps and uploaded them, and now photos of a child Magneto in the camps are everywhere.

People quickly took sides and hate between the groups grew so fast that it was unbelievable.

Religion, science, politics, even the economy everything was being affected in the upheaval that was left by a single message.

Governments around the world suddenly noticed thousands of people missing, all mutants who had followed Magneto to their new land, mutants with unknown powers or motivation, those that supported mutants, lovers and even families where being moved there too.

Should I approve of this move that brings separation, one that marks humans as racist bigots incapable of empathy, but that also brings security throughout the world as the so called mutant threat diminishes, or should I be against this separation, that is a move that will only drive us further apart as we spend less time bridging the divide.

In the past I’ve always taken the approach that would better help mutants as a whole by supporting their peaceful organizations, this time…this time I don’t know what to do.

To be against the mutant movement that parallels the mythical Jewish travel to their promised land could label you a Nazi, to be in favor of it makes you on the side of a global terrorist that has attacked America before, either choice could lead you to be called a bigot or a traitor.

‘If only there was a way to not say anything at all’

but that is not an option, the image of Magneto crushing his own eyes in penance for his previous attacks was a masterful move, it showed his resolve and commitment, he will do whatever is necessary to protect his people.

…I’ve decided. I shall support the mutants in choosing to relocate while not praising Magneto for his actions, I should remind the people that helping a terrorist is bad but that there is no inherent signal of this being a recruiting ground for more villains.

Now that my choice has been made, I can go back to the simple stuff, something I know is right, telling the world what a menace spiderman is.

___________________________

[Manhattan, Sanctum Sanctorum]

Stephen Strange

The future has suddenly started to be less clear, where previously a warning would come before a great change none has come this time, Magneto has thrown fate and destiny to the side, every possible future is now possible, and I don’t know if it is a good thing.

Before one of my duties was to check the future and stop it from total destruction as it was on the eve of the Civil War, where, to deny the possibility of Armageddon, I refrained from overtly participating.in the fight.

Now a new choice emerges between supporting the mutants or not, but things are not so easy. Now, I can’t count on the knowledge of the future and the certainty of foresight. Now I must take a choice while blind.

I have already received communications from both sides and if I’m being honest Xavier’s side is the most appealing to me, as a sorcerer I long ago shed the normalcy of being a human, I now identify with those with power more than any other group. Besides the blatant stupidity of the normal people is reason enough to side against them.

I must prepare if I’m to side with the mutants. as much as he is a hero Reed Richards hates being wrong, and this throws his entire methodically planed actions to keep the status quo into the thrash, no doubt he will do something soon, given that his son is a mutant he will have no choice either way.

I feel…something…there is something powerful, chained and in pain…how bizarre it seems to be here in New York, but I can’t pinpoint where… later I will investigate. Now I need to focus on the other problem I have.

Doom has also been moving in the supernatural side of things many monsters that would take the opportunity to act have been silenced permanently by him, and he has been seen dealing with the dragons that are still alive an active in the world.

That such a man moves unchallenged while he deals with monsters and eldritch creatures that border our reality is a cause for concern…then again, he is killing most of them.

Perhaps an alliance with Doom is not a bad idea and I could ask him what he is getting for helping the mutants since he is the only one with the capabilities to build a realm and place magical protections like these doors clearly have, Stark will no doubt already know, and he will also interfere.

A meeting needs to be called, the Illuminati must talk about the situation that earth now faces.

_______________________________

[Doomstadt, Doom’s Castle]

Max Eisenhardt

I’m in serious trouble, apocalyptic trouble…Franklin Richards has sent me a message in which he requests rescue from the Fantastic Four…A reality warper is being held against his will by his father who is arguably the most intelligent man on the planet.

Shit.SHIT.SHIT.

Doom is no doubt going to be happy about it, but this will put me in direct conflict with the most renowned superhero family in the world and I can’t trust Doom to beat Reed when he has failed so many times before…perhaps an undercover team will be better than brute forcing this with Doombots.

I gave my fealty so I will inform him about this…in time, right now the need for the stable portals and magical protections is more important, however I know a telepath that can send a message to Franklin so he knows we have not abandoned him, every mutant will be free nothing will stop that.

I made a vow to see all my brothers and sisters safe in the new world that we are building, and nothing will make me break it.

Oh, I’ve received a new alert from my phone. another person wanting to be a guardian has appeared, my heart is filled with hope whenever I see the brave spirit of my people.

I may not look old anymore, but I sure feel old…I best get going it will serve no one if I start wallowing in the things I have done and the crimes committed by me, the past must be left behind if we are to build a new future.

_________________________

As I walk to the courtyard where I will be taking the measure of the would-be guardian, I find one of the orphans that was recently found in America, the boy killed his parents for the abuse they heaped upon him for practicing his powers in secret, well it was a secret until they discovered him doing it of course.

Broken bones, lacerations, and bruises all over his body… he reminded me of my childhood and the sights of little Jewish boys being beaten by soldiers for the crime of collapsing from all the work they forced upon them.

The molten core of rage in my being is rearing its ugly head inside of me, that rage which promised the destruction of the modern world for the crimes against mutants that had done nothing wrong.

Stopping before him I tell him to speak to me about hi

“Is it wrong for me to have these powers?” the broken voice of the boy asks “when I got them I thought that my prayers had been answered, that my dream of being a real hero-“ he choked up and stopped.

My heart broke again, for I too once dreamt of being a hero, to free the oppressed and to be recognized for it.

“You are hero” he looked at me, with a face full of cuts and a swollen eye unable to comprehend what I was saying. I could see this all thanks to my own power I had a better vision now that I was blind.

“You area hero, only a hero would have endured as you do, only a hero could. No matter what you do from now on you will always be a hero to me”

I gave him a hug and as he hugged me back, he whispered in my ear.

“You are my hero too”

We spent some tome like that, in silence with only the sky as a witness.

“Show me your power, I want to see the power of the hero that will protect all of us”

The air changes, the earth starts to shake and before my ice a pillar of ice the size of a house has appeared.

“Magnificent, come with me your power will help with the evaluation I’m about to do”

___________________

[New York, Stark Tower]

Tony Stark

Things are getting out of hand, where once peace was finally an option, everything has gone to hell. Mutants and mutant sympathizers have changed the political landscape and the government can’t respond as they did on the Civil War because now there are civilians involved.

“Stark, what is to be SHIELD’s response?” oh no Maria is here again “Stark, I’m talking to you” she walked to me in that annoyingly distracting uniform, that never lets me concentrate.

“Maria would you please shut up, if I wanted to hear an asshole talk, I’d fart” with that awesome comeback I walk away from what would become an awkward conversation.

One cannot simply say to the government stodges that a secret club of superheroes, is planning the assassination of a cult leader, no matter what everyone else says, that is the truth. Magneto’s little cult of personality has long been a thorn against human progress but now, now it’s something that could end civilization as we know it.

Humans can never be destroyed by outside forces. Alien invasions, intergalactic conquerors, cosmic entities, or gods, none of them can overcome humanity working together, not when heroes and villains put their differences aside to protect the earth.

Richards and I have seen the calculations, if we don’t kill Magneto, if we don’t bring back all the mutants the probability of earth surviving an outside incursion is reduced to less than 40 percent.

We need to end this nascent religion in its infancy, friends will have to be sacrificed, families will be broken, and many friendships will end, another war will begin once he dies but when we win, humanity will be united.

Finally i enter my office and take a seat, the speacial made chair gives me unparalleled comfort and it has the added benefit of being a direct line to the Fantastic Four, or rather the phone i hid in the chair does.

“Richards, Stark here.” Activating the anti-spying technology, I continue speaking on the phone “Maria is beginning to suspect something, I can’t just act like an egoistical jerk all the time, I can do it three more times tops, before she has me deposed”

“You know that I’m dealing with a family emergency right now” his voice was tired, more than I had ever heard it before and very very tense “I need more time”

“Your family spat is not as important as the future of humanity, you can deal with it later, I want to know the location of Magneto and you are the only man that can find him when Doom is the one hiding him.” Sighing I take out a glass and a bottle from the desk and pour myself a drink “Reed, if you want a peaceful future we must act now”

“I know” the desperation in his voice was palpable, he was at the border of falling into a dark place with no way out “you’re right, I will concentrate my efforts on his location, you need to take out Namor and Atlantis from the picture”

Difficult times where coming and soon we all would have to choose sides again.

_____________________________________________________________

Author note: hey this goes to you GODKINGASH for giving me money and the motivation write another chapter, i didn't know if anyone actually read the story before but since you posted a comment i've been writting this. i don't know if any of you, meaning my biggest tipping patrons, have any ideas you might want to see done from any fandom but if you do comment them here and then opena  proper post to talk about them.