The Morning After
Selene, the Black Queen, sat at the table with a forced smile, picking at a piece of fruit.
Her legs were still trembling under the silk of her dress, but she was a master of appearances.
She fixed her gaze on Ernst, who was devouring a plate of eggs with infuriating cheerfulness.
"Very well, Ernst Shaw," she purred, her voice low.
"I'll remember you."
A fierce, predatory light flashed in her eyes. It was a promise of retribution, or perhaps obsession.
Although Ernst noticed it, he chose to ignore the threat. He wiped his mouth with a napkin.
"I'll remember you, too, Selene," Ernst said casually.
"Especially your alluring figure."
He leaned in slightly, dropping his voice so only she could hear over the clatter of silverware.
"By the way, you really shouldn't call yourself a mutant. You are a witch."
Selene froze.
"You control ancient magic that can absorb the life force of others," Ernst continued, his tone conversational.
"But that's forbidden magic. Dark stuff. The kind that gets you burned at the stake by your own coven."
The Black Queen's face changed slightly, her mask slipping. But she quickly regained composure.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she scoffed.
"I have the mutant ability to absorb vitality. It's natural. It has nothing to do with hocus pocus."
"Don't be quick to deny it," Ernst smiled.
"If it were someone else, maybe even my father, you might have deceived them. But to me? The magic in your body is as conspicuous as the sun in the night."
He took a sip of coffee.
"I must admit, I admire your craftsmanship. You enhanced a forbidden vitality-absorption spell and layered it with a concealment charm to hide the magical fluctuations. You could be called a magic genius of our time. Or, well, of your time, which was quite a while ago."
Selene's hand clenched tightly under the table.
She forcibly suppressed the fear rising in her heart and feigned ignorance.
"This ancient magic," she hissed, "was banned by the magical world long ago. Not only is it malicious, but it has flaws. The absorbed vitality leaks. It burns the user."
"Exactly," Ernst nodded.
"In essence, this is a common trait of all ancient magic. It's volatile. Even a simple flame spell requires intense concentration, or you burn your own face off. Nowadays, magic is simplified. Wands, foci, incantations, they act as circuit breakers. Less power, but less risk of backlash. It's progress."
Selene struggled to maintain her expressionless face. She realized he wasn't guessing. He knew.
"Apologies for digressing," Ernst said, cutting into a sausage.
"Returning to you. When you began absorbing my life force last night, I noticed an anomaly. It was a form of magic absorption, but the strange thing was that the fluctuation was incredibly faint. If I relied on standard sensors, I wouldn't have detected it."
"It took me considerable effort to understand what was happening," Ernst lied. It had taken him about three seconds.
"Your body is inscribed with magic runes," Ernst whispered.
"Concealed internally. On the bones, perhaps? These runes act as a chaotic damper. They prevent the life force from leaking out, and they isolate the magical signature. Clever."
"However," Ernst tapped his temple.
"The runes themselves possess magical power. So I sensed them, even if I didn't sense the spell."
Selene stared at him.
"You disguised it as a mutant ability to avoid the Sorcerer Supreme, didn't you?" Ernst guessed.
"If the Ancient One knew a dark witch was running around New York eating people, she'd intervene. But a mutant? That's just nature taking its course."
A smirk appeared on the Black Queen's face. She leaned back, crossing her arms.
"These are mere speculations," she said coolly.
"There's no concrete evidence. I admit that I have studied the arts, but the flaws of forbidden life magic cannot be fully eliminated. Any wizard who uses this magic risks consuming their own soul. It's a dead end."
"That's why I said you're a genius," Ernst said.
"You've achieved what countless wizards couldn't. The arrangement of those runes opens up a new avenue."
He waved his hand.
Zip.
A burst of blue light and shadow materialized in mid-air between them. It formed a complex, three-dimensional hologram of runic script.
Selene stared at it.
It was her internal circuit. The exact pattern inscribed on her skeleton.
"How..." she breathed, her face draining of color.
"Last night, while you slept," Ernst said apologetically, "I used a self-created diagnostic spell to map the energy in your body. I recorded the schema for study. I hope you won't mind. It's fascinating architecture."
The "self-created magic" was a deception; Ernst had used the Red Queen and his reality stone-enhanced senses to scan her like an MRI.
"How is this possible?" Selene whispered.
"Why can you do such a thing? I... I get it now. You're also a wizard. You concealed it so well that even I was deceived."
"Well, I'm also a wizard," Ernst shrugged.
"But I consider myself a researcher. I study everything I'm interested in, including science and magic. To me, they are just different coding languages for the same universe."
Ernst then launched into a brief lecture on the intersection of runic theory and quantum mechanics.
At this point, the Black Queen realized that Ernst's understanding of magic was unprecedented. With her centuries of experience as a witch, she paled in comparison.
The more she listened, the more uncomfortable she became.
She felt thoroughly outclassed. Even her previous intention to plot against him seemed laughable now.
She was a shark that had tried to bite an aircraft carrier.
Selene stood up abruptly.
"I have lost my appetite," she said stiffly.
She departed, disheartened, beaten inside and out by Ernst.
She found no face to stay and bid farewell to Shaw. She simply walked out of the club, promising to send the funds later.
Watching the Black Queen's embarrassed departure, Sebastian Shaw was delighted.
"Well done!" Shaw whispered to his son, clapping him on the back.
"As expected of my boy! You handled her perfectly. After this lesson, she'll likely avoid stepping on my toes in the future."
The Secret Room
After breakfast, Shaw and Ernst headed to a secure, lead-lined room in the basement to discuss the real business.
Maps of Cuba, Russia, and the United States covered the walls.
"Ernst," Shaw said, leaning over the table.
"You're aware of my entire plan. Any thoughts?"
Ernst pondered for a moment.
"Honestly, Father," Ernst said, looking at the map.
"I'm not optimistic about your plan."
Shaw's smile faltered. "What do you mean?"
"Using the conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union to detonate a nuclear bomb," Ernst continued.
"Stimulating mutant genes in humans with global radiation... it's too drastic. It's messy."
Shaw frowned. He hadn't expected his son to voice this opinion. He thought Ernst would be excited by the scale.
"I don't object to increasing the number of mutants," Ernst clarified.
"But I disagree with this method. While most people today carry recessive mutant genes, forcefully activating them with dirty bombs is a gamble."
Ernst pointed to the population centers on the map.
"The radiation will kill millions. Their bodies will collapse before the X-Gene activates. How many innocent lives will be lost? Ninety percent? Ninety-five?"
"And even if the activated mutants survive," Ernst pressed, "how do you think they'll treat us? We are the ones who killed their families. I doubt they'll be grateful. They'll see us as monsters. We will be the kings of a graveyard, ruling over subjects who want to murder us."
"Everything I do is for the future of mutants," Shaw argued, his eyes gleaming with fanaticism.
"Sacrifices are inevitable. Mutants will be the masters of Earth's future. Humans will be eliminated sooner or later. Why wait?"
Shaw slammed his fist on the table.
"For the ascendancy of our race, no cost is too high. As long as mutants use their abilities wisely, removing the human obstacle won't be difficult. Though some may hate me initially, I believe that when faced with human persecution in the future, they'll realize I saved them."
Ernst's expression soured.
He had always known Shaw held extreme views, but hearing it laid out so plainly, it was akin to Hitler's ideology.
Genetic purity through genocide.
Observing Shaw's somewhat unhinged demeanor, Ernst realized that trying to dissuade him with morality would be futile.
He nodded slowly.
"Alright, Father. Since you've made a decision, though I disagree, I won't oppose it directly."
"But," Ernst added, "I implore you to plan for contingencies."
"Contingencies?"
"As my strength increases," Ernst said, "I've started sensing something peculiar. A vast will in the depths of the universe. A guiding force."
"You mean God?" Shaw scoffed.
"My child, you've surprised me. As a scientist, how can you believe in such divine concepts?"
"Some argue that the end of science is theology," Ernst replied calmly.
"Einstein believed in Spinoza's God. I, too, find it necessary to believe, based on my own experiences."
"Certain mysterious phenomena can be explained by science," Ernst lectured.
"Take the 'Will of the Universe.' Each creature possesses a bio-magnetic field. When countless beings believe in a concept, like justice, or survival, their fields resonate."
"Imagine this," Ernst said, spinning a globe on the desk.
"If there are many races and creatures in the universe, and their collective cognition converges, it creates a massive psionic weight."
Ernst looked Shaw in the eye.
"Your plan involves the slaughter of billions. That creates a massive disturbance in the field. It invites opposition. The universe tends to correct imbalances."
"We will undoubtedly face adversity," Ernst warned.
"We will encounter 'bad luck.' Variables we cannot predict. Heroes rising out of nowhere. Equipment failing at the critical moment. Success rates of 99% facing a 1% failure rate."
"Luck," Ernst finished, "is the most unpredictable element. And right now, you are betting against the house."
Shaw looked at his son strangely. He saw the cold logic, but also something else, a warning from someone who saw further than he did.
"You worry too much," Shaw said finally, dismissing the thought.
"We make our own luck."
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