Road to Avalon

Posted on Fri Feb 4th, 2022 @ 5:17pm by Erik Magnus Lehnsherr & Patrick Manco & Kai Akana

1,611 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Episode 1: X-Odus
Location: Asteroid M
Timeline: July 3, 1990

The community arboretum stood between Asteroid M's command center and its docking berths. Patrick Manco, now styling himself as Maestro, identified no fewer than 22 structural flaws in the design as he walked through the main thoroughfare. At the time of construction, Magneto had insisted that when newcomers stepped off the space shuttles, they ought to be greeted by a touch of nature when first entering the satellite superstructure. Now, after more than a dozen migrations from the Earth's surface, Patrick could appreciate the aesthetic a little bit more.

While the sight of Earth below was breathtaking, it was also startling. There was a gulf of empty space between the mutant sanctuary and the planet that birthed them. Being able to walk amidst a veritable rain forest of native flora added an essential component of the identity of the Port of Avalon.

Once he cleared the arboretum, Patrick felt the humidity leech from his face and clothes as he entered the aptly named drydock. It was a desert of cold steel alloy that no amount of lighting and heating could adequately warm. After the hissing abated and he knew the bay had pressurized, Patrick pulled his thick coat tighter around himself.

"Get ready," he called out to the other Acolytes who had assembled.

Most of them murmured their acknowledgement. A few cast glares. Not everyone recognized Maestro as the head Acolyte, but they all deferred to him when Magneto was present.

At last, the doors to the space shuttle opened.

Like the lord of the manor arriving in the middle of night, Magneto alighted from the steps of the shuttle onto the dock. His feet landed in stride with the practiced gait of someone long accustomed to flight. Several attendants rushed to his side offering reports and praises, but he dismissed them with a flick of his wrist. There would be time enough for supplicants later. Asteroid M's master was home.

As Magneto stepped down the shuttle's ramp, Kai Akana followed him, striding confident toward the deck plating of the dry dock. He looked around immediately, taking in the cold metals space he was now to call home. It wasn't pretty, that was for sure, but he couldn't think of a better place to master his gravity powers than in the coldness of space. He was going to be great; he knew it.

So this was the Gravitar he had heard rumors about. Patrick stood a full head shorter than him, but he refused to look up. This was his rock. He was Magneto's number two, even if the Master of Magnetism didn't know it yet.

"Welcome to Port Avalon," he said to the entire group, going so far as to dip his head at Magneto. "Service men and women can go to Central Processing at this time for work detail assignments. Acolyte Initiates stay where you are." A mirthless smirk crossed his otherwise expressionless face. "You're with me."

Kai noted the young man with confident interest. He'd made the best decision he knew how in coming here with Magneto; trying to be the best mutant he could be. He would respect those who were smarter and stronger than him until he could best them, but he would be damned if he would take orders from someone he could take down, at least in his own mind. This man before him was lean and looked much weaker, so Kai assumed he was. He grinned cockily, folding his strong arms over his chest, stepping in front of the other new arrivals and stopping in front of Patrick.

"I thought Magneto was the one who called the shots around here." Kai said, loud enough for everyone, including Magneto, to here.

At first Patrick deferred to Magneto, but the Master of Magnetism just quirked his brow with interest. Of course. This was a defining moment.

"Your tough guy shit made sense when you were in the humans' world," Patrick said. "We all did what we had to do to whoever we had to do it to. But you're in Avalon now, the domain of homo superior. Things run differently here. We can't afford to fight each other. From what I heard about how your old teacher royally fucked up at the 'X-Mansion'--" Patrick's face and tone twisted in mockery. "--I'd say you made a smart choice by coming here. Another smart choice would be knowing your role in order to stay here." With a snap of his fingers, Patrick made the lights cut out except for a single cone of illumination that fell on him. "If you want to be a serviceman and clean reclamation systems or sweep the arboretum, then be my guest. But if you want to be an Acolyte, then, as I said..." He paused for effect, but made no further gesture as the lighting flickered back to normal. "... you're with me."

"So, you're saying you're a superior homo, is that right?" Kai asked, not liking the other man at all. It probably wasn't wise to antagonize people when he wasn't even sure what he was really on about, but he did it like a reflex. For some reason he wanted a fight, or at least to prove that he was the toughest guy around. "If you want to scare me into submission like these other sheep, you're going to have to do better than light tricks, superior homo."

"Scared?" Patrick tilted his head and analyzed the taller youth with a measuring stare and a crooked smile. "Funny that your mind should go straight to fear. There is nothing to fear on Asteroid M except what you bring with you." A deft hand reached out and gave Kai's bicep a sensuous squeeze. "What are you afraid of, big boy? Is it personal connection? Did you bring your fear of superior homos to our sanctuary?" Patrick's face turned from a crooked smile to a knowing smirk. "Maybe you aren't ready to face who you really are."

Magneto still said nothing, but he permitted a terse chuckle as he observed and assessed.

Without hesitation, Kai's face contorted in anger and his strong hands landed solidly on Patrick's chest. He pushed him back with the aid of his gravity powers, sending him flying back toward the wall with impressive speed. He hadn't thought, but nearly responded to his instincts. Now standing in front of the ramp he breathed heavily, wondering what would become of him next.

While Patrick was flung backward, the Master of Magnetism's eyes narrowed.

Twisted metal shards rent from their places throughout the dock and linked together into chains thick enough to draw anchor on a gunboat. They wrapped around Kai at the speed of magnetism and dragged him to the upper docking bay door. A vast roar filled the area as the atmosphere began to depressurize, which slowly dragged the cluster of chain metal toward the black of space and the glowing planet below.

"Atmosphere is a commodity in here!" shouted Magnus above the rushing wind of escaping air. He had taken flight again in defiance of the depressurizing air which seemed to swirl around him. "So I shall be brief! Do not ever use your gift against a mutant brother within these hallowed steel walls ever again, or your egress from this asteroid shall be as swift as it shall be permanent! Do I make myself clear?"

Kai saw the Earth below and the pain of his impact against the door drifted quickly from his mind. He could fly, sure, but he couldn't breath in space. At least, not that he knew. Listening to Magneto's word's indicated to him that he may have erred in tossing the other acolyte so aggressively in a place so vulnerable to puncture. Looking for a way to make up for what he done, and perhaps feeling a slight ping of guilt in his heart, he focused on the fields of gravity in the room. Closing his eyes, he created a bubble which encompassed the size of the hole, preventing air from escaping further.

"So I guess you like that guy." Kai said, his mind still focused on maintaining the bubble. He had little practice with this use of his powers. Who thought to learn something like that on Earth?

"What do you to the least of my Brotherhood," intoned Magneto as he closed the docking bay doors with his magnetic power, "you do unto me." The chains dropped from Kai's body, though a halo of shards orbited his neck like the rings of Saturn or miniature Swords of Damocles. "You used your manipulation of gravity to overcome the atmospheric differential and prevent further depressurization. A precious gift such as that should not be wasted over petty squabbles. Should you aspire to greatness, then you will earn it rather than steal it." The Master of Magnetism's eyes flared before settling into a cold, icy stare. "Now, if the lesson has been received, I believe you have somewhere to be."

Patrick smirked at the heavy-handed lesson. Yes, his power was the manipulation of mechanical energy, both potential and kinetic, through an understanding and limited control of inertia. There was no greater mechanism than society. Knowing which triggers to pull, which to switches to flick, and which traps to spring would get the better of brute force every time.

Confident that Gravitar now understood why they called him Maestro, it was all Patrick could do not to snicker when Kai rejoined the Acolyte Initiates, his hands idly rubbing his neck.

"Acolytes," said Patrick with a smug sneer of gloating victory. "Come with me."

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