001 | video

[swagneto]

[ Though he's been here for almost a month, Erik deliberately hasn't made a public comment, preferring to speak to almost everyone else first and foremost in order to assess the situation ahead of himself, and most importantly, come to terms with the fact that this is not Earth. He'd been mulling over what Kirk had said, as one of the earlier people he had spoken to, particularly the statement that things were different than what he was accustomed to. It's a considerable break from reality, because where Erik last stood was watching the world fall apart as he and several others had essentially outed themselves to the public, and earned a response he had correctly predicted. At least here, several years in the future if what he had learned was anything to go by, there was the possibility that Charles had proven him wrong; an admission he wasn't inclined to concede so early on.

Answers however, were slowly provided, and Erik was forced into a position where he had little choice but to re-evaluate a stance he had sworn by for several years. It was a defeat that had put him at odds with himself, having been forced to interact with not just non-humans like himself, but also humans. They were mere temporary allies, associates at best, until Erik had derived what he needed, piecing together a shaky network that merely served to relay information back and forth for his own means. To either deny the seeming equality that appeared on board, or to deliberately instigate what wasn't there and accept that there would be a conflict. ]

For those of you whom I haven't spoken to, my name is Magneto. [ His voice comes slightly off camera, as all that's deliberately being shown is the side of his jaw, the device loosely held in his palm while Erik processes his next move, tone clipped and to the point. ] It's fruitless at this point to deny one of the differences between many aboard the Tranquility; that there are both humans and non-humans here.

As one of the latter, [ Hope you're hearing that Raven, because Erik just outed himself. ] I intend on making it clear that while we're held captive together, I will not tolerate any exercise of dominance over non-humans. [ Admitting this on Erik's part is a cost because it conflicts with his own stance on how he sees society, one he's finally conceded will not change despite convincing; Charles couldn't do it, the others won't either. ]

That being said, [ Erik lets the device leave the comfort of his hand with only the slightest curl of a finger, raising it until its level directly with his face; just the barest hint of confirmation he needs. Lips curling into a smile, it's evident Erik can do more than just that, but he doesn't intend on letting it all come out immediately ] I'm inclined to put forth what effort it takes to ensure that all of us get out. [ A concession Erik has to make, that some sacrifices are necessary for the greater good, because while mutant superiority is likely to prevail, it takes a back seat to the situation at hand. ]

How many of you are willing to do the same? [ With that, he shuts off the feed, frowning slightly. ]

Private | Spock [40%]:

If you have time, I would like to speak to you in person. [ Vague enough, because Erik's ability to encrypt is absolutely terrible and he doesn't trust it to actually succeed. ]

Comments

[swagneto]

[ n o p e. your application has been declined. please try again in two to four months. ]

Long enough. [ Twenty years, give or take, but he doesn't need to give that out to Sherlock. ]

I'm not hiring idiots, but you're more than welcome to audition regardless. Bring the statistics if you do.

[consulting]

Do you want a CV as well - Magneto?

[ thank god for text, he really couldn't type that with a straight face. But he's totally serious, he's debating on conning Magneto just to sort of see those powers in action. It's brief and even with the embarrassing/ridiculous code name, Sherlock has this strange feeling that Erik will rise above his statistic. ]

What's the quota? How do you deem what ability is good enough?

SH

[swagneto]

[ He'll challenge Sherlock as necessary, anything to go up against him and secure this little round. Sorry, but you're still a human. ]

If you don't mind. Something to take my morning coffee with.

Our numbers are kept private for the time being; you'd understand if you were one of us. Needless to say you can skip the parlor tricks if you're that desperate. Tell me what you can do and maybe I'll reconsider.

[consulting]

[ See now this was interesting. He'll switch to video. Erik is greeted with a manic almost sleep depriving looking man in a purple shirt. His fingers are folded together and he'll move to study Erik. ]

When you introduced yourself over the network for the first time you employed the use of a codename. Now see that speaks volumes of your character. If you wanted real concealment you'd have left your name out entirely. If you wanted to play saviour you would have given something more concrete and personal which is what names are. Yet the name you gave out wasn't an Alias, it was a code name. The name is also suggestive of you being part of an organized structure but not essentially a noms de guerre.

Secondly, you opened window to discussions of abuse. You've been treated poorly in your childhood, obvious. Safe to say the mistreatment lasted until the mastery of your powers, which ever they may be - although with a name like Magneto it really does leave little to the imagination. Mutation, military bearing and childhood of abuse - which is it? Government experiment? Did they keep you in a facility?

Now your phrasing over the next few sentences, you have them peppered with words like tolerate and dominance which are delicate ways of phrasing what you really want to convey. It's somewhere between threat and the opportunity of liberating. Which tells us you're in a possession of a moral compass however skewed it may be. Intentional or not, your message also reeks of recruitment as it does your blatant hero complex.

and does the CV require an ID picture? They're hard to come by in space.

[swagneto]

[ After the first sentence, Erik switches instantaneously to voice, donning the helmet nearly simultaneously as protection. He doesn't believe Sherlock is a telepath, certainly not in the vein of Charles but it doesn't curb his paranoia nevertheless, not when the assumptions hit home. Organized structure - Charles, the students. He might not be on the best of terms with them, but there's the underlying need to keep them safe regardless, when they were a team above all else. Abuse. Inadvertent as it was, with the way he spoke, it was there, at the hands of Shaw, military bearing, and Erik tenses, so all Sherlock hears for a while is the sound of his breathing, fading away until it's almost as if Erik has hung up.

When he finally speaks, there's not a shred of the anxiety, and his voice is calm, collected. ] Deduction. [ Assumption, he wants to say, but it's not an assumption when Sherlock is absolutely right. All the clues he uses, all the means of piecing together; almost like Spock but with a startling hint of cleverness and the absence of telepathy.

And just maybe, Erik has met a match that isn't Charles Xavier. ] I told you to leave the parlor tricks at home. I'm not recruiting right now.

[ Keep trying though, Sherlock. You might get somewhere. ]

[consulting]

[ See, Magneto. If he finds out you have that helmet along with the ridiculous name he and Neal will probably have a field day. It's bad enough that they've started adopting codenames as pet names. ]

Precisely.

[ Considering the general reaction to his talents either range from: 'Are you a Wizard' to 'Shut up, Sherlock' - he's generally pleased with Magento's reaction. ]

Except it's not a trick, it's science - just as your advancements in genetics are.

[swagneto]

[ It's difficult, to say the least, hearing that acknowledgement on Sherlock's part that he considers it mere deduction. But to have it confirmed as science, is something he isn't inclined to believe. Maybe Charles might perceive it as such, maybe he won't, but that's a matter reserved for if and when Charles appears, not any time soon. A shrug of his shoulders, and he's entirely far too glad for the voice feature right now, without the need to hold a direct conversation and keep his face a near perfect mask. ]

Science as it may be, it doesn't leave me at the same level as the average human. What you do involves reasoning, logic, [ And he's not denying Sherlock is wrong; he's perfectly right. ] but at the end of the day, you're still just as average.