Template:Featured Articles/40-2022

From XPwiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
MOA Cyclops2.png
Moment of Awesome - Scott Summers/Cyclops: During the losing battle against the Brotherhood, Scott takes on a strangely rejuvenated Magneto.


"I know that the man you claim to be could beat me if he had to," Scott agreed, that almost friendly tone reflected in his voice, "but I also know that he's well, he's a lot more regal and controlled than you are. I mean all this is a little much kid. Why don't you pack it in before he shows up to wipe the floor with you for besmirching his good name."

"It's a shame Charles got his claws in you first. What an inspiration you could have been for our people." He clenched his hand and Scott was buffeted as four different metal objects hit him in succession. Magneto stepped forward, towards him as he reeled. "I really don't want to hurt you more than I have to."

It was confusing, it was almost as if here were really talking to Magneto, but he couldn't be. But then Scott's eyes had failed him before, so many times, in this world you could never really trust that your eyes weren't being fooled, that they weren't being fed false information. Despite himself Scott was becoming convinced that the man in front of him was actually Magneto. Ribs groan in protest as the man pulled himself up from his knees. "What an inspiration you could have been, could still be to our people. They'll follow you, they always have Erik. You could stop all this, find a path to walk that isn't going to leave them going the line of war again and again. Find a way for our people to not constantly have to look over their shoulders for the knife in the back, your way only ends with death or by making us the very thing you hate. What kind of life is that?"

"Scott, I wish you could see clearly. We are in a war and again and again, you choose to side with those who would destroy us. I could almost forgive you for that, considering your upbringing. But I know you." A piece of rebar caught him around the head and smashed him to the ground. Another chunk of metal hammered into his back as he tried to get up. "You're too smart not to see the truth. Except you choose not to. Because it scares you. And that, Cyclops... that I can't forgive you for."

The X-man could feel the tricky of warm blood running down the side of his face, those warm droplets of blood splattering on the floor next to him as blow after blow impacted on his flesh. Scott knew that if he could just focus enough he could counter them, blast away Magneto's weapons but there was no recourse, no break in the tempo of the attacks that gave him a chance to collect himself to do that. "You're right," Scott's voice was hoarse, filled with pain as his arms came up to try to protect his head from the man's relentless assault, "we are in a war, but it's not the one you think. We could destroy them, they could destroy us, it's a cycle that will never end if we let you get your way. We're in a war with ourselves, hope verse fear, and that's why you're going to lose in the end. Because you can scare people, you can make them despise one another, be terrified but in the end...in the end someone will always be there to stand against you. Someone will always show the world that you're nothing more than a hate-monger, and that's what you fear. You've become no different from those you've hated all your life."

“And so you’ve been taught. But… today is going to be a different sort of lesson for you. I hope you draw your own conclusions from them. All of you.” A plate of metal wrapped around the upper half of Scott’s face like it was made out of tinfoil, and makeshift manacles of scrap metal trapped his hands together.

“Believe me or not. Just think about what you were asked to defend today.”