Genosha: In the Balance - Conviction

[x-jeangrey.livejournal.com]

Scott's interrogation reveals something he had not known. The stakes are raised.



Scott sat in looked over the table at the interrogator sitting on the other side. He was determined not to break and speak and stubbornly sat back in the chair, trying his best to ignore the hard cold and most of all uncomfortable feel of his seat.

"Good afternoon, Mister Summers. Please don't get up. Wait, right, the restraints." The man looked like an accountant in his late forties; paunchy, pale, wearing a uniform that looked slightest deshivelled. The only thing remarkable about him was a wulrus-like salt and pepper moustache that hid his upper lip. "So, we have a situation here, it seems."

Scott glared at the interrogator, "Really?" he asked rattling his cuffs, "And what situation in this entire mess would you be referring to?"

"What to do with Scott Summers. I assume you're interested in the outcome of that." He pulled a page out of the file. "You are married, possess the ability to project a concussive blast from your eyes, and are one of the leaders of the 'X-Men', is it? Kind of odd that Xavier names his team after himself. Be like Hoover calling his agents H-Men."

Scott kept a calm look on his face although he wanted to gasp in shock. From the way they had been played he knew that the Genoshan's had known about them but he wasn't expecting them to have such a complete dossier. "We're named after the mutant gene," he pointed out coldly, "You know the X-gene. Charles isn't that arrogant." He took a breath and looked straight at the interrogator and sighed, "Ok, I'm impressed, but what do you want from me?"

"We're just having a discussion here, Scott. Hopefully a friendly one, if you cooperate with me." He said genially. "Were all of the mutants that attacked us X-Men?"

Scott nodded, "I only fought with X-men" he confirmed. He knew that some of the X-force and X-factor fact finding mission had been captured, but perhaps their interrogators didn't know how many, perhaps if he could keep the attention away from them then those that had escaped would have more of a chance to get away from the magistrates.

"Do you know that there's extensive studies written about interrogation? The use of weasel words, obfuscating the truth with the truth, all that nonsense. We do have some experience." He said, leaning back. "I didn't ask you who you fought with. I asked whether or not all the mutants that attacked us were X-Men."

"You mean were the brotherhood involved? then now." Scott replied evenly. "My team was entirely made up of X-men and they're the only people who I know attacked you." He paused and considered the fact that he knew that some members of X-force and X-factor had been captured, "I'm not aware of any fighting that occurred anywhere else, we were trying to maintain operational security."

`You`re not a very good liar, Scott. And a silly one. You see, you`re connected with Xavier, so keeping you alive is a good way to keep him in check. But if those other scraps aren`t connected to him, well, no point in keeping them alive if they`re no use." He smiled. "So it's really up to you. Which ones aren't X-Men or are you going to cop to all of them being under Xavier's command?"

"Charles doesn't command anyone, we're not soldiers in an army," Scott replied. "Besides isn't it more important to you to find out who sent them and where they came from?" he asked.

"Should they be? Is there another ally of Xavier's involved in this, Scott?" He toyed with his mustache.

"That's something you're going to have to ask them," Scott replied. surprised at the twirling of the mustache. It seemed out of place in teh veneer of polish the interrogator had been trying to exude, perhaps there was a crack in the armour that he could use Scott thought cautiously. "I'm just here to rescue our kids, you know the ones you kidnapped and threatened."

"Moral high ground from a vigilantee. Cute." He said, non-plussed. "I should put out that we still have some of them in cells not far from here, and the rest are being rounded up outside the city. So unless you've gotten used to your kids dying, I suggest that you consider being a little more helpful, Scott. Because if the way to protect four million Genoshans requires cutting some teenaged mutant bitch's throat in front of you, that's what we'll do. So, who else is working with Xavier? Has he got other kids like Haller involved? Or his dear old friend Erik Lensherr?"

Scott blinked in surprise, "Magneto? You seriously think there is anything that would make us work with terrorists like that? I'm sorry, I thought you had better information us than that. Besides, Haller hasn't been a kid for years, he's an adult now. You don't need me to tell you that." He looked aghast at the interrogator, "You really don't feel anything about killing little girls who never hurt anyone do you?" he asked sadly.

"Not age, Summers. We know Haller is Xavier's son; I suppose the presumptive heir. Does he have any other children waiting in the wings? As for your moral indignation, you can spare me. We know you helped topple the Indian government. Got involved in wars in Wakanda, Hungary and South America. Botched the hostage situation in Russia. And every time, it wasn't the people calling the shots. It wasn't the elected government. It was you people deciding for them what is best, and leaving the bodies behind for the survivors. You've had people on the books in your 'school' that have personal histories that fucking drip blood. Nathan Dayspring gunned people down for money all around the world for 20 years, and he's all but family to Xavier. And you believe there's a big line that seperates you and Magneto?" He huffed into the mustache. "No, I don't think a few fanatics is too high a price to pay for protecting four million Genoshans."

"A few fanatics? Like a 13 year old girl who hadn't done anything perhaps?" Scot asked harshly. "People make mistakes, but Nathan has dedicated the rest of his life to helping people. Are you saying that people can't change?" Scott continued as his voice trailed off as his brain finally caught up with his mouth. "Haller is Charles' son?" He asked in shock a heavy feeling settling in his stomach as his hands clenched on the desk, "That can't be right, he'd have told us, why would he keep it a secret." He looked straight at the interrogator and laughed, "You almost got me there."

"I'm saying that you and Xavier decided that there's law for people, and there's a different set for mutants, and you've set yourself up to decided which do and don't apply. In doing so, you've happily worked with terrorists, assassins, criminals, and any mutant who could forward your agenda." He shook his head. "Although, I find it interesting that you can happily rationalize working with murders, but the idea of your mentor having a son prompts an immediate denial. What's the problem, Scott? Has Xavier told you all along that you were his boy? The heir apparent?"

"Like you haven't set up different rules for people and mutants here? I don't suppose you would consider stripping the free will of your ordinary citizens and turning them into little more than automatons?" Scott shot back his mind still trying to grapple with the revelation of Haller's parentage. "I...ah, he would have told me" he said weakly before he took a deep breath to steady himself before continuing, "That, it doesn't change anything, so Charles has a son, he's never treated him differently."

"Sure he hasn't. Until you have children, you won't understand the difference."

It was barely visible, just a moment, but as the interrogator spoke a look of pure anguish swept over Scott's face. His fists clenched so tightly they turned white as he glared at the interrogator without saying anything.

"Scott, I'm not going to play around or debate things any longer. We've got several other interrogations to complete. Once we're done, you're going to tell me everything you know. Willingly. If you don't, I'm going to line your people up in the yard, and you will choose which one we execute. If you refuse to choose, we'll pick two of them at random. And I'll make this happen every day until you're all alone in here." The man got up. "So you think very hard about what's more important to you; protecting your fantasy father, or your people in the cells next to you. You think hard."

The interrogator's ultimatum brought Scott up short, a million different thoughts running through his mind. How could he risk the lives of all of his friends and teammates on the chance that they could escape and stop the Genoshans? Another part of him whispered how could he not, were their lives so important when compared to the possible repercussions for mutants across the globe? A tear leaked out from under his eyelid as his thoughts lead him to their inevitable conclusion.

"No he said softly, his voice almost cracking under the weight of his decision. Scott looked up at the interrogator sitting across from him, "No he repeated in a louder voice. "you won't get anything from me."

The man shook his head before leaving. "Then I'd suggest you make your peace with your people. Because we start tomorrow."