9. (Side story) Magneto 01 - Meanwhile in Genosha

President Erik Magnus, known to the world as Magneto, floated above Magda Square, in the thriving heart of Hammer Bay, Capital of the country of Genosha.

Idly he contemplated the immense steel statue in the center of Magda Square. A construct of his powers, built from the downed remnants of sentinels that had conducted a devastating attack on his country years ago. A reminder to his people of the need for vigilance and a constant reminder that even when they chose to live peacefully… there would be others out there who would never leave them be.

Erik insisted that the statue, in the image of an oversized Sentinel being impaled with a pike, was called 'Remembrance', everyone else called it the 'Magneto Monument'.

Trying to actively avoid being perceived as a ruthless dictator did come with the occasional quirk, he had to admit.

Such as contemplating what to do with the world at large. Such as other nations and how things had changed.

Such as Canada.

And its new… government.

He floated towards the central government building that faced Magda square, his cloak and neatly trimmed white hair billowing in the breeze of his passing.

Technically, his commute was simply an elevator ride down from his penthouse to the presidential office in the building's well protected interior closer to the middle levels, but he'd taken a liking to the scenic route. Which involved stepping out of his bedroom window in the morning and floating down to the ground floor government office entrance to mingle with the rest of the staff coming in for work.

It tended to drive his security detail mad.

He touched down in a cordoned off parking area that was reserved for the Presidential limo, but in practice was basically his own personal landing spot.

A woman, tall and dark skinned, with a well-muscled build stood patiently waiting in the parking spot. Her hair was done in neatly braided cornrows that swept down to her shoulders. Her uniform was an extremely well-fitted suit and tie that did a masterful job of hiding the plethora of small weapons she had hidden on her person that Erik could easily detect.

Not that she specifically needed the weapons for her job. Her own abilities as a mutant served her well in that regard… come to that, Erik mostly felt he had no need for a body guard most of the time, but accepted the necessity with as much patience as he could muster… and he supposed his cabinet could have saddled him with far worse choices.

"Mister President," She acknowledged him, her tone deferential, but with extremely clear undertones of long-suffering exasperation.

Erik couldn't keep from smiling. "Good Morning, Agent Cargill."

"Sir, we've spoken about your... " She gestured vaguely at the sky, "Walkabouts. I strongly recommend having at least one of our fliers with you when you decide to take a flight."

He shrugged carelessly, walking towards the building and she fell into step next to him. "It's not like you didn't have me watched."

���Sir, that's not the point and you know it." Cargill carefully replied. "You didn't even wear your helmet out."

He chuckled, then gave a sharp nod of his head, causing a blue and grey helmet in his usual style to impossibly unfold upwards from his suit collar. "I had my helmet on me."

She stared even as the helmet began to come apart and then fold back in under his collar. "Sir, is that one of the Stark-tech helmet designs we imported last week?"

"I did mention I wished to stress test them before we put them in general deployment."

"I thought you meant you would be handing it to a research team for testing. Not using one yourself." Her tone was quite sharply disapproving.

He shrugged. "Rank has its privileges."

"Such as being the first person in Genosha with a folding helmet." Cargill replied with a sigh.

"Just so." Magneto said with a nod. "Now, is everything ready for our trip to Canada?"

"Yes, sir." She replied briskly as they passed through the doors, sweeping past the security checkpoint easily at a nod form Cargill. The mutant in a suit and sporting glowing eyes manning the station nodding back. "Have you given any consideration to who you're taking with you?"

Erik frowned slightly, glancing at her. "I assumed you'd already arranged to accompany me."

She sighed. "Yes, sir. Myself and Agent Unuscione. I was asking if anyone else would be accompanying you, I meant."

He shrugged. "It is unnecessary. Both of you are extremely durable. The chances of anyone being able to restrain myself, despite what this Ainz styles himself as, are quite low. It would be prudent to keep the party travelling to Toronto small especially with Pipeline at the ready in case we need a quick extraction."

She quirked an eyebrow. "You're expecting a fight, then?"

"I always do, yes." Erik admitted. "Besides, there is no one else I can think of to take on something this delicate."

"No one, sir?"

He snorted. "Who would you have me take? After her… issues… Wanda has chosen to keep out of the public eye and I have chosen to let her have her privacy. Pietro, as much as my relationship with him has improved is in no way, shape or form someone to take on a delicate diplomatic mission. Moreau is the only one anyone actually listens to, so he has to stay. I already have Huxley deployed in negotiations with her Latverian counterpart. Maybe Summers--"

Cargill visibly started, then glared at him. "Sir, wouldn't that be a bit of a statement--"

He looked back at her, confused for a moment, then laughed. "No, no. I meant Lorna. Possibly her husband Alex. Not Cyclops. Absolutely not. That man would be an even worse choice than taking Pietro."

Cargill heaved a sigh of relief.

Erik's grinned. "Although if I were intending to pick a fight, then, certainly. Yes. Cyclops all the way."

Her eyes narrowed.

"Sir, you give me enough to worry about already that I'd prefer you not tempt fate by having a known mutant terrorist who's been fighting you since his teens at your side." Cargill replied primly.

Erik snorted once more. "From certain perspectives you and I were mutant terrorists once. The fact that we are now the legitimate Genoshan government doesn't change that in some eyes. But you are correct. Scott Summers can not be allowed to be seen working with the Genoshan government."

Cargill was quiet for a long moment as the two of them stepped into an elevator, everyone else deferentially allowing the President and his chief of security to have the elevator to themselves.

"Sir… I can't help but notice that despite your stated intentions about Scott," Erik couldn't help but notice the tiny catch in her voice at the man's name. "Not being seen as working with Genosha… that a lot of his actions seem to align with Genoshan foreign policy. Actions that we wish we could have done, but didn't due to worries of potential foreign censure."

Erik nodded his head idly, sounding to all the world as though he were commenting on the weather. "Yes. Interesting coincidence, don't you think?"

"... Sir… is there something going on that your head of security should know about?"

"Hmm… no." Erik replied, his tone distant. "No. I do not believe there is anything you need to know about, Agent Cargill."