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Over the next few days after that first spate of meetings Harry trained with Ororo, Amara and Piotr under the direction Shiang Chi, mostly in hand to hand, an area where he lagged behind the rest of the team badly, during the mornings. The afternoons he would spend with the kids, and the evenings working on his own projects. Elemental Energies was now set up entirely independent of Magical Minds, ready to start work on the next few generators, with Harry, Jean, Ororo and only a few others in those companies having access to one another. Harry's own distribution network was good to go as well, though it still leaned heavily on Frost Pharmaceuticals for everything outside of Britain and France.
At the same time, information had leaked from SAAB about its newest project. Not a lot, but enough to have the public learning about the hover ambulance concept. There were already some overtures from various militaries the world over, and of course spies trying to get in to see if that rumor had anything substantive behind it. They weren't going to have much luck however. With all the magical defenses Harry and Kitty had put on that idea no one could talk about it much. All of the computers with any information about it were disconnected from the Internet, and the factories themselves were protected by various intent-based wards, which Kitty and Harry had thrown together in a single night a few weeks back. All that Saab's reps would say officially was that they were working with technology purchased from Reed Richards, and that their new owner had gotten the company in touch with the reclusive scientist.
Politically, things kept moving in that week and a half. Italy had finalized their mutant protection laws, and opened dialogue with Harry's group for if they ran into any mutant that needed training in how to control his or her powers like France, Britain and Ireland. In return, Harry's potions were once more making their way to hospitals in Italy.
Sweden, Norway, Greece, and several other countries, though notably not Germany, had also begun to look into creating similar laws, and more importantly, opening up dialogue with Harry Potter of Magical Minds for his 'aid in dealing with those mutants whose powers represent a threat to themselves and others if not controlled'. Though Harry's new political analyst, an older woman who he had hired away from a job on the British PM's staff, said that only Norway would be willing to do more than talk. Greece would promise the moon and do nothing, the government too corrupt and too mired in social projects already that crippled its budget. Sweden had too many other issues at home, and wouldn't be able to take the hard line against violence towards mutants that Ireland and Britain, and Norway once they were onboard, could.
There was one snag during the week leading up to Kelly's rally however. Someone had attempted to attack one of Frost Pharmaceuticals cargo ships:
Harry and Emma hid underneath a Notice-me-not spell on the roof of a warehouse in Genova Italy, watching as the barely able to float ship was nudged gently into the harbor. "Pirates, really? That heavily armed and in these waters? Someone either thinks we're idiots, or just isn't very good at subtlety."
Emma scowled angrily, her arm linked with Harry. "15 of my company's employees dead, numerous other injuries among the crew and the ship is a total write off. They might not have been good at subtlety, but they certainly made up for it in brute force. Energy weapons, at least one weapon that sounds like a plasma weapon of some kind, a few dozen heavy assault rifles and SAWs in the hands of what sounds like nameless goons. None of my cargo ships have the defenses that can stand up to something like that."
"If your injured can be transferred to hospitals in France, I'll make certain that they have access to my potions if they need them." Harry replied. "But despite their brute force approach, they didn't actually get anything from this attack and I hope that shows whoever was actually behind it that they won't have any more luck in the future." Kitty's emergency teleportation array had worked as advertised, emptying all of the cargo containers of potions the moment those cargo containers were opened when they weren't yet at their designated destination.
"That will work very well from a PR standpoint as well." Emma said with a nod. "As for the cost of the ship, well my company's ships and trucks are all insured as heavily as possible. That at least will help defray the cost. Are you going to do anything to find out who was behind this?"
"I'd rather keep Mystique on her current job, and Dennis has his hands full coordinating our intelligence resources as it is." Harry replied with a shake of his head. "My company's corporate espionage programs aren't exactly anything to write home yet. Good enough on the defensive given all of our home field advantages shall we say?" He smirked at her, and Emma laughed, though she still didn't take your eyes away from the ship being pushed into port. "But I just don't have the resources available to hunt whoever was behind this down."
"In that case, we might want to make an overture to the British Navy. This is after all sort of their backyard." Even decades after the collapse of the British Empire, the British Navy was still the most professional and powerful navy in European waters, and the third most powerful, in terms of experience, training and tech if not in numbers, worldwide. "I would assume they would take a very dim view of pirate activity."
"Not a bad idea." Harry said with a nod, turning away from the view. "How goes your work with the Hulk?"
"Poorly," Emma replied, scowling. "With things with the Sentinel program coming to a head and needing to put pieces into place to move instantly against Sebastian Shaw and Buckman without seeming to, I haven't had much time. Despite Paris' recent estrangement with the man I have no wish to seem too eager to move against him. Banner and I have had only two sessions, and I have to say it hasn't gone very well. Dr. Banner's mind is…"
She paused to think of the word. Despite being a telepath she didn't actually have any training in psychology after all. "Fragmented," she said after a moment. "For some very strange reason he has compartmentalized his emotions and feelings to a degree that is just unhealthy.
Flashback:
Emma's mental avatar walked down a long dingy corridor that looked much like some kind of castle's dungeon, complete with barred doors spread out on either side of her moving down the hallway away from her current position. From some of them there were growling noises, from others silence.
She walked up to the nearest one, then quickly stepped back when a massive clawed hand reached through the bars at her. Mental avatar or no Emma didn't want to find out if she could be hurt here in Banner's mind. She stared at the creature inside, frowning thoughtfully. "And what exactly are you supposed to represent?"
"Fear" the creature screamed, compelled by Emma's telepathy to answer. It stood taller and broader yet somehow more emaciated than the normal Hulk, and it had spikes and claws and dripping fangs. "I am the one he sees in the dark, when his eyes are closed! I am the one that everything else fears."
"Interesting." Emma replied dryly then moved on ignoring the creature's shrieking behind her. After all, he didn't represent her fears. The next cage held a red Hulk, not the kind of spiked clawed monstrosity that fear was but an actual Hulk with a simple color change. "And you?" The thing didn't reply, simply smashing against the bars trying to get had her. She looked at it thoughtfully, then walked away shaking her head. "Anger I suppose."
The cages continued. Sloth, envy, jealousy, hate, even ego though ego was quite a bit smaller and seemed weaker than the others. After staring into each cage in turn Emma returned to her starting point, staring thoughtfully at what could only be Dr. Banner's mental image of his perfect self.
The body itself was incased in crystal, which was not a good sign in a mind so distorted. It showed a rigidity of thought and a desire to keep Bruce's mental image of himself unchanging. The Bruce Banner inside did not look as he did in real life. He looked scrawnier, younger almost but not quite. He was obviously a scientist of some kind, judging by the computer he held in one hand. His eyes to, even captured in Crystal looked incredibly bright and energetic behind coke bottle glasses, which Bruce himself certainly did not need.
"Well, this is not going to be easy." Emma said with a frown.
End flashback
"Honestly, Bruce Banner doesn't need a telepath, he needs a psychologist! One who could devote hour long sessions every day for years to get to the bottom of why he thought that kind of stupidity was a good idea."
Harry hummed thoughtfully. "You're certain that process began before he became the Hulk?"
"Yes," Emma said with a nod. "It's hard to put into words, but I get the impression that at least some of those cages, in particular fear and jealousy have been there for a long time, certainly longer than the Hulk's been active. Anger might be older too, I can't tell with that one. And let's not forget his mental image of his perfect self, that's not healthy!"
"So what would you recommend?"
"I'll keep working with him for now when I can, but I think this is another task we'll have to get Charles to do if I'm honest." As a trained psychologist as well a telepath of even greater strength then Emma or Jean, Charles was far better than either of them at delving into other people's minds and getting to the root of issues there.
"It'll have to wait a few months, let the X-Men get their new kids settled into the mansion, let Charles finish with Ms. Steed, and possibly help that Vietnamese girl he and Kurt saved get over her fear of men before tossing another problem his way. Let alone his part in the Sentinel issue.
Emma nodded, then linked her arm with Harry's as they made their way out of the dock areas and towards a nearby restaurant.
OOOOOOO
Even with Harry slowly delegating more and more of the business side of things to his managers, the next week passed quickly. Harry remained in America the day before the rally, doing some local recruitment and setting up further recruitment lines so that when Carol and her team finalized a training regimen for future spacers, military or industrial, he could start hiring workers quickly.
After that Harry drove from where he had been hiring in Georgia to Houston with Ororo, at times covered with a Notice-me-not spell. Emma joined them one night on the road they spent in the hotel, before teleporting back to her home and taking her personal plane to Houston. Ororo also left Harry at that point heading up to meet Piotr and Amara in High Note.
The three of them had showcased their powers in Montréal, and so couldn't be part of Harry's visible addition to this plan, since even covered with spells their powers would be enough to tell anyone who they were. They would wait up in High Note for Harry's signal to join the coming battle. The idea was to let Sebastian Shaw and his group weaken themselves against the Sentinels and vice versa before coming in and taking out both groups. The timing would be tricky as well as the battle itself but Harry had full confidence in the Custodes Mundi.
Nor was Harry alone. Wyatt in his Coyote suit accompanied Harry when the he arrived at the mansion Sebastian Shaw owned on the outskirts of Houston, as was Carol, done up in a similar suit. She had volunteered to join them on this operation, and indeed was not the only one who had. Many of the students, hearing what was going on from Piotr and Amara, who hadn't yet realized they shouldn't be talking about such things in front of them, had volunteered to join in, including Armor. Harry had refused however, he was not willing to take any of them into a fight like this, or any fight at all really. They were too young, too idealistic, and frankly even though many of them had begun to train with the Shiang Chi and the others at times, untrained.
He could have also brought Mystique in on this, but she was somewhere up in Alaska at present. She was hunting down a rumor of some kind of black market supply route of parts, materials and foodstuffs that she said could be heading towards what Magneto had referred to once as his 'base of last resort'. That was important enough that Harry didn't want to pull her off it despite how much help she could have been to this mission.
Harry was quickly allowed into the mansion's grounds and he met Harry Leyland and Sebastian Shaw in the garage. "Harry, you of course know Harry." Sebastian said smirking as the two men rolled their eyes at him. "I do apologize for that bit of humor, but I've wanted to say something like that for weeks now."
"Leyland." Harry said with a nod.
Leyland however was staring yet again at Harry's car shaking his head. "That is a magnificent car Mr. Potter, I don't suppose I could interest you in letting me have a go with it after this?"
"Possibly," Harry said courteously, though his tone clearly indicated it would be a cold day in hell before that happened, then he looked at Sebastian. "Do you have anything that would stop the teleporter from getting in here?"
"Your additions to this mission I suppose?" Sebastian asked, before shaking his head. "No, I don't."
Harry nodded, and spoke into a small communicator that he had pulled out of the car with him. "Good to go, home in on me."
A moment later, Wyatt and Carol teleported in, using a slightly longer-range version of the teleportation device that Wyatt commonly used in his Guardian persona. "May I present Coyote and Ame-no-Uzume, or Uzume for short. They are twins whose powers are symbiotic when used together."
"Do tell?" asked Sebastian, looking them over carefully. Both of them were heavily armed, with weapons that looked rather futuristic and very powerful slung over their shoulders, heavy armor and helmets that covered their entire heads.
Both of them however removed their helmets as Sebastian led the way inside the mansion, revealing Asiatic features that indeed greatly resembled one another. What he didn't know was that those features were carefully contrived holograms, made by an image inducer like the one Kurt used.
"My sister is a tracker, who can track, or home in on, other people." Coyote replied once his helmet was off. "Only other people however, and only those she touches. I am a teleporter. The two of us can work together to teleport in on someone else so long as we're within a set range, using a mental connection we can form while touching one another. Both of us are snipers for preference, and are well equipped to back up Flare in the field."
"Interesting." Sebastian murmured, recalling that Flare was the name Harry had told him he used as a codename in the field. He also remembered Emma once saying that she had her older sister's power couldn't work on one another, so he wondered if siblings who were mutants would normally have that issue or be symbiotic in. Something to think about when we move against the X-Men he thought, smiling sardonically.
"And yourself?" Leyland asked politely.
"That's right I haven't told you about my own power yet have I?" Harry mused. "I am an energy manipulator, I can produce and direct various types of energy, electrical, plasma, light, and I am also immune to energy based attacks, though that can be overwhelmed, and the amount of power I can use at one go is also limited."
Harry and Emma had come up with this cover for his magic, figuring it would allow him to use a lot of his magical attacks without actually coming out and admitting they were magic. Even so, Harry intended to not use any of the spells he might have been seen using in Montreal, just in case. He had no idea about who the Lord Cardinal or Wolfman were, and didn't want to give the game away just in case they were somehow magically sensitive or immune to any illusion spell he tried to use.
Well pleased with this information, Sebastian smiled thinly. Harry had hinted at this when he shared his codename but knowing that Harry's powers would be utterly useless against Sebastian's own filled him with a grim joy. There'll never be a question of which of us is the king the leader, unlike with Emma. I wonder if Harry would enjoy knowing about what Emma's fate will be after this battle…
"Tell me will our fellow king be in attendance in this meeting, or the activity afterwards?" Harry asked as they continued through the mansion, his two teammates silently following behind them.
"No, unfortunately Edward has decided to remain up in New York. Though with how much of his liquid capital he's used to fund this project, and with the bread trails that will no doubt lead from this project back to him, we might not actually have to move against Buckman ourselves. Simply dropping the word that Buckman has been involved in creating his own personal robot army in the right ear and letting the government catch up to him might be the best idea all around."
Harry frowned thoughtfully, then nodded. "That works, though we might wish to make certain that he isn't able to escape the country before that hammer falls on him."
"I have done this before Potter." Sebastian replied dryly and Harry laughed, holding up a hand like a fencer signaling a point.
Soon after that they had reached the sitting room, where four other people rose as they entered. Two of them were men Harry had not met previously, dressed in colonial era suits much like Sebastian and Leyland, as befitted members of the Hellfire Club. One was a tall, blond haired man with the build of a boxer and a short very well trimmed goatee under a thin, somewhat cruel looking mouth. There were lines around his mouth and eyes that denoted some age, but that was the only hint that he might be older than he first appeared.
The other man was a brown haired fellow, shorter a far squatter then the former, indeed he was almost fat, with eyes that seemed almost lupine in nature. He too was dressed in a colonial era suit, though it did not nearly fit him as well as that of the first man. This person was a thug dressed up in a suit, the other man carried himself like a person of wealth and means.
The last two individuals were Emma and her bodyguard Sandman. Emma and Harry had talked about bringing Starfire in on this, but both of them had decided that she was too young and not nearly well enough trained to bring into a fight like this, much like the teens in Camelot. Her powers would've been a major help, but not enough of one for either to want to risk her, even if she could be trusted to stay silent afterwards about the Custodes without magical 'assistance'. Sandman on the other hand had already proven himself, had more experience than most of the people already on Harry's team, and had a stake in this battle, wanting to help in shutting down the Sentinels anyway he could. He had even agreed to have a modified Fidelius placed on him, so he could not inadvertently let the secret of the Custodes out.
"You did not inform me that Potter would be involved in this Shaw" Emma said coldly, keeping up the game as she glared at Harry, who glared back. Behind him his two teammates brought hands over their shoulders to their rifles, while Sandman aggressively stood forward, his hands morphing into massive hammers.
"We are all in this together." said Sebastian sharply. "The Sentinels would hunt us all down if they're allowed to get the project off the ground. Whatever your enmity with one another, I expect you to work together on this."
The two younger people both subsided, turning away from one another and Sebastian smiled, a heady feeling of power rising within him. Both powerful, driven individuals, and they had acceded to his wishes! Sebastian once again knew that he was the leader here, and that feeling was good.
He waved a hand to the two other men in the room, introducing them. "This is my Lord Cardinal, Trevor Fitzroy, and Freidrich Rome, or Wolfman. I have another associate, but she is far too valuable to risk in combat situations, and frankly her power isn't one that lends itself to that arena either. She will instead be dealing with hunting down and destroying any information on the Sentinel program after we have taken its base of operations."
"I can understand that," Harry said with a nod, knowing that Sebastian was probably referring to Sage, Charles' spy. "However, I have to say that I'm feeling far less confident about the outcome of the battle if it is just the nine of us going in against what might be 500 killer robots."
"It won't be." Sebastian said with a thin smile, knowing once again that he was in control here simply the resources he could bring to the table. "I have three companies of my own security forces, each 250 men strong waiting in a plane nearby along with a team of young mutants I've been training up cop called the Hellions. Once we have the location of the central production center, we'll call them in as well. Have you made good on your promise?"
"There is a small shipment's worth of Magical Mind's medicine ready for afterwards. I also have a few drones ready to follow the tracking signal if the Sentinels take to the air too quickly for us to physically follow." Harry said shaking Trevor's hand as the man came forward, noticing but not commenting on the man's frown as he did so.
Trevor Fitzroy was a sort of energy vampire, he was able to absorb the biological energy from other people and animals, using it to power energy blasts, shields, or even his own body, strengthening it in proportion to the energy he took in. But with Harry he couldn't get anything out of the handshake, which he'd normally would be able to. He didn't even try with the two people that had followed Harry into the room, since they were covered from head to toe in some kind of armor suit, which would negate his powers. "Interesting. You must tell us where you come up with the medicines Mr. Potter."
It actually wasn't Harry himself that blocked Trevor's attempt to steal some of his biological energy. Harry was wearing a hologram over his crisis suit at the moment, as was normal, and the crisis suit came complete with gloves. "Perhaps someday."
Sebastian spoke up from next to him as he moved past the duo towards the small bar set against one wall, fixing himself a gin and tonic. "Mr. Potter is an energy user such as yourself Trevor, he should be a major aid in the battle."
Trevor scowled slightly, dropping Harry's hand and moving off. He did not like being around other energy users, especially those that could block his own powers.
"Those companies of yours are armed with Cold Steel weapons Shaw, do remember that." Emma said, sitting down and crossing one leg languidly over the other smirking internally as Wolfman and Trevor both followed the movement for a moment before Trevor turned away quickly. "And my agent is ready to go as soon as the debate begins. If the Sentinels show up, he'll know to tag one of them with the tracking device. Indeed, he has such devices on him, and may just tag everyone he can, just in case."
She kept on speaking to Harry mentally. "Harry, all of them are wearing anti-telepath devices. I'd still be able to get into their minds but I wouldn't be able to do it without them knowing. We really will have to wait until they're all involved in the battle itself to give me an opening."
"Don't worry about it love," Harry said back to her along the same link as he moved to follow Sebastian to the bar. "That was what the plan was anyway."
OOOOOOO
While Trask had called Kelly's rally an anti-mutant one, the reality was this political rally had been designed from the get-go to be a debate, one which pit Kelly and other proponents of the anti-mutant, or as Kelly called it these days 'the superpower registration act' against Charles and several other outspoken proponents of the other side of the debate. The local crowd was made up of Kelly's supporters, but those watching the debate via CNN and NBC, both of which were covering this, would of course have a more mixed view.
Charles had been invited personally by Kelly, who he had met occasionally in the past socially. He also knew several of his fellow debaters, having exchanged emails or otherwise talked to practically all of them in the past.
As the debate controller began to warm up the crowd by introducing them all to the crowd and the video cameras, the ten men all exchanged handshakes, and Charles smiled as he reached up to grasp Kelly's arm. "Robert."
"Charles, good of you to come, this should be interesting, we've never actually met in a debate before have we?" Robert Kelly smiled thinly down at the invalid, letting none of his disdain for the other man's naïve social agenda color his voice.
Charles was a well-respected war veteran, a phycologist with over two dozen extremely popular books to his name and a public speaker. His words carried a lot of weight in political and intellectual circles. Kelly knew neither of them would win a debate, their beliefs were simply too different, but simply holding his own against the other man would win him points from the anti-mutant groups and even the neutrals, which would help him hugely when he ran for president as an independent.
"I don't believe we have, no, and I agree this should be interesting." Charles replied with a nod, nothing in his face or body showing any hint that the handshake had been anything more. But a miniscule tracer, designed by Emma's best tech geeks, had just passed from under Charles' sleeve onto Kelly's sleeve.
The two of them moved on continuing to shake hands before moving to take their seats at the two tables set facing one another, then soon the debate began, the announcer, a woman who was a local reporter starting it off. "Ladies and gentlemen, while there are many crises, many problems and points of division facing humanity, the one that is most talked about most divisive in many ways, is the so-called mutant question."
"America, like many other countries hasn't yet decided what course we should take. Should we, like China, make mutants register themselves the moment their mutations become apparent, should we give them special protection under the law, or should we simply ignore the issue in terms of law, and let the social situation sort itself out however it occurs? Senator Kelly, as the organizer of this debate we'll begin with you."
"Thank you Rachel. First let me say that there is a vast difference between mutates and mutants. Mutates are those sad, ostracized individuals whose physical deformities give them no added strength, no powers, only simply serving to make them seem different, and unfortunately many men will react with violence against those who are physically different."
Kelly was a master orator and politician, he knew that he could not be seen to be on the same side as the Friends of Humanity, who targeted any mutant they found, regardless of their powers or where they were found. Gang violence like that was not popular at all in most of America, at least on the surface. So he used the new terms being bandied about to make his 'new' position clear.
"But mutants, the so-called homo-superior, are not mutates. They are different from us, just look at the very name! They might look like humanity, might well pass themselves off as normal, but they aren't. Again, look at the very name, the arrogance in calling yourself superior, and separate from homo-sapiens. We have had dozens, hundreds of examples that mutants feel themselves above the laws we mere humans have agreed to follow. Mutant supremacists like the terrorist Magneto."
He waited for the shouts of hate from the crowds to die down. Magneto had sunk several American submarines a few years ago, and more than one family here in this room had lost family members to that or his other attacks. "Yet they are not so far beyond humanity as they think. After all, it is also human nature to believe that something that makes us special, even if it's just a strange genetic flaw, sets us apart sets us above our fellow man. Magneto and others like him believe they are a separate species.
"Are we, humanity, to believe therefore that they are the Cro-Magnon to our Neanderthal then? Because when one species evolves in the same place as another, there is inevitable conflict, we see this all the time in nature. It is only natural to believe that there will be conflict between us, and the only way to stop that is to make certain that mutants cannot act out against humanity however we can."
"Thank you Senator. Your rebuttal sirs?"
Sitting in his wheelchair at his place at the table, Charles frowned faintly. He recognized some of that argument from a paper that had been written by a scientist who worked with Magneto at some point in the past. What was his name again, Nathanial something?
Next to Charles, Dr. Forsythe, a doctor from Georgia Tech who Charles sincerely respected despite his somewhat warhawk views when it came to the Middle East, replied. "While your point about perception and in particular that madman Magneto's actions is well taken, you are working on false data when you try to say that mutants are a separate species. As I believe Mr. Potter of Magical Minds said a few weeks back, there certainly isn't enough difference in our DNA to say mutants and normal humans are separate species."
"Indeed, when talking about mutants I think we should leave aside the idea of species entirely. It is, biologically speaking a bit of a mine field. After all, dogs and wolves are very different animals, but by the definition of species, that being: a group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding, they are exactly the same."
That had come out a little too dry and scientific for the locals, something Kelly realized. He subtly signaled one of his fellows, who spoke up next.
He began by speaking about what had happened in China recently, an entire city blown up like it had been struck by a hydrogen bomb when a mutant lost control of his powers. "Why doesn't matter, only the outcome: Mutants are dangerous, they must be regulated, controlled, and if they still believe their powers make them better than normal people, eliminated."
The man went on this vein for some time, hitting on a few known mutant criminals. The men further down the table from Charles responded with the names of several dozen more criminals whose exploits were equal or worse and were not mutants. "You cannot use a few examples to paint the picture for an entire sub-group!"
"Indeed when you say mutants are dangerous you are simply speaking in generalities, something you can never do that when it comes to humanity." Charles said. "Words have power Senator, which is something I should not need to remind a politician of."
From there Charles launched into a passionate speech, likening racism against mutants or from mutants towards normal humans as nothing but bigotry. He railed against both extremes, saying that coexistence could only benefit everyone, whereas if hate was allowed to rule, no one won but the crows. His voice in that moment was so passionate and so certain that he silenced even the antagonistic crowd in front of him.
OOOOOOO
"That was quite an impassioned speech." Sebastian said mildly, sipping at his gin and tonic. There is a reason that Charles has been able to put together his X-Men team, best to remember that, he thought.
"Yes," Harry said musingly. "That man, Charles was it? He's a rather talented speaker, but in the end I don't think he swayed the local crowd."
As the camera panned over the crowd their faces showed Harry was correct. Now that Charles had stopped speaking the crowd had come back to itself, and there were a lot of sneers and shaking heads there. One wiseass was even caught on the sound recorder as shouting "No human I know has scales or a tail!" Whatever Kelly might've said in his beginning speech, far too many people were willing to paint all mutants with the same brush, it was so much easier to hate them that way.
As they watched Robert took advantage of that, reiterating his position that mutants, or superpowered individuals as he put it, had to be regulated by their local governments, and then through the UN. This was because no one could trust the Chinese or the Russians not to put their own government sanctioned superpowered teams together and then use them against their neighbors.
That won him some cheers, and he began to take over the debate, his fellow team members no longer speaking allowing him to take center stage in what was no doubt a choreographed maneuver. Something which every member of the hellfire club in that room commented on in derisive tones.
Again and again Kelly hit on the point that mutants represented a clear and present threat to the status quo and that many of them thought their powers set them apart. And that historically speaking whatever his opponents said when a new species evolved in place of the old they always tended to push out the older one. Robert also made a few small concessions, stating that so long as mutants did not actually fight the process they could simply be segregated from the rest of humanity peaceably rather than outright killed. And that said segregation itself did not need to be a violent process.
Charles tried to take the debate back several times, trying to go back to Kelly's own point about most mutants not actually being superpowered at all, simply people with physical deformities. But his attempt to liken the anti-mutant hysteria to simple racism, anti-Semitism or like simple bullying in many cases did not work.
At least not with the local audience. Harry wasn't certain but hoped it had worked better with people watching at home. It's a sad day when hate of those that were different from you overcomes the understanding that everyone is different and should not be attacked for those differences.
Kelly even attacked Harry, personally, causing everyone in the room to turn to him, to which Harry simply smiled sardonically. Robert pontificated that it was unfair and a sign of a new social agenda riven economic warfare that Magical Minds refused to sell his potions at a reasonable price to those nations that did not meet his demands on the mutant issue. "I can feel the hate." Harry said thoughtfully, sipping at his whiskey. "It's nice."
The others laughed and they continued to watch. "You know…" Sebastian said staring over at Emma "If it turns out that the Sentinels won't be showing up to this, this will have been a costly waste of time."
"They'll show up," Emma replied, refusing to show any nervousness about that issue.
About 20 minutes later, one of the debate moderators asked Kelly a question yet even how she asked that sounded to the discerning ear that she had been chosen for this job because of her own opinions on the matter. "Robert Kelly, it sounds like you have an excellent long term goal to deal with the mutant problem, but I for one would not wish to pay more taxes than I already do to fund some kind of reallocation program as you describe. Furthermore, as you've pointed out many mutants, in particular the superpowered variety, are able to blend in with normal people. How exactly are you going to find them?"
While neither of those questions were part of the topic for the debate, no one save those trying to speak for mutant rights seemed to care. Several of them shook their heads angrily, and one man at the far end of the table from Charles actually stood up and walked off shaking his head. As Robert Kelly began to answer the question that man's voice could be heard in the background "I refuse to take part in this farce anymore! It was supposed to be an open debate, not a way for Robert-fucking Kelly to air his grievances or begin his so-called campaign!"
Again Harry wondered how this all was being taken by the viewers watching it on TV rather than in person. Thinking about his lessons in politics, he thought that Kelly might just have gone too far in stacking the deck, making the entire thing more sad and overbearing than anything. But that was beside the point right now. Now if that question doesn't…
"I'm glad you asked that Stacy, because I have been working with various scientists computer technicians, weapons developers, and geneticists in order to answer that very question! One of them came up with a solution over a year ago, but it has taken this long to put it into production. Now I can't say…" his went on as a rumbling sound reached the crowd from the sky above them. "That they are inexpensive, but with these bad boys on humanity's side, the war against the mutants will never even start!"
Two gigantic robots suddenly came down out of the sky to land on either side of the raised dais where the debaters were sitting facing one another. They stood at least five stories tall, massively built across the shoulders with bullet shaped heads and flat, only vaguely humanoid faces, and were painted in dark purple and pink. Their hands were fully articulated, though as they landed Harry noticed apertures in their palms which were no doubt some kind of weapon.
"Behold the Sentinels!" Robert Kelly shouted, waving his hands at them. "Ladies and gentlemen, the answer to the mutant problem!"
OOOOOOO
Harry and the Hellfire Club were not the only ones watching. Nick Fury was watching as well, having heard rumors that Robert Kelly was going to formally announce his run for president and wanting to see what his agenda was beyond the mutant issue, something he had not learned just yet. Of course he still hadn't, but those thoughts went out of his mind the moment those giant robots showed up.
"How… the… fuck…" he said in a calm, controlled voice that somehow sent every person in the hela-carriers bridge, most of whom weren't even aware of what was going on that had their boss so incensed, to shiver in fear. Several of them flinched, looking longingly towards the door. "How… the… fuck… could someone create those things without us knowing?"
His personal assistant shrugged her shoulders. "We never even heard rumors someone was building robots like that, commander."
"Exactly," said Nick in that still calm, icy tone, a sign he had passed straight through rage and out the other side. "We are SHIELD, we are supposed to know about this kind of thing. We are supposed to know every individual who could come up with something like that!" He said standing up abruptly and causing more than one person nearby to flinch away as he stabbed angrily at the view screen in front of him.
"So now what we have here is someone backing Kelly, who has created at least two robots that look like they could go a few rounds with the Fantastic Four that we didn't know about! Find out, now!" Nick growled, and the men nearby turned as one to their computers, bringing up any history of Robert Kelly, anyone who even had remotely agreed with his point of view on the mutant question, anyone who had donated money to his campaign for Senator, or who had come out in approval of his upcoming presidential campaign. Assumed names were found, and traced. Dummy corporations were discovered, and backtracked. All of it after the fact, and Fury felt possibly too late to stop this genie from escaping the bottle. All he could do now was watch, and pray to a god he didn't believe in that these killer robots would prove to be paper tigers.
OOOOOOO
"So that's them," said Harry blandly, staring at the robots and interest.
"That is a horrible color scheme." Emma replied the other mental connection, physically however she remained silent simply staring at the large TV screen.
Shaw frowned angrily. "I didn't expect them to be that large to be honest."
"Doesn't matter, the bigger they are the harder they'll far." Harry said tapping his fingers together thoughtfully. "Besides, just because their big doesn't mean they're durable, or even very powerful. Power to a point is more important than overall size."
"True." said Trevor nodding his head thoughtfully as he pulled it his goatee. "And I doubt they have come up with any armor that could withstand plasma attacks or any weapons that could harm you Sebastian." Sebastian nodded, and they all continued to watch the events on the TV avidly.