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[ The video feed turns on to show one (1) Professor Xavier, sitting at the small cafe that he's adopted in his time in Aliunde. Compared to the last time most saw him, he looks more anxious than happy. The idea of this city that they had no idea about doesn't sit too well with him. At all. ]For those of you who are preparing to go to this new found
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You know, I've been meaning to ask, can you boost your psychic voodoo with tech in any way?
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[ He settles down into the chair with a smile. ]
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[He's unsure what to say now, because bluntly starting in on the topic seems too crass and honestly he doesn't really want to bring it up now that Charles is actually here to talk. But Charles came all the way back from that cafe and not talking to him just seems like a dick move.]
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But, there was something you wanted to talk about. Or, at least, something you were thinking about wanting to talk about. [ He gestures for Tony to take a seat. ]
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He grudgingly sits down in the chair next to Charles.] I...talked about it with Pepper a little. If you could call that talking. [It had been more like an angst-filled cuddlefest, but there was some talking involved. Somewhere.]
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Charles turns to face him. ] So, arguing or just beating around the point and pretending you talked about it?
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More the latter. [It had been kind of a sweet moment, until Tony ruined it by basically telling Pepper there was nothing she could do to help.]
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I see. [ This is not surprising. ] So what is it you two needed to talk about?
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Pepper isn't - she doesn't know about this, so. Don't tell her? [He probably shouldn't have phrased that as a question. Don't tell her, Charlesss, she'll just worry even more.] But is there anything you can do to stop them? [Block the dreams, erase them, anything to stop him from laying in bed at night and staring at the ceiling for hours.]
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I won't. [ He may want to, but he understands the need for privacy more than anyone else would believe. He knows that there are thoughts that no one else should ever, ever hear. That was one of his earliest lessons with his telepathy as a child. He wishes at times that he could unhear what his mother thought. ] The dreams. There... I have erased memories before. Tampered with them. And it's not something I'd prefer to do. Changing memories changes a person, even if it is slightly.
[ Charles leans towards him and lowers his voice. ] So what is it that is so bad you want to forget, Anthony?
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That's - [Tony frowns, drawing away from Charles. He wants to get up and leave, tell Charles it's none of his business. But no. No, if this is what it takes, if this is Charles' price, he'll pay it. It's a small price to pay for what he's asking Charles to do. His tone is emotionless as he answers.] I was taken hostage in Afghanistan. They wanted me to build them weapons. I refused. [Charles can infer from there, but it probably isn't hard with the images of dark cave walls and drowning and blood and torture and shrapnel flashing through Tony's mind like a hurricane before he can properly squash them.]
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The subconscious is a tricky thing, my friend. That is where the nightmares come from. [ A small sigh. ] When the mind is traumatized, it either tries to forget the events or it keenly remembers them. In this case, it's repressed the memories. Your subconscious is attempting to deal with the trauma. To come to some kind of understanding and closure, even heal, from it. And that is why the nightmares come. In order to properly stop the nightmares... I would have to alter ( ... )
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He can't answer Charles' question for a moment, too busy staring at him in surprise, wondering whether Charles actually did snoop around his mind even though he promised - but no, Charles wouldn't do that. He must be referring to something that happened to himself, which, if Tony stopped at thought about this, was a huge occasion for them. Progress!! But instead he just nods wordlessly, his fingers unconsciously rubbing against the edge of the arc reactor as if reassuring himself that it was still there.]
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Charles eventually brings his gaze back up to look at his friend. Yes, Charles is ready to call him friend. Their friendship is rockier compared to his and Thor's, but Tony is a man with many, many problems. Just as Charles is. ] So have I. My best friend. You see, I was part of a team that was put together by the CIA. We were to find other mutants and stop another mutant, by the name of Sebastian Shaw, from igniting World War III at the embargo line between Russia and America in what you know as the Cuban Missile Crisis. We succeeded in stopping Shaw. And, then... [ he frowns and looks down. ]My friend decided that humanity was an enemy to our kind. Despite everything we had been through for the last months, the others of our kind we found and taught... he was willing to destroy both the Russian and American fleets. We stopped him in time, but at ( ... )
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AHA see he knew Charles was a secret agent or whatever, no matter how much the man tried to deny it. Tony keeps his eyes on Charles, not looking away even when Charles's gaze drops to the floor. He's supposed to be a good listener right now, and listen is what he'll do, dammit. Even when what he's listening to totally sucks balls.] Shit. That's...shit, Charles.
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It's one way of putting it, yes. [ Charles simply shakes his head. ] I have nightmares surrounding several things involving it. The injury itself... feeling the death of someone I was connected to. My best friend betraying me, leaving with several other mutants to wage his war against humanity. Even though it has been five months since I arrived, and an additional two from back home since the event? I'm still attempting to work through all of it.
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