World Domination (Loki)

Playing Chess had always been something Eric had done with Charles. Both of them enjoyed the challenge that few other individuals could give them at the game, as well as the chance to socialise with each other. The tradition had continued long after the pair had begun fighting against each other, and had only ended with Charles' death.

Sighing, Eric tried again to move the small metal pieces with his mind, but found he could barely sense the metallic atoms within them. It was very depressing, both playing by himself and being unable to use his power. He could no longer fight to save his people from oppression. It was almost like being blind, not being able to sense those tiny atoms, and their magnetic charges.

Giving up on using his mind, Eric moved the irritating thing by hand. Perhaps he should start work on a cure for the 'cure.' That way, he and other oppressed mutants could re-join the fight for their freedom!

Taking over the world was never easy but Loki had a plan. Already he had gained a Senator (and soon to be President if he had anything to do with it) and now was the time to get mortals with more power on his side. This time he would not make the mistake of attacking with foreign powers but use men who were part of the society already. He smiled. The Avengers would not know what had hit them and Thor would loose his precious Earth. Loki grinned and stepped into the bar that had been set up by some mortal for those who society liked to name 'villains'.

Entering, he looked around, taking in the sight. It was quiet and not as busy as he had thought it might be but this would be to his advantage. Working with less prying eyes was always a better idea and he strolled in, the tails on his coat flying out as he moved. Turning suddenly he stopped and turned looking down at the game of chess with only one player. Until now.

He moved a piece of the colour that appeared to be versing the man.

Pulling a seat towards him, Loki sat down opposite the man and looked at him. He knew about this man and his abilities as well as the recent fight that he had which resulted in the 'apparent' removal of his powers.
"Eric Lehnsherr," Loki said, looking at the mortal. "I have a proposition for you."

The irritating chess pieces wouldn't move through the power of Eric's mind. He was starting to be able to sense them again though sheer concentration, but couldn't move them at all. Suddenly, the piece began to shake, ever so slightly, causing Eric to give a small grin of glee. Progress.

Looking up as the eccentrically dressed young man sat down opposite him and joined the game of Chess, Eric frowned. He recognised the figure from the attack on New York he'd seen on the news. It was upsetting he hadn't won. Eric thought that the man who used magic would have rewarded mutants for their power. He hoped that they were about to make a plan to take over the world together.

"Ah yes, the man behind New York," Eric said, regarding the man opposite him. "That escapade did not end well, I hear. What new plan have you made, may I ask?"

The man was intriguing, Eric thought, as he moved a piece in return to the eccentric young man's move. It was strange to have a chess partner who wasn't Charles, but Eric was willing to try it. He missed having someone who could challenge his own intellect. The others were not smart enough to contest him in terms of intelligence.

This meeting would be interesting. Loki had never met a mutant yet but he had more than his fair share of Earth's heroes. The attack on New York had lead him to become more careful with the humans. If they could defeat him (even with the help of his former brother) then they had to be a force to be reckoned with. But still they would be no match for him when he brought their world tumbling around them. A wolf-like grin threatened to spread across his face at this thought. He wanted to see what the so called heroes would do when they realised that he had taken down their precious country from the inside.

Listening to Eric's words, Loki was pleased to be recognised and he dipped his head slightly and offered a small but dark smile. But as the mutant pointed out his defeat, Loki's brows drew together, displeased with that reminder. He had to now keep up the illusion that he was in a cell on Asgard because of his failure. He should have been able to take over Midgard - his army had been vast and yet he had still lost. That had been infuriating.

"You don't need to know the plans, yet." Loki said, his voice sly and slippery like a serpent as he leaned back in the chair, observing the mortal with cold green eyes.
"My proposition is this; you will work for me - unquestioningly, dedicating the rest of your life to my cause. I, in return will unlock that which has been taken from you and allow mutants to have a place above the other mortals once the world has fallen to me." As he spoke, Loki's delicate fingers picked up a chess piece and moved it. Chess was a favoured game of the trickster - it was one of strategy and tricks which suited Loki. Well, that and gambling. He smiled and looked up at the mortal.
"Your move."

Noticing that the young man seemed a little upset at the reminder that he'd failed to take over the world, Eric smirked slightly. He had a talent at getting underneath people's skin it seemed. It was nice to be able to keep some of his abilities; Eric felt very vulnerable without his power, even though it was starting to come back ever so slightly.

Listening to the man's sly voice, Eric was tempted to immediately agree, simply to get his own powers back. He examined the man, searching with his eyes and what remained of his power for any hints of metal he might be able to control if his powers came back. You could never trust anyone you met in the bar set up by the human Moriarty. Everyone had their own agenda.

Deciding not to reply immediately, Eric turned his attention to the chess board. The move had been a good one, and it required thought. He delicately moved a piece in return, smirking a little at his own brilliance.

"What is your name?" Eric asked slowly, blue eyes tracking the green ones in front of him. It was important to know your potential allies after all, just as one should know their enemies.

"I will consider your offer," Eric said slowly. "But first, I require the knowledge of the plan."

It would be foolish to agree blindly. After all, they had only just met, and Eric knew the young man in front of him was well known for his cunning and untrustworthiness.

Watching the mortal, Loki considered that he had been rather polite to the man. It had been a while since he had been nice to others. It was so much easier to threaten people but he needed to exercise his abilities. Whether by convincing people or threatening them. Besides, this man would be no threat until Loki returned his powers to him. Amusement flickered through him at this thought and his eyes sparkled at this fact. It was always good to be reminded that his power was much greater than anyone and he grinned.

The trickster could tell that as soon as he had mentioned returning the mortals powers, he had identified something that would be useful although the man did not immediately respond. That was not too good but he was sure he could still weave this into the situation that he wanted.
"Names are but things given to help define someone. I am the Hawk's Offspring, The Cunning As, but I am best known as Loki." He said. This time, he did give his actual name, unlike his deal with the Senator. That had required his actual identity to remain secret. This time it may actually be to his advantage. He moved another piece, favouring a more reckless and chaotic move this time, a grin on his face as if daring the mortal to try and take it.

"I need to make sure that you will be loyal before I can divulge anything of my plan to a mortal such as you." Loki said, leaning back against the chair that he sat in.
"Don't forget, you won't get your powers back without my help." He reminded, a sly smirk plastered across him as his green eyes judged the mortal, seeing how he would react to those words.

Learning that you were sat across from a God, who according to your beliefs should not even exist, was a small shock, but Eric's faith in God wasn't shattered. He smirked at the man in front of him. If he really was Loki, Norse God of mischief, then Eric supposed that God had simply made more creatures than just those he'd encountered on Earth.

"Yet, from just your name I can already tell much about you," Eric murmured, examining Loki's move for traps as he did so. He was tempted to take the piece, but it was too easy. His opponent was not unintelligent, so there had to be a trick of some kind hidden within the move. The grin on Loki's face furthered this belief.

"I will accept your offer," Eric said slowly. "On the promise that minimal mutant blood will be spilled in our conquest." It was galling to accept a position below another, but Eric knew that he would have to in order to regain his powers. Besides, this Loki was a fascinating person, and a fine player of chess. It was nice to have a challenge once more. One of the pieces shivered a little as Eric tested his powers again. They were just out of his grasp.

Watching the man as he revealed himself, Loki grinned. He loved shocking people and today was no exception. Too long had he been forgotten. It was almost painful to think that the mortals now just viewed him as a character from the stories of a forgotten culture. With any luck, New York would have changed that. Or the fact that there wasn't much New York left. Well, things would be different when he took over. Maybe he should give New York a new look. He wasn't too fond of the city but getting it destroyed would take a bit of work. Especially as he was doing this in secret. He had to keep Thor and the rest of Asgard ignorant to his actions.

The mortal spoke and Loki grinned at this. Ah, so someone remembered. Someone knew his name. It felt good to be recognised and Loki found himself missing the old days when he had walked on Midgard -when he had been revered and as soon as the mortals knew him, they would bow down and break their backs for him. Not that he had demanded such things back then.
"Which is why we must also be careful with names, right, Eric?" Loki asked, calmly. "After all, I hear that you are often referred to as Magneto." He said, tongue curling around the odd word. He was not one for these superhero names. Hence why he found out their true names. Much more useful for him. After all, he might want to target their loved ones.

Finally, the mortal accepted his offer and Loki grinned like a cat that had discovered an unattended bowl of milk. Things were coming into place and soon he would have the world in his grasp.
"Of course. Your people are above the other mortals and I would hate to waste blood that holds some worth." He said, knowing that this was the reason he did not truly want Thor dead. He watched the piece shiver as the man tried to use his powers. Loki would not release the man's power yet.
"And fortunately, my plan involves no bloodshed. Just world domination."
His voice was low as he spoke, green eyes flickering to make sure that they would remain unnoticed as he waited for the mortal to respond to his brash and dramatic move.

The thought of regaining his powers was intoxicating. Eric had thought of nothing else since he'd lost them, and now the opportunity was in his grasp. He had to impress the man in front of him, and make himself appear trustworthy. He knew that he was no threat, yet. He couldn't even sense the metal he could see on the man's armour, let alone use it to toss the man around like he did with the Wolverine.

Sighing as the man seemed to glow in delight of being remembered and recognised, Eric tried not to roll his eyes. It was a similar attitude to some of the younger, more immature mutants.
"That is a name I sometimes go by," Eric replied carefully. "It was given to me by a dear friend. Perhaps, if both you and she are agreeable, you could make the same offer you made me?" It was risky to bring Mystique into it, but Eric missed her company. There weren't many of intelligence still around after all.

Hearing the man's promise and seeing his grin, Eric allowed himself a smile in return. It seemed that he may once more have his powers, if Loki kept his side of the bargain of course.

"So we have a deal?" Eric asked, offering his hand across the board, using the other to take Loki's precariously positioned piece. It was a risky move, though his trained eyes could find no downside. Perhaps it was a test. Eric hoped it was a test, or he was about to feel incredibly humiliated for falling for whatever trap he'd just sprung. The piece he'd used wasn't of any value to his long term plan anyway; it was dispensable, like a human.

Power was intoxicating and Loki knew it. Especially with the company that he often seemed to keep. That was the way he liked it this way - it meant that they were easier to manipulate and control. Of course, the trickster was aware that he too was susceptible to the desire for power. The only difference was that his power was already greater than most others and he was too cautious to willingly accept an offer from a stranger without making sure that all details were carefully planned out. How Loki loved this. Soon he would have the world in his grasps. Or soon in Asgardian terms. This time his plan may actually take years.

Delicate eyebrows raised as the mortal sighed. It seemed that the human had some contempt for Loki's delight at being remembered. But it had been near a thousand years since he had been spoken about. As he mentioned a friend, Loki gave a small, slow nod.
"Raven Darkholme?" He inquired, casually. He knew who had worked with this man and he also knew those mutants that had their powers taken away from them. For a second, Loki contemplated what it would be like to have his powers taken away. It would certainly be inconvenient.

The deal was made and Loki took the offered hand and shook it, unlocking a small amount of the man's powers. It was clever, what the mortals had done but his mysticism was able to reverse it with some effort. Not that Loki allowed that to show.
"A taste of what is to come," He said, watching his hand as he moved another piece in a rather effective move as it's positioned place had been unnoticed by the dramatic surrender of his piece.
"Hmh?" His eyes looked up at Eric with a pleasant smile. He was so enjoying this. Games of wit and cunning was the only way to live.

It was surprising that Loki knew about Mystique. She'd been a dear friend to Eric, even after she'd lost her powers. He hoped that they could be reunited with their powers and each other. The blue skinned woman he knew was no longer blue at that moment, but perhaps she could be again. He remembered when her natural form had been an issue for her; perhaps it would be enough to stop her wanting her powers back. He hoped not.

"I am surprised you know of Mystique," Eric said slowly. He hoped she hadn't been getting herself into too much trouble since he'd last seen her.

Eric's smile as Loki took his hand turned to a rare, genuine grin as he felt a portion of his power return. It felt glorious, though it was a fraction of what he'd had before. As Loki said there would be more, Eric met his eyes with uncontained glee.
"The world will not stand a chance," Eric said maliciously, eyeing the chess board. Loki's move had been a good one, but Eric could see one just as good to make in return. He moved the piece using his powers, smirking at the man in front of him.
"What's the plan?" he asked again, blue eyes glinting with excitement.

Loki smirked as he noticed the mortal's surprise. He was good at managing to be one step ahead of everyone - he preferred having things this way. How others could exist, ignorant of the many facts that fluttered around them. Eric spoke and Loki took in the fact that he used another name, one of those ones that mortals chose to keep their true selves hidden.
"I believe it is always a good idea to keep up to date with all information." Loki answered, calmly. "Especially the allies of the person one plans to team up with." Loki added, looking over the chess board as he waited for the mortal to make his move.

With some power now restored to the mortal, Loki smiled, feeling delighted that his plan was beginning to come into action. He loved it when things came together. A wild light seemed to come into his eyes as he felt the many pieces coming together. It would be glorious when Midgard fell to him and he would lead as their king. Of course, it would be nice if he could gain control over a few days but this time he was going to be careful. He would get Midgard. He would be a king. He would get the realm that Thor cared for.
"And importantly, the so called 'heroes' won't be able to stop us," He replied to Eric's malicious words.

Leaning forwards as Eric took his turn, green eyes flickered over the board. It was a good move but now Loki was going to go and test the man. The move that the mortal took put a bishop in danger but Loki's plan was to see whether the man would sacrifice. Double checking everything, he knew that nothing else was in danger and moved a castle to threaten a knight. If he took the knight on his next turn, he would be closer to the Queen. His delicate fingers left the chess piece and returned to his lap as he looked up at the mortal.
"We have to be subtle with the take-over. Your role and the role of those you can get to assist me, is to help get a Senator into power. I will make sure that the Senator will pass laws in your favour." Then he would repeat it throughout the world and make it perfect before revealing himself. Or else he would make America the beacon of beauty before showing himself as the true creator, then countries would flock to him. Their god.

Eric was very happy at that moment. He was getting his powers back, and had gained an ally that was just as intelligent and cunning as he was. What's more; his new ally already had a plan to take over the world and give mutants the rights they deserved and end their oppression. What's more; he seemed willing to take on Mystique as an ally also, though he did not say as such.
"You are wise," Eric admitted. "But surely even you cannot see everything?" The question was to test both at vanity, and how much Loki did know. Eric enjoyed testing people, and it seemed as though Loki did also. Another thing they had in common, it seemed.

It was glorious to see that Loki shared his exultation that his powers were back. He met the man's wildly lit eyes with a manic glint of his own. He would gain a free world for mutants, and be part of the team that made it happen and rule after the take over.
"Even better," Eric grinned, looking equally malicious.

As Loki made his move, Eric saw a good plan that may win him the game, though he would have to sacrifice a few pieces, which would make it more difficult to win if this plan did not work. Making his decision, Eric went with the plan that would cause those pieces to be lost. He'd deal with the consequences if this plan did not work.
"This is entirely feasible. I will inform my brotherhood of this senator at our next meeting," Eric said, thinking hard. "I can also cause distractions to distract the heroes' attention," he offered, planning some slightly more aggressive moves on top of his 'get all the mutants to vote for this senator' moves.

Sighing at Loki's smile and words, Eric paused, thinking up a clever response to the question. It was how they both worked, using their words as weapons. Though Eric did not lack strength, words were his weapon of choice. It was so uncivilised to use violence to get ones ends, though on occasion it was necessary.
"In order to find what is required, surely the ability to see anything is necessary?" Eric questioned finally, having thought, looking at the chessboard so as not to appear to be struggling to answer. One should never show weakness.

At the mention of the so called 'X-Men,' Eric let a sneer appear on his face. Whilst he respected their talents, they were a nuisance. Couldn't they see that he was trying to make the world better for them?
"They are rather troublesome," Eric admitted. "Though with Charles dead, they will be less so."
He was still sad that his oldest friend was dead, Eric was practical enough to realise that taking over the world would be easier with the Professor gone. He did miss the games of chess, but it looked like he had a new, more challenging partner.

Scrunching his face up as Loki said his distractions would not be necessary, Eric nodded as he said the Brotherhood would be useful. He could get them to vote for whomever he wanted; Eric prided himself on being a talented public speaker. However, he would need to have a few half hearted coups de grace to keep them all happy. Perhaps they could be used to get this senator into other's good graces.
"Heroes are foolish," Eric said sagely. "This is good, and can be used to our advantage."
Examining the chessboard, Eric saw that he was two moves away from what could be a checkmate if Loki did not stop him. He'd have to sacrifice the Queen, and had already sacrificed a Knight, which would not be helpful if this plan failed, however he thought that the plan was likely to be fruitful. Making his decision, Eric let the Queen be sacrificed and continued with his plan, hopeful it would work.

It was the first game of chess Eric had played against a worthy opponent since Charles had passed away, and he was thoroughly enjoying the need to think about the game in order not to be defeated. It was a feeling that only chest masters could fully understand. Playing against those that weren't very good could get very dull.
"You seem very confident," Eric said, allowing a small hint of doubt into his voice, but not much. He was testing how observant the clever man opposite him was. The chessboard was working with this also. It was good to know one's enemy, but even more important to know one's ally.

Seeing the trickster search for the name Charles amused Eric. He would have thought that Charles had been fairly high profile if looking for Eric's enemies, though Charles was more of a frenemy if one were to use the youngster's terminology.
"Yes," Eric said, as Loki mentioned that it was useful that Charles was out of the way. "Though it is unfortunate also. He did a lot for mutant rights."

Eyeing the chess board again, Eric wondered if Loki had spotted that he was only a few moves away from checkmate. He tried to read the man's expression to discover if he had, but the grin told him nothing. The trickster had a good poker face, it seemed. Eric schooled his expression carefully as Loki took his Queen, showing a resigned resignation rather than internal glee. One move away, he thought, as he moved his Bishop into position. Now all he needed to do was move his castle and Loki's King would be trapped.

"That they do," Eric replied. "It is very useful that they set such limitations. I have nearly defeated the heroes many times; they are unable to make sacrifices.

Smirking at the confidence that bordered on arrogance coming off the smug Loki, Eric thought briefly on his own confidence. He'd thought he had a lot of it before he'd met the 'God.'
"I'm sure you have a lot of power," he said, his blue eyes watching the trickster's face carefully. "I have faith that we will see this through." He was careful to put emphasis on the 'we.' Eric was involved now, and believed that he was needed for the plan to work. He would not be impressed if important details were left out, especially if they were details he could improve upon.

Feeling satisfied that he was included in the plans at Loki's next words, Eric put a smug smile on his face. Though his mixed feelings on Charles' death still confused him on occasion, in the end he knew that his old friend would not approve of this alliance. Perhaps it was good that he wasn't around to express his opinion on the matter and ultimately foil Eric's plan.
"I do not believe he'd approve of our methods," he said mildly. "But he is no longer here to stop me from doing right by our people."

Sighing in irritation as his move was predicted, Eric moved his castle into position anyway, so that Loki's bishop could not be used without sacrificing the King. If he could send in a pawn, or another unimportant piece, then he could still win. That approach was not as subtle as he'd like, but he could work with it.
"Indeed," he said, in response to Loki's words on sacrifices. "They often lead to a greater goal; one that could not be achieved without said sacrifice."