Terraforming (Wisteria)

[Gordy]

"Oppression is no excuse for vengeance
-- for murder."

---

Several months ago, the people of Genosha were killed. Massacred by the villainous Ultron, what once was a mutant utopia was now rubble. Houses were in ruins, earth was scorched, and flora and fauna were driven to near-extinction, and the only sign of life remaining came from a few metal towers that dotted various points on the island.

Currently, the only residents on the island were Magneto and Mister Sinister - each camped on different sides and worrying about their own schemes. Magneto himself was the sovereign leader of Genosha, but was a king without his subjects?

Like many others, Xavier had a vision for the island. In his mind, the island could one day be home to people again. Honestly, it didn't matter who - people needed sanctuary, and Genosha could one day offer it to them. 

Right now, Xavier awaited Wisteria at the gates of the X-Mansion. He was glad the mutant had agreed to his plea and join him on Genosha. His talents, not to mention his expertise in botany, would be invaluable in restoring the land. The latter would especially be important, given the nation's climate and landscape being quite different from America. Xavier was, by his own admission, quite clueless about what they might need for an island on the eastern coast of Africa.

---

"I wonder...
Does the death of innocent people
free you?
I think not."

[oakley]

The ails of the island was something Oliver knew little to nothing about initially aside from what he heard on the news.

From what Xavier had explained, there would need to be a lot of regrowth done. Pretty much the entire island had been destroyed, left a burnt crisp. On the bright side, that did mean the soil would be very fertile. On the unfortunate sign, many people had died. Oliver would have to account for that and demand they build a memorial garden area.

Back on topic. Once he heard about the mission he immediately accepted. His research then started immediately after. It wasn’t in the United States, far from it, so he’d need to do to tons and tons of reading and research. Already he knew a bit, but not enough to completely fix an island. The information would be printed and put into a lovely binder, complete with dividers and all. Tons of highlights, notes in the margin, and add one were added as well. It was maybe a bit too much, but boy did it make Oliver happy. He adored plants and of course, the opportunity to work with brand new plants excited him.

He arrived to the mansion with duffel bag of enough stuff to stay a couple of nights (plus his suit), a ton of seeds from home, and of course the binder.

Xavier was there, waiting. It made Oliver feel a bit nervous- what if his identity was discovered? Oh- they’d just have to go fast.

”I’m ready to head- do you know if there’s any saplings on the island that I can work with? I’ve done a ton of research so I know exactly which plants to get. I brought the ones I already had but I don’t have saplings.”

[Gordy]

"Oppression is no excuse for vengeance
-- for murder."

---

There was a third reason why Charles wanted Oliver on this mission, above the other two chlorokinetics in the school. It was going to be an ambitious mission, but it was also going to be a safe one. A project like this would be good for Wisteria's confidence, while acclimating him to the expanded use of his powers.

When his hero had arrived, Xavier could already sense that, not only was he excited, but he was also full of anxiety and worry. 

"Glad you could make it, Wisteria. I hope you didn't pack too much; it should only take a few hours."

Xavier would smile at the boy, then point to the distance. Far in the distance, just outside the school grounds, appeared to be a black jet. It was the X-Men's famous Blackbird, a ship capable of surprising speed.

"I already purchased all sorts of seeds one can legally purchase in America," the professor explained. "Unfortunately, I'm still not quite sure what seeds would be of use on this mission. You're welcome to take any and all the extra seeds for yourself."

---

"I wonder...
Does the death of innocent people
free you?
I think not."

[oakley]

Whoops. Xavier might’ve mentioned that a bit earlier and Oliver just forgot. Too late now, he already had the duffel bag with him. A light shrug and Oliver followed after him. ”Never know what weather might hit. It’ll be ultra muddy too- I brought boots for it.” Oliver was absolutely the kind of guy to go in overprepared. It’s a great thing and also an absolutely annoying thing about him, take your pick.

Oh! Oh oh oh! Seeds? For him? That was so exciting! As much as Oliver wanted to keep them all, he knew he had to be careful. ”Are they labeled? If not that’s fine. I can work with it, it’ll just be easier if they’re labeled.” Oliver looked as if he was a kid in a candy store, extremely ecstatic about the idea of working with so so so many seeds! Oh goodness! It was simply so exciting.

Hopefully the flight wouldn’t be too long- Oliver would just follow after Xavier and go with whatever he said.

”You’ll also need a ton of insects, specifically ones that are natural to the area. Oh! And animals. The plants won’t thrive without all sorts of stuff like that. I’m not sure the best way to go about doing that… but thought I should mention it before we take off.”

[Gordy]

"Oppression is no excuse for vengeance
-- for murder."

---

Always good to be prepared. And fortunately, Xavier had already made his own preparations. "Everything is labeled. As for the animals and insects, a few mutants will come in next week to help with that aspect."

---

The plane ride was quick, taking just under two hours for them to reach Genosha. They would land on one of the sandy beaches, nestled safely between the remains of two destroyed Sentinels.

The beaches that compromised part of the island's coast were, shock and horror, littered with the stains of blood, oil, wood and machinery. The air was breathable, if lightly ashy in smell. The string of hotels and resorts that once dotted this area now lay in ruins, or just barely standing, like monuments to the island's hayday.

The rest of the island would consist of much of the same: waste, metal, and refuse all over the place. The bodies had since been cleaned up, but the island was worse for ware.

The doors to the Blackbird would open, and stairs would pour down. Xavier would leave the ship first, floating on his hoverchair. Hellion and a female mutant would follow suit, telekinetically floating along a large, bookcase-like container of seed packets and potted plants. All that was left was Wisteria.

Xavier looked up to the plane and waited patiently for the Irishman. "Hellion and Flatline will move any debris, and you can start wherever you like. I'm curious to see what sort of vision you have in mind for Genosha."

---

"I wonder...
Does the death of innocent people
free you?
I think not."

[oakley]

The plane landed and by that time, Oliver had changed clothes into his hero outfit. After all, his identity did need to remain a secret. Just in case someone randomly appeared on the island- you never know when a different mutant may appear. It was always the best choice to be cautious- Oliver still wasn’t sure if he could trust anyone yet… heck, even Xavier still worried him a tad at times.

Still… he’d have to focus.

The sights as he disembarked were appalling. Eyes softened and he started to frown. It felt as if now would be the time to pray- to give those lost good thoughts. There wasn’t much he could do except try to help rebuild a lost community. There was much to do and not a ton of time. Oliver wasn’t sure how long he truly had to work or how much Xavier wanted him to do… but he’d just have to get started.

”I’m going to get started on the beach and the edge of the beach and work my way towards the inside of the island. Just have them help me move the debris. Keep it out of the ocean, please.” and with that, he just had to get started.

He’d steadily begin, picking out seeds based on their scientific names. The binder was left on top of the book case, which he would constantly turn back to.

The battleworn beach would steadily grow. Palms would dot every so often, grass would be added as a relief for any small creatures that would make their way to the sands. It would take a while- the sands did cover much of the outer rim of the island. Still, Oliver would be working hard, growing as he walked and occasionally having to grab new bits of seeds to add dashes of different plants. It was hard work- but it was for a good cause.

[Gordy]

"Oppression is no excuse for vengeance
-- for murder."

---

It was marvelous to see Wisteria in work. Xavier was witnessing something that would have taken nature decades, done within a less than an hour. It seemed so effortless for Wisteria, yet for everyone else, he was nothing short of miraculous. 

But their walk would be interrupted by a strange sight. Buried halfway through the sand was a large, metal head the size of an SUV. Its one visible eye carried no light, but it stared deeply into the mutants' eyes. For many of them, it would send a chill down their spines.

"That's..." Flatline began.

"A Sentinel," Hellion concluded. "You don't see too many of them around these days, aside from the mansion attack a while back."

"Horrible weapons," Xavier added. "Designed specifically to hunt down mutants. Take a good luck, everyone: this very machine might have been the last thing many mutants saw before they died."

It was a grim sight for these mutants. Silently, Hellion and Flatline would raise their hands and let their psychic powers lift the head out of the sand. They would fly away with the head, heading inland to presumably put it where it wouldn't bother anyone. 

Which left just Xavier and Wisteria. "You know, I'd like to see what you are capable of with no limits. There's a large plot of fresh land less than ten minutes away from here. I made sure to save it just for you to make whatever you wish."

---

"I wonder...
Does the death of innocent people
free you?
I think not."

[oakley]

The mutant stared into the soulless eyes of the machine, his head tilting somewhat to the side as he tried to process the words said to him. That was what killed an entire island of people... a metallic monster? Not even a living, breathing entity? It was a weapon of destruction... it didn't make since. "Why do that if it's something I- we cant control?" Why was he born like this? Into a world of monsters like this?

Shifting his eyes away, Oliver took in a deep breath. "Don't waste it- melt down the metal... turn the disgusting thing into something actually useful to us. Anything... literally anything would be better than allowing it to lay around as a reminder of how disgusting humans are." It was the inkling of something more- Oliver didn't trust a majority of people. People didn't have good intentions, usually. People were disgusting. He didn't understand why he was treated like this, but he was. It wasn't fair.

Shifting his gaze back to Xavier, he was given quite the proposition. "I want it to be a memorial to all of those who were lost. A place for people to leave offerings and pray, if they should wish to. I'd need your cooperation... I can't just fill it with plants, but I would want you to create it for me. I know it isn't what you want... it isn't me using my powers as much as I can, but it is better than anything I could possibly create."

[Gordy]

"Oppression is no excuse for vengeance
-- for murder."

---

Xavier couldn't help but smile at the boy's words. It was one thing to shoulder your trauma. It was another to address it and move on. But it was another thing entirely to turn the trauma into something helpful. 

"Alright. Hellion, Flatline, I'm going to send you a mental image. See if you can recreate it with the Sentinel."

The idea wasn't something Xavier had considered, but it was something he approved of. It would be a challenge for even their most powerful telepaths to bend its resistant metal, but it could be done. 

The mutant floated over to Wisteria. If he would approve, Xavier would put his hand on Wisteria's shoulder. "That's the kind of thinking we need for Genosha. We want this nation to heal - not just physically, but mentally. Many mutants will never be able to forgive the men and machines who hurt them, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try."

---

"I wonder...
Does the death of innocent people
free you?
I think not."

[oakley]

Oliver wasn’t sure what to do with the melted metal, but just about anything would be better than allowing it to exist in its current form. The head was a hate symbol, not something that should be put into a garbage can or put deep into storage. No. ”If you have any of the other remaining pierces, I’d recommend you do the same… while I don’t understand truly what these things are, I know we could repurpose them for something actually meaningful to mutants. It still carries the blood of those who died, but it should at least not go to waste.” it was complicated. It killed people but it shouldn’t be wasted.

A hand would be placed to his shoulder, something Oliver desperately needed after all that negativity. ”I wouldn’t even say we should forgive at this point… forgiving isn’t the right word. We need to recognize it happened and give the proper respect to those who were harmed… but we should allow it to stop us entirely. I want to rebuild and become better.
“

But alas. He couldn’t truly rebuild, could he?

A deep sigh and Oliver would shake his head. ”Do you have any sort of farm set up? We should prioritize that next. I want a place to put fruit trees, berry bushes, and grains. Getting a bunch of grains started is extremely important as it’s very versatile.”

It was odd. Almost as if Oliver was ignoring a thought deep in his head.

[Gordy]

"Oppression is no excuse for vengeance
-- for murder."

---

"Understood," Xavier would say. "There's a lot of scrap metal; we could use them for a lot of art pieces. We can also isolate and reverse-engineer the AI used in Sentinels, and see if we can put it to good use."

With that, the telekinetics would carry the head off, deeper into the island. An idea was planted within them, telling them that the best place to work would be an open, barren field. They would have a lot of space to use their powers, and the delicate plantlife would be unharmed in the process.

Back to Tree Boy.

"Farming would be a great idea, actually," Xavier told him. "I didn't want to impose too much on you, but if you're up for it, cultivating food would be fantastic. It's best that Genosha learn to be self-sufficient, on the chance that we can't rely on the rest of the world to help us."

Wisteria, who had been so hesitant when they first met, was already taking charge and putting forth ideas. To Charles, it was a sign that the boy was really coming into his own.

Now, to the matter at hand. Xavier wasn't reading his mind, but he could tell Oliver had a lot of thoughts running through his head. His tone, his sigh, his body language. Small details told Xavier that he had some serious worries. They had briefly touched on them during their first meeting, but there was more underneath the surface.

"It doesn't take a telepath to know you're carrying a lot of burdens, a lot of bitterness. Yet here you are, doing what you can to help others. How does that make you feel?"

---

"I wonder...
Does the death of innocent people
free you?
I think not."

[oakley]

There was a small shake of his head. "I don't think bringing them back to life is a good idea... I believe they should just have their parts reused for good. It'd probably be traumatizing to see them up, walking around again... or whatever it was they did." It sure as hell sounded traumatizing. So what, you reprogram them. That doesn't change the mental image permanently burnt into the people's minds.

Ah- so farming wasn't in his original plan. A simple nod. "In that case I should probably stick to other things... I need to plant bushes and trees to hopefully feed the native animals. Oh, and you will need to get a lot of bugs. Tons of them. Just import a lot of bugs and put them everywhere. And frogs- and lizards- and snakes-" And now he's rambling and listing off all the creatures that would need to be brought over. So many things. They were literally playing god right now- oops.

Right-

This was all just a coping mechanism, sort of. He did genuinely want to help, but he was also shoving other thoughts deep down.

"I don't know- it's... it just seems wrong. I was forced to be a mutant- and yet, people in the world just want me dead apparently. Hundreds of people can be killed for something they have no choice over- and I'm not someone who can amount to anything that'll change people's minds. I don't think I'll even earn the respect of most of the other mutants at this point."

[Gordy]

"Oppression is no excuse for vengeance
-- for murder."

---

"You have my respect," Xavier said, speaking in a gentle and empathetic tone. "And once Genosha is restored, the people will have your work to thank for it."

There was a change in Wisteria since the last time they met. When he was in his element, he was more confident, had more direction, and was filled with passion for his work.

And yet, there were still so many issues under the surface. Wisteria could switch between expert ecologist and a man plagued by fears and insecurity. Even when one was in their element, their tragedies didn't fade away - they just didn't take precedence. They would always exist, and the only thing you could do is keep them at bay. 

"Genosha is more important than you realize, Wisteria. It could be a sanctuary for those who were hunted and victimized. Mutants who have no other place could now have somewhere they belong. While prejudice will always exist around the world, it won't be welcome here."

With that vision in his head, Xavier couldn't help but smile. Hope for his people. Somewhere they can be safe. Humans and mutants will come together one day, but until then, mutants wouldn't have to suffer. If such a thing could be achieved, the professor would do everything he could to see it happen.

"The Genoshans will have you, and many others, to thank for their land. And to make sure your work is never forgotten, you remember that plot of land I mentioned earlier? Once you've finished creating whatever you want, it will be named after you. Your work will be memorialized as, say, Wisteria Gardens."

---

"I wonder...
Does the death of innocent people
free you?
I think not."