It was a lovely day as the light from the sun shined on through the window of the Oval Office. But the mood in the Oval Office could not be more grim. Sitting in a chair in front of the Resolute Desk was the President. Mathew Ellis had been aged by a hellish six years in office. How do you expect a man to look when the world goes to hell?
Ellis complains that McKenna never had to deal with this nor did Logan. As I remind Ellis quickly no one wants to be compared to a traitorous president. Before he gets lost in the thought that the Taylor administration made peace treaty with Iran I had to redirect him.
"Sir about the school in New York..." I brought up slowly. "Yes Frank?" the President turned towards me and arced his brow. "Well as you are aware I told you about that school in New York the one with the possibly gifted kids." "Yeah a training center for paramilitary activity." I walked around the glass coffee table the president had in the Oval Office. "Sir, Colonel Stryker wants to send in another covert operative in there to put in a bug."
"Dammit Frank! He's done that three times already and has gone nowhere. I won't allow him to make another scandal! I'm under investigation already by the DoJ!" The president pointed at the envelope, a list of students and faculty to the Washington Heights school.
"I see the names of children of people that will make the party's 2016 chances non-existent. The heir to the Worthington family, the daughter of the Moroccan Ambassador to the UN, and countless others that are children of VIP's. I haven't even mentioned the international headaches it would bring about. There are students at that school from all over the world. I go after kids.." "Sir I get your point." I interrupted, "I get your point sir I'll tell -"
"Do you Frank?! We're almost at war with China, again. You've seen the satellite pictures the Chinese are planning on sending their one of their carriers to the Yonaguni area! I have to review drone strike options in the next day or so." The President was tired, exhausted, and worn out. He looked like a man that was not enjoying the office he was in.
"Sir I will order Stryker in the strongest terms to use a soft touch. He will understand that going after kids is something you'd not want to do. Also if anything happens you'll put his head on a pike outside the White House sir."the president smiled a little. "I wish I could do that Qian and Petrov."
"Well sir we cannot do that to those bastards in China and Russia but I assure it will be kids gloves from now on with the Xavier School." The president smiled. "Good." He walked around the desk and walked towards the couch and sat down. "I still have issue with the fact that a respected man like Charles Xavier is running a training facility for powered persons." the president ran his hands through his hair. "It boggles the mind. He won an award for bettering education of children." "An award our blue blood friends gave him. At very least if Stryker is wrong we may be dealing with an abuse scandal at the school. We can prevent abuse like what they had at Horace-Mann school in the Bronx or the sexual abuse all over the Catholic Church. I mean the New York City Department of Education and the New York State Education Department has investigated Xavier's school. There were reports of broken limbs, bruises, and burns. Even in Gaffney, that's abuse." I paused. "And?" "And the investigations into fade into whimpers, end abruptly or the investigator goes to work for the school later on." I rubbed where my Sentinel class ring had been. "An investigator went to work for the school?" he was perplexed.
"Yes Mister President, one of the New York City investigators ended the investigation, abruptly I may add and left her job at Education. Her name is Doctor Cecilia Reyes and she is a doctor at a hospital in the Bronx and does the medical work for the Xavier students on the weekends." I looked at the file Stryker gave me, ignoring the words "Possible Mutant" on the front page. "She worked with the city and suddenly after the case she quits and finishes her medical degree." The President leaned back and contemplated for a minute. "What about a cult?"
"Well, a cult is a possibility. But a cult like that would be dangerous. Well funded, well organized, and motivated. But they could be like our Southern California donors. They are not evil but they believe in an alien power is responsible for their problems." Like we'd turn away money also we get to meet real famous people, very similar to most in DC. Vain, self centered, and stupid, oh the similarities.
"Yeah and I doubt we'd turn away their money." the President sighed. "Well I am not sure what else we can do about Xavier's. Keep an eye on it, and possibly get the NYPD involved."
"Will do sir I'll go inform Stryker as soon as possible." I respond.
The President nods and I leave. I will of course do everything in my power to twist the man's words and use it to cause an incident that will work in dual purpose. One to make the mutants show their hand to Stryker and me and secondly to make it easier to control Styrker. The man has too much free agency, he could too easily influence me in a manner I would rather avoid.
"The President wants you to continue what you are doing." I pause, " But I want you to be careful. The President has threatened to cut you down if this gets found out."
Stryker snorted. He poured up some bourbon.
"So where does that leave us. You gotta monitor them all the time if you are right?"
"I am right, why does this keep coming up?" Stryker spilled his bourbon.
"Other than a few grainy pictures and some files there are people that doubt you." Stryker was angry.
"Who?"
"The President's Chief of Staff, Secretary Durant, Birch." When I mentioned Birch, Stryker growled.
"You had to tell Birch!" Stryker put his class down hard causing it's contents to spill. "That asshole has been after me since the 80's!"
"If I was left to make the choice yes, but I had to bow to the president on this. Birch is Speaker of the House, he holds the power of the purse. You need that guy." Stryker fumed at my remark.
"We showed him your demonstration for the President. Bill, he was skeptical but once he saw how convinced Ellis and Richelli were he was on board." I also told Birch that he could hold that knowledge over Stryker. It is another way to ensure Stryker has a tether on him I can control. I need to be careful but my ultimate insurance will be ISA but I need to wait on that.
Stryker was done fuming, he walked around my office. He noticed the model I was working on.
"What battle is it?"
"Spotsylvania. I had a great-great grandfather that died there."
"Yeah I saw something on that." Stryker drank the bourbon.
"Well back to business. Now the President is ordering you to increase your surveillance of the Xavier School if you can get bugs int there great if not, exterior surveillance must be increased. Video, audio, cellphone intercepts and other bits of intelligence." I paused I glance at my reconstruction of Spotslyvania. My plans, I am so close to my goal...
"Then when you need digital intelligence I'll put you in touch with the ISA and it's director."
Stryker once again looked displeased.
"Look I'll handle her I know you are not fond of the Director." "Just keep her away from me for now." Stryker gulped his bourbon. "She's been after my research for the last two years now."
"Well we may have to share whether we like it or not." I did not want to share that information with other people until the time was right. But if I don't I'd be the only one in trouble. "Now go and carry out the orders."
"Yes sir." Styker then left my house.
I have much to plan.
The government is planning to come up with a plan to respond to powered persons. It seems since the sky opened up these people with powers having been popping up in greater number. Our government has been looking for them with very little success. But now we have a lead. Stryker and his band of fundamentalists are the best chance at finding powered people and getting them to work for us.
"You may wonder do I have any faith in Stryker? No. But he is the only one that we can find in the US with any clue on mutants and person with powers. That is not disgraced that is. General Ross was reliable but he was very much like Patton. He was insensitive about the Harlem battle, race relations, and all of that. He then fought Tony Stark in a bar in public. With camera phones it was on Youtube in six hours. Ross was sent to command the army material command, and was warned if he even went on the news without permission he would be dishonorably discharged. I was there when Generals Norton and Greller chewed out Ross. We told him where he'd be with his unapproved actions. Leavenworth. He was quick to silence following that. Ross was popular with those fools in the World Security Council. Luckily we plan on getting rid of Ross after we promote him to four star general and retire him."
I look around my office and look at the model battlefield. It was a carefully crafted and very detailed. I pick the figure of General Lee up and look at it. The feeling of the plastic and paint on my fingers. Lee escaped from Grant at this battle and would fail to be caught. Lee would be humiliating the Union until Appomattox.
"History has always been under debate. From his death at Little Big Horn until I was in my early teens, George Armstrong Custer was considered a hero of enormous proportions. But then it was found out in the Sixties and Seventies with new documents that he was a horrible human being that did not die because he was caught off guard but because his ego got the better of him. People now question if Richard the III was a bad king or was just the victim of a smear campaign. Was FDR a good president or lucky? Questions will always be there. Sometimes we will get answers often we do not know. "
The pamphlet for Xaiver's was on my office desk. I look at it. It looked like that of any respectable blue blood school.
"I have no room for doubt, not now."
I had to meet with Heather Dunbar, she was investigating me for corruption from China and to the White House. I will hopefully be able throw them the meat they want. The idea of presidential take down would hopefully lead them down a path that would accomplish my goals.
Roughly two hundred twenty-five miles north of Vice President Underwood, in New York City Stryker's men were monitoring the Xaiver school for activity. They occupied a van that on the outside said O'Dwyer's Carpeting: Flushing NY. They had a phone service and everything set up for the facade.
Inside the van were two of Stryker's men monitoring the school. They had taped into nearby surveillance cameras to get a view into the school and to monitor the students when they left the school. The problem was in last two weeks nothing had happened.
The van's two current occupants were an African American and a white Texan. They were both dressed liked carpenters to keep the cover looking legit. They watched the inactivity on the monitors.
"God Joe this is boring!" complained the black agent.
"I know Tyrone this is dull. But that is what a stake out is. Ninety-nine percent dull, one percent interesting." Joe sipped his coffee.
"Yeah but come on I got to see Stark leave his tower at often enough to keep me awake this... this is nothing. You think the old man sent us on another dud?" Tyrone eyed the monitors. He saw an "electrician" for Con-Ed leave the school. "Dave's out." Joe leaned forward.
"You think he'll remember where he left the bug?" Tyrone smiled.
"Perhaps, that or Dave is just that incompetent." Joe laughed.
Dave walked away from the van and towards another van that drove off. Joe turned around and began to fidget with the audio equipment. "Let's see what we got."
Joe adjusted the frequency to see what he could get for reception. "Well reception is clear now. But I can tell from the bursts of static that it will be hard to maintain a good signal."
"Outside interference?" Tyrone asked as he monitored the screens.
"No it sounds like the interference is..." Joe listened to the noise. "..local and while I cannot confirm it I believe it is emanating from that building." "Why would a school need a bug jammer?"
"Security I assume," Joe turned back to face Tyrone. Tyrone had a confused look on his face as he face his partner.
"But Joe a jammer as good as that would be well out of the reach of a school."
"It could also be we aren't getting top of the line bugs T. I mean a lot of schools have cell phone jammers to prevent cheating. Well the high end schools." "But the problem with that is many schools don't want that in case there is a school shooting. Even private schools have to deal with nuts. And even Thor can't stop a nut with a gun at a school."
Joe nodded in agreement. "Well it looks like even with an active bug we'll get little of use from the school." Both sat silently in the van for a bit. "So how pissed will the old man be?" Tyrone broke the silence. Joe glanced at him. "Very."
Tyrone glanced at his watch. "Let's check up on Sam." Tyrone picked up a walkie talkie. "Hey overwatch any activity from your vantage point?"
"Nope. Nothing of any real interest." came the voice over the walkie. "I got a vantage point of the girls rooms and some class rooms but they seem to be cautious."
"Well Overwatch no being a pervert. Most of those girls are jailbait." Joe laughed, "Tell him if he is not careful he'll end up in Ryker's on a child porn charge."
"Hey Overwatch command here tells me you keep being a perv you'll end up in Ryker's." Tyrone took off the talk button on the walkie as he laughed.
"Go to hell Shortstop." swore the voice over the radio.
"You do too Overwatch." Tyrone replied lovingly.
The walkie went dead. Joe moved his arm to look at his watch.
"Watch changes in fifteen, where you want to go?" Joe began to pull menus.
"Chinese?""Nah""Spanish?" "Nope." "Burgers?" "Maybe" "Pizza?" "No we did that yesterday." The banter went back and forth for a few minutes. They decided upon burgers.
Inside the school the bald headmaster looked outside the window as the van drove off to be replaced by a plumber's van. Behind a mountain of a man looked on with an African woman with white hair to his right.
"Well Ororo, Piotr, we'll have to do something soon. I know I cannot convince the students to restrain themselves forever." The bald head of Charles Xavier said as he turned his electric wheelchair around.
"Well professor we know it is Stryker again." Ororo began. "Longer than last time too." Piotr interrupted.
Xavier nodded, "Yes, he must have found a reputable backer in Washington. His backer must be convinced he is right and more willing to give him fiscal and government support. This will be problematic."
"I say it's Birch." the new voice replied as the man it belonged to entered the office. The man wore his ruby shades as he entered and smiled as the redheaded girl entered behind him. The redhead shook her head. "I doubt it is the House Speaker. He's too busy trying to ensure he stays Speaker."
"Well Jean who do you think it is?" asked Scott.
"My money is on Senators Mendoza or Ward."
"Jean, Ward and Mendoza are both in reelection battles. They can't waste the resources to fund a covert op. Especially since the open government thing is the big shtick right now." Jean crossed her arms towards Scott. She was not happy with his reply. Ororo jumped in. "What about Haas, Kelly and Mitchell? The Stewart show calls them the three stooges."
Xaiver cleared his throat to get the discussion back on track.
"Though I am inclined to think it is Speaker Birch after the display he did to me years ago..." Xaiver coughed nervously. "I think it is the White House."
Ororo laughed, "Ellis is a dead duck is he not?" Ororo replied in a confused tone.
"No it is lame duck it means he can't run again." Piotr told her.
"I know what it is, It just strikes me that President Ellis is a dead duck. He really has had a terrible second term. He's gone through three Vice Presidents, the whole HYDRA thing, his kidnapping, and the failures of many domestic policies." Ororo beamed at Piotr and the others.
"You think the President of the United States while under investigation for possibly committing illegal activities would conduct illegal activities?" Scott seemed confused.
"No I think it is somebody in the White House that may not mean the president. I think the professor means somebody else in the White House. " Jean began to think about it.
"Yes but we've seen other men in power that act foolishly. Charles Logan left office and killed himself a year later when it was revealed he caused the death's of numerous Americans." Ororo huffed as her response was rather heated. She was a patriot and hated those that used the flag of her new home for political reasons.
"Well unfortunately I may have to turn Emma." the Professor looked unhappy. The rest of the staff looked horrified.
"You gotta be kiddin!" came a a shocked German accented voice. Bamf!, the sound of the teleportation and the smell of sulfur as the blue furry demon with a spade tail appeared before them. "I am not vild about that! She'll try to take over your brain again professor!" The blue furry demon-like mutant adjusted his t-shirt and jacket.
"Look professor I-" Xavier held up his hand, Ororo grew quiet. "I would rather not use her but Emma has two advantages. One she is a top DC lobbyist, and secondly she is one of the most gifted mutants that I know of out of this school I can use." The assembled teachers and students looked at Xavier with skepticism. "I am not sure of any other way. To go about this. We really have no allies in the US Government that we can use for this sort of thing."
"I never got why you could not go and look for yourself?" Jean scoffed. Scott smiled, "Yeah we'll find out the perpetrator of this Donald Blythe."
Jean elbowed him in the side and laughed. "Or Vice President Underwood."
That got a good laugh from the group assembled. Like many people the students and staff saw the Vice President as a nod to Congress.
Ororo looked at the clock on the wall and gasped. "Oh Goddess! Professor if you don't hurry you'll be late for your ethics lecture."
"Yes thank you Ororo. Well I will be off." Xavier moved his wheel chair to turn around and out of the office. He turned the chair around before leaving. "But we will talk about this later."
Well the next chapter will have action sorry if I have been lacking in action I will try to get some action in the next chapter.
