Chapter 2: Cooperation's A Bitch

The man sat in at the entrance of an alleyway in New York City. His black hair lay unkempt and dangling into his brown eyes, stubble lay spattered across his jaw line and chin. His brown leather jacket was tattered and worn. His black t-shirt wrinkled and faded, his dark jeans loose fitting and torn over the knees, an old ratty pair of brown boots worn on his feet.

"Mr. Sydney." The brown-jacketed man moved towards him from the back of the alley. "Or should I say… Morph."

He was going to ignore the man but at these words the haggard man's head perked up and his eyes squinted at him as he heard the name he hadn't been called in years.

"Yes. I know who you are. I know what you are. Poor little Morph. In your thirties and already without home, without a true life, a true purpose. Stumbling through life, stealing what you need to get by, the only reason you've even survived is your abilities. Poor, poor man. Such a shame, with your abilities you could do wondrous things, yet Xavier sent you packing. Even your best friend wasn't there for you, literally as much as figuratively."

With a glare Kevin Sydney was on his feet in seconds and had Jason against the wall. "Who do you know this!?" He growled as he glared into the monkey man's eyes.

Wyngarde just looked at him, showing now fear, his threats were nothing compared to living with Creed. "Simple. I see."

"What do you see!?"

"Memories. Your memories. I see how they threw you out with nowhere to go. I see how they turned on you. Even the Wolverine wasn't there to fight for you. Too bad, after all maybe his voice, if it had risen from the X-man ranks, would have swayed the Professor into giving you another chance. But he said nothing. Too bad. Now you have nowhere to go, no one to turn to. But I can change that. I work for a man, a powerful man; he can change all of this for you. All you have to do is join him, fight for him, do whatever he asks, and you will have a home, a purpose, a life.. Maybe, just maybe, even retribution."

For a moment Kevin's grip on Mastermind's jacket tightened but it soon slackened and finally let go. He turned from the man as if in deep thought, his head lowered. Then suddenly his shoulders began to shake slightly and he began to chuckle to himself for a few moments before turning to Mastermind again, a grin on his face. "I'm in."

-Brotherhood Backyard-

Todd slowly awoke to find him self buried to his neck in the earth behind the house next to the already awoken Pyro. Lance stood crouching over him looking rather annoyed. "I've told you to be quiet, I've told you to behave, to stop bickering. But you didn't, hell you two alone are the sole purpose my head still hurts. So this is what I'm going to do. You two are both buried to your necks, and you will stay that way until you find a way to get out, together. Either you'll think of a way, or you'll starve. Either way at least there'll be some peace and quiet again…" With that Lance stood up and entered the house through the kitchen, closing the door behind him.

"What a pickle ya got us in!" John snapped.

"Shut it yo! You heard him, we gotta work together or he'll let us die!"

-Magneto's Complex-

A woman's scream filled the complex as Mastermind worked. The woman remained unconscious as he tampered with her memories but her mind was fighting even in her current state. He concentrated harder as an intrigued Morph leaned in the doorway, practically giggling at Jason's frustration.

Instead of fighting them she would remember being offered the work and coming willingly. The temptation had been there so Mastermind just had to tweak that, overlay her coming willingly over her fighting, and then strengthen it as much as he could. Even if he pushed his powers to the limit though… He had his doubts.

A sweating Mastermind now sat in a metallic chair before Magneto himself, breathing heavily. "It is done. But I must warn you; her mind is powerful, even in her current state she was able to fight against me. I pushed my powers to the limit but I can't guarantee it will be enough for her and I can honestly say that I doubt this illusion will last forever."
"So what you are really saying is that you are showing your incompetence once again…" Erik said grimly as he stared at the man he had been using for so long a time.

"No. What I'm saying is that even though Miss Frost's powers aren't even fully matured yet her mind is extremely powerful, it could even be on par with Xavier himself someday!"

Magneto scoffed at that but said no more, giving Mastermind a waving gesture of the hand to tell him to leave.

As Jason Wyngarde made his way toward his room so that he could rest Sabertooth growled at him menacingly right in his ear, causing him to jump. Upon turning though he found Morph standing there snickering, apparently having taken the form of the beast of a man. "Don't do that!"

"Oh but it's so much fun! Making you jump out of your skin like that. I can't do that to Tinkles or ol' bucket head. And I wouldn't want to try with that new girl if she's as powerful as you say to him."

Mastermind turned grumbling to himself, obviously irritated, but before Kevin could make out a word the door to Jason's room closed, cutting off his voice.

­-The next morning at the Brotherhood House-

Lance came down to find John and Todd sitting at the kitchen table absolutely filthy as they sipped at coffee and John inhaled cereal. "Just how did you two get out?"

"Simple mate. We worked togethuh! Just loike ya said." Pyro said cheerfully through a mouthful of cereal and milk.

"Yeah man, this aussie was a genius! You left his lighter on him and ya left him enough room to pull it out and light the thing. Once he finally got it lit he blasted a hole."

"Roight! Then ol' Froggy here sloimed the ground between us and I blasted it. We both lost our hearin' for a bit there but the explosion was enough to free us. Good work mate!"

"Good work yo!' With that Todd chugged the last of his coffee before smirking at John, the next second John's face was slimed and Toad was hopping out of the room.

"Oih! Ya damn kawalla! Oih'll be havin' frog legs on the barbe' tonoight!!" John screamed as he pulled out his lighter and whipped the slime from his face, taking after him.

Burying his face in his gloved hands Lance groaned his irratance and gritted his teeth before yelling after them. "TAKE IT OUTSIDE!"