Calvin adjusted his pack. It sat uncomfortably on his shoulders, weighing him down In it was everything that he was going to need to survive over the next few days. It seemed so little, but at the same time it managed to weigh a ton.
The pack wasn't his biggest problem though, not really. The biggest problem was back at Genosha, probably clearing out her dayplanner. Calvin mentally cursed himself for the millionth time since he'd made his phone call to Clarice. He wasn't in a position to tell her where he was really going, but he could have come up with a better excuse.
If he'd been able to articulate why he was going then she would have understood. Clarice was an X-man, even if she was trading her combat skills for a law degree. Instead he had botched the situation and made it sound like he was trying to advance his career. After that it had been too late to recover.
Looking back he thought that maybe there was a phrase he could use to describe going on a secret mission without actually saying it. If he'd managed to swallow his pride and ask Azazel then he might have known. Calvin had never really liked him, and he'd never really liked his reasons for never liking him. It was wrong to be jealous of him; Clarice saw him as a father. However, he was only two years older than her and Calvin was only human. He was glad that he'd never articulated his feelings on the subject to Clarice.
There had been other factors of course. Calvin was willing to lose some dignity, especially when it came to keeping his relationship with Clarice stable. However, Azazel had been in a foul mood when he'd come to the base to give them their marching orders. Calvin had been nominated to be his second-in-command for the mission so he hadn't had much time to get his personal affairs in order.
His hasty call to Clarice had been poorly handled though. He had thought only in terms of what he needed to do at the moment, give her the bare amount of information. Well, he'd done that, and he'd managed to piss her off. When he got back he was going to have to try and fix it, whenever that was.
Sighing he looked ahead of him. The rest of the Hellions had been instructed to wait at the drop zone. Unlike Calvin Azazel hadn't had to carry a large pack. His feet danced lightly on the ground, never even breaking a twig. Calvin felt like a lumbering football player with more brawn than brain next to him. It made him grit his teeth in anger.
"You are leaving trail mile wide."
Calvin looked up at Azazel and scowled.
"Yeah, sorry about that," he said, "It's not like it's something I can help when I'm carrying my own body weight in supplies."
Azazel snorted but said nothing. He gestured around him at the clearing before leaning against a tree.
"We meet contacts here," he said, "You are to lead Hellions now, you should know."
Calvin crossed his arms and looked around him.
"So, what am I looking for exactly?" he asked.
"They will give sign," said Azazel, "And I will show how to respond. It is sign unique to them."
He nodded. That made sense.
"Do they speak English?" asked Calvin.
"Yes, well-educated despite circumstances," Azazel said, "Communication may not be issue though; may give in to sense and come to Genosha this time."
The way Azazel spoke the words showed that he didn't believe them, but hoped they were true. Calvin cocked his head.
"How much danger is he putting himself in by giving us information?" he asked, his voice low.
"Much," Azazel said, "He is protected to degree for work brother did for motherland. MRD are closer to Russian government than any. Many Sapien League members are party members too."
Calvin shifted his feet, uncomfortable with the new knowledge. He'd been fortunate enough to escape the clutches of the MRD. His mutation was low key and he could lose himself in the States. Genosha had seemed like a paradise and he'd come there after they'd been announced to the UN.
Clarice had whispered her experiences to him, snatches of the pain she had gone through. The woman he loved was a survivor; there was no doubt about that. He admired her for her strength and the ability to fight back during the revolution. She had been young then and was still quite young. She'd risen above it all, a phoenix in her own right.
It was all the more reason that he didn't want to lose her.
"Mimic?" asked Azazel.
He looked up, realizing that he was staring off into space.
"Sorry sir," he said.
Azazel raised an eyebrow.
"Sir? We are at sir?" asked Azazel, "I am nyet so much older than you."
"I know."
"Hmph," Azazel said, "And you are dating girl I consider daughter. So I think sir may be gotten rid of, da?"
Calvin shook his head.
"At least one of those might not be true anymore," he muttered.
Azazel's eyes narrowed.
"What did you do?" he demanded.
"I went on this trip," Calvin snapped.
His superior grimaced and sighed.
"Da, she is angry at me too for this," he said, scratching the back of his neck, "Could nyet explain why had to leave."
"So you didn't tell her either, huh?" asked Calvin.
Azazel shook his head.
"Could nyet," he said, "This is security, hush-hush, fast as can mission. Nyet something that can be discussed."
His eyes met Calvin's.
"It may nyet feel like it, but you did right thing," Azazel said, "We can nyet tell what we do. Maybe hint about it when get back. She would understand then."
He cocked his head.
"Or just buy lots of flowers."
Calvin managed a muffled chuckle. He was having a harder time remembering why he didn't like the man in front of him.
"Both sound like pretty good ideas," he said, "She likes lilies. That might work. Lilies and chocolate and some sort of jewelry. And an apology."
Azazel frowned.
"That is lot for leaving on short notice," he said.
"Um, our six month anniversary is tomorrow," Calvin said.
Azazel blinked at him.
"Forget what I say," he said, "You should have asked to be transferred."
He opened his mouth to respond when he saw a slight glittering to his left. It looked like the reflection of light but it was very peculiar, almost like light reflecting off of some sort of metal. Azazel's eyes were drawn to it and he took out his sword, reflecting the light back. Several seconds passed and the glittering ceased. After that Calvin heard rustling in the underbrush.
A teenager stepped into the clearing. Calvin figured he couldn't have been more than eighteen. His muscles belied his age though and he had a heavyset jaw. One of his hands put a small flashlight back into his pocket before he looked up. Dark eyes glanced over at Calvin before he turned his attention to Azazel. Azazel gave him a quick nod of his head and the teen stepped further into the clearing.
Calvin looked to Azazel. He knew the boy, he was the one to make the introductions. Even if they were just going to be using codenames, it still had to be him.
"Colossus," said Azazel, "Mimic. He is soon-to-be leader of Hellions."
Colossus nodded and gave him another quick glance.
"Mutation?" he asked.
"You first," Calvin said.
Colossus smirked. He closed his eyes and metal blossomed over his skin, enveloping him. Calvin nodded before shifting his powers within him. His mutation was made for flexibility, and he appreciated it. He was a copycat, a cheat in a way, a mutant who could manufacture other mutant's powers in himself. His codename of 'Mimic' was an apt descriptor. It generally didn't take more than just a display of power for him to take to it.
However, there were limits to his powers. For one he could only ever keep five different powers in him at once. He'd also be able to use each power at around half the potency of the original wielders. He had telepathy, telekinesis, energy blasts, and others. He'd even taken some of Logan's healing factor, although he didn't think the feral mutant would be happy if he ever found out.
He let his own skin shift to metal before returning it to its normal state. Colossus' eyes grew big and, despite himself, he seemed faintly impressed.
"Enough showing off," said Azazel, "Now, anything new?"
"They have increased orders on commune," Colossus said, "New trucks coming in and out at all times. Trampling everything."
His voice took on a new level of disgust.
"They have increased work hours," he said.
Azazel nodded.
"And to surround facility?"
Colossus frowned in thought.
"How many men?"
"Twenty," said Calvin.
Colossus scoffed.
"There are more than twenty there," he said.
"I know," Calvin said, "But we're all highly trained mutants. We all participated in freeing one facility in Greece. We know what we're doing."
Colossus gave him a fixed look. It was a suspicious, almost angry one. Calvin found himself wondering if Clarice had been like this at his age. What was more likely was that Emma had been like Colossus at one point. He'd met Clarice's close friend on a few occasions, the girl who had clawed her way up to sanity.
After what she'd been through, he really couldn't blame her.
"Trust us," Calvin said.
"I have nyet choice," Colossus said.
He looked over at Azazel.
"They have taken my sister," he said.
Both Calvin and Azazel exchanged glances.
"I did nyet think she was mutant," said Colossus, "But she was doing small things. Two days ago I come back from fields one day and she is gone."
He gave them both a harsh look.
"I am coming with you on mission," he said, "And we will find my sister. Then we will go to Genosha with you."
His words weren't a request, but Calvin couldn't find it in himself to take offense. The boy had just had his sister kidnapped after all.
"I am sorry that your coming to us is happening under such circumstances," Azazel said, his voice quiet.
Colossus shook his head.
"I should have taken you up on first offer," he said, "But my sister is young. I want her to be freed soon. I do nyet know what happens in there."
"I do," Azazel said, "And you are right to want her out."
Colossus gave him a despairing look before swallowing and assuming a stoic mask. It was more control than Calvin would have been able to muster.
"Thank you," he said.
With another nod he looked over at Calvin.
"So you say twenty will do?" he asked.
Calvin gave him a fixed look.
"How old is your sister?" he asked.
Colossus opened his mouth, irritation on his face, but Calvin cut him off.
"Believe it or not, that does have some bearing on the answer," Calvin said, "How old is your sister?"
The teen swallowed.
"Eight."
Calvin nodded.
"They're taking in children that young?" he asked.
Colossus' silence was answer enough.
"Then twenty Hellions will burn the damn place to the ground," he said.
For the first time since he met him Colossus looked relieved. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Azazel smile.