Chapter Fourteen: Four Winds and Seven Seas
Day 32
Fitzroy was quiet as Rogue and Bishop reentered the room. Sage's brown eyes were cool and blank as she watched the duo move silently around them. Bishop sat down at the desk, a cheap plaster-board creation that seemed frail beside the large man. He pulled out his weapon and methodically began to dismember and clean it. He didn't even glance at Rogue when she moved to stand across from Fitzroy.
"If you're lying to us, I'll know." Rogue waited until he'd looked up at her to continue. "You ran from the future because you feared me." She slid one of her gloves off. "You were right to run. I'm very dangerous," she explained with a small smile, "and if you're lying to us about anything you're going to see why."
Rogue slid her hand around Fitzroy's cheek before he could speak and with a sigh released her control over her natural abilities. Slowly, almost tentatively, his memories and thoughts began to slide across the surface of her mind. She took the knowledge she needed and spindled everything else into a small sphere to join the others in her subconscious.
When she opened her eyes Fitzroy was unconscious. He breathed slowly and she knew from experience that he didn't dream. They never did after her touch. Their minds were blank, almost healing themselves after her assault upon them.
She stood and walked to Bishop, looking over the information he'd written down as he'd questioned Fitzroy. "He didn't lie. These are the people he sold the samples to."
Bishop nodded absently and reassembled his weapon. "And now?"
Rogue sighed and looked into the small mirror that hung above the desk. Her green-grey eyes looked cold when she spoke. "No loose ends."
Bishop loaded the gun.
Day 33
New York City
The Hellfire Club was less intimidating in the daylight; it lost most of the sinister shadows and dangerous aura. It became more like the business building it was supposed to be. Suited men and women moved in and out of the front doors quickly, buzzing about with important matters on their minds. Some were here on real business. Some were here on errands of a different nature.
Rogue was here on a rescue mission, though she didn't really believe he'd need rescuing. Pulse had always been more than capable of slithering out of any tight situation he'd gotten himself into. This was a different time and place for him, however. There was no telling what he could and could not, or would not, do here. He was used to the high tech software and hardware of the future. Rogue wasn't truly sure he even knew how to pick a lock by hand.
Apparently he could figure it out, however, since he was strolling calmly out the front door of the Club looking only a little worse for wear. Rogue fought the urge to gape at him and quickly made her way to his side. "Have a nice stay?"
Pulse grinned. "Absolutely wonderful. They even leave little mints on your pillows."
"Now, really?" Rogue drawled as she wrapped one arm around Pulse's and pulled him South when they exited the gates of Hellfire. Rogue quickly wrapped illusion around them so that within seconds they faded from sight almost like they'd never been there at all.
"Oh, yes," Pulse replied, "And by mints I mean hooks and by pillow I mean torture chamber."
"Sounds fun," Rogue said with a grin, "but are you ready for some real work now?"
Pulse glared at her in mock-anger. "Depends on whether or not you're planning on leaving me behind again."
"I don't intend to."
"That's not a promise."
"I don't make promises I can't keep."
Day 33
Bayville
Bishop and Sage sat calmly in the chairs opposite Xavier's desk and waited for him to speak. Despite the friendly greeting at the door the tension between the trio was sky high and climbing. The second they'd all been seated Xavier had sent Storm and Wolverine out on some errand, eager to have any business with Sage kept quiet.
It wasn't so much who Sage was, but what Xavier had made her. He could preach peace and co-existence all he wanted but even he took precautions. With enemies both diverse and far-reaching he'd made sure that he was in control of the situation as much as he was able.
Sage was part of that.
Long before he'd found Ororo on a college campus or Logan on a rampage through a distant town, long before he'd even broke away both philosophically and personally from Magneto, he'd found Sage and put into motion a series of events that would eventually lead to him founding this school...with Hellfire money.
Xavier himself had a bit of money for himself, an inheritance from his deceased parents but it hadn't been anywhere near enough to support a school of this magnitude or technological innovation. For that he needed outside support from a source that wouldn't interfere in any way nor object to the specific body of students.
He'd sent Sage into the Hellfire Club to learn more of its mutant agendas and its mutant inner circle. He hadn't expected that she'd help provide his dream with a reality. Using her telepathic skills and her computer-like logic/intelligence Sage had manipulated her way to the Black King's side, a place of great power and importance. She'd taken the name Tessa and proceeded to take most of the reigns of the Hellfire Club's New York charter. Using that control she'd convinced Shaw to fund Xavier's school and to remain aloof from it.
That would change in a few days, but none of them knew that at the moment.
Sage cleared her throat, "Charles, we've come here because there's been a new development in the Hellfire Club. One we felt must be dealt with quickly."
"What's happened?"
"For one thing, my cover has been blown. I was caught sending a missive to you and we barely escaped," Sage lied smoothly. It's a known fact that lying to a telepath is almost impossible. It's only feasible when it's another telepath doing the lying. Sage was a very capable telepath and liar. "I knew that I must inform you of recent happenings or the world would be lost." A touch on the side of melodramatic but Sage knew he'd buy it. Xavier thrived on adversity.
A glint appeared in Xavier's eye, telling of his interest and curiosity. "Tell me," he commanded as he wheeled himself around the desk to sit closer to the duo. Bishop stifled a grin and studied the Professor with interest. He was one of the most powerful men of this time, renowned for his work and his philosophies even a hundred years from now.
"It started when a man named Trevor Fitzroy teleported into the middle of the Hellfire Club during a meeting of the Inner Circle. Normally he would be executed immediately, the secrecy of the circle intact. However, Shaw stayed the hands of the guards. Fitzroy brought with him something of great interest. A virus called Legacy with the potential to bring on destruction reminiscent of the Black Death. Apparently Shaw had brokered and bought the sample himself and was expecting Fitzroy."
"Why does that distress you?" Xavier asked, picking up on the tones of stress in her voice. He'd come to know every intonation of her voice intimately during their training and her subsequent messages during her tenure at the Hellfire Club.
"Shaw never does anything without going to or through me. We speak on all matters business and personal. He never said anything of this acquisition of his. It was very unlike him." That much was true. Shaw hadn't told her of his bidding and purchase of the virus until afterwards. "Nevertheless, he greeted Fitzroy warmly and introduced him as his new Black Rook. Another pawn to be used and sacrificed. The sample of virus was taken and given to one of our laboratories to study and determine what use it will be to us and if it can be replicated. Fitzroy began to move about the Club freely." Now she began to lie. "I was slowly edged out of Hellfire internal affairs. A few days ago I telepathically overheard plans to kill me. Shaw had surveillance of me writing and sending you a message and didn't believe me when I told him it had to do with our funding the school."
Bishop looked surprised. History had no idea that the Hellfire Club and Xavier's Institute was so closely entwined. It would bear further research when he returned home.
Xavier sighed heavily. "We always knew this day would come. I'm glad you came here. You'll be safe."
Sage smiled bitterly. "Safe in a school built with Hellfire money? I doubt it, but I'll stay for a few days. After that I'm leaving again and I won't be returning. I'll not be your spy anymore, Charles," she said in a soft whisper. She stood and held her hand out for Bishop to stand as well. "Where do you want us to stay?"
Xavier looked up at Sage and realized with a start that she wasn't the young girl he'd sent into a den of snakes years ago. She'd grown up and matured in one of the most dangerous environments possible. He wondered what kind of person she was and if he could truly trust her anymore.
"I'll have two of my students ready up some rooms in the west wing. It's got a beautiful view of the cliffs."
Bishop shook his head. "Only one room, if you would."
Neither he nor Sage offered explanation but Xavier didn't ask for any.
"Of course."
Day 33
Hidden S.H.I.E.L.D. Base
Adirondack Mountains
The base was hidden in the rock, only two entrances readily apparent. One was reachable by road, the other by sky. Both were heavily guarded and almost impossible to breach. Colonel Fury had both humans and mutants working in his base; both types trained to be deadly and mentally prepared for it as well. Rogue and Pulse each observed one of the entrances then met back up between the two.
"It's a small flat twenty by twenty area. Almost thirty cameras, a dozen guards, and fail-safes built into the ground, the archway, and the surveillance. To get in you need to have proper verbal and numerical pass-codes, as well as passing a corneal and hand scan. I haven't seen inside the compound but no doubt more tests wait."
Rogue listened to Pulse's report before nodding slowly to herself. "Basically the same set up at the front entrance, just double the amount of cameras and guards and add in a DNA scan as well. They really don't want company," she said sardonically as she began to remove her outer clothing. The button-up t-shirt and tweed pants slid to the leaf and moss-covered ground to reveal a black spandex-cotton body suit underneath. Beside her Pulse began to shed his own clothing and revealed the same.
Together they began to remove various belts and instruments from a small cloth bag Rogue had carried with her. When both were comfortably armed and prepared, they started for a large rock face nearby. About half a mile inside that rock wall was one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s control centers. Rogue placed her hand on the rock wall and tapped into Avalanche's abilities. She didn't intend to shake things up, however; she used his control over the earth to determine just how wide the distance between the outside and the headquarters inside was.
She spoke as she mentally tallied the distance. "We have a few options. I can teleport us in, which might garner some attention and is a bit dangerous since I'll be doing it 'blind', or I can phase us through the wall if it's not too wide." She finished measuring the distance. "Which it isn't, though we'll have trouble keeping our forward impetus through it. The farther we go into it the more we'll slow down. Prolly take about half an hour."
Pulse scratched his chin and sighed. "I suppose for safety's sake we'll phase through. Teleporting takes a lot out of you anyways."
Rogue nodded and held out her hand. "Ready?"
Pulse thought of his molecules sliding through the wall. "No. I guess we'll be going anyways though."
Bayville
The new guests moved through the hall quietly, not bothering to make small talk or to study their surroundings. Bishop didn't need to; he'd seen the inside of the mansion on several videos and had taken a virtual tour before beginning the mission. Sage didn't need to because she'd been the one to design the place.
Jean took Scott's hand as they walked, not for affection purposes (though that did factor in) but so that they could speak telepathically without Sage noticing. Jean could smell "telepath" all over Sage's brain patterns and despite the Professor's assurances Jean didn't trust strangers. Scott?
Though he kept speaking aloud, talking about the mansion and some of it's architectural features, mentally he replied without letting on that he was having two conversations at once. Yes?
I don't trust them.
Neither do I, Jean, but there's not much we can do about this.
Do you think they have something to do with Rogue? Maybe they know where she is?
I don't think so. If they knew something like that I don't think the Professor would waste time getting them set up in a room. Why is Logan following us?
Jean surreptitiously looked over her shoulder, smiling at the couple that followed though her eyes slid past the large man and locked onto the smaller man hidden just around the corner. I don't know, Scott, but as soon as we reach the room I'm going to find out.
Scott nodded to her mentally and started up the stairs for the second floor, still keeping Jean's hand despite their conversation being over. Bishop took note of that and mentally calculated just how far into their relationship they must be. Legends painted Scott and Jean as star-crossed lovers, torn apart again and again despite the bond between them. They were new and without varnish at the moment, however. They had no idea of the trials they would face.
Sage glanced at Bishop then away, uncomfortable with the feelings this place was spawning in her. What would her life have been like if instead of a spy, she'd become a student? Why had she, instead of Storm or Wolverine or even Jean Grey, been taught to be a spy? What had Xavier been thinking as he picked and chose who would be his X-Men and who would be his underground informants?
Logan's eyes followed the four of them as they walked, taking in the subtle telltale movements that bespoke of the true relationships between people. Scott and Jean's closeness as they walked as well as their joined hands clearly showed how intimate they were with regards to each other (Logan made note to have a talk with Scott later). The way Bishop and Sage walked gave away their lie that he was her bodyguard and trusted friend. They barely knew each other. Bishop walked like a warrior, true, but he also moved like a man who knew his way around. He had knowledge of the layout of the mansion and the wherewithal to use it. Sage also knew the layout but she moved as if she'd never seen it before. Knew what everything was and where it was, but had no idea how to move about it in reality.
Logan didn't know what to make of the strangers.
Neither did his unseen companion. "Who da new folk?"
Logan glared at the Cajun. "I don't know."
Remy grinned. "Gambit t'ink you got an idea."
Logan spared one more glance for the quickly moving out of sight group. "The man smells like Rogue. Very heavily of Rogue."
Gambit studied the back of the stranger as it disappeared around a corner. "Now dat's interesting."