It was hard to believe that outside the hustle and bustle of New Salem's city center that there could be peace and quiet only a mile or two outside of town. It was a popular destination for all sorts-lovers for picnics, joggers for trails-and in the case of one camouflage print tent, a place to sleep out in the elements.
Callisto sat outside her tent, surrounded by trees and the smell of chemical agents reacting inside the folded military-issue MRE ration packet she'd balance precariously on a large rock. With an impassive expression she watched as the internally generating heat began to puff the plastic of the bag, steam escaping from the small hole she'd left to vent it out at the top.
She brushed her hair over her ear, taking a moment to adjust her eyepatch.
"Another quiet day. Maybe I'll go into town and hunt down the guys."
The quiet was disturbed, unfortunately, by the sound of heavy footfalls nearby.
"She said it was near here, right?"
"Yeah, but I don't see it. Think she was messing around?"
"No. she seemed fucking pissed, Bob, I don't think she was messing around."
Callisto's lips quirked into a sharp frown, and her hand went behind her back to her sheathed knife.
Trouble, she thought with a sting of annoyance. I knew that jogger was going to be trouble.
The bushes parted and a pair of park rangers came into view. One was a somewhat portly middle-aged man, and the other was a gawky young guywho could hardly be out of his teenage years. Both were wearing 'cop-lite' style park ranger uniforms, and the fat one was holding a flashlight despite it being the middle of the day.
"What did I tell you, Bob," the young one said, waving his hand at Callisto and the tent.
Bob pointed his flashlight at her.
"You can't be here. This park doesn't do camping."
Callisto raised her hands in the air.
"is this really worth your time, sir?" She looked at him with her single grey eye. "Why harass a girl down on her luck when there's bears to keep out of picnic baskets?"
The younger one blinked.
"Huh? there aren't any bears in this park."
Bob pressed a hand to his face.
"Don't you have any culture, Ryan?" he snorted. He leveled the flashlight at her again. "Look miss, I can take a joke as well as the next guy, but this is unacceptable."
"I don't have anywhere else to go. I was just spending the night. I'll move on in the morning, is that acceptable? I am not bothering anyone." She gestured to her MRE "I'm not even using a fire."
He sighed.
"It's a hazard to have people overnighting here. And if anybody found out I let you stay it'd be my job. So no. You can't. Pack it up. I'm sure the Youth Shelter has beds."
Callisto closed her eye.
"How cruel." She stood in a smooth motion "Can I at least finish my meal?"
The man looked like he was going to protest, when there was a horrible crashing noise from nearby. The trees rustled and birds took turned her head to face the sound.
"Looks like there are bears here. Wild."
There was another horrible crashing sound- and a sound like metal tearing.
"We... should probably check that out, sir," Ryan said.
"God damn it," Bob growled. He practically grabbed Ryan and the two of them stomped off through the bush. Callisto heard Bob on his radio. "We have a situation..."
"Guess I'll have to pack it up and find another spot to camp," she muttered miserably. She looked down at her steaming MRE. "...and even the Menu 17: Pizza isn't going to cheer me up."
"It was certainly impolite of them to interrupt your meal," a low voice said, disapprovingly. A tall, broad shouldered figure moved out of the shadow of the trees, coming slightly into view.
Callisto turned, tilting her head to the side with a pensive frown on her face.
"I'm almost used to it by now."
"Hhmm. I apologize for doing the same," he said, coming and sitting down on a log across from her. "They should be busy for a while however."
"Did you make a big metal bear, Magneto, sir?" Callisto asked dryly, as she sat opposite him with a half smile.
He chuckled dryly.
"Nothing quite so dramatic I'm afraid. Why bother when they're not even looking. No, I merely made a bit of a mess in their parking lot."
"I'm sure I'll see it on my way out." She leaned on her hand and looked up at Magneto. "While I look for another place to set up shop tonight. Irritating...this is a surprise, however. Can I interest you in half my pizza?"
"A generous offer, Callisto," he admitted, holding up a hand. "But no, thank you. As for finding another place for this evening, I have another option for you."
Callisto raised her eyebrow.
"another option?" She reached down to pick up the MRE, and opened it up enough for it to vent the rest of it's steam into the air.
"Indeed," he agreed, watching the steam rise from the plastic bag. "I'm not certain how much our mutual contact has shared with you, but the time has come for the next phase of activity to be set in motion."
"I've gotten a bit of news on the subject," she admitted "but anything you can tell me is appreciated."
Callisto brushed her hair away from her face, where a long cut became visible from where it was hiding behind her straight black hair, right across her cheek.
"You have me in your service as per the agreement."
"So I was told," he nodded, frowning slightly. "However, for this project I would like you to participate because you wish to, not out of duty to your employer."
Callisto cocked her head again.
"Oh? why's that, sir?"
"Because as much as I value your skills, Callisto, this is a question of ideals." He paused. "There is a war coming. And I am not a man who believes in the usefulness of conscripts."
Callisto patted the pistol she always kept nearby.
"I've been ready for a war my whole life, Magneto, but I understand." She looked pensive as she continued. "A soldier who believes in fighting for the same cause as you can be trusted more than a hired gun."
"Much more," he agreed. "And I require that bond of trust for my new Brotherhood of mutants. Mutants who believe in the cause they are fighting for. That unity with humans is a naive dream, and seeking it will only allow liberty to slip through our fingers."
Callisto put her MRE aside, and leaned on her hands
"Will you give me the full pitch? I do agree that humans and mutants will likely never gain true unity, sir."
"The full pitch, hmm," he drew his lips tightly in something that was almost a smile. "Unlike Charles I don't have any pamphlets printed, but yes, I can give you 'the pitch'."
"Good. I prefer a straightforward conversation." Callisto said with a wry smile "...I get enough pamphlets and curated speeches back with my employers."
"I expect you do," he agreed. He rested his hands on his knees. "Callisto, there is a geneocide coming. Perhaps not today or tomorrow, but perhaps today or tomorrow indeed. You know as well as I that many of our number already live in fear and hiding, and as our numbers grow, so will that number. And it will grow so far that the humans will no longer allow us to merely hide. No there will be simply nothing left but for them to attempt to control and finally to destroy us in their fear, their pride, and their jealousy."
Callisto's lips drew a hard line as she listened. After a moment, she nodded.
"I know, sir."She rested both hands on her lap, folding her fingers together. She looked off into the woods "Part of my mutation allows me to rapidly understand a situation. For tactical reasoning. But part of that is simple observation, and it doesn't take hyper awareness to see the way things are starting to go. The humans will dig us out of hiding and destroy us for daring to be out in the open. That kind of destructive jealousy and fear is human nature."
She was quiet a moment before she said: "I don't like it any more than you do."
"Then I hope that you will join me, Callisto, of your own will, and work with me, and the rest of your mutant brothers to not merely throw off the shackles with which humanity will attempt to bind us, but to destroy those shackles, and the mold that created them."
Callisto closed her eye, before nodding and offering her hand.
"Of my own free will." she said "I'd like to see a world like that with my own eye , sir." She smiled thinly "I hope my employers will agree...but you have me, at least. I'll join."
Magneto extended his hand to her.
"And I am pleased to have you. Welcome to the brotherhood, Callisto."
"Thank you, Magneto sir." Callisto shook his hand firmly "You won't regret it."