Chapter Seven: Preparation
The week managed to pass itself without producing anything of interest by way of events, though Toad was too preoccupied with what he had seen to scuffle with Sabretooth. These scuffles usually constituted the happenings around the cave, for usually they were as predictable as the tide that rose and fell throughout the day and night, as dependable as the waves that crashed over the island fortress.
Mystique had her hands full with Magneto, planning out the attack on the academy. He was eager to maim and kill, revenge having filled his world, now that the time was ripe for it. Everything was ready now, and the attack was a day away. There was another anti-mutant meeting, through furtive and secretive, happening then. Mystique had done some spying to uncover this information, and the X-Men were sure to know of it as well. Hopefully they would be in attendance when Sabretooth showed up to demonstrate his idea of group therapy.
From there, Magneto, Mystique, and Toad would infiltrate the academy, the new implants in the Brotherhood members and Eric's helmet protecting them against early detection. From there, strike and escape.
The plan was simple, but efficient enough for Magneto. Mystique, despite her apathy toward the whole thing, felt a twinge of revulsion inside at the thought of murdering innocent children. She never felt much for grown human beings, for then it was too late to be innocent- harsh words had already been said, hearts had already been broken, backs had already been stabbed. But as children life in this sense had not yet touched them, and it hurt her to think of robbing them of any hope to be different from the rest when that time came.
When Magneto dismissed her, she went into the island's main cave and found Toad, telling him of Magneto's plan as she had been instructed to do. Mortimer merely nodded wordlessly, this time showing no eagerness, which was a plus, Mystique supposed. He turned from her after sharing a fleeing glance and smile and disappeared into the darkness of one of the passages that led secretly off into the bowels of the island. Mystique let him go, respecting his need for solitude, and instead turned round to go find something to eat. Listening to Magneto had made her tired, irritable, and hungry.
Coffee, she thought. A good cup of coffee is what I need.
Secretly she wished she could wash away the events of the past year, yearning for when things were tighter, less bloodthirsty, less discouraging.
She couldn't help hoping despite herself that things might be that way again.
* * *
Magneto could not hold down the rising tide of excitement that was making itself known inside of him. Things were nearly ready- it was nearly time.
He had changed in the past year. He knew it as well as anyone. A new darkness inside of him, born from memories and stagnation. It made him fiercer, more bitter, more calculatingly cruel. The joy that had seized him upon seeing his Brotherhood drenched in the blood of the patrons at the anti-mutant meeting further supported this. But he was not bothered in the least, not like Toad had been. He had seen the change in Toynbee and saw it as a change for the better, for now he was all the more able to carry out the more dirty-handed orders his master requested. He saw no change in Sabretooth, who was as constant as the rock surrounding him, but Mystique seemed a bit more pensive than she had been in the past. Eric was not worried. She was independent as independence goes within a closely cooperative group- able to care for herself better than anyone else could care for her.
Things were looking up. The only hurdle left before he could sleep easy again came tomorrow, at the break of dusk.
* * *
Sabretooth was waiting, too, with all the eagerness of a child anticipating Christmas. He stalked around the island, hunting small animals to stifle the rising urge to kill. He had been told by Magneto that his role was very important: to provide enough of a distraction to give time enough for the others to attack the academy. Slaying as many as possible is all well and good, Magneto had said, but you must avoid being slain yourself. Delay them- do not become lost in your bloodlust. Sabretooth wasn't an idiot- this part he could have figured out for himself, but Magneto's eyes held such a fervent intensity that he daren't say so.
So he paced and hunted, went over his battle strategy.
The time drew nearer.