Follow him they did, as he walked at the same steady pace. Emma had at
first been concerned that he would notice they were following him, but in
his hypnotic state he never even looked around. It took a very long hour,
but eventually he entered a large office block. She stopped the car, but he
didn't reemerge. "Looks like this is it."
"Yes, but we still don't know who's behind this."
"And we're not going to know unless we can get in there."
"You're not seriously thinking of-"
"You know I am." She looked at Charles. "We can't go busting in there trying to take them back by force. If the kids are under some kind of mind control, they'll most likely be ordered to fight us. I don't know about you but I really don't want to have to do that. And before you tell me that a more experienced person should go in, think about this. I'm new. I haven't really proved my allegiance to the X-men yet, have I? Who would you be more likely to trust?"
He was silent for a moment. "I'll get Wolverine and Storm to pick me up."
**********
Emma took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. She heard a mechanic buzz and looked up. A security camera angled itself at her. After a moment a male voice came from an intercom next to the door.
"Who are you, and what do you want?"
She smiled slightly. "Name's Electra. I think that you might want to talk to me. I know things about the Xavier institute." Her mask didn't slip a centimetre as she hoped he would let her in. There was a buzz and a click as the lock on the door disengaged. Closing the door behind her, she was greeted with a well-lit passageway. She waited a moment, but no one appeared. //Well, there's only one way to go. I guess I'll just take a little walk.//
The passage soon came to an end, opening into a large room with many doorways.
"Welcome." Emma spun around. She hadn't even heard him approach. He was a somewhat weedy man, with short black hair and a very pale complexion. There was something about him that made her uneasy.
"Hello." She smiled. "You already know who I am-"
"Ah yes, how rude of me. I am Psion."
"It's nice to meet you, but I can't stay long, or my absence will be noted." Emma felt something trying to sense her. This man either had a gift like her uncle's or her surroundings were making her nervous.
"By who?"
"The x-men. I was sent to investigate the disappearance of the children."
"Why do you wish to help me?"
She looked into his eyes for a moment and the feeling of invasion grew stronger. She concentrated on resisting the intrusion. "I'm... not suited to the lifestyle of the X-men. I just don't understand their obsession with helping normal people." She feigned an air of disdain.
Psion was silent. He walked across the room and sat down. "Please, sit. I find your ideas intriguing."
"Intriguing?" Emma sat carefully. She had to watch what she said to this man. If she were too ambitious, he would suspect a rat.
"Very close to my own."
"Ah." She smiled. "I had wondered why you would need an army of mutants under your control." She leaned back. "How *are* you controlling them? I've been puzzling over that."
He seemed about to tell her, but stopped. "Let us just say... It has been my life's work."
"You don't trust me?" She didn't give him a chance to answer. "No, it's all right. I would be suspicious if you did. But answer me this, why do you only control the teens? Surely the older, more capable of our kind would be more useful to you."
He shrugged. "Well, it's really a matter of contact. I could only influence the children. However if I could find a way of extending my influence over the elder x-men I would be most indebted."
She cocked her head. "A test?" She smiled. "Very well then. Give me the means and I will bring you one X-man. Or woman, if that is your wish. Then we can talk about the rest."
He smiled and Emma had to suppress a shiver. It stretched over his thin lips, but came nowhere near touching his cold, dark eyes. "Wait here."
He disappeared through one of the doorways and returned a moment later. Her handed her a vial, filled with clear liquid. "Give him this. The effects are temporary, but it will be enough to get him here."
"Him?" She slipped it into her pocket.
"Wolverine." He smiled again, and this time she couldn't suppress the shiver.
"Yes, but we still don't know who's behind this."
"And we're not going to know unless we can get in there."
"You're not seriously thinking of-"
"You know I am." She looked at Charles. "We can't go busting in there trying to take them back by force. If the kids are under some kind of mind control, they'll most likely be ordered to fight us. I don't know about you but I really don't want to have to do that. And before you tell me that a more experienced person should go in, think about this. I'm new. I haven't really proved my allegiance to the X-men yet, have I? Who would you be more likely to trust?"
He was silent for a moment. "I'll get Wolverine and Storm to pick me up."
**********
Emma took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. She heard a mechanic buzz and looked up. A security camera angled itself at her. After a moment a male voice came from an intercom next to the door.
"Who are you, and what do you want?"
She smiled slightly. "Name's Electra. I think that you might want to talk to me. I know things about the Xavier institute." Her mask didn't slip a centimetre as she hoped he would let her in. There was a buzz and a click as the lock on the door disengaged. Closing the door behind her, she was greeted with a well-lit passageway. She waited a moment, but no one appeared. //Well, there's only one way to go. I guess I'll just take a little walk.//
The passage soon came to an end, opening into a large room with many doorways.
"Welcome." Emma spun around. She hadn't even heard him approach. He was a somewhat weedy man, with short black hair and a very pale complexion. There was something about him that made her uneasy.
"Hello." She smiled. "You already know who I am-"
"Ah yes, how rude of me. I am Psion."
"It's nice to meet you, but I can't stay long, or my absence will be noted." Emma felt something trying to sense her. This man either had a gift like her uncle's or her surroundings were making her nervous.
"By who?"
"The x-men. I was sent to investigate the disappearance of the children."
"Why do you wish to help me?"
She looked into his eyes for a moment and the feeling of invasion grew stronger. She concentrated on resisting the intrusion. "I'm... not suited to the lifestyle of the X-men. I just don't understand their obsession with helping normal people." She feigned an air of disdain.
Psion was silent. He walked across the room and sat down. "Please, sit. I find your ideas intriguing."
"Intriguing?" Emma sat carefully. She had to watch what she said to this man. If she were too ambitious, he would suspect a rat.
"Very close to my own."
"Ah." She smiled. "I had wondered why you would need an army of mutants under your control." She leaned back. "How *are* you controlling them? I've been puzzling over that."
He seemed about to tell her, but stopped. "Let us just say... It has been my life's work."
"You don't trust me?" She didn't give him a chance to answer. "No, it's all right. I would be suspicious if you did. But answer me this, why do you only control the teens? Surely the older, more capable of our kind would be more useful to you."
He shrugged. "Well, it's really a matter of contact. I could only influence the children. However if I could find a way of extending my influence over the elder x-men I would be most indebted."
She cocked her head. "A test?" She smiled. "Very well then. Give me the means and I will bring you one X-man. Or woman, if that is your wish. Then we can talk about the rest."
He smiled and Emma had to suppress a shiver. It stretched over his thin lips, but came nowhere near touching his cold, dark eyes. "Wait here."
He disappeared through one of the doorways and returned a moment later. Her handed her a vial, filled with clear liquid. "Give him this. The effects are temporary, but it will be enough to get him here."
"Him?" She slipped it into her pocket.
"Wolverine." He smiled again, and this time she couldn't suppress the shiver.