Returning from a morning of surveillance, Mystique landed her helicopter within the confines of Erik's base, well ensconced in the back woods of Juniper, Maine.  Taking off her helmet, she removed the keys from their ignition and placed them in the console.  Sometimes she barely even registered that she had gone through the landing procedure, she had become so accustomed to flying.

Exiting the aircraft, she smiled ever so succinctly as she thought of how far her skills had progressed.  After the many times she had shadowed subjects at Erik's request, little effort was required on her part when it came to trailing the X-Men and their activities.

Large metal doors opened, seemingly of themselves, allowing her passage into the main entrance hall.  While they had been temporarily involved with Xavier's followers during Alkali Lake, the Brotherhood had on an official level experienced little to no contact with the school.  However, privately, they kept themselves well informed of all their movements within and outside of Westchester.

She smirked, remembering how ridiculous the Porsche and motorcycle had looked, haphazardly patrolling the area around Carmel's Pond.  Though the X-men prided themselves on their ability to retrieve and counsel runaway mutants, it was Erik and herself who usually perceived far more than Xavier's small band of high school teachers.

Perhaps if the two sides were allied, the information could have been shared, maybe even used for a mutual purpose.  But Xavier's only concern was for peace, and Erik's only for war.  Though the X-men thought their cause braver and more righteous than Magneto's, Mystique had the luxury of understanding where many never would.

She frowned suddenly, fiercely.  Their kind had been victimized from the moment of their realization.  Erik fought for equality in a world that tried in every way to oppress them, the equality they deserved more than anyone else.  Human leaders openly denied them their freedom.  Why shouldn't they take it by force from anyone who tried to refuse it to them?

The humans were undeserving of their position of power, and because they had become convinced of their own superiority, they made sloppy mistakes.

A sly smile crept across her face.  Like Stryker.  Erik had turned the entire situation against the self-proclaimed military genius, without even using half of the immense power his being embodied.

When the world fully understood the strength of their kind, it would be humanity's legions that would fall before Erik in fear.  It would be human authority figures that recognized mutant power.  It would be the human race that would obey their laws and follow their ordinances.

Erik was more that capable of attaining that power, she thought to herself as she reached his own personal section of the base.  He was born to rule.  It was the reason she stayed beside him. 

It was then that Mystique entered into Magneto's chamber with the grace and poise that he loved her for.

"What did you find?" he asked simply.  Magneto sat behind his desk, twisting what had at one point been a letter opener into a smooth metallic ball in his left hand.

"The Blaize twins made it as far as Luzerne County," she reported, unfazed by the notion.  "They fought, but the boy was detained and put under military control."

Magneto nodded ever so slightly.  Ever since he had seen the remains of the Blaize residence on the news, he had understood the movement's sudden interest in the mutant twins.  "Where was he taken?"

"Washington," she answered.  "To a government building outside the capitol."

He stared forward, calculating.  "And the girl?" he asked.

"She escaped," she replied.  "By the X-Men's intervention."

Magneto nodded.  He had expected as much.  "She went with them willingly, I presume?"

"Eventually."  Taking a deep breath, she poured herself down into a metal chair across from Erik, like champagne into an oddly shaped wine glass.  The slightest smile curved across her lips.  "Not before crashing into Scott Summers' new Porsche."

The thought seemed to please him.  "I trust they were unscathed," Erik said.

Mystique nodded.  "The transporter retrieved her."

He paused momentarily and allowed the letter opener to take its original shape. Staring off to the side, he systematically filed away her observations deep within his mind.  At the moment, the information served him little purpose, but perhaps eventually it would prove in one way or another to be useful.  The letter opener clinked against the surface of his desk.  One could never be too sure.

Mystique stared out of the massive window behind Erik in a specific direction.  "How is our youngest associate?" she queried.

Magneto shifted from his thoughts.  "Growing restless," he replied.  "And understandably so.  We will need to occupy him further in our operations." 

He and Mystique shared a knowing smile.

Though the young Pyro had joined them before in several of their public appearances, he had yet to be the star.