Chapter Nineteen:

"Seriously," Lance repeated, "That was the greatest thing I have ever seen..."

The entourage was once again gathered at the Malloy home. The ride back had been much more relaxed that before. Sharing traumatic Troll experiences often can bring people closer together... or at least keep opposing mutant forces from destroying each other for the remainder of the evening.

The entire group was now scattered across the roof, which had been dutifully prepared for a party... or battle... whatever. A string of Japanese lanterns cast a soft glow over the deck and the returning clubbers reminisced about the absurdity of the night's events.

"How's the picture look?" Pyro asked Oz, who was reviewing his tape critically.

"Not bad," Oz replied with a shrug, "Though I wish it had been set to wide-screen. Would have given it a more theatrical feel. I'll make sure I get everybody a copy..."

"Cool," Pyro said with a grin, "I don't think Magneto would believe it otherwise."

"Oh... don't be so sure," a new voice replied as Sebastian appeared from the shadows, "He was a Watcher, after all..."

"Bas!" Rebecca announced, "What've you been doin' all night? We've been fightin' Trolls and then Remy was all like 'Shit, my head!' and the Trolls were like 'Skin his bones!' and Mary was like 'Chill, yo' and Nancy's all 'oh, blah, I'm go smart' and then the disco..."

"How much have you had to drink?" Sebastian asked his niece disapprovingly.

Rebecca frowned for a moment, in deep thought and then shook her head, "Don't make me do math, Bas..."

Sebastian sighed and wandered over to where Mystique was sitting. He did not exactly enjoy her company, but she was the only one present who was anywhere near his age.

"Almost makes me nostalgic for my days with the Counsel," the vampire reminisced.

"Really?" Mystique asked with a wry grin.

"No," Sebastian admitted, "Not really. And, how about you? Any warm fuzzies about your reunion with the Underground?"

"It was... enlightening," she replied, thinking more about Magneto's list than the Trolls, "I am pleased to see Pyro has been associating with his own kind as well as the undead..."

Sebastian allowed her remark and her tone to pass without rebuttal. He glanced toward the others and nodded.

"You mean the boy from the werewolf's band," he said, "Yes, him and a few others. Don't expect me encourage or rally support for your cause. If you wish to sway others to join the Brotherhood, you and the Brit will have to do it on your own."

Mystique did not reply, just smiled in her typical coy fashion and continued to watch the young mutants closely. Pyro seemed to get along quite well with the mutant musician, and Mystique was certain he had met others during his time in the city. That was how young mutants would be drawn to Magneto's cause. Let them first hear about the Brotherhood from a peer, someone to make it more than an urban legend or what they have seen on television. Make them question what normal humans tell them. Let Magneto be the one to show them the truth.

Mystique's yellow eyes shifted and fell upon Toad. He had positioned himself on the opposite side of the deck, far enough away that she could not hear what he was saying, but close enough to the others to engage in their conversations. Toad glanced at her, as if he had a learned sense of when she was watching, but shifted his attention away quickly.

The shape shifter could not stop the grin from forming on her face. She knew something now that Erik may have been trying to keep from her. She was not sure why he would not want her to know. But, then Erik always had his reasons.

Maximoff, she thought, sipping the red wine in her glass, Why such a secret Erik? Did you tell Toad why that name is important to you? Of course not. Why surround those names with pointless others? Charlene McGee... Cain Marko... Names from the past... most better forgotten...

As her mind wandered, Mystique did not immediately notice that she was staring at Xavier's student Mary. She was not certain what powers the young woman had beyond precognition, for she disclosed only that. Yet... she had known Mystique's secret. It could have been a lucky guess (how many blue skinned mutants does one person ever get to meet), but she had the feeling there was more to it.

Keep your secrets, Erik, Mystique thought, You have respected my own. But if you want to bring truth to mutants, you better be prepared to face it...


Toad crouched on the ground near where Pyro and the others were gathered. His fingers kept straying to the computer in his pocket, knowing he would have to question the Malloys about the list before he reported back to Magneto. He felt Mystique's eyes on him for a moment, and tried to ignore her prying gaze.

"Hyena people?" Pyro said after Oz finished telling a little tale of the Slayer, "Too cool..."

"Never had anything like that at my high school..." Lance agreed, "At least, while I was there..."

"Yeah, hell hounds, hyena people, all the normal Sunnydale stuff," Harmony quipped, "And then the giant worm thing at graduation..."

"Memories..." Oz said with fond nostalgia.

"Jeez..." Rebecca said, her speech a little slurred, "We just had the dead guys in our history class..."

Pyro rolled his eyes, "Dead guys... history... funny..."

The twins exchanged a cynical look, and then shrugged. It really had not been a joke...

As Harmony began to tell the others another weird Sunnydale High story, Toad moved toward the twins and booted up Magneto's list on the handheld. He did not have the social graces to discreetly interject his questions into the conversation, so he proceeded the best way he knew how.

"Here," Toad said, holding the small computer out to Rebecca. She was lounging in a long fold-out chair, halfway to happy inebriation, and plucked the machine clumsily from his hand.

"What..." she asked, frowning as she tried to see the small screen.

"Names," Toad replied, "A list. Need info on them."

Sid tilted his head curiously and looked over his sister's shoulder. He was holding his rum significantly better than she was.

"What names?" he asked. Toad rolled his eyes and glared at him.

"I don't know," Toad replied, "Or else I wouldn't need to ask then, would I?"

"Yeah, duh, Sid," Rebecca mumbled, squinting as she examined the list and then passed it on to her brother with a frustrated huff, "You try... My reading is gone for the night..."

Sid grinned and took the small machine from her hands. The expression quickly changed as he scanned the names. When he glanced up at Toad, Sid's eyes were dark and suspicious.

"What does Magneto want with them?" he asked.

"Don't know," Toad said with a sneer, "Didn't say. See your mum on there, eh?"

"Yeah," Sid said, "He never did say why he wanted to find her, and us, so bad..."

"Approach's better than last time," Rebecca slurred, "Who'else's there?"

Sid sighed and began to read, "David Haller, Bethany Chaulk, Daniel Torrance, Pietro Maximoff, Wanda Maximoff..."

They did not notice Nancy's head jerk toward them when Sid said the name of the second Maximoff. Once he had finished reciting, Sid gave out a low whistle.

"Looks like there're some pretty hard hitters," he said, "and that's only going by the little blurbs you've got here..."

Sid tossed the computer back to Toad, "There's only one name I know on there and there's only one thing we can tell you about her..."

"And what's tha..." Toad began until Rebecca cut him off.

"That she's dead," she said, sounding stone sober, and then shrugged, "Put a check mark next to that one..."

"Scarlet Witch isn't," Nancy suddenly chimed in, and glared darkly at Toad, "She's alive and well. Though I wouldn't seek her out... if you knew what was good for you..."

With that, the witch got to her feet and marched away. Toad turned his head to watch her go with a frown. He glanced back at Rebecca with a questioning look.

"Don't worry about her," she said with a wave of her hand, "She's always sayin' shit like that. Gotta keep up that whole creepy witch stereotype..."

"Right," Toad said and shook his head, "Know any way I can get info? Since none of you know anything..."

"Internet?" Rebecca recommended with a grin.

Toad glared at her, and shoved the computer back into his coat. He really had not expected anyone here to be much help, but their continued apathy to Magneto's cause and future plans was more than aggravating. They existed here in a world of luxury, cut off from the real horrors faced by mutants. It was beginning to make him a little sick.

Without another word, Toad followed Nancy's example and stormed away from the party. Oz glanced at the woozy Rebecca questioningly.

"Don't worry about him," she said with a wave of her hand, "He's always doing shit like that. Gotta keep up that whole broody mutant stereo... wait... didn't I have this convo before?"