I debated with this after the last chapter, and I've decided this story really fits under Ultimate X-Men, but there are only a few references that differ from that universe and the Marvel one, so I'm not going to change it to the Ultimate Marvel category. This category gets more reviews J
Drake smirked. "Nice monkey suit. Your mom iron that cape for you?"
Magneto frowned. "I've come to make you an offer, my young friend. You are aware of who I am?"
Drake's grin didn't waver. "Which version do you want? Master of Magnetism, visionary for mutie-kind, or terrorist?"
Magneto sneered. "I prefer the first two, but all three are accurate, I suppose. All human terms, I might add."
"We did sort of coin those, didn't we? Sue us for creativity."
"Any appearance of mine in your ridiculous legal system would hardly be for a civil case."
The verbal roller coaster halted.
Magneto removed his helmet. "You are aware that you're a mutant?"
That did surprise Drake, but he did not show it. "You are aware you've said 'you are aware' twice in the last thirty seconds?"
"Answer the question, Mr. Baxter. My patience is thinning."
"So's your hair."
Magneto's eyes flashed. "Answer the question before my impatience at your childishness becomes anger. People tend to get hurt when I'm angry."
Drake paused, suddenly extremely conscious of the amount of metal around him. He took a deep breath. "I'm a mutie?"
"Mutant."
"Whatever."
"What do I do?"
"A touch from your fingertips transmits a disease to the skin of any animal tissue, including that of humans and mutants. This disease seeps into the bloodstream and slowly heats the blood. Within hours, the blood boils to lethal levels. Your touch causes death in a matter of 18 hours, so far as we can determine."
Drake raised an eyebrow. "How do you know?"
"We've been monitoring you for the past few days. Every person—or dog—you've touched in that time are dead. So if you want to be technical, I suppose your gang friends here were really given a quicker death."
Drake's smile vanished. "I only touched one of them."
Magneto stared coldly. "Details bore me."
"You said 'we' earlier. Who else is with you?"
"My Brotherhood of Mutants. My family."
"Are they here?"
"One of them."
"Where?"
"Does it matter?"
"Yes."
"Mystique, show yourself."
A blue figure in a cut off, black leather tank top leapt down from the rails of the stairs, growing wings to break her landing. Her red hair stood out amidst the smooth blue skin and black clothes. The impromptu wings slid back into her sides.
"The name's Raven, Mr. Baxter. You can call me Mystique."
He offered a handshake, but she pulled hers back. "I think that might not be such a wise idea, Mr. Baxter. If what Magneto says is correct, you won't be shaking any unprotected hands without prior permission."
He sheepishly took his hand back and faced Magneto. "Does she have to stay? I was more comfortable with the terrorist. At least he's human."
A sharp backhand had Drake on the ground, Magneto's furious face inches away from his. "If you ever say that again, you will be dead."
Magneto put his devilish helmet back on and rose to his feet and offered Drake his gloved hand. Mystique was no where to be seen.
Drake looked up at the mutant, the hand, and spat in his face. He rose under his own power and turned his back. "I don't even know what you want."
"I'm offering you a home and a family. A place where you would belong, where you would have friends and loved ones."
"What's the catch?" Suspicion was written all over his face.
Magneto's cocked an eyebrow. "What makes you think I would lie to you?"
"That terrorist label, for starters. It's a little hard to ignore, you know what I mean?"
"I'm aware—"
"You said it again."
"This little meeting is growing tiresome, young one."
"Finally, something we agree on."
Magneto snapped his fingers, and the stair railing was hovering inches from Drake's face. Another snap, and its front had melded into a razor sharp tip. "Now, down to business. How does my proposition sound?"
Drake's black eyes were cold as pewter. "Not too bad. But maybe Charles Xavier has a better one."
Magneto sneered. "So you've heard of Charles? Perhaps you should ask him for his offer. Perhaps. Better yet, ask Betsy Braddock. Or Henry McCoy."
That shut Drake up. "The Beast? Would if I could. But since none of them seem to be available at the moment and with that crap pointed at my jugular, I'll go with your option. Beats living on a roof, right? But I have a condition."
Magneto narrowed his eyes. "I'm not in a bartering mood."
"It's simple. I get to bring my stuff with me."
"What 'stuff'?"
"All my knives, a pocketwatch, some comic books, some money."
Magneto was visibly relieved. "Human money will be of no use to you in Genosha, but everything else is fine. Now, come."
He turned his back, and Drake found his opportunity. He reached for his knife as fast as he ever had and hurled it at the mutant. Without turning his back, Magneto raised a hand. The knife rattled to the floor inches away from his feet, its blade reshaped as a silver M. The mutant bent down and retrieved the knife. Staring amusedly at his new follower, he tossed the metal to him. Drake, still shocked, bobbled it, but got a firm grip on the handle.
Magneto cocked his head at Drake's bemused stare. "Keep it. Think of it as a souvenir from home.
"Now that we have that formality out of the way, follow me. Mystique!"
A nearby cockroach rose morphed into the attractive blue mutant and followed her leader. Dumbstruck, Drake picked up his knife and scampered towards his new master.
"Magneto!"
The Master of Magnetism turned around and faced his new disciple.
"You beat down the Ultimates once, right?"
Magneto nodded, his face expressionless.
"And the X-Men?"
Magneto paused, but nodded again.
"Ok—cool."
But under his breath, he muttered, "This is gonna be a wild ride."
Ok, halfway through, my opening statement became a fib, since there isn't an Ultimate Mystique as of now. So just think of this as a mostly Ultimate Universe with some personal changes by me in order to further the story. After all, the story's the thing, right?
By the way, sorry it takes me so long to update each time, but school's killing me. I'll do my best to update every week, but bear with me. Expect new chapters on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.
Sorcerer Swordsman
