Ricki Tan stepped up to the glass and looked out of it to see the chambers where nine mutants were being held. They were designated, as F12-F20 and they were creations of Ricki's master, Mr. Sinister. His master had been kidnapped quite some time ago though and under situations such as that they were suppose to keep Sinister's operations going. That was the master's direct orders.
"Is the grafting equipment ready?" Ricki asked over a headset to Nawon Tan.
"Yeah Ricki. You got the powers you want to graft ready?"
"Yes. F12-F15 is going to be grafted with Harry Leland's powers. F16-F18 will be grafted with Iceman's powers. F19 will be grafted with Ruckus and F20 with Vertigo," Ricki told Nawon. He wanted variety in the chosen powers to be grafted while at the same time making the task simple for Nawon. The master didn't go for mistakes and Ricki knew he would get the brunt of the punishment if something bad were to happen.
"Roger that Ricki. The grafting process is underway and should take about ten minutes."
"Excellent Nawon. How goes the information download Igiro?" Ricki said into the same headset. All of the Tans were connected with a headset network.
"The information download is complete Ricki. Once the grafting process is done I'll be able to input the information into the new subjects. Though what the heck are we going to do with them once we're finished with them?"
"I don't know Igiro. Wherever the master is I hope he returns soon," Ricki sighed.
"How can you be sure he will return?" Nawon asked. Out of all the Tans he was the most doubtful about Sinister ever returning.
"He will Nawon. No doubt in my mind about that."
"Perhaps you would like to explain Onset what the whole kettle thing is all about?" Gaia asked.
Onset flew into the middle of the large room carrying a large gray kettle pot in her hands. Carefully she set the pot down and with a smile looked up at Gaia, "My child you will see the Soul Unraveled raised this day. The kettle pot while archaic will suit my needs. Besides Shi'ar magic isn't choosy."
"Shi'ar magic? That just sounds stupid as hell," Bloodscream said throwing back his head in a loud guffaw. Out of all the people Onset had in her grasp only Bloodscream knew how to piss her off thoroughly time and time again.
"Perhaps so, but if you're suggesting I'm stupid I pose something to you. If I'm so stupid then what does that make you since you were captured by the dumb bitch using Shi'ar magic?" Onset asked angrily as red energies poured out of her eyes.
"If your magic is so great then why use science to hold us in bonds?" Judas Traveller inquired. Since his capture he hadn't said much so his speaking caught everyone by surprise.
"And to think I thought you had gone mute," Onset grinned as she rose up in the air placing herself right in front of Judas Traveller's prison bubble.
"I only speak when I feel what I have to say is important."
"A good philosophy Judas. I admire it. I have a tendency to talk too much, but onward to your question. I use science and magic because the more variety in your tools the better the things you can build," Onset explained.
"Too many tools and you start to mix them up," Davis said.
Onset looked at Davis menacingly and said, "No more comments from the peanut gallery. I've got work to do."
The woman slowly descended to the ground near the kettle. As soon she touched the ground her body began to glow a light pink color. Slowly she began to chant, "Yata mo chong la nagat sunn ti meed naw. S'kin delo non-ka loyloa. Give me Legion! Give me Legion!"
The kettle pot began to rattle and shake violently. Above the pot a yellow prison bubble formed at the instance a body erupted from the pot. It was the body of David Haller and as he was shot out of the pot he flew directly into the prison bubble.
"The Soul Unraveled is mine. I grow ever closer to finishing the Dark Zodiac. Only these Exiles present a problem. I'll handle them soon enough, " Onset said as she looked at Magus with a smug smile.
Torrent flew over Plazm and unleashed a lightning bolt from his long fingers. The former Hong Kong policeman dodged the bolt of electricity by blowing himself up into hundreds of pieces of Plazm that blew all across the simulated landscape.
"And I wonder what that was suppose to do?" Torrent laughed to himself. He always thought Plazm looked a little goofy, but he wasn't sure he acted like it until the little stunt he just pulled.
Out of nowhere all the scattered pieces of purple plasma launched out gooey tentacles that began to wrap themselves around Exner. Before the weather wielder could mutter a single cuss word in Portuguese he found himself in a bubble that was slowly taking the oxygen away from the air around him. Not being able to find any suitable way out of the predicament he was in without causing damage Torrent was ready to do some major damage to Plazm. That is until the young mutant sparked an idea in his head. His brown pupils turned a very dark blue as he began to electrically charge all the oxygen molecules around him. Torrent held his breath while he did this and soon as the bubble encasing him absorbed oxygen it was electrified.
The plasma bubble crumbled around Torrent and fell to the ground in the form of Plazm. Wiping sweat off his forehead Exner sighed, "That was mighty close. The copper had me there for a bit."
"That was excellent Torrent," Mutant Forger said as he shut down the simulation from the control room that overlooked the entirety of the simulation.
"Pretty good trick kid," Plazm said as he slowly rose from the ground. Torrent nodded his head in agreement and walked out of the simulation room that was the training center for the Exiles.
Mutant Forger nearly laughed as he said to Plazm, "It seems the child got the better of you and you're the oldest of all the students we teach. Wisdom doesn't always out beat power I see."
Plazm turned into a mist and rose up to where Mutant Forger could see him eye to eye. He had something he wanted to ask Forger. "When the heck is Exodus coming back?"
"As you well know Plazm our leader was hurt extremely bad by some new foe. Though while normally he would be in the hospital for months enhancements he received from Apocalypse has reduced that hospital stay to a week," Mutant Forger explained.
"So in other words he'll be here today."
"Precisely Plazm. Precisely."
"When are you going to tell him?" Ever asked Fontanelle from across the kitchen table. The two of them were playing goldfish purely for relaxation reasons. Ever had just come off some grueling self-inflicted psi training and Fontanelle had spent about two hours with Alex helping him to control his toxic outbursts.
"I'll tell him when it's necessary Ever. Do you have a 2?"
"Goldfish and what the heck is 'when it's necessary' suppose to mean? Oh do you have a King?" the Morlock inquired.
"It means that I'll tell Exodus about the stuff I've seen when it becomes a danger if I don't. At present I have no evidence to show me so and here's my King," Gloria said throwing a card across the table to Ever.
Ever shook his head, "Honestly Gloria isn't the fact that Davis and Gaia are missing enough? Isn't the fact that Exodus was beaten to a pulp alarm enough? What's it going to take for you?"
"Me prying the information in a very painful manner," a voice said from behind the kitchen door. Slowly someone with long black hair, a black sword, and a black Kevlar jacket entered into the room. His name was Exodus and he had returned home.
"Holy crap!" Ever exclaimed dropping his cards.
"Home so soon Bennet? You shouldn't have rushed back so quickly. You could hurt yourself!"
"Don't patronize me Gloria! You've been withholding information from me for some time and it's time you fess up. I don't have time for games woman because someone who's packing more power than probably this whole team could handle has kidnapped two of my students. I won't have your secrets and I surely won't have your lies!" Exodus exclaimed. His eyes were alit with rage the entire time he spoke to Fontanelle.
"Calm down Exodus! Cuz I promise if you push me I will push back! So you will calm down," Fontanelle demanded harshly.
Harmony jumped into the room and yelled excitedly, "We've finally picked up on Gaia's signal. She seems to be in Portugal!"
"We'll finish this later!" Exodus growled, as he was about to walk out of the room.
"NO! You can't go to that battle Exodus! If you do you'll die," Gloria said softly. The whole room froze at that moment. It was time for secrets to be revealed.
