This is my seventh chapter for you. It's pretty good in my eyes. We finally get to meet some cool people. It's getting interesting.
Chapter 7
Storm shrugged as she sipped her tea. Nightcrawler looked at the table.
"She's still in her room," Cyclops replied hoarsely.
"What's wrong?" Wolverine asked as he took out a beer bottle that Cobra put in there especially for him.
Nightcrawler sighed as Cyclops looked at Storm.
"Cobra went out last night with Jaguar. Nightcrawler followed them. She was about to take a person's blood when Nightcrawler, uh…" Storm looked for a better word than 'intruded'.
"Reminded," Cyclops suggested.
"Yes, she was about to take a person's blood when Nightcrawler reminded her of the plan," Storm smiled quickly.
Wolverine frowned, "What happened then?"
Nightcrawler spoke up, "Then Jaguar teleported away angrily. Cobra glared at me and spat poison at my feet and teleported back here."
"On your feet or in front of it?" Wolverine asked, entranced by the story.
"In front of it, but as she teleported, she cursed me," Nightcrawler replied softly.
Wolverine raised his eyebrows. Cyclops glared at him and mouthed, 'religious.' Storm sighed, got up, and walked around the table. Cobra cleared her throat loudly. She had heard everything they said since Wolverine came in. The group jumped.
"Cobra, you look pale!" Storm exclaimed.
"Hey, do those people down there get any food?" Wolverine asked slowly, glaring at Cobra.
Cobra looked at him squarely, "What do you think?"
"They don't," Wolverine smirked.
Cobra nodded and looked at them, "You're catching on quickly, bud."
"What do you do during the day?" Cyclops asked quietly.
"Normally I sleep, but since you are humans and used to staying awake during the day, so I'm going to stay awake," Cobra replied coolly as she slid into a vacant chair.
"So what should we do today?" Nightcrawler asked softly.
"Ride the horses?" Cobra suggested airily.
Cyclops nodded with Storm. Nightcrawler looked up at Cobra and nodded. Wolverine gave a great sigh that possibly meant that he agreed. So, they went outside and picked out their horses. Cobra rode Elsie bareback, Nightcrawler rode Karana with reins, but not a saddle, Cyclops rode Rocky with full tack, Storm rode with Cobra, and Wolverine walked.
Does he want to stay back or what? Cobra asked in Storm's mind.
"I don't know. It seems like he doesn't want to talk to you," Storm replied as she glanced briefly at Wolverine.
No duh, I should have thought of that! Cobra laughed.
Cyclops looked at her quizzically.
"Just talking with Storm," Cobra answered his unasked question.
Cyclops nodded and shrugged at Nightcrawler. Cobra led them down a fire trail. Her acreage was about 150 acres.
"I've never actually been on a fire trail with someone. Normally I walk or ride and when I get lost, I teleport back, but I've studied the maps lately so we probably won't get lost," Cobra announced.
"How can you be -" Wolverine started before Cobra cut him off with a hiss.
Her tongue transformed into a snake's tongue as it flickered in and out.
"Someone's here. I don't recognize his scent. He's coming closer. Storm, get on Nightcrawler's horse," Cobra commanded as she made Elsie stand side by side with Karana.
Storm jumped onto the other horse.
"Ride back to the house. Call Jaguar. His phone number's on the yellow pad next to the phone. There's more than one person here," Cobra whispered in a low and urgent voice.
The other's rode off quickly as Wolverine jumped on Cyclops' horse. Once the group was out of view, a hairy man launched himself onto Cobra.
"Rear!" Cobra commanded Elsie sharply as Cobra clung onto Elsie's mane and fought off the man.
Elsie reared and the man fell off. Wolverine appeared.
"Didn't I tell you to get back, Logan?" Cobra hissed angrily as she led Elsie over the hairy man.
"Yes, but -"
"No 'but's'. Go back or I'll paste you to a tree. I'm a vampire, buddy," Cobra smirked.
Wolverine nodded and walked into the tall grass. Cobra frowned.
"That's not like him at all," Cobra muttered, then she turned to the hairy man, "You, what's your name?"
"Sabertooth," the man replied gruffly.
Cobra's mind clicked.
"That must have been Mystique, not Wolverine," Cobra sneered.
Sabertooth nodded and grinned.
"Where's Toad and Magneto?" Cobra asked coolly.
Sabertooth growled. Cobra flickered her snake tongue. She smiled. There was one person changing shape. All she had to do was to follow the person with her tongue and she would know who is Mystique. Mystique walked back as Magneto.
"So, Cobra, you've met Sabertooth," Mystique/Magneto smiled.
"Hello, Mystique. Nice to dress up as Magneto, but I would like to talk to the real Magneto," Cobra smiled slyly as she dismounted Elsie.
Mystique/Magneto frowned, "Cobra, I am Magneto. Just watch me control that bracelet on your wrist."
Mystique/Magneto reached out a hand and the bracelet pulled Cobra's arm up.
"Mystique, when you turn into someone, you have their powers. Now, I would like to talk to the real Magneto, please," Cobra replied icily, but polite.
Mystique/Magneto transformed into Mystique.
"How did you know?" Mystique asked softly, "You can't smell me like the Wolverine."
"What is my name again?" Cobra answered with a question.
"You're a snake, a cobra. You really have the snake tongue?" Mystique asked, unbelieving.
Cobra stuck out her human tongue and turned it into a snake tongue. Mystique smiled secretively and walked back to Magneto. They came back with Toad and Pyro.
"Cobra, I believe we have never met, but our names and mutations are known," Magneto smiled.
"And our species are known to each other," Cobra included.
"Of course," Magneto nodded.
"What do you want?" Cobra asked sharply, cutting the false politeness.
Magneto expected this and answered slowly and carefully, "Will you join the Brotherhood?"
"What's the price? What's the job?" Cobra asked, getting impatient.
"You will allow us to use your place as a hideout. We are planning to change all humans into mutants. If that doesn't work, we'll kill all the humans. But we thought that if we joined forces with the vampires, we'll turn all the humans over to the vampires as slaves as long as we have a deal. If a human is a mutant, you will let us have the mutant," Magneto announced.
"What about the X-men?" Cobra asked casually.
Magneto raised his eyebrows, "The X-men?"
"The X-men, Magneto. I did not stutter," Cobra smiled slowly.
Magneto cleared his throat, "We'll take care of that later."
Cobra laughed and answered sharply, "I prefer to have plans so that we won't get into an argument during precious time. I want an answer now. What will happen to the X-men? Are they considered mutants or are they considered as humans even though they are mutants?"
"They're considered idiots," Pyro cut in.
"Magneto only let you in because of his kind heart, not that you were someone special or important," Mystique muttered.
"I did not ask you, Pyro, or is it John?" Cobra smiled.
Pyro launched himself at Cobra. Magneto, Mystique, Toad, and Sabertooth watched from the sidelines. Cobra caught the boy in midair with one hand. Pyro reached into his pocket and flicked open a lighter. He took the flame in one hand and was about to throw it when Cobra sank her fangs into his neck. The flame died as Cobra's sleeping poison took over.
Foolish boy, you are, Pyro. I could kill you anytime. I am a vampire. You are a pest, a fly to us, Cobra muttered into his mind, but she did not drink his blood and kept her promise to Cyclops.
But even flies can escape your wrath, Pyro replied in his mind groggily.
Yes, but in the end, the flies always die, Cobra pointed out quickly, still not tasting his blood.
At this point, Magneto stepped in.
"Cobra, I prefer to have living followers," Magneto said quickly.
Cobra looked up, dropping Pyro unceremoniously, and replied smartly, "And so you don't want me."
"I'm sorry. It was merely a slip of the tongue. I actually meant that I want followers who… ah, move," Magneto apologized quickly, searching for words.
Cobra laughed, "Do you really want me that much?"
Magneto blinked, not wanting to give in.
"Alright, what do I get from this?" Cobra asked quickly.
"More slaves. More property. More money. More whatever you want," Toad replied too hastily.
Cobra looked at Toad.