Magneto and Mystique had distanced themselves from the X-Men whilst they set about preparing tents for that nights stay. Magneto had situated himself upon a large fallen log in a small clearing, eyes gazing down into one of the fires that Pyro had gone around lighting. The area about them was dark, with the night sky having covered their remaining rays of sunlight hours ago. Mystique was sat besides him, amber eyes staring through the trees from their clearing to watch the distant X-Men talk amongst themselves, appearing to have a small dispute. Logan was gesticulating towards Magneto and herself with shakes of his head, whilst Storm gently motioned her relaxed palms to him encouragingly. Whilst Mystique couldn't hear them, she had a good idea of their discussion.
Eventually, Logan dropped his hands, looking irritated. Storm was leading the other two X-Men towards the clearing where Magneto and Mystique sat. Magneto raised his head slowly with a small, slightly vindictive smile on his face. "Glad you could stop by."
Logan made moves to hastily respond, but Storm cut in. "I suppose we should thank you for stopping the jet."
"Indeed," said Magneto, the smile still in place.
Logan folded his arms, "You should be still in prison," he growled, glaring at Magneto over the top of the dancing flames.
"If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be about to learn this vital information, Wolverine. So hold that tongue."
Jean frowned for a moment, glancing at the other X-Men before she looked back to Magneto, "What do you mean?" Storm shared a glanced with Jean before she placed her hands on her hips and turned her ivory-haired head to Magneto.
Mystique slowly pushed to her feet at this, stealthily making her way behind the log Magneto sat upon and halting by his right shoulder. Poised, with a slight tilt of her hips, she sent a cool glare Jean's way. Magneto raised his head gently as he explained. "Xavier's school was attacked by a human. His name is Colonel William Stryker, and he invaded your mansion for one purpose. He wanted Cerebro," there was a pause, and Magneto's smile had disappeared from his grave face, "or enough of it to build one of his own."
"But that doesn't make any sense," said Jean quietly, "Stryker would need the Professor to operate it."
"Which is the only reason my old friend is still alive," answered Magneto with an air of mystery in his solemn tone.
Storm quickly looked back across to Jean, her face looked shocked, "Oh my God.."
But Wolverine looked perplexed, glancing between the two women, "What are you all so afraid of?" he asked.
Magneto answered, summoning a slight glare from Wolverine. "While Cerebro is working, Charles's mind is connected to every living person in the planet. If he were forced to concentrate hard enough on a particular group – let's say, mutants, for example? He could kill us all." And that was it. No ounce of a smile in Magneto's face now. Eyes were sharp; his face determined and concerned all at the same time.
"Wait a minute," interjected Storm sharply, ignoring Jean's worried expression. "How would Stryker even know where to find Cerebro in the first place?"
Magneto's defiant eyes slowly lowered from Storm's face and returned back to the fire. Mystique glanced down at Magneto with concern. "Because I told him," he sighed softly, missing the glance the X-Men exchanged. "I helped Charles build it, remember? Mr Stryker has powerful methods of persuasion, even against a mutant as strong as Charles."
Jean slowly raised her head, the disappointment evident in her face. "So who is this Stryker anyway?"
"He's a military scientists," answered Magneto, continuing with a disdainful smile, "spent his whole like trying to solve the "mutant problem". If you want a more.. intimate perspective, why don't you ask Wolverine?" He watched Logan's frown, and seeing as he gave no answer, Magneto continued sardonically. "You don't remember do you?" he said in a patronising tone. "William Stryker – the only other man I know who can manipulate adamantium. The metal on your bones – it carries his signature."
"But the Professor – "
"He trusted you were smart enough to discover this on your own," Magneto chuckled quietly, shaking his head, "he gives you more credit than I do."
Storm, having noticed the angry glare Logan had now locked upon Magneto, quickly intervened with a question to distract the oncoming dispute, "Why do you need us?"
Magneto slowly turned his head to Mystique, giving her the credit where it was due. "Mystique has discovered plans of a base that Stryker's been operating out of for decades." Mystique turned her eyes from Magneto and onto Logan, her glare solidly unblinking as she stared across the sparking flames at him. Magneto continued on, "We know it's where he's building the second Cerebro, but we don't know where this base is. And I believe one of you might."
Logan, clearly still incensed from Magneto's taunts sharply spoke, "The Professor already tried."
"Once again, you think it's all about you," Magneto said, tone as derisive as ever. Mystique smirked visibly as she watched Logan's glare heat up. The flames were angrily reflected in his dark eyes, his glower now smoulderingly fierce. It was one Mystique admired.
However, Magneto had tilted his head skyward and out of curiosity she followed his gaze upwards to see a dark shadows sat in the branches of the tree above them. Two piercingly yellow eyes blinked down at them shyly. "Oh.. hello.."
Timidly, the new addition to the X-Men disappeared in a cloud of blue smoke, only to reappear at the fireside looking rather ashamed. Magneto stood to his feet slowly, walking around the fire to join the X-Men's side, gazing at Nightcrawler as though he was an interesting painting. This was the mutant who tried the assassination attempt? Magneto had been having his suspicions for a while. Mystique automatically followed, slipping by Logan as though she was squeezing through a tight spot and he threw a glare at her when she stopped by his side.
Jean gently advanced towards Nightcrawler, watching him.
"I didn't mean to snoop," apologised Nightcrawler softly, his accent playing on his words.
"Just try to relax," Jean replied, her hands gradually rising to his temples. There was a pause, and she squeezed her eyes tightly shut.
Mystique watched curiously as the pair stood still together for a short amount of time before Nightcrawler threw his head back with a sharp gasp, eyes wide and looking rather disconcerted by whatever he had revisited in his mind's eye.
Jean looked a little surprised, clearly not meaning to have caused pain, "I'm sorry," she quickly whispered. Swallowing gently, she reported back to the other mutants. "Stryker's at Alkali Lake."
"That's where the Professor sent me, there's nothing left," Logan explained, frowning.
"There's nothing left on the surface, Logan. The base is underground." She turned round slowly, looking apologetic for her negative revelation to Logan.
"And can we fly to Alkali Lake?" asked Magneto, striding forward with a sweep of his cloak.
"Only when I've fixed the jet," answered Jean, her eyes eventually moving off Logan to watch Magneto. "And that won't be done until tomorrow morning at the earliest."
Storm let her hands fall from her hips, eyes drifting between Magneto and Mystique. "You can sleep in one of our tents. They should be nearly ready now, the children were setting them up."
With a straightforward nod, Magneto turned from the fireside, sweeping his cloak from the floor as he strode through the undergrowth and back to the main camp. Jean, Storm and Nightcrawler left together, leaving Logan stood in front of the fire, staring down into it's twisting flames.
Mystique slowly stepped forward out of the darkness of the trees, gleaming eyes transfixed on Logan's roughened features, which were currently consorted with confusion as he thought over the latest revelation. He had pulled a cigar from his pocket, idly twirling it in one hand, still yet to light it. However, he quickly became aware he wasn't alone, and his head snapped up to send glare at Mystique. With a low-throated growl he turned on his heel hurriedly, stalking off to belatedly follow the others.
I hope you enjoyed that chapter. I tried to make my additions flawless. That was a hard chaper to do, seeing as it still needed to contain the vital elements of the storyline without waffling about pointless things. Good chapter coming up next, where Mystique tries her hand at seduction! Thebegining of which I tried to hint at in this chapter!