"As this regards work I've done in covert operations, and as I have critical information about others under investigation, I am willing to testify on the condition that I be given full immunity," said Kassandra, to the prosecutor.
"We will take that into consideration," said Fitzsimmons. "However, you are the one under investigation, and since we did issue a subpoena, you must testify or be held in contempt."
"But of course," sighed Kassandra, putting her unmanageably tousled head in her good hand. This was the best she could hope for. And she hoped she wouldn't have to plead the fifth.
"Would you consent to a polygraph examination?"
"Yes, but if I were to commit perjury, that would not prove anything, other than perhaps my willingness to appear cooperative." Kassandra looked directly at Fitzsimmons now. "You know I've been trained to trick even the best lie detectors. Might as well save the government's time and the taxpayers' money."
"Point taken. On with the next question. We have records from St. James Hospital in Butte, Montana, that you flew two men in from the Church of Humanity who needed blood transfusions and limbs reattached. You seemed desperate to keep these men alive. Were you?"
"Yes."
"But then we intercepted a call you made to Cyclops, ordering, presumably, the X-Men to raid the Cathedral, and as you put it, 'wipe them out.' Ladies and gentlemen," Fitzsimmons addressed the grand jury, "allow me to play back the recording."
Kassandra sat strangely emotionless as the recording played.
"So do you deny ordering the raid?"
"No."
"And you knew that the deaths of the cult members would be a likely result?"
"Yes. Of course, they would have died the same way, regardless. And taken far more people down with them."
"And what of your report that you were responsible for the two men's injuries, and that you killed eleven, yourself, before ordering the raid? Is that also true?"
"Yes. It was in self-defense, to ensure no more of my operatives would die, to stem the overall loss of innocent life, and salvage my mission."
"Ah, yes, your mission. Your station chief and Director Karst agree that you were actually very effective in ensuring the safety of the Pope and no less than 40 cardinals all over the world, even at risk to your life, and at the cost of others."
Kassandra winced at that remark.
"But," Fitzsimmons continued, "while you were ordered to leave Europe once you made them aware that the mission was compromised, neither of them recall sending you to Montana. You had no orders, and no warrant, to set foot in this group's compound, and therefore, what you did there can hardly be considered self defense."
"My mission was to expose and neutralize the threat posed by the cult of Humanity. Based on my intelligence, I could not do that without going there."
"According to whom?"
"As I said, just the intelligence I had."
"Not even Charles Xavier?"
"No. He did not know about this."
"Strange, because all your records indicate that you have ties with him, and with the X-Men. What's more, we have evidence that both you and Xavier were involved in blackmailing the governor of New York and FBI Special Agent Ishikawa."
"The raid on the Xavier Institute was illegal. As were the means Ishikawa used to secure Alpha Flight's cooperation. What's more the governor was receiving campaign funding from the Church of Humanity, also illegally."
"And Xavier agreed to not disclose that to the press to keep his students. But who disclosed that information to him?"
"His attorney."
"-who is also your attorney. Did you leak that information to him?"
"Yes."
"Do you realize you leaked information about a government informant?"
"You mean the double-dealing traitor who never provided any useful information, led an illegal raid to kidnap, I mean 'forcibly remove' innocent schoolchildren, and indeed tried to sabotage my mission, and is still going about business as usual despite having been ratted out. Yes, I did. But that doesn't mean Xavier had anything to do with raiding the Cathedral."
"No," Fitzsimmons conceded, "you're right. You hadn't been dealing directly with Xavier. But this does raise some other concerns, namely, your willingness to work with mutants."
"So I'm not prejudiced. Nothing wrong with that."
"Miss Altheim, the very presence of mutants poses a threat to our national security. And do you deny that some of the operatives you've recruited had criminal backgrounds?"
"No. But I've also never recruited operatives as unreliable as Agent Ishikawa. Or Raven Darkhölme, for that matter."
The mention of the notorious mutant terrorist and double agent sent a murmur of consternation through the grand jury.
"Anyone else the government chooses to employ does not concern this investigation."
"Oh, I think it might," retorted Kassandra. "Aren't I being investigated also for slitting a certain former Interpol and X-Corps officer's throat?"
"Do you deny attacking Sean Cassidy?"
"Yes. In fact I'm glad he survived. But I was already in Montana when Raven Darkhölme herself attacked him."
"Still, that does not mean anything. You could have ordered the attack on him just as easily as you ordered the raid on the Cathedral."
"Except this time I didn't. All it took was that one threat to ensure his silence about my whereabouts. I had neither the desire nor the intention to see it carried out. Nor did I have anything to do with Frau Darkhölme, and her record in at least Germany, France, Switzerland, Namibia, and the United States bears out each of the many reasons why I choose not to. And you won't find any evidence proving that any plan you claim I had to hurt Mr. Cassidy got any further than sending that one email."
"So it's entirely a coincidence then that Mystique acted out exactly what you threatened to do, without any correspondence from you?"
"No. Of course she wants to make it look like I was behind it!"
