++Chapter VIII: An Inhumane Plan++
"The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that's the essence of inhumanity." – George Bernard Shaw
Kimberly couldn't remember a time when she had been more tired after participating in a four hour Danger Room session. Scott had barely given any of them a reprieve; it didn't matter to him that she hadn't even facilitated Nat's little scheme, but had only arrived back in the foyer in time to witness its results. Even Logan had grumbled once or twice about the level of performance Cyclops had demanded from them all. Natalie and Kurt were perhaps the most vocal of the bunch throughout the extensive session – after all, they saw no harm at all in having a little fun.
"This is unfair, " Nat had muttered as they finally exited the Danger Room. "They should have expected that someone would try to spike the punch."
"You should have expected that Professor Xavier would come up with a consequence like this, " Kim returned.
Natalie's eyes narrowed. "Bite me."
As they approached the elevator, Kimberly parted from the group, continuing deeper into the mansion's subterranean level. Despite the fact that normal classes had been canceled that day, she had been instructed to report to Cerebro, as usual, for another telepathic session. She had been permitted to wear the headgear for the first time in the previous session, although it was disconnected to prevent her from truly using it. Professor Xavier had explained the finer workings of the headpiece, and taught her, by using it himself, how to find what one was seeking with the amplified assistance that the machine provided. Rather lost in thought, the girl was startled from her reverie by the sound of footsteps coming from behind her. Perhaps this was a new telepathic student?
Kimberly turned, abruptly standing there agape in the hallway.
"You alright, Kim?" Jessica asked.
The dark-haired telepath blinked, confused. "What're you doing down here, Jess? Did Professor X call you down here or something?"
"Of course not, " her friend replied glibly. "I just came to find you and tell you that the Professor's going to be a little late. He's finishing up with his physics class, and he told me to come back down here and let you know that."
"Oh." Kim didn't look – or sound – very convinced. "But aren't you going to be late for your next class?"
As Jess hesitated, Kimberly took that opportunity to scan the surface of her mind, and abruptly reeled at what she found. Jessica's mind was nothing like this being's – not as cunning, not as bent on destruction, and certainly never bearing the intent to infiltrate. Professor, I think you ought to come down here immediately, she said at once, eyes widening.
"I'll be alright, " Jessica replied, gaze darkening as Kim's eyes widened. An ugly sneer stole over her face. "Although it was apparently a mistake for me to attempt to get past you."
Kimberly's eyes narrowed. "Obviously, " she replied, immediately putting her telepathic abilities on the offensive. She was prepared to shoot a psychic bolt at the imposter's mind.
Stay calm, Kimberly. I'm on my way.
The girl visibly relaxed as Charles Xavier's voice filled her mind. Thank goodness, Professor. I don't know how –
Jessica lunged toward her at that very moment, sensing that her guard was down, and knocked her violently to the floor, easily holding her there by pressing one foot to her chest. "Hasn't the good Professor taught you to never let your guard down, little Empath?" she taunted.
Kim glared. "Hasn't anyone ever taught you that it's wrong to break and enter?"
As Jess drew her arm back, readying for a punch, she suddenly froze in midair.
Kimberly gasped, and struggled hastily out of the way of Jessica's foot, which was no longer restraining her.
"Are you alright?" Professor Xavier asked, concerned, as he wheeled toward them.
She could only nod in response. "I'm fine, but Jess – I mean, whoever this is … "
His eyes narrowed in anger as her voice trailed off. "Magneto has sent a spy into our ranks, " he said after a moment. "And perhaps now, we shall finally get some answers."
Jessica convulsed suddenly, still frozen in position, and began to change. Kim stared, astonished, as the form of one of her dearest friends morphed into a tall, blue-skinned, yellow-eyed, glaring woman.
"Mystique, " Xavier explained, "is a shapeshifter, as you've probably already discerned, Kimberly."
"I could tell that much, " Kim replied a trifle dryly, dark gaze still locked onto Mystique's furious, golden one. "But then why, may I ask, is she – here?"
"That is something we'll have to ask her, " he replied, closing his eyes.
The shapeshifter jerked roughly in midair, eyes suddenly wide. She was powerless against Charles Xavier's mental probe. Against her will, she revealed everything to him: How Magneto was behind the so-called "vandalism" of the Space Needle. How she had been spying on his Institute for the past few months. How she had watched Jessica carefully to learn her behavior before transforming into her in order to attempt to gain access to Cerebro through Kimberly. How Magneto planned to rebel against the government's anti-mutant attitude.
As Xavier realized Magneto's plan, his eyes widened – first in shock, then in anger.
Professor?
Kimberly's uncertain inquiry slowly pulled his attention back to the situation at hand.What do you see?
"Magneto is planning to move against the government, " he said at last, withdrawing from the shapeshifter's mind. "The senatorial debates are no doubt giving him the impression that the government may soon decide to act on some of the politicians' feelings."
"Isn't that entirely possible, though?" the younger telepath couldn't help asking. "They're not exactly in my good graces for failing to listen to the needs of the minorities, after all."
"It is, " Xavier allowed. "And Magneto is preparing to openly respond to that possibility, regardless of whether Washington follows the wind and rumors, or not."
Kim frowned a little. "And what, exactly, is he planning on doing?"
The Professor's gaze shifted more fully onto her.
There was a clang of metal upon metal. Suddenly, there was a clear image of the Space Needle, and then – there, the Brotherhood, infiltrating the structure and reporting back to Magneto that it was the perfect height for his plan. Two immense, metal hemispheres, carefully hidden out of sight until the moment was right, appeared. Even in a vision, the power that emanated from them was palpable.
Flash.
"It will make them rue the day that they ever thought about acting against mutants." Erik Lehnsherr's voice was very clear inside her mind. "All I need is exactly two minutes of contact with the machine to amplify my powers. Those homo sapiens won't even know what hit them, my dear."
"But Erik - " and this was clearly Mystique speaking, now, "what exactly are you going to do to them? You know that killing them will only attract the attention and fury of Xavier's team."
"We will not kill them, " Magneto responded confidently. "Once my powers are magnified, not unlike how Charles's are amplified when he uses Cerebro, electromagnetic waves will pulse through the brain of everyhomo sapien in Washington state. Most, if not all, will never be able to think a conscious thought again. But they will not die."
Reeling, Kimberly wrenched her mind away from the vision, and almost stumbled backwards. "He can't do this, " she gasped, shocked. "I know that you said that he's very pro-mutant, anti-human, but this is – this is practically the same thing as committing murder, Professor, especially if there's never going to be any medical hope of those people recovering!"
"Which is precisely why we will not let him do this, " he replied, not even blinking as Scott strode down the hallway. "Scott, assemble the team and prepare the jet, " Xavier said quietly, eyes narrowing as he added aloud, "And Logan, you will help me see to it that Mystique leaves the grounds of the mansion. She is not to be harmed while she is on this estate."
Wolverine's eyes narrowed in anticipation as he approached the still-frozen shapeshifter. "Have it your way, Chuck, " he replied, glaring at Mystique.
Kim took a step toward the elevator, and then paused as it opened, spilling out the X-Men.
"Charles, what is this urgent mission?" Storm asked, even as she hurried toward the ready room.
"Scott and I will brief you on the way, " Xavier answered. "The population of Washington state is at stake. According to what I have learned from Mystique, he plans to act during the senatorial debates in Washington, tonight."
"Someone has to stay and watch the recruits, " Scott reminded them, suddenly emerging from the ready room, fully-suited. "We can't leave them here unprotected."
"Doesn't the mansion have built-in defenses?" Kimberly asked, causing the field leader to turn and stare at her momentarily.
"It does, " he said after a moment, "but as you're not fully-fledged X-Men, I think that - "
"We should go with you? An excellent idea!"
As the elevator door swung open a second time, Jessica and Natalie emerged, determinedly.
Scott coughed a little uncomfortably. "Perhaps Kurt …"
"If you think that you're going to go kick Magneto's arse without us, think again, " Nat announced boldly. "Besides, Kurt's the last person you'd want to put in charge of babysitting everyone else, and if he's going, then so am I."
"This isn't a Danger Room session, " Logan stated matter-of-factly as he finished zipping up his jacket. "If you're going to come with us, you're going to have to be willing to work with us."
"Since when do you concern yourself with teamwork?" Natalie retorted, although her lips twitched upward into a smirk. Fair enough.
"Well-stated, Logan, " Professor Xavier said at last, permitting himself a small look of amusement. "Ororo will help you three find some suits, " he added to the trio. "Scott and I shall see you and the rest of the team on the X-Jet."
As Jessica struggled into one of the skin-tight suits, she couldn't help but wonder exactly what Natalie had got them into this time. Kim had contacted them both, and briefed them on the situation. As impulsive and ready to fight as always, even though they had just spent four hours in the Danger Room that morning, Shade had leapt off of her bed enthusiastically with a shout of, "Let's go kick his arse!"
Natalie's expression shifted from enthused to grim determination as she suited up. Magneto could not be permitted to disable the population of an entire state, no matter what his reasons. She was angry with the anti-mutant attitude the government seemed to be adopting, but at the same time, taking out one's wrath on innocent lives was just plain wrong. No, she was going to do everything in her power to stop him.
Strong sensations of anger, fear, and doubt assaulted Kim's mind as she gently touched those of her friends. Were any of them truly ready for this sort of confrontation? Perhaps they were, and then again, perhaps they were not. In order to have faith, fraulein, one must have a little doubt, Kurt had told her, once, when they talked about the concept of placing faith in anything, be it a person, one's self, or a higher being. It is what makes us human. The dark-haired telepath slowly pulled on one of the field suits. Pivoting on a heel toward an awaiting pair of boots, she stared at her reflection against one of the glass cases for a long moment. Just several months ago, she had been a mere girl, preparing for life at college. She had the normal worries, doubts, and fears of a student who was about to once again undergo the ritual of falling from the top of one ladder to the bottom of another. But the serious, wide-eyed woman who stared back at her surely couldn't be the same person.
"Kim?"
She blinked.
"Kim, c'mon! We can't leave without you, you know!"
She stuffed her feet into the boots, silently, taking a deep breath before turning to face her friends.
There was a moment where the two pairs of brown eyes met one of hazel. And then, finally:
Let's go.
"The perimeter is secure, " Toad's voice crackled, causing Magneto to wince slightly as he steadily approached the Space Needle. He was far more accustomed to hearing Mystique's voice through the two-way radio system. He shook his head automatically. It had felt strange, indeed, having her away on a separate mission while he and his occasionally less-than-capable henchmen prepared to make a statement to the government of the United States. Glancing briefly toward his watch, his grimace shifted into a frown. Why hadn't she reported back by now?
"Magneto?"
Exhaling slowly, Magneto finally replied with a firm, "Well done, Toad. They will begin broadcasting the senatorial debate from Washington in twenty minutes. By the time they are finished, we shall be gone."
A vague sense of discomfort enveloped him as he stepped out of his car, staring upward toward the tall, momentous structure. He hated having to work without having someone on the inside – namely, Mystique – to monitor their opponents and to effectively dispose of the homo sapienswhenever they got in their way.
"Erik."
The master of magnetism's gaze snapped toward his two-way radio. "Well, my dear?"
Even through the device, he could sense her narrowing her eyes. "You're going to have company. Xavier's people are on their way."