Chapter 16: The Underground
Disclaimer: I don't own any Marvel Characters or logos.
X-23 sat staring out the window of her room, silently watching the other students play some kind of game in the yard outside. It looked as though they were just goofing off due to the blatant use of their powers and frenzied yells from their instructor, yet for some reason the notion didn't disgust her as much as it had before. She had spent her life watching families from a distance and wondering what it was like to live among ordinary people, but watching those mutants causing a ruckus and randomly destroying things when they should have been training was something she couldn't quite grasp at the moment.
Thinking back her own life had been filled with the most grueling training imaginable, and she had never really considered goofing around the way the other students did while undergoing training at the Xavier Institute. According to the professor, this was a place where people like them could come to learn how to control their powers, but seeing them making fools out of each other was hardly amusing. Of course HYDRA would have punished her had she shown any semblance of these activities, but even when free of their grip she was still uncertain about many things, as if her mind remained trapped within the confines of the conditioning they had subjected her to at a very early age.
The sound of a door opening quickly caught her attention, causing her to spin around on instinct, her claws protruding defensively as she turned to face her unwanted visitor. Seeing the face of her male counterpart, the young mutant retracted her weapons and frowned in his direction. He sat down on the bed on the other side of the room, having caught her staring out over the school ground only seconds before. Although his expression implied that he had something to say, he remained quiet and seemed to stare off into space for a minute of so. She pretended to be admiring the scenery during this time, but upon realizing that he wasn't planning on going anywhere, she became more annoyed with anything else.
The volatile mutant leapt from her perch on the large windowsill, having grown tired of the treatment she was receiving. "Well…" she began with a scathing expression, her face tightening with irritation as she rounded on him. "What do you want?"
Wolverine looked up as if noticing her for the first time, although a growl escaped his throat in the process. "Looks like someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." He replied with an indifferent expression. "That's assuming you didn't stay up all night in case the rest of us came after you in your sleep."
She sensed his mocking tone and scowled in response. "I don't see why you bothered coming all the way here. Answer my question from earlier, and be quick." She added bluntly in an attempt to resist her violent tendencies.
He folded his arms with a knowing expression, once again remembering the way he used to be after the Weapon X Project. Although he normally would have lashed out verbally at a student for being so gutsy around him, something inside him seemed to tell him that it would be a bad idea right now. Folding his arms in a more relaxed manner, he eyed her for a second before trying to address the volatile girl sitting in front of him. She had a nasty attitude and powerful temper similar to his own, making him aware for the first time in a while exactly why a lot of people treaded so cautiously while speaking to him. After returning her glare, he stood rubbed a hand behind his head and closed his eyes as if paying for patience, trying to find a way to word this next part properly.
Logan heaved out a sigh and shook his head. "Just shut up and listen… You haven't been around lately and Charles was beginning to wonder if something was wrong, so he sent me."
"I don't need your help." She replied with a stubborn expression, turning her gaze away from the man sitting behind her.
"It's ain't exactly a thrill for me either, but the professor thinks that it would be a good idea if someone kept an eye on you. Due to our… circumstances… … He figured it might as well be me who gets the honor of baby-sitting you."
X-23 stood up with a grumpy expression, looking more insulted than before. She closed her eyes for a second and contemplated quickly that they were only trying to help her, and although her fearsome expression did not change, she spoke in a more controlled tone than either of them had expected. "I can take care of myself just fine, and will come and go as I see fit."
"If you want to learn how to be a part of this team, then you shouldn't be so afraid to talk to other people. I know how you feel and can agree with you for the most part, but the folks around this place aren't always as annoying as they seem." The male mutant folded his hands in his lap, looking uncharacteristically civil for a change.
She glanced out the window once again, her eyes becoming lost in their games briefly before she turned back to face him. "Those students outside…" she began with a harsher expression. "They all lack vital discipline and seem to enjoy making each other looks like fools when the objective of this school is to teach them to optimize their mutant abilities. Does that not go against the reason why this institute exists?"
"You really overanalyze some things." Wolverine replied with a slightly exasperated look, although as he considered her past experiences, his thoughts returned to the day after that fateful night when they first met. "Believe it or not, sometimes kids just have to be kids and goof around… You know, have fun and relax a little by doing something they want to do?"
A second silence fell as she sat down in the chair next to the room's desk. She faced the wall and rested her chin in her hands, which she propped up in front of her face, elbows positioned on the surface of the desk. Staring at the wallpaper, she tried not to consider his last comment and pretended to be interested in the designs, pretending to be interested in the floral depictions on the walls. Several minutes passed with neither of them speaking, but she quickly grew bored and began to notice that his resolve to continue this conversation was just as strong as hers was to end it, and perhaps even more so.
His last few words had somehow left an imprint on her, maddening her normally focused mind and causing her to count the symbols on the wallpaper in an attempt to stave off the temptation to continue their encounter. She wasn't compelled enough to actually flee the room, but at the same time something seemed to be eating away at the back of her mind. Giving into the temptation after what seemed like forever, the young mutant turned around to face her old counterpart, immediately catching his attention in the process seeing how he had been watching her back like a hawk the entire time.
She scowled at the realization that she had not sensed this sooner, but after a moment her expression became softer and much less hostile, although the hardness did not die from her eyes. "I just wanted to know one thing…" the younger mutant began.
"Yeah…" Wolverine pressed her in his gruff tone, raising in eyebrow inquisitively.
"What exactly did you mean when you were talking about the other students?" she began, her unshakable façade beginning to unravel slightly. "What exactly is the desire to have fun, and where does it come from?"
The older mutant suddenly seemed troubled by her words, although it would have been hard to tell just be appearance alone due to his tough exterior. He sat in thought in a similar fashion to what she had done moments before, although in complete honesty, he wasn't the best person to ask these kinds of questions too. Hardly the life of a party, Logan wasn't entirely sure how to describe it to her when he himself wasn't exactly the best at having fun. He glanced out the window himself and watched as the mutants in training started giving poor Beast a hard time, although putting the notion into words was hard for someone whose painful past was hardly better than that of the person he was talking too.
Wolverine exhaled at least, realizing that he had not been breathing while trapped in his own train of thought. Scratching his head, the adamantine mutant at last shrugged in response to her question. "You and I were made from the same mold…" he stated in a painfully obvious way. "I'm not exactly an expert on the subject myself, but fun is basically something that people do for the sole purpose of enjoying themselves."
"Such activities would never have been permitted while I was being used as a weapon for HYDRA. Even now, I find it strange that my mind has trouble grasping what appears to be such a simple concept." She responded with a note of pain hidden behind her serious tone. She paused awkwardly before making eye contact with him. "What can I do to understand this?"
Her male counterpart displayed an equally confounded frown, but perhaps the answer had been more obvious then he could have thought. Seeing how she seemed to be very similar to him in many ways, Wolverine thought about what he did for fun and used himself as an example for this situation. While it seemed like a long shot at first, perhaps he could get through to her by using his own views on the subject.
"All right, maybe you can start by telling me if you've ever received a sense of accomplishment or some kind of thrill that you enjoyed to any extent." He started the new approach. "Y'know, some kind of activity that made you feel like you had done something worthwhile or useful for any reason."
The female mutant raised an eyebrow as she thought carefully about her own life. She realized that convention joy had been rare if not completely nonexistent, but instead her thoughts returned to her many battles. Her claws seemed to protrude slightly at the thought, but the young mutant quickly reeled them so as not to appear hostile. She looked up at her counterpart as he stood from his seat on the bed, and the two faced each other once more.
"I derive enjoyment from bettering my fighting skills." X-23 replied n with a slightly hesitant quality to her voice. She paused again before adding something else. "And throughout my life I have perhaps developed a fondness for the thrill of battle, and the accomplishment that comes with victory."
Wolverine seemed unsurprised by her answer and instead turned to watch her classmates outside before looking back at her with a more alert expression. "So you think that those little brats outside are wasting time and you like fighting… I just thought of something that you could do that you might prove beneficial to everyone else, and give you something to occupy your spare time with."
She looked up with a much less heated expression, for the first time looking mildly interested rather than angry or saddened. "What exactly do you have in mind?"
Her male counterpart turned and headed for the door without even turning back. "You're an interesting kid, but before this goes too far I'll probably have to ask Charles for the necessary approval."
"I thought I told you to stop calling me a kid!" she snapped back into her normal demeanor almost instantly, her brows furrowed and shoulders tight.
Logan stopped as he reached the exit, not even bothering to look back at her as he gently pulled the door shut. "Whatever you say… … Laura…" He added with a note of finality before disappearing completely from view, leaving behind a very baffled young mutant in his wake.
Unable to properly react, X-23 found herself trapped in thought once again. She waited in silence as his footstep died away, leaving her alone once more. She collapsed onto the bed and let her arms rest loosely by her sides, silently staring at the ceiling. It was strange that after going by an experiment number for her entire life, they had given her a name. The feeling was so foreign to her that the young mutant found herself pondering her life for the umpteenth time since her arrival at the Xavier Institute. Lapsing into a state of mediation, she found herself relaxing for the first time in what may have been years.
Her neck muscles loosened as she contemplated what she was going to do next, and how she was going to deal with these newfound emotions. Still if one thing was clear, it was that she didn't understand the purpose of several emotions, and wondered now if she really wanted to learn these things for herself. Considering her situation, perhaps it was best for her to wait and see what would happen next, and how things played out from this point onward. If HYDRA had really wanted her back they would probably have come here by now, but now that she had time to contemplate this, it made her wonder what they were up to now…
In Manhattan
Bullseye stepped over the threshold leading into the cavernous room where his employer did business, his feet tapping gently against the metallic floor as he approached the man sitting behind the control panel in the center of the room. The entire place was spacious and brightly lit, filled with monitors from which the Kingpin coordinated organized crime throughout the world. The large control panel which he used as a desk was wired to almost every database on the planet, allowing him to not only discover almost any piece of information he desired, but to control the flow of said information as he saw fit.
The larger man watched from behind his desk, quickly looking up from his work as his visitor approached. After a brutal staring contest which seemed to last forever, the Kingpin sat back in his seat and folded his hands in his lap, looking slightly more relaxed. "I see that you have finally returned." He began. "I trust that your mission last night was a success?"
"If you were as informed as you pretend to be, then perhaps you would already know." the assassin replied with a villainous smirk. Upon seeing his boss scowl, the murderous man's smile deepened in amusement. "Before have a conniption, let me begin by saying that I accomplished my mission…"
Wilson Fisk raised an eyebrow in amusement, his arms settling onto the sides of his chair as his eyes moved towards the villain's left leg. "If that is the case, then why do you appear to have a limp? No doubt things didn't go as smoothly as you have claimed thus far?"
His employee's smile seemed to fade slightly as he considered the events of the previous night, but after a moment he decided to explain things from the beginning. "I gave Osborn some death threats, but on the way out the arrogant bastard's attitude prompted me to kill him."
"I thought I warned you not the do anything stupid… He may be a fool, but Norman Osborn's resources are valuable to me!" the Kingpin stood up and leaned forward menacingly, his hands braced against the front of his desk as he fumed angrily.
"Hey, no need to get violent, big man." Bullseye added, gently waving his hands in front of his body sarcastically. "As fate would have it, the old fool actually managed to avoid death by an inch. Not certain how he did it, but it looked as though he had anticipated the whole thing, although what happened is beyond me."
The crime lord sat back down with a calmer disposition. "I sincerely hope that your injuries are not a result of your encounter with Osborne, otherwise I may have to find a more competent mercenary to carry out my orders in the future."
Bullseye frowned this time, although it was only seconds before his trademark grin returned. "I actually went through hell on the way back to my place. Figured I'd kill someone to make up for missing Osborne, but that pest Daredevil showed up at the worst possible time and ruined my fun."
The Kingpin looked more surprised by this sudden revelation, but his anger seemed to emerge again. "So, that meddlesome insect is back in town?" He growled fiercely.
Having clashed with the blind superhero many times in the past, Wilson Fisk knew how formidable an opponent he could be. More recently he had come to see the fearless man as just as big a threat as Spider-Man himself, made worse by the fact that the two would often team up to foil his operations in New York. Although the former had disappeared for a while, he usually proved to be the more relentless of his two main enemies. While he was unaware why, it seemed as though Daredevil had largely dedicated himself to bringing down the Kingpin's criminal empire by thwarting him whenever possible. For some time he had dealt with the web-slinger alone, but now that his second nemesis had returned, things were bound to become more complicated.
In addition to his two arch nemeses, he was now faced with the possibility of fighting those mutants that recently appeared in the city after the incident with HYDRA that had happened only days ago. The city's other heroes, Angel and the Black Cat were also thorns in his side, although with the sheer amount of crime in the city, they were usually busy handling a variety of cases and left his person endeavors lone. As if sensing the other man's questioning gaze, the crime lord realized that he had temporarily forgotten the current situation and instead he settled into a more comfortable position.
He resumed the conversation as if there hadn't been a pause. "I assume you lost this battle?" Fisk added with a note of intolerance barely hidden.
Bullseye remained impassive as he spoke to his employer, his nasty smile replaced by an unreadable expression. After several tense moments, he shrugged off the other man's hostilities as if they were discussing the matter over drinks. "I would have killed Daredevil if an old friend of yours hadn't shown up."
"Was it Spider-Man?" the Kingpin's voice deepened noticeably as he subconsciously cracked his knuckles.
"Nope…" the blue-clad assassin replied a more serious expression. "That psychopath wearing the Halloween costume popped in on his jet sled and tried to kill us both. Would've killed him too, but the freak began tossing around smokescreens and knocked me out by lobbing a few poison bombs in my direction."
Wilson Fisk paused before answering, his expression one of mingled shock and outrage. When he spoke again, his voice was rough, but also much calmer than his guest had expected. "The Green Goblin is alive?" he asked incredulously.
"Wouldn't have believed it myself if the freak hadn't tried to kill me." The hired killer replied with a note of sarcasm, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly in anger. "It's always fun to be the hunter, but I'm not so fond of being the prey."
His employer seemed to take another moment to think about their options, but after a minute or two of silence, he smiled as though he had just thought up something interesting. "If you despise being the victim so much, than perhaps you would like to do another job for me that requires your kind of skills."
Bullseye shrugged with a slightly bored expression. "I'm listening…"
Kingpin rubbed his hands together in menacingly. "The sad fact is that my hands are tied at the moment with several operations and even more enemies attempting to remove me from my seat of power, and because my resources stretched remarkably thin." He paused with an analytical expression. "If you truly desire revenge on Daredevil and the Green Goblin, I am willing to pay you handsomely if you can bring me the heads of either."
The hired assassin smirked in response to this request, having considered this option himself. He surveyed the much larger man through scheming eyes for a moment before nodding his agreement. "Sure thing, boss man… So long as I can kill them on sight, I'm in!"
"That does sound like what a common killer like you would say." A third voice replied before either of them could answer. The crime lord and his hired assassin immediately turned towards the direction of the voice as a secret door in the wall slid open to reveal the source. Herbert Landon entered the room, pointing a clawed hand at the blue-clad man.
"Well, if it isn't the guy who put the frank in Frankenstein. What's the matter? Another one of your experiments backfire?" The killer replied with sense of bloodlust dancing in his eyes.
Wilson Fisk shook his head disapprovingly. "Now, Landon… this man is our guest." He replied with a note of sarcasm, his gaze hardening as he looked between his two subordinates.
"I will do well to remember that." The deformed man replied darkly, his bestial eye swiveling back towards the insane assassin as he stepped forward. "Anyway, I have something that you may be interested in right now."
After a moment, he sauntered towards his employer's desk with a businesslike expression, his half-disfigured face alive with a sense of excitement. He exchanged a look of irritation with Bullseye, who seemed amused by his presence while the deformed scientist was clearly disgusted with being in the same room as him. He leaned forward and handed a small package to his superior, giving him a warning look as if he had expected as much. The Kingpin took the box in his outstretched hand, using his free hand to take the envelope from his loyal lieutenant. Their guest seemed uninterested in the proceedings, although his boredom was quickly remedied as the crime lord addressed him again.
"You are dismissed…" the Kingpin replied with a dour expression, waving his hand as if he were no longer interested in the hardened killer's services.
As if expecting this, the assassin stepped onto the section of floor in front of his boss's desk and gave them a casual wave as the Kingpin pressed a button on his control panel, causing the elevator like segment of space to bring him down through another secret passage in his office. Landon watched as the segment of floor rose back into place without their guest and knew that he had gotten off on the secret floor below where villains usually came and went. The scientist seemed to be satisfied and moved in front of his master's desk.
"Now that he's gone, I would like to inform you that we recent obtained that artifact you were searching for." He explained with a look of excitement.
His master gave the box a little shake like someone who had just received a gift. "This did not take as long as I would have expected. I trust that getting your hands on this gem was not as difficult as we originally anticipated?"
Herbert Landon let out a dry chuckle in response to this question. "We purchased it from a museum in Germany less than a day ago, and had it sent to Manhattan via private jet. Naturally this didn't take very long once we discovered where to find the artifact in question. The owner refused at first, but the sum we agreed on was more than enough to change his mind." His expression dulled as he considered how much they had paid. "I trust that you plan to use this rock in order to enact your master plan?"
"What else would I possibly do with such a cheap trinket?" The Kingpin scoffed as he reached into the box and withdrew a red crystal that fit in the palm of his hand, silently marveling it with his evil gaze as he held it between his large fingers. "The true value of this worthless chunk of Earth lies in its usage."
"Exactly what I was thinking…" the scientist replied with a strange leer. If Magneto desires these artifacts, then all we need do is publicize this little find, and then wait for him to come to us, and with him the secrets of Project Rebirth that you have sought for so long."
The Kingpin wore a satisfied expression. "That was my master plan from the very beginning, although at the same time I have begun to wonder why such common crystals would be worth anything to them. Perhaps those mutants that clashed with Kraven's team at the prison have something to do with this as well" he folded his hands inquisitively, considering the possibilities to himself.
The deformed researcher nodded in agreement. "Now that you mention it, we have been running into a many different problems associated with mutants lately. I originally thought it was of little importance, but our network of informants has alerted me that these unwanted guests have been scouring the city asking questions about the recent museum robbery executed by the very same mutant that you seek the capture."
"If that is the case, then it may do us some good to do some research on this object before we use it as bait." Wilson Fisk replied with a note of interest. "Perhaps it will give me some insight into these recent events and how they may be connected to each other."
The much larger man placed the crystal back into its box, and handed it over to the disfigured scientist who immediately pocketed it for safekeeping. His minion complied with a small nod as he considered their current standing, but after a minute of so he immediately remembered exactly what else he had planned to say. Having begun to walk in the opposite direction, Landon stopped his procession and faced his master again. While the Kingpin appeared to have preoccupied himself with his work once more, he looked up when he noticed that his guest was still present.
"As your lieutenant, I feel compelled to remind you that Kraven, Rhino, Sandman, and the Vulture are currently searching for Magneto as we speak." Hebert Landon replied with a knowledgeable expression. "Perhaps you should recall them, seeing how we already have what we need to stage our trap for the mutant. After all, allowing them to run free may not be necessary now."
Kingpin thought about it for a few seconds before shaking his head. "I have no reason to do either of those things, considering that we have both ends of the playing field covered."
He shook his head. "And what exactly do you mean by that?"
The criminal mastermind seemed to find his moment of confusion entertaining and quickly began to explain. "While those villains are out searching for my prey, we will continue to prepare here in Manhattan. No matter which direction in which this mutant chooses to move, I am still the victor in the end."
Landon leaned forward nervously. "And if the enemy captures those villains and tell him what they know, it might not prove so beneficial to you."
"Those fools know the price to be paid for failing when you serve the Kingpin, and the penalty is all the worse for those who would dare to surrender any information to the enemy." The crime lord replied with a strangely proud expression. "For this reason, I am not concerned as to what may or may not happen to those fools."
"If you insist…" the mad scientist replied, turning on his heal for a moment before heading towards the elevator. He made it about halfway through the room before he was stopped.
The Kingpin stood up from his seat, the noise causing his subordinate the stop as if he has been frozen to the floor. "Before you leave, I trust that you have perfected that serum you promised me in the case scenario that my master plan comes to fruition." He beckoned with a deathly serious expression.
Landon nodded in agreement, turning his head slightly as he looked back at his superior. "I believe that the recent corporate ventures you made have given me exactly what I need to finish this project. With a few more adjustments I should have exactly what we need."
"Very good…" Wilson Fisk sat back down with a more satisfied expression, before returning to his normal demeanor. "Unless you have anything else to report, you should be working!" he dismissed the disfigured man with a wave of his hand.
His assistant left the room without argument, although a certain sense of excitement filled his face as the elevator doors closed behind him. The serum he had been working on for the Kingpin was to be used in his master plan, assuming that their little trap actually succeeded. Having worked with anti-mutant research for years, Landon had long searched for the key to his own masterpiece. Only recently, did such a discovery come in the form of Power8, a company that manufactured a sport's drink which broke down and destroyed mutant cells when ingested. Of course he had to do some adjustments to the formula due to his employer's plans, but in the end his time working under the Kingpin had allowed him to realize his own ambitions as well.
With a nasty smile, Landon stepped out of the elevator and headed into the laboratory to continue his research. Perhaps the finest science lab in the entire city of New York, his boss always supplied those who worked for him with the best equipment and near unlimited funding. Situated in the back of the room was a supercomputer capable of finding out almost anything there was too know through its networking capacities, a feat which made surfing the internet look like carving letters with a chisel. The deformed man reached out with his clawed hand, pressing a switch on the wall which immediately activated the room's systems. Several lights switched on, showing several test subjects preserved inside a strange liquid like fish floating in a tank.
Ignoring these living specimens, the mad scientists went over to his seat and began typing away furiously As he punched the proper sequences into his terminal, a strange device rose from a secret compartment in the floor. It was a large metallic machine with a small indent in the side for placing objects, like a small shelf. Reaching into his suit jacket, the researcher hastily unwrapped the package once more. After placing the crystal onto the platform, it took several minutes to work, but when the test was complete, the information that appeared on the screen were anything but what he expected.
"My word…" the disfigured man replied, his mutated eye bulging wildly as the computer displayed the results.
His eyes moved back and forth in quick succession as he took in the new developments, surprised at what he saw. The machine was set to test the stone for its composition, but instead it had picked up a strange energy reading, like the jewel was giving off some form of power. A strange grin filled his mutated features as he realized the research potential and quickly set off to work. Whatever he had discovered, or was about to discover, was worth looking into. Perhaps the mutants who desired this gem weren't so foolish after all…
Meanwhile…
Deep in the bowels of Magneto's headquarters, the powerful mutant paced the floor of the metallic chamber in which he usually held meetings. His cape swished and flapped as he spun around, an impatient note escaping his lips as he turned to face his newest subordinate. She was a slim, blonde woman with a shapely figure, icy blue eyes, and strange red markings on his cheeks. A woman of average build, the female mutant wore a form-fitting purple and red outfit and a set of gold pads adorned her shoulders.
Sitting at one of the chairs surrounding the Acolytes' large meeting table, she appeared to be asleep as if she were in some type of trance, as if her body were temporarily devoid of life. Her master continued to pace the room with a staunch expression, his eyes rarely leaving her lifeless form for more than a moment or two as he longed for her return from her trip. A valuable find indeed, Magneto saw his last batch of recruits as some of the most promising he had seen in a long while, and infinitely more useful than his children and those jokes they hung around with while living in Mystique's rundown Bayville Boarding House.
Directly across from his newest remember was a familiar withered man who seemed worn with age. He wore a shabby brown cloak and looked very much the same as always, having been forcibly brought back as a member of their group by Blink not long ago. Mastermind seemed to find the proceedings rather dull, although he was too frightened of Magneto's powers to ask to be released and merely did what he was told. He watched their superior pace with an empty expression, seeming almost timid as he sat in silence and waited.
The man beside the telepathic mutant seemed anything but intimidated. Wearing his trademark black mask over his face, the energy-draining Senyaka sat a few seats down the row by the table, his arms folded in an irritated manner and his bored expression hidden by the mask. If truth be told he would have preferred to join the others in the field, but instead he had been placed on guard duty by their leader, making it more difficult for him to satisfy his own tendencies. Throughout his life people had often labeled him as a cold and violent man, but if he cared for the opinions of others he probably wouldn't have ended up serving one of mutant kind's most violent terrorists.
Several minutes passed before a small moan escaped the mouth of the entranced mutant. The three remaining mutants looked up as their newest member awoke with a start, Magneto himself stopping his pacing mid-step to approach the woman. Reaching out, he caught her as she slid off her chair, cradling her in his outstretched arms for a second before helping her into a more comfortable position. He stared into her face as she blinked twice, slowly coming to her senses as she returned to her body. Once he was certain that his subordinate was fully aware, the master of metal addressed her.
"Scanner… Did you find out anything? Any that may be of use based on the information I gave you?" Magneto interrogated her.
Although hardly a physical fighter, Sarah Ryall was a special mutant that the Acolytes had only recently discovered, her abilities geared more towards support than actual battle. She had the ability to perform a type of astro-projection, during which she could travel the psychic plane at great speeds over the physical world, gathering information and moving about unseen by most people unless she willed it. In her ghostly form, she could become invisible or allow herself to be seen in a hologram-like form to others, although psychics and those who were most mentally gifted were able to sense her regardless of this ability. Because of her data gathering and mutant-sensing abilities, she had been given the name Scanner by her fellow mutants.
The female mutant shook her head in response to her superior's question, looking slightly uncomfortable as she felt his vice-like grip on her shoulders. "No, I wasn't able to find out anything concerning those relics…" she answered, sounding almost hesitant.
Magneto tightened his grip on his shoulders almost maddeningly before releasing the female mutant, giving her a small shake as he pushed her back into her seat with a gentle shove. Turning his back towards her, he instead turned to face the others. Mastermind felt his superior's eyes settle on him and immediately knew what he was to do. The man sitting next to him didn't seem to care much either way, but the ragged psychic understood what Magneto wanted him to do and quickly stood up from his seat, shuffling along the side of the large table until he came to a stop beside the lone female in the room.
"What the hell are you doing?" Scanner questioned with a slightly apprehensive expression.
The timid-looking man opened his mouth to answer, but Magneto stepped in front of him, his cape shielding the smaller mutant from view. He took on a fatherly, almost benevolent demeanor before answering. "You needn't worry about that." He added calmly. "Mastermind will simply delve into your mind to see if you saw anything that could benefit our cause."
The female mutant's gaze hardened slightly as if she were about to protest, but the withered man seemed to emerge from the cover of Magneto's purple cloak, his wrinkled hands outstretched and eyes glowing as he placed his hands on her face. Sarah Ryall fell silent as he delved into her thoughts, and as if struck dumb by the experience, she did not resist his probe and simply hoped that it would end soon. After what felt like several minutes, Mastermind stepped away from her and lowered his hands, gently shaking his head in Magneto's direction as he backed off like a defeated dog.
Magneto considered the two psychic mutants for a moment as he mulled over the situation in his mind, but nothing particularly useful seemed to come to him. "It appears that we may have reached a dead end for now." The mutant master stroked his chin in a puzzling manner.
"What about that crystal that you already obtained?" Senyaka shot back from his place across the table.
"You claimed that there was another one in a private gallery in Germany?" Scanner added suddenly.
Their leader found his thoughts returning to the mission he had sent Pyro and the others on, but the flickering screen on the back wall of the room quickly caught their attention. Seeing the man's familiar face on the monitor above their heads, Magneto gave his hand a casual wave, instantly opening up all of the entries leading into the metal dome. As the returning Acolytes entered through the series of openings, the metal walls shut behind them to keep out intruders who might come searching for them. The X-Men's Nightcrawler had teleported into one of these domes before, and even his own daughter, the Scarlet Witch had attempted to find him once before. No, he couldn't afford to take such chances anymore.
Waiting quietly for the others to appear, Magneto turned to face the door to their meeting hall as Pyro entered, closely followed by the monstrous Seamus Mellancamp, who easily towered over the others. Without even being welcomed, the weary group sat down around the table, the largest of their number choosing the seat that fit his size, while Magneto himself and Mastermind joined them. After settling in around the circular table, their leader addressed the gathering of his new and old Acolytes.
"I see that there are some of your number missing…" Magneto replied with a small hiss.
Pyro shrugged with a carefree expression before replying in his Australian accent. "I think the rest of those blokes went off to have some fun of their own. Don't know where exactly the pink woman went, but the pussycat went with her too when they ditched us on the way back here."
Their superior's expression indicated that he was deeply annoyed by their lack of respect for his orders. Although he seemed to be in complete control, Mastermind sensed his irritation and seemed to sink back. Senyaka glanced up seemingly interested by the idea of seeing someone get it from the boss, while Scanner seemed relatively indifferent to the mess and did not bother to speak up due to the tension. The beast-like giant stood up with a rational expression, although it seemed rather out of place on his animalistic face with sharp fangs protruding from the corners of his mouth.
"This is the second time that Sabertooth has gone missing on us, and this time his ineptitude has lead Blink down a similar path. Shall I go and find them?" Seamus Mellancamp offered with a courteous bow.
"You needn't worry about those fools." Magneto replied coolly, his eyes narrowing slightly as the room's dim lighting cast a shadow fell over his face. He clenched his fist menacingly, causing the floor to shake for a second or two. "I will personally deal with them both when they return."
"So much work and what do we have to show for it… Absolutely nothing! So far most of us haven't even gotten the chance to see some real action, and it's starting to get on my nerves. With this crap you've been putting us through lately, you're lucky I didn't join them." Senyaka added with a pronounced nastiness that seemed to be intended.
Either way the master of magnetism took it as such and clenched his fist, causing he metallic chair beneath his subordinate to spring to life. The masked mutant struggled for a few seconds as he attempted to free himself, but the metal reformed itself into a sent of shackles, instantly binding his arms and legs like a prisoner. He coughed violently as a large metallic cuff shot through the air and wrapped around his throat, instantly silencing his jumbled curses as he futilely attempted to pry the object from his throat. Mastermind cringed slightly as Mellancamp turned a blind eye towards the affair, Scanner being the newest member of the group was mot affected by the sudden display.
Relaxing his posture, Magneto released his victim with a casual wave of his hand, although he continued to walk towards the villain. "Take this as a warning to those of you who will defy me in the future." He began with a deep frown. "While my cause is to save mutant kind, those foolish enough to express deterring sentiments will be dealt with severely."
"That's what he gets for being a pain in the ass…" Pyro let out a sadistic laugh in response, although a swift glare from their leader silenced him quickly.
Senyaka rubbed his throat, now free of the metallic binds that held him seconds ago. Although his mask hid his face, he wore a look of utter revulsion at being attacked and lunged forward violently in an attempt to strike his master, but was deterred by a wall of fire as the red-haired mutant raised wall of fire between them. Before he could react again, a mammoth fist shot through the blazing inferno, sending him flying through the air and into the monitor on the back wall of the room. The device gave off electrical sparks as his body shattered the screen, as his attacker let out a monstrous roar. Mellancamp darted forward with surprising agility for a mutant of his size and raised a fist to smash the energy absorbing menace into the ground.
"My word…" Mastermind replied in a hushed whisper, his eyes bulging slightly as he turned away from the battle.
"Enough!" Magneto shouted, causing the warring mutants to come to their senses. "Petty battles such as these will do nothing to further our cause."
The monstrous enforcer seemed to come to his senses, a glimmer of humanity reaching his eyes as he stepped back from his would-be victim. Pyro lowered his hands and put out the flames with a movement of his wrist, looking slightly disappointed that he hadn't gotten to burn anyone this time around. Their newest Acolyte had not participated in the ensuing battle and had remained seated throughout the encounter, although she seemed keen not to get involved in the miniature war that had just ensued. Mellancamp offered his hand to the man he was about to kill, but the beaten mutant stood up of his own power and instead turned to face their master.
Senyaka began walking towards the master of magnetism. "Listen up, old man! I'm tired of playing games." He spat angrily.
The older man waved his hand again, shaping a set of chains out of the walls of his dome, which shot out and trapped him like a constricting snake. "You irascible fool!" he began with an infuriated expression. "Perhaps one such as you only possesses an impulsive desire for destruction, but without a purpose this is meaningless. In exchange for allowing you to do as you please, I demand loyalty!"
"Bastard…" his captive hissed angrily. Although he was often a man of few words, the energy sucking mutant was surprisingly fearsome and impulsive when it came time to fighting and more prominently the practice of killing.
"I have given your sinister methods a purpose through my grand designs." Magneto released his grip again, allowing his subordinate his freedom once more. The magnetic mutant turned his back on the murderous mutant, his cape billowing behind him as he walked in the opposite direction. "Know this… You have survived only because I deemed your life useful to me at this point in time." He stated bluntly. "Defy me so openly again, and you may not be so fortunate."
The villainous mutant gave him a nasty expression concealed by his mask. "I'll have to keep that in mind…"
The room fell silent as a sense of tension returned to the scene, but after a few moments, the injured mutant stood up and took his place at the table alongside the others. Magneto raised his left hand, pulling his helmet off of the table's center and placing it on his head with a movement of his arm, looking rather sinister as the shadow of his headgear hid his face once more. His eyes seemed to shine through the darkness as he stepped into the light. He secured his cape with a small tug and walked back towards his Acolytes with a more civil expression, having allowed the misbehavior of his subordinates to slide for the moment.
Several Hours Later
Since Charles had gone away on a business trip he had been unable to make his proposal concerning X-23, yet now he found himself wandering the streets of Bayville sniffing for the familiar scent of an old acquaintance. He had received a mysterious phone call less than ten minutes ago telling him to come alone to the abandoned warehouse outside of town, and although it hadn't been clear who was on the other end of the call, he had recognized the voice as Nick Fury, the director of SHIELD. While Wolverine originally wondered if he knew about X-23, he realized that they would have raided the mansion.
For this reason he had purposely made certain not to say anything to X-23, for fear that she would become paranoid and leave, and so had decided to leave casually as though he were just going for a ride on his motorcycle. Now sitting on a bench downtown, he was unsurprised when a taxi pulled up alongside him, the doors opening almost automatically to allow his entry. Scowling suspiciously, the Weapon X Mutant carefully entered the vehicle, which drove for several miles before ducking into a dark alleyway in the most deserted area of town. Fury had made certain to give him the proper pass odes on the phone to submit to the driver as they headed into, although he was hardly the type of person to let his guard down around these government creeps.
The car seemed to shift as the vehicle sunk into a passageway in the alley, leading into an underground closure that Logan recognized as being one of SHIELD's outposts. The creation of this place was probably due to the large amount of mutant activity in Bayville, although from the lack of personnel present he could only assume that the operatives didn't come here often. Considering how thin their forces were spread around the world, it was obvious that they couldn't occupy every single terminal with large numbers of personnel. Still, it was probably the best place to meet where they wouldn't be seen by prying eyes.
The two metallic doors slammed shut as the platform holding the care descended into the underground base, closing with soft thud and leaving them in total darkness. After a few moments, the lights in the chamber switched on, revealing the large cavernous room reminiscent of the one Wolverine remembered from the time that those black-ops had illegally manufactured the Sentinel Robots behind the back of the government and the central SHIELD organization. As the platform reached the ground, the man in the front seat of the vehicle turned around to face him.
"Please get out of the cab." the driver requested, pressing a button on the dashboard to unlock the doors.
Wolverine stepped up as he left the car, giving the window a small tap with his free hand as he used the other to push himself into a standing position. "Bullet proof glass…" he mused out loud. "Looks like this rig is basically a government cruiser disguised as a cab?" He looked over at the driver as if expecting him to answer, but a third voice came from the shadows.
"You would be absolutely correct, although considering how many enemies we have, there is no such thing as too much protection even while undercover." Nick Fury added, his full face coming into view as he stepped up to the dim light.
He was a man of above average height and a slightly muscular build, with tanned skin and dark hair. Garbed in a black uniform like many of the agents in his organization, the director also wore a distinguishing eye patch on one side of his face. As the leader of one of the most influential groups serving under the United Nations he wielded a lot of power, although Logan seemed not to care as he faced the familiar man. On the off-chance that he did know about X-23, Wolverine was prepared to do whatever it would take to protect her and subconsciously snarled, but Fury remained unmoved by the small display of hostility.
"Calm down Logan, I have a proposition that you might be interested in." The SHIELD commander raised his hands defensively. "If you'll follow me, we can begin…"
"Make it quick, Fury." He shot back impatiently.
Wolverine scowled again as he followed after his old acquaintance, knowing full well that he probably had no choice in the matter. He silently hoped once again that X-23's fake death during the HYDRA plane crash had been enough to conceal her movements, although something in the pit of his stomach told them that this was something different entirely. Logan was naturally a little bit paranoid much like his female counterpart, but at the same time he trusted his own instincts which were almost never wrong, and having the animal-like senses usually helped too. As they headed into one of the halls branching off from the main room, the pair entered a hallway with slightly better lighting.
The irascible mutant seemed much calmer than before and decided to ask some questions. "So, what is this about, anyway?"
To his surprise, the stoic man seemed to smile if only for a second before answering. "I have an urgent mission that only you can carry out, however we can still hammer out those specific details later… Right now, I would like to introduce you to an old friend of mine."
"I don't have time for this!" Wolverine snapped impatiently. "Me and the guys at the institute have our own issues right now, and I can't be here doing the crap that your people are too dumb to handle for themselves."
If Fury was listening, he ignored the mutant's protest and opened the door in front of them, leading into an entirely new room. Logan seemed to be more annoyed than anything else a first, but his eyes widened slightly as he saw the face of someone he thought he would never see again. Garbed in the colors of the United States, the man sitting across from him wore a form-fitting outfit with red gloves and boots and the letter "A" emblazoned on the mask covering the top half of his face, with tiny wing-like protrusions coming out from the sides of the mask The man smiled as he stepped forward, casually retrieving a round shield from the table behind him as he greeted his visitors.
"It's been awhile, hasn't it?" Steve Rogers replied as he extended a hand.
Wolverine squared up to his old war buddy and they slapped their hands together, shaking with equally firm grips as they greeted each other for the first time in years. "Good to see you again, captain..."
Note to Readers: I think this is the last of the major players in this story… Don't expect to see the Fantastic Four or any other of Marvel's Major heroes popping up. All of the people I've used are pretty much connected through HYDRA or the X-Men and I've already got enough characters to keep track of as it is. During the next few chapters I'm going to try to end the Manhattan Story Arc, but it looks like everyone's on a collision course in that city right now. Sorry if there were any spelling or grammar errors or mistakes, but it's usually very late when I write.
I've still been getting a lack of support, but I was happy that some of you were willing to help me out there. Please continue to review, because I think the story is getting hard to write again. These things come and go, but I could use some support, criticism, or ideas. Special thanks to Quill N. Inque, Zackster, and PoppaSez for the reviews. Knowing that people are reading my story and liking it always helps compel me to write more chapters.