Weeks after Magneto's investiture as the leader of Genosha, Rem-Ram was called on to meet with Magneto, but as suddenly as his present was requested, it had been rescinded. No, rescheduled, is what he had been told. It was delayed by a week and a half, but with the promise that he'd meet with Rem-Ram soon. Undeterred, Rem-Ram was content to wait, and perform the duties assigned to him in the meanwhile. There was so much to do; between educating the people of this country to their new found freedom, to handing out medicines and soup, to helping rehome families returning from the conclusion of the civil war. Every day filled Rem-Ram with a new activity, and a newfound dedication to affecting positive change on the mutant-led nation.

He caught a glimpse of Magneto some three days into his stay in Hammer Bay, as he flew overhead with his robot Ferris. Perhaps it was a flight of fancy, but to Marcus it seemed that Magneto looked fatigued…drained in a way. It had been weeks since his battle for the nation, and Rem-Ram was worried at the burden of leadership Magneto carried. How could he best serve the Master of Magnetism?

Amelia came to see him one morning while out just so fortunately getting a coffee at a nearby shop to his assigned quarters in the suburbs outside of Hammer Bay. He was sent here to oversee nervous civilians resettling and integrating to…well…integrated life. It helped to have an authoritative figure of the current government there. Or at the very least, Marcus in his uniform would do.

He had started to think that perhaps a scarecrow wearing his formal attire would do just as well, when Amelia sidled up to him with a fresh cruller and a steaming cup of joe. The coffee was for her, the donut, him. He bit into it happily, it was warm, and there were hard crystals of cinnamon sugar on top. Even in such a damaged place, something great could be found.

"Morning, Agent Andrews."

"Morning, Lieuten-" he swallowed the rest of his donut apprehensively as he noticed the knots on her shoulder, and quickly amending "Commander." She nodded and sipped her coffee, her free hand waving the faux pas away.

"Fresh from last night," she said, and the awkwardness passed as easily as a cloud beyond the sun.

"Congratulations." What else was to be said? The people milled around them, trying to find a semblance of normal as the normal shifted practically overnight. Still, some aspects were constant, and among those, foot traffic was among them. It was part of why Marcus kept to a small bit of uneven pavement that jutted up from the ground. It kept him separate from the throng, but still able to see what was going on as various aspects of resettlement occurred.

"Well, I've got to get going, but before I do, I'd like to ask you a question." Voght wasn't conspicuous as she sipped her dark roast. It helped to shield her lips as she asked. "How good are you at finding someone and getting a message, or planting a thought?"

No one was paying them any attention as they conversed, but really, how could Marcus tell? He wanted to hunch his shoulders, try to avoid anyone's sight - which was foolish, the whole point was to act natural. He had to think fast and recover quickly.

The words came out in a quick succession, so fast that Marcus had to catch himself from goggling. "Oh…uh…well…it's hard for the first, and I've never really tried either-"

"Are you kidding me?" Voght demanded, her voice feigning shock. "You haven't tried that donut before? But the coffee place is right over here. C'mon, let me show you. Their hazelnut roast is heavenly."

She led him from the area, promising him that they'd return quickly, using the chatter to cover them as they continued until the corner blocked them.

"I'm worried, Marcus, and I need your help."

"With what?" he asked.

"I'm concerned about Magneto," she started.

"Is he-?" to continue the thought was almost too much to consider.

"No, our majesty is in perfect health…for now," she said, taking another sip of her coffee. "But-before I was an Acolyte, I was a nurse. I know how to read stress on a body. I've served Magneto… for a while now. He-" she said before taking a breath. "No one is more dedicated to Mutant's survival than he and-well, between the rumor-mongering, the strange disappearances, and civil war fomenting in multiple corners…" Amelia shook her head. "It's more stressful than ever."

"I remember Avalon before it-" she sighed. "Before it fell apart, his attention, his energy, his power, all of it, all for us and he thought nothing for himself, which in hindsight is believe is partly why it fell. Maybe if he had taken care of himself-"

"He doesn't?' Marcus asked.

"No, his efforts are for us," Ameila said, her voice a mix of gratitude and admiration. "And he needs- he needs someone to look for him, to take care of him and I- I can't be that person," she said.

"But you think I can? I've known him, worked for him for less than you-"

"No, but I think maybe you can help bring those who could to Genosha. People who know him, who care about him. His son, Pietro, maybe. It's a semifluid state, where his children's affections are. Even so, maybe we could get him to understand the need. I haven't been able to locate him, but I thought with your powers-"

Marcus stared into the distance, the gravity of the conversation weighing on him at this moment. He felt very underprepared for the magnitude of the topic. She was asking him to help save the heart of their king by understanding him in a way that he never would have anticipated. It exhilarated and terrified him by equal measure. He had never considered trying such a thing.

But could he do this? Cortez had only seen him as a tool for one application. That Professor Xavier didn't seem interested in him at all.

"But, I've never done this before. I don't think I can. No one's ever helped me…" he trailed off, feeling the weight of shattered expectation on him before it even happened.

Amelia looked at him, a kind, stern expression on her face. "Agent Andrews. Help yourself."

He flushed. "I'd have to be close to -"

"Marcus, we're mutants. We don't just stop what we're doing because of limited vision," she said as she paid for another coffee in the store and led him back to his posted station. "Think it over, I'm positive you can figure something out. We've fought for the body and the land itself. It's time to start to work on repairing the soul along with the buildings."

A small, quiet, pragmatic part of him was considering it. Dreamsongs were based on proximity, at least for him to affect others, but there were levels and layers to the dream, different connections, and different…pathways. He couldn't describe it, and he realized he didn't need to for Amelia's sake. It's not like she had to explain to him how her powers worked. And all she asked of him was to try.

She left him, with a full cup of coffee, her phone to her ear as she spoke to Unuscione, and a head full of possibilities. Rededicating himself to his work, he kept providing whatever assistance he could, hoping that his meeting with Magneto would not be forgotten. But a small part of him feared that he wouldn't get the chance to explain to Magneto why he followed Cortez's orders, and he hoped that Amelia's debriefing mentioned it. But he wanted Magneto to know the truth; he believed in Magneto's dream, and wanted to see it realized. He wanted Magneto to know that he had allies, allies who might be able to help him in ways even the Master of Magnetism may not yet conceive.

But it was hard to imagine Magneto with any sort of weakness. Often, Rem-Ram would ask himself why or how he thought he could or even should have an audience with Magneto, but he knew that he needed to speak to the man. This was new territory; running an integrated country. Rem-Ram was a student of history, he knew what established nations did when they felt threatened; destabilize the power structure. If that was the case, Rem-Ram wanted to do his part in protecting their monarch.

The day had finally come, Rem-Ram was summoned to the center of Hammer Bay. Magneto was expecting him, and Marcus wanted to make certain he was timely. Thus, he was a full twenty minutes?

'No,' Marcus thought as he glanced down at his watch. 'Fifty minutes early,' he corrected. Marcus felt a knot forming in his stomach, which seemed almost impossible considering it had been aching all morning, whether from excitement or worry, he didn't know. But this knot was certainly stress related. 'Magneto's an important man, I should have been just on time and not-' he chidded himself. 'Should I wait out-'

"Agent Andrews," a male voice, with a European accent, he couldn't quite place, called out.

"Yes, I'm- I'm here," Marcus responded as he turned to face the direction and he saw the slowly recuperating frame of Lieutenant Captain Milan. Having successfully coordinated the escapes on Avalon at its destruction had cost the man much of his vitality. He needed to walk with braces on his legs, spine, and with the assistance of a cane, but his steps were quick, and his frail body belied the power that came with every step. Regardless of any perceived handicap, Marcus could only look up in awe of a Mutant who had saved so many. The Lieutenant would only receive the utmost respect from him.

"I'm aware of keeping anyone with the Cancer sign at bay," Cortez said in German. Marcus didn't let on that he was fluent in the language by word, expression, or deed. Born in Belgium, Marcus spoke three languages aside from English before he graduated high school. A part of him was embarrassed to eavesdrop, but he knew that he wasn't being malicious. Besides, the conversation was perfectly benign.

Even though Cortez seemed to be holding the last bit of his patience on a fraying leash. "That isn't the concern." the red headed man snipped out. "Gemini isn't rising as fast as anticipated," he said. "Yes, obviously Cancer will be excluded in any- Leo will be ready to rise as quickly as Gemini's position allows…Yes, yes, Mars is the ruling planet, at the moment, but the heavens are fickle. When Gemini and Leo are in position, Mars will be in retrograde, I guarantee it," he said.

'Huh? I didn't know Cortez was into Astrology,' Macus thought.

"I doubt Mercury will make an appearance… Even if it does, Leo's position will outshine-"

"Lord Cortez." Lieutenant Captain Milan rapped out, saluting with an arm across the chest crisply. Cortez scowled as his head snapped up to look at them. "What? Oh. Agent Andrews." Cortez switched seamlessly to English as he cupped one hand over the phone. "Hurry along, Lord Magneto made time for this meeting, though for what reason I still cannot understand," he said as the doors to the inner hallway opened, allowing him passage. Cortez waved them through and turned his back as he continued his conversation in the first language.

About ten minutes later, Milan finished escorting the younger mutant further into the citadel's more private quarters. He then left Rem-Ram who went to knock on the door of Magneto's quarters, but before his trembling hand could do so, it swung open.

"Enter, Rem-Ram." the new Lord of Genosha - though the formal future title was pending - said as the skyline of Hammer Bay spread out behind him in a floor-to-ceiling wall of windows. It was a little dizzying, as if one could simply step out and over the city. The city and country this one man now ruled. Completely.

"Lord…ah, Lord Magneto," Rem-Ram said as took a few steps into the room. He was appreciative that the austere, powerful desk had other chairs in front of it. The Master of Magnetism gestured for him to sit, and Rem-Ram gingerly perched on the edge of one.

"Before you came to Genosha, you were a part of the group Fabian Cortez amassed on the promise of providing me a 'great prize'. Yet, once the…fighting…ceased, and events made it so that Genosha is now mine, Cortez reported only failures. He conspicuously left out why he chose you for the mission, and the parameters within. I would like to know your part," he said.

Magneto was a man of great rage, or so they said. But here, now, in this room, they were speaking so calmly and colloquially that Marcus was having a bit of reality whiplash. And was there sweat on his brow? Should Marcus try to wipe it clean? Would that be rude? Wait, what had Magneto asked of him? A report, right, he wanted a report.

"Would you care for some water?" Magneto offered, pulling Rem-Ram from his spiraling thoughts. "You seem to be very nervous." The urbane offer was given as the metal carafe lifted by an unseen hand and the matching cups were filled. It floated over to Marcus, who took a long sip, wetting his throat.

"Thank you, Lord Magneto," he said before wiping his forehead with the back of his sleeve. Another sip and, yes, he felt a bit more at ease.

The other man nodded, and kept the younger man's gaze. "Start from the beginning, and do your best."

So Rem-Ram did; from the grandiose speech Cortez delivered, to the plane ride, the communique with Voght, and their arrival to the mansion. He explained how it was his job to trip the founder of the X-Men and any psychics up in dreams of their own design, how Rem-Ram had planned to use a happy dream, but Xavier's own mind thrust him into a nightmare.

"I am not surprised," Magneto observed, his hands tented before him in the large desk. "Charles is amongst the most powerful minds on the planet, he would have formidable defenses against any form of assault, awake or asleep." At the young Acolyte's shock and confusion, Magneto explained further. "By giving himself a nightmare, it would ensure his waking, allowing him time to rally his X-Men to his side. I would be impressed if you or anyone managed to hold him at all."

"My Lord, ah, he wasn't the only mind I entered. The other portion of my work was to ensnare the rest of the X-Men as effectively as possible, to allow the stealth team to make it in. So after I left Xavier's I entered a woman's dream. Um, her name is Rogue?" He snuck a quick glance at the other mutant to gauge his response.

Marcus actually, honest to goodness blushed. An inscrutable expression twitched across the lord of Genosha's face. "Tell it to me in full," Magneto demanded.

So Rem-Ram did, noting how the other man's face remained unreadable as he described Rogue's dream with as much detail as he could muster. Rem-Ram didn't think of himself as much of a story-teller, but in this story, he found the words flowed from him smoothly and easily. He was still nervous though, he worried that the other man was becoming angry with him. Hastily he finished the retelling, and reached to take another drink from his cup. It was empty, and he didn't realize he had been regularly sipping from it.

Magneto filled the young man's water cup once again.

"You think me angry at you, Rem-Ram. Do not be misled. I harbor no ill-will." Relieved, Rem-Ram drank from his cup a little easier. "In fact, I think I may be in need of your assistance. If I can continue to trust in your loyalty to me, and not to whatever Cortez may try to order from you."

"No, Lord Magneto, I am your man, first and always." he said stoutly, and the older man smiled in response.

"Good. Marcus, I am indeed glad that you are here. Your steadfast devotion will be rewarded." His pleasant tone continued, though his face was set in hard lines. "Barring my express permission, you are to never follow Cortez off this island on a mission again, particularly to Xavier's estate. The man is powerful and skilled; he could have done you grievous damage, and your purpose is more than picking a fight with one of the strongest minds in the world."

Rem-Ram paused for a moment, understanding his zeal nearly cost him a lot, though at the same time, hadn't it earned him this moment right here, right now? Commander Voght's request came to his mind, as his memory dredged up Cortez and his phone call. Should he say something, here and now? But which, and what first? He didn't even know if he could do what Ameila requested. Maybe he could worry about whether he should report the order after he knew if was capable of it?

Magneto was looking at him, and perhaps he was expecting a response. Marcus contented himself with a swift salute and nod. It seemed to satisfy the king of Genosha, who continued on to other topics.

"I find myself troubled at night, and struggling to embrace sleep. I would like you to accompany me this evening, and see if you can understand what is happening within my…" he paused searching for the word Marcus used. "Dreamsong. May I count on your assistance?"

Help. The Lord of Genosha. Him? "Of course, Lord Magneto!" Marcus said eagerly.

"Excellent. I truly appreciate your trust and discretion, my young ally," Magneto said, and rose to indicate the meeting was at an end. Marcus hastily rose and crisply saluted Magneto when the older man tried to shake his hand. Magneto could not avoid the disappointed sigh as he settled his helmet on his head and set his other hand down. It failed to dawn on the younger man that Magneto had wanted to shake his hand until long after the meeting concluded.

That night, Magnus was assured that Rem-Ram would find him, so long as he slept. Sleep was easy in coming, despite his anticipation. He wanted to know what could be done to perhaps soothe whatever it was that kept him awake.

He used the techniques Marcus suggested and slumber washed over his tired body, more swiftly than he imagined.

Formless, without any feeling of weight, and then there was a solidity that existed only in dreams. The feeling of barely being tethered to regular physics. Yes, it was all similar to experiences before. 'Rem-Ram,' Magnus thought and to think of him seemed to summon him.

"Here, Lord Magnus." the young mutant said. Swiftly he explained what he planned to do, and then, surprisingly, Magnus did it. He trusted the young man and his abilities. He trusted Rem-Ram to wrap him in a dreamsong, to let him build it himself. By letting Magnus control it himself, he would learn to build dreamscapes for himself.

But this first time, he needed to be guided, and Rem-Ram was a swift teacher with an even faster student. Magnus needed no time at all, and now that he understood the pathways to take, even the breathing technique Rem-Ram taught him today was now ingrained in him. He would not forget it and could utilize it on his own.

Their goal and premise were simple: Create a dreamscape for Magneto built on happier memories and let him slumber safely within a protective cocoon, after this night, of his own making. For tonight, though, it was Rem-Ram creating it.

In the timeless manner of dreams Magneto stood with Rem-Ram now in a gray, neutral space. After a brief explanation, though in truth what actually occurred was that their dreamlines interleaved together, Magnus understood the nature of this space as well as the young man, Marcus did. Forming dreamlines was easy once one knew how, and Magnus created comfortable seats for them.

It was similar to the Astral Plane, and Magnus knew that area quite well thanks to his many travails through life. Magneto continued to pry the young mutant for more information, as they continued to discuss the nature of dreams and the methods to fall asleep, as well as how Marcus had yet to teach anyone how to do what he did. Magneto agreed with him, that it must be only when Marcus wove his Dreamsong with another could such an event occur. Magneto swiftly learned all Marcus had to convey verbally, and though the young man seemed almost hestatie to relay information he understood it was out of nervousness not anything mischievous. Despite having all the relevant information, it seemed that Magneto felt the urge to pry even further.

He…had to see what Rem-Ram so delicately reported.

"Show me what you experienced when Cortez sent you into the X-Men's dreams. Show me - " he broke off. Magneto could rationalize it to himself however he needed to. The order might be frivolous in nature, but the young man would be as discreet as well as he would comply. Magneto knew that as soon as he'd issued it.

"Of course, my king," and the dream blossomed around them, showing him what the younger mutant experienced. The slender form of Rogue appeared as she watched herself becoming more and more isolated.

Magneto took a long…deep…breath.

Rem-Ram slid a look at his king, and admired the steely neutrality as he watched Rogue's distress grow until…the garden.

Even as the events of the night in question unfolded, that gaze did not change as the drama unfolded and his dream persona fulfilled the desires of the heartsick mutant woman. As the dreamsong ended, and the all-encompassing vision dimmed, Rem-Ram turned back to Magneto a bit apprehensively. The Master of Magnetism and Genosha didn't seem upset.

"Well done, Rem-Ram," he praised, his inflection unaltered. "You may go for the night, after establishing a blank dreamscape. I shall furnish the rest," he said dismissing him .

"Yes, my Lord," he said, before retiring from the task, as directed. Rem-Ram exited the dreamscape, secure in its construction and durability. Marcus was more than certain there would be more instructions at their debriefing the next night.

Marcus exited the king of Genosha's dreamsphere. The older man was now able to erect his own shield to successfully protect his mind when he slept. But, Agent Andrews had more to do this night. Dreamspheres were only a part of what he could do, he knew it. Amelia Voght knew it. She had told him to try after all, hadn't she?

Taking a half-step was also like a ninety degree turn from one reality to the next. From seeing in only one forced perspective to a much wider lens. There was an ocean of minds, a place for all; a nebulous region where thought and soul merged with minds and dreams. Marcus liked being here, it reminded him of the more peaceful moments in life, when one felt protected by an all-encompassing womb.

Despite those feelings, he had a job to do. Marcus floated, swam, and glided until he willed himself through the ephemeral to sense the connections that tied all to existence. No man was an island, not even the ruler of the tiny island nation. There were ties, some of silvery familial lines, some of golden cords that he interpreted as love. Some were the copper wrung from bloodied nerves. He kept clear of the latter. The first two were the ones he was most interested in. One he knew well, and placing his 'hand' on it, he could sense the mind, the soul that was at its end. Rogue was sleeping, somewhere, dreaming. He felt it and ever so gently - he feared pulling too hard, and causing too much damage. This was a new way to experiment with his powers…

Satisfied, he studied the complex knotting around Magneto's dreaming heart. There were other cables just as strong as Rogue's, some stronger, but Marcus decided to let his intuition guide him. He reached out, his fingers skimming along as the netting spun, until something resonated with him.

'Mercurial' he thought to himself, having a sudden frisson. 'Cortez mentioned…'

Instinct, intuition. He was certain this thread would be needed. It was silvery, family-oriented, and reminded him of swift winds. He gave it a significant tug, and then, satisfied, left the dreaming.

Magneto, now alone, floated through a dream of dancing, of times and moments long gone. He danced with no one in particular, just the feel of moving a body unburdened by matters of global affairs for the night that they danced together.

He could remember those moments, but they melted to somewhere else, a different place that was sultry and warm.

'The Savage Land', he thought to himself, and it was so. A place where only dreams could be, the warm spell of breezy tropical nights mixing with the storied beauty of the world's most romantic locales. It felt like all those places, and if he concentrated, they were there.

His partner demanded his attention, and with all that transpired prior to this, then the dancing and the Savage Land was it any shock that she was at the forefront of his mind? Especially after all that Rem-Ram had said earlier that day. She materialized, as his attention turned back to his dance partner. Rogue looked as she had that night Ka-Zar interrupted them, that age, but not in that wreck of an outfit.

Instead she wore..she wore…

'Where on earth had that notion come from?' he asked himself as Rogue appeared before him, wearing a delicate, intricate wedding dress. She floated toward him, as in the nature of dreams, a bright smile on her face.

'I suppose fair is fair,' he mused as she quickly approached him. Why couldn't he indulge in one with her? "Hello, my dear," he said pleasantly as he took her into his arms. Despite himself, a laugh escaped him, as he was now wearing formal attire himself.

"Hi, Magnus," she said, a smile in her voice, as the distance between their lips was swifty closing, much as it had in the past, while they were in the Savage Lands. And while Kar-Zar had interrupted them in the past, he felt it prudent to do the interrupting himself this time.

"Shall we dance?" he asked, using the subtle influence his young ally taught him, she was soon in his arms and he, in turn, twirling her about. The dream shifted, between the makeshift ballroom they once created at Xavier's home, to the Savage Land, to nowhere in particular.

He had considered his memories, their time together, of the Savage Lands rather fondly. It was a surprise that Rogue felt much the same, considering how it ended. If the dream Rem-Ram had shared with him was any indication, it seemed, their brief period had resonated with her, as much as it had with him.

'Hmm, perhaps, an invitation is in order,' he considered. But how to get it to her? A problem to consider in the morning. For now, he was content with his fabricated dance partner and the welcoming smile she had fixed him with. He felt his heart- 'No, no,' he chidded himself. 'She has to accept it first… and she has to understand… I cannot be compromised. Not in this new role,' he cautioned himself, tempering his new found hope with- 'One step at a time,' he told himself. He would reach out and see what transpired from there.

Rogue returned to her room after another long day of working to keep the boulder at the top of the hill. It was a sour thought to match a sour mood after a sour day. She wanted to forget it all, and serve herself a big helping of sleep for dinner instead of -

Her window was open. It was a mid-Spring day so that wasn't strange, but what was strange was that it wasn't open when she left it. And like her body, her room was inviolable. That meant someone went in for a reason, and everyone here valued physical, if not parasocial, privacy.

'Someone had been here,' Rogue thought to herself, except she realized that nothing seemed to be out of place, even just by standing there.

Well, nothing except for one thing that was conspicuously different. There was a letter lying atop her desk, one that wasn't there before. The breeze stirred the curtains across the room, and the clouds moved away from the sun, highlighting the thin metal 'M' embossed on the letter seal.

Rogue closed the door and crossed the room. She considered the letter for a long moment before picking it up. The paper was finely made, and she slid a finger along the top to part it. The metal 'M' and flap slid open easily and the paper glided out.

Rogue,

I find myself unable to rectify certain activities without your presence, and guidance. It would please me if you would consider an audience. You may choose any place, but this country, and my home, is always welcome to you.

Respectfully,

Erik Magnus I

King of the Free People of Genosha

Rogue blinked, and reread the missive. Then she read it another time. And another.

She let herself float, she didn't trust her legs to be of any support at that moment. What else could she do, but…

Agree? Go to…go to…Hammer Bay. It was easier to think of that instead of…instead of what? What was left for her here? Rogue looked around her bedroom, at the items, the memories…the life she made here. It was a good life, a life she built for herself after finding herself in desperate need for help. She turned to some of her greatest enemies, asking for help, and they gave it, as best as they could.

But was it enough?

Rogue considered the options. It seemed Magneto only wanted to talk. What was the harm in that?

She had the time, and it wasn't like she would be grounded for going out, or anything. She was a grown woman and would do as she pleased. She scribbled a note on a piece of paper from a stack of stationary in her desk drawer, and left it on her desk.

'They'd find it easily.' she thought to herself, as she tucked her communicator into a slim backpack that she stuffed a few toiletries, and a change of clothes. And an extra battle uniform; it never hurt to be prepared.

She was still in her green and yellow outfit, and she shrugged into her bomber jacket. It was cold in the upper atmosphere, and she wanted to make this flight suborbital; it would take less time. She left a note, she had plenty of ways for them to find her, and contact her. Granted, it was difficult for them to use their telepathy on her mind due to the fragments within, but not impossible.

Rogue floated out of her window and then slid it shut from the outside. And then she darted away, increasing her speed. She wanted to be swift about this, not from fear of discovery or reprisal, but because…well…

'What else could be said between us?' she thought to herself, reflecting that each time they had met, it was on a field of battle. 'Each time, Ah beg, an' plead…an'...'

Rogue sighed as she flew higher, her breath in a long stream of mist that hardly had a chance to exist. 'An he did whatever he pleased, no matter what Ah asked for.' No, this would be a swift visit. There, and back again.

Definitely a quick trip.