X-Men: Evolution
Blood Magics
23. Sinister Experiments
Logan crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes; he'd been about to announce that he and Xavier had decided that all Danger Room sessions were going to be extended by a further half- hour, in order to make sure that the students were all well- trained for emergencies since quite a few of them seemed to be looming on the horizon, but in this case, that could wait until after they heard what had been found.
"What was it that you found?" Xavier asked immediately. The room had fallen completely silent, all eyes on Forge and Hank.
The two glanced at each other before looking back to the rest of them and starting.
"A lot of it was code that was part of what Magneto was looking into; I translated it from the code into the study, but couldn't make heads or tails of it until I had Mr. McCoy look at it." Forge admitted.
"It appears to be a study on genetics and drawing out latent genes; it makes sense, given that Magneto was looking into increasing a mutant's power, to think that he was also looking at how to awaken dormant X- genes in order to increase the mutant population." Hank contributed.
"Right! Most of what I was able to pull was all part of that. While he was checking that, I took a quick look at the coding on the drones, and found something really interesting. When people write code, they tend to develop their own style, just like people who write books and stuff do. And when I took a look at the code that was written into the drones that looks like it was put there by someone else to hack into what the cameras were seeing, I found that code to be almost identical to code that looks like it was patched into Magneto's system- which was also a section of it that looked like someone else had written in after hacking the system. I can't be one- hundred percent certain, but it looks like the same person who hacked Magneto's system also hacked into those drones."
"I agree with that assumption." Hank nodded.
"What does that mean?" Jamie asked.
"It means that whoever it was that tried to experiment on Kurt eighteen years ago, also tried to use Trask's drones to spy on us." Ororo answered. "But… why? And why now?"
"Maybe when their experiment was undone on them, they decided to bide their time… as for why they might use the drones to spy on us, that's really not hard." Logan shook his head. It seemed obvious to him, at least; Ororo needed to be more suspicious. If you looked at everything with the angle that you couldn't trust anyone, then not only were unpleasant surprises much less common, but you could also figure out what the enemy was up to more quickly. "If they were able to use the drones to keep an eye on us, then not only would they be able to learn about us, but this person could've easily used the opportunity to make sure that Kurt was alone when they took him. And someone else was even nice enough to make them the drones and send them along."
"I agree that they probably used the drones to determine when Kurt was alone, but we can't assume anymore that Trask did send the drones for certain." Xavier countered. "Trask himself said that eighteen drones were unaccounted for and acted on their own. I would say the possibility of Trask sending them and the possibility that someone else managed to use official controls to send them on their way are equally likely."
Logan grunted. Sure, it was possible, but better to assume both enemies were in on this; that way, if they found themselves fighting both at once, it wasn't a surprise, and if they were only fighting one side, then it was a good surprise.
"So we know there's a link between Kurt going missing now and what happened to him when he was born." Kitty surmised. "But we already knew that! Is there anything else? Something to tell us where he is?"
"Actually, Kitty, we didn't know that, we only suspected it. And we can't confirm it even now, although the evidence does point more strongly to it." Xavier gently corrected.
"I don't know about where Kurt is now, but there is one more thing that I found." Forge told them, looking at Kitty. "As I said, most of the things I pulled were files to do with Magneto's research- most of them. I wasn't able to determine anything else from them, even when I looked closely at the added code; there wasn't enough that I could tell what it was for. But there was one thing that I managed to get off a different computer that I think we got really lucky for. It was recorded video surveillance footage that had been saved into a file. Magneto was obviously trying to look into his intruder, himself; the video was from the night of the incident. And… well, I think best thing is for you to see if for yourself. Is, uh, is there something we can bring in here? I salvaged as much of it as I could and saved it on here." Forge held out his hand; a small grey USB stick rested on it.
"The dinning room doesn't particularly have a good place for checking through videos." Xavier mused. "However, since everyone has finished at the table, and since everyone has a training session scheduled for after, why don't we cross two off the list at the same time? We'll be able to use the Danger Room to watch the video, first, and then start the session once the debriefing is over. That means," he added as people began rapidly standing up, "that all of you need to change into your uniforms, first. Do so, then meet us in the Danger Room. Hank, Forge, can you set it up there while they get ready?"
"Of course." Hank nodded. "I presume you'll come down with us?"
"Yes, I will. Logan, we'll have to make our announcement after we've finished going over what we get from that video clip."
"Yeah, figured that out." Logan grunted. "They're not getting' out of it, though."
"No, they're not." Xavier agreed, his expression amused.
Hank led the way to the Danger Room, given that Forge had only been that way a few times. Logan and Ororo both followed Xavier and the other two as well; since the Wednesday Danger Room sessions were run by the older students and not the adults, the two of them didn't need to change for it. Neither did Scott, Jean, or Piotr, though the three of them waited a little longer before following them down.
Reaching the room, Forge and Hank went into the control room, followed by Xavier, and began working around with the controls to hook it up with the video. Logan opted to stay in the Danger Room itself; Ororo stayed with him, and when Scott, Jean, and Piotr arrived, they also remained in the main part of the room. The next to arrive was Kitty, then Rogue; Bobby, Ray, and Tabitha arrived in a group, Rahne came in with Jamie right on her heels, Amara and Roberto came in at the same time, and Sam crashed into the doorframe, propelled by his power, before staggering into the room on his feet, slightly disoriented. By the time he shook it off, Jubilee was arriving, and a large screen was visible on one wall, paused and currently showing nothing but fuzzy grey snow.
"Alright." Came Forge's voice through the speaker. "So, it's a bit choppy, and it doesn't last long, but there are three points of interest, and I'll point them out. Since everyone's here… please keep your eyes on the screen and listen carefully."
Crossing his arms and feeling slightly annoyed at the time it had taken to wait for everyone to gather in the Danger Room, Logan fixed his eyes on the screen, which began to move after a moment. It displayed just snow for a second, then an image began to flicker in and out. The first three times, it was too quickly to see anything other than get an impression of a large room with large objects in it; then, the flickers began lasting longer, until the breaks of snow were only brief interruptions and a room filled with multiple computers and large pieces of equipment were visible; some of the equipment, Logan could put a name to, like the x- ray machine by one wall. Other things, he had no ideas on, but one thing that certainly did catch his attention was a table that Mystique was strapped down to, unconscious, and a shadowy figure, turned away from the camera and wearing dark clothing, that hovered near her. Mystique had a swollen, pregnant stomach; Logan was no doctor, but from the looks of it, she could go into labour at any time.
And he felt sick as he watched the shadowy figure plunge a hand into her stomach; the camera moved in to show a syringe full of something acid- green being injected.
It was only about halfway, however, when the figure was picked up and thrown by an invisible force.
The footage, at this point, became fuzzier again, and began cutting out more, but shots of Magneto drifting further into the room were still visible.
"How dare y- into my- and think- to my- who are- do you want?" Magneto's voice demanded as the video feed cut in and out.
Chopped up, gravelly laughter was his answer.
The figure was back on their feet; Magneto swung something at him, but the figure disappeared and left blackness behind, and the object missed. The video cut again, and the next thing it showed was the same figure beside Magneto, sending him falling. Magneto sent several small things racing at them, as if firing bullets, and the video flickered some which made it hard to tell, but it looked like the objects being sent at the figure were simply bouncing off. The figure made a slashing motion, and anything still levitating fell to the floor. The camera footage appeared to stabilize.
"You think you can just do what you want?" Magneto demanded.
The same gravelly voice that had laughed spoke, and the tone sent every hair on Logan's body standing straight up. His instincts screamed that this man was dangerous.
"Mr. Sinister always gets what he wants." The man hissed; he picked up Magneto as if he weighed nothing and threw him.
Turning, the man walked towards Mystique; the needle that he'd been using was gone, and he growled and shook his head, but walked away. This gave the camera a better look at him; the man certainly dressed in black, and his outfit had a collar that swept up around his head to hide it from any angle other than right in front, but now they had that angle and could see his face. It was grey skinned, with short black hair. After a moment, the man paused, looked directly up into the camera, and snarled for a mere half a second before it went dark.
"Okay, that's the video in its entirety." Forge announced through the speaker system. "Now… the three points of interest I mentioned." He fussed wit something inside the control room, and two more screens lit up, one on either side of the original. "First… the power that he used right here."
The screen on the right lit up with the moment that the man had vanished and left darkness behind.
"That. That looks like the shadowy… ness… that you guys were fighting, right? That thing last month. That power looks like that."
Logan nodded, and saw and heard others murmuring agreement. Now that it was paused and they were able to see it properly, it indeed looked a lot like the shadowy mass they had faced in the forest.
"Second… I'm sure you guys heard it, but I'll play it again." Forge rewound the video on the main screen, then played it again just as Magneto finished speaking.
"-what you want?"
"Mr. Sinister always gets what he wants." The man hissed back, and Forge paused it.
A fresh wave of whispers spread through the students.
"And three… that split- second image." Forge announced, and the third screen lit up with that fraction of a moment where the man had looked directly at the camera.
Logan's misgivings deepened. In addition to the greyish skin that seemed to scream his mutant status, he had glowing red eyes that looked like bottomless, bloody pits, and a red diamond- shaped mark on his forehead. His snarling mouth was filled with insanely sharp teeth, and it only served to feel like more proof that this man was extremely dangerous… probably best not ever encountered…
But if he did have Kurt, then… well, there was no other choice. Besides, while it might be best to stay away from him for their sake, that wouldn't help anyone who got in his sights through no fault of their own, and regardless of how much the man screamed threat, Logan was no coward. If this man posed a risk, to anyone, then he was best taken out.
Xavier's voice was the next to come through the speaker system.
"This is definitely the man who experimented on Kurt shortly before his birth. Given the evidence we have with his powers, it is reasonable to presume he may also be responsible for Tristan's attack on us. We do not know for sure if he has Kurt now, but it is the best lead we have to follow. So all of you, keep that final picture in mind. Remember what he looks like. And, as far as we can tell, he calls himself "Mr. Sinister," so remember that name. If you are able to chase down any kind of lead that might give us his whereabouts, please inform myself, Wolverine, Beast, or Storm first, and then look into it. We will be looking into this ourselves, as well. If we can track down this "Mr. Sinister," then we may be able to track down Kurt."
Xavier looked at Forge, and nodded; Forge nodded back, and turned off the screens.
"That is all for the time being."
"I can check with the Morlocks, see if they know the name!" Called Ray. "I can see if Caliban is able to locate the guy, too! I mean, if Kurt can't be found because this guy is hiding him, then he probably won't be able to find him either, but it's worth a shot!"
"Good idea." Storm nodded, looking at him. "Perhaps that is something you can look into doing. Tomorrow, that is. I believe you all still have a Danger Room session today."
Groans were heard throughout the room.
"Well, if you don't like that news, you're not gonna like this either, but we're extending all training sessions by an extra half hour starting today." Logan barked out.
Protests immediately rose.
"Quiet!" He snarled. "Right now I think Kurt would want to be in any one of your positions than wherever he is right now, don't you think?"
The room fell silent.
"Listen up, all of you! We're facing more people than ever that clearly want to do us harm. If the café brawl on Saturday combined with the fact that we all know Trask is up to something that he intends to use to kill us all isn't enough to motivate you, then maybe this is! We don't know what's happened to Kurt, and we need to expect the worst! You also have to be aware that if it could happen to someone who is perfectly skilled at teleportin' himself out of danger, then it could happen to any one of you. One day, when the world is a safe place for people like us, then we can sit on our backsides and take it easy, but until that day comes, every single one of you need to be prepared to keep yourselves and others safe, and I won't hear any whinin' about it!"
Turning around, he stormed out of the Danger Room, leaving complete silence in his wake; he heard Ororo's footsteps hurry after him, and she caught up down the hall.
"Logan, don't you think that was rather harsh?" She admonished, putting a hand on his shoulder.
He turned to face her, looking directly into her eyes.
"Maybe. But they need to understand how serious this is, 'Ro. That man in the video… he's got all my senses screaming. My instincts are tellin' me he's not just bad news, he's everything bad. That man is dangerous, 'Ro, maybe more so than anyone we've ever faced. Maybe more so than even Apocalypse. We're already missin' Kurt. Any of those kids could be next. They need to take this seriously and make sure they have every skill and tool at their disposal to defend themselves. I'm harsh now because no matter what they think, someone like him will be worse. I don't want that man to have a chance with them to prove it."
Ororo's expression changed; her hand slid from his shoulder down to his.
"I understand. We'll look after them, Logan. We won't let it happen."
"As you know very well, 'Ro, one day it's not going to be up to us."
A/N: Enter Mr. Sinister...
I don't know too much more about Mr. Sinister than what I've seen in the original X- Men cartoon. From what I could tell, he's a really powerful son of a bitch that can do just about anything he wants... and I've picked up that his real name is Nathaniel Essex and he was a geneticist. That's what I've got. XD
I've got a little bit of a different take on what he does/can do than in the original cartoon, though. You'll see what I've done as we move along in the story.