Post by adrini on Apr 26, 2016 22:51:29 GMT -5
Last time in X-Factor…
Taking advantage of the lull in activity the junior member of the team undergo the base orientation. No longer able to lean on the adult members of the team they quickly find out just how far they have to go before they can really hold their own.
Scott, Jean and Alex go with Maria Hill. Working with a team of SHIELD agents under Coulson they assist with a challenging mission. The mission is a resounding success and thrills the human team immediately talking about future efforts. Their thoughts, picked up by Jean, show darker potential.
The team returns to help a wounded Wanda as Maria Hill knows she needs to reconsider her team’s path. A human integration is not the solution she thought it would be.
But a stranger shows up, tall, muscled and scared. His dark skin clearly callused from repeated battle. He offers the head of a person called Sinister, someone no one there knew even existed. Except for the new tech who clearly knows exactly what is going on. There needs to be talk.
“Shaw and Sinister’s heart on a plate.” The dark skinned man said, the gravity of the words in the air even if she didn’t understand them.
The hall was beginning to buzz, the curious classes of kids and teens moving around each other to get a better look at the new visitor. They didn’t have very interesting lives there, almost all studies and mutant power lessons. Maria knew she needed to move this or there wouldn’t be any order.
“Before we get to the organ disposal options how about we all get on the same page. After you.” She motioned to the central meeting room where Elixir was already setting up. “And you, Mr. Hawk.“
She pointedly waited for the two to walk to the room, and waved the others back to their training. The older man smirked at her, he made her uneasy.
“I’ve already sent for the others.” Piotr said, as she got to the door herself. “The officers. This looks confidential.”
“Good. Some coffee and donuts, I think this will take a while.” Maria turned to enter the room, leaving the metal skinned man to call for supplies. “When they get here wait for my signal, I want to see what we have here.”
Piotr nodded, and she entered. The new man and her tech were both leaning on the wall and smoking. Maria got to the table and slammed two tins down.
“Put them out, now. Set in.” She took at place at the table. Her tech looked at his companion but moved and put the cigarette out before sitting down.
The black man took longer but a side glance from the woman got him to the table.
At that moment he doors opened again, this time letting Scott, Jean, Poitr and Elixir into the room. The agent setting up the coffee shifted into the blue skinned Mystic.
Scott sat down next to her, Jean next to him, both of them carrying the team’s files on Shaw. Elixir had up to date reports from SHIELD while Piotr was more relaxed, simply looking at the two.
The once tech, who clearly wasn’t, was grizzled and hard but looked at the people in the room a few seconds longer then would suggest complete detachment. The dark skinned man, who clearly had little respect for anyone, seemed to respect his new company. When Jean sat down and got papers in order his sight even lingered a moment.
“Matters taken care of elsewhere?” Maria asked beginning the meeting. Jean nodded, briefly sending a picture of a peacefully resting Wanda. The others were looking after the girl while they were here. “Good, which leads us to two questions. Who is this ‘Sinister’ and who are you?”
“Don’t need to ask, get your ‘path to dig it out for you.” The dark skinned man said, he knew who he was with somehow. This was worse, they survived on their secret status, and it wasn’t a secret.
“Not our protocol.” Scott said simply, opening his file to take notes. “And unneeded, as your mouth clearly works rather well. Introductions, we’ll go from there. It’s a basic enough start. I am-“
“Bishop.” Jean said, looking at the dark skinned man. The sentence tended to make people think of names on the surface where she didn’t have to dig to get them. “No other name, but has to be a code name. He’s out of place. I don’t how else to describe it. The other man is as well, but he’s blocking me somehow.”
“He knows your tricks.” Bishop said. “You want that information?”
“Sinister?” Hill asked, pulling out a picture. Bishop was impressed, they actually had the man on film.
“That’s the bastard. You’re not entirely in the dark.” Bishop nodded, Jean pulled out a file and opened it.
“We’re light. Tall, silver skin, red diamond on his forehead. Theorized as come kind of mutant, works with Shaw. His exact mission isn’t clear, but he is forming contacts.” She opened more pictures.
“Her.” Scott’s face fixed on the picture, it was clear he did not like this person. “I knew she was in this.”
Mystic was watching, making a point not to look at the two. She clearly knew more of this then the others but for her own reasons wasn’t talking. If the woman wanted to play games it was no skin off Bishops nose but Cable was increasingly angry at the woman.
“Take nothing to take her out, if she’s causing trouble. Be worth it.” The man said, clearly making his position known.
“That is not how we do things here.” Poitr said, having been watching the two. The man became upset but Piotr stepped in again. “We care for Agent Grey as well, know that well. She is looked after here. Your help would make that job easier.”
“Piotr?” Maria asked, knowing she had missed something. “Explain.”
“He is here to protect them.” Piotr said, nodding to the newlyweds. “His mind is blocked but he has little tells, I have seen them before but I cannot place where. The other is here for his own reasons.”
The man was shocked, proving the point. He talked.
“Sinister is ours, but we can’t take him out without help. You get the club.” The man leaned back. “But you have to take them out solid. And its Cable.”
“No, it’s not. What are you hiding?” Jean, hearing Piotr’s assessment, had begun to look closer. “Why would you hid it from us? “ I won’t hurt you, you know that. Let me help.
“Wait, you’re talking about the Hellfire Club. We’ve begun getting reports about that.” Maria looked at Scott who pulled out a few more files.
“You don’t have time. They’re already moving – you need to hurt them now.” Bishop leaned forward, engaged. “Hit them where they hurt.”
“The White Woman in in this club?” Jean asked, looking at the picture. “Is Shaw?”
“Go after the Club, you’ll flush her out.” Cable said. “Tie her up and Sinister gets flushed out for us.”
“Main team goes after starting targets, Jean, find and lock on this White Woman. Think you can hold her?” Maria looked at Jean and she nodded.
“Just make sure you hold the line.” Jean seemed resolved. “It took a time to occur to me, as I never would, but the senators who suddenly changed their votes about the Mutants bill. I’m fairly sure she had something to do with that. And that’s where I want to start.”
“Agent, speak.” Maria leaned back, watching.
“There are some who were against the bill, I want to remove any undue influence. Return them how they were. She wanted the bill passed for a reason.” Jean explained. “It’ll get her attention, maybe help us as well.”
“Not alone.” Scott said, nearly cutting her off.
“I can help.” A girlish voice said from the corner, it was the red headed tech. Maria hadn’t noticed her come in. “I’m a telepath to, not as strong but two brains are better than one right?”
The people in the meeting looked at her, and Maria looked at her telepath.
“You’ll be working with her. It would free the team up. Your call.” She watched as Jean looked at the woman, a surficial scan. After a moment she nodded.
“She’s stronger then she lets on, it could work. And she well trained. Whoever taught her knew what they were doing.” Jean agreed to the plan. “We take the lawmakers, they take the bases. If this Sinister man is as important as they say it might be best if they take him on.”
“Several of the government locations had children in them, they have been taken.” Elixir added, looking at this own information. “In the wrong hands they are an army.”
“And we have wrong hands. Jean you two work in DC, get what information you can. Scott I want you to lead the team main team, flank the Hellfire clubs assets, and you gentlemen will fill me in as much as you can. I’ll try to pull in SHIELD as backup. Teams head out at 0600. Our visitors will stay with me.” The team nodded at the orders leaving the two. Watching the young ‘tech” Maria wondered why the two had let their third member walk away, but the white haired man seemed relieved. If she could keep them talking she could get them to spill enough to infer the rest of the pieces she needed.
It was once again the three of them and Maria looked both over. They were tough, warriors, been through hell. So had she.
“Sinister, he targets mutants.” They seemed surprised she had figured it out. “That means I want him dead. Tell me everything.”
“I thought that was some historical thing.” Alex said, in the pow wow that the team members were sitting in. The name Sinister was making them all nervous. “It was some drinking club that Ben Franklyn was in.”
“Sounds like it was stolin’.” Rogue wasn’t happy about another person to worry about. “And made ina’ something worse.”
“The Hellfire club was a leisure club in the eighteenth century that was mostly focused on whores, large feasts and large amounts of booze. It afforded some social connection but not to this degree.” Jean filled in, her bookish ways coming to surface.
“This is not the same.” Piotr said, nodding.
They were at the base again, filling into the living room to work out the details. Everyone was trying to stay away from the edge, but no matter what team they ended on it was going to be scary.
For the younger members, who had been so eager to prove themselves, it was bittersweet. They hadn’t wanted anything this proving. For the older, who had seen teammates hurt and allies fall, it was sobering. They knew what this could be.
Scott looked at his wife, who was in telepathic conversation with Rachel working out their own mission. Piotr was looking, concerned, at the younger students.
“Taking out this club helps mutants everywhere. Not in one city, not in one town, not in one country. It has to be the bigger target, and it has to have the focus. We get one shot to get this right.” He stood up, facing his team. The new members had arrived just in time after all. They would need all hands on deck. “I am not going to require that anyone take it. There are jobs that we know how to run and jobs we run because we have to. I am going. If you refuse I will understand.”
Around the room it was quiet. Each considering the question. Face the organization or face the ever present Friends. Jean nodded, she would be there. But time could be allowed to think.
“We have long walked the road together, my friend. I will not leave you now” Piotr stood up, giving the team leader a brotherly hug. The man was not a surprise, some brothers you were born to, some you found.
“These are the folks wreckin’ the lives we’re trying to build, huh?” Rogue was now standing as well. “Well I take issue with that. I’m in.”
“Would you mind helping us first?” Rachel asked, from her seat next to Jean. “We won’t keep you but we need help with a few of the finer points.”
The southern belle smiled a little and joined them, her sudden loss of freedom was a major loss to her. She would do what she needed to if it meant others were spared the same.
The next volunteers surprised them, or surprised Scott. Piotr and Jean not so much.
Standing up carefully so as to avoid disturbing his sister Pietro was focused, but serious. His fists were tight. Wanda, still not entirely stable, was looking down sadly.
“The Friends aren’t in Romania. This club is.” The young man said, his breath giving him away as upset. “They took everything from us, they destroyed everything. I need them to answer for that. I need to know that can’t do it to anyone else.”
Alex was leaning on the wall, sighing before he walked over. Before he could speak Skye hurried, several of the younger members behind her.
“Can we have him?” Scott looked at her, at them. He tried to understand. “I know the major people need to go with you, but he knows what he’s doing and we really don’t yet. We like living.”
“You up for team leader?” Scott asked his kid brother, Alex brushed off the heavy tone. He could tell he wanted to be with his family.
“Sure, just look good next to you. I got that.” The young man looked over to Ororo, the team needed one heavy hitter and her skills were strong enough to help. She nodded in agreement. Across the mind link Scott tried not to wince at Jean's thought. If they didn’t survive at least Alex would be here to carry on the family name.
Looking at his team: his found brother, his wife, Rogue, and the hurt young man. It was his team, he had reason to be proud of it.
“Wait.” Appearing out of the corner of the room Mystique hadn’t wandered off. “I want in.”
“This is not your kind of mission.” Piotr said, openly confused. “You do not have to come.”
“I wanted all your life to be with you.” The blue skinned woman wasn’t paying attention to Scott or Piotr, instead looking at her daughter. “I ached knowing you were growing up without me. And it hurt. If you want to do this then I’m going with you. I’m not passing on a chance again.”
The young woman got up and took an embrace from her mother. Alex was gathering his team, talking the basic strategy both teams would need going forward.
Rachel had claimed Jean for a hug of her own. But she looked resolute. They were all afraid, but until they did this they would be. It was time to get to work.
Maria had pulled a miracle and gotten a second jet. Scott had taken the first plane, for its cloaking technology. The new one was nicer anyway, designed for the new larger number of the crew.
Alex piloted the jet, it was quiet. Everyone was afraid. Scott had given him the files for the new rescues, of which Alex had chosen the hardest. It was the most people, it was the most dangerous. It was the closest to what his brother, his family, would be facing. It was the best he could do.
In the back of the Jubs was sitting by a window. The jet was decked out. It had a gaming system, cooking area – perfect for longer trips. SHIELD was a multinational group. They were clearly gearing up to expand rescue parameters – provided enough of the team survived to man them. Skye was across from her, thinking. She had seconded the plan for the top teir mission.
The only real sound was Elixir setting up. The craft had a small ward that he was stocking and prepping. They all knew the gore of what was to come.
Ororo helped the jet land, it seemed she had some experience in this kind of craft, and it was landed in a clearing. The small crew geared up, armor wasn’t to cover everything but it helped, and looked out. It was a large repurposed building. Old brick and lead glass.
“Doc.” Alex said, looking back. Elixir stood by the plane and nodded. A few always ran out, hurt. He would be there to treat them and stop any pursuers.
There would be guards. There would be staff. Ororo already knew her first move.
Flying overhead she tracked visible targets, reporting back to the team. There was a back door but it would be a bottleneck, bad call. The best bet was the old servants’ entrance. There were two guards, easily taken out, and Alex took point. Skye followed closely, watching corners.
Jubilee took everyone by surprise as she hit the ground and slid over, shorting out an alarm system before it could go into full effect. Skye spotted cameras and took care of them as well, at least they were clear this far.
Making their way to the side rooms they had to be careful. Alex and Skye could shake the foundations but they didn’t know who was in the basement or the higher floors. Using hand to hand instead they use a little of their powers to knock the paramilitary out.
Jubilee stayed out of the way, she dodged and weaved as she took out the electronic defenses the old fashioned way. Targeting ear prices took care of communication.
The first floor was administration. Looking into the basement for a moment Alex returned, pale, and radioed the good doctor waiting outside. Another ward. Elixir arrived quickly.
“Where.” He said simply, as Alex led him to the entrance to the basement. Enlisting Jubs, who had done most of her part now, the two grabbed gear from outside and started at least moving them out.
“Everyone stay at full attention, this is not going to be easy.” The bulk of the guards and Friends had run upstairs when they entered. It’s was going to be a siege. “Keep eyes on corners.”
The stairs were an inevitable bottleneck that Storm, Ororo’s mutant name, turned it into a wind storm to stop any pot shots. But that was the last east part.
“They know we’re here!” Skye said, against the wall. Bullets were flying. They could hear cries from the kids being hidden.
They were all under fire. Ororo was clinging to the wall, where there were no bullets flying. Sky against a wall hoping it was thick enough to stop them and him pinned in a closet to make use of it’s steal door.
“I noticed.” He said back, dodging a close one. “Maybe they’ll run out of ammo.”
A sudden shock blast filled the hallway and two think forms followed.
“Stay down!” A harsh voice called out as more bullets flew out, looking briefly Alex saw it was cover fire, it was only when the two form went into room that single shots were taken. It was chaos, then quiet.
“It’s done.” A second voice said. Walking out the three saw two scared men, one black and one heavily tanned, waiting. The tan one was talking. “Best be going though, loads more to go. Hear you have a pile.”
“Your collar.” Rachel heard behind her, feeling her mother’s soft fingers adjust the suit. “I would think people here notice things like that. Are you about ready, Anna?”
The three women were in their DC hotel room getting ready for the day. Their mission so far had been a success, several of the minds of the local leader had been cleared. It was strategic, certain people on certain committees. Posing as activists in support genetic research they were looked over. It made working easier.
Today they needed to get things right. Scott and the main team would be heading to the island soon, they needed to be there. But the final work was to be done.
“It’s chaos.” Rogue said, trying to get through the crowd. The three stayed close. “How are we going to get in?”
“Press entrance!” Rachel pointed out, pulling Jean along. Even there the line was long but they got inside.
They were surrounded by chattering journalists and lobbyists. The sections around them filled quickly. It was the day of the amending vote. Both “pro-norm” and “pro-mutant” groups were in force. If for any other cause they wouldn’t risk being so public, but this hit home.
“You’re who?” A reporter said, sitting down. “I don’t know the letters, new group?”
“Scientists.” Rachel said. “Genetic research and biological evolution.”
“So that means, you, what slice ‘em up?” The man said, watching the floor. Jean stiffened and Rogue covered by having a small coughing fit.
“We work with ‘em.” The southern belle said, keeping her tone even. “Evolution ain’t nothing but science, if we know what we’re dealing with we can know what do to.”
“Must be nice, to live in a fantasy land.” A second reporter, female. She was from a rural area by her accent. “Call em what they are, aminals.”
Rachel could feel the telepaths mind fight the urge to do more, to ‘correct’ the feeling. But this was Jean, she wouldn’t. Though she hurt with wanting to. They were only here to return the mind of the law makers below to original settings. Whatever they were.
The meeting was called below, and the room fell silent as the prayer was said. As head were bowed the three joined them, but not to speak sacred words. Rogue borrowed the skill, and for the moment she had made the third, even if her temporary skill had to be directed.
The minister was taking his time, hoping to influence the members to the ‘moral’ choice. Instead Jean picked up the silver threat, the White Lady’s thread, and with the help of her friends removed it. It was a gentle touch, sparing, respectful. The few touches it made were to ease a grief or offer a sense of kindness. She understood that people here had been hurt. It was a choice, but it was one she made, to base her response off of the shared experience of pain.
The prayer ended, and the roll call began. Minds were indeed changed. The three stayed until the first break and then didn’t return. They was no reason to – they already knew the vote.
The crag wasn’t large, but then they had taken the small jet for a reason. It took precision to get into the space but it worked. Feeling the craft settle into the rock Mystique got up from the controls. The others began to move.
Scott had kept his thoughts to himself – and his wife – during the trip. They seemed to be clearing up details.
“They'll know we’re on to them soon.” Getting up Scott geared up. “The vote is going to fail. We take them out now. Move.”
Taking advantage of the lull in activity the junior member of the team undergo the base orientation. No longer able to lean on the adult members of the team they quickly find out just how far they have to go before they can really hold their own.
Scott, Jean and Alex go with Maria Hill. Working with a team of SHIELD agents under Coulson they assist with a challenging mission. The mission is a resounding success and thrills the human team immediately talking about future efforts. Their thoughts, picked up by Jean, show darker potential.
The team returns to help a wounded Wanda as Maria Hill knows she needs to reconsider her team’s path. A human integration is not the solution she thought it would be.
But a stranger shows up, tall, muscled and scared. His dark skin clearly callused from repeated battle. He offers the head of a person called Sinister, someone no one there knew even existed. Except for the new tech who clearly knows exactly what is going on. There needs to be talk.
All Star X-Factor: Heart of Darkness
By Adrini
“Shaw and Sinister’s heart on a plate.” The dark skinned man said, the gravity of the words in the air even if she didn’t understand them.
The hall was beginning to buzz, the curious classes of kids and teens moving around each other to get a better look at the new visitor. They didn’t have very interesting lives there, almost all studies and mutant power lessons. Maria knew she needed to move this or there wouldn’t be any order.
“Before we get to the organ disposal options how about we all get on the same page. After you.” She motioned to the central meeting room where Elixir was already setting up. “And you, Mr. Hawk.“
She pointedly waited for the two to walk to the room, and waved the others back to their training. The older man smirked at her, he made her uneasy.
“I’ve already sent for the others.” Piotr said, as she got to the door herself. “The officers. This looks confidential.”
“Good. Some coffee and donuts, I think this will take a while.” Maria turned to enter the room, leaving the metal skinned man to call for supplies. “When they get here wait for my signal, I want to see what we have here.”
Piotr nodded, and she entered. The new man and her tech were both leaning on the wall and smoking. Maria got to the table and slammed two tins down.
“Put them out, now. Set in.” She took at place at the table. Her tech looked at his companion but moved and put the cigarette out before sitting down.
The black man took longer but a side glance from the woman got him to the table.
At that moment he doors opened again, this time letting Scott, Jean, Poitr and Elixir into the room. The agent setting up the coffee shifted into the blue skinned Mystic.
Scott sat down next to her, Jean next to him, both of them carrying the team’s files on Shaw. Elixir had up to date reports from SHIELD while Piotr was more relaxed, simply looking at the two.
The once tech, who clearly wasn’t, was grizzled and hard but looked at the people in the room a few seconds longer then would suggest complete detachment. The dark skinned man, who clearly had little respect for anyone, seemed to respect his new company. When Jean sat down and got papers in order his sight even lingered a moment.
“Matters taken care of elsewhere?” Maria asked beginning the meeting. Jean nodded, briefly sending a picture of a peacefully resting Wanda. The others were looking after the girl while they were here. “Good, which leads us to two questions. Who is this ‘Sinister’ and who are you?”
“Don’t need to ask, get your ‘path to dig it out for you.” The dark skinned man said, he knew who he was with somehow. This was worse, they survived on their secret status, and it wasn’t a secret.
“Not our protocol.” Scott said simply, opening his file to take notes. “And unneeded, as your mouth clearly works rather well. Introductions, we’ll go from there. It’s a basic enough start. I am-“
“Bishop.” Jean said, looking at the dark skinned man. The sentence tended to make people think of names on the surface where she didn’t have to dig to get them. “No other name, but has to be a code name. He’s out of place. I don’t how else to describe it. The other man is as well, but he’s blocking me somehow.”
“He knows your tricks.” Bishop said. “You want that information?”
“Sinister?” Hill asked, pulling out a picture. Bishop was impressed, they actually had the man on film.
“That’s the bastard. You’re not entirely in the dark.” Bishop nodded, Jean pulled out a file and opened it.
“We’re light. Tall, silver skin, red diamond on his forehead. Theorized as come kind of mutant, works with Shaw. His exact mission isn’t clear, but he is forming contacts.” She opened more pictures.
“Her.” Scott’s face fixed on the picture, it was clear he did not like this person. “I knew she was in this.”
Mystic was watching, making a point not to look at the two. She clearly knew more of this then the others but for her own reasons wasn’t talking. If the woman wanted to play games it was no skin off Bishops nose but Cable was increasingly angry at the woman.
“Take nothing to take her out, if she’s causing trouble. Be worth it.” The man said, clearly making his position known.
“That is not how we do things here.” Poitr said, having been watching the two. The man became upset but Piotr stepped in again. “We care for Agent Grey as well, know that well. She is looked after here. Your help would make that job easier.”
“Piotr?” Maria asked, knowing she had missed something. “Explain.”
“He is here to protect them.” Piotr said, nodding to the newlyweds. “His mind is blocked but he has little tells, I have seen them before but I cannot place where. The other is here for his own reasons.”
The man was shocked, proving the point. He talked.
“Sinister is ours, but we can’t take him out without help. You get the club.” The man leaned back. “But you have to take them out solid. And its Cable.”
“No, it’s not. What are you hiding?” Jean, hearing Piotr’s assessment, had begun to look closer. “Why would you hid it from us? “ I won’t hurt you, you know that. Let me help.
“Wait, you’re talking about the Hellfire Club. We’ve begun getting reports about that.” Maria looked at Scott who pulled out a few more files.
“You don’t have time. They’re already moving – you need to hurt them now.” Bishop leaned forward, engaged. “Hit them where they hurt.”
“The White Woman in in this club?” Jean asked, looking at the picture. “Is Shaw?”
“Go after the Club, you’ll flush her out.” Cable said. “Tie her up and Sinister gets flushed out for us.”
“Main team goes after starting targets, Jean, find and lock on this White Woman. Think you can hold her?” Maria looked at Jean and she nodded.
“Just make sure you hold the line.” Jean seemed resolved. “It took a time to occur to me, as I never would, but the senators who suddenly changed their votes about the Mutants bill. I’m fairly sure she had something to do with that. And that’s where I want to start.”
“Agent, speak.” Maria leaned back, watching.
“There are some who were against the bill, I want to remove any undue influence. Return them how they were. She wanted the bill passed for a reason.” Jean explained. “It’ll get her attention, maybe help us as well.”
“Not alone.” Scott said, nearly cutting her off.
“I can help.” A girlish voice said from the corner, it was the red headed tech. Maria hadn’t noticed her come in. “I’m a telepath to, not as strong but two brains are better than one right?”
The people in the meeting looked at her, and Maria looked at her telepath.
“You’ll be working with her. It would free the team up. Your call.” She watched as Jean looked at the woman, a surficial scan. After a moment she nodded.
“She’s stronger then she lets on, it could work. And she well trained. Whoever taught her knew what they were doing.” Jean agreed to the plan. “We take the lawmakers, they take the bases. If this Sinister man is as important as they say it might be best if they take him on.”
“Several of the government locations had children in them, they have been taken.” Elixir added, looking at this own information. “In the wrong hands they are an army.”
“And we have wrong hands. Jean you two work in DC, get what information you can. Scott I want you to lead the team main team, flank the Hellfire clubs assets, and you gentlemen will fill me in as much as you can. I’ll try to pull in SHIELD as backup. Teams head out at 0600. Our visitors will stay with me.” The team nodded at the orders leaving the two. Watching the young ‘tech” Maria wondered why the two had let their third member walk away, but the white haired man seemed relieved. If she could keep them talking she could get them to spill enough to infer the rest of the pieces she needed.
It was once again the three of them and Maria looked both over. They were tough, warriors, been through hell. So had she.
“Sinister, he targets mutants.” They seemed surprised she had figured it out. “That means I want him dead. Tell me everything.”
“I thought that was some historical thing.” Alex said, in the pow wow that the team members were sitting in. The name Sinister was making them all nervous. “It was some drinking club that Ben Franklyn was in.”
“Sounds like it was stolin’.” Rogue wasn’t happy about another person to worry about. “And made ina’ something worse.”
“The Hellfire club was a leisure club in the eighteenth century that was mostly focused on whores, large feasts and large amounts of booze. It afforded some social connection but not to this degree.” Jean filled in, her bookish ways coming to surface.
“This is not the same.” Piotr said, nodding.
They were at the base again, filling into the living room to work out the details. Everyone was trying to stay away from the edge, but no matter what team they ended on it was going to be scary.
For the younger members, who had been so eager to prove themselves, it was bittersweet. They hadn’t wanted anything this proving. For the older, who had seen teammates hurt and allies fall, it was sobering. They knew what this could be.
Scott looked at his wife, who was in telepathic conversation with Rachel working out their own mission. Piotr was looking, concerned, at the younger students.
“Taking out this club helps mutants everywhere. Not in one city, not in one town, not in one country. It has to be the bigger target, and it has to have the focus. We get one shot to get this right.” He stood up, facing his team. The new members had arrived just in time after all. They would need all hands on deck. “I am not going to require that anyone take it. There are jobs that we know how to run and jobs we run because we have to. I am going. If you refuse I will understand.”
Around the room it was quiet. Each considering the question. Face the organization or face the ever present Friends. Jean nodded, she would be there. But time could be allowed to think.
“We have long walked the road together, my friend. I will not leave you now” Piotr stood up, giving the team leader a brotherly hug. The man was not a surprise, some brothers you were born to, some you found.
“These are the folks wreckin’ the lives we’re trying to build, huh?” Rogue was now standing as well. “Well I take issue with that. I’m in.”
“Would you mind helping us first?” Rachel asked, from her seat next to Jean. “We won’t keep you but we need help with a few of the finer points.”
The southern belle smiled a little and joined them, her sudden loss of freedom was a major loss to her. She would do what she needed to if it meant others were spared the same.
The next volunteers surprised them, or surprised Scott. Piotr and Jean not so much.
Standing up carefully so as to avoid disturbing his sister Pietro was focused, but serious. His fists were tight. Wanda, still not entirely stable, was looking down sadly.
“The Friends aren’t in Romania. This club is.” The young man said, his breath giving him away as upset. “They took everything from us, they destroyed everything. I need them to answer for that. I need to know that can’t do it to anyone else.”
Alex was leaning on the wall, sighing before he walked over. Before he could speak Skye hurried, several of the younger members behind her.
“Can we have him?” Scott looked at her, at them. He tried to understand. “I know the major people need to go with you, but he knows what he’s doing and we really don’t yet. We like living.”
“You up for team leader?” Scott asked his kid brother, Alex brushed off the heavy tone. He could tell he wanted to be with his family.
“Sure, just look good next to you. I got that.” The young man looked over to Ororo, the team needed one heavy hitter and her skills were strong enough to help. She nodded in agreement. Across the mind link Scott tried not to wince at Jean's thought. If they didn’t survive at least Alex would be here to carry on the family name.
Looking at his team: his found brother, his wife, Rogue, and the hurt young man. It was his team, he had reason to be proud of it.
“Wait.” Appearing out of the corner of the room Mystique hadn’t wandered off. “I want in.”
“This is not your kind of mission.” Piotr said, openly confused. “You do not have to come.”
“I wanted all your life to be with you.” The blue skinned woman wasn’t paying attention to Scott or Piotr, instead looking at her daughter. “I ached knowing you were growing up without me. And it hurt. If you want to do this then I’m going with you. I’m not passing on a chance again.”
The young woman got up and took an embrace from her mother. Alex was gathering his team, talking the basic strategy both teams would need going forward.
Rachel had claimed Jean for a hug of her own. But she looked resolute. They were all afraid, but until they did this they would be. It was time to get to work.
Maria had pulled a miracle and gotten a second jet. Scott had taken the first plane, for its cloaking technology. The new one was nicer anyway, designed for the new larger number of the crew.
Alex piloted the jet, it was quiet. Everyone was afraid. Scott had given him the files for the new rescues, of which Alex had chosen the hardest. It was the most people, it was the most dangerous. It was the closest to what his brother, his family, would be facing. It was the best he could do.
In the back of the Jubs was sitting by a window. The jet was decked out. It had a gaming system, cooking area – perfect for longer trips. SHIELD was a multinational group. They were clearly gearing up to expand rescue parameters – provided enough of the team survived to man them. Skye was across from her, thinking. She had seconded the plan for the top teir mission.
The only real sound was Elixir setting up. The craft had a small ward that he was stocking and prepping. They all knew the gore of what was to come.
Ororo helped the jet land, it seemed she had some experience in this kind of craft, and it was landed in a clearing. The small crew geared up, armor wasn’t to cover everything but it helped, and looked out. It was a large repurposed building. Old brick and lead glass.
“Doc.” Alex said, looking back. Elixir stood by the plane and nodded. A few always ran out, hurt. He would be there to treat them and stop any pursuers.
There would be guards. There would be staff. Ororo already knew her first move.
Flying overhead she tracked visible targets, reporting back to the team. There was a back door but it would be a bottleneck, bad call. The best bet was the old servants’ entrance. There were two guards, easily taken out, and Alex took point. Skye followed closely, watching corners.
Jubilee took everyone by surprise as she hit the ground and slid over, shorting out an alarm system before it could go into full effect. Skye spotted cameras and took care of them as well, at least they were clear this far.
Making their way to the side rooms they had to be careful. Alex and Skye could shake the foundations but they didn’t know who was in the basement or the higher floors. Using hand to hand instead they use a little of their powers to knock the paramilitary out.
Jubilee stayed out of the way, she dodged and weaved as she took out the electronic defenses the old fashioned way. Targeting ear prices took care of communication.
The first floor was administration. Looking into the basement for a moment Alex returned, pale, and radioed the good doctor waiting outside. Another ward. Elixir arrived quickly.
“Where.” He said simply, as Alex led him to the entrance to the basement. Enlisting Jubs, who had done most of her part now, the two grabbed gear from outside and started at least moving them out.
“Everyone stay at full attention, this is not going to be easy.” The bulk of the guards and Friends had run upstairs when they entered. It’s was going to be a siege. “Keep eyes on corners.”
The stairs were an inevitable bottleneck that Storm, Ororo’s mutant name, turned it into a wind storm to stop any pot shots. But that was the last east part.
“They know we’re here!” Skye said, against the wall. Bullets were flying. They could hear cries from the kids being hidden.
They were all under fire. Ororo was clinging to the wall, where there were no bullets flying. Sky against a wall hoping it was thick enough to stop them and him pinned in a closet to make use of it’s steal door.
“I noticed.” He said back, dodging a close one. “Maybe they’ll run out of ammo.”
A sudden shock blast filled the hallway and two think forms followed.
“Stay down!” A harsh voice called out as more bullets flew out, looking briefly Alex saw it was cover fire, it was only when the two form went into room that single shots were taken. It was chaos, then quiet.
“It’s done.” A second voice said. Walking out the three saw two scared men, one black and one heavily tanned, waiting. The tan one was talking. “Best be going though, loads more to go. Hear you have a pile.”
“Your collar.” Rachel heard behind her, feeling her mother’s soft fingers adjust the suit. “I would think people here notice things like that. Are you about ready, Anna?”
The three women were in their DC hotel room getting ready for the day. Their mission so far had been a success, several of the minds of the local leader had been cleared. It was strategic, certain people on certain committees. Posing as activists in support genetic research they were looked over. It made working easier.
Today they needed to get things right. Scott and the main team would be heading to the island soon, they needed to be there. But the final work was to be done.
“It’s chaos.” Rogue said, trying to get through the crowd. The three stayed close. “How are we going to get in?”
“Press entrance!” Rachel pointed out, pulling Jean along. Even there the line was long but they got inside.
They were surrounded by chattering journalists and lobbyists. The sections around them filled quickly. It was the day of the amending vote. Both “pro-norm” and “pro-mutant” groups were in force. If for any other cause they wouldn’t risk being so public, but this hit home.
“You’re who?” A reporter said, sitting down. “I don’t know the letters, new group?”
“Scientists.” Rachel said. “Genetic research and biological evolution.”
“So that means, you, what slice ‘em up?” The man said, watching the floor. Jean stiffened and Rogue covered by having a small coughing fit.
“We work with ‘em.” The southern belle said, keeping her tone even. “Evolution ain’t nothing but science, if we know what we’re dealing with we can know what do to.”
“Must be nice, to live in a fantasy land.” A second reporter, female. She was from a rural area by her accent. “Call em what they are, aminals.”
Rachel could feel the telepaths mind fight the urge to do more, to ‘correct’ the feeling. But this was Jean, she wouldn’t. Though she hurt with wanting to. They were only here to return the mind of the law makers below to original settings. Whatever they were.
The meeting was called below, and the room fell silent as the prayer was said. As head were bowed the three joined them, but not to speak sacred words. Rogue borrowed the skill, and for the moment she had made the third, even if her temporary skill had to be directed.
The minister was taking his time, hoping to influence the members to the ‘moral’ choice. Instead Jean picked up the silver threat, the White Lady’s thread, and with the help of her friends removed it. It was a gentle touch, sparing, respectful. The few touches it made were to ease a grief or offer a sense of kindness. She understood that people here had been hurt. It was a choice, but it was one she made, to base her response off of the shared experience of pain.
The prayer ended, and the roll call began. Minds were indeed changed. The three stayed until the first break and then didn’t return. They was no reason to – they already knew the vote.
The crag wasn’t large, but then they had taken the small jet for a reason. It took precision to get into the space but it worked. Feeling the craft settle into the rock Mystique got up from the controls. The others began to move.
Scott had kept his thoughts to himself – and his wife – during the trip. They seemed to be clearing up details.
“They'll know we’re on to them soon.” Getting up Scott geared up. “The vote is going to fail. We take them out now. Move.”