Back to Gatefold#33 - "Opus Insert - Part II"
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It was a rare to see this many people in Magneto’s private chamber, but he wanted to keep this meeting a secret one. If the threat was as dire as the messenger made it out to be then the Genoshan public would be stirred into a frenzy. A human riot was chaotic enough, Magneto didn’t dare dream what a mutant one would be like.The Cabinet, the Fallen Angels, and the newly appointed General Ever were all gathered together after Exodus’ sudden outburst after a Fallen Angels training exercise. Bennet was at the center of the collection of powerful mutants as he began to recount his tale, “I had sensed Osman’s and Forger’s reawakening. I went to my base and found Osman at the grip of what I thought was my old friend. Then our minds touched and I discovered otherwise.”
“The Ragnarok entity you spoke of,” Mikhail said.
Exodus nodded. “Yes. Onset tainted Forger’s mind and gave birth to Ragnarok. He is a being obsessed with creating conflict. I fear to imagine what he may do.”
Meltdown raised a hand and asked, “Forgive my ignorance, but just what can this guy do?”
“Create mutants. By the millions if he had the desire. When I was dimension hopping with him I saw that ability at work on more than one occasion,” General Ever answered. He lamented the loss of his friend, but his duty was with Genosha. If Ragnarok intended to bring harm to it then he would do his duty.
“If he is a mutant then why would he threaten Genosha?” Babylon asked. Though he was a mutant of tremendous power he was a naïve man, Sinister’s genetic experimentation had stripped him of much of his life experience. So he had a tendency to oversimplify complex situations.
“Not all mutants love Genosha or those within it, Babylon. Does Ragnarok hold a grudge with you Exodus?” Magneto asked.
Bennet nodded. “He hates me intensely.”
“Then maybe you’re the problem Viceroy. Genosha will be better off if you just leave,” Amadeus said frankly. He was still angry with the quick defeat of his Armor Droids and that emotion had bubbled over.
“There’s got to be a better way than that,” Amelia said.
“Besides, wouldn’t a power like Ragnarok’s better be used by Genosha rather than destroyed by it,” Gamemaster suggested.
Bennet frowned at that statement. “This is not something we can hope to control. He is far too unstable!”
“Besides, he has limits to his power. Even if we could control him, we couldn’t control his creations forever,” Ever added.
Dr. Sando wanted to know more. “Just what are these limitations General?”
“I think that would be a question better suited for me to answer,” Exodus said.
Mikhail sighed heavily and said, “Then answer it already! There is a country to be run and your word games are growing annoying!”
“I assure you that I am not playing games, but this is a serious matter. The information involved in it needs to be taken in carefully if we are to create a decent strategy,” Exodus explained and then he added, “Ragnarok is too powerful to do otherwise.”
“So should we be expecting a rain of mutants upon this island?” Amelia asked.
Exodus shook his head. “No. He’ll probably want to be in complete control of the mutants that he creates. So he would need them to be small in number.”
Magneto had all the information that he needed. “We will discuss this more later. Right now we have other matters to discuss. Selected Angels, I need for you to meet with Forge and Mystique. They will brief you on your mission. With that said this meeting is adjourned.”
“So you accepted. That was abrupt,” Exodus admitted to his protégé after they had left the Cabinet meeting. The two of them were walking down a hall away from the rest of Genosha’s elite.
Ever laughed at Exodus’ observation and said, “Yes, it was quick for me, too. I made it so fast I rattled myself.”
“Well, I am proud. Do not think otherwise.”
“I don’t. So how is Osman doing?” Ever asked still digesting all that had transpired in a short span of time. A friend had been conquered by some dark aspect of himself given form by one of Ever’s most hated foes, Onset.
“I took him to the best hospital in Genosha. He should recover just fine. Despite that bit of good news though there is something I must tell you and you alone.”
Ever nodded and his voice was lower as he said, “Sounds major.”
“Onset is alive and well. She let me know as much,” Exodus said grimly. He had been in his chambers when she reached out to him and smugly pronounced her return.
Tension rushed through Ever’s body along with a good amount of fury. Onset, one of the Exiles’ greatest foes, was alive and well. With that knowledge in hand Ever asked, “Do you think she is responsible for Ragnarok?”
“Only indirectly. Her concerns seem to be elsewhere at the moment. Probably a good thing,” Exodus said.
“Considering everything else we have to deal with… yeah, it’s definitely a good thing. Though you know we can’t avoid her forever.”
“But for now this needs to stay between us,” Exodus said right before Mikhail Rasputin approached the two mutants.
“General, we need to discuss how the Psi-Corps should be placed around the island. I have my own ideas, as does Amelia, but ultimately the final decision will lie with you,” Mikhail said as he placed a firm hand on Ever’s shoulder and gave the young mutant a warm smile.
Exodus didn’t trust the expression for one minute and it was plainly evident in his facial expression as he said, “Ever, please feel free to see Osman today. I think he would enjoy your company.”
Mikhail watched Exodus teleport away and said to Ever, “Beware of him, General. He is jealous of your potential and that you were chosen to lead Genosha’s telepaths.”
“With all due respect Minister, I don’t see the Viceroy as someone I need to be wary of. Thought I am plenty aware of the real jackals in Genosha’s cabinet.”
That comment stung Rasputin, but he did his best not to let it show. He knew the young man held a great deal of disdain towards him for past grievances, but the Viceroy was the gasoline keeping those flames of the past lit. Mikhail had to use recent events to his advantage if he wanted to sway Ever. He needed an ally on this island and his former charge was his best option.
Mystique sat at the beach, staring off into the distance. Behind her was Forge and he was looking through a pair of binoculars away from Raven. He pulled them away from his eyes and said, “They’re not here yet. What’s taking so long?”
“You shouldn’t try to understand the affairs of these Genoshans. They run on their own time.”
“We need to get to our destination and soon. Time is of the essence here,” Forge replied.
Mystique laughed and shook her head. “Relax, Forge. They have a teleporter that will get us where we want to go in moments. You’re dealing with mutants. Not weak humans.”
“That some of the old Mystique I’m hearing?”
“Darling, I’ve never changed.”
Suddenly, a large pink portal opened next to the two mutants. Mystique stood up and smiled as she said, “Told you those binoculars weren’t worth a damn.”
Forge huffed and put them away and then he turned to the newly arrived Fallen Angels. He folded his arms across his chest and said, “You’re late.”
Madrox looked at Forge and shrugged. “Sorry man. We had hush hush stuff to deal with. Magneto kept us on lockdown.”
“Nevermind. It doesn’t matter now. Let’s get down to it. Tajikistan is our location. The Mutant Extermination Protocols are our priority here. My intel tells me this base has information that will allow us to hunt down all the buyers of these weapons,” Forge said as he handed all of the Fallen Angels a manila folder detailing the schematics of the base.
Looking over the papers Madrox asked, “Wouldn’t Mana be better suited for this mission? She could just tear this building down and we could get what we needed.”
Forge laughed. “And set off an international incident in the process. We have to be delicate here, Jamie.”
“Yeah. Don’t want anymore of my friends dropping in again. Not sure you guys could handle it,” Volcana said with a smug grin.
Madrox smiled. “You would say that when Feral’s not around.”
Volcana’s grin disappeared and seemed to float over to Mystique. Raven was glad that she didn’t have to put the haughty woman in her place. Genosha was far from her home, but brother mutants were there. Mutants that were slaughtered by Volcana and her friends. Magneto had truly changed if he had not only left her live, but added her to his armed forces.
Sensing the tension Forge said, “Let’s go. Glance take a look at this map and get us to our location.”
“And what happens if Glance gets taken out in this mission? Then we’re stuck in freakin Russia!” Volcana exclaimed.
“Tajikistan,” Forge corrected. “And in the highly unlikely event Glance goes down then there is a SHIELD transport waiting to move in and pick us up.”
“But you won’t have to worry about that. I have more than enough combat experience. I don’t need a bunch of thugs to back me up,” Glance said keeping his eyes on Volcana the whole time.
Volcana laughed. “Could have fooled me. What would you call Cortez and his people?”
“Ahh shaddup already! Shit I want to get home before tomorrow and you running your big mouth isn’t helping,” Madrox exclaimed.
“Well put. Now can we go darling?” Mystique asked as she walked up and laid an arm on the Native American’s shoulder.
Forge nodded. “Yes. Let’s go.”
Bogan actually found himself enjoying the tropics of San Marco. Of course he didn’t have time to enjoy it too much as Abyss was soon due to meet with him. In the meantime he would enjoy the lush greenery from his balcony, but then a deathly cold fell over Elias. There would be no mean time.
A thin smoke began to creep form the glass door leading onto the beige balcony. The smoke clung to the ground and surrounded Elias. Raw emotion was packed into the miasma. Bogan felt the power run through him. Abyss was taunting him. Emotion was Elias’ clay and he was an excellent potter, but Abyss was a powerful mystic. Some great penalty would be served for trying to tamper with whatever was in the smoke. Temptation wracked him nonetheless.
“You did well Bogan. Your discipline is to be admired,” Abyss said as he floated through the door and seemed to ride on the smoke beneath his feet. Despite the fact he was in the rain forest, Bogan suddenly felt like he was in the middle of the Arctic.
Elias always had that feeling when Abyss made his presence known. Bogan hated the feeling, but he guessed that was the entire point. The two had struck up an alliance only a few months ago and the two began to concoct a way to remove Magneto from power in Genosha. Abyss had provided him with a list of potential allies. Elias considered the options and chose the ones who would be most suitable. His partner had not complained about his choices thus far. X-Nation had accomplished the first of its goals by putting Sunspot into power in San Marco. That was the only reason that Elias could think of for such an abrupt visit.
“I’m sure you want to know why I have decided to pay a visit to you. Well, don’t worry I haven’t come to deal out any sort of punishment. In fact I’ve come to celebrate the fruits of the future with you,” Abyss said as he glided forward and held out a bandaged hand with a glowing green crystal in the palm.
Elias stared down into the crystal and leaped back in fear. “How did you manage to capture him?”
Abyss laughed. “The Book of Omens affords me many powers. I have yet to scratch the surface of it.”
That thought frightened Elias along with the man screaming within that crystal. He had to wonder. Was that mutant really contained inside the crystal or was it just a passing mystical vision of him?
“What does this have to do with our plans?”
“Listen and you will see.”
Shaw looked through the screen from Genosha at his assembled Hellfire Club. He was being connected to them through live satellite feed. One member was noticeably missing and Shinobi asked, “Where is Fitzroy?”
Emplate looked at the table as if Trevor would magically appear and answered, “I don’t know. We haven’t heard anything from him in a few days. I assumed it was Trevor being Trevor.”
“Nevermind. We’ll just go on without him. Cordelia I believe you have some good news for us,” Shinobi smiled.
Cordelia nodded. “The doors of Frost Genetic Solutions opened only a few days ago. Thanks to the large profits that Vanisher and Shaw have been gaining through Genosha we were able to buy off a few smaller genetic research facilities and consolidate them into FGS.”
“And with Genosha’s connections in Africa we’re already starting to build facilities in Kenya and Somalia,” Shaw added and then directed his attention to Marius. “How goes the formation of Croix Digital?”
“Our office is up and operational in Algeria. Thanks to the special mutants you procured from Genosha’s Head Geneticist, we have been able to kick start our operations.”
Pleased was hardly enough of a word to describe Shaw’s pleasure with the Hellfire Club’s progress. Shaw Industries had just gained two new subsidiaries and was going to continue to grow with the money Genosha has been racking in from it’s secret drug trade, cheap oil trade, and growing economy.
The only problem before Shaw at the moment was tracking down Fitzroy. He needed to chew him out for not delivering on his promise of future computer chips. He was supposed to have delivered those to Emplate nearly three weeks ago. Just where had he gone?
Magneto knew he was about to walk off into an abyss that he wouldn’t be able to come back from. He was about to betray a man he practically begged to come to Genosha, but the facts were plain. The young woman in Lichtenbad had told him that Exodus would be the source of his demise. That thought tortured him and he even let himself begin to resent Bennet. The Viceroy probably didn’t even know what he was fated to do. It was wrong of him to act callous towards someone who had been loyal to him, but fate was fate.
“Think long. Think wrong, “Dr. Sando said as she waked up behind the thoughtful Magneto. Eve’s plans couldn’t be going any better and the inclusion of Ragnarok only helped to make her plot stick. The time of the Viceroy was drawing to a close and she only needed to keep Magneto on the right path. Lensherr knew how to make the tough decisions, but he thought of Exodus as a friend. That may cause him to stray.
Magneto was standing on his balcony peering down into the city. His shoulders were tense, but his long flowing hair disguised them. The usual garments of The President were stretched out on his bed and he was only wearing a thin white T-Shirt and silk house pants. For a man of his age he still had well defined muscles along his arms. If Dr. Sando had a thing for older men she might have almost been attracted to him. She was young enough to be his daughter though and that was all the turn off Sando needed.
“So did you speak with Mikhail?” Magneto asked without turning back to look at Ever. The woman had seemed on edge since returning from America. Every sudden movement caught her attention. Something had happened to her while she was gone. That something could make her a potential threat. He would find out what it was after the problem of Exodus was handled. Enough was already on his plate.
“Yes. He’s in. Obviously. The man would like nothing more than to see Exodus rot. Never realized how bad the air was between the two of them,” Eve said, struggling to keep her mind focused on the task at hand. The images of her slaughtered corporate masters were as fresh in her mind as morning dew. And then there was Abyss. He was a complete wildcard who had it out for Magneto. Eve was having to play three completely different games; Magneto’s, Abyss’s and hers.
“Do you see any potential problems, Doctor?”
“Ever is the only person in this government more loyal to Exodus than Genosha. Then there is his newly arrived friend…”
Magneto winced at the thought of Osman. A mutant that powerful needed to be an ally, but instead he would soon become an enemy. As if Genosha didn’t have enough of those. “I have the means in which to distract Ever. I will leave the other one to you. I am sure a mind as creative as yours will think of something.”
The Head Geneticist smiled. “You give me too much credit.”
Magneto finally turned and faced Sando with a tightened brow and terse lips. “Maybe I don’t give you enough.”
A strong wind blew across the balcony and sent Magneto’s hair billowing in the air. For just a moment Eve saw a glimpse of the Magneto that had struck fear in the Russians. He was giving her a warning without ever having to say a word. It was a message conveyed loud and clear. Do not cross him. Sando returned that expression with a grin and left the room.
The halls were a ghastly dark that was full of potential pitfalls and ominous danger looming around every unseen corner. Faint red lights could be seen periodically flickering on the roof, indication security cameras. The floors were such cold steel that Mystique could feel the iciness through her feet. It made perfect sense for files pertaining to the Mutant Extermination Protocols to be housed here. This place was frozen death in a dry, cold country.
Raven clicked on the communication device that was plugged into her ear and said, “Forge you hear me?”
“Loud and clear. You make it to the land of the rising sun?”
“Affirmative. Is the multiplier en route?”
“Roger. I’m taking care of the blinking hot sauce.”
Mystique rolled her eyes. “You would stick me with the down Forge.”
“You’ll deal Raven. Forge out.”
The communication ended and cursed Mystique cursed Forge’s smugness. Jamie Madrox was heading towards her and she would have to make sure he got back to Genosha in one piece. Magneto didn’t want his precious Angels getting hurt in a SHIELD sponsored operation. He was accepting the aid of SHIELD, but only sparsely. It was probably best that way. If knowledge of a SHIELD/Genosha agreement leaked out there would be a public relations E.L.E.
Not like that would be so terrible, Raven maliciously thought.
She was now an agent of SHIELD, but she was by no means in love with the organization. Seeing as how they pursued her for so long it was a bit rewarding to see them squirming. The oversight of the Byrons was chafing Fury, but he had managed to get the two of them to Genosha without much fuss. Apparently, she wasn’t on the top of the Byron Agency’s list.
“Mystique, where the hell are you?” a voice buzzed into her ear.
It was Madrox. The buffoon had probably lost himself in the cold darkness of the facility. He wasn’t suited for these kind of missions. Magneto should have sent Meltdown or Feral instead of Jamie. He couldn’t handle these sort of missions.
“Just keep coming east you idiot! I’ll spot you,” Mystique said.
Raven was glad for the fact she had never worked with Multiple Man in X-Factor. It was bad enough with that neural inhibitor. Having to deal with him and Creed would have just thrown her over the edge. She would have killed every member of X-Factor and never looked back except to smile at the bleeding bodies.
If I end up encountering resistance because of this punk I will break his legs, Mystique thought harshly.
Finally, Madrox stumbled into Mystique. She quickly grabbed him by the jacket and flung him against the nearest wall. The impact created a dinging sound that she ignored. Raven leaned into Madrox’s ear and hissed, “You should have given me some indication that you were near. I could have snapped your neck!”
“Lucky me,” Madrox smiled in the darkness. “So what’s next?”
“We keep moving. Our job is to disable the security cameras,” Raven said as she shoved an energy rifle into Madrox’s hands. “Can you duplicate these if you’re touching it?”
“I duplicate my clothes don’t I?” Madrox asked.
“Don’t be a smart ass. Just do it,” Mystique ordered.
“Nike called. They want their slogan back.”
“Forge must have struck you with me so I could kill you. Believe me, I could do it in so many different ways and not a single one would point to me. So I would strongly suggest you stop testing me.”
Madrox felt the seriousness in Mystique’s voice, but he honestly didn’t care. The woman had been tamed from the cold blooded killer she once was. Fear was the last thing he had to feel from this woman. She wasn’t going to lay a finger on him. The shrew had been tamed.
“And what would killing me accomplish? That would make your mission a bit more difficult wouldn’t it?” Madrox asked.
Raven shrugged. “I’m used to hard missions, Madrox. Not having you around to piss me off would be a plus.”
Jamie smirked. “Keep telling yourself that.”
“You must have a suicidal streak. I’ve killed far better than you.”
“But none as sexy as myself I’m sure.”
Mystique ignored the comment, roughly grabbed Madrox by the shoulders and flung him into the middle of the hallway. “Start moving. We don’t have time for your useless comments.”
For once, Multiple Man did as he was told and began to walk. The energy rifle was being held tensely in his arms. At a moment’s notice he would have to duplicate himself if resistance was encountered. That thought wasn’t the most pleasant one seeing as how he didn’t want to see his “dupes” getting mowed down by whatever technology their opponent was using. Jamie couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to go wrong.
“We got in here too easy,” Madrox observed.
“Agreed. It’s like they were expecting us. I have a feeling this MEP mission will be rougher than normal,” Mystique said.
“Thought you handled rough missions all the time?”
“Shut up and keep moving.”
General Ever walked out of the hospital room having spent enough time with the sleeping Osman. Exodus hadn’t shown during the hour that Ever had been visiting his old teammate. He was hoping that he would of because there were some things he wanted to continue discussing with Bennet. Onset in particular.
As he walking down the hall with his brain cogs turning he bumped into Dr. Sando. Ever was surprised and said, “Sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
Eve laughed. “It’s quite all right General. Is my patient awake in there?”
“No. He’s sound asleep.”
“Well, then I guess I’ll go and attend to him. You have a good day General,” Eve said as she walked into the hospital room.
Ever looked back and felt a strange feeling overcome him. Dr. Sando was in a particular good mood for no reason, but Ever couldn’t put his finger on it. He shook the feeling off and continued back to where he was supposed to meet Amelia and Rasputin.
When she was sure that he was gone Eve slipped out a syringe from in-between her breasts and lifted it up to the light. With a coldness that would do Mengele proud, she walked over to the hospital bed and stuck the syringe into the dormant Osman’s arm.
“One down. Two to go.”
NEXT ISSUE: Forge and his people get down and dirty with an international super-team. Abyss continues to plot the downfall of Magneto while The President plots the last moves of Exodus!
“The Ragnarok entity you spoke of,” Mikhail said.
Exodus nodded. “Yes. Onset tainted Forger’s mind and gave birth to Ragnarok. He is a being obsessed with creating conflict. I fear to imagine what he may do.”
Meltdown raised a hand and asked, “Forgive my ignorance, but just what can this guy do?”
“Create mutants. By the millions if he had the desire. When I was dimension hopping with him I saw that ability at work on more than one occasion,” General Ever answered. He lamented the loss of his friend, but his duty was with Genosha. If Ragnarok intended to bring harm to it then he would do his duty.
“If he is a mutant then why would he threaten Genosha?” Babylon asked. Though he was a mutant of tremendous power he was a naïve man, Sinister’s genetic experimentation had stripped him of much of his life experience. So he had a tendency to oversimplify complex situations.
“Not all mutants love Genosha or those within it, Babylon. Does Ragnarok hold a grudge with you Exodus?” Magneto asked.
Bennet nodded. “He hates me intensely.”
“Then maybe you’re the problem Viceroy. Genosha will be better off if you just leave,” Amadeus said frankly. He was still angry with the quick defeat of his Armor Droids and that emotion had bubbled over.
“There’s got to be a better way than that,” Amelia said.
“Besides, wouldn’t a power like Ragnarok’s better be used by Genosha rather than destroyed by it,” Gamemaster suggested.
Bennet frowned at that statement. “This is not something we can hope to control. He is far too unstable!”
“Besides, he has limits to his power. Even if we could control him, we couldn’t control his creations forever,” Ever added.
Dr. Sando wanted to know more. “Just what are these limitations General?”
“I think that would be a question better suited for me to answer,” Exodus said.
Mikhail sighed heavily and said, “Then answer it already! There is a country to be run and your word games are growing annoying!”
“I assure you that I am not playing games, but this is a serious matter. The information involved in it needs to be taken in carefully if we are to create a decent strategy,” Exodus explained and then he added, “Ragnarok is too powerful to do otherwise.”
“So should we be expecting a rain of mutants upon this island?” Amelia asked.
Exodus shook his head. “No. He’ll probably want to be in complete control of the mutants that he creates. So he would need them to be small in number.”
Magneto had all the information that he needed. “We will discuss this more later. Right now we have other matters to discuss. Selected Angels, I need for you to meet with Forge and Mystique. They will brief you on your mission. With that said this meeting is adjourned.”
“So you accepted. That was abrupt,” Exodus admitted to his protégé after they had left the Cabinet meeting. The two of them were walking down a hall away from the rest of Genosha’s elite.
Ever laughed at Exodus’ observation and said, “Yes, it was quick for me, too. I made it so fast I rattled myself.”
“Well, I am proud. Do not think otherwise.”
“I don’t. So how is Osman doing?” Ever asked still digesting all that had transpired in a short span of time. A friend had been conquered by some dark aspect of himself given form by one of Ever’s most hated foes, Onset.
“I took him to the best hospital in Genosha. He should recover just fine. Despite that bit of good news though there is something I must tell you and you alone.”
Ever nodded and his voice was lower as he said, “Sounds major.”
“Onset is alive and well. She let me know as much,” Exodus said grimly. He had been in his chambers when she reached out to him and smugly pronounced her return.
Tension rushed through Ever’s body along with a good amount of fury. Onset, one of the Exiles’ greatest foes, was alive and well. With that knowledge in hand Ever asked, “Do you think she is responsible for Ragnarok?”
“Only indirectly. Her concerns seem to be elsewhere at the moment. Probably a good thing,” Exodus said.
“Considering everything else we have to deal with… yeah, it’s definitely a good thing. Though you know we can’t avoid her forever.”
“But for now this needs to stay between us,” Exodus said right before Mikhail Rasputin approached the two mutants.
“General, we need to discuss how the Psi-Corps should be placed around the island. I have my own ideas, as does Amelia, but ultimately the final decision will lie with you,” Mikhail said as he placed a firm hand on Ever’s shoulder and gave the young mutant a warm smile.
Exodus didn’t trust the expression for one minute and it was plainly evident in his facial expression as he said, “Ever, please feel free to see Osman today. I think he would enjoy your company.”
Mikhail watched Exodus teleport away and said to Ever, “Beware of him, General. He is jealous of your potential and that you were chosen to lead Genosha’s telepaths.”
“With all due respect Minister, I don’t see the Viceroy as someone I need to be wary of. Thought I am plenty aware of the real jackals in Genosha’s cabinet.”
That comment stung Rasputin, but he did his best not to let it show. He knew the young man held a great deal of disdain towards him for past grievances, but the Viceroy was the gasoline keeping those flames of the past lit. Mikhail had to use recent events to his advantage if he wanted to sway Ever. He needed an ally on this island and his former charge was his best option.
Mystique sat at the beach, staring off into the distance. Behind her was Forge and he was looking through a pair of binoculars away from Raven. He pulled them away from his eyes and said, “They’re not here yet. What’s taking so long?”
“You shouldn’t try to understand the affairs of these Genoshans. They run on their own time.”
“We need to get to our destination and soon. Time is of the essence here,” Forge replied.
Mystique laughed and shook her head. “Relax, Forge. They have a teleporter that will get us where we want to go in moments. You’re dealing with mutants. Not weak humans.”
“That some of the old Mystique I’m hearing?”
“Darling, I’ve never changed.”
Suddenly, a large pink portal opened next to the two mutants. Mystique stood up and smiled as she said, “Told you those binoculars weren’t worth a damn.”
Forge huffed and put them away and then he turned to the newly arrived Fallen Angels. He folded his arms across his chest and said, “You’re late.”
Madrox looked at Forge and shrugged. “Sorry man. We had hush hush stuff to deal with. Magneto kept us on lockdown.”
“Nevermind. It doesn’t matter now. Let’s get down to it. Tajikistan is our location. The Mutant Extermination Protocols are our priority here. My intel tells me this base has information that will allow us to hunt down all the buyers of these weapons,” Forge said as he handed all of the Fallen Angels a manila folder detailing the schematics of the base.
Looking over the papers Madrox asked, “Wouldn’t Mana be better suited for this mission? She could just tear this building down and we could get what we needed.”
Forge laughed. “And set off an international incident in the process. We have to be delicate here, Jamie.”
“Yeah. Don’t want anymore of my friends dropping in again. Not sure you guys could handle it,” Volcana said with a smug grin.
Madrox smiled. “You would say that when Feral’s not around.”
Volcana’s grin disappeared and seemed to float over to Mystique. Raven was glad that she didn’t have to put the haughty woman in her place. Genosha was far from her home, but brother mutants were there. Mutants that were slaughtered by Volcana and her friends. Magneto had truly changed if he had not only left her live, but added her to his armed forces.
Sensing the tension Forge said, “Let’s go. Glance take a look at this map and get us to our location.”
“And what happens if Glance gets taken out in this mission? Then we’re stuck in freakin Russia!” Volcana exclaimed.
“Tajikistan,” Forge corrected. “And in the highly unlikely event Glance goes down then there is a SHIELD transport waiting to move in and pick us up.”
“But you won’t have to worry about that. I have more than enough combat experience. I don’t need a bunch of thugs to back me up,” Glance said keeping his eyes on Volcana the whole time.
Volcana laughed. “Could have fooled me. What would you call Cortez and his people?”
“Ahh shaddup already! Shit I want to get home before tomorrow and you running your big mouth isn’t helping,” Madrox exclaimed.
“Well put. Now can we go darling?” Mystique asked as she walked up and laid an arm on the Native American’s shoulder.
Forge nodded. “Yes. Let’s go.”
Bogan actually found himself enjoying the tropics of San Marco. Of course he didn’t have time to enjoy it too much as Abyss was soon due to meet with him. In the meantime he would enjoy the lush greenery from his balcony, but then a deathly cold fell over Elias. There would be no mean time.
A thin smoke began to creep form the glass door leading onto the beige balcony. The smoke clung to the ground and surrounded Elias. Raw emotion was packed into the miasma. Bogan felt the power run through him. Abyss was taunting him. Emotion was Elias’ clay and he was an excellent potter, but Abyss was a powerful mystic. Some great penalty would be served for trying to tamper with whatever was in the smoke. Temptation wracked him nonetheless.
“You did well Bogan. Your discipline is to be admired,” Abyss said as he floated through the door and seemed to ride on the smoke beneath his feet. Despite the fact he was in the rain forest, Bogan suddenly felt like he was in the middle of the Arctic.
Elias always had that feeling when Abyss made his presence known. Bogan hated the feeling, but he guessed that was the entire point. The two had struck up an alliance only a few months ago and the two began to concoct a way to remove Magneto from power in Genosha. Abyss had provided him with a list of potential allies. Elias considered the options and chose the ones who would be most suitable. His partner had not complained about his choices thus far. X-Nation had accomplished the first of its goals by putting Sunspot into power in San Marco. That was the only reason that Elias could think of for such an abrupt visit.
“I’m sure you want to know why I have decided to pay a visit to you. Well, don’t worry I haven’t come to deal out any sort of punishment. In fact I’ve come to celebrate the fruits of the future with you,” Abyss said as he glided forward and held out a bandaged hand with a glowing green crystal in the palm.
Elias stared down into the crystal and leaped back in fear. “How did you manage to capture him?”
Abyss laughed. “The Book of Omens affords me many powers. I have yet to scratch the surface of it.”
That thought frightened Elias along with the man screaming within that crystal. He had to wonder. Was that mutant really contained inside the crystal or was it just a passing mystical vision of him?
“What does this have to do with our plans?”
“Listen and you will see.”
Shaw looked through the screen from Genosha at his assembled Hellfire Club. He was being connected to them through live satellite feed. One member was noticeably missing and Shinobi asked, “Where is Fitzroy?”
Emplate looked at the table as if Trevor would magically appear and answered, “I don’t know. We haven’t heard anything from him in a few days. I assumed it was Trevor being Trevor.”
“Nevermind. We’ll just go on without him. Cordelia I believe you have some good news for us,” Shinobi smiled.
Cordelia nodded. “The doors of Frost Genetic Solutions opened only a few days ago. Thanks to the large profits that Vanisher and Shaw have been gaining through Genosha we were able to buy off a few smaller genetic research facilities and consolidate them into FGS.”
“And with Genosha’s connections in Africa we’re already starting to build facilities in Kenya and Somalia,” Shaw added and then directed his attention to Marius. “How goes the formation of Croix Digital?”
“Our office is up and operational in Algeria. Thanks to the special mutants you procured from Genosha’s Head Geneticist, we have been able to kick start our operations.”
Pleased was hardly enough of a word to describe Shaw’s pleasure with the Hellfire Club’s progress. Shaw Industries had just gained two new subsidiaries and was going to continue to grow with the money Genosha has been racking in from it’s secret drug trade, cheap oil trade, and growing economy.
The only problem before Shaw at the moment was tracking down Fitzroy. He needed to chew him out for not delivering on his promise of future computer chips. He was supposed to have delivered those to Emplate nearly three weeks ago. Just where had he gone?
Magneto knew he was about to walk off into an abyss that he wouldn’t be able to come back from. He was about to betray a man he practically begged to come to Genosha, but the facts were plain. The young woman in Lichtenbad had told him that Exodus would be the source of his demise. That thought tortured him and he even let himself begin to resent Bennet. The Viceroy probably didn’t even know what he was fated to do. It was wrong of him to act callous towards someone who had been loyal to him, but fate was fate.
“Think long. Think wrong, “Dr. Sando said as she waked up behind the thoughtful Magneto. Eve’s plans couldn’t be going any better and the inclusion of Ragnarok only helped to make her plot stick. The time of the Viceroy was drawing to a close and she only needed to keep Magneto on the right path. Lensherr knew how to make the tough decisions, but he thought of Exodus as a friend. That may cause him to stray.
Magneto was standing on his balcony peering down into the city. His shoulders were tense, but his long flowing hair disguised them. The usual garments of The President were stretched out on his bed and he was only wearing a thin white T-Shirt and silk house pants. For a man of his age he still had well defined muscles along his arms. If Dr. Sando had a thing for older men she might have almost been attracted to him. She was young enough to be his daughter though and that was all the turn off Sando needed.
“So did you speak with Mikhail?” Magneto asked without turning back to look at Ever. The woman had seemed on edge since returning from America. Every sudden movement caught her attention. Something had happened to her while she was gone. That something could make her a potential threat. He would find out what it was after the problem of Exodus was handled. Enough was already on his plate.
“Yes. He’s in. Obviously. The man would like nothing more than to see Exodus rot. Never realized how bad the air was between the two of them,” Eve said, struggling to keep her mind focused on the task at hand. The images of her slaughtered corporate masters were as fresh in her mind as morning dew. And then there was Abyss. He was a complete wildcard who had it out for Magneto. Eve was having to play three completely different games; Magneto’s, Abyss’s and hers.
“Do you see any potential problems, Doctor?”
“Ever is the only person in this government more loyal to Exodus than Genosha. Then there is his newly arrived friend…”
Magneto winced at the thought of Osman. A mutant that powerful needed to be an ally, but instead he would soon become an enemy. As if Genosha didn’t have enough of those. “I have the means in which to distract Ever. I will leave the other one to you. I am sure a mind as creative as yours will think of something.”
The Head Geneticist smiled. “You give me too much credit.”
Magneto finally turned and faced Sando with a tightened brow and terse lips. “Maybe I don’t give you enough.”
A strong wind blew across the balcony and sent Magneto’s hair billowing in the air. For just a moment Eve saw a glimpse of the Magneto that had struck fear in the Russians. He was giving her a warning without ever having to say a word. It was a message conveyed loud and clear. Do not cross him. Sando returned that expression with a grin and left the room.
The halls were a ghastly dark that was full of potential pitfalls and ominous danger looming around every unseen corner. Faint red lights could be seen periodically flickering on the roof, indication security cameras. The floors were such cold steel that Mystique could feel the iciness through her feet. It made perfect sense for files pertaining to the Mutant Extermination Protocols to be housed here. This place was frozen death in a dry, cold country.
Raven clicked on the communication device that was plugged into her ear and said, “Forge you hear me?”
“Loud and clear. You make it to the land of the rising sun?”
“Affirmative. Is the multiplier en route?”
“Roger. I’m taking care of the blinking hot sauce.”
Mystique rolled her eyes. “You would stick me with the down Forge.”
“You’ll deal Raven. Forge out.”
The communication ended and cursed Mystique cursed Forge’s smugness. Jamie Madrox was heading towards her and she would have to make sure he got back to Genosha in one piece. Magneto didn’t want his precious Angels getting hurt in a SHIELD sponsored operation. He was accepting the aid of SHIELD, but only sparsely. It was probably best that way. If knowledge of a SHIELD/Genosha agreement leaked out there would be a public relations E.L.E.
Not like that would be so terrible, Raven maliciously thought.
She was now an agent of SHIELD, but she was by no means in love with the organization. Seeing as how they pursued her for so long it was a bit rewarding to see them squirming. The oversight of the Byrons was chafing Fury, but he had managed to get the two of them to Genosha without much fuss. Apparently, she wasn’t on the top of the Byron Agency’s list.
“Mystique, where the hell are you?” a voice buzzed into her ear.
It was Madrox. The buffoon had probably lost himself in the cold darkness of the facility. He wasn’t suited for these kind of missions. Magneto should have sent Meltdown or Feral instead of Jamie. He couldn’t handle these sort of missions.
“Just keep coming east you idiot! I’ll spot you,” Mystique said.
Raven was glad for the fact she had never worked with Multiple Man in X-Factor. It was bad enough with that neural inhibitor. Having to deal with him and Creed would have just thrown her over the edge. She would have killed every member of X-Factor and never looked back except to smile at the bleeding bodies.
If I end up encountering resistance because of this punk I will break his legs, Mystique thought harshly.
Finally, Madrox stumbled into Mystique. She quickly grabbed him by the jacket and flung him against the nearest wall. The impact created a dinging sound that she ignored. Raven leaned into Madrox’s ear and hissed, “You should have given me some indication that you were near. I could have snapped your neck!”
“Lucky me,” Madrox smiled in the darkness. “So what’s next?”
“We keep moving. Our job is to disable the security cameras,” Raven said as she shoved an energy rifle into Madrox’s hands. “Can you duplicate these if you’re touching it?”
“I duplicate my clothes don’t I?” Madrox asked.
“Don’t be a smart ass. Just do it,” Mystique ordered.
“Nike called. They want their slogan back.”
“Forge must have struck you with me so I could kill you. Believe me, I could do it in so many different ways and not a single one would point to me. So I would strongly suggest you stop testing me.”
Madrox felt the seriousness in Mystique’s voice, but he honestly didn’t care. The woman had been tamed from the cold blooded killer she once was. Fear was the last thing he had to feel from this woman. She wasn’t going to lay a finger on him. The shrew had been tamed.
“And what would killing me accomplish? That would make your mission a bit more difficult wouldn’t it?” Madrox asked.
Raven shrugged. “I’m used to hard missions, Madrox. Not having you around to piss me off would be a plus.”
Jamie smirked. “Keep telling yourself that.”
“You must have a suicidal streak. I’ve killed far better than you.”
“But none as sexy as myself I’m sure.”
Mystique ignored the comment, roughly grabbed Madrox by the shoulders and flung him into the middle of the hallway. “Start moving. We don’t have time for your useless comments.”
For once, Multiple Man did as he was told and began to walk. The energy rifle was being held tensely in his arms. At a moment’s notice he would have to duplicate himself if resistance was encountered. That thought wasn’t the most pleasant one seeing as how he didn’t want to see his “dupes” getting mowed down by whatever technology their opponent was using. Jamie couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to go wrong.
“We got in here too easy,” Madrox observed.
“Agreed. It’s like they were expecting us. I have a feeling this MEP mission will be rougher than normal,” Mystique said.
“Thought you handled rough missions all the time?”
“Shut up and keep moving.”
General Ever walked out of the hospital room having spent enough time with the sleeping Osman. Exodus hadn’t shown during the hour that Ever had been visiting his old teammate. He was hoping that he would of because there were some things he wanted to continue discussing with Bennet. Onset in particular.
As he walking down the hall with his brain cogs turning he bumped into Dr. Sando. Ever was surprised and said, “Sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
Eve laughed. “It’s quite all right General. Is my patient awake in there?”
“No. He’s sound asleep.”
“Well, then I guess I’ll go and attend to him. You have a good day General,” Eve said as she walked into the hospital room.
Ever looked back and felt a strange feeling overcome him. Dr. Sando was in a particular good mood for no reason, but Ever couldn’t put his finger on it. He shook the feeling off and continued back to where he was supposed to meet Amelia and Rasputin.
When she was sure that he was gone Eve slipped out a syringe from in-between her breasts and lifted it up to the light. With a coldness that would do Mengele proud, she walked over to the hospital bed and stuck the syringe into the dormant Osman’s arm.
“One down. Two to go.”
NEXT ISSUE: Forge and his people get down and dirty with an international super-team. Abyss continues to plot the downfall of Magneto while The President plots the last moves of Exodus!