Callisto Arrives (tag: ALL)

[Pyro]

"I didn't desert you. I was healing. I almost died back there, and it took me all this time to heal..."

"Almost a year?" Pyro was faintly incredulous. In the past, she'd always boasted on the power of her healing ability. "Well, guess you aren't so tough any more, eh?"

"I am here because I want to do something, and I guess I'm here to stay..."

"You haven't answered either of my questions yet. Either you accept Magneto's gone and move on and accept my leadership, or you don't." Pyro hadn't dissipated the fire whip yet and almost lazily flicked his wrist so it jumped at his control again. "Things have changed. Things have changed a lot. Our own numbers are seriously depleted thanks to the Cure. And we're doing what we can to level the playing field again."

He stretched out the whip lazily, which curled around the woman without touching her, like a snare, like a noose, dragging her in. Even with her speed, if she tried to run, she'd have to break through the fire to get anywhere.

"So what d'you say, Callisto? In or out? Very simple. Say you're out and you go now, no hard feelings, bye bye. Say you're in, and you do what I say. It's my show now."

[callisto]

"You haven't answered either of my questions yet. Either you accept Magneto's gone and move on and accept my leadership, or you don't." Pyro hadn't dissipated the fire whip yet and almost lazily flicked his wrist so it jumped at his control again. "Things have changed. Things have changed a lot. Our own numbers are seriously depleted thanks to the Cure. And we're doing what we can to level the playing field again."

Don't I know it... I've been out there, seen what it's like.

She was still as Pyro sent the length of fire across the ground. She did not move, did not hide from it. Callisto had a feeling he was testing her, so she stood her ground as it wrapped around her like a snake. It pulled her closer...

"So what d'you say, Callisto? In or out? Very simple. Say you're out and you go now, no hard feelings, bye bye. Say you're in, and you do what I say. It's my show now."

Callisto rolled her eyes. "Magneto is dead, you are the leader now."

You dirty, power-hungry son of a bitch.

[dharma]

Dharma folded his hands in front of him. She was impressive, carried the agility and speed of some of the older monks in his home country. He tilted his head back a bit, watching her.

And said nothing. Pyro was doing a good job, asking the right question. He was as fiery as his name suggested. It made Dharma wonder how longer the boy could keep up such intensity. Did he burn out quickly or sustain his fire? He would have to ask later.

[Nightingale]

Watching the exchange with a frown, Angie waved to Juggernaut. It was a moment later, when the woman was apparently leaving that Angie realised she'd stabbed Cain in the back, and her frown deepened. The hatch slammed shut with a bang, and Gill's eyes flicked up from the screen to see Angie ducking out. As soon as she was gone, the room started to return to its former smoke-filled state.

She was down at the entrance quickly enough, striding out to watch as Pyro dragged Callisto toward him with a flaming whip. Listening to his words, she had a momentary image of him shouting 'Respect my authoritai!' Cartman style, but managed to keep her mirth contained to only a small quirk of the lips.

Walking over to Cain, she reached over to touch his arm with one bare hand. Dwarfed by the big man, the little blonde girl would have tugged on his sleeve, except for the fact that he never wore anything with sleeves.

Despite the fact that he'd been stabbed in the back, the Juggernaut was just fine. He was always fine - the only time Angie had ever seen him hurt was when his head was set on fire. And even that only injured him insofar as it took his oxygen away.

With a shrug, Angie took her hand back and put it in the pocket of her jeans. "Is everyone ok?" She kept her voice to a low whisper, glancing warily at Pyro and Callisto.

[Juggers]

Cain glanced down at Angie and grinned, "yeah everythin' is just fine out 'ere, Pyro's just teachin' a snotty cow 'ow to eat 'umble pie." He watched as Callisto was reeled in by the fire lash.

Her words sounded about as sincere as a salesman. All smile and no substance.

"She ain't doin' too bad for someone who was dead last time we saw 'er though, got cooked by the leader of the X-Men, blasted by lightnin'," he paused and thought about the recent battle in Baltimore, "seems to be 'appenin' alot lately."

John certainly seemed to have the situation well in hand, though he hoped the lad was smart enough not to trust Callisto. Ever. Looking at his confident new self Cain believed that Pyro wouldn't give the newcomer an inch.

He suspected that if given an inch she would take a yard, probably even a mile.

Dharma remained unreadable but as far as the Juggernaut was concerned the man had already demonstrated his loyalties and would hopefully be just as wary of the woman.

It remained to be seen what Pyro's next move would be.

[Pyro]

Pyro didn't miss the rolling of Callisto's eyes and smirked slightly at the woman's insincerity. "You don't believe either of those words. I tell you this for nothing, Omega Mutant, you put so much as one eyelash out of line, you'll call down the wrath of everyone left on this island. Do I make myself perfectly and abundantly clear?"

With what appeared to be total ease of effort, he snapped his hand back and the fire whip dissipated. He kept a small ball of flame burning in his hand, however - just to make the point. "We could use your talents, most assuredly - but lose the attitude. You're impressing nobody but yourself. You're either with us, or you're against us."

A faint grin flickered over the young man's lips.

"And any other number of assorted cliches."

He glanced sideways at Angie and winked lightly at her. This was the first time he could remember ever feeling so...in charge of a situation. The fact that his ability to manipulate fire had increase exponentially went some way towards his new-found level-headedness. When Callisto had seen him last, he'd been able to fling fireballs and produce streams of flame. Now he had a grip on fire constructs. He was more powerful than he had been.

Respect, he thought, absently, my authority.

[callisto]

"You don't believe either of those words. I tell you this for nothing, Omega Mutant, you put so much as one eyelash out of line, you'll call down the wrath of everyone left on this island. Do I make myself perfectly and abundantly clear?"

Callisto frowned as the fire dissapeared, leaving her standing there. His powers had grown. But she could still take him. Keeping a straight face, she stayed where she was.

"Yes. Sir..."

"We could use your talents, most assuredly - but lose the attitude. You're impressing nobody but yourself. You're either with us, or you're against us."

Me? An attitude? Look in the mirror jackass.

"And any other number of assorted cliches."

Knowing she shouldn't dare cross him, or else everyone here would attack... and she wouldn't be able to take on all four at once. So she just stood there, being the good little warrior, reporting to her commander.

"Send me on a mission as soon as you can, I doubt people will like me very much if I stay here for too long..." Callisto said, looking over at Pyro, smiling. "Where's my room?"

[Pyro]

Who said anybody liked you now?

The smile stayed on his face as he relaxed the fireball down to a spark and finally drew the flame back into himself. "You remember where the rooms are. Go pick yourself one out that's not obviously taken. And check in with Gill for details of where the retinal scanners are, he deleted you from the database - for some reason."

Pyro folded his arms across his chest.

"You're still here," he commented. "Get going before I change my mind. I do that, you know. Change my mind."

It felt fantastic to be in this much control, he was discovering, and he offered up brief, grateful thanks to Emma Frost, acknowledging her help in getting him out of the gully of insanity and back on the path to leading the Brotherhood. If she heard him or sensed him or not, he didn't know. He rather suspected she did.

Pyro looked over at Cain. "You're in charge of keeping a close eye on her," he said, once she was gone. "Anything goes wrong, you're to be held accountable, OK?"

[dharma]

Dharma nodded. He was a good leader. It was good to see that they had some strength of will on the island.

Moving back in the direction of the construction he'd been working on, he stepped with rhythmic, fluid motions, reciting under his breath a mantra with each step.

"Sabbe satta, sukhi hontu. Sabbe satta," with one step, "..sukhi hontu." with the other.

All was right with the world.

[Juggers]

Cain nodded at Pyro.

"'Ere that?" He said to Callisto, "you gonna be'ave yourself or I'm gonna break ya legs, see 'ow fast ya are then!"

She'd heal from it eventually of course but it would amuse the Juggernaut while it lasted. He looked up at the security office again and waved a signal to Gill to let the woman past, even though it would have made him laugh to see her get shocked again.

"I'm gonna go see Python about somethin' now," he said, returning his attention to Pyro, "gonna take a walk down to the machine shop, get a few things sorted out."

He glanced sideways at the newcomer again, "I'll 'ave Gill make sure she don't get up to nothin' though, don't you worry."

With that he stomped off back into the building.

[callisto]

Ignoring everyone's comments... just walking forward, the lone wolf. Deciding to make a count of all the mutants, she made a right... going to take a walk around the compound.

Bastards.