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Post by Pyro on Jul 12, 2006 1:26:45 GMT -5
John wasn't sure if the sudden ripple of colour across her lips was real or imagined, but he felt his heart catch in his throat for a second. Rather impulsively, even a little shyly, he reached across and grabbed her hand in his own. "Magneto got something very wrong when he left you," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "He said 'such a shame: she was so beautiful'. But you still are beautiful, Mystique."
It was such an un-John-like thing to do or say that for once his actions towards a female didn't make him blush furiously.
He raised her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles softly before letting go. Then, it seemed, any moment between them was lost.
"I need your help to get me into computer systems, to bring down NovaTeX's security network, to learn their defences, to steal their accounts - looks like they've been supplying the military." He shifted in the seat of the car so he was facing forward again. "This isn't like England. That was a sudden inspiration. This is a mission that needs careful planning."
He turned his head and studied her. "I missed you," he said, simply.
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Post by mystique on Jul 12, 2006 8:28:37 GMT -5
Mystique watched Pyro calmly with a slow, subtle smile, her eyes narrowing as he kissed her fingers in such a gallant gesture. She'd spent decades being made love to by some of the most dangerous men- and women- in existence. Still part of her wanted to play into it, to relax into the little game they were playing with one another, to be a woman for just a little while.
And then the tide shifted again. She was half relieved and didn't miss a beat, appreciating Pyro more now, knowing he seemed to understand her way of mixing business with pleasure. She smiled, her slow laugh velvety as she turned the car on again. Little excited her more than making plans.
"If this is done correctly, I'd like to be able to retain the right information to reverse engineer the drug. Find a way to inoculate ourselves to it. I don't want to risk losing any more of us." She glanced at him briefly, letting the significance of that look linger before looking back to the road.
"Tell me what you have on the place. Blueprints? What information do you have on their security systems. Do you know any names involved with the company- not just the CEO, CFO, President, but major stockholders, VPs of Operations, people who are at a sublevel who are going to have less administrative control but functional control. We'll go over all of this." Her voice sounded urgent in a way only someone who lived and died for her purpose could. She looked at him again. "Tonight, if you'd like to."
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Post by Pyro on Jul 12, 2006 11:00:43 GMT -5
"Tonight, if you'd like to."
Pyro had always loved Mystique's intensity and it was firing him up in a way he hadn't felt since Magneto's loss. He was starting to revert to the belief that he could, if he just exerted a *very* little effort, conquer the world.
"I've done a lot of research," he said. "Jane - she's one of the new mutants we've picked up - helped me go through a lot of the accounts stuff earlier. NovaTex have a hefty contract with the US military and we definitely suspect it's tied into the Sentinel programme - I've got printouts on all of that."
He rubbed at his nose for a couple of moments.
"I haven't got into their computer systems fully yet," he said, shamefully, "but I have downloaded most of the company data through public access forums. I'm not that much of a technophile, unfortunately. I can work a computer, but anything beyond designing a basic, text-only web page is kinda beyond me."
Her idea of reverse engineering the drug to create a working innoculation was another thing that made John feel increasingly confident. If they could achieve that, they'd be nigh on invincible, once they had their numbers back up to a decent level again.
It was all going right for the first time in so many months.
Slowly and surely some of the terrible guilt that had weighed the boy down over the intervening time started to lift. It was all going to work out. He knew that, now.
"I've been developing my abilities," he said, conversationally. "I think they're sort of ... evolving, if that's the right word."
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Post by mystique on Jul 12, 2006 11:26:13 GMT -5
She felt the subtle weight of the minidisc over her heart, and smiled to herself. So much he didn't know. So much she was going to tell him, once he proved himself worthy of the information.
One could never be too careful.
"Good... good, all of this. And I can see what else we can find out. It's something you may want to sit in on, I think the more of us that know how to crack into encoded systems, the better."
"I've been developing my abilities," he said, conversationally. "I think they're sort of ... evolving, if that's the right word."
"Really." She turned the corner up the hill towards the compound again. "Do tell."
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Post by Pyro on Jul 12, 2006 12:19:19 GMT -5
"Really. Do tell."
"Remember how Magneto always said that my abilities were still crude, that I had no true idea how to channel my mind into the flames? Well, I can do more than just hurl fireballs now." He told her how he had started created 'tendrils' of flame that had shape, form and solidity. He told her how he had caused one to pluck a pistol from the hands of a policeman and carry it to Python.
He told her how he had been out in the compound practising.
He didn't tell her how drained he became the harder he tried. That made him sound too weak - and right now, that was the last thing he wanted to sound. "I want to try something more...solid, but it's not that easy."
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Post by mystique on Jul 12, 2006 12:36:29 GMT -5
"Not easy, but good. Very good. It hasn't been long and you've had a lot to deal with aside from your own training." She nodded. If she wasn't careful, all this encouragement would make him complacent. "It's a shame Iceman refused to see the light. The two of you might have gained a lot comparing techniques." Mystique smiled, that twisted smooth look that made you wonder what exactly she was thinking.
"When do you want to move on NovaTeX. If there is time, and I can figure out a way in, I can get the information we need from within their main buildings before we destroy it. I'm hoping you have some visual confirmation of the location. If not, I'm afraid you'll need a bit more time, unless you want to risk more deaths."
"And if they're still on the island, let's get the others together. You'll want to make sure you've got your ducks in a row."
The thought of Pyro leading an obedient chain of older, more experience mutants made her laugh. She was starting to really like this one.
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Post by Pyro on Jul 12, 2006 14:23:55 GMT -5
"It's a shame Iceman refused to see the light. The two of you might have gained a lot comparing techniques."
John scowled. "The only thing I want to compare with that son of a camel dealer's daughter is fist blows. Bastard." He chose not to describe how Bobby had left him unconscious at Alcatraz. Odd, really when you thought about it; if Bobby hadn't knocked him out, he might well have been caught in the Jean Grey shockwave.
Serendipity.
He threw thoughts of Bobby metaphorically out of the car window and focused on the present.
"As soon as possible, really. Indications are that they're gonna start rotating stocks of the Cure pretty quick - and we want to get to them as swiftly as we can manage. I was thinking along the lines of a night raid and sabotage rather than a full-on assault - you know - leave the place in chaos, leave the Brotherhood 'calling card' as it were. There could be some good recruits in the queues outside the place."
He described to Mystique everything he'd learned about NovaTex, its location, what he knew about Edward Rawlins. He was surprisingly well read on the matter. He'd always shown a remarkable talent for research: probably part of his one-time desire to become a journalist.
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Post by mystique on Jul 12, 2006 14:31:25 GMT -5
Mystique stopped the car where she had left it before. Getting out, she noticed a few scratches along the side. It was too bad. But the car would stay here, so it was to be expected.
She pivoted a bit as Pyro got out of the car, watching him. He knew what he was talking about, even if he wasn't sure what he was doing. The latter she could handle for now.
"I'm going to see what I can find, if you don't mind me borrowing your office." She winked. "You're welcome to join me, but I think we should get the others together as soon as possible. If you like, we can make our move within a day or so, dependent on travel time. You seem anxious to.." Her breath caught in her throat. "Act." A look not quite fliratious- as flirtatious was rarely the word for a woman like Mystique- crossed her lips, before she turned towards the entrance.
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Post by Pyro on Jul 12, 2006 14:39:09 GMT -5
Pyro's eyes didn't leave her once.
She was totally bewitching.
Intoxicating.
Captivating.
Many, many other words ending in 'ing' that he couldn't call to mind right now, but he was transfixed as he watched her walk towards the compound. He'd always suspected she'd had a 'thing' for Magneto, which had made his harsh dismissal of her even more difficult for Pyro to reconcile.
She treated him like an adult. Even Python, his closest ally forgot sometimes and talked to him like a kid. Mystique made him feel like a man.
He continued watching her for a while, appreciating the view, then hurried to fall into step with her. "Yeah, I'm anxious to act," he said. "I should probably wait 'til I get the stitches out of this damn shoulder, but if we don't move swiftly...the numbers we could lose to the damn cure. Python's landed us a tidy little cargo plane which is tough enough to transport the Juggernaut, so getting to Baltimore isn't gonna be that much of a problem. I reckon we fly in, do the job and head more or less straight back out again - unless you have other ideas."
He ran his fingers through his untidy hair.
"And you're more than welcome to use the office - I'll - ah - sit in with you if that's cool. Who knows? I might learn something."
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Post by mystique on Jul 12, 2006 15:03:18 GMT -5
"Cargo plane. Brilliant. It's good to know everyone isn't just sitting around waiting for someone to tell them what to do." She nodded. It really was encouraging.
"Like I've said, if I can find a way in, I'd like to do my work before the rest of the plan goes through. I want to see...." she trailed off for a moment. "What we can find out about the place. Do you know if they have any other locations?"
Her heels once again announced her presence, and yet, when she'd come in, he hadn't heard her make a sound. They reached the door to his office and she turned to him, stopping in the doorway. Her fingers ran down his arm and she leaned in a bit, speaking in a half-whisper.
"Do we have anything to drink? I could use a tension breaker." That tension she spoke of lingered between them, before she smirked and turned back into the room, sitting at his chair and crossing her long legs.
Within seconds her eyes were all business, fingers working on the keyboard as she got to work.
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Post by Pyro on Jul 12, 2006 15:10:06 GMT -5
John was young. He was inexperienced, desperate for approval and even a little bit lonely. He was exactly the kind of target that Mystique's skills worked on best.
Mystique's actions, gentle touches, kindness and sheer dominating presence had left him totally and utterly smitten. He blinked slowly at her sitting at his desk, typing away, almost as though in a daze and murmured: "A drink...yes, a drink..."
He didn't remember walking to the kitchen area, but he must have done, because after a few moments, he returned with a bottle of red wine from the stock. He'd only brought one glass, though. He knew he had precisely no tolerance for alcohol in much the same way that Jane's opium and other drugs had been so swift-acting.
John set the bottle and the glass down for Mystique, then perched on the edge of the other chair in the room.
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Post by mystique on Jul 12, 2006 15:42:56 GMT -5
The stem of the wineglass slid between her fingers, her other hand continuing to click against the keys. She took a sip without lifting her eyes, then stopped, licking her lips.
"Oh my. That is nice. Thank you."
Pyro stepped in line so nicely. Of course, she had her own selfish reasons for seducing the boy, but as she'd thought to herself earlier- business and pleasure. If a man needed his confidence boosted, if that made him a better leader, she was happy to oblige. Nevermind that she was old enough to be his mother twice over. Longevity had its advantages.
After a few minutes, she looked up at him, and gestured him closer.
"Look." She rolled the chair over a few inches, giving him room to see the screen beside her. "They won't leave the schematics on their database, both because they are anticipating an attack of some sort, and due to noncompetition agreements they've likely signed with the military. It's standard procedure for contracted companies."
Her finger ran down a long list of numbers that seemed to mean little. "If they are following standard procedure for the containment of bioactive material prepared for transport, these are the ID numbers of each batch..." Then she indicated another column. "And these are where they are located. It's only numbers, but they're likely cargo units in the warehouse. Have you seen where that's located? In the rear, or maybe in a seperate building on the lot?"
"I won't be worried about those. Those, we need to destroy, so if you can take care of that portion of it we're set. The labs, the offices, and the intranet database they likely have storing more sensitive information... THAT is where I will be headed."
She looked at him, the light of the monitor casting a familiar bluish colour to her face. "Now I'm sure you've considered the PR angel..." she smiled, amused. "Tell me how you want to make your message clear."
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Post by Pyro on Jul 12, 2006 16:10:16 GMT -5
"And these are where they are located. It's only numbers, but they're likely cargo units in the warehouse. Have you seen where that's located? In the rear, or maybe in a seperate building on the lot?"
John rooted through the masses of paper. "I found an aerial shot of the building," he said, vaguely, distracted by trying to find what he was looking for. "I've got used enough to those kinds of places to figure things out...yes, here, look."
He retrieved the aerial photograph and laid his finger on a large-ish outbuilding. "I reckon that'd be their warehouse, and due to the lack of road between that and the main building, I also think they use an underground passage. Site used to be that of a hospital - probably that old out building was pathology, or the morgue - and they used tunnels."
"I won't be worried about those. Those, we need to destroy, so if you can take care of that portion of it we're set."
He laughed. That in itself was an unusual sound. "You want destruction? I can do that. Although generally speaking, around chemicals, my abilities aren't necessarily the best to invoke. Perhaps that can be a job for the Juggernaut."
"The labs, the offices, and the intranet database they likely have storing more sensitive information... THAT is where I will be headed."
He nodded, getting increasingly enthusiastic about the whole plan. "D'you want to do that by yourself, or take Python or me for back up?" He suspected he knew the answer, but he felt he should offer anyway.
"Tell me how you want to make your message clear."
John didn't meet her direct gaze. "I...must admit, I hadn't thought much beyond the initial sabotage and disruption bit. Magneto was always the one with the PR ideas. He was the one who'd go on TV and announce his intentions. I'm not quite as charismatic as that. I could always put Juggs on TV, that'd scare most people into doing what they should do."
She looked radiant in the blue glow of the monitor and he felt a pang of...something.
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Post by mystique on Jul 12, 2006 16:33:13 GMT -5
"You know..." she turned towards him, watching his face. Her voice lowered.
"I think it might be a good idea if we allow people to assume who is alive, who is dead, and who has been given the 'cure'." An appropriate amount of venom laced into her voice as she spoke of it.
"There's no reason to give anyone the impression that I have returned... and who knows you are well, or that you are our new leader?" She smiled. "Why not let them believe, at least for a little while, that we are still reduced to a ragtag collection of despots and madmen." She laughed, smooth and playful. "Sometimes the mysterious is most threatening."
Turning back to the aerials he'd handed her, she sighed a bit.
"Perhaps Juggernaut would like to make an announcement. Perhaps we should see what reaction we get before we make a statement. We could also take a clue from Al Qaeda and release information by internet."
"It's your decision to make," she offered with a tone that was half reverential, half demanding. It was exactly the same sort of tone she'd used with Magneto, the few times he'd heard her speak to him. In general, whatever partnership they'd struck was decided on behind closed doors.
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Post by Pyro on Jul 12, 2006 16:50:34 GMT -5
"I like the idea of using the internet," said John, with surprising firmness. "We've got the technology to scramble IP addresses and make any connections untraceable, I know that much, I remember you telling me that when I first arrived."
When he'd first arrived, Mystique had constantly looked at him like he was some sort of foul smell, or something nasty she'd trodden in. He'd unconsciously realised that it was simply the sense of competition. Since they'd lost Sabretooth and Toad, Mystique had been Magneto's only real companion. And then this upstart kid gets in on the act.
"I like mysterious," he said, and this time he did make direct eye contact with her. "Mysterious works exceptionally well for me."
His hand slid into the pocket of his combats and pulled out his lighter, which he began to flick on and off in his usual way, demonstrating that he was on edge or uncertain.
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Post by mystique on Jul 12, 2006 16:56:32 GMT -5
She nodded.
"Then our next step is to get you healed, and talk with the others."
The tip of her tongue drifted over her bottom lip as she lifted the wineglass and took a slow drink. To tell him or not tell him. She would give him the information eventually, but too soon and he would not trust her enough to keep it between them.
Later then. It had only been hours.
"Tell me what you are thinking, Pyro..." She breathed his name, refusing for a moment to use the name his parents had given him. The sooner he learned to abandon it the stronger her would become. Her eyes fell to his lighter, then back to his eyes.
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Post by Pyro on Jul 12, 2006 17:02:53 GMT -5
"Tell me what you are thinking, Pyro..."
How could he tell her? How could he tell her that her very presence was making him uncomfortable whilst at the same time he was overjoyed that she was alive and very obviously well? How could he tell her about the raging inner conflict caused by those feelings and the fact that she had been abandoned by Magneto on the grounds of his utter purism?
"I'm just anxious," was what he said, eventually, a half-smile lifting his lips. "I worry too much. That's probably why I can never relax and why I don't sleep." He also didn't sleep because since Xavier's death, the psychic blocks on his mind had been gradually dissolving, allowing the nightmares of his youth to come creeping slowly back in through the cracks.
Not to mention releasing some of the psychoses, many of which had grown in strange and interesting ways since Charles Xavier had first identified them.
"I should...I should show you to a room, really, shouldn't I?" he said. "The room you used to use when you were here before is still free if you want it."
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Post by mystique on Jul 12, 2006 17:24:55 GMT -5
She nodded.
"I will be fine. Don't ever worry about me." It had more meaning than she meant it to.
Well, if he wasn't going to open up, he wasn't going to open up. She finished her glass of wine with a strong swallow, and turned back to the computer, shutting down the connection she'd made with NovaTeX and finding something else to occupy herself with. The database of mutants. She said nothing to him, but he could see her unlocking systems with rapid fire passwords.
She entered a name into the search box, and pulled up a profile.
Jean Gray.
Her eyes flickered over the page. It was all outdated information. There was a lot going on on Mystique's face, but if he was going to set a standard of silence, she was more than happy to oblige. Perhaps he was more like his idol than she realized.
"This needs to be updated." She sighed. "There will be time for that I'm sure."
With a few more seconds, the database was closed to his eyes once more.
She stood, took the bottle of wine and the glass, and looked over her shoulder at him from the doorway.
"Goodnight."
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Post by Pyro on Jul 12, 2006 17:32:42 GMT -5
Oh, but she'd wrapped him completely around her little finger in the tiniest space of time. He gazed at her levelly, not blinking, not speaking, not moving. Then he crossed the distance between them, took the glass and the bottle from her and caught her face between his hands.
"This," he said, earnestly, "is what I was thinking."
Then he kissed her.
It was probably the single bravest thing he had ever done in his entire life. He'd never been much good around women, his shyness and irritation at himself for the shyness preventing him from being a Bobby-style Lothario, but Mystique had embedded so much confidence in him this evening that he felt as though he could conquer the world armed with nothing more than a sarcastic comment or two.
He broke off the kiss and took an uncertain step back, wondering how his impulsive act would be received.
"Goodnight," he said in a slightly squeaky sort of voice.
It sort of ruined the moment.
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Post by mystique on Jul 12, 2006 18:23:18 GMT -5
Her breath was stolen away, as her back connected with the doorframe just to stabilize her. She hadn't really expected him to be so forward.
For once, Mystique wasn't sure what to say next. It seemed he shifted from moment to moment, confident young man, trembling boy. Either would do. But there were two totally different ways of dealing with them.
She took one step nearer to him, their eyes, their lips only inches away from the other.
"Listen to me." The golden yellow shade of her eyes returned, swirling beneath the surface. There was no denying her mutant nature was far from quelled.
"You try something like that again, and there is no returning from where I will take you." It wasn't a threat. Or could it have been? Mystique wasn't known to have many lovers that still walked the earth.
"Keep your head about you, and we will deal with these things when there is time." Their noses brushed, their breath mingled. "Bring the others tomorrow. Early." She looked him in the eye again. There was something else said, but it came only from her eyes.
With a pivot, her heels stepped soundlessly down the corridor to her room.
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