Post by Pyro on Oct 21, 2006 12:02:14 GMT -5
Two hours into the flight and Pyro had finally settled down with a sheaf of papers that Mystique had provided for him to read. For the first hour, he had been noticeably restless; once they were at altitude, pacing around the cargo plane, going to sit with Python in the cockpit for a few moments, wandering back down again, fidgeting, taking a copy of '1984' out of his back pack and reading it, fidgeting some more...Now, however, he was concentrating on the papers.
Mystique had spent the time alternately talking with Aurora, looking over her own papers, and listening to messages relayed on her phone. She was glad they were able to get connection up here… satellites were beautiful things.
Moving to sit beside him, she crossed her long legs and murmured in a soft, yet precise German accent. “Johann Zauber I presume?”
In a decidedly less precise German accent, he glanced up, smiled, nodded and said "Ja, Johann Zauber. I am here on business." He set down the wad of papers and brushed his hair back out of his face.
"It occurs to me," he said, thoughtfully, "that I'm not sure what - uh - face you plan to use. Would you mind showing me so I'm not taken unawares?"
The blue melted away from her to reveal Raven Darkholme, the woman he’d first kissed upon her return to Genosha. The effect of her natural blue fading into her fair skin was not at all unlike what he’d witnessed in the truck a few years ago- sans the convulsing and anguish. Her face was placid and her eyes that beautiful brown-black when she looked at him.
“Believe it or not I like to remain the same person from time to time… I have my favourites.” Mystique held his eyes with hers for a minute before smiling, just a shadow on her pink lips.
"I like that form," he said, uncharacteristic shyness in his voice. "Good, at least I won't be taken by surprise!" He grinned infectiously at her. "It must be amazing to be able to change the way you look."
Had he but stopped to consider those words, he might have been surprised: with his hair longer, his chin well stubbled and with the pride that had come into his posture, he looked very little like the boyish faced leader of the Brotherhood photographs that plastered walls of police stations around the country.
Oh, but every time she thought she’d found some happy distance between them, he would say something sweet followed up by that grin that could undo any armor she’d put up. Her smile was a reflection of his, and she reached out to push hair off his forehead.
“You’ll be wearing your hat and sunglasses as well, right? Just in case. You promise to be careful?” It sounded professional and distant, but the words were anything but. Such was their awkward way of loving.
"Hat and sunglasses present and correct, ma'am," he said, giving her a lazy salute. "I do actually look like a German tourist. And yes, I'll be careful. I promise." He was desperately excited about the idea of seeing Dominic, which reminded him that as soon as they touched down at La Guardia he would need to call his friend and make final arrangements for a meeting point.
Then he had his other - personal - little errand to run.
"Will YOU take care too?" he asked. "You'll stay in touch, right?"
She nodded, running fingers through her chin length black hair. “Aurora and I will head out to Philadelphia. I’ll rent a car from the airport. We’ll get a hotel room there and I’ll be in touch once we’re settled. It shouldn’t be more than a few days.”
“I think she’s going to do very well, Pyro. I suppose my next project is Angela. But she seems so resistant to the idea of doing anything.”
"Angie's a nice girl," said Pyro, thoughtfully. "She's got a lot going for her and her abilities are superb. We definitely need her on our side rather than against us - but she could do with more self defence training, maybe a little firearms awareness might be a good plan."
He glanced down briefly at the papers.
"She kept me from falling completely to pieces when I was in that cell," he said. Over the last day or two, more of his memories had started coming back. "I feel like I at least owe it to her to try to help her, y'know?"
“Of course. She’s very smart, I can see it in her. But her feelings… I think by extension she isn’t feeling easy around me either. You said you hoped Dharma could help her. I hope you’re right. I think there’s hope for her, but she has to be willing to act. As it is, she’s too valuable to lose.”
Recrossing her legs, she leaned her head back on her seat. “I hate this flight,” she said softly. “I always have. I wish we didn’t have to be so far away.”
"I've been doing some thinking around that," he said, leaning back himself. "We could switch to the Alaska base for a while, maybe after Sombra. You know. Move around, move around, not stick in one place for too long."
Staring at the ceiling of the plane, she drew little circles on his thigh with her fingernails. “It isn’t a bad idea actually. Though it puts us back in U.S. jurisdiction if we do, it will also be easier to get in-country permission to fly. Making us a little less conspicuous.”
“And there’s only a three day drive between us and the US border if we’re in Alaska.” Mystique smiled suddenly. “Do you remember when you first came with us?”
"Oh yeah, I remember coming with you at first. SLIGHTLY less metal than there is on Genosha and a lot more cramped - and most definitely a lot colder, although I generally don't feel the cold." He stretched his legs out in front of him. "I just figured it might be a useful retreat for a while, seeing as so much of the stuff we're doing is in the States."
“We could always build it out if we chose to. It would be less expensive and time consuming than finding a location elsewhere. And I just don’t feel safe being in the continental states. There isn’t enough room and it’s all too easy to access us. Don’t you agree?”
"Well, we're doing a lot of work on Genosha. That place is gonna be a mutant haven, Mystique, I'm telling you. Dharma's given me such good ideas for the place. The last thing I want to happen is for it to get destroyed before we even get anybody moved in, y'know?" He closed his eyes briefly.
"The Alaska base is a pretty damn hot property. It's so remote that even the locals don't know where it is."
Turning a bit to face him, she rested her temple on her hand. “Are you concerned about anyone we have on the team…” she wondered at his mention of them being unsafe on Genosha. It was a virtual fortress, but it was always possible the location would be given up. Fortunately for them, the exact coordinates were not generally given out.
"I think for the most part we've got ourselves a mighty fine attack squad," he said, with a grin. "It's just...our numbers aren't that hefty, and if they turn the might of the armed forces on us, I guess it's just one of those things that gives me the odd sleepless night here and there."
He rustled the papers a little.
"I'm working on developing my abilities, as you know, right? You know that personal shield I can create for myself? I want to practise extending it, see what range I can get on it."
“Just be sure you aren’t becoming too paranoid. There’s danger, of course. But we’ve all survived a very long time.” She smiled. “Mostly by being careful and doing things right.”
That was where Erik had gone wrong in the end. He hadn’t anticipated enough, he’d been too willing to throw those kids out as fodder. In the end he’d lost out for it. Gotten what he deserved? Mystique could never believe the cure was ever what anyone deserved. But it definitely hadn’t been surprising.
"It's the paternal side of me," he said, with a laugh. "Worrying about my family."
He shuffled through the papers a little more.
"This Creed guy sounds like a right piece of work," he observed.
Look at the article in his hand, she nodded. “About as decent a human being as you’d figure. We’ve had problems with him for years. Constant lobbying, he’s become a rich man… he’s pushed a lot of the less friendly laws just by throwing money at the right people. It’s disgusting.” She sighed.
“It’s become clear that something more drastic will have to happen. I don’t think he can be tolerated any longer.” Why he was tolerated in the first place was not something she was about to readily volunteer.
"We'll do a thorough job, I promise you," said the young man, earnestly. He leaned over and squeezed her shoulder. "It won't be the pig's ear that Baltimore turned into. We'll plan it right. We'll strike when the time is right. We'll do everything right. I promise."
How sincere he sounded.
Mystique looked at him, smiling softly. He had no idea how much it meant to her to hear him say that. “Baltimore wasn’t all that bad. It’s not… what I am accustomed to. But having thought it over, I believe I can work with this new Brotherhood. I suppose I anticipated returning to the way things have been for so many years. But times have changed, and so will I. It –is- my talent, after all.” She smiled.
She wasn’t going to tell him she regretted what she’d said that night before the violence began. But if in her own way she could prove to him that she believed in the direction the Brotherhood was headed, perhaps it would make up for it.
"We've all changed," he said, staring briefly out the window. "It's taken some time for me to realise it, but I've had to. There's one or two things I still need to put behind me, but I'm working on that in my own way."
He turned his attention back to her.
"I still have days when I want to pinch myself, days when I can't believe I've ended up doing this."
“Are you happy…” She said, watching him. “Where you’re at. Not as the leader, not as a mutant… but for yourself. Are you happy?”
"If we're talking on a scale," he said, musing briefly on the question, "then I'm maybe about eighty five percent of the way there. Like I said. There's one or two things that linger..." He tapped briefly at the side of his head. "Emma said there's a lot of work I need to do before I can really consider that I'm - ah - getting better, you know. And there's a couple of things that still keep me awake at night sometimes...but every day is a little easier."
Mystique smiled smoothly, and sat back, taking the stack of papers and filing through it with her fingertips. After a moment, she murmured almost to herself.
“Good.”
Mystique had spent the time alternately talking with Aurora, looking over her own papers, and listening to messages relayed on her phone. She was glad they were able to get connection up here… satellites were beautiful things.
Moving to sit beside him, she crossed her long legs and murmured in a soft, yet precise German accent. “Johann Zauber I presume?”
In a decidedly less precise German accent, he glanced up, smiled, nodded and said "Ja, Johann Zauber. I am here on business." He set down the wad of papers and brushed his hair back out of his face.
"It occurs to me," he said, thoughtfully, "that I'm not sure what - uh - face you plan to use. Would you mind showing me so I'm not taken unawares?"
The blue melted away from her to reveal Raven Darkholme, the woman he’d first kissed upon her return to Genosha. The effect of her natural blue fading into her fair skin was not at all unlike what he’d witnessed in the truck a few years ago- sans the convulsing and anguish. Her face was placid and her eyes that beautiful brown-black when she looked at him.
“Believe it or not I like to remain the same person from time to time… I have my favourites.” Mystique held his eyes with hers for a minute before smiling, just a shadow on her pink lips.
"I like that form," he said, uncharacteristic shyness in his voice. "Good, at least I won't be taken by surprise!" He grinned infectiously at her. "It must be amazing to be able to change the way you look."
Had he but stopped to consider those words, he might have been surprised: with his hair longer, his chin well stubbled and with the pride that had come into his posture, he looked very little like the boyish faced leader of the Brotherhood photographs that plastered walls of police stations around the country.
Oh, but every time she thought she’d found some happy distance between them, he would say something sweet followed up by that grin that could undo any armor she’d put up. Her smile was a reflection of his, and she reached out to push hair off his forehead.
“You’ll be wearing your hat and sunglasses as well, right? Just in case. You promise to be careful?” It sounded professional and distant, but the words were anything but. Such was their awkward way of loving.
"Hat and sunglasses present and correct, ma'am," he said, giving her a lazy salute. "I do actually look like a German tourist. And yes, I'll be careful. I promise." He was desperately excited about the idea of seeing Dominic, which reminded him that as soon as they touched down at La Guardia he would need to call his friend and make final arrangements for a meeting point.
Then he had his other - personal - little errand to run.
"Will YOU take care too?" he asked. "You'll stay in touch, right?"
She nodded, running fingers through her chin length black hair. “Aurora and I will head out to Philadelphia. I’ll rent a car from the airport. We’ll get a hotel room there and I’ll be in touch once we’re settled. It shouldn’t be more than a few days.”
“I think she’s going to do very well, Pyro. I suppose my next project is Angela. But she seems so resistant to the idea of doing anything.”
"Angie's a nice girl," said Pyro, thoughtfully. "She's got a lot going for her and her abilities are superb. We definitely need her on our side rather than against us - but she could do with more self defence training, maybe a little firearms awareness might be a good plan."
He glanced down briefly at the papers.
"She kept me from falling completely to pieces when I was in that cell," he said. Over the last day or two, more of his memories had started coming back. "I feel like I at least owe it to her to try to help her, y'know?"
“Of course. She’s very smart, I can see it in her. But her feelings… I think by extension she isn’t feeling easy around me either. You said you hoped Dharma could help her. I hope you’re right. I think there’s hope for her, but she has to be willing to act. As it is, she’s too valuable to lose.”
Recrossing her legs, she leaned her head back on her seat. “I hate this flight,” she said softly. “I always have. I wish we didn’t have to be so far away.”
"I've been doing some thinking around that," he said, leaning back himself. "We could switch to the Alaska base for a while, maybe after Sombra. You know. Move around, move around, not stick in one place for too long."
Staring at the ceiling of the plane, she drew little circles on his thigh with her fingernails. “It isn’t a bad idea actually. Though it puts us back in U.S. jurisdiction if we do, it will also be easier to get in-country permission to fly. Making us a little less conspicuous.”
“And there’s only a three day drive between us and the US border if we’re in Alaska.” Mystique smiled suddenly. “Do you remember when you first came with us?”
"Oh yeah, I remember coming with you at first. SLIGHTLY less metal than there is on Genosha and a lot more cramped - and most definitely a lot colder, although I generally don't feel the cold." He stretched his legs out in front of him. "I just figured it might be a useful retreat for a while, seeing as so much of the stuff we're doing is in the States."
“We could always build it out if we chose to. It would be less expensive and time consuming than finding a location elsewhere. And I just don’t feel safe being in the continental states. There isn’t enough room and it’s all too easy to access us. Don’t you agree?”
"Well, we're doing a lot of work on Genosha. That place is gonna be a mutant haven, Mystique, I'm telling you. Dharma's given me such good ideas for the place. The last thing I want to happen is for it to get destroyed before we even get anybody moved in, y'know?" He closed his eyes briefly.
"The Alaska base is a pretty damn hot property. It's so remote that even the locals don't know where it is."
Turning a bit to face him, she rested her temple on her hand. “Are you concerned about anyone we have on the team…” she wondered at his mention of them being unsafe on Genosha. It was a virtual fortress, but it was always possible the location would be given up. Fortunately for them, the exact coordinates were not generally given out.
"I think for the most part we've got ourselves a mighty fine attack squad," he said, with a grin. "It's just...our numbers aren't that hefty, and if they turn the might of the armed forces on us, I guess it's just one of those things that gives me the odd sleepless night here and there."
He rustled the papers a little.
"I'm working on developing my abilities, as you know, right? You know that personal shield I can create for myself? I want to practise extending it, see what range I can get on it."
“Just be sure you aren’t becoming too paranoid. There’s danger, of course. But we’ve all survived a very long time.” She smiled. “Mostly by being careful and doing things right.”
That was where Erik had gone wrong in the end. He hadn’t anticipated enough, he’d been too willing to throw those kids out as fodder. In the end he’d lost out for it. Gotten what he deserved? Mystique could never believe the cure was ever what anyone deserved. But it definitely hadn’t been surprising.
"It's the paternal side of me," he said, with a laugh. "Worrying about my family."
He shuffled through the papers a little more.
"This Creed guy sounds like a right piece of work," he observed.
Look at the article in his hand, she nodded. “About as decent a human being as you’d figure. We’ve had problems with him for years. Constant lobbying, he’s become a rich man… he’s pushed a lot of the less friendly laws just by throwing money at the right people. It’s disgusting.” She sighed.
“It’s become clear that something more drastic will have to happen. I don’t think he can be tolerated any longer.” Why he was tolerated in the first place was not something she was about to readily volunteer.
"We'll do a thorough job, I promise you," said the young man, earnestly. He leaned over and squeezed her shoulder. "It won't be the pig's ear that Baltimore turned into. We'll plan it right. We'll strike when the time is right. We'll do everything right. I promise."
How sincere he sounded.
Mystique looked at him, smiling softly. He had no idea how much it meant to her to hear him say that. “Baltimore wasn’t all that bad. It’s not… what I am accustomed to. But having thought it over, I believe I can work with this new Brotherhood. I suppose I anticipated returning to the way things have been for so many years. But times have changed, and so will I. It –is- my talent, after all.” She smiled.
She wasn’t going to tell him she regretted what she’d said that night before the violence began. But if in her own way she could prove to him that she believed in the direction the Brotherhood was headed, perhaps it would make up for it.
"We've all changed," he said, staring briefly out the window. "It's taken some time for me to realise it, but I've had to. There's one or two things I still need to put behind me, but I'm working on that in my own way."
He turned his attention back to her.
"I still have days when I want to pinch myself, days when I can't believe I've ended up doing this."
“Are you happy…” She said, watching him. “Where you’re at. Not as the leader, not as a mutant… but for yourself. Are you happy?”
"If we're talking on a scale," he said, musing briefly on the question, "then I'm maybe about eighty five percent of the way there. Like I said. There's one or two things that linger..." He tapped briefly at the side of his head. "Emma said there's a lot of work I need to do before I can really consider that I'm - ah - getting better, you know. And there's a couple of things that still keep me awake at night sometimes...but every day is a little easier."
Mystique smiled smoothly, and sat back, taking the stack of papers and filing through it with her fingertips. After a moment, she murmured almost to herself.
“Good.”
