Deal with the Devil

March 09, 2015:

Seveal of Xavier students were kidnaped in October 2014 and the X-Men have been unable to find them. Jean decides to take drastic measures: call upon the resources of the Brotherhood. For the Children.

Mountain near Salem Center

A lonely place without witnesses.

Characters

NPCs: None.

Mentions:

Mood Music: [https://youtu.be/4BQdHU6BTdU ]


Fade In…

The message was put out there in the ethers. "Salem Point. Highest Peak." Passed from Jean to Xavier to it's intended recipient. Every day, Jean waited. There may have been chills, but this day? It was as warm, the sun high in the sky, ready to fall to slumber beneath the clouds for the smallest time in order to reacquaint itself with the other side of the world. A small bomber jacket with a pair of red gloves keeps her covered, along with jeans and boots as she settles herself upon the highest point of the buildings that make up the Salem Center.

She has a book with her, Nightmares and Dreamscapes, a series of small novellas that Stephen King put out long ago, something she used to read as a kid to help her understand herself. She didn't ask anyone to come, she needed no chaperone, she was going to be by herself on this one.

There were just times she needed to do things on her own, nevermind the risk that may come.
Now, this was an odd request. Last time Xavier wanted to talk with him, he was invited to the mansion. Nevermind the previous time he had been trying to demolish the building. That was years ago. Xavier doesn't hold grudges, contrarily to himself.

So Jean Grey asking him to meet in a remote location was an odd request. Perhaps she is keeping something hidden from other X-Men? Regardless, Magneto was in New York and can get to the meeting without making Jean wait for long. He comes walking, but wearing a black and white armor and helmet. "Good afternoon, Ms. Grey," he greets, his voice polite but cool. "You have drawn my attention, what could an X-Men possibly want from this old soldier?"

Standing from her spot, looking out onto the horizon and then down, spying the man in black and white armor just before she does. The book she was reading was effortlessly tucked within her jacket pocket, her hands soon grasping at themselves and twisting to shake out the nervousness and potential fear that she could feel from being near an old foe. "Magneto." She states with a nod, she was one of the polite ones herself, but both on one spectrum than the other.

"I need your help." Of course, she was there without letting others know that she was. And with that said, her hands soon stuff into her jacket pockets as she approaches the man with a straight back, yet.. keeping a safe distance. "When I thought of what I need to do and how, you were the first that popped into mind. No one else."

"You do? Interesting," comments the older mutant. He stands a few yards from Jean, now, studying her face while keeping his own in the shadows of the helmet. "Yet you want my help to be kept discreet, since we are meeting here," he gestures around, "and not in a more civilized place. I hope, young lady, we are not here to plan a murder." There is a touch of irony this time. Not that he has any strong moral qualm about murder. Some people do need to be murdered, and soon.

Straight faced. Jean doesn't emit emotion, she hasn't since she returned back into town. Everything was under lock and key, and only released under the most trusted. So if he could read anything, it would be a miracle. But her gaze is measured, hard. "I want your help to be discreet. Yes. Because what I'm doing is going to be discreet. I don't want anyone to follow me. To look out for me like I'm their precious pet. And I don't need anyone to get into my way because it'll show that.." She pauses a little, then lets out a soft sigh. "I'm not here as an X-Man. I'm not here as a leader or a team member, a doctor or your advasery. I'm just here. Asking you to help me find the children that have gone missing from our grasp a long time ago. That's all."

"You lost children?" Now, that doesn't sit well Magneto. He can respect Xavier and his X-Men run a school for mutants. He would be the first to admit those places are necessary. But you just can't lose mutant children. "When did this happen? And how?"

"Yes." Jean would admit that much. The who and the how was not important. She adored Scott and Betsy; there was no reason for her to speak of who was there so that his retribution would be turned on him. She would directed at herself, and her alone.

"A couple of months ago, before I left town." She says, a slight sniff given. Her hand reaches up to lightly brush at her nose, her gaze turning away as she fixes herself for a lie that would seem like the truth, without the effort of using her gift on him.

It wouldn't work anyways.

"Field trip at a Natural History museum for their studies. Three people managed to take the children from my grasp and I was unable to stop them. And I've lived with the shame of losing them for far too long. I want revenge." Not death. "And I want them home." She lets out another sigh, the death of the young girl in her room had troubled her so deeply that she had to act now before it was too late, before she did anything else to assist in the war that may or may not happen. Loose ends needed to be tied, and Magneto was ruthless enough to help her in her goals.

"I will assist with an investigation, certainly," confirms the old mutant. "But I need more details, the names and abilities of the children, pictures. Whatever you have of the kidnappers. Two months?" He tries to remember news from a couple months ago, but nothing fits. Perhaps the kidnappings went unknown to the authorities. "Who else knows this happened? The police?"

Jean furrows her brows. "I didn't say two months." The cold, even though it was slightly warm, was getting to her. "Either way. I'm sure that there are news reports of it. But nothing with me in it. I try to keep my face out of the light as much as possible." Cause you know, dying twice and returning does wonders to a person.

"Scott knows. Xavier knows. The police may have an inkling. I'll deliver the files to you when I am able. But.. aside from knowing how to find you.." She draws her hands outright. She wanted this off the books. So there had to be a little give and take.
"The easiest way to contact me are certain Unternet services," because, of course, like all real super-villains, Magneto (and the Brotherhood) makes use of the dark side of the networks. "But if you prefer, we can set up a meeting in person in Mutant Town for tomorrow morning. I'd want a report from your investigations so far, too."

Jean doesn't need to take information down. If it is heard once, it is heard forever, recalled just the same. "Unternet." She mutters, she's heard talk of this place before. And for some reason, she is sure that she wouldn't like what she finds.

Crouching a little upon her high perch, she continues to rub and twist at her hands, her gaze thoughtful, almost troubled. Was she doing the right thing? Yes. But how she goes about it was subjective.

"Very well." Jean finally states, rising to her full height, her arms reaching up to grasp at the air in a stretch, her brow furrowed. "I trust.. that if and when we do this, there will be no killing?"

Unternet is a network of illegal servers and virtual servers forming a world-wide private net where security and anonymousness are paramount. Rumored to be created by super-villains, but most likely designed by anti-system anarchist groups. Ask Kitty and Doug, Jean.

Magneto's eyes narrow at Jean's demand. "I won't enter such a compromise, at least until I know more on… the circumstances." Which are going to have to be quite special for him not to feel entitled to execute the kidnapers of mutant children.

Jean grits her teeth. Somehow, some way, she knew that this would happen, but went along with it anyways. Could she turn a blind eye to murder? Apprehension was her goal, dropping them at the front door of the NYPD with a sheet of their crimes would have been icing on the cake. This unnerved her, and caused her hand to lift to rub at her cheek.

"Fine." She states, her teeth clenched. "But Magneto. I'm serious. Even if you find out the circumstances for the children.. I want those people alive. I can do more harm to them that you ever could by killing them."

"This is true," admits Magneto, "but you won't," he adds, not unkindly. "But we are anticipating events too much. Our priority is to find the children and rescue them, not to decide now on punishments to the kidnapers. Months have passed, the trail will be cold. Still, I have successfully hunted down men in more complex circumstances for less important reasons. You shall have my full attention for this matter."

"It is right to anticipate, Magneto. To expect every and anything to happen down to a single little detail. It's worth it, for the children." She purses her lips a little, nodding, agreeing with his assessment. "There are a few people I want to speak to about this. Not too many, just the ones that I trust are going to keep this quiet until the children are returned safely." She knows, for certain, that Magneto will do the same. No telepath needed.

"I'll send word to you on your.. dark net. I don't want to half ass.." Oh god, Jean swore, "..anything when it comes to them." He would know Jeans handle when she sends it, and wants to meet, Unternet, and Mutant Town will be their starting point. Without another word or a sparing of a goodbye, she gives him one lingering last look, then pushes off from her high perch to swan dive towards the ground below, stopping once she's close to hitting pavement to blow through the streets, arms tucked behind her as she flies.

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