Chapter 1A: Stealth

[Ororo Munroe]

(OOC: I'm thinking this could be a little before when the Brotherhood shows up, since it's going to be way more fun to have the inevitable conversation at the crime scene than in a field.)

Storm flips a lever and pulls back on the throttle. They'd already done a single pass over the site. No revelations as of yet. It really appeared to be just an unfinished building. She was almost... disappointed.

Surely there is something to discover. On the next pass, Ororo glances backwards at the rest of the passengers. "Josh, can you check if there are any people inside?"

The dark-haired boy nods, and closes his eyes for a moment. I might as well set us down. Ororo scopes out a good position for the cloaked ship, and begins the landing cycle.

[Josh Dalton Worthington]

Seated next to Ororo in the copilot's position, Josh closes his eyes and extends his senses outward and into the nearby building. Hmm...

After 30 seconds or so, he gives up with a slight frown. "I don't think there's anyone down there. At least, no one with an active mind." The last shoots a slight chill down his spine as he considers the alternative.

Ororo finishes shutting off the engines. "So guys, ready to go?" He shoots a glance backwards as he unbuckles his belt.

Josh gets up and heads for the rear of the aircraft. I wonder if we're going to find anything? On the short ride over, Ororo had explained the impetus for the mission. To Josh, it sounded like a waste of time, but he supposed the subject of the email was sufficiently unique to merit poking around a bit.

He hits the ramp release and waits for the others to join him before heading out.

[Tobias Smith]

Tobias has been sitting in the rear of the plane, thinking the entire trip. Christ...the Institute just never has a dull day now does it? Super-Advanced-Stealth-Jets, underground hangars, kinky leather uniforms for all sorts of different...uses...and now spying on what very well could be a terrorist threat....this totally kicks the ass out of writing that damned report.

After the landing, the ever-black-clad Tobias stands and cracks his neck to the sides to loosen it up and walks over to the ramp looking rather calm about the entire situation despite enjoying it under the surface. Out of curiosity, he asks Ms. Munroe and Josh*cough*faggot*cough*, "I'm ready....and where DID you guys get the money to pay for the underground base and jet? Seriously."

[Pyro]

The landing cannot, of course, come quickly enough for John, who’s spent the flight not hyped over the prospect of a first *real* mission but trying to convince himself that the Blackbird isn’t an air borne deathtrap airplane at all while looking suitably un-freaked out – which translates, of course, as most John!moods do, to glaring and fiddling with things; adjusting the wrist sparkers, tightening the seat harness, glancing around for a safety card pointing out where the parachutes and life jackets are… wondering if they even have them when most of the team are far less breakable than him… usual in-flight entertainment, heh.

He’s no idea where they are, except that it’s the location in this email Ororo’s supposedly received and been sufficiently intrigued by to suggest they check it out. If there is such an email; given the suggestion that the demonstration which turned into the riot (which… what the hell? He still isn’t any the wiser as to which particular brand of crazy got in the water supply that day, except that some old friends made it a little more memorable) would have been a great PolSci outing he wouldn’t put it past her to have arranged some stupid educational visit somewhere… except that the *team* are few in number and pretty random in quality. Huh. In any case it doesn’t seem all that interesting, and he’s fully expecting that this will turn out to be a total waste of time.

”Born ready, Teekboy” John smirks, unbuckling and heading to Josh’s side. ”Just hope you can keep up… ” He yawns, grinning and giving Josh a slight shove, every inch the teasing elder brother, almost as if Alkali and all that had never happened and they’d stayed team-mates. Things are, of course, slightly awkward after Baker and, far more recently, Valentines’ Day, but for now he’s ignoring that in favour of getting through this whole affair as painlessly as possible… and fuck knows, he needs someone on side these days.

< I'm ready....and where DID you guys get the money to pay for the underground base and jet? Seriously
He turns lazily at the voice… Oh, right. To… something. The goth kid. John’s still not sure why he’s on the team this time, or even who he is (by which meaning, of course, what he can do; there’s very little else of interest as far as most other students are concerned). He doesn’t answer him (partly because he doesn’t know the answer himself, mostly because he’s, well, John), just quirks an eyebrow, runs another assessing eye over him and shrugs as he still can’t find anything to recommend him. ”Where’d’ya pick up the Monochrome Motormouth?”

[Josh Dalton Worthington]

> ”Just hope you can keep up… ”

Josh gives John a mock-roll of his eyes. “Whatever. You’ll have to work hard to keep up with Josh Dalton, Telekineticist Extraordinaire…” He grins, happy that John seems to be in a good mood. He’d been worried that John would give him the cold shoulder after the Times Square mission outburst, but apparently it wasn’t going to be a problem. I suppose it’s so uncharacteristic of me that maybe it sunk in? Then again, John being mad at anyone else for being moody is a joke.

> "I'm ready....and where DID you guys get the money to pay for the underground base and jet? Seriously."

Josh turns to respond, but his response goes unsaid. There’s something bothersome about what he’s unconsciously catching of Tobias’ state of mind. Huh…? What the matter?

After a second, Josh suspects he has the answer. Thinking back to their first meeting, it was plainly obvious that Toby was uncomfortable with his and Warren’s relationship. Then again, maybe he’s just a dickhead in general? I would have thought he’d let it go by now, it’s not like our relationship affects him in any way.

Whatever. If he wants to make it an issue, he should feel free to. That is, as long as he wants to fly home strapped to the hull. The thought makes him grin, and puts his hands on John’s back, half-pushing, half-marching him down the ramp. “Come on, Mr. X-Man, time to save the world.”

[Ororo Munroe]

> "I'm ready....and where DID you guys get the money to pay for the underground base and jet? Seriously."

Ororo seals the clips on the brushed-metal equipment case and picks it up, glancing back at Tobias as she heads for the ramp. Josh and John are already outside, and she arches a brow at Tobias.

“You couldn’t imagine the amount of banks Jake and I had to rob to get where we are. Those suits are top of the line, and the the price tag shows.” Without another word, Ororo steps onto the ramp, heels clicking on the metal deck.

[Tobias Smith]

>“You couldn’t imagine the amount of banks Jake and I had to rob to get where we are. Those suits are top of the line, and the the price tag shows.”

Tobias raises his eyebrows in mock surprise, 'hmph's with a slight smile, and mutters almost silently, "...So hath the dickweed been beaten. He shrugs, sighs, and decides that it is time to cut the smart-assery down a few notches for the next hour or so. That done, he follows Ms. Munroe out of the jet, and glances at John and Josh.

Tobias scratches the back of his head, and remembers when he first met Warren and Josh. He had nothing against either of them, and coming from San Francisco, he was used to seeing gay couples. But still, until he had something else to joke about either of them, he'd stick to thier relationship.

Again, he remembers that Josh can read minds, and winces mildly. Damn...I really hope you weren't listening...

[Pyro]

< Come on, Mr. X-Man, time to save the world
”S’all work-work-work with you lot, isn’t it?” John grins as Josh bundles him down the ramp and out of the jet. Doesn’t look much like world-saving, really, but it’s still a kick doing something… and yeah, there’s a sad pathetic little thrill in hearing Josh address him as an X-Man, even if he’s still umming and ahing about allegiances and getting back unto all that… Once they’re out he pulls away with a final half-shove, straightening himself up as if he’s the mature one properly occupying the ‘Mr. X-Man’ role before flashing another teasing grin. ”If I’m playing superhero on this one, does that make you my nancy-boy sidekick, Joshykins? Shame we’re in civvies because tight’s’d suit y’…”

Before he can finish the remark, or add anything else to the good-natured ribbing – which hardly helps the feeling that this is less serious business and more some sort of lads’ day out, but whatever – he cuts himself short, oddly serious and intent, brow furrowed in a silent … huh, because maybe this isn’t as boring as it on first glance appears. There’s still nothing leaping out which makes this look any more interesting or important a location, but John doesn’t have to see to pick up on the afterglow from what had to have been one hell of a fire, nor the faint lingering smokiness, and he turns to shout up to Ororo to find she’s on her way down. ”Anyone bring Marshmallows? I think we’ve stumbled onto a… supervillanous Barbeque, or something?”

[Josh Dalton Worthington]

> ”If I’m playing superhero on this one, does that make you my nancy-boy sidekick, Joshykins? Shame we’re in civvies because tight’s’d suit y’…”

Josh rolls his eyes. “Keep dreaming… I have more seniority than you, so if anything you’ll be the sidekick. How about some nice red spandex?” He waggles his eyebrows. “On the other hand, Warren says he likes the shape of my ass… so maybe I should wear something clingy, and your uniform can just be modeled off mine? That’s usually how it goes with sidekicks.” Josh pokes John in the chest.

> ”Anyone bring Marshmallows? I think we’ve stumbled onto a… supervillanous Barbeque, or something?”

There was a fire here? I wonder how it started. Behind him, Ororo hits the bottom of the ramp. After Tobias makes it off, she seals the ramp and touches a small device. The Blackbird vanishes as its active camouflage kicks in.

“Where to?” Josh surveys the building. Ororo indicates the front door, and he sets off, John in tow. After only a few steps, he catches a stray thought from behind him, decidedly Toby-flavored.

> Damn...I really hope you weren't listening...

Josh resists the urge to start laughing out loud. Instead, he settles for shooting a sly look over his shoulder. I wasn’t, mostly, but thanks for confirming that you were being a jerk.

When they arrive in front of the building, Josh slowly eases the front door open, looking around for anything anomalous. When things appear to be clear, he opens it all the way.

“Does anyone else feel like this is an episode of Scooby-doo…?” He says this wryly as he makes his way into the building.

[N.P.C]

Inside, the building has that nondescript never-been-used feeling that all new construction does.

Even the most casual inspection reveals that the construction is anything but typical, though... all the doors are heavy and metallic, their hinges attached to metal trim bolted to concrete doorframes, which seem to run through the walls as well. Everything is massive, thick, solid, and soundproof, more like a military bunker than residential construction. What few windows there are, are little more than narrow slits, offering ventilation and some light but next to no visibility.

Nothing on the upper floors shows any signs of use, but there are some indications of recent activity by the main door -- not least of which that it's been left unlocked and open, revealing a lobby area with some scuffmarks on the industrial carpeting. The small half-bath attached to it shows minor signs of use as well -- water-marks on the sink, fingerprints on the mirrored surface of the medicine cabinet, that sort of thing.

But any investigator could be forgiven for ignoring all of that in favor of the smell of charred flesh coming from the kitchen... and forgetting it, in the face of the contents of the kitchen itself.

In life, Erik Magnus Lensherr was an endless source of contradiction, but always a figure to be reckoned with. In death, though, he is grotesque, and hardly recognizable. The truth is, it could be anybody crumpled over the charred remains of the large kitchen table, surrounded by the charred remains of a kitchen. The primary identifying mark -- at least on casual inspection -- is the metallic-fiber costume and helmet, both slightly melted but still mostly intact.

[Ororo Munroe]

> “Does anyone else feel like this is an episode of Scooby-doo…?”

Ororo snorts, biting back the question on the tip of her tongue. Which one of you fine gentlemen is Velma, then? Alright, Ororo. Time to be serious. There could still be a threat inside.

She sniffs the air as she enters the building. It did, indeed, smell smoky. And charred, somehow, like something had been left on the grill too long. After Josh swings the door open, Ororo steps across the threshold, glancing around as she does so. The foyer is fairly nondescript, so she makes her way into the kitchen in the back, ahead of the others, who are still poking around the front area.

When she enters the room, Ororo’s eyes widen and she drops the heavy metal case. It crashes to the floor with a resounding ring. Not possible. Her mind moves at lightspeed.

But it’s him. It has to be… costume and all. The source of the smell has become obvious, and the remains of Magneto are almost too ghastly to look at.

And try as she might, Ororo can’t help but feel happy that he’s no longer around to hurt anyone else. He changed so many people’s lives forever… If Magneto had never been around, Charles Xavier would never have been killed by Phoenix. Ororo purses her lips. Phoenix wouldn’t have even been an issue… Jean Grey would never have been swallowed up by the flood waters of Alkali if Magneto hadn’t stolen the helicopter out from under them.

However, a small bit of her is sorry for the boy who evolved into Magneto. Our greatest enemy is no more.

“You certainly have a flair for the dramatic, don’t you? You always did…” The shock still has her glued to the spot.

[Tobias Smith]

>I wasn’t, mostly, but thanks for confirming that you were being a jerk.

Tobias isn't used to someone else being in his mind, rolls his eyes upwards, scowls, then glances at Josh and mutters, "God damn it..." He follows the others, looking all around him making sure there aren't any unneeded surprises. After Josh's 'Scooby Doo' comment, Tobias mutters to him, "If you expect me to wear a cheap orange scarf, I'm going back to the jet."

After that, he follows Ms. Munroe, Josh, and John getting closer to a strange smell he doesn't recognize. It smells slightly burnt, not very pleasant, and just...weird. He breaks away to look around the half-bath as Ms. Munroe continues to the kitchen, and he becomes fascinated with the medicine cabinet. At first, he opens it just to, disappoitingly, find it empty, and closes it slowly. As he closes it, and glances at his reflection, he notices fingerprints on the surface, before hearing the sound of the breifcase falling in the kitchen.

Tobias breaks away, still keeping the fingerprints in mind and strides quickly into the kitchen and asks, "Whats wr-Holy shit! Is that.....Hey Pyro, this your handiwork in here?!" His little outburst comes from finding the charred corpse, and naturally, he has to poke fun at someone. Burnt corpse of evil guy, fire-controlling ex-terrorist. Why not?

[N.P.C]

> At first, he opens it just to, disappoitingly, find it empty, and closes it slowly.

As Tobias rushes into the kitchen, a telltale rattling from the medicine cabinet behind him reveals the presence of an item that seems to have eluded his initial, hasty examination...

(( OOC: Don't make assumptions like that! There are clues to be found if you look in the right places... ))

[Pyro]

”Okay, okay… fuck, Josh.” John throws his hands up in mock horror, before breaking into a grin, hands over his ears and cutting across the end of Josh’s speech about uniforms. ”Too much information. I can live without knowing about your kinks… or Big-n-Blonde’s, for that matter” His tone too is teasing, covering over any annoyance at the whole *seniority* thing (because it does irk, of course, going from supervillainy to sidekick material, and having people he’s used to thinking of as the resident kids seeming to babysit him now…).

Josh gives the all clear, and they move in, John hanging at the back. The amount of metal in the place is slightly unnerving, the construction intimidating, oppressive and weirdly claustrophobic, reminding him a lot of Magneto’s office at the Old HQ, and… no, that’s stupid; luring us out here with a fucking email? Not Erik’s style… He’s almost grateful for the distraction the recent fire provides… right up until he catches that grace note that can only be one thing. Oh fuck…

… no, shut up. Since when were you squeamish about roasted flesh, John? It’s our signature move, after all. Still he’s reluctant to head in the direction of the smokiness, hanging back and trying to look like he’s seriously investigating the Lobby, prodding half-arsedly at a scuff in the carpet with one foot.

There’s a thud from up ahead, and Tobias says something about this being his handiwork, and now he can’t not look… though when he arrives at Ororo’s shoulder and glances into the room he wishes he hadn’t… and still he can’t quite tear his eyes away. His jaw drops, his stomach hitches, and he’s glad this breakfasting lark never took because it’s only bile he gags on and chokes back down, the pre-requisite ”… Fuck” not so much an exclamation as a second wretch.

He should be glad the bastard’s dead, right? He tried to kill Rogue, after all. Nearly succeeded in killing Bobby (no, did succeed, because this whole MGH fuck-up’s his fault, really, for giving Bobby a reason to need it…). Strung him along, promising the entire fucking world if he’d just play the faithful Brother, then tossed him out over the Bob-thing when it came clear that the Cause had nothing to do with anything and he wasn’t the grovelling acolyte Magneto wanted. Done… a lot of other far more evil things none of which, though, sting as much as those smaller, more intimate betrayals, and most of which don’t cast him as clearly as victim rather than part of the problem. It’s a good thing that he’s dead.

Except… no, he’s not going anywhere near there. None of that shit about him being more of a parent than anyone else had managed or anything other than that Buckethead was a vicious and deluded old fucker who overstayed his welcome anyway. World’s a better place and all that. Strike up the band and hold a fucking victory parade…

[Tobias Smith]

Tobias stares at the corpse for another second or two, and decides that he had been much more comfortable and less disturbed in the restroom. He turns, glances at the corpse again, and walks back to the restroom weighing in his mind whether or not to vomit or not. The ultimate descision is no, but for the moment, the choice still stands. The second he steps in, he notices something is different. He hears...rattling? He looks around, and goes right back to the cabinet where he had seen the finger prints.

Indeed, there was something inside the cabinet. Sure, when he had looked through the first time, he had only been looking for some pills, but now, in all seriousness after seeing a corpse, A FREAKING CHARRED CORPSE, he pulled his gloves over his fingers and prepared to open the cabinet without smudging the prints. He stops, and hesitates. What if it's a bomb? Y'know, that'd just make my day....well, only one way to find out.

Tobias closes his eyes, and concentrates to tap into his power. He only had to wait half a second before feeling the tell-tale pressure of the time stop. Now assured that if it WAS a bomb, he'd have a bit to run like hell. Slowly, still having his gloves pulled over, he opened the cabinet and looked inside to see the source of the rattling.

((I had orginally intended to do a thorough search AFTER seeing the corpse, but thanks for the heads-up))