Man On The Edge (Magneto)

[Sherridan Kaine]

Tap, Tap, Tap

He stops. He looks around, taking in every single fold in the walls enclosing him so tightly. Or perhaps it's all just an illusion? Sherridan stops, and thinks about it for a while. Actually, he thinks about it as long as he can without getting unreasonable. Then, he takes his boots off and starts going horizontally, skimming the right wall. Again, he moves as slowly as possible.

No, this is not working, he's going faster horizontally than he was normally. He returns to normal walk, putting his boots on, taking as long as possible. He stops to clean a dirty spot off his right boot. Then, his eyes scan both boots for any spots. After a few seconds, his hands inspect his ripped black jeans and black tank-top for any stains or unwanted damaging. None. Damn it! His tail snaps angrily in mid-air, released from its otherwise very uncomfortable confinement by a hole made specially for it in the jeans.

Tap, Tap, Tap

A few more steps, and he stops once more, this time wondering how lonely and distant his walk sounds when echoed through the hallway. There's probably no one up here. Everyone's either out, in the foyer, or knocked out by a long night at a party. Why does Sherridan have to go there? The message he got didn't say much, but that was exactly the problem. He didn't know what to expect.

His respect for Magneto was, indeed, greater than the fear most people had before him, but still, that didn't mean that he liked the idea of going to the man's room. Especially after receiving such a brief and uninformative message. But what has to be done, has to be done.

So he goes on. After a few minutes (gathered by constant stopping to check something, which ended in his outlook being brought to perfection- not like his mind, which was a twirling chaos of worries, problems, and fears) he comes to the door. He knocks on it.

Tap, Tap, Tap

Odd, the knocking on the door sounds exactly like his footsteps in the deserted hallway. Sherridan shudders at the thoughts of what awaits him beyond the metal door, but stands there, waiting for something to happen. He is going to need a drink after this is over.

[Magneto]

Magneto's room was a world of cold steel and devoid of any sort of creature comfort that one might expect the mutant to have in such a private quarters. Magneto had always projected an air of sophistication about him, everything from his speech to the way he dressed and acted just screamed aristocracy. Of course, this room was just his visible office and his own personal room was off limits and locked tightly away behind one of the metal walls which made up his more business like study. Some of the Brotherhood members whispered that no one had ever been inside Magneto's private lair, none save for Mystique, and that in itself only fueled other more lewd rumors.

Magnus, as some in particular would call him now, sat at his metal desk, looking somewhat surprisingly comfortable in the metal chair. There was a single metal chair sitting directly in front of his desk, put there for these rare one on one meetings with other Brotherhood members. The only visible door to the office had no door handle of any means, but when you can move metal with a mere thought or feeling, then things like that were trivial.

Upon hearing someone knock on the door, Magnus looked up from the newspaper he had been reading, The New York Times, causing the door to swing open to allow Sherridan entry. Magnus had sent for the newest member of this family, for he wished to discuss the cat man's role in quickly growing Brotherhood. Sherridan had a vast amount of potential to contribute to the group, both financially and through the vast contacts his status afforded him. Ferus on the other hand, brought his own set of gifts to the table. The hate he held for homo sapiens and the skillful way he disposed of those who just happened to cross his path intrigued Magneto greatly.

"Punctual....I wouldn't have expected less," the old man said calmly and casually as he looked back down at his paper, waiting on Sherridan to enter and take his seat. Magneto would not show any favoritism to Sherridan just yet, the mutant still had to prove himself fully to Magneto and this meeting was the beginning of that.

[Sherridan Kaine]

Sherridan enters the room, not exactly casually, but in more of a relaxed way than his thoughts would have imposed. A thought forms in the swirling chaos at the same time as he says it out loud to the "boss". "Consuetudinis Magna Vis Est." And even though he says the words in a normal voice, his inner voice is screaming at him to get the hell out of this dungeon.

Sure, so far Magneto has not been particularly inclined towards either liking, or disliking Sherridan, but that only made things worse, as the suspension was building up. So what would it be? That's not quite the most important question right now you bloody moron! again the inner voice lets itself be heard.

Indeed, the main question is the question of why. Why was he summoned to this cold metal room? Sherridan tortures himself with all these thoughts and accomplishes far more than anyone else could even come near to.

He stands in the middle of the room, not wanting to sit in the chair for two reasons. One, he wasn't asked to sit, and two, he definitely wasn't up to sitting on a metal chair in a metal room with the master of magnetism in there with him. It was all very unnerving. Luckily, years of sophisticated lying, as diplomacy is often called, have created reflexes within him, reflexes that take control of his body as soon as he gets into any type of mental instability, so his moves are always elegant, graceful, temperate, and his thoughts really rarely have any say in them.

"So, why was I summoned?" he asks finally, his voice and eyes not revealing any emotions whatsoever- which is, at the moment, a colossal task, barely accomplished. His whole manner, the way he walks, talks, and holds himself, is definitely unfitting of the clothes he is wearing, but Sherridan always preferred "rags" to Armani suits.

His father always ranted on about that. They always fought because of it. And his mother didn't approve of it either. And they would approve of what I am doing right now? Standing in the middle of the Brotherhood's hideout, talking with the leader of mutant terrorists, and opposing everything they ever worked for?

This time, Sherridan cannot remain the way he is. He closes his eyes and shakes his head for a few moments. Don't go there! That part of your life is over he thinks to himself, and regains his composition soon enough. Naturally, though, Magneto would probably have noticed this.

[Magneto]

As Sherridan entered into Magneto's little "office", the door shut silently and quickly behind him. Magneto kept his focus downward, his eyes still scanning the paper, looking for key words and headlines, seeing if he could find out anything having to do with mutants. Magneto was always on the lookout for the advantage, for others to rally to him, and for any sign of what the homo sapiens may be planning to bring against him and the rest of the Brotherhood. Although Magneto was looking over the paper, he was somewhat aware of Sherridan's awkward presence and the uneasy feeling he seemed to emit.

Sherridan's refusal to sit caught Magneto's eye, raising a question. Did Sherridan refuse to sit because he was nervous or maybe because Magneto had not yet offered him the seat? The cat man seemed to have a very strict set of manners about him and in a way, Magneto could respect that. It was nice to have someone else around who appreciated the finer things in life and who knew how to act the right way in any situation they found themselves in. "You put me at a bit at odds mister Kaine...that is why I summoned you here," Magneto said as he looked up from his paper, although only with is blue eyes. "You open up many opportunities before me and I find it difficult to pick just which one to pursue. Maybe you could offer a suggestion?," he said as he made a small notion with is hand, causing the metal chair to move around to face Sherridan, a clear indication that he wanted the man to sit.

[Sherridan Kaine]

Sherridan notices, of course, the chair move, and he walks to it. With a "Thank you", put there out of reflex, he turns the chair to face Magneto and sits on it, properly. Normally, one could see Sherridan always acting like this, but with more relaxation and grace. This, even though enchantingly graceful, is obviously unnatural movement for the mutant. At times of stress, worry, or other feel of in-comfort, Sherridan's outer behavior shifts to autopilot, and fortunatley (or in some cases not), this means that he is strictly obeying every single rule he has been taught about manners.

His mind a mess, Sherridan doesn't manage to follow up with Magneto on his question. The cat man remains perplexed. "I am sorry, I do not follow you." he says, his voice courteous, and without the usual relaxed-but-dangerous tone which is otherwise a decoration on every single word.

His tail is wrapped around his waist, and is not moving. Just get out of here as fast as possible. he keeps thinking, but then stops for a moment. Why is he so afraid? So far, Magneto hasn't scolded him, told him to stop or start doing something, and he definitely hasn't gone into a berserker rage.

Momentarily, his whole composure changes, miraculously, though, with his body not moving for but an inch. His mind is less clouded now, and Sherridan is more relaxed than at first. The nervous feel in the air is gone.

[Magneto]

Magneto did not offer a smile or any other sort of emotion at first upon hearing Sherridan's answer. He was sure he was clear enough in his statement, but perhaps one too many late night visits to the local alleyway had impeded his thought process. Of course, Magneto was a semi-patient man, but when he expected an answer, that was what he would have, not another question. The look of annoyance could be seen on his face, but only for a second or two as the old man regained his composure and took a deep breath, readying himself for his next sentence. "You are a very universal mutant Ferus, and one that can be used for almost any means. The immense wealth your family name awards you bodes well for the Brotherhood but what helps us there more is your status among your rich socialite friends," he said as he sat back in his chair now, resting his hands on the arm rests, "The Brotherhood has needs and if I wish to keep morale high, then I'm afraid I'll need a bit of help from you. You see, I'm an old man and as such I'm a bit out of touch with what my younger followers are interested in. Perhaps you could find a way to help them obtain such outlets for their aggressions and wants," he said making a small no nothing gesture with his hand before settling it back on the arm rest once again, "Of course, there are also many other aspects in which you can help the Brotherhood, but I wish to see just how you handle this outing with the group first before I let you in on any inner workings," he said very casually as he threw out this little offer, this test, to Sherridan.

[Sherridan Kaine]

The so far chaotic mind clicks back into order as Magneto explains his proposition, and coherent thoughts start running regularly through Sherridan's head. His whole presence now emanates the usual relaxed-but-still-formal feeling that is always present when the mutant has business dealings. Several plans are already formed in his mind, and all the obstacles are identified, analyzed, and answers are offered.

A smile appears on his face, the usual diplomatic one, saying that Sherridan is back in his usual set of mind, and ready to grab any opportunities offered. "Ah, I see. Well, I have a few ideas of how to fix the atmosphere among the members. First off, a bit of renovation could be done, if only to the members' private quarters. Second, I could take them on little excursions once a week, simply to get rid of all the tension and anger that is built up in them. Now, the apparent obstacles to a better working atmosphere are obviously the attitudes of the members. They are clearly all possessed by their own inner demons, and these beasts seem to preoccupy them. We all have our demons, of course, but some of us are capable of suppressing or getting rid of them. My suggestion would be activities such as drag-racing, dirt-biking, and other such extreme sports. If that does not work, then I guess I could always show them how I relieve stress, although a great measure of stealth would be required for that. I, of course, am open to any other suggestions. All I need is some sort of proof of authority, since it would seem that you are the only person who can actually make them listen. Well, except for Pyro, who seems easily influenced by your daughter's, ah, non-mutant powers. No offense meant, naturally." he says, popping out several ideas in a moment, saving some others for later.

"And I don't think I have actually seen all the members of the Brotherhood. A list of names, perhaps, would help greatly." he adds after a few seconds of thought. Alright, my speech will result either in my acceptance to the job, or a complete disintegration, so let's see where the die falls. he thinks as he waits for Magneto's response.

[Magneto]

Magneto agreed with Sherridan about a bit of remodeling, the place they were in now wasn't exactly up to snuff so to speak. Perhaps a larger kitchen and food storage area were needed a then a place to relax and unwind....or course nothing to Magneto's liking but something that would appease the dropping morale of the other Brotherhood members. "Very well Sherridan, but I would advise against anything that might draw too much unwanted attention to ourselves at this moment. Some of us rank very high on the mutant terrorist list you know," he said with a raised eyebrow indicating his concern somewhat. Magneto would give in on this unmentioned demand by his followers, for if he wished to keep them appeased and to draw more to him, then he had to listen at least every now and again. Besides, this would benefit him and the cause in the long run, morale was low and as a result, the drive and passion of the others was low as well and that was no way to win a war.

"As for my.....daughter," he said, seemingly hesitant to recognize Wanda in such a way in front of the others, "I want you to keep an eye on her and Pyro. She seems to fond of the boy and for a women of her.....experience, that does not bode well for any of us. Pyro may still be just a boy, but his abilities are far greater than he has yet realized and I do not need him putting his skills to someone else's use," Magneto said with a stern voice, making sure to get the urgency of his point across.

[Sherridan Kaine]

Sherridan stops for a second, thinking. "Well, all of the innovations would be internal, and the house would look pretty much the same from the outside. The first thing we should fix, in my opinion, are the kitchen, bathrooms, and living room. At this state, they seem to be there merely for that very purpose- to be there. The only addition to the exterior of the house, even though we could put those in the back yard, would be bikes. But that will all just be settled between the others and myself." and then he pauses for a wile, considering how he should approach the other task that Magneto has given him.

"As for that other...problem, I'm not sure how I could do that. Would it not be easier, then, to see to it that she follows you? As for Pyro, I don't think he really pays attention to anyone but you and your daughter. I can't see how I could possibly affect him in any way is all I am trying to say." he replies finally, knowing that Magneto probably won't like this answer. OK, this whole conversation is balancing between success and disaster. Let's see if something comes out of it right.

[Magneto]

Magneto half listened to Sherridan as he went on about some of the things he would do to the hideout, opting to look back down at his paper in front of him and scan the headlines for about the tenth time. Magneto had already given his permission to do what needed to be done to improve morale somewhat and could care less as to how Sherridan went about it, just as long as it stayed within certain guidelines. Magneto was just too old to understand youth and their extreme sports or whatever it was they called those stupid things they did anymore. The only thing he had time for or cared about was winning this war between his kind and the homo sapiens.

As he was about to raise his hand and dismiss Sherridan, the cat man said something that irked Magneto a bit, causing him to drop his hand back to the desk and slowly raised his blue eyes to meet Sherridan's. "Did I say anything about interfering in Pyro and Wanda's relationship mister Sherridan? I believe I told you to keep an eye on them, so why don't you do just that instead of sitting here questioning my ways of doing things," he said just before the metal chair Sherridan was sitting in, flew backward and slammed into the wall with a rather loud thud. Magneto would not be questioned in his commands, nor would he have some upstart new comer trying to offer a supposed better point of view.

[Sherridan Kaine]

"I was not tyring to question your ways or decisions, merely expressing my opinion, and I'm sorry if it came out wrong. I know that whatever you..." he doesn't manage to finish as the chair flies backward and he, thanks to his amplified reflexes, jumps off of it as soon as it starts moving, ending up on his feet, almost in the same spot where the chair was.

"I was not questioning, and I will do as you say." he says, his voice remarkably very calm, another reflex, instilled there by years of rigorous training to be a perfect gentleman. His mind, however, is something completely different. Shit, shit, shit, SHIT! are the first thoughts being generated, and then some more similar thoughts. Damn it! Fuck! HOW THE HELL DID I GET MYSELF INTO THIS! he goes on like this, trying to get the cogwheels of his mind running so that he can see a way out, because right now, the light at the end of a tunnel has just turned out to be a train.

[Magneto]

Magneto kept a close watch on Sherridan for a moment, not seeming to be moved by the mutant's heightened reflexes and agility, after all, anyone who had spent any time in the company of one such as Mystique came to be accustomed to such feats. Of course, watching Mystique move in those ways was much more gratifying....for obvious reasons. "Do not disappointment me Ferus, failure is something I've had too much of lately and something I will not tolerate at this time," he said, his eyes showing the serious and cold side that resided in that fragile looking body.

Magneto dropped his gaze and the door to the room opened once again, seemingly by itself to allow Ferus to make his exit. Magneto went back to looking over whatever it was that laid on his desk, a schematic for something or another. The old man was a genius when it came to making and inventing things and right now it looked as if his mind was kicking back into that gear. "Good day Ferus," he said casually as he glanced back up slightly, curious as to why the mutant was still there.

[Sherridan Kaine]

Sherridan nods his head, seriously, and grimly. He knew that in any scenario he would end up with something going on which wasn't completely in agreement with his own thoughts, but the second he joined the Brotherhood, he gave almost written consent to follow whatever Magneto's orders might be.

Not sure of whether to go out without a word, or wait for Magneto to finish the meeting, he lets his instincts decide, which proves to be a bad thing, for his instincts are ridden by good manners and that means he doesn't leave until Magneto says "good day" in a tone of voice which makes it clear that a bad decision had been made.

"Good day." he replies automatically, and turns around leaving the room. Sherridan doesn't relax until he is behind the corner, and going down the staircase. Alright, so I have two tasks. Remodelling and tailing Pyro. he stops for a moment, grimacing at the unintentional pun. He hates it when that happens. I'll try to call a meeting or something for the remodelling part.