Aren't You Tired of Being Weak? (BH and X-MEN)

[Pyro]

[OOC: Time for the grand entrance, me thinks. Pyro’s team – aside from Avalanche, who we know had gone on ahead to break the news that the diversion had been successful, and Sherridan if he wants in – consists of NPC’s. So far name checking Elliot (OC) and a teenage version of Marrow]

The armored transport squeals to a halt just past the gates, which is a fairly unsual thing for such a transport to do, really, suggesting that the driver isn’t used to handling such a machine...

... or that they are surrounded by mutant terrorists and fearing for their miserable existence. The cabin door swings and the driver is kicked to the ground, bone blade trained on the join between spine and skull, as the back of the van bursts open and those *New Recruits* Magneto is so concerned about pile out, more than slightly careworn but no less obviously invigorated. Most are armed with various plastic weapons pilfered from the truck, and many bear ‘trophies’ of battle – badges, scraps of naval uniform, stolen dogtags. Hardly a professional outfit, but the mad exhilaration more than covers their lack of experience, and hell, you’d have to be mad to take them on just now. Or at least that’s how it feels, riding the wave of immortality such a victory puts you on because for a first mission it’s been the resounding success everyone needed.

Last to exit, emerging from the front seat, are Elliot – whose grin is slightly forced, her nausea obvious – and, barely a heartbeat behind her and on a more manic high, Pyro. Mission accomplished? You bet your ass.

He gives Elliot a subtle nod, and something passes wordlessly between the junior members (not a bad tactic, really, this telepathic chain of command, and one they’ve been exploiting since Elliot insists on clinging like glue to the firestarter and might as well make herself useful), the chatter dying down and the hyperactivity replaced as they try to make themselves look slightly more impressive for the Big Boss, their nerves at being before him as obvious as their exhilaration was before. No such worries for the leader (heh, that still seems sort of surreal, but it’s an addictive surreal, one he could get used to...), who saunters over to his usual place at Magneto’s side, curt nods reserved for Avalanche (his official second, though it’s still clearly flitting between one man show and free for all) and Mystique, tone utterly blasé. ”The nice navy guy gave us a lift, once we’d been all *diplomatic* with his friends.” – a small spurt of flame and the nervous laughter of the others shows exactly how that diplomacy played out, as if one could not guess – ”They were delighted with our relocating their boats, y’see. Sent out a proper welcome wagon once we’d finished landscaping… Did you get what you needed?”

[Magneto]

Magneto watched as the scene with the armored transport unfolded before him and actually smiled when Pyro and the little telepath he had picked up weeks ago climbed out, along with others of their little social group. It appeared that the boy and his telepathic dog seemed to work quite well together, something the old man made sure to commit to memory, after all, every piece was a key to winning this little game.

From the look that stemmed from Pyro's face as he caught a glimpse of Avalanche showed that the boys had put aside their little differences for the time being and that was good, after all, they were all in this together and even though Magneto had faced off against his kind before, he still believed mutants should always work together and never use their powers on each other unless they had to do so. Of course, the old man had on occasion used his power to discipline others underneath him, but hey, that was a necessary evil to prove a point.....right?

Magneto couldn't help but flash Pyro a smile as the boy sauntered up and rattled off his report with so much pride. Clearly everything had went well and Pyro seemed to be in top spirits, so no worries there. Magneto had been a bit worried about their others taking orders from his protege, but by the way the others piled out of the transport and fell in line behind the fire starter, then those worries appeared to be for naught. "I would say Mystique has what she needs by now," he said calmly and casually as he took a deep breath, but quickly stopped as the smell of burning human bodies hit him. The smell was a quick reminder of the death camps and while this seemed to depress the old man, it only quickened his resolve and determination even more. "Any sign of cure weapons?," Magneto asked, doubting that any would be here, but then again, that would make this the perfect place then. When one wanted to hide something, often the best place was in the least likely.

[Pyro]

Pyro shook his head in response, saving up the mad histrionics such clear approval would no doubt inspire for later when releasing them wouldn’t make him look quite such an idiot. Now was, after all, as much a time to be professional as the mission itself, and more of a challenge given how much less there was to distract and thereby focus him. ”None” He dropped one of the captured plastic guns, deceptively fake and childish looking, almost a toy, at Magneto’s feet as if to illustrate the point. ”They’ve gone back to the other option... Whatever stocks are left, they’re not with the military.”

Did that change things, the fact that the threat of the cure was no longer so obviously hanging over them? Maybe. For the newbies it made things more serious, death still being the limit of their comprehension of terror.... and good thing, really, because motivating them to *do evil* was still something of a challenge, this the first real test at the sharp end of the ideology they’d signed up to.

Pyro on the other hand? He wasn’t so sure. Death was still better than being nullified, wasn’t it? Like a good student, he was going to wait on Magneto’s reaction before taking an official stance, and unofficially he wasn’t going to waste time thinking about it. Humans were bastards, pure and simple, and simple suited his reasoning just fine.

[nitrous]

As Nitrous prepares to assualt the vehicle, it screetches to a halt. Confused, he hesitates and watches as the cabin door of the vehicle swings open. A sapien falls to the ground with something sticking out of his neck. Nitrous makes out Pyro and two other mutants that he hasn't seen around before. He turns back to Magneto and smiles. Pyro had gotten the job done it seems.

He's barely listening as Pyro speaks. He's only been in his nitric form this long once or twice before, the strain of staying superheated is starting to kick him in the back of the head. Literally, that's what it feels like, getting kicked in the back of your skull. Mags and Pyro are talking a few feet away from him, but Vin really isn't interested, well until he picks up the words "cure" and "weapons".

Turning to face them, he listens to Pyro's response.

"None. They’ve gone back to the other option... Whatever stocks are left, they’re not with the military.”


Good, no threat of being genetically castrated by the sapiens and their stupid cure. With his arms folded, he waits for Magneto's orders. But, he also hoped they were almost done here, he was getting a little exhausted. Hopefully, it didn't show.

[rileyfletcher]

Not to long after introducing herself to Avalanche, Niturous came back towards them and introduced himself to her. Before she had a chance to reply, there was a noise and a truck was heading towards them. It soon stopped and a human fell out of it, just recently killed. Then A bunch of other mutants came out of it, including John, but it of course calling himself Pyro now. She watched them as they walked around and Pyro made his way towards them.

When Pyro reached Magneto, he took the place opposite of her on the other side of Magneto. She listened to them as they spoke and began to wonder what else they would be doing. It almost seemed like their task was done. As Riley watched Pyro, she began to wonder if he remembered her from the mansion, or if he was wondering why someone from the opposite team is with them and listening to their conversation.

Riley soon stopped thinking about those things, when she heard them talking about the cure. She noticed Magneto's reaction about it, and knew he hated the cure, because that is the main reason why their here, and why he is weakier then usual.

[Magneto]

Magneto continued to watch the scene unfold around him as his young protege rattled off his report. The'clack' of the plastic gun as it hit the ground caught Magneto's attention and the old man slowly dropped his eyes down to the ground, an empty expression on his face. He had seen these pathetic attempts to counteract his powers before and while they were a surprise the first time, he had found ways of dealing with them. Ceramic armor, glass bullets, and other random childish attempts had all been thrown at him and every time he had found a flaw in those plans. Sure he couldn't effect things of such a nature, but when you controlled the magnetic field of the earth itself, then every single tiny metallic particle within three hundred feet was your weapon.

"Well at least we know where we stand with these," he said as he arched one eyebrow, taking a deep breath as a stray scrap of metal, about the size of his fist, rose up and behind his right shoulder before being violently rocketed toward the ground and straight into the plastic gun, shattering the little 'toy' in several pieces. Magneto gave a bit of a smile and looked back to Pyro, as he pulled his cape around and over his right arm, "Rally the troops my boy, I believe we've made our point clear," he said as he pushed by his protege and back through the chaos.