5992/An Unexpected Visit

An Unexpected Visit
Date of Scene:	20 April 2021
Location:	Shannon's Rooftop
Synopsis:	Shannon meets Magneto and is recruited into the Brotherhood.
Cast of Characters:	Erik Lensherr, Shannon Davis

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Erik Lensherr has posed:
It's a fairly pleasant day, only a few clouds in the sky as Shannon busies herself with one of her books. The normal sounds of mutant town drift up from the streets below, but up here they are distant enough to be simple background.

Without warning, a voice speaks from somewhere behind her, "Miss Davis, I was hoping to speak with you." Turning to look would reveal a tall, well built man with long white hair spilling out from under a metallic spartan-type helmet with the front lined in red to form a sharp 'M' shape. His mouth and chin are covered by a well groomed white beard. He's wearing a grey and red mesh weave body suit with heavy gauntlets and boots of metal and a cape flapping behind him in the breeze. He's also floating about three feet above the actual rooftop.

Shannon Davis has posed:
Shannon Davis was trying to make sense of her power using physics still, everything was failing, she was getting into advanced aerodynamics, ballistics, everything she could find, there were piles of books. She was doing some formulas on her notebook when the voice suddenly speaks up, she bounces her way to her feet with a start. "AUGHETHFUCK!" Followed by a loud THUNK, the notebook being launched off towards the man at what would equate to about 20mph, it was very negligible even if it hit someone in the fate.

She had been particularly on edge lately with several people coming to meet her and the constant possibility of some government-issued, or, independent hero showing up to beat her into the ground. She breathes heavily, her brain was already buzzing with its beloved chemicals and she breathed heavily. The man could fly, that was the first thing she noticed, that was a bad sign, people who could fly usually were monstrously powerful. "Will you people give it A REST until I can figure this out?!" She exclaims, slamming a fist on a pile of books.

Erik Lensherr has posed:
Magneto raises a hand and a small distortion appears in the air in front of him. The notebook hits the distortion and stops, dropping to the roof. He then follows it, touching down to stand normally on the roof of the building.

"I apologize for startling you, Miss Davis. However, I have heard a bit about you, and thought we should talk. I understand you are in rather a bit of trouble at the moment. I may be able to help with that, and possibly with other things as well." He looks around, gaze falling on the shed she has set up for herself to live in.

Looking back to her, he adds, "I feel it might benefit you to give me a bit of your time, unless you enjoy living like this, that is." He gestures towards the shed she currently calls home.

Shannon Davis has posed:
Shannon Davis furrows her brows, rotating her right wrist a few times until it pops. She reaches into her jacke and pulls out two weights connected to ropes, dropping them on the ground. "Hm, so projectiles aren't going to work on you." She prepares her only possible last measure in this position, her hand taking a stance with two fingers firmly held out and lightly curved. She stands in front of him, seeming very defensive. "To speed things up. No, I'm not the crazy bitch with a symbiote. No, I don't know how come there were two of me, I vaguely heard someone complaining about doppelgangers. Yes, I am the one involved in the murder of those cops. No, I didn't kill them all, Deathstroke did. I killed three. I also don't know where the other me ended up, you're probably looking for her."

She pauses for a moment, squinting her eyes. "You seem like a smart dude, though, so I'm going to assume you know that if she had stuck around there would be more news and footage of her, and she definitely wouldn't be living like this. So you know I'm the real, weak, pathetic me. Which begs the question: Why would you even bother with me in the first place? You saw what I can do just now. That's it. The grand result of my training and studying, still makes no sense, barely lets me fight."

Erik Lensherr has posed:
He watches her preparations, then shakes his head, "I did see the broadcast you refer to, it did catch my attention. However, I think I prefer a version of you that I can speak normally with without you claiming to be the world's overlord. And if you managed to kill three police officers using your abilities, then you are hardly pathetic, and could be a good deal less so with proper training and practice."

He continues, "But of course, you have no idea who I am. My name is Erik Lensherr, but I am more often known as Magneto. And you don't need to be terribly powerful to catch my interest, simply to want things to be better for mutants than they currently are."

"You are a the perfect example of what I mean. You live in this little shack you've built on top of a building in mutant town and try to figure out your abilities with no help. You get attacked by police, and I doubt anyone does anything about it, though you were fortunate that this Deathstroke fellow was around to assist, or who knows what might have happened to you."

Shannon Davis has posed:
Shannon Davis grew visibly angrier the more he spoke, despite the fact he was being reassuring. To her it was the opposite. She hated it, she hated her weakness, she hated herself, she hated those cops, she hated Deathstroke. Her hands clench tightly and her teeth grind to one side, before she lifts up her left sleeve, revealing four bullet wounds going up to her shoulder. "No. Me surviving that day was entirely based on luck. I hid behind a guy when they opened fire in a panic. Deathstroke killed most of them for me, the other two had been informed that my powers worked through my hands I'm pretty sure and were trying to restrain them. That's the only reason I managed to get them, they were probably afraid I'd blow a hole in them like that other me could."

Her voice drips with a burning anger. "If I had been minimally competent no one would have had to die that day. I keep talking about how I will never stop until I've climbed this insurmountable wall of power but here I am, no matter how hard I study or train nothing ever changes. I don't know what that clone of mine or whatever was so afraid of, I'm starting to think she'll be more powerful than I can ever hope to be."

She chuckles depressedly to herself. "But even if my mind tries telling me that, I just can't accept it." Her eyes slowly rise to meet with the man's, staring firmly at him. "So, you are obviously a man with a purpose. I don't think that comes down just to saving poor abused mutants. What is it that you think I can help you accomplish?"

Erik Lensherr has posed:
Magneto listens to her as she recounts her experience, taking in the bullet wounds she reveals with a slight raise of an eyebrow. "You seem to assume that just because you have not mastered your powers on your own in what, perhaps two years or so judging by your apparent age, that you will always be weak. I can tell you, that is not always the case. I know many mutants who started off with quite minor abilities that they learned to control and improve until they are quite useful."

"As for my purpose? I am building a place for mutants to live, away from the bigotry of humans, a place we can use as a base to work towards the freedom of all mutants from human tyranny and oppression. You may not be powerful at this time, but you seem to be willing to do what needs to be done to survive. I would offer you a place to live among your own kind, far from the reach of any human law enforcement. A place where you could learn more about your powers and ways you can use them. In return, I would ask for your help in our cause, be it in helping build our home or in someday, once you are ready, in fighting to help our people."

His eyes flash slightly as he adds, "I'm sure you've seen the human response to our people, the protests, the violence, even murders of those mutants unable to defend themselves." He sneers, "Lately these 'Friends of Humanity' have been busy, for example. They would not care that you feel your powers are pathetic, they would simply hate you for what you are. I need every mutant willing to stand up to people like that to join my Brotherhood. We will assure that no mutant has to live in fear and squalor just because they were born different."

Shannon Davis has posed:
Shannon Davis broke into a very strange type of laughter, it was an inwards almost depressive series of squeaks while she smirked softly. "I'm going to correct you there on one very important point." She points a finger towards him, motioning vaguely. "I'm not going to make my powers 'quite useful' I am going to make them the strongest thing on this planet. I am going to make them good enough to face all the self-righteous aliens, super geniuses and disgusting demigods. I'm sick of being weak and I'm sick of cowering, be it behind someone's cape or up in a roof. It's bullshit that the universe suddenly decided that I'd have to cower in fear of some unstoppable monstrosity. Fuck the universe. Now, of course, there's my pride in this and all but..."

She trails off, tapping a finger against her chin. "In reality, the primary driving force here is that...wouldn't it be mind-blowingly amazing that Shannon, the weak, puny mutant, suddenly became capable of doing such amazing feats? I've come to realize I don't really care about being a hero, or being a villain, I want to do what makes me feel amazing, feel like I'm not the failure I've always been cut out to be. I think that aligns well with your own ideologies, no? I think those that reject us out of fear are just too weak willed to fight on their own and hold their ground, so they try to eradicate us. I personally can't stand the idea of having to depend on other people for my own protection.

She goes back into her shed and comes back with a phone. "You're the first one I'm going to show this to, so take that as a compliment. But before that, I will accept your terms, on one condition. There is someone I wish to help, not just out of the kindness of my heart, but because I realized something. I've always wanted to be just Shannon, the name to strike fear in the hearts of my enemies. However I have also always wanted to be a great caped role-model. Since I am already vilified nationally, I will be Shannon the terrible mutant terrorist or whatever. But I would also like to help this person as a hero figure. The contrast will keep things impossible to co-relate, so I assure you there will be no identity leakage issues. He's specifically helping me cover for that. I obviously will not do anything that could possibly ever create a conflict of interests." She tells him, holding the phone in her hand.

Erik Lensherr has posed:
Magneto smiles a little as he listens to Shannon break free of her depression and declare her intentions to be truly powerful. He nods as she speaks, and replies, "And that is what I want for every mutant. The ability to make as much of themselves as they want to, without being held back by human fear, or poor conditions that make it impossible to really learn." He gestures at her pile of books, "You will have access to all the classroom learning you wish, as well as a place to practice your abilities and other mutants who can help you figure out how to harness the power you desire."

He shrugs, "As for your wish to help this person, what you do on your own time is your business, provided you do not attack your brothers and sisters in the Brotherhood. You will have free access to return to this city whenever you wish, so you will be able to spend your free time here helping this person if that is what you want to do. For that matter, doing that may help you improve your powers even more than simple practice would, so why would I protest?"

He looks at the phone she has brought out, as from what she said, what she wants to show him has something to do with it. "Well then, I am intrigued. What is it that you wish to show me?"

Shannon Davis has posed:
Shannon Davis grinned wide, it was like this man was reading her mind, that was exactly her point. "You've said it all, didn't even have to continue the second half of the explanation. Great. So, since you want me in, I feel morally obligated to show you this." She turns it on and selects a recording, then hands him the phone

The first thing visible is herself staring at the camera, or so it seems, at second glance it was an older version of herself, with a wide sadistic smirk. "Heyo, little girl. It's me, you've seen me on the news, haven't you? Is that why you're hiding? Well, I don't blame you. I did a lot of hiding in my lifetime. So you must be wondering, 'who is this mystery woman who looks like me?' Well, I'm you! Easy, right? Just from another universe it seems. Or dimension, or whatever. I can feel it through the phone right now, how envious you are in the future when you get this recording. You want to be strong and powerful like I am. Yes, I was like that too. I am, still.

But here's the issue... you can't. Now right now, not as you are. You live in a world where everyone's too soft. This incredible, absurd softness, I know you've felt it. People think that every dredge of power they have is good enough and would be oh-so-dangerous if shared. What if the other person was bad?! You live in a moronic world that almost entirely depends on a single man with a cape. Do you really think he can take it all? You have this horde of mediocre fools that could get wiped out in seconds, at any day, from who knows how many different sources of enemies.

One day something shows up and they can't hold up to it. 'Oh please Superman, come save us' it's easy, to depend on others like that, isn't it? Then the day comes the beloved Superman doesn't come. Too bad. The issue was just too big for him to hold up on his own. Was he dead? Was he just getting beaten into the ground? Or maybe he was saving someone more important? I *saw* that day. The day my world collapsed. I was raised in the horrendous conditions of a constant war against the most vile kind of being, I saw fighting every other day, I struggle for my life every week.

You're wondering why any of this matters. I'm not excusing or explaning myself. I'm telling you why YOU need to give up. I was raised in a hell, basically, and even then, there came a point where something in me snapped, or got worn down maybe? Something along those lines. I stopped caring, realized it was just so much easier to not give a shit about anyone or anything and dive headfirst into the most outrageous bloodbaths I could find. Life has never been so fun. That is what created this 'monster' you see in front of you."

She takes a long pause, seeming to get much more serious and somber. "You'd think I'd have been prepared psychologically after living so long in those conditions. Now to my main point. You are like a baby compared to me, you're sheltered in a world where a hero will come kiss your booboo if you stumble. You're soft, weak, and pathetic. The simple fact you've remained this weak for so long proves just how absolutely hopeless you are in this bubble of imaginary protection against everything evil in the universe." She points at the camera, leaning in. "You can already feel it inside of you. That madness. Your insatiable drive to reach higher heights? Do more amazing things? That incredible euphoria you feel when you fight? That. You're going to snap, I'm not suggesting this will happen, I am stating, it's more than just a promise. It WILL happen. Now, I've said I don't give a shit about anything, right? Why am I leaving you this message? That is also simple. Look at what happened when battle-hardened, apocalyptic, drastically superior *me* snapped. I SHUDDER to think what you'll become when your world breaks and that madness finally takes hold of you. It's actually so stressful to me that I'm actually going out on a limb and being helpful to the world for once. Let me kill you. The future of the planet will be much better without you, that is the path that will save the most lives

Shannon Davis has posed:
Shannon Davis that is the path that will save the most lives. If anyone else is watching this recording instead, kill her immediately, because after what I've thrown her way, it very well may be too late."

Erik Lensherr has posed:
Magneto watches the entire recording without comment, then looks to Shannon once the final statement is made. "Well, I can agree with some of her sentiments, sitting back and waiting for others to save you is pointless. We see that every time a mutant is attacked and there's no Superman swooping in to save them. We need to be able to defend ourselves. So on that point I cannot argue."

He chuckles, "In fact, I know it to be true. I myself went through my own sort of hell in my youth. I was Jewish in Germany during World War Two. I was in a concentration camp, and it made me stronger, determined that such a thing would never happen again while I lived. It's why I do what I do, so I completely understand her."

He shakes his head, "However, her last assumption is mistaken. Nothing says you have to follow her path, and even if you do, you can still be an asset. Some of my associates are... shall we say, considered quite evil, yet are still willing to help the mutant cause. I see no reason to listen to her suggestion, when what you will go through may simply make you into the strong, powerful being you want to be. My offer stands."

Shannon Davis has posed:
Shannon Davis takes the phone back, turning it off and smiling wide to the man. She carefully stores the phone inside a metal box. "It does seem you are the ideal side for Shannon, then. I doubt I can come back from this whole thing, no matter how much that poor SHIELD agent wants to plea in my favor. The government needs someone to take the fall. So I will. I will be the evil they've always wanted to point their fingers at." She says this now staring at her right hand, seemingly skipping to a totally new line of conversation.

"It was exhilarating, the day when that masked maniac butchered all those people. I felt like utter, absolute trash for causing their deaths. And I feel even worse because of that fact that I've never felt as good as the day I managed to kill three of them with just my bare hands and my powers. Killing to survive is something my brain craves naturally, I think. It's some kind of disease from adrenaline addiction or something, plus me being fucked up from the start. Even my parents knew it, ever since I was a child. Maybe the day I can finally stop feeling bad about it will be the day I become truly strong." She tells him ponderously.

Once again, jumping conversation lines, she continues. "One thing's an issue, though. I've gotten to a point where I'm certain normal academics can't help me out with my powers. I've had lots of free time, and after everything I've tried and studied, it still doesn't make sense. There's only one conclusion to be made. It doesn't respect physics. But I can't figure out HOW. Every time I use it I feel like I'm holding the worlds most complicated swiss army knife and I can't even pull out the toothpick."

Erik Lensherr has posed:
He shrugs again, "Many of our people have powers that ignore conventional science. Often we learn more by doing than by studying. The associate you will meet in just a few moments has a power that I would challenge any scientist to explain. She learned to control it by using it until she could do quite amazing things." He looks around, "Come, let me show you your new home. Gather the things you want with you, and put them in here." he gestures, and several sheets of metal tear free of the surroundings to come together and form an open topped crate that floats in front of him.

He says "Blink, join me" and a few seconds later, a round opening appears in the air to his right and a young Asian woman with black and red dyed hair steps out, looking around as if assessing threats. She bows her head to him as he says, "We will be returning home with Miss Davis and her belongings. She is free to return at any time she wishes." Blink nods and looks to Shannon, asking "Do you need help with your things?"

Shannon Davis has posed:
Shannon Davis looked at the portal opening. She was glad and sad, it shows as a weird series of conflicting expressions. Her powers were, theoretically possible to hone to the point she could content with the heavyweights, certain powers weren't unless the basis of how they were used were changed, opening portals was one for example. It would be very challenging to take someone down unless one could directly swallow someone with an instant portal, and in such examples, perhaps make the end come out inside the sun. She didn't think this woman was capable of this considering her situation, and that was the part that saddened her.

She takes just some beat up clothes, her notebooks, a few utensils along with her phone. She didn't have much. She also takes her improvised weapons. "Uh, thanks." She tells the woman, she felt a bit bad using her as a convenient means of transportation, but then again if your power is like that it might feel awesome for you to do that for people. Who knew, after all? Once everything is set she follows after the two. "I think doing is better than studying too. That's what I kept telling Hank but he was just like what the other me said, too afraid I might get hurt. I get the feeling I'm definitely doing something wrong, though, so I might actually die if I try fighting someone."

Erik Lensherr has posed:
Magneto gestures to Blink, who opens another portal. He strides through, the metal crate containing Shannon's things following him through the portal. Blink gestures for Shannon to go next, then stepping through last, the portal closing behind her.

The transfer is instantaneous, one step is on the roof, the next is on the metal floor of a very large area. Off to one side is what looks like a spaceship being worked on by a maintenance crew. One end of the large bay is currently open, with just a slight shimmer indicating an energy field of some sort. And beyond that field...

Is empty space, filled with probably the brightest stars Shannon has ever seen.

At the far end of the bay, a large window shows a view of Earth far below them, a view Shannon may have seen in movies or documentaries about space. Magneto turns to her and simply says, "Welcome to what has become known as Asteroid M. It's actually a large space station, but most of the world's governments don't know that." He waves over another person with a handcart, and settles the crate of her belongings onto it. "Show Miss Davis to living quarters." Before she goes. he pulls a small metal card out of a pocket and floats it over her her. It has a phone number on it, and the address for the Saints and Sinners Club in Brooklyn. "This club belongs to the Brotherhood, should you ever need a place to go when on Earth, and that phone number will put you in touch with someone who can get you transported back here. When you wish to go to Earth, come here, there is always someone who can transport you on duty."

Going back to something she had said before they traveled here, he tells her, "We have people you can train against who are resilient enough that you will not damage them, and who will in return not kill you so that you can practice combat if you wish before actually trying to fight for real. There is a computer terminal in your quarters with full internet access and maps of the facility so you can learn your way around." He nods his head and finishes, "I am afraid that at the moment I do have other calls on my time, but I would be happy to speak with you again in the future."

Shannon Davis has posed:
Shannon Davis blinks once, then twice. Then she bursts out in laughter. "You know this is really funny, earlier today I had just told a guy even if he shot me into space in a straightjacket I'd still manage to become the strongest thing he'd ever seen." She says with a grin. "So, my issue right now is that, well, I'm sort of in the reverse of what I said. I did a lot, I practiced, thousands and thousands of times. I don't think doing more of it the way I'm doing is going to improve anything. I need to figure out what I'm doing wrong and fix it. So technically now I have to study, but uh, myself." She rubs the back of her head, half-confused. "Anyways, having someone to practice one will help a ton. I'm not sure what effect my powers have on people exactly, as in, uh, what could kill them or if nothing would happen, and so on." She gives the man a grateful nod. "Thank you for taking me in. I didn't think there would be someone who'd be so open-minded not behind bars. I will do my best to make your dreams come true, just as hard as I'm trying mine." She didn't want to keep him too long and so she keeps it short. "I'll go explore the place in the meantime. I don't want to make you late."