7012/Time to discuss an ending...

Time to discuss an ending...
Date of Scene:	20 July 2021
Location:	Apartment 201
Synopsis:	Something's afoot alright, Scott will get the X-Men, Mystique and Clarice will get everyone else... when all is ready, they will strike.
Cast of Characters:	Raven Darkholme, Scott Summers, Clarice Ferguson

---

Raven Darkholme has posed:
It was a text message, simple enough, send to Xavier's because obviously Mystique does not have personal phone numbers of the X-Men.

- Got a lead you may be interested in, will be in apartment 201 of the apartments near Saints and Sinners. Meet me, or don't, your choice entirely. -

Scott Summers has posed:
Scott Summers shows up wearing a black and gold tracksuit with Xavier's branding, a big yellow X on the left breast, with a fitbit on his wrist and a pair of wrap-around ruby-quartz glasses. He had been preparing to do his daily jog but decided to exercise his discretion instead, riding his motorcycle down to Bushwick on short notice and making his way up to the address he was given.

Could it be an ambush? Sure, but it seemed like they were at a decent level of cooperation at this point. He was always on guard, of course, but, for the most part, he came expecting talk instead of action.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Perhaps it's reassuring when it's Clarice that opens the door with a friendly smile, and a gesture for him to come in. "Hey. Is beer your thing? We have a six pack in the fridge," she invites. "And some chips." Tortilla chips with a bean dip, as a matter of fact. Clarice has a fondness for it. She'll lead the way towards the living room, dropping casually onto a chair and picking up her own drink while she lets Mystique gets down to business.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Sure, it's am ambush... Scott will be assaulted by coffee, donuts, and oh dear gods... fresh fruits. Damn the Brotherhood and their fresh fruits!

Mystique is pacing the length of the living room, which admittedly isn't much space but still she paces. She lets Clarice open the door because Scott may freak out less over her being the one to open the door, those fresh fruit can't attack now, Clarice is in the way.

"Evening Scott," she offers when the door is opened, even though it's from a distance to that door, she makes her presence known.

Scott Summers has posed:
Scott Summers nods, "Mystique. Blink," he says, not having expected the younger woman but regarding her respectfully nonetheless. Maybe he would've been wise to bring a lieutenant of his own, but never let it be said that Scott Summers is anything less than bold.

"I see you managed to elude capture once again. I expected nothing less," he says with a slight smile. "What can I do for you?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Leaning over, Clarice claims one of her chips, digging into the bean dip - and letting out a frustrated sound when it inevitably snaps. //Why// does it always have to snap? She doubles the chips up and tries again with a greater success as she adds, "Make yourself at home. What's the thing they say mi casa is su casa? Something like that?" She then happily pops the chip into her mouth, letting out a satisfied 'mmm.'
    Look, the cafeteria on the Asteroid is great - but 'chips and dip' is never on the menu.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique continues her pacing, pausing to offer Scott a nod, then gesture toward the food on the table.

"Of course I escaped, but I didn't expect you and the others to get involved. So thank you for that," she offers, then finally stops fully by a lap top she has set up by the television.

"I intended to talk to you about this at the block building, but that got interrupted. I loath when my past catches up and haunts me. I refuse to go to jail," this she says adamantly and firm, "but I will pay for the crimes I've committed, just not in a human set of laws. When my work is done, I will let Queen Lorna and the courts of Genosha try me, until that time... I keep working."

She keys up something on the laptop. "There's a video I need you to see."

Scott Summers has posed:
Scott Summers nods, "I didn't say anything I didn't believe. Whatever you may have done, their attempt to arrest you was little more than a publicity stunt meant to cow the mutant community into obedience. I have no patience for those kinds of shenanigans. Whatever disagreements we may have, you're a part of this community and one of its leaders."

He steps forward to take a look. He has his own opinions on Genoshan law one way or the other, but he's not about to voice any such doubts in present company. Not likely to find a warm reception, he imagines.

"Show me," he says.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Wait - what? The surprise shows plainly on Clarice's features as she goes from lounging in a relaxed manner in one of the chairs, her leg dangling over the arm of the chair - to turning her gaze sharply towards Mystique. Her foot jiggles rapidly up and down as she tries to process how she feels about //that// - and just what sort of verdict the Genoshan court might reach.
    I mean - sure Mystique's broken man, very serious laws but- so had Magneto, and he'd been //King//. Would they really convict Mystique? But if it was only a show trial, and she got acquitted, wouldn't that just create problems?
    Shit, she doesn't like any bit of this.
    In fact, she's so preoccupied she seems to have momentarily missed any mention of a video.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique tapes a few keys on the laptop, the television screen lights up.

<The camera pans up from the floor to a older man with silvering hair, wearing a very nice suit and sitting in a high back chair. He is holding a large, black leather bible in his hand.>

"Hello. I'm the great Reverend Franklin Jeffery Sinclair. I sit here today to inform you all of the newest facility our great church is offering to those in need. Just as two years ago we began our Get Straight campaign, I'm proud to announce the opening of Become Human."

<The man stands from the chair, carrying the bible with him as he walks to a large glass back door and then through it. Beyond the door a new angle indicates a camera change, the view that of a large, vast green field. At the edges of the field are what looks like small cabins, almost like this is some sort of summer camp. As the camera moves, the man continues speaking>

"We all know the great horror that has come among us, these mutants, touched by Satan himself and given unholy powers. Some come to us now, with twisted bodies, their souls tormented, longing to be free of their sin... and with the help of doctors, therapists and God fearing people like myself, they are getting the help they need."

<The camera fades out at the door of one of the cabins and when the images return, it is the same field but there are children of all ages there, playing, sitting in circles around adults who are talking, these children are not all obviously mutant but some are.>

"Choosing to allow God to heal your children is a difficult and painful choice, but the other choice is damning their souls to the eternal fires of hell. Look around, look at the loving and tender approach we take. We ensure the health of the body and the mind, guiding these unfortunate mutants back to humanity."

"If you know a child who needs to be saved, contact us through Get Straight facilities and we'll arrange a tour of our newest facility."

When the screen goes black, Mystique turns and looks at Clarice and Scott. "I already took that tour," she spits out. "Recorded the whole thing, it sure the hell is not a wonderful camp. It's a torture house, they use collars, it's all on the next video."

Scott Summers has posed:
Scott Summers grits his teeth as he watches. He knows people like this, of course. He grew up in a facility, spent time in foster care, how could he not encounter those looking to 'save' the vulnerable and the weak the victimized, when really all they want is just to find a way to justify their own bigotry and hate.

"I believe you," he says. He can stand seeing it, but it doesn't mean he wants to.

"What kind of facility is it, security wise?" he says. There's no question about taking action here. There is no choice. Children are at stake.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarices preoccupation fades as the video starts, and she swings her leg around to sit upright, her gaze intent on the screen. Her expression slowly grows increasingly grim as her hand opens and closes at her side. "//Unfortunate// mutants is right," she mutters under her breath - certain this is no loving, hand-holding, kumbiya sort of camp if Mystique is bringing it to their attention. The mention of the collars only confirms it.
    "No fucking collars - no fucking way," she asserts in a cold voice. "They only take children? And submit them to that //torture//? What's their end-game? What do the plan to do with them - just imprison them for life?"
    She looks at Scott, and then back to Mystique as she adds, "And what do we do with these kids once we get them? Genosha? They're minors - if they stay on American soil - their parents can try to get them back. And unless we're planning on using some of these kids as court cases to set legal presidence..." She shakes her head at that thought. Trying to fight mutant rights in the courts - using kids like this?
    "What a fucking mess."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
"The place is heavily guarded, but it looks like your average people just wandering around," Mystique explains, still biting back venom and anger. "It's a country house, middle of no where, huge piece of land with patrols. You're taken there in /their/ van, no windows, not allowed to see the way. You go through all kinds of nonchalant testing before they even agree to take you. My first three attempts failed, the third struck gold. I'm not telling you where I hit the GPS locator or the camera," she starts to pace again. "The place has fifteen children, the youngest is only six... six years old." She growls and puts energy into pacing. "They also have something... I couldn't get a good look, but the collars aren't their only ace in the hole. There's a drug they're using on those children, it does something to them."

Scott Summers has posed:
Scott Summers crosses his arms over his chest, "Then the first order of business needs to be liberating the children. Having a teleporter will help with that. Might be worth bringing Nightcrawler along to double up that capacity," he says, his strategic mind going to work.

"I'd rather not engage in heavy firefighting while there are still little kids on the premises. These kinds of people will be all too willing to use human shields. Becomes a lot easier if you don't really think of them as human in the first place, I imagine," he says.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice's jaw tightens. Six? //Six//? She is going to murder these assholes. She might even save one for Mister Creed. "What intel you got on the drug?" she asks.
    "Liberating the children the goal - not sure it's the first order of business, though. We need to all be on the same page about how we're securing their future //before// we spring them. Because otherwise, they get stuck in the middle while we argue about them, and that's not something we're going to do. Yeah? My vote's Genosha. These parents forfitted their parental rights."
    She glances from Scott, to Mystique, then back to Scott again as she adds, "...we'll need Nightcrawler, or Magik. I got hit on a recent mission - I've got no powers for a bit," she delivers flatly. "Though - not a fact I want spread around, you know?"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Amber eyes shift from Scott to Clarice, then back again, "These children are going to Gensha, there is no voting, that is final. It is the only place they will be safe from their own parents, the American government and monsters like this who would harm children."

Reaching into her pocket she pull out a small sealed vial, and if that isn't enough, it's been sealed again in a plastic substance, and then into a large ziplock. "This is the drug," she offers the container to Scott. "Dr McCoy is the best choice for figuring it out, but it needs to be handle with extreme care. It not only seems to steal mutant powers, but it renders them mindless. They just do what their told to do. I've never seen anything like it in my life."

Scott Summers has posed:
Scott Summers takes the bag and nods, "Sounds like you should see Dr. McCoy as well," he nods to Clarice, "I'm sorry for what you're going through. Power depletion is difficult. For as much as being a mutant can cost us, we are never truly complete without our abilities," he sighs.

"I won't contend the Genosha plan for now." He doesn't want them indoctrinated there, either, but that's a subject for a different time and he, once more, isn't going to get into an argument likely to fall on deaf ears anyway. "I'll warn Hank to be cautious."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I already did," Clarice tells Scott simply. "It's gonna wear off." Or so she's been assured. "Just a matter of patience - McCoy's trying to find a way to speed up that clock for me, though."
    As Mystique describes the drug, some of the color drains from Clarice's features, and her hand tightens at her side. "Magistrates," she breathes quietly, her gaze flicking towards Mystique, and then towards Scott. "With- With collars, and such extreme... complacency, it sounds like what the Magistrates did to us on Genosha. We can't let them do that again - I won't let them." She tries to rein in her emotions - but she can't help but let a hint of rage, and terror leak into her voice. If there is a Magistrate there - if she fell into their hands again?
    But no. Mister Creed, and Mystique, and Magneto, and Lorna would never let them keep her. She knows that. And she won't let them keep these kids.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique walks over to Clarice and lays her hand on the woman's shoulder, "Hey, reign it in. We don't know that for certain, but if it is, you bet your sweet purple ass we'll kill them."

Leaving her hand on Clarice's shoulder, she looks to Scott. "For now? No... we don't change our mind later, if you've got a problem, bring it up now. Once we go down that path together, I refuse to start a debate over where they go... so get it out now Scott."

Scott Summers has posed:
Scott Summers frowns and shakes his head, "No, you're right. I don't like that you're right, that's all. I was separated from my family. Even when that family is damaged or bad, that doesn't make it easy for the kids to give them up, especially to be whisked away to another country, with no contact. But this camp is clearly a step too far. These parents aren't on the fence or simply misguided or misinformed," he sighs, running a hand back through his hair.

"So yes. Genosha. But I want their citizenship maintained so they can return home later, on their own, if they so choose. I don't want anyone feeling trapped. We've all had enough of that, I think," he says.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "If it's not them, they're using their play book," Clarice answers quietly, looking up towards her friend. "We don't let this stand." Still - she takes a deeep breath in, letting it out slowly as she tries to regain her sense of control. They'll gather the intel. They'll make a plan. They'll get the kids - and they'll make the assholes pay. It just takes time.
    "And I'm with Mystique on this. We all agree on the fate of the kids before we go. So I'm glad we're all on the same page - but you need to make sure your team is, too. And really - do you think Lorna would make those kids renounce their American citizenship?"
    After another deep breath in, and then out, she adds, "Hell, we can even explore which parents sent them off to this place. Maybe one parent did it without the other parent's knowledge or consent? Could be some of these kids could retain ties to some of their family. On a case by case basis, if it's //safe//."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique steps back from Clarice now, turning herself toward Scott. "You really don't get us or Genosha, do you? You assume a lot of things from what you've heard, without bothering to ask. No one in Genosha is forced to stay there, they can come and go as they please. These children will be given everything, including their parents, if that is what they want, but first they will be given the choice to see what it's like in a world where people actually love them for who and what they are."

She cants her head, walking slowly toward Scott. "What did you think we'd do? Turn them into child warriors for the Brotherhood? Do you even realize that the Brotherhood and Genosha are /not/ connected? Lorna is Queen of Genosha, her rule is law..." she has to turn away to conceal her disgust. "We can disagree Scott, on a great many things, but on Genosha... what is your problem?"

Scott Summers has posed:
Scott Summers sighs and leans back for a moment, "My problem is Magneto. He's still worshipped there and I understand why. But he's still the man that tried to kill me and those I care about, many times over," he says. "Charles may be able to forgive him, because he loves the man. But I have no love for him nor will I ever," he says.

"When I see the Brotherhood, when I see Genosha, it's his flag and his standard I see. Maybe that's wrong of me. I'm not perfect, I never claimed to be. I don't think it's disrespectful for me to ask that things be above board and that everyone be looked after. Even if it's expected and should be taken as a given, I've found that making assumptions never leads to anything good. I assure, I confirm and I oversee to make sure the right thing is done because, in my experience, that's the only way the right thing will be done."

"I don't trust Utopias. I've spent a lot of my life trying to put together a dream and, while I still believe in it, I've found that a lot of it is gossamer that slips through my fingers. So I ask for assurances and I demand proof when it comes to the treatment of mutants, especially children, no matter whose flag it flies under."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "He's renounced his throne to Lorna, Scott. She rules there, not him. I still serve them both, but..." There's a wry quirk to the corner of Clarice's lips, "At this point, Lorna out ranks him." And she really, hopes those two loyalties of hers never conflict. She would hate to have stand at Lorna's side //against// Lorna's father."
    Her expression grows deathly serious as she adds, "If you believe nothing else, believe this. These children deserve what I never got - a normal childhood. Why do you think I brought Dyani to Xavier's? I'd be happy to let Xavier's take on these kids, too, if I wasn't worried about the American courts. These kids will have as normal and as happy of a life as we can provide. I'll keep an eye on that - and you or anyone at Xavier's is welcome to follow up on it whenever you like."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Her arms go across her chest as Mystique looks back to Scott, "Your information is outdated. They don't love Erik there, not any more. Lorna is the queen, it is her flag that flies over the palace that is being rebuilt because of Magneto. Genosha is no utopia Scott, it never was, and it never will be, what it is is the /only/ hope for Mutants to have a place where humans stop torturing, tormenting, raiding, pillaging and killing us."

She looks over to Clarice for a moment, then back to Scott. "I can't speak for Genosha, I can't offer you carte blanche with them, but I can offer you complete transparency with the Brotherhood who serves at Lorna's will. You don't have to forgive Magneto, but you need to realize that he does not run the BRotherhood, I do. He does not run Genosha, Lorna does... but these children, they aren't going to Xaiver's, there are too many, the American courts will hunt them down, and their parents will find another way to torture them for being mutants."

Now she walks to the window to look out at Bushwick, "You speak of a childhood you never had, in foster homes, etc. Did your own parents try to kill you Scott? Did they hunt you like an animal, drag you back and try to kill you, not once, but twice?" She glances back to him. "Until you know that pain, you can't understand what these children have been through."

Scott Summers has posed:
"I suppose that's what worries me. Magneto's always craved power, not just enlightenment, not just freedom. It's against his character to step away from it," he says. "But you make fine points and I won't contend against any of them. I hope everything you say is true. I hope Genosha turns out to be a nation to make mutantkind proud, to lead us into the future. Nothing would make me happier."

"But I still stay sharp just in case it isn't."A

"I don't know what my parents wanted. I barely remember them, if I'm honest. I don't know if they're dead or alive and I barely know the brother that fell out of the wreckage with me, because the system separated us."

"No one wants to protect these kids more than I do, Mystique. Not even you. So we'll do this your way and we'll get them to safety and, yeah, probably beat the everloving hell out of everyone that touched it and try to show the world what monsters they are and hope, this time, finally, the world actually listens."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "A roomfull of bitter, angry orphans is what we are," Clarice mutters under her breath. "Go us." She takes a deep breath in, and lets it out slowly before she adds, "Tell McCoy that researching the drug takes precidence. These kids come first, my powers will come back on their own - if they have to."
    She frowns slightly before she adds, "...ask him if it could be at all tied to what that mutant did to the humans he was selling off. He- somehow he could make them complacent, and almost... inert. I- I've got no way of knowing if that's helpful at all to the research, but..."
    She takes another deep breath in, and lets it out slowly before asking, "Should we watch the footage you took, Mystique? I assume you have copies of the footage for Scott to take with him?"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique steps over and extends her hands to Scott, to shake not to punch, that's what that killer fresh fruit was for after all. "Scott, I know you don't fully trust me, I know you don't like me, I know you hold a grudge against a great many things that happened in the past, but that's where it all is, the past. Alright? We need to build a foundation of trust, and I know that's going to take time, but we have to start here, right now, for these kids and stop bickering all the little details."

Whether he shakes her head or not, when she finishes talking she offer a nod and moves back to the laptop. Pulling the thumb drive she walks back to offer it to Scott. "The original video, and the footage I took. Keep in mind the GPS location and route to this place aren't on there, I have those in my head."

Scott Summers has posed:
Scott Summers takes the hand, "I don't dislike you, Mystique. I don't know you, really," he admits, "I don't think of it as a grudge, so much as I think of learning from my mistakes. But your point is taken and I'll do my best to be more open-minded as we go forward," he says.

He takes the thumb drive, "So noted. I'll keep the footage on a need-to-know basis. Not that I expect any leaks, but the tighter the operation, the better. We need to hit them hard and fast and they can't know it's coming."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Great. Should we drink to it, too? Still beers in the fridge," Clarice offers. She pushes herself to her feet as well - but not to join the hand shake - not even to retrieve a beer. No, she begins to pace fitfully instead, one fist clenching and unclenching repeatedly. What a time to lose her powers.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Reaching out, Mystique takes hold of Clarice's arm to pull her over, before saying softly, "Clarice, I know what you're doing, stop it. With or without your powers, you're going with us, alright? We'll make it work and we'll get those kids."

Again she looks to Scott, "You have my number, contact me when McCoy has any clue about that drug and when your read to go in. I intend to take another trip around the place, ensure they don't add any more kids and if they do, add that to the numbers for the plans."

Scott Summers has posed:
Scott Summers smiles, "I'd take you up on that beer, but I should probably hit the road, get started on this stuff ASAP. But sometime...maybe we can have a Brotherhood and X-men mixer. Social, like regular people and not rival paramilitary operations fighting over the same turf, hmmmmmmm? I'll bring the karaoke machine..."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Yeah. That'd be good," Clarice agrees with Scott - as she lets Mystique pull her up short. She looks at the blue-skinned woman, and offers a jerky nod, without any comment. It didn't contain the roiling emotions raging inside of her - but in some way it does help.
    "If there's anything we can do to help McCoy with the analysis..." Clarice offers, before looking to Mystique. "If we have any files on- um, on what the Magistrates did to me, to the other mutants in the Pens - we should forward that on as well. We don't know that it's the same thing - but it sure sounds the same."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique blinks, for a moment thinking about how that kind of a mixer might go. Victor drinking beer, everyone hating him, then Logan shows up and oh shit, that was that. "Uuhh, that might partly doable... I mean lets face it, we don't want to get certain people in the same room with each other."

She considers what Clarice says and nods, "Alright, you can deliver those files to McCoy Clarice, give him all the information we can." She looks back to Scott. "We'll come up with some kind of party that won't involve Creed and Logan killing each other."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice lets Mystique show Scott out - and when the blue-skinned woman returns to the living room, Clarice is standing facing the wall, her arms tight across her middle, her posture tense.
    Somehow - she'd simply always believed the Brotherhood had gotten everyone involved in the Mutate program. She'd assumed it was over. She'd never thought about it too closely, true - and now it seemed obvious that had been her subconscious protecting her.
    From this.
    There were still Magistrates out there - and they were simply starting over again.