---

---

---

---

Sapphire shot a glare over at Callie when she made her comment, "How about you shut your mouth there Spark Plug, and don't you DARE compare me and that little "princess" over there," she snapped at her, before turning to look at Leighton. "Oh, you actually were able to have a somewhat normal existence as a bit from the sounds of it as an entitled bitch? Well guess what, most people here did not have that sort of luxury, so how about you take yourself back to whatever little perfect life you have and leave us alone. Oh, wait, that's right, most people hate people like us, or are you dumb enough to not realize that at all? You seem like some rich bimbo who knows nothing about the way the world works."

With that last comment, she sort of nudge Leighton slightly with her hand, she was more then a little mad. Despite her power set, Sapphire could be considered a bit of a hot head, and it seems like everything rushing around and things had set her off. First Glimpse had essentially waltzed in like she owned the place, then Leighton showed up. Add on the fact that Moonwalker then pointed out that they had the same powers as each other and Spark Plug teasing her, and Leighton reminding her of how she had discovered her own powers and she was not in the best mind set. The air around Leighton suddenly would become cold, enough to chill her, however the air around everyone else went back to normal, as if the cold air just decided to swarm Leighton, and Leighton would feel more then a little chill from it. "You haven't given me one good reason to help you learn how to use your powers, so how about this, spend a few hours in the cold without a coat and then maybe we'll see, since if you want to be what was that dumb name you said, "Ice Queen" or something, then you better learn how to deal with the cold," she snapped at her, before she turned around and stormed off, leaving the cold air surrounding Leighton, and having ignored just about everything that Veil had said.

---

---

---

---

---

Jack was willing to help out a little bit, just by pulling up a picture that was needed so that Max might be able to replicate what they were needing or something like that. Service was slower then a snail down in the tunnels, but hey! At least it was working somewhat! "Oops, sorry about that," Jack said, before he sort of swiped the text message out of the way, going to respond to it later and not deal with it right now. Most people he talked with he did warn that he had pretty bad cell reception where he was, so he was perfectly fine with just waiting a little while to respond.

Then came the interesting moment, one in which he had not expected. First Max had created the panda pillow, and gave it to Grimlock, which had been interesting to say the least. He was glad that Grimlock had gotten a pillow out of the whole thing at the very least then. No, what the interesting thing that happened was when Max created a pillow with Jack's face on it, then promptly burned it. "Well, I will say this, you are not the first person to burn something with my face on it, you probably won't be the last. But do you have some slight built up anger against me or something?" he said with a slight laugh, giving Max a bit of a smile. With that last sentence he was more or less making a joke about the entire situation.

---

---

---

---

Luna looked between the new people she had just met, the girl who walked through a portal and the others in the Mutant Underground who she was now acquainted with and smirked. There was a lot of emotion in the room and it seemed most of the people governed themselves by it. It was highly entertaining. She took in Veil’s words, letting her take the charge that was mandated by her before Sapphire interjected. That was probably the most entertaining thing thus far. Oh, going out to check up on Luna’s information was definitely going to be exciting now. Not that it wasn’t going to be before.
The temperature dropping was noticed by Luna but didn’t bother her much. She grew up on the coast so was used to the colder temperatures, not to mention the amount of wind they had. Luna’s hair was longer before she hopped on a plane to America and it was always getting in her face. She often had it up or braided out of the way.
Sapphire walked away before Luna spoke up again. ”Everyone just seems to be a right ol’ git today don’t they,” Luna remarked, before she looked at Veil. ”If you need some time I am happy to leave and meet up with you and your chosen few tomorrow to check my information and sources.”

---

---

---

---

”So cool,” Cayden remarked to Negasonic’s comment. A literal bomb. ”So what happens to him if he goes off then? Does he have to like, regenerate or something?” Cayden’s running questions were momentarily paused when Veil readdressed the group and caught them up to speed about Luna Braddock’s news.
”Oh, I am definitely in,” he chimed in after Negasonic. He grinned, having had an excellent time on his first mission with the group today. And this was one of the many reasons he had come out to Washington in the first place. He knew the Underground operated a bit more in secret and were more of a Mutant way-station but to get out and do something bigger every once in awhile was good too, he thought.
The room temperature started to drop and he instinctively rubbed his hands together. It took him a moment, well until Sapphire to have her outburst, for him to realize there was a bit of a showdown going on between the two ice powered girls. He frowned a little at Callie’s comment. That really was not helping matters. It wasn’t good when a house was divided. Too many things could go wrong and that’s how people got hurt.

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Frost International HQ - Downtown Washington D.C.:

Emma didn't seem phased as Jinx elected to cartwheel his way out of the elevator. She had been in this game long enough to work with some disturbed individuals - nothing he could do would really shock her at this point. During his time cartwheeling, Jinx wouldn't really be spotting any pieces of paint or threads that were out of the ordinary, but that didn't mean they weren't there. He hadn't been able to see the security cameras, after all. "This floor is reserved for the Hellfire Club - consider it auxiliary space, if headquarters is rendered unusable for whatever reason," she told Requiem.

"Security wise, we have inhibiting technology installed. Your badges are the only reason you can use your powers here. There are numerous security cameras, all cloaked so as to be invisible to the naked eye. Armed guards, including a few telepaths who monitor this space. And of course, DNA profiling," Frost finished calmly. "The DNA of all Hellfire Club members is in the system. If someone who is not a member of the club comes down to this space, well... I'm certain you've heard of Terrigen Mist? It kills them instantly. In the case of a pesky inhuman, my scientists modified it to send them into a coma."

---

---

Grimlock stared at the Panda Pillow for a moment, before using her telepathy to speak directly into Tome's mind: "I'm a little old for this, but thanks I guess." She then went over to the tent that she shared with Blink and put the Panda Pillow away, figuring one of them would enjoy an extra pillow at night to use. If she had heard James' mental thoughts, then she didn't elect to respond to them.

"Thank you," Erg called back to James, as he announced the rolling black outs. He then went off to find Glow, that way they would at least have some light to see by whenever those black outs happened. Understandably, people tended to panic when plunged into darkness.

"I think he's asking you out," Ben commented to Casper. "Really? You think so, Ben?" Casper asked, perking up a bit. "Well duh, why else would someone want to spend time with you?" Ben teased and Casper made a face of mock hurt at his friend's teasing. He did nod at James' question about where he'd be going. "I have no plans - I like to let the evening find me," he shrugged. Most likely, he'd leave his brother's place at some point and go score some drugs, enough to keep the ghosts (except for Ben) at bay. This would keep up for a while until someone (his brother, probably) figured it out and sent him back to rehab, which his father would pay for and pretend that he actually cared about what happened to his son. Yay.

Given that he didn't really have anything to do and he figured his brother wasn't itching to go get him waffles (rude!), Casper shrugged and went over to where James had gone with the parts and all. "Just tell me what to do, boss," he said with a grin. However, he was wondering a bit about what his brother had said, with someone burning something with his face on it before. He knew that his brother slept around, so it probably had something to do with that. Jack and Tome would be cute together, Casper decided.

"You don't think he likes him, right?" Ben asked.

"'Course not. He probably just wants to sleep with him and move on," Casper reassured him.

---

---

Negasonic nodded, mentally dubbing Moonwalker the Puppy for all of his overeager excitement. "Yup, he does," she said simply, pulling out her phone. She had a sense that Sapphire was about to have a meltdown with all of this, so she was ready to film it all on video and put it on SnapChat. Her girlfriend was busy with work, but hey, Negasonic figured she would get a kick out of this.

Veil couldn't help but be disappointed in Callie. She expected better than this from her. People who just met Sapphire and couldn't tell when she was being pushed too far, Veil couldn't blame them for messing up - but Spark Plug had known Sapphire for a while. She should have known better than to belittle and insult her, and even if it wasn't Sapphire, it still wasn't okay for her to talk about a member of the Mutant Underground like that in front of newcomers. It wasn't the image they needed to present.

Sunspot shot a slight glare at Spark Plug over the comment about him functioning as a heater in combination with Sapphire's AC powers. "Watch it, Jumper Cables," he snapped at her.

"Hey, why don't we go take a walk?" Cannonball suggested to his friend gently, hoping to get him out of the high emotion environment. Flinging insults back and forth wasn't going to help anyone.

Veil's heart sank slightly as Ice Queen, the newest newcomer, insulted Sapphire. Part of her wanted to just walk off and let them all implode, come back and deal with the fallout after all of the damage was done. But she wasn't just a member of the Mutant Underground - she was the leader. It was her job to deal with interpersonal conflict and make sure that they could function as a unit. Sapphire was right - Ice Queen did look pretty wealthy. Her cute name brand outfit and boots weren't exactly things available to everyday mutants struggling to get by in the area. However, Sunspot had come from wealth - being wealthy didn't mean they were bad people.

Her eyes then narrowed slightly as she saw Sapphire try to shove Ice Queen. That was NOT okay. Followed up with the temperature in the room returning to normal, Veil unfortunately wasn't able to tell that Sapphire had concentrated the cold around Ice Queen. Her best friend then stormed off and Veil took in a deep breath. Glimpse's comment wasn't helping either. She didn't want to scold these people, but things needed to be said.

"Spark Plug - I'm disappointed in you," she told her friend bluntly. "You should know better than to antagonize people in a situation where tensions are already running high." Sunspot was the next one on her list, but he had already left the room with Cannonball. She would need to talk to him later. That meant then that Ice Queen was up. "Ice Queen, we treat others with respect here. Live by the Golden Rule. If you want Sapphire to teach you to control your powers, then calling her a bitch will not make that happen."

Sapphire was the next one that Veil needed to talk to, but she had already left the room. Glimpse's mild comment wasn't as bad as the others had been, so she didn't need to scold her just yet. "It may just be the two of us going to look in on Shaw. You're welcome to stay, I can clear a spot for you, but I do need to go have a word with Sapphire now about her behavior."

"Save it, I'm going after her," Havok said, coming across a bit more harsh than he realized before he went off after Sapphire. He figured that she was really mad at something else, since he hadn't seen her treat a new mutant like that before. It wasn't the compassion he expected from her, which worried him.

Colossus then decided to take it on himself to mentor Ice Queen, for the moment at least. "I can give tour, Miss Ice Queen," he offered kindly. "I am Colossus - but you may call me Piotr if you like."

---

New Outfit

---

---

Max’s head was spinning with all the directions that James was giving him. Go around what? Detach what now and who are we stripping? He’d say that it was like Latin to him, but that might actually be easier to understand than any of what was spewing from Jame’s mouth. He did, however, do the best that he could to help out. Following his instructions and making sure to pay close attention to the actions and movements that Jame’s was doing so as to slim down the chance for errors. Once all was said and done, Max stood up silently telling Jame’s and Casper ”Hey, I’m gonna go change before I head on over to the Underground. Wouldn’t be a good impression to go over smelling of day old sewer right? Besides, you two seem like you could use some alone time.” Max gently nudged Casper with his elbow and then gave the pair a wink as he set off to find a vacant tent.

After some time of searching, he found that his old tent was still unoccupied and so he took to closing the flaps for a bit of privacy. Taking off his current Kevlar attire and folding them neatly into his bag. As he stood there for a moment with only his shoes one (because seriously who would dare to step onto this floor barefoot) Max thought about what sort of look he wanted to go for. He decided that the best option might be his “signature” suit; an editorial piece from L’official Hommes de Poland. He concentrated for a moment on his all too familiar outfit, eyes closed for a brief second before opening up into their cosmic glow. Snapping his fingers, the cloud of energy swirled around him giving him a fresh and clean new look. He grabbed his bag and cane, then made his way over towards Blink. ”Thanks for everything, but I think if I stay any longer Erg will be all grays and there may be several rounds of ammunition lost. I’m ready.” The portal rippled open once more, as it started to stretch and form Max called out to Jame’s ”I’m heading over now, don’t wait up too long ok? And Jack, don’t be a stranger.”

With that he stepped on through and oh my could you cut the tension in this room. Most of the people who were seen through he portal earlier seemed to have left. Others stood around like they just seen a cat fight and all Max had caught was a Russian man mentioning something about a tour of the grounds. ”A tour? Oh goodie, I love tours. Names Maximilian, but you can call me Max or Tome. My powers I classify as Conjuration and Magic, though really it should be being a gay disaster cuz I seem to make a mess of things when I try to help.” He extended his hand out to Colossus for him to shake and gave a smile to Leighton. ”Hope I didn’t miss much, though it seems like the welcoming party just ended.”

---

---

---

---

---

An aux-i-llary space? So like...an aux cord? Oh sweet this must be a party room with sound systems, little late night raves to get the mood going for missions. Jinx bend his arms slightly as he let himself fall onto his back and roll into a sitting position, legs crossed on the floor. Damn, I wish she’d stop using such big words...makes it really hard to follow what’s going on. As she began to list the forms of security that they had in place, he quickly began to think that perhaps this ‘auxillary’ didn’t mean rad party room at all. He’d have to ask Requiem later about it. The mention of the Terregan Gas caused one of his eyebrows to perk up. That could be loads of fun if he managed to get his hands on it. Imagine the havoc he could wreak in a densely populated area. A wicked grin began to form on his lips as he thought more on the subject.

”So, listen, I know you two like to beat around bushes and just talk in circles more than that one dude liked to make run on sentences but we’re all busy people and I’m sure you have things to do with your company aside from baby sit us. So I’ll just ask, what’s with the scuff marks over here? From the sounds of it, this isn’t a party room and well...if it was it looks like someone crashed your party.” At this point Jinx had stood up and made his way to the nearest surface that he could sit on and proceeded to do so, blowing a large pink bubble before the loud Pop and Smack of it against his lips. ”While we’re at it, I was curious on if we’d ever get to do more exploring sans baby sitter? As you just stated, you have telepaths all over so they could easily pick up an malicious intent should we stray too far from line right?”

---

---

---

“Thanks for the help!” He waved at Max as he wandered off, still putting a few finishing touches on the generator and packing up the rest of the materials for the mutant underground to use later. Without the distractions, James would admit he was a bit nervous now. He’d never really asked someone out before and after his repeated failures in front of the guy, James willing admitted he felt rather foolish. Maybe incompitent suited the situation better, though the familiarity of wiring helped more than he expected. James cleared those feelings or at least pushed them to the side. He had a date and his silly insecurities weren’t going to get the better of that. He grinned at Casper.

“And you too Casper. I know it’s not all that fun but always goes faster with others around. James cocked his head curiously after an appreciative smile. He’d let it slide into the background before but this whole Ben thing came back to him as the man talked to himself. His eyes lingered just a tad too long, appreciating a handsome guy not really something he’d had the opportunity to do between school, work, and… He shook that thought away quickly. Casper was definitely good looking and the quirks James had the opportunity to notice were mostly endearing or amusing but he was curious about this whole Ben thing. Maybe that was a good question for coffee.

“Now that the little stuff is done, onto more pressing matters. Normally I’m a no-time-like-the-present kind of guy but considering the search and rescue mission from earlier, I’m not sure if that is such a good idea.” James said thoughtfully. He chewed his lip as he considered the options. On one hand, there was literally no time like the present and he wasn't really sure he would have the time or resources to reach out consistently to Casper. On the other hand, he only knew one place and it was close to his Uncle’s which presented obvious challenges.

“Actually before that…” James reach out again and gently took Casper's wrist. Trying to plan coffee when the other person was still suffering. He sent up a silent prayer. "Fourth times the charm, right? James concentrated and this time it felt familiar. He heard his heart rate match Casper's, felt the exhilarating rush of connecting with another, and then it was over. James felt like he'd run a marathon and he took in heat gulps. He felt his kags baking with the effort and he sat heavily. Apparently, four attempts was more than he should reasonably try moving forward.

"Alright, how do you feel? James asked, not waiting to check in case he failed again. He had been starting to think he'd hallucinated it and it had all been circumstantial before.

---

---

---

---

---

Requiem ignored Jinx as much as he wanted to throttle him, nodding attentively as Ms. Frost listed the various security protocols they employed for this area. They outdid themselves, reaffirming that the job was either inside or someone cased and recorded every little detail involved in the security web Ms. Frost spun. Cameras meant footage and possibly people to review. Additional telepaths, armed guards, terrigen mist… All his type of assets. Plus, the dispersal mechanism and the inhibitors should generate error reports if anything triggered them but rendered them unable to complete their designated purposes.

All issues Ms. Frost would have considered once she knew it was missing. “Ms. Frost, would you give us access to the security footage for this floor from the past month? And how many armed guards and telepaths rotate on the shift for this floor?” Requiem asked, completely ignoring Jinx. The boy was making a fool of himself and he found that if he ignored him long enough, eventually he lost interest in whatever mischief he intended. Requiem would like to exonerate Frost in the Black King’s eyes and hopefully bring her in as an ally. Not only would that be tremendously helpful, seeing if their little team could borrow her telepathic resources, but it could help provide a certain edge of protection they didn’t enjoy now.

“Jinx, search the theater and the medical room please.” Requiem instructed as he continued to rub his rings. Something clicked in his head and he stared at Ms. Frost speculatively. Considering her company just lost a major asset that could potentially harm her company’s reputation if it ever got out, she was rather calm about the situation. Someone obviously knew where it was and what it could do. “Are you running your own investigation on the matter Ms. Frost?

---

---

---

---

Sapphire didn't really stick around to hear what was going on inside, but she was almost certain that Veil was going to not be too thrilled by how she had snapped. Honestly in her mind everyone deserved it, and she didn't very much care for any repercussions from it. It was in the past now, and that's all that could be said about it. That didn't make her feel any better though, as literally everyone started making a few snide comments about her while she was standing right there. Sure, they tended to do stuff like that to Havok all the time, but she at least hadn't teased him or insulted him while the newbies were standing right there. That definitely was not the way to stay on her good side. Sapphire hadn't just stormed off and away from everyone, she had gone outside, wanting some fresh air and to be away from just about everyone else.

"Hey, wait up! I don't have super speed, Sapphire!" Havok called out, about ten feet behind her as he headed outside. Almost instantly, it started pouring down rain outside. Washington D.C.'s weather was weird like that at times - fine but hot one moment, and raining hard the next.

"What do you want Havok?" Sapphire asked, just sort of standing in the rain not really caring, she didn't look over at him either. She kind of wanted to be alone, and was a little surprised that he had followed her outside and it wasn't Veil or something.

"We never got to finish making our bets and snide comments."

"Not exactly in the mood to do that anymore."

He stopped running, having finally caught up to her now. "So what are you in the mood to do, then?"

"Honestly? Nothing really, just mainly want to get away from them!" she said, when she said "them" her tone had a slight bite to it. It was clear she was still annoyed from everything and wasn't in the mood to really talk too much.

"Alright, so you're out here, now what?" he asked her. "Since if Glimpse is bad news like we think - and the new girl is obviously rich and we're dealing with Shaw, another rich dude, as our big bad to take down... Everyone in there who is blind to this is in danger without us."

"Honestly Havok, I don't really care anymore! Not like they'd listen to a damn word I said about anything, so why the hell does it even matter? Let me tell you flat out, it doesn't seem to matter at all."

Havok sighed slightly. He was a perfectionist at heart and wanted to be able to fix Sapphire's emotions, but clearly it wasn't working. Maybe the best thing he could do for her would be to give her space. "Alright. I'll leave you be. But Sapphire... we're a family, but if you don't think this family is the right fit for you, then there's no shame in leaving."

"...Sorry for snapping, just everyone in there was getting under my skin, a lot, and it honestly was not helping at all..."

He shook his head. "I'm not the one you should be saying sorry to, Sapphire. Sure, Spark Plug was being a bit of a dick to you - Glimpse is obviously a traitor - and the new girl seems to be a brat... but me, Veil, and the others? We're only trying to support you."

"...I'm also not one to usually apologize," she pointed out, shaking her head slightly. "And the new people are bad news if you ask me..."

Havok chuckled slightly. "Yeah, we know you aren't one to apologize," he said, rolling his eyes a bit. She reminded him of his brother in that manner. Cyclops never apologized to him whenever he messed up. "And of course they're bad news. Two rich brats show up on the same day? Did they miss the memo that the wealthy get automatically bumped up to at least the X-Factor league of teams?"

"Hey!" she said with a slight laugh, "I find that insulting!" She knew he was trying to cheer her up slightly, but there was a part of her mind that did not really want to laugh everything off. Namely the part of her memory that had been triggered by Leighton's words about everything. Only Veil actually knew about that memory, but now she was kind of wondering if maybe she should tell Havok about it.

"What? Everyone knows the hierarchy has the Avengers and the Fantastic Four as the A-list team, the X-Men as the B-list team, X-Factor as the C-list team, and then we're all the way down at the bottom, like, dirt level team."

"So nice about it Havok, but that is true."

He chuckled a little bit. "Hey, I just know that we're pretty much nothing in the grand scheme," he teased her. "We don't even get photoshoots - do you miss that?"

"Hell no, only reason I was with X-Factor was because they literally paid for me to go to school, I never even went to high school except for like, 2 months freshman year or so..."

Havok smirked at her, almost looking like he was about to flex his muscles. "I did it all - got my degree in geophysics. It's uh..." he faltered slightly. "Well, that's how I met Lorna."

"Yeah, X-Factor was the only reason I really went back to school to get a degree of any sort," she said, shaking her head slightly.

He nodded slightly. He could think about Polaris later. "So why join the Mutant Underground, then?"

"... I don't really know... I mean, I guess I just wanted to help out others, no matter how much they might annoy me."

"Well you are in luck, then, since there's a brat back inside who could really use your help," he told her gently.

"...The thing that set me off was the fact that she was all so nonchalantly going "Oh yeah, I froze a guy! But don't worry! He's completely fine! I just don't really want that to happen again!" Honestly, her tone of voice with something like that pissed me off... That combined with everyone else essentially making comments and it made me want to strangle just about everyone there!"

"Well, she seems like she's just discovered her powers recently," Havok shrugged. "And given how nice her clothes are, the worst thing that's probably happened to her before this was getting a pimple on picture day."

"That doesn't give her any sort of excuse about it! She didn't even sound like she cared about hurting someone even if it was an accident, so honestly, she's not just a brat, she's an emotionless brat who doesn't even deserve help!"

He sighed slightly. "I don't agree with Professor X on a lot of things, but I do know that everyone deserves help," Havok said, before he turned and headed back inside. There wasn't much else he could say.

Sapphire bit her lip slightly, before making a split second decision to tell him the one thing that up until now only Veil knew about, and she raced after him. "I killed someone the exact same way that brat was saying she accidentally used her powers on someone else, I didn't know about my powers and that is literally how I discovered my own abilities. Except unlike her I can't brush it off and literally watched as another person fell to the ground frozen solid, looking like a big block of ice and shattered into a million pieces."

Havok paused for a moment, looking back at Sapphire. "Life isn't fair."

"Oh yeah, I know that for a fact, but that's the thing. I can't help someone who one wasn't exactly being too nice to me, and two who doesn't seem to give a damn about something like that. I just can't at all."

"Then tell Veil you aren't going to help the newbie and that's that, then."

"Oh, she's also going to definitely going to be not too thrilled by the blow up or whatever... I'll talk to her about it later."

---

---

---

---

---

Jack waved slightly at Max when he went through the portal, and he raised an eyebrow slightly at Casper and James. The two were hitting it off somewhat well, that much was obvious, and it made him wonder what exactly was going through his brother's head. Then again, he stopped wondering that sort of thing, considering the fact that Casper spent half the time talking to Ben a bit, and from the sounds of it before James healed Casper his brother had been talking to his ghost friend about him. That sort of thing was a bit annoying, especially considering the fact that he only could hear half the conversation.

Deciding to just ignore their conversation and what sounded like obvious flirting, Jack wandered over to check up on Sunshine, since she was being oddly quiet, and that could be a bit worrisome from what he could tell about the teen. "Hey there Rookie, how are you doing?" he asked her as he walked over, giving her a bit of a smile, before deciding to ask her something. "I have a question for you... Are you sure you want to get that brand on your face? There isn't any really going back from it, and it's a commitment for it... So are you really sure you want to do it?"

---

---

---

---

Callie stared at Sapphire the moment she snapped at her, and then looked towards Leighton as she made her comment, and bit her bottom lip for a moment, and knew that she messed up now. As she leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes and sighed seeing the disappointed look that Veil had given her, she was only just joking. But She knew that she had probably just poked the beast to much, when she shouldn't have been, Sapphire did risk prison for her along with Veil just the day before, as she looked at Sunspot. Callie sighed and didn't say anything else now seeing as she had just pissed off the entire room now.

Callie watched as another portal came out seeing Max coming out of it, and made his way over towards Leighton and Colossus then she looked over towards Veil. "I'm sorry, i'll just go and get some fresh air now." Callie said, though she knew that she should be apologizing to Sapphire, and Sunspot and knowing that they tend to be quick to anger she didn't want to approach either of them right now. She then stood up and decided to get some fresh air herself now as well.

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Frost International HQ - Downtown Washington D.C.:

As if Emma had heard Jinx's mental complaints about the size of her vocabulary, she seemed to purposefully choose more and more extravagant words as she answered their questions. She was the White Queen of the Hellfire Club, but that didn't mean she couldn't also be extremely petty. And if Requiem and Jinx stopped to think about it, it would be easy to tell why - Sebastian Shaw hadn't informed her of any of this. Her supposed partner was treating her like just another suspect in this crime - that's why she was furious. "I will not be able to acquiesce to that request, Jinx," Emma said coolly. "You are in my abode - my realm, if you will - and I cannot allow you to go along unobserved. My telepaths have great power and a proclivity for this line of work, but theirs pale in comparison to my own abilities."

She curled her lips a bit in disgust as Jinx popped his bubblegum. "As for the marks on the floor, well... It appears the mongrel who stole from us was an amateur." She was eyeing Jinx innocently, though her gaze also could have been seen as accusatory. Only a member of the Hellfire Club could have stolen the Sentinel. Jinx and Requiem were suspects in this theft, just as the others. She grabbed a tablet from one of the nearby work stations and quickly typed in a string of code, before passing it to Requiem. It had the security footage, as requested.

"Two armed guards, three telepaths," she said, answering his question. As for his last one? "I am. I have a suspect in mind."

---

---

"Hey, this is loads more fun than group therapy with Brenda," Casper said with a smirk. "Some of the people there shared way too much information... The things I could tell you about Kathy C. from Ohio, oh boy, I could write a book on her!" Tome had already left through the portal and it seemed that James had pretty much finished up his work on the generators, but Casper had no doubt that he would be able to find him again soon enough. He had found his brother by accident after going to Sephora that day, arriving just in time to see him getting into an ego match with a Purifier, so hey, finding James again would be easy.

"Yay, Max is gone!" Ben cheered, a bit too happy that his 'competition' for Jack's affections was gone. It wasn't like he could have much of a relationship with the stretchy mutant. Casper was able to see and talk to ghosts, but he wasn't able to project their images so others could see them. Any relationship Ben and Jack had would have to be facilitated by Casper playing telephone - or Jack dying.

As James took Casper's wrist, he blushed slightly at the gentle touch. The sort of men that Casper usually ended up involved with were a lot rougher than that - it was a nice change of pace. "Disappointingly sober, but hey, fine otherwise," he told James, before giving him a kiss on the cheek. "My knight in shining armor!" He grinned widely at him, before thinking for a moment. "Here, this is my number," Casper said, before telling James the number. "Give me a text or call when you want to get coffee."

Sunshine was finishing up the food she had made, still holding onto Fred the Dead Rat. While her discovery of the dead creature initially had been a joke to her, just another way to mess with people (i.e. Tome) but for some strange reason, she hadn't abandoned the corpse. She was keeping the rat close to her, as if it were one of her prized possessions. As Jack came up and approached her, her shoulders hunched defensively ever so slightly, but enough to be noticeable. "It'll look badass," she told him, rolling her eyes.

Sure, other people might have considered getting a brand as a deal breaker, but Sunshine didn't really care. She had lived her entire life on the run, searching for a place to belong to - somewhere to call her own. If the price of admission was giving up on any future prospects as a model or an actress, then whatever. Vanity wasn't worth being put back out on the streets and in danger. Plus, the Purifiers were clearly become worse - they had been insufferable ever since 7/15. She didn't want to give them another chance to hurt her. They had taken enough from her.

"Besides, not being a Morlock is dumb. Might as well just kill yourself if you go out on the streets."

---

---

---

---

There was a moment of silence as Sapphire stormed off and then the room blew up again with different remarks and arguments. Veil finally interjected and started to clean up house. When she turned her attention to Luna again, she was almost worried for a slap on the wrist as well but she was instead welcomed to stay. Luna held her hands up in a surrendering way and shrugged. ”Whichever is easiest. Is there someplace inside I could move my bike though? I have it well hidden at the moment but just encase. Unless you want to head out now?” She didn’t need to give them anymore reasons to doubt her. It was a pretty big list to begin with.
Another portal opened up, showing the same location as before and a gentleman in crisp clothes came stepping through. Perhaps it was a good thing Sapphire went storming off. If anymore people walked through who were dressed and held themselves in high regard like this man and the Ice Queen and supposedly Luna did, she would probably freeze the whole damn place. Luna looked back at Veil with this newcomer. ”Perhaps tomorrow then. There are a lot of new faces.” Luna looked over at Spark-Plug who was about to leave and turned to step up beside her. "Do you know of a better place to store my bike for the time being? I have it temporarily hidden but I don't think it is the best spot for the long run."

---

---

---

---

Cayden’s mood shifted as the tensions grew and he became a bit more alert and a bit more on edge. He was concerned for those around him and those who were getting caught in the crossfire. He was still new here, so he didn’t know entirely where he stood or how he should help in a situation such as this. From experience, Cayden knew that turmoil within the home could spread out and start affecting other matters, so it wasn't something to just let lie. Sometimes though, it only took one person to make a difference. For him, that was his grandmother.
After Veil spoke up, he stepped over to her when Colossus volunteered to show the newcomer around. ”If there’s anything I can do, let me know. The kids we brought seem to be settling in well but I can keep an eye on them? I’m not sure what you need but I am at your disposal,” he said with a grin. There was another portal opening and a new voice but Cayden was focused on the present task at hand and he had a feeling that portal thing was going to be happening lots and he didn’t need to get excited about it every single time. Just like, every third time maybe.

---

---

---

---

---

As soon as Emma Frost began to speak, Jinx’s head started to hurt. He tried his hardest to follow along but quickly lost both interest in what she had to say as well as losing any meaning to the words she was saying. He chuckled nervously as he was thinking of a way to feign some semblance of understanding when Requiem stepped in and saved his hide. Jinx quickly stepped into attention, heels clicking together, hand raised in a rigid salute as he proclaimed ”Sir yes Sir!” With that, Jinx took one step back, heel tripping over the other as he stumbled and giggled to himself. Giving a childish wave goodbye as he sprung backwards and back flipped his way towards the medical room, running straight into the wall and spinning to catch himself on the door frame. ”Now who put this door here.” he grumbled as he made his way into the room. Looking around it appeared they had the latest of the latest in technology, things no other hospital may even carry. There was blood on hand of someone named Logan but aside from that the room appeared to be quite uninterrupted from anything else. As Jinx searched the area, checking drawers and cabnits for missing supplies that would help a would be assailant, he found a full shelf full of high end opiates. Jack pot. He looked left to right, making sure there was no one watching him before he decided to swipe a bottle and hide it in his bags pouch.

Moving on over towards the theatre. Jinx noted the movie playing, Imitation Game, seemed like some boring film about some historical guy or something. What they should be playing is Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Now that’s a good movie. As Jinx made his way around the theatre, he ended up finding a few metallic shards laying on the ground. He picked one up and inspected it, looking to see if he could identify the material it was made of...metal, definitely metal. Jinx sauntered over to the medical room once more, searching the area for a container to place the shards in. Perfect, he thought as he found an appropriately sized vessel, and went back into the theatre, placing all the shards within except for one. As he stepped out of the room, having placed the container back into his bag, he held up the shard facing Requiem and Emma Frost. ”Uh...Daddy...I found some metallic shards which definitely shouldn’t be within the theatre room I think.”

---

---

---

“Anyone would do it.” James flushed under the attention and the kiss. It took him half a second to register it but he beamed back at Casper. Damn, he was cute when he smiled. He’d have to find out what else made Casper grin like that. James took a moment scrambling for something to write with as Casper rattled off his number, jotting down on a piece of paper and folding it up to slip in his pocket. Something nagged at the back of his head, something about Kathy and sobriety, but between the rush of relief at not being a useless tool and something awesome just happening, it got shoved back again along with the rest of the precarious tower of emotions building up where James firmly crushed them down until he could sort through them.

“Of all the days to have left my phone at home.” James sighed but his smile didn’t waver. “Doesn’t matter. I’ll absolutely find a way to get in contact but I guess I’d better get going before Erg tosses me out by my collar.” James joked. He paused for a moment, eyes darting between Casper and Blink. He was a little uncertain but since he apparently got himself wrapped up in all this craziness he may as well enjoy thing when he could. He grabbed Caspers hand and pressed a light kiss to the knuckles, playing off the man’s knight comment, and chuckled as he headed over to Blink. When she opened the portal, he gave Casper one last wave before stepping through, still beaming.

“Sorry to intrude! Just had to finish up fixing their electrical systems. Uh, I’m Ja- Wait, are we using the real names or not real names?” James asked quickly, remembering Tome insisted early he picked one.

---

---

---

---

---

“Thank you for your patience, Ms. Frost. We appreciate your time.” Requiem said as he accepted the tablet, flicking through it for the day of the break in. As he expected, it did little to clarify matters. A missing segment. How boringly predictable. At least it would have been impressive if they’d managed it on camera. But it does beg the question if someone altered the camera footage or if it was the result of mutant power. Every second he spent here only added more questions rather than clarifying them and that was incredibly counter productive. And of course, Jinx. Requiem could already feel the headache forming behind his eyes at being around the boy for so long.

“If you have time to jest, you obviously need more work to do Jinx. If you care to see what occurred that day, feel free to peruse at your leisure in the other room.” Requiem spoke cordially although the polite smile he kept up was a tad more strained than before. He picked up the tablet and passed it to the child, exchanging it for the shard in Jinx’s hand. Requiem frowned for a moment, unfamiliar with the shard, and offered it to Ms. Frost. Metal shards could easily just be from broken equipment, a chair or a projector, but it was the only out of place thing they had to work with so far.

“I’ll admit I’m unfamiliar with the material but considering how well you take care of your affairs, I’m surprised to find something out of place here.” The situation they were in was… unfavorable. Although she may not harbor feelings of ill will towards them specifically, the tension that would inevitably arise between the King and Queen who obviously share some connection, as fleeting as physical affection is, puts the pair of them in a situation that could turn this far more deadly than he desired. Plus, having the White Queen as an ally could only be beneficial.

“Ms. Frost, I believe I owe you an apology. It’s clear you’re frustrated with the situation and it was not my intention for you to feel that we are encroaching. I erroneously believed we would be expected when we were given our instructions and for that I apologize again.” Requiem spoke sincerely, offering an honest apology for the slight. “You’re influence is far vaster than mine but perhaps in order to correct our hasty King’s incorrect assumptions, our individual investigations could collaborate for the time being. Neither I nor the boy are particularly known on the public stage and that grants us a bit more flexibility that anything with your name attached.”

---

---

---

---

Leighton expected a clapback, but not to that extent. She could only eye the woman as she ranted (as that could be the only word to describe it). She felt cold coming more intensely than ever. She had never felt this cold and then she realized Sapphire was the one controlling it. Before Leighton could retort, she stormed off like a child. She would let her think she won, but Leighton was now feeling the chill and she hated it. She never felt this cold before. Was that how he felt?

As Veil approached and began to speak, Leighton held up a finger. "H-h-hold that thought..." Leighton summoned the power again, felt her veins grow colder. She imagined the cold now around her being absorbed and soon, she felt better. The cold dissipated and she was able to get back to normal fairly quickly. "Noted, but I made one comment and she decides to almost freeze me. If that's how your mentors treat potential trainees, rude or not, then I have no desire to learn from her. Act like a bitch, get called out for being a bitch. I would know, as I am sure everyone is aware and has already judged me for it."

She crossed her arms, as the big, hulking man came forward and offered her some kindness. She glanced up at him and nodded. 'I would appreciate that." She would follow Colossus on his tour, leaving the others to deal with whatever they needed to. Perhaps they all needed to cool off. Literally and figuratively.

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Frost International HQ - Downtown Washington D.C.:

Emma was beginning to regret allowing Jinx into her facility. He had a talent for giving her a headache and she sighed slightly as the childish mutant came out of the theater, using the sexual lingo of the day and going on about some metal shards. "Hardly surprising," she said simply. She took the shard once Requiem offered it to her and she turned it over in her hand. "This belongs to the White King," she explained. She didn't refer to Magneto by name, but everyone in the room would know she was speaking about the master of magnetism.

She gave Requiem her full attention as he attempted to be diplomatic, but his words neither won her favor or ensured her fury. The boiling anger underneath her calm and collected complexion was not directed at the two in front of her. They were systemic of a greater issue, a betrayal that she would need to sort out. "Oh, sweetheart, that's kind of you to offer - if you learn anything, do send it my way. I'll do the same." Emma gave Requiem a slight smile, as well as Jinx, and seemed to be perfectly honest with her promise to help them.

The Scrap Yard - Washington D.C. Mutant Underground:

Havok and Sapphire were outside in an area referred to as the scrap yard. Broken down cars and other scraps of metal were scattered across the yellowing grass. There was a bees nest a few feet away from them, but with it pouring down rain, the honeybees wouldn't be an issue. The combination of the rain with the intense humidity makes it feel like they're walking through water, as if the Mutant Underground had relocated to the lost city of Atlantis.

As Spark Plug and Glimpse exit the Mutant Underground, they'll be able to see Havok and Sapphire about fifteen feet to their right. To their left, there is a chain link fence with danger signs on it, claiming that the area is filled with hazardous waste and shouldn't be entered - just one of the ways the Mutant Underground attempts to keep people from stumbling upon them. As for the bike, Spark Plug will instantly think of the garage area in the building - they keep their cars and store other things there. A motorcycle would easily be kept safe there.

"Let's go inside, I feel like I'm taking a bath in my clothes," Havok complained, though he spotted Spark Plug and gave her a slight smile. Sure, she had been mean to Sapphire but Spark Plug had nearly died the day before and she was his friend. He was happy that she was okay and able to get up and walk around. However, he wasn't too thrilled to see her with Glimpse - he didn't trust the mutant at all.

---

---

The portal opened and a well dressed - if not slightly overdressed - man came on through. Veil arched an eyebrow, wondering just who the Morlocks had sent their way. She got a bit hopeful that perhaps Erg had finally decided to come back into the fold, but it was unlikely. He had made a clean break with the Mutant Underground - this little bit of contact did not prelude a comeback. However, when the kid opened his mouth, Veil tried her very best to keep an even expression and not choke. A gay disaster? And of course, his introduction involved details of his powers - an odd trend started by the Ice Queen.

"Is pleasure to meet you, Tome," Colossus greeted, giving Max a firm handshake. His hand would be a little sore after Colossus released his grip.

"I'd stick the bike in the garage, we have a few cars stashed away there for our runs," Veil told Glimpse. That at least was an easy question and didn't require her to consider the mission of the Mutant Underground, as well as the safety of their little dysfunctional family. She knew that Mutant Underground cells had been exposed and destroyed before, making the threat to them all the more real and apparent. These people trusted her to lead them, to keep them safe, and she wanted to do the best she could to be worthy of that trust.

Feeling a bit frazzled and desperately in the need of some caffeine and perhaps a vacation, Veil then gave Moonwalker a slight smile. It would have been easy to snap at him, but she knew that he was just genuinely trying to help. Part of being a leader was delegating, but also mentoring and nurturing. "I could use you to make some calls. See if Xavier's Institute or Massachusetts Academy can take in the kids. If they can't, then we'll smuggle them up to some of our contacts in Canada. They'll be able to help them find good homes."

She had barely finished her sentence before the portal opened up again. Another man came on through - this one definitely more rugged and real than the last one had. With the kids and the other newcomers, they definitely were nearing the capacity of this station. They'd need to do a transportation trip in the next few days or the supplies would run out. "Whatever name you feel most comfortable with," she told James, extending her hand. She was pretty battered up and looked like she had been given the beating of her lifetime recently (which she had). "My name is Veil. Welcome to the Underground."

Lastly, she was taken aback to hear that Sapphire had discretely manipulated the air around the Ice Queen to try to freeze the girl. She didn't believe that Sapphire would intentionally hurt someone like that, but she could tell that Leighton was telling the truth about the temperature drop. There was also a misconception in her words. "We aren't a school," she told Leighton bluntly. "I will deal with Sapphire - I'm the leader, so that's on me. But everyone here is a volunteer aimed at getting mutants to safety. We don't normally take in - how'd you put it? - trainees. Our M.O. is smuggling mutants across the border to Canada or giving them temporary shelter and protection."

Veil didn't want to give the Ice Queen the impression that she was entitled to being taught how to control her powers. The mission of the Mutant Underground may have just been expanded to stop Shaw and the Hound program, but it didn't include training mutants to deal with their powers. If anyone trained Leighton, it would be out of the kindness of their hearts and not any sense of duty. She was lucky that Colossus was a softy on the inside.

"Come, let us find place to sleep," Colossus said, before taking with him those on the tour up the staircase and over to a corner. He grabbed a few old and frayed sleeping bags and placed the three items down on the ground. He then fetched a few pillows, most of them hardly fluffy at all, and added them to the mix. By Mutant Underground standards, the new trio didn't have the best sleeping arrangements but it was by no means the worst ones.

---

---

Casper shook his head slightly. "No, not just anyone would," he said, a bit smitten with Caduceus. Ben was looking like he was about to barf with Casper acting a little bit like a lovesick puppy, though he was too pleased that Tome had left and couldn't compete for Jack's affections to really be upset at the moment. Ben hadn't perceived Leighton to be too big of a threat, despite her obvious crush on the elongating mutant. "If you never find that phone, you can find Jackie's place in the Yellow Pages - you can't miss it, someone wrote Private Dick on his front door and he hasn't cleaned it yet."

"Wow, your crush really is going for the entire Knight thing," Ben commented, after James kissed Casper's hand and then left through the portal.

Casper sighed a bit sadly. "Yeah, it just sucks that he's going to inevitably end up being one of Dad's pawns..." he lamented to his friend. Casper's father was one of the founders of the Mutant Underground. It was hard to escape his shadow, one of the reasons he was thankful that most people mistook his first surname as just a middle name - otherwise, everyone would know he was the son of the most powerful telepath on the planet. And in Casper's opinion, his father was also the world's most talented sociopath.

"You could've warned him," Ben pointed out.

"And say what? Hey, you're cute and your eyes pop when you're excited, but FYI, my father is Professor X and he's a cunt, so maybe don't join his back up X-Men?" Casper asked, kicking at the ground slightly.

"Maybe don't say it exactly like that - but you could've told him that your father runs that organization and has a habit of using people until they either go insane or die..."

He shook his head slightly. "Do you really think he'd still want to get coffee if he knew that?" he laughed a bit, mostly in self pity. "I wouldn't want to get coffee with me, if I were him."

---

---

---

---

As Callie stepped outside of the building she leaned herself up against the wall nearby the door, feeling the humidity in the air as it rained as well. She hated the heat a little bit to much as she could feel herself starting to sweat a little bit, Callie turned her head when she heard Glimpse as she asked where she could put her bike. "We have a garage nearby where you can set your bike in there, that's where we keep our cars as well as my own you are certainly welcome to use it." Callie told her as she motioned for Glimpse to follow her where the garage was.

Callie took a moment and looked over to where Sapphire and Havok were, she did feel bad now that she had been picking on the two of them a little bit to much. As long as Sapphire didn't push her away and things cooled down she would go ahead and apologize to her and Havok as well. She headed back into the building and stopped to see another portal opening up raising an eyebrow as yet another person stepped through. She wondered how many they were sending their way, but she shrugged it off for now and then entered the garage motioning around where all their cars were. "Park it anywhere you'd like and if you have any questions feel free to ask as well." Callie offered.

---

---

---

---

"Yeah, going back inside is probably a good idea if you ask me, I mean really, I hate the rain mixed with humidity... If it was just the rain with maybe a little bit of cold air, then I would be perfectly fine with it, I just can't stand this sort of weather," she commented, before she glanced over and saw Spark Plug with Glimpse. She was not thrilled seeing Glimpse again, hell she really didn't want to be in the same area as Glimpse really, as she still did not want to be around her at all.

"I'm heading back inside," she said to Havok, not even really acknowledging the other two or saying anything in their direction. Instead, she just turned around and made her way back inside, figuring that if she was going to get any sort of lecture from Veil might as well get that sort of thing out of the way. If she ran into Leighton for some reason, she'd just ignore the girl's existence, since otherwise she might try to kill her or something at this rate.

---

---

---

---

---

"I can understand that sort of thinking... Actually a lot of times I've been asked about why I hang around here, I mean, I've got a life up on the surface, I get by alright up there, but at the end of the day I always find my way back here. It's because I always feel like I belong, this place kind of gives a home to those who feel like they don't have one... With a family like I have well... Life gets hard, but these guys here, they are great. And sure, Erg and I don't really get along all too well, and sure I tease him a little bit, but honestly I'll have his back, and I'll still help everyone out here. If you feel like you need a place to belong you've certainly come to the right place..." Jack said, giving her a slight smile.

What he said was the truth, and he was used to this sort of thing, and helping others out no matter what. "I asked because you are still young, and you might not want to be a part of this life later on for some reason. It is your choice..." Another thought then crossed his mind, and he gave her another bit of a smile. "So, before you get that mark, thought I'd ask about something... Want to go to the zoo that's not far from here? Was planning on going up to the surface with Casper anyway, since Casper is likely going to bug me about getting waffles, I'll get you some food too if you want to. But you don't have to go along if you don't want to , just thought I'd ask..."

---

New Outfit

---

---

Max shook his hand in the air for a bit, trying to shake off the tinge of pain the colossal man accidentally gave him. His accent was thick, Russian it seemed. How was someone like him so far from home? Or was this home and yet he maintains an accent? Max shrugged it off, just grateful that he wasn’t in the sewers anymore. There was talks about a recent mission, children saved with no where to go. Xaviers school was mentioned, yet Max didn’t think the X-men still did that sort of thing; if they did, then why not just send them all there? Surely the training would be necessary to attempt a normal life. Another was searching for a place to park a vehicle, must be a somewhat new arrival to the scene, much like they were. ”I appreciate your hospitality...Colossus was it? You’ve got one strong handshake there.”

Max turned his head towards the portal when it opened up once more. This time James stepped through, practically radiating with happiness. Someone clearly got a date soon. He cast his eyes downward for a second, thinking more on that thought. He’d never actually been on a date with someone, never truly had the chance. If being a mutant wasn’t bad enough, being gay was, at least where he’s from. He never came out, never told a soul, and thus lived vicariously through the romances of others. The thought lingered longer than he cared to admit and finally he dismissed it once Colossus had brought him their sleeping arrangements. ”One second if you would.” He beamed a smile at the man and then muttered some words, his eyes glowing with hues of blues, pinks, purples and blacks once again; while the cosmic mist flowed around him and down onto the ground where now lay three fluffy pillows and three sets of fluffy sheets. Max clutched the cane in his right hand tightly, holding himself steady as he took a breath, he really needed to slow down for the day. One final long breath and he was at it again, only this time he accidentally created Swiss rolls instead of bed rolls. That must of been the fatigue. ”I appreciate all the kind gestures, if you don’t mind I would take the sleeping bags, but the pillows and sheets you may feel free to utilize with others. Catch” Max tossed a set of pillows and sheets to Leighton and then James, keeping the third for himself.

---

---

---

---

---

Jinx gave Emma a funny look, thinking to himself why Magneto would bring and leave some metallic shards here. He took the tablet that Requiem offered him, to see the security footage that was on it. He watched as Shaw, Emma, and Magneto all made use of the room. Shaw couldn’t of done it because he was the one hiring them, Magneto could’ve done it, but then why all the drag marks? Unless ofcourse they were a red herring, something to throw them off his trail. But that also made little sense to the carni. The thought that Emma could’ve done it never fully crossed his mind, partially because he wouldn’t dare to think of such things in her presence. There did seem to be quite a bit of footage missing. ”Hey, uh, so these shards belong to The White King yes? Meaning they’re most likely magnetic...now I’m no scientist but I know that when i place a magnet onto a computer it begins to act all funny.”

At this point Jinx had stood up from the couch he was reviewing the footage on. Looking about the room where he saw no form of security before. Emma mentioned they were cloaked, hidden to the naked eye so that others wouldn’t be aware of their sight. It was already suspected that someone from the inside did this job, but the peices were showing that it was either that or a very well informed their. But what motive would they have for stealing the tech they already had? He’d realized he had been quite for too long after the last remark, making almost seem as if he was accusing the White King. ”Where exactly are your cameras if i can ask? I want to see if anyone had left any magnetic stuff behind, something like a scrape or a scuff created by these shards that were left behind. I’m not saying I think the White King did it, because I’m sure he could just like...manipulate them from a distance, what i do think is that someone is either framing him or using similar materials in order knock out the cameras and then leave a fake trail.”

---

---

---

---

Luna left Veil’s side and the ever increasing amount of people. The Mutant Underground was turning more into a train station than anything. She followed Spark Plug outside and sighed a bit. Sure it was sticky outside and her riding leathers shifted uncomfortable against the bare parts of her skin but it was fresh air. Luna was aware of Havok and Sapphire but she happily ignored the duo as well. She followed Spark Plug to the garage and nodded. It was a decently sized place, housing a few cars and bikes as well. She eyed them up and the design and model of each, very nice.
”I assume you have the tools and the like to repair anything as best you can?” Luna was well skilled in mechanical engineering and knew how to work on vehicles as well as building things with any sort of motor out of scratch. If she needed to stay out of the way for any reason, Luna thought it would be best to hide out in the garage until they were ready for her.
”My bike is just beyond the fence, in the grouping of trees there,” Luna announced to Spark plug. It would be fairly easy to get the bike inside. She wanted to bring it in quickly. The longer Luna was outside the more the humidity started to affect her hair.

---

---

---

---

”Certainly!” Cayden was actually looking forward to these phone calls. He was already thinking about who he may get to talk to on the other side. He paused in his readiness to help though as Veil continued to be a leader as best she could and restore some order to the chaos of the day. The portal then opened again and another man walked through. This one seemed much more relaxed than the other two who came through the portal and even Glimpse. Cayden smiled and waved at the new one before he looked back at Veil.
”Is there a phone here I could use or should I go and try to find a burner?” It wasn’t his first time working in an Underground so he understood some of the tools of the trade needed in order to function well. Safety was of general importance to the Underground. That and the ability to provide fresh starts to those who wanted it. Cayden was more than happy to assist in anyway for those new beginnings. Whether that was just phone calls or taking them to their new locations. Of course, Cayden did come here specifically because there was usually more that they were doing, what with all the action of the rebellion and Hellfire club in the area. He wanted to be kept busy and be in the thick of it. Perhaps it was a natural thing for the Proudstars' to be in the middle of the fray.

---

---

---

---

Leighton turned her attention to Max and James as they came. She had been going over all the events in her head, she completely missed their return. She caught the sheets and pillow he threw at her. "Nice to have you here Max. You would not believe the evening I had here. Not such a good welcome wagon." Then she glanced over to Colossus, the man who showed her immediate kindness, and decided it was perhaps best not to openly gossip in front of him. Out of respect. "I'll tell you later."

She hadn't realized how tired she was, but as she walked to find a place to sleep, she felt herself grow exhausted. Perhaps her use of her powers drained her. She needed to train. Colossus seemed nice enough and his body could withstand the cold, she imagined, in case things got dicey. And she had someone here she tolerated, at least. It might not be so bad here. She would need to apologize to Veil at some point. The girl clearly had a lot of her plate. Sapphire, though, could drop dead.

She wasn't THAT sorry.

---

---

---

“Thank you for having me.” James shook the proffered hand gingerly, careful of her condition. “It’s been a springe couple of days” James didn’t push to continue a conversation, both because the woman clearly had duties to attend to―not to mention some time to herself―and a sudden wave of dizziness washed over James and he clutched at Max’s shoulder as a throbbing in his head roared to life. His other hand flew to his head, attempting to rub away the tension instinctively, as he followed Colossus gingerly. Four times in a day was clearly a few times too many but now all the excitement of the “rescue mission” and the warehouse and Casper wore off, it was catching up quickly with him. He barely registered Max’s flamboyant display. The pillow and sheets were barely in his hands before he slumped to the ground with a sigh. He gave Leighton a weary wave and a matching smile.

“As crazy as you are, I envy how much you can do that Max. ” James mumbled at Max before turning his attention back to Colossus with a strained smile. “Thank you for helping us.” James would have offered more at the time but all he wanted to do was rolled himself into the blankets and let the sweet release of sleep take him away until tomorrow. He’d set out figuring out where to find a phone in the morning when he had a clear head and worked out exactly what the plan was. The way things were now, he was just kind of drifting in the wind. Not something he’d like to do when he’d recently fled from the authorities. But that was a future James problem.

---

---

---

---

---

The times Requiem could say Jinx surprised him fit easily on one hand. However, as the boy started thinking on his own for longer than half a second, Requiem had few qualms adding this to the list. What a refreshing turn of events despite the fact that security cameras would not be affected by a standard magnet. It wasn’t unlikely that the White King, considering the breadth and depth of his mutation, could develop a strong enough field to affect the transmission lines but in higher security locations like Ms.Frost’s domain, Requiem doubted something as simple as magnetic shards would cause a lapse in footage like this.

“Thank you, Ms. Frost. Once Jinx is satisfied with his findings, I believe we’ll be on our way.” Requiem took the tablet from Jinx, using his phone to notetate when each person entered and left and the time missing from the footage. They had two paths to follow now: traffic footage surrounding the area and the security guard obviously smitten with Jinx. Poor thing has awful taste in men. Each option offered a nice variety of opportunities to pursue and Devon always made a point to say variety is the spice of life. A bittersweet smile twitched at the corner of his mouth at the memory, a late october night while the three of them were still in school and Devon demanded they try a few different whiskeys. A few turned into ten rather quickly and they all spent the day in bed the next day nursing vicious hangovers. A fond chuckle threatened to escape but Requiem maintained his composure while he waited for Jinx to complete his investigation. One hand rested firmly on his cane and the other pun his rings absently. “Thank you for your hospitality despite the lack of notice, Ms. Frost.

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Thunderclouds lined the sky, struggling in vain to drown out the soft yellow haze of the city lights below. From the balcony of the Hellfire Club's Headquarters, it was easy for members of the Inner Circle to feel that they were on top of the world - that they were weaving the threads of destiny, deciding who would live and who would die. The view was intoxicating and the Black Queen, Reeva Payge, took in a deep breath. She had clawed her way to the top of the Hellfire Club in order to make the world a better place for mutants - to accomplish her goal of creating a mutant homeland.

"I thought you had reservations at the Lafayette, Emma," Reeva said, still staring out into the city. There was a flash of lightning, followed by the monstrous boom of thunder a moment later.

"Sebastian had to cancel," Emma Frost, the White Queen, replied coldly. She walked up next to Reeva, holding a flash drive in her perfectly manicured hand. There was no identifying labels on it of any kind - nothing that made it apparently or obviously special.

There was a pause, as there was a whispered telepathic exchange between the two, facilitated by Emma's abilities. Reeva let out a slight sigh, her hands clenching as she accepted the flash drive from her. "Are you certain he knows?" Reeva asked, tearing her eyes away from the view in order to face her companion.

Emma nodded. "He has his suspicions - nothing definite yet."

"And the boys?" Reeva asked.

"He promised them our seats," Emma confided. "If we aren't careful, Reeva, this could be the end... Everything we have worked so hard for could be jeopardized."

"... Then we adapt to the circumstances."

---

---

Anastasia had been recalled from her mission to infiltrate the Mutant Underground and was given a new assignment. The little task force of Requiem and Jinx had been expanded to include her, making them an even odder group - the baby, the princess, and the executioner (now as to who is who, well, that's up to the trio to determine). All of the leadership of the Inner Circle was present at Hellfire Headquarters this evening - with the exception of Magneto, but that is hardly surprising.

Sage, the Three-In-One, and Fade were all out on official business. No one informed the others as to what those five's mission was, yet that was fairly typical for the Hellfire Club. The less people who knew everything, the better. Compartmentalization of information was what allowed them to stay in power for so long, having influence over the major governments and corporations in the world.

The trio hadn't come any closer to discovering who stole the sentinel from Frost International and why, sadly. Perhaps though, now that they have some downtime, they could discuss all of the information they gathered and think this puzzle through. Of course, is it wise to discuss these things with the leadership of the Hellfire Club around? The thief could be anyone in the room, after all. Well, Emma and Reeva were out on the balcony, with Shaw down in the cellar getting himself some scotch before he heads out for the evening, so they might have a spare moment to chat.

---

---

Sunshine, Casper, and Jack ended up going to the zoo about an hour or so after James had left. They spent about five hours there and by the time they got back to the tunnels, Sunshine was so tired that Erg decided they could hold off on the branding ceremony until the next day. Casper, not wanting to join the Morlocks (branding seemed like way too big of a commitment to him), had spent the night at his brother's office on the pull out couch.

Since Jack didn't trust his big brother to be alone in the office, however, Casper ended up back down in the Morlock tunnels the next evening anyways. "Jackie, I'm boooooored," Casper complained. He had his phone on him and he was checking it every few minutes, just to see if a message from a certain someone would come in.

"How long have you been sober for now?" Ben asked him, a bit amused.

"One long and painful week, Bennie..." Casper pouted. He had been waiting for his brother to get distracted with something last night, but there never had been a long enough opening for him to slip off and score some pills. He rubbed his temples slightly, having been able to keep the ghosts at bay for now but how much longer would that last? Any minute now, they could all start to appear and he felt clammy just thinking about it. His eyes darted over towards the tunnel exits. Maybe he'd get a chance soon...

Over by Erg and Blink, Sunshine was fidgeting, swinging her hands back and forth. She kept on reminding herself that she wasn't afraid of a little bit of fire. The brand would heal and then she'd have a place to belong to - she could be safe and not have to worry about Purifiers or cops or any of it ever again. Taking in a deep breath, she pulled her Yo-Yo out of her pocket and started moving it up and down, just anything to keep her hands busy.

"Are you ready, little one?" Erg asked her. He had the poker with the M shaped piece of metal in the fire at the moment, heating it up for once it was time. Sunshine was the only one getting the brand that evening, as Casper wasn't joining the Morlocks - and Erg had made it clear to Jack that while Casper could come down into the tunnels, he couldn't stay there for more than one night at a time.

Blink offered Sunshine a piece of leather. "Here, bite down on this, it'll make it easier," she told her.

Sunshine took the leather strap, a bit green in the face as she put it into her mouth and bit down. The taste of the old leather would have made most people gag - it was like cardboard dipped in sewage and then smoked for flavor. But for the newest Morlock, she was more focused on looking over at the poker that Erg was picking up, seeing the red hot glow of the metal and she shrunk back slightly in anticipation of the pain.

"Relax," Erg told her.

---

---

After Moonwalker made the calls, it turned out that there was room for the kids up at Xavier's school. They just needed to get the kids farther along in the Underground Network - ideally, the Harrisburg Cell. Sunspot and Cannonball had loaded up the kids into a van that they had in the garage and had left early that morning to take them up to Pennsylvania. Most likely, those two would spend the night there before making the return trip to Washington D.C.

Colossus (and technically Negasonic, but she spent most of the time texting) had started training Leighton at the crack of dawn - literally. For every success or failure she had, Colossus had some old Russian proverb of advice to give to her, while Negasonic just commented about the latest Twitter feuds. At one point, Negasonic had stepped out of the room to go get lunch with her girlfriend and Colossus had given Leighton a granola bar, claiming that it was important for strength. Needless to say, by the time he told her they would be taking a few hours break around four in the afternoon, Leighton was doubtlessly exhausted.

Dinner had been served at six o'clock - macaroni and cheese, with purple Kool-Aid to drink. It wasn't much, especially compared to yesterday's Dairy Queen feast, but it was something. Veil had reached out to a few members of the Underground, putting together a team to go and scout the information Glimpse had given them on Shaw and his Hound project. The team she ended up with was Glimpse, Sapphire, Tome, Havok, and herself - not bad, but Tome was an unknown element which unsettled her slightly.

"Havok, Tome, Sapphire, Glimpse - it's show time, let's hit the road," Veil called out. Her injuries looked worse than they had the day before, but they were healing as to be expected. She didn't complain about the pain or anything. She was the leader. She had to be stronger than some painfully and carefully placed bruises. Pulling her massive mane of hair back into a ponytail, the band snapped and Veil sighed slightly, before deciding not to even bother trying.

"We're all going in one car - Sapphire, can you drive?" Veil asked. That was one skill she hadn't acquired yet in her lifetime - how to drive a car. She didn't want Glimpse driving as Glimpse was new, same logic applied to Tome, and Veil had seen Havok's driving before. It was either too slow or way too fast, no in between with him.

Meanwhile, Colossus was rounding up those who were left - James, Leighton, Callie, and Cayden. "Come, we need group spar - good for Ice Queen," he told them. Negasonic flashed a smirk from her corner of the room. She had managed to persuade Colossus that her involvement wouldn't be fair, since then they would have an odd number and that would inherently advantage one side.

"Good luck, losers!" she called out.

"Negasonic," Colossus warned.

"Whatever, sorry...."