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Summary: Magneto dredges up something for the cove scaring two students in the process.
Date: February 19, 2010
Log Title Do You Know What A Sentinel Is?
Rating:PG-13
Xaiver Mansion - Spuyten Dyvil Cove
This little cove leads off to Breakstone Lake. Students can go fishing, boating, and swimming in the fresh water. There is a small beach off to the side of the dock where students can also go sunbathing.
Evening is creeping over the Spuyten Dyvil Cove, long shadows growing longer, creeping and combining, the forward skirmish line of night. Trees and scrub brush, clouds, the boathouse—all are parents to those shadows, the wellsprings of darkness…Of one sort. Another sort is the cove itself, rippling gray water deepening to black as the evening closes in. But for someone who is paying attention, it may seem that the ripples are… misbehaving. The wind is from the west… why, then, is there a building chop approaching from the south…?
Since both Dallas and Lucas were busy tonight, Robyn's down a the boathouse on the cove painting away. He's got the brown stain all over his Xavier's sweatshirt and beat up jeans. He's not really paying attention to much but he knows he should pack up soon as it's getting dark. He has his headphones on and is listening to music as he decides to call it a night. He starts putting away the tarps, putting lids on the the paint cans and when he goes to get the paint thinner to wash the brushes, well that's when he notice something off about the ripples. He stares for a bit before shaking his head. "You're imagining things." He mutters to himself.
Mikhail is down looking for Robyn, partly just to say hey and partly to see how Jono's doing, hes wearing red sneakers, dark blue jeans and a red a purple hoodie, he spots Robyn and walks over to talk to him, but is destracted by the water, he also notices Robyn looking at the water and hears what he says, "So you noticed it too?"
Almost as if the water is listening to both young men, the ripples become wavelets, then waves… and then the water retreats far, far from the shore, exposing mud studded with rock and strewn with weed. If they look out across the cove, the water is there—rearing up in a tall standing wave, and headed back in to shore, roaring like a freight train.
Robyn jumps slightly as he hears Mikhail's voice. "Damn it Mikhail, you startled me." He says as he pushes his hair out of his face. "Did I notice what too?" He figured the ripples he saw were just his imagination, after all he's nervous about what's happening to Jono and the mention of this Sinister guy earlier. He's about to say something else when he notices the water pull back and move to form a wave. "Oh shit." He says as he turns to run down the dock, hoping to get away.
"Sorry Robyn, i didn't mean to scare you, i meant the water", his eyes widen when he sees the water move and the wave form, "What the hell?", he turns and moves to get away as well.
Note to anyone facing a tsunami: if you can see the actual wave? You probably can't run fast enough.
But…! Some people are very lucky. Today, the luck lands on Robyn and Mikhail—or it should be said, it sweeps them up. The wave roars in to shore and swamps the dock, the boathouse, the shoreline… and the two students. Air shoved ahead of the wave blows their hair into their eyes and they are lifted off their feet, tumbling end for end, up and up and…
"Well," says a gravelly voice, calm like granite. The two are dangling thirty feet in the air, in front of an infamous caped fire. "What do we have here?"
As soon as Robyn is swept off of his feet, he gets a worse feeling then he did before. His mind says 'it'd probably be better to be hit by the wave then to be in the air right now', and since Robyn can't fly, well he's stuck up in the air. Not like it'd matter anyway if he could fly. He's kind of grateful for the ride to end, that is until he sees who it is who seems to be holding them up there. Anything he might say gets stuck in his throat and Robyn just freezes like a deer in headlights. Mutant Ethics class taught him about Magneto, he's not a good guy.
Mikhail curses as hes flung into the air and tries to struggle against whatever invisable force is lifting him up, the last time he was this high, he was on the back of a demon, he growls when he sees Magneto, hes met this man before, Jono and Dr. McCoy were afraid of him, hes not sure who he is but knows he can't be good.
Magneto crosses his arms and surveys his rescuees… or perhaps they're his captives. Hard to tell which, at the moment. "No thank yous? Why am I not surprised that Summers has failed to instill such basic manners in his students?" This is said musingly, as the notorious villain sets you both upright in the air (yes, even the struggling Mikhail) and examines you. "Students. What keeps you out late on a Friday night down here? Don't you have things you do? Homework? Extra Danger Room practice? Dates?"
It takes a bit longer but eventually Robyn finds his voice. "Thank you?" Robyn says uncertainly as he's not sure what's going on. Just a wave, then take off, and now here he is with someone whose fought, and assisted, the X-Men countless times. He manages to point a finger at the boat house. "Detention?" Again his voice is awkward and unsure even though that's the real reason he was out here. "C-Can we help you?"
Mikhail growls again, hes not being brave just ignorant, "I'll thank you when you put me and Robyn down, im not quite comfortable up here", whoa Robyn's scared too, this guy must be serious, he forces himself to be more polite, "I'm here visiting Robyn, now can you please put us down?"
Magneto smiles very widely at Mikhail. "In a moment, young man. You don't want to get wet, now, do you?" Then he focuses his attention on Robyn. "Help me." He seems to consider this, as the water drains away below. The cove isn't that big, so there's no major structural damage, but mess…! Yes, and a lot of it. There is water weed covering everything for two dozen yards in from the shoreline. Any loose boats are now up at that high-water mark. Small items such as paddles and Robyn's paint cans are now scattered; some are buried in weed and silt. The brown stain had its lid pop off and that is a mess in a class of its own. "Yes, you may help me. However, I'll need to know a bit about you, first. Who are you, and what do you do?"
Robyn doesn't have time to think about the wreckage that was done to the boat house him and the others spent quiet some time working to fix, he'll grief over that later. "R-Robyn, I…" Should he tell Magneto what he can do, well it's not like he's anything special but he figures he'll just say some of his powers, not all of them. "I'm a psychic vampire." There, that doesn't sound as great as the fact that he can do other things as well, at least he doesn't think so.
Personily Mikhail would rather be wet than thirty feet in the air, he's worried about Robyn now, what does this guy want with him.
"A vampire." Magneto is thoughtful. "Indeed." And somehow, he sounds both intrigued and unconvinced; what that means, though, remains to be seen. "Well met, young Robyn." And Then he's looking at Mikhail. "I believe I have seen you before, young sir, but we were not introduced. I am Magneto. Who might you be?" As he is speaking, the three of you are drifting inshore, across the sodden, littered span of the beach, and up above the high-water mark. The group is also floating lower, now twenty, now ten feet off the ground. The ride is so gentle you might not realize the change until you feel the firm dirt of the path up to the mansion under your feet.
And you might have cause to be distracted: something has emerged from the waters of the cove, slimy and dripping, behind Magneto's back. It shows the curves and straight edges of machinery… and the ragged jags of ruin, too, as if this piece--longish, straight, trailing wires from both ends--is only one part of a larger whole, now torn asunder.
Robyn just nods his confirmation to Magneto and doesn't add anymore, even if Magneto does sounds skeptical. His eyes are frozen on Magneto until something begins to rise form the water and his eyes go wide. "Holy shit." He mutters not realizing what he's saying. His heart starts pounding faster and right now, he'd rather be anywhere than here right no. "Seriously, what do you want with us. Really, if you're just going to scare, you've done that."
Mikhail gets nervous when Magneto's gaze turns to him, something about that man's stare is just unnerving, "I'm Mikhail, why?, what is it you want?", he then sees the thing coming out of the water, "What the hell is that thing?!"
"It is interesting, yes? I noticed it as I passed by. I wanted to see it up close." And, as if in answer to the Master of Magnetism's words, the object drifts in to hover beside him. It's a cylinder, enameled in metallic purple-red. One end looks to have been jointed; if so, the lower (upper?) part of the joint was ripped away, and the remains dangle with ruined hydraulic lines and electric cabling. "A remarkable structure. It was buried in the mud of the cove. I had to work to get it out." Implication: this is the cause of that mini-tsunami that just hit. "Fascinating, yes? Does either of you young men have any idea of what it is, or how it ended up under Spuyten Dyvil Cove?"
Robyn looks at it for a while, and it's hard to tell where he should focus his eyes, on Magneto or the broken machine. There is something familiar about it, like it's part of something he's seen. "I..I don't know!" Robyn says in more of a panic, he has no clue /why/ he's up here with one of the most dangerous mutants that exist. Eventually things click in Robyn's brain though and he whispers one word: "Sentinel." After all, he has learned about the dreaded creations.(re)
Mikhail shakes his head, it just looks like a giant lump of machenery to him, but Robyn seems to know, he looks round at him, "Sentinel?"
Magneto looks from Robyn to Mikhail and back again. "Hmm. Rather too close for comfort, I would think." He glances aside at the Sentinel chunk and it writhes as magnetic forces tear it open, exposing the long hydraulic 'bones', along with broad sheets of pseudo-myotensile cabling 'muscles' and a myriad of mysterious items, like color-coded wiring and little black boxes everywhere. "Not a design I'm already familiar with." A flash of bared teeth in the shadow of the helmet he's wearing. "I think I'll take a closer look."
The boys are now on the path, whether they realize that consciously or not. "I should bid you good night, young sirs, if for no other reason than to release you to further detention." A hint of amusement in Magneto's voice, however. "I wouldn't want to interfere with that—I was headmaster here, once upon a time. I remember that time fondly. And in memory of that, I should ask you if you need my help with anything just now…?" And yes, there is more amusement in that last statement.
Now that Robyn's back on the ground, his hand starts to move towards his cellphone, granted he's on school grounds but he wants to hit that panic button. "No." He says quietly, not wanting to ask and/or owe anything to the man known as Magneto. Though he knows, he's gonna be running to Scott or some other teacher as quick as possible to tell them what he just saw. He doesn't think anything good can come from this. Robyn starts to take a few steps backwards, away from Magneto. "G-good night." He says as one might a fairwell.
Mikhail is frozen in awe at the mechine being ripped apart in front of him, hes never seen anything like it, he takes a couple of steps forwards, "What is that thing?"
Magneto's eyes glitter in the shadow of his helmet. "Good night, then, young Robyn." A nod and then he addresses Mikhail's question. "That appears to be a portion of a mutant-hunting robot, young sir. A man named Bolivar Trask used to build them, because he hated mutants and wanted us all dead." His voice has deepened and has taken on a hard edge. "Trask is dead, but his hatred lives. Sentinel robots are still used by the bigoted to hunt our kind, and to slaughter us, for no more crime than that we have been born. I stand against that." Behind him, the Sentinel part continues to writhe, wrapping itself smaller and smaller until it is a tightly wound ball of parts. "And I always shall!"
Robyn isn't running away, but he's heading back slowly so he has a chance to hear everything that Magneto says. He knew they were mutant hunting robots of doom but he doesn't remember the name Bolivar Trask. "Mikhail, let's get the hell outta here." He says quietly, knowing he should tell a teacher about Magneto's presence. He takes one look at Magneto and without another word he turns around and starts walking back to the Mansion. He's gonna need to calm down a bit and relax his nerves before going inside.
Mikhail growls, "They hunt us?, i know we're supposed to hide but why?, we have nothing to be ashamed of", he looks down, "Everyone in the mansion is so nice to each other, from what i've heard and read other people aren't like that, so why are we the outcasts?", he turns to go follow Robyn back to the mansion.
"Why does anyone hate, young Mikhail? They hate because they see that we are what they are not - we are the next step. They are obsolete. Our kind will become more numerous, and theirs will die out. And they feel the only way they can prevent it is to kill us all." Magneto's voice dips to a growl. "They lie to themselves. Their time is over, whatever they do… but that does nothing for the pain they cause us. It does not silence the wailing of the oppressed, the despair of the enslaved, or the screams of the dying! They cannot be allowed to deny us our right to life, our right to freedom, or our right to be what we are!" He raises a fist and the ball of technology hovering beside him suddenly compresses - CRUNCH.
Mikhail turns around to look at Magneto, "They kill us?, because we're the next step?, does that mean we're better?", he's been told that humans are afraid of them but hes never heard why their afraid explained like that, "Thats wrong, why are they allowed to do that?, we saved them when the demon's were here, doesn't that mean anything?"
"Don't rely on gratitude, boy. It's short-lived." Magneto gathers his temper with visible effort. "Yes, they hate us… because we saved them. Because they could not save themselves. Because, if we did not, do not save them… they die. They go extinct." A raw, terrible smile blossoms inside the helmet. "It is the nature of man that he destroy that which he does not understand, and that which is stronger than him, and that which he cannot control. And mutants? We are ALL THREE."
Mikhail shakes his head, "Why isn't anyone doing anything about it?, if they're trying to kill us why aren't we defending ourselves", hes used to being treated like a slave but he didn't know that all humans hated mutants, "It is wrong".
"Yes, Mikhail. Yes, it is wrong. But there are people who do things about these wrongs. I oppose hatred where I find it. The staff of this school," there is a hint of disapproval in Magneto's voice, "hide you all away. To help you, to keep you safe." He gestures to the ruined ball of Sentinel parts floating beside him. "Until, of course, your enemies come calling. I do not think it is coincidence that this thing came to rest so close to where you sleep… do you?"
Mikhail shakes is head again, "No i don't, you're right, this is a school full of mutants and you said that thing hunts us, does that mean someone outside knows what we are?"
"Yes, Mikhail. That's exactly what it means. There are many who know who--and what--you are. And they know that you are here." Magneto crosses his arms. "Are you ready for the day when they will come again?"
Mikhail shakes his head, "No im not, im strong but im not strong enough to take down one of those things, sure i took out demons but they're not made of metal, when will they come?"
"They will come when you least expect it. They will come when you are already hurt, already tired. They will come when they feel most certain of winning." Magneto regards the boy intently. "They will come to kill you. —You have taken training in the Danger Room?"
Mikhail nods, "Yes i have, with my squad, im good at it, im good with hand to hand combat, im strong, fast and i heal very quickly".
Magneto is thoughtful for a long moment. "A start." He tilts his head at Mikhail, a sort of bow. "Tell your teacher that you want a session against a Sentinel. If he refuses, tell Summers you want one. If he refuses…" The smile within the helmet goes cold. "Tell me, and I will give you one."
Bits spool off the ball of tech-junk floating beside Magneto, and they assemble themselves into a cellphone-like device. It floats over to hover in front of Mikhail's face, where he can reach out and take it. "This will allow you to contact me, if you need me. I will hear, and I will come." He turns to go, but turns back again. "Mikhail. I am sure you have been told many things about me. I assure you, most of them are true… and some are not true enough. But do know this: I was there when the Nazis came for the Jews. If anyone comes for the mutants? It will be over my dead body."
Mikhail reaches out to take the device nodding, "Ok, thank you", he doesn't know what Nazis or Jews are but understands the meaning behind his words, "Everyone talks about you like you're a bad guy, but you just have a different way of dealing with things, hmm, if i need to i'll contact you, and again thank you for being honest with me", he turns and starts making his way back to the mansion, slipping the device into his pocket.
