Players:
Summary: Hildegarde seeks out Magneto To make sure he isn’t putting her students in danger yet again.
Log Title: Suspicion
Rating: G
NYC - Genoshan Embassy
The neo-classical building was built in the late 1800's and is one of the few buildings in mutant town that resembles old New York Architecture. The facade is colored and textured like high-grade marble, but is actually made of steel. Inside there is a large foyer with a sweeping staircase that leads the second floor where many doors lead off to public offices (such as taking applications for emigrating to Genosha). The Embassy is complete with a medical facility and Grand Ballroom, where the official functions occur.
Scene
Hildegarde steps up above ground, being slightly disoriented after having come up from the subway. It takes her a few moments before she figures out the direction of the Embassy, taking off in that direction right away. She is currently wearing a professional looking red suit dress, not having changed before leaving the mansion. She had seen the news about the Embassy's declaration and then the information about the peace marches and immediately had suspicions. The woman had asked the students she had seen not to join the marches just yet. She needed to speak with someone first.
Hildegarde finally arrives at the embassy, walking through the front door and glancing at the guard. She approaches at a quick walk. "Hello, my name is Hildegarde VonRegenlief. I was hoping that I could have a word with magneto." She holds up a hand before he can speak, "And do NOT pretend that he doesn't spend his time here. I just want to talk."
Magneto himself is on the mezzanine at the top of the stairs. He pauses at the sound of his name — who wouldn't? — and regards the confrontation going on below. Interesting. Xavier's has put in an appearance. He wonders on just exactly which front the school will come in on. "Timothy," he says, catching the guard's attention. "I will see Frau Von Reginleif." He moves to the head of the stairs and switches to German, a language he's actually more comfortable in than English. "Frau Von Reginleif, if you would? We will talk in a conference room, for the sake of privacy."
Hildegarde starts slightly at the sound of Magneto's voice, being caught off guard at actually seeing him this soon. "Oh my." She glances at the guard again and nods to him. "Thank you, sir." Though she knows he did not do much here. The woman turns to Magneto and approaches, responding in German. "Thank you for seeing me on such short notice. I just want to clear a few things up that I have heard which…concern me." She pauses, "I was unaware that you spoke German so fluently."
Magneto waits as Hilde climbs the stairs, then waves her ahead of him to the nearest conference room. A flick of a finger opens the door for them. "It is a tongue I learned long before I learned English," he says. "I find little cause to exercise it these days, however."
He'll do the little host things — get them water, be sure Hilde is seated — before continuing. "These matters which concern you. Do they involve Xavier's school? I was not aware that the Institute was encountering any difficulties."
Hilde is seated and thanks the man for her water. She waves a hand to dismiss his concern, "No, no. The school is in no danger that I am aware of. I am certain Miss Frost would have informed me if that was the case…I hope." She pauses, "It is actually…Some of the things that I have seen on the news." Another short pause. "Allow me to be direct. I know that you masterminded that massive battle in Mutant Town a few months back. I did not appreciate my students having been put in harm's way. When I saw the decree from the Embassy and the peace marches…Well I am just concerned. I want to be sure this poses no danger to my children." All of this is said in German, easier for her to speak as well.
Magneto ahs, and sits back in his own chair, fingers steepled. "I do understand your concern, Frau Von Reginleif, but in this case I do believe you will agree with both method and purpose of my actions. But first, are you aware of the shooting death of a mutant here in Mutant Town? A Miss Carmen Flores, known as Carmencita to her friends."
Hildegarde also sits back a bit, trying to appear as unagressive as possible. She nods, "Yes. I heard about that. One of your men caused quite a commotion as I recall. One of the former students of Xavier's was involved in stopping him." She takes a drink of her water. "You really cannot start wars with the police, Magneto. Fighting a bunch of murderers is one thing, but the police are there to help people."
"Indeed. You understand why I will make the actions I do, then." Magneto smiles. "Miss Flores, as a mutant, is of concern to me. However, her death is apparently the result of the policies of several crooked policemen within a particular precinct. It would be extremely easy for me to simply go in and flatten the building and all therein, but there is a difficulty: another young mutant has been 'arrested' by these people, and her exact location is not yet known.
"Given the political ramifications if I, or someone like me, merely charges in, I have unleashed my legal department on the matter, and in addition, have asked the community to band together for the peace marches." His smile turns predatory. "If the officers of the law wish to ignore that law, I am more than willing to drop the book on them."
Hildegarde looks a little surprised at this. "So you would turn the Mutants of the City against the police in charge of their safety because of a possible bad shooting and the fact that they arrested someone? They arrest people all of the time." She shakes her head, "Don't get me wrong, Magneto. I am opposed to crooked cops as much as another, but are you certain the mutant they arrested was innocent? After all, you would probably be opposed to the arrests of many of the people that society would consider to be criminals."
"Yes, I am quite certain that Miss Lil's arrest was a bad one, and that it should be opposed with everything in my arsenal. After all, a good arrest does not come with a note to her co-worker demanding that he attack the mayor of this city, or she dies."
That smile has turned absolutely sharklike. He flicks fingers and the screens around the conference room come to life. "An attack on the police could only play into the hands of these… villains," he says, savoring the word 'villains'. "Thus, an avalanche of the legal and the approbation of the community. This is rot, Frau Von Reginleif." Magneto leans forward, his eyes glittering. "It must be cut out before it poisons the city."
Hildegarde cannot help but let out a gasp at the allegation that the police would have the Mayor attacked. "Surely you must be mistaken! Why on earth would the police want the Mayor attacked?" She shakes her head, "No. You're too careful to believe something like that unless it was true." The woman pauses for a moment, leaning in again. "So you intend to take the police out legally, what about the woman that was arrested? Certainly you do not intend to actually attack the Mayor?" Another pause, "And not to sound distrusting, Magneto, but usually when you are involved in things it gets a bit out of hand. How safe will my students be should they decide to take part in these protests?"
Magneto gestures to the screens, which have come alive. Among the images are scans of the ransom note and the photograph of Lil tied to a chair. "Of course we are not going to attack the mayor. Attacking him would not serve us in any way, even to safeguard Miss Lil's life, since any man so craven as to kidnap an innocent young woman and use her for blackmail is not the sort of man I would expect to shy away from murder." He snorts in contempt of the crooked cops. "As for Miss Lil, we do not yet know where she is being held. We are in the process of doing what we can to find her." He turns to look at Hilde. "The peace marches are meant to be exactly that: peaceful. I have overseen one already, making sure that no one attempted violence against the marchers. I have other security operating to do the same. Is this satisfactory to you, Frau? I cannot absolutely guarantee the safety of the students, you know, since I cannot guarantee the rationality of those we oppose."
Hildegarde leans in a little closer as she examines the images on the screens. "I have seen that woman before. In the Embassy after the attacks on Mutant Town." She pauses and listens to Magneto make his case. "So long as I have your word that you do not intend to use those marches to draw out further attack then I am satisfied. But if it turns out that this is another elaborate trap then I will hold you personally responsible for anything that goes wrong." She leans back in her chair once more, seemingly less on edge now that she knows her students are not walking into a trap. "Thank you, by the way. For helping my students in Africa. We would have been in trouble without you."
"The only trap intended here is the one to trap the bad policemen in their own web of lies," Magneto says. "I believe the English saying is, 'We will give them enough rope to hang themselves'. However, I have no intentions whatsoever of giving anyone opportunity to hang anyone else. That is the purpose of the Embassy's announcement: to put people like this on notice that they cannot attack or abuse mutants with impunity. They will have to deal with me." Smile. "One way or the other."
Then he relaxes and gives Hilde a nod at the mention of Africa. "I was a minor player, at best," he says, waving away her thanks. "The actual hard work of confronting and neutralizing Nero was not done by me. I just… swept up, you could say."
Hildegarde nods. "You still managed to give us the distraction that we needed." Something about that trip was still bothering the woman, however. "I was wondering, however…When we lost our powers. It was from that machine, was it not? Do you think that was an anomaly or do we have need to worry about something like that popping up in our city?"
Magneto frowns. "Unfortunately, machines like that exist in several places, and you might encounter one at any time. I believe that you will find that Xavier's has a version on file, if not in actual use, for those times when no other method of dealing with an antagonistic mutant is possible." A thin smile. "I believe Dr. Moira McTaggart was using several such devices, at various times, for various purposes."
Hildegarde frowns at this news. "I see. Perhaps not a bad device to have knowledge about." And not a bad thing to train against. The woman stands and pushes her chair in. "I apologize for stopping in and rushing out so quickly, I just wanted to clear my mind of these concerns as quickly as possible. I should, however, go back and grade my students quizzes." She bows her head down to the man. "I thank you for seeing me without me giving you notice."
Magneto rises as Hilde rises. "No apologies are necessary, Frau Von Reginleif. Your concerns are valid and I admire your passion for preserving your students. It is commendable." He waves and the door opens. "I would suggest calling ahead in the future, if only to be sure that I am actually in. I should hate to have you come all the way into the city only to discover I am not available to speak with you." Smiling, he will escort the Xavier's professor out. "Otherwise, you are always welcome. Please believe that."
Hildegarde smiles a bit with embarassment. "Yes, I am afraid that I allowed my concerns to take over, I did not think to call ahead." In truth she was concerned that he may avoid the woman if she had tried to call, but he seems sincere at this moment. She walks with him to the exit of the Embassy and thanks him again. "I do hope that you know what you are doing." She smiles again, "And by hope I mean trust. Please be careful, and if it looks like there is going to be trouble please contact me so that I can at least try to better protect my students?"
Magneto nods. "Might I suggest that if the Xavier's students attend a march en masse that you join them? I believe the more people looking out for them, the better all around." He lets Timothy open the main doors for the two and he follows Hilde out onto the front steps. "This is a delicate time. I am aware of that. I am working to be sure that no further trouble arises from this, I swear."
Hildegarde nods to the man. "I agree, it would be best for me to be around either way. I'll try to be present whenever they are down here until this is all settled." She nods to the guard as she passes by and starts down the steps, turning to look back at Magneto. "Have a good night, Magneto. And good luck rescuing that woman. Hopefully things will get better before they get worse."
~ Fin ~
