April 1st, 2012
Evening


Exodus landed hard on one of the outer decks, near the top of the Citadel. His impact was absorbed by his abilities and he continued forward, reaching up to adjust his tie as the dust settled around him. Moving into one of the common areas, he walked through and continued towards a hallway that led to the elevators, not speaking to a soul along the way. He wore a serious and determined look on his face and despite a few nods in greeting, he only continued to his destination.

After a short ride in the elevator, Exodus arrived on the floor that was set aside for the Acolyte's chambers, which wasn't far from the top where Magneto sat. Oh, how glorious it must be to sit on top of an achievement like this. However, with the events that had been occurring all around them, it was time to take a chance and make a move. There were few within Sanctuary with the knowledge and the power to do so, but Paris considered himself one of those few.

Not long after he had earned Magneto's trust, a trust that was not misplaced, Exodus had taken charge of a certain faction within the Sanctuary. This faction was of great importance to the daily functioning within Sanctuary, keeping the lives of the many that lived here peaceful while giving Magneto a constant feeding of intel and knowledge. This position had it's perks. For one, there were very few things that occurred within the walls that Exodus did not know of. Publicly, Exodus was just another thug that Magneto could call upon to enforce his will or accomplish a mission of importance. But in secret, Exodus was a key factor to the running of the entire operation. So... while he had not yet earned the title of Acolyte, the fact may be that he might know more than even the Acolytes themselves.

"Pyro," Exodus called out, knocking hard twice and then opening the door without further invitation. He was expected, calling for this meeting earlier in the day, and he was not going to stand by while waiting on a younger man's direction. He carried himself within Pyro's chamber, walking with a confidence that only a man as dangerous as he was could possess, and then stopped in the center of the room. "Bonjour."

Exodus reached behind him and slammed the door shut and then looked around the room, feeling outwards with his telekinesis in order to detect any monitoring devices. Some were present, as they were everywhere within Sanctuary... but considering he was the man that those people who monitored things reported to, he was not overly concerned. After checking for anything unusual, Exodus placed his hands behind his back and his eyes moved back down to the pyrokinetic.

"You may be wondering why I called you here at such a late hour," Exodus started, maintaining his gaze on Pyro. In his time with Magneto, he had learned many things. One of the first that he had observed was the cold and calculating stare that Magneto possessed, which would send a lesser man into silence and even help to control men who are great. Exodus possessed this ability naturally, he had found, and now he let his stare fall upon Pyro, obviously not intimidated by being in the presence of an Acolyte as so many were.

"I will cut to the chase, my young friend. There have been a number of mysterious things occurring within Sanctuary lately... and I am not sure how many of these you know the truth of... but, after you let me speak and fill in the gaps, I will let you make your own determination," Exodus said, his French accent thick but not unpleasant. Another tactic that Exodus had learned from Magneto. A man's speech had a way of swaying a person's mind, without ever touching it telepathically. It was how Magneto commanded so many without question. Paris continued, "I am concerned by these things... and I am concerned with Magneto's.... hm..." he paused, choosing his wording. "Mental well being. As you know, he keeps things close to his chest and does not give a moment where his mind can be entered. So while I have not been able to check upon his mental health, I have began to suspect something is amiss. You have noticed that many of our members have disappeared. Mystique... she is gone. Jac, most likely gone to the X-men's Utopia from what I can gather. Rage... And this boy, Joseph."

"Now surely, as you sit in the seat of an Acolyte, these things do not pass beneath your nose without you noticing them. Magneto has changed in these past months... and there are things that have occurred outside of the safety of our walls that have me preparing to take action," Exodus stopped, raising a brow towards the younger man. "Do you agree with what I have said thus far? If so, I will continue. If not... then you will want to report my suspicions to Magneto and..." Exodus smirked. "I can not let that happen. You understand, no?"

The Acolyte stood shirtless at the forefront of his apartments, the casual offers of the living room seated behind him as he stared out the window. The false skies overhead were beginning to dim, the descent of the illusionary sun darkening the underwater city as though it was still on the surface of the earth. He had watched it every day that he was here, but now the wonder was gone. Time made the false light's descent nothing more than a grand illusion, which is all it was. Now, Sanctuary was a hassle. As an Acolyte, some of its responsibilities fell on his shoulders, and given the nature of his powers, those were the more militant responsibilities. Scorching their foes were his primary concern and locating the wanted Acolyte Spitfire and her... parasitic human, Joseph. But these months had proved fruitless in the hunt for the missing Acolyte, and what times St. John could find a moment's respite in Sanctuary, he had noticed a change in many things.

And Sanctuary was becoming foreign to him once again. Though its pristine buildings and streets still stood, he had noticed that the people were shifting. Members of the Brotherhood were adapting to it, but surely they had noticed it too. Which is why he wasn't surprised when the haunting telekinetic had dropped the message by.

He heard the sound of the man's voice through the door on the far side of the room, the portal opening with a quiet shift. The Acolyte didn't bother turning around as he surveyed the streets below, hands in the pockets of his trousers, one of them playing with his lighter.

"Exodus," he replied curtly, watching as two mutants far below embraced each other with the fall of evening. Did they have any idea what was going on? Did they know more than him? He could feel a light tingle of a telekinetic wave brush through his surroundings, barely a breeze that would stir the hairs on his arms. "No one else is here. Put up a telepathic block. Shifty late-day meetings like this ain't gonna settle well with anyone," he turned around, looking at the other mutant. "Least of all your little brain birds." He was not ignorant to the devices that kept Sanctuary running. As an Acolyte, he knew all of its inner workings, even if he didn't participate in them, like Exodus' squad of mind readers.

He had always liked Exodus. The man was one of those mutants who could get things done when asked, exactly how you wanted it done. He had proven to be useful dozens of times, in battle and in more subtle categories. His devotion to Magneto and the Brotherhood was absolute. The adamance the man had given to their cause was above even some of his senior members. And best of all, Exodus had a pair. He didn't cower like Sack or fidget like Manslaughter. He was cold, calculated, and powerful.

"You mean you didn't come over to play cards?" St. John sneered as he walked across the room toward a plain wetbar he had installed recently. He opened the little fridge and grabbed a pair of glasses. "Ever had Bundy, mate? Dark rum, hailin' from down under." He got the bottle out, chilled by the refrigerator, and poured it and some Coke together in the glasses as Exodus got to business.

He listened, those subjects having already been on his mind. Those mysterious, strange things had been occurring. People were missing and when people went missing, somewhere there was a trail of blood, even if there wasn't any of the red stuff present. The Acolyte had his own suspicions, but he didn't want to believe it. He could understand citizens of Sanctuary disappearing. People who aimed to cause genuine unrest had always been taken, those who spat on Sanctuary and threatened to cause damage to it from the inside out were taken before they could do anything thanks to Exodus' little group. But Brotherhood? He doubted they had been captured, least of all in the middle of Sanctuary. Spitfire had gone for a reason abandoning the Brotherhood for the sake of some boy. Mystique had gone too, but he wasn't really surprised about that. Rage... Rage, however, she would never have done anything to provoke a disappearance. It was her disappearance in March that had begun his inkling toward what was going on.

He set the extra glass on the coffee table for Exodus to indulge in whilst he stood back by the window, taking a slow sip of his drink. Magneto had changed. Dealing with remnant Purifiers throughout the world, the constant threat of detection, moles, and what-have-you, even Pyro had noticed the changes. Magneto was... angry. He was always wearing that helmet of his. Even his expressions had changed. Scowls plagued the Master of Magnetism's visage more than that stoic calmness did these days. It was almost like Magneto had reverted to a more younger attitude, pissy and wanting to throw a tantrum.

"Have you found anything about any of them? Mystique? Rage?" His own searches had proved to be without success. Even going through footage of where they had last been seen he had no idea what had happened. It was like Mystique to disappear in a moment. Rage on the other hand... she had been missing since the fifteenth. No check ins. Nothing. Had she died so ignominiously that no one had noticed the body laying in the middle of a hallway?

"Do you agree with what I have said thus far? If so, I will continue. If not... then you will want to report my suspicions to Magneto and..."

St. John's hand slipped back into his pocket, clicking open the lighter, his thumb on the flint wheel. Exodus would surely see that with his telekinetic touch, but it did not ignite. Not yet.

"I can not let that happen. You understand, no?"

"Don't patronize me, Exodus," the Acolyte growled. "The Brotherhood is in a state where it is endangered by itself. I may not be around as much as you, nor do I have the mindful ears of your subordinates, but you have to remember..." He looked over his shoulder again at the man. "I get to read their reports. I've been aware that things have been going on, things that ain't right. Spitfire's gone. I've known her personally for a long time. I was the one that recruited her into the Brotherhood... If you want to call it a recruitment." He had gone to kill her under the suspicion of being someone else. SHIELD had appeared to capture him, but they had managed to escape together. "The day she was gone, I knew something was wrong. Escaping with some... Boy..."

He drew in another sip, pondering on the subject of Joseph. Who exactly was that boy? Magneto had said he had no powers and was little more than a human, but a person who was little more than a human of value. Whomever he was, he was important. Jac knew that right away and knew to get out of dodge. "Whatever he is to Magneto, he's important to the Brotherhood. Apparently important enough to claim one of Magneto's trusted Acolytes a traitor and to sentence her to death. I'm not so foolish as to believe that Spitfire would bug out without reason, nor am I blind enough to actually follow Magneto's orders to kill her without reason after everything she's done for the Brotherhood. She's not Gambit or Rogue. She doesn't play that game. I want to find her and find out what the fuck is happening."

He turned away from the window, setting his eyes on the telepath. "I'm not going to report you to Magneto. Not yet..." A slow smirk of his own grew on his face. "Tell me what you know, Exodus. I would hate for us to tear the Citadel apart just because I can't listen to one of my own subordinates. I don't think you're a fool enough to come to my quarters to speak of potentially threatening the Brotherhood or Magneto if you thought I'd raze you right here and now for talking about what could be treason."

His hand slipped out of his pocket and away from his zippo, a gesture of good faith. Pyro tapped at his temple, grinning. "Because you already knew that about me, didn't you mate?"

"You get to read their reports," Exodus repeated, but then fell silent as Pyro continued speaking. He showed little reaction to the Acolyte's responses, even when he seemed to hold the threat of reporting him to Magneto. Pyro also mentioned that the place would be torn apart and yes... yes it would. When Pyro posed his final question, Exodus responded only with silence and calmly crossed the room to where Pyro stood.

"No, I have never had a Bundy," he said as he reached down and took the drink. Sipping it, he turned his back to St. John and walked over to one a chair and took a seat, taking care to smooth out his suit before he sat down. After taking a sip, he nodded in approval and then set the glass on the table next to him. Crossing his legs, he finally looked back to the Acolyte.

"Let me be frank, boy. Your threats mean little to me. Before you uttered your next word I would crush you. Physically, not mentally... because like you, I prefer to see my handy work lay out before my eyes. People seem to quickly forget who among us has openly challenged the leader of this place. And yes, I have been was defeated by Magneto... but he does not like to include the fact that I had done battle with an entire Brotherhood Cell before he came from the sky blindsided me. Yet, even so, I sit before you now well rested and in good spirits," Exodus shrugged, reaching down and taking another sip of the Bundy. "I do not mean for this to sound like a threat, I simply want you to know that I am not easily intimidated, not by you and certainly not by our leader. This is exactly why I have earned his respect and come under his good graces... and it is exactly why I have come to another man who has earned his respect. So yes, that is why I came to you."

"Now, threats and egos aside, I want you to know that I care for this Brotherhood and this Sanctuary more than you know. Before I came here, I was raised in a group with similar ideals, though it was much smaller and not well organized. I am committed to Magneto and his way... so do not question that. But as you know, at times throughout history, a name may shine brighter than the man underneath. The name Magneto inspires both fear and courage... but the man underneath is what I have began to question," he paused, taking a sip of the rum and coke. "As far as the reports you read go, I would remind you that those reports go through a chain of command... and they go through me before they come to you or Magneto. Therefore... you read what I want you to read."

He smiled, oddly enough, and leaned forward in his seat in order to place his elbows on his knees. Clasping his hands together, he looked into St. John's eyes.

"Mystique escaped this place because Magneto was going to kill her. I felt it in her thoughts. Despite what you have read in my reports, Magneto continued to send me to question and torture her despite the fact that she knew nothing about Joseph. Nothing was there to find within her mind and if there was... don't you think I would have plucked it out?" Exodus raised both brows at the question. "So that is one example of Magneto's actions being questionable. Mystique was an invaluable and irreplaceable resource to the Brotherhood, yet I believe he was going to kill her. Rage has vanished off of the grid completely, Pyro. Which means that she has either left this place, which there is no record of, or she is dead. I will allow you to guess of which one of those I suspect and which person I suspect."

"Spitfire is in Utopia along with the boy, Joseph. In the meantime, Magneto has only appeared to grow more angry and incapable of what is occurring around him, instead of working to resolve the issues. What we did at Worthington tower was enjoyable, but did not accomplish what we needed," Exodus took the final sip of the rum, having drank it quickly. "I am also concerned about the possibility that his questionable judgment is due to him not being himself. Recently, the X-men were attacked in New York City and and intelligence agent has informed us of an attack on Dr. Strange by a young mutant by the name of Tommy Shepard. However, he was not himself... he was a green being that was capable of cloning himself into a copy of the young mutant."

Exodus sat back in his seat and crossed his leg, looking at Pyro with a grim expression.

"This attack shouldn't be ignored. I believe that we are all being undermined by an unseen force and that... well... Magneto could be one of them. Basically, I propose using the Brotherhood's resources in a direct effort to discover more about these green beings. I do not like the current state of mind that is in Sanctuary. There is too much fear and doubt, and there are too many places that my mind and my agent's minds can not reach. This is not normal... and I believe that there are people hiding things among us."

Chunks of ice clinked against the glass in his hand as he moved it in small rotations before raising it to his lips. The light burn of the rum was enough distraction for him against the severity of their conversation, even as the telekinetic threatened him with being thrashed about. The threat was sound, one the Acolyte took quite seriously. As much as he liked being a smart ass, he liked being able to walk more. He gave Exodus his moment of speak. Exodus had challenged Magneto once, he knew that, and being able to contend against the Master of Magnetism put him on a different level of power than much of the other Brotherhood members. Magneto had a lot of trust in the man, too, explicitly putting him in charge of the psychic divisions of their forces. Pyro had personally seen the effects of Exodus' powers and he would much prefer to stay cognitive and unbroken.

"Threat's there, Exodus, even if you don't mean it to be," St. John smirked. "You probably noticed the lit candle in the other room. That's all the threat I need for you to see. But that aside, we'll keep civil. Like I said, if I can't speak to my own subordinates without scorching the meat off their bones -- as much as I'd like to with some of them -- I wouldn't have been elected as an Acolyte."

He stepped away from the window and moved to one of the couches, sitting opposite of the other mutant in a casual slump. Elbows up on the back of the couch, one leg up over the other, the Acolyte regarded the man with an idle stare as he spoke more, that smirk never leaving. "Heh. I knew you had tried to raise a little group once and failed. Applying your aspirations to the Brotherhood is just fine by me. There are a lot of mutants here, fewer still that are fit to lead. I'm only here by Magneto's offer, otherwise I'd be happy enough where I had been and not having to read your redacted reports. But, you and I are both here for the same reasons, mate. Loyalty isn't limited only to a man, but it works for reasons too. I've learned that since becoming an Acolyte. Fighting for something more than a man and his aims, mate... That's what we're talking about here."

Exodus spoke of Mystique. Magneto was going to kill her. His eyes narrowed on the subject. He would have never assumed Magneto would kill the woman, but it was possible given the nature of Magneto's... changes. He could have done it at any time, but the information about Joseph was so vital that she was apparently spared with an escape. And Rage... That made his visage harden even more. Rage had been in the Brotherhood for a long while. He worked with her, ate with her, trained with her... And she had disappeared completely. Her fate was questionable and he had long considered death an option.

Still, that did not settle well.

The Acolyte nodded at Exodus' observations about Jac and Magneto's obvious changes. "I can understand his... frustrations with Jac being gone, with Joseph. But even then I wouldn't expect him to lash out as he has been. Ain't right. I've seen Magneto fight against Apocalypse's forces. I stood with him as we incinerated countless infected from when Amelia was Pestilence. That was hundreds, maybe thousands. He didn't even blink. All this over one kid... one traitor..." Pyro didn't need to say it. It was all off.

Taking another sip from his drink, St. John mulled on it for a moment. "Strange is that wizard guy, yeah? If the X-Men were attacked and this guy with one of those gems, too... Then I doubt it's a coincidence. Shit like that doesn't happen often and when it does, it's part of something. Unless it's the Purifiers starting to rise up again, it's got to be something new, cause this sort of thing sure ain't their M.O.. Tommy Shepard, you said? I remember him. Skinny kid with silver hair. Jac and he were a thing for a while. He lived here in Sanctuary. Fickle guy, distracted as Hell in that speedster way. He'd never have the balls to attack someone with the intent to kill them. Don't even think he broke up with Jac to her face."

"But you're right... This shouldn't be ignored. Whatever is plaguing the X-Men will inevitably involve us. It always ends up like that. Then there's a cease-fire, then we start fighting together," he scowled, downing the rest of his drink. "I haven't heard much about these green things, whatever they were. If they have the ability to copy anyone, the first thing they'd do is take care of them... And if Magneto is already one of them, then the real Magneto might have been dead for who knows how long. This whole time it could have been one of these bloody skinks. If that's the case, then something's making him act out..." His forefinger and thumb tickled under his chin pensively, eyes falling to the shapes of ice still at the bottom of his cup. "Then they're beginning something."

"Playin' a game against people you don't know is something we're used to. Playing it against ourselves..." The Acolyte somehow managed a grin in spite of it all. "I've always wanted to have a reason punch a few of our members. We wouldn't be able to move around easily, though. We'll have to keep it from Magneto as long as possible and even from the rest of the Brotherhood. Nothing open. But we can't do it ourselves. My power as an Acolyte stretches through the Brotherhood, but there are few who would follow or believe me in something outside of my duties."

He hated to admit it, but not everyone liked him. Well, it was kind of funny in that respect. Everyone knew if they stood against him he'd boil the fluid in their eyes. He wondered if that sort of threat would stand if it came down to the challenge of preserving the Brotherhood and forcing the reign of the false Magneto out.

"The Brotherhood is bigger than what is just here in Sanctuary. Like you said, Magneto inspires both fear and courage. But if they see enough of a challenge against Magneto himself..." he narrowed his eyes at the telekinetic. "One Acolyte ain't enough. Amelia should be pulled into this. If it comes down to it, my name won't stand against Magneto's alone. Spitfire's gone rogue. The rest of the Brotherhood would know that, when the time comes, things ain't right. Two members of the Brotherhood standing against Magneto would change the game for a lot of people. Amelia and I are the only Acolytes left now..." He held his gaze for a long moment in consideration. "For now... If Amelia cannot be turned to this, Exodus, you'll have to wipe her memories. I'll put out a call for her soon to come here. Sheila's probably still at that school now tidying it up for the evening. When she gets here, hide nothing. She's gotta know the whole picture. If she tries to run... you know what to do."

Amelia Voght had never thought there would be a day when was thankful for never having children. Once upon a time she had imagined herself growing old with Charles Xavier surrounded by children but that ship had long left the harbor. When the battle of the species broke out Amelia thought it would be improper to bring a child into a world that would not accept their kind. There was a high probability that any child she had would bear the mutant genes and the thought of it being persecuted broke the red head’s heart. The duties of being the de facto headmistress of the Academy of Tomorrow had made Amelia realize that perhaps it was best she did not bear any children.

Emma Frost had vanished without a trace and left Amelia with the growing sense that it would be if she were not left alone with any one of the incorrigible youths. If I teleport one of these hormonal time bombs beyond the dome the gene pool would thank me, she mused as she sat behind the headmistress’s desk filling out a report. It was Sunday but the Acolyte had work to attend for the coming school week. With Frost gone and no suitable replacement found, Amelia filled in. It was very puzzling because Emma was the epitome of professionalism when it came to her school.

Amelia looked up from her report when the air was filled with a rainbow hued shimmer. She recognized it immediately as the power signature of Iris, a prolific Sanctuary messenger. “The Acolyte Pyro has requested your presence at the Citadel, Miss Voght,” the blue skinned mutant reported.

Amelia no longer sighed with the inclusion of the formalities. She had earned them. She had commanded contingents of Brotherhood mutants in war, yet these students were another story. “Thank you, Iris,” Amelia replied. “I was finishing up just now. Thank you.”

Thankful for the diversion from the school work Amelia teleported across Sanctuary to the Citadel. The nurse had never thought she would be thankful for Acolyte business as a welcomed distraction. When Acolytes gathered blood soon followed. The nurse materialized in the hallway in the Citadel and found the room where the pyrokinetic and telekine were waiting for her. Pyro had proven his worth to Magneto had been elevated to the upper echelons of the Brotherhood to the position of Acolyte. Exodus did not hold that position but he was frighteningly powerful and equally devoted to the mutant cause.

Voght strode across the room and took a seat in a position that formed a triangle between the three mutants. “St. John. Paris,” she said in way of greeting. “I came as soon as I got word from Iris.”

The red head cross her legs and straightened the hem of her suit jacket. “Has there been word on Jacqueline?” she asked with a twinge of hope in her voice.

"I agree," Exodus responded, pleased that Pyro was being open about the possibility of some type of infiltration within their ranks. "We should be cautious as we proceed forward. If Magneto gets wind of our attempts to discover the truth, then he would only be right to assume that we are attempting to unseat him." He smiled strangely, looking out the window and towards what was beyond. "Though that is not a battle that I would turn down again. It is not something that I would recommend for most, however."

He lifted a hand to show he did not care.

"Yes, bring in Amelia. She is a reasonable sort of person, I believe. If she would agree to our cause, not only would she bring the support of her abilities, but also her power and those that are loyal to her. And if she doesn't agree," Exodus paused, nodding in agreement to Pyro. "I will make her forget this ever occurred."

As a moment of silence entered the room between the two of them as they awaited Amelia's arrival, Exodus stood and walked over to the mini-bar and went about fixing himself another one of the drinks that Pyro called a "Bundy." It was a rather simple mix, but the combination of the soda and the rum was tasty. He turned and raised his glass to Pyro, silently thanking him for another, and then walked to the window and stood there looking out with one hand in his pocket.

It wasn't long before Amelia arrived and Exodus turned his attention away from the window in order to look towards her. As always, she was beautiful and the fact that she held such a position of power only multiplied that fact. He raised his drink to her in greeting and walked across the room towards her, removing his hand from his pants pocket in the process.

"Salut Amelia," Exodus said, nodding his head to her in greeting. "Our paths have not crossed in some time... but I am glad that you came with such haste." He glanced back towards Pyro and then looked back to Amelia, knowing full well that he was standing between two powerful and loyal mutants while speaking of a potential mutiny against their leader. But if he was unnerved at all, he did not show it.

"The only intel that we have received on Spitfire is that she is in Utopia and we can only assume, knowing the nature of the X-men, that she is safe and sound for now," Exodus said, then held up a finger. "But... the intention of you being called was not to discuss this. Amelia... perhaps this would sound better coming from a fellow Acolyte such as Pyro... but I want to know your thoughts on the recent actions of Magneto. And I wish to know your thoughts on the recent disappearances throughout Sanctuary, particularly Rage and the escape of Mystique."

By then the Acolyte had finished his own drink and rose from the chair. Meandering back to the wet-bar, he gave the telekinetic a curt nod in response to his little toast, to which he raised his own in response. To some, it may have been interpreted as a signature on the agreement they had just come to, a conclusion and promise of secrecy between them both. And that's what it would be, even if Amelia had failed to join their cause. For the Acolyte, however, it was a tentative stress reliever for struggle they were about to undertake. Not only converting Amelia to their endeavors, but to hide this from Magneto. He was sure that, with Exodus' psychic division, it was a done deal until they could outwardly confront Magneto. At that point... it'd be a fight for their lives.

It wasn't long before Amelia had arrived. The Acolyte returned to his seat and reclined back into it, one hand unconsciously picking his Zippo out of his pocket and setting it on the armrest. "Sheila," he greeted curtly. He didn't look back to Exodus, not wanting to give away any sort of premeditated notion that something was about to happen. Exodus jumped right into the frying pan, though, and in part Pyro was thankful for that. St. John was never the best at serious conversations, his temper often getting the better of him, and this needed to be handled with relative care.

"Utopia. Land of dinosaurs and primitives. Bet it's where all the humans came from, eh?" he sneered over his cup, the faintest of buzzes beginning to tickle his senses. The arsonist clicked his lighter on, a little flame coming to life. It leaped from the trinket and hovered in the air between them all. The flame roiled and churned, becoming denser until it took on the hardened, almost solid appearance of his constructs. For a moment it flickered from the visage of Magneto, his face contorted with rage as Exodus spoke his name. Then it switched to Rage, who had recently disappeared, and finally to Mystique, though the fires did her color no justice whatsoever.

"Rage is gone. Mystique is gone. Magneto's starting to change the way the Brotherhood works. I'll give you the drum, Amelia, so you know I ain't hiding anything: Magneto's not being himself. You've been at that school of yours too much if you haven't noticed that, sheila. We've noticed it. I've heard whispers in the training rooms and by the workers here. He's never had a temper like he's got now, you n' me both have been around long enough to see that."

He narrowed his eyes, the floating fireball twisting into a little creature. "We've heard whispers of these things -- mutants or some human experiment -- taking on the appearances of others. That speedster kid that was with Jac for a bit, he was one of 'em. Took out a guy with one of those gems by the name of Strange. We don't know how complete these replacements are, but it's possible the doppelgangers have infiltrated the Brotherhood if they've gotten into the X-Men. And they're closed off in Utopia and in Sanctuary, we might as well be a hub of the world with all the mutants still coming in, and have been coming in since it opened up." He beckoned the creature to him and it ran through the air, ghoulish in appearance, until it came to sit upon his shoulders. Its form was amorphous, but its features twisted into a chimerical abomination of cat and reptile.

Idly, with his hand holding the Zippo, he took a sip of his drink and scratched beneath the fire construct's chin, which were really just the roots of its exaggerated teeth. "Which means the Brotherhood's in danger. With Magneto's behavior, with these Sleestaks... All we can trust is ourselves."

Both of the men had greeted Amelia as she entered. Exodus commented that they had not conversed in some time and that was true. Most any interaction had been purely in passing as both of them had other duties to fulfill rather than spend in idle chitchat. Exodus moved with easy sophistication that belied the raw power of his mutation. He revealed that the latest intel suggested that Jacqueline was with the X-Men in their Utopia base. Most likely the young Joseph was there as well. It made sense that they sought sanctuary with the X-Men, those most likely able to protect them in some degree against Magneto’s wrath. Spitfire was not the purpose of their meeting though. Pyro and Exodus wished to know Amelia’s thoughts on the recent events of the Brotherhood.

As Exodus spoke Pyro brought his flame to life to offer an illustration of the conversation. The faces of mutants formed from the heart of the fire thanks to his manipulations. Magneto appeared with the violent countenance he had expressed as of late. Amelia had known the Master of Magnetism for a long time and he had not been as wrathful as he had been lately. The fire shifted to then form the other mutants mentioned, Rage and Mystique. “No, I agree. He has never been so consumed by rage,” Amelia replied. “Even when Pietro and Primal escaped that was a pale shade of what has been seen recently.”

The disappearance of Rage and the escape of Mystique were not news items that were shouted on the street corners but rather whispered at dinner tables between people of trust. Amelia had not heard of the beings that Pyro spoke of changing shape and appearance. She remembered the boy that Jac had been seeing, Tommy, and she wondered if that doppelganger had been involved with the speedster or if it was truly the boy. Jac was a wonderful young woman but where she and Tommy simply star-crossed lovers or was it some other plot? Had the doubles infiltrated the Brotherhood as well? That could be a possible explanation for Magneto’s strange behavior. Amelia’s eyes flicked to the flaming ghoul that rested on Pyro’s shoulder. Were these men who they claimed to be?

The two mutants had not acted any differently than ever before, but that could have been part of the ruse. Amelia had devoted her life and perhaps her soul to the cause of the Brotherhood. A simple misstep could bring those sacrifices to naught. The teleporter felt, no she knew, that this could very well be a turning point in the Brotherhood if they did not act. “All of the emigrants into Sanctuary go through a basic screening process but if these imposters are as successful as you say those procedures may not be effective at all. But if you are suggesting that Eric may not be who we think he is…” the red head said and took a deep breath. “I think I will have a drink.”

Amelia rose and stepped to the bar and poured some bourbon into a crystal tumbler. She swirled it quickly and vaguely watched the amber lines slur down the side of the glass. Amelia tossed part of the drink down her throat. “I don’t have to say it but we have made sacrifices for the Brotherhood. We have all invested blood in this cause and would have the head of anyone that spit upon those beliefs,” Amelia said placing her drink down on the fine surface of the bar. Their path would be mutiny in name but would they be heroes in actions?

“We’ve seen what befell Mystique for the role she played,” Amelia said as if giving herself a warning. “Rage was a fine agent and she is missing. Emma Frost is…I have not been able to contact her for some time. Those students were life to her as much as the air she breathed; I don’t know if a connection lies there or not. If so, these are all symptoms, symptoms of some sickness taking Sanctuary in its grip. If this threat has taken hold in the X-men with the Shepherd boy, then we cannot simply assume to be unaffected.”

The red head turned her gaze to the window and the city beyond. Were there imposters out there in the underwater city plotting to bring them down? Was Magneto one of them? “Do we serve the man or the dream? Magneto or mutantkind?” Amelia mused. She turned back to address Exodus and Pyro. Those names were the names they had been prescribed as mutants. If this Magneto was an imposter then they owed it to the true Eric Lensherr and the entire mutant race to take the proper action. “We cannot allow everything to unravel. There is too much at stake for us to lose the battle.”

Exodus could not help but to show off a strange smile as he watched Amelia cross the room and fix herself a drink, pondering what they had asked of her. It seemed as if it had been something that she had taken notice of, but had no one else to discuss it with. When a person was in such a position as an Acolyte, they were so deep into the grips of the Brotherhood that there was little hope to turn back. Little hope to rebel against the leadership that had put them in their place of power. However, perhaps Exodus was stirring up feelings in the both of them that they had felt for some time. Perhaps all they needed was this push to be brave, even when faced with a possible foe such as Magneto.

"It pleases me to hear you agree," Exodus replied when Amelia had thought it over and replied. He took a few steps away from the window, now standing where Pyro had been summoning the flaming avatars of their former friends. "This is a matter to be handled with delicacy, because if we are wrong, we should do our best to show Magneto why we had cause for alarm in the first place. If he is himself, then I believe he would understand our suspicions and our actions."

Keeping his eyes on Amelia, because it was honestly hard for him to look away from her, he walked over to where she stood. He finished his drink off and set it down on the counter, then came to stand beside her. Then, he looked to Pyro.

"I believe that we agree that we shall do this not to harm the Brotherhood or Sanctuary," Exodus started, then looked to Amelia. "But to preserve all that the Brotherhood has fought to obtain thus far. The dream of Magneto is a perfect one that we all strive for, but we all realize that no man is perfect. If it should come down to it, I have done battle with Magneto before... as you know. And I am willing to sacrifice all that I am for our cause, even if it means fighting the man again."

Exodus smiled again, knowing that he would fair better in a second battle, but also knowing that he would probably fall unless Magneto's helmet could be removed. Hopefully it would not come to that.

"But we should seek to avoid such a fate. First, we need to determine why there are zones within Sanctuary that I and my division can not penetrate. Emma Frost is missing and I would be a fool not to suspect her... for all we know, she could be hiding some of the people that we seek. As for the doppelgangers, it seems that the X-men and their kind would know more of this... Perhaps we should revisit Warren Worthington's business or we could pay a visit to our allies in the Hellfire Club. In a way, we are disconnected from what is occurring up there... even though we may have traitors in our own midst."

"It's impossible to be sure who he really is, sheila, and to tell who anyone really is for that matter. Meanin', right here, this is all we can trust. Acolytes aren't going down easy, not without a bunch of noise that'll give the news away that they're being attacked. And this bloke," the Acolyte thumbed at Exodus with a smirk, "he's crazy enough to get away with this."

His digits resumed stroking the construct, which gave a sizzling purr near his ear. Both Exodus and Amelia would be able to feel the intense heat radiating off the construct, but to the Acolyte it was harmless. It was nothing more than a monstrous cat on his shoulder, eager to burn and eager to destroy. The pyrokinetic nodded when the agreement was made sound by Exodus. "So much for us being the bad guys," St. John mused, hitching a brow at the other two. "As loyal as we are to Magneto, we were not given this position for his sake, Amelia. It's a little hypocritical that we talk treason like this for all he's done for us, but if we need to make the world burn to see that he's doing wrong to his own people, maybe that's what he needs. He's familiar with pyres." A cruel, sadistic joke on St. John's part, but it was that stark image that the Acolyte spoke of which would be needed to show the wrong.

"I'd rather avoid having to sacrifice all that I am for our cause, personally. I like living too much and I like burning stuff too much to do that. If it comes to it, I'm out of here, but I'm taking part of the Brotherhood with me." Ambiguous as to what that part was, he continued on. "Blood, sweat, tears, friends, family... It's always going to be like that, sheila. That's war. We're either at war with ancient mutants, ourselves in another dimension, humans, the public, the fucking world... And now we're going to have in-fighting," he grinned. "The strongest will live. The weak will die. It's about time we start upping our recruiting standards."

The construct crawled down over his shoulder, taking a seat in his lap. He ran his fingers along its back. "If anything, we'll take the Brotherhood out of Sanctuary to spare it of Magneto's influence. I ain't the greatest mind of this century, but I'm not fool enough to endanger it. Under the water here, any damage to the exterior would threaten tens of thousands of mutant lives. We'd be an endangered species about to go extinct. I've never liked this place anyways. A fish bowl in an ocean -- never made sense to me." He scoffed.

"Anyways, it's settled then. Now Exodus doesn't have to flay your mind so long as you play along with us. Pact of secrecy and all," he said with a cheerful lilt.

Exodus brought up the strange occurrence within Sanctuary, areas where he could not invade with his psychic division. Emma Frost was the likely case. "She disappeared when Mystique did, right? Bitch is probably still hiding around here sleazing up our alleys. You're the one who would make contact with her, Exodus. You're both telepaths. Put out a call that you want to talk to her or find out where she and her people are and we'll go pay her a visit personally. As for the X-Men..." A foul taste entered into his mouth. "We'll go to them if any of those green things turn up here. We need to focus on the Brotherhood and Sanctuary, not the X-Men and the rest of the goddamn world. That's what Sanctuary was for, to sequester us from their problems and start a mutant home. Let the humans and the human lovers care about that."