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At the Edges of the World
Topic Started: Feb 15 2010, 10:55 PM (513 Views)
Spitfire
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Superspeed with Pyrotechnic Effects
Date: 5th October 2008
Location: Smolensk Oblast, Russia




The bleak landscape stretched out before her. Jackie had travelled, or rather had drifted extensively in the time between leaving her human home and stumbling, world weary and desperate into the sanctuary of Jus Soli, but Russia had never really been a country that she had spent much, if any time in, despite its relatively close proximity to her former home of England. It had been tempting to pass through the United Kingdom, en route to her destination out of a strange sense of nostalgia, but she had work to do and sentimentality would have to wait.

Her breath came out in cloudy wisps as she stood still for a moment in the chill air, already giving way to winter. Thankfully, snow had not started to fall yet, as that would be a great inconvenience to her; Jackie hated running in snow. Folding her arms over her chest, she surveyed the land, sighing inwardly a little. The psychics at the base had done their best to brief her on the situation, but they knew so little about what was happening that it was almost laughable. However, the station was not without its uses and the team had provided her with useful geographical information, food, a shower and a fresh uniform. Spitfire also now knew enough Russian to ask the locals questions thanks to telepathic tutelage, but that did not mean anyone was actually going to talk to the young mutant; she was an emissary of Magnus, which did not open doors as easily as the young woman would have liked, much to her frustration.

Having only recently left the station in the Ukraine, the speedster had quickly travelled closer to the questionable area, hoping to find the source of this dark energy she had been told of in preparation for her mission. Now, she stood atop a small hill within Russia, surveying what was quite a grim, grey view and she shook her blonde head; no wonder Russians were portrayed as depressive, vodka swilling alcoholics, if this was what so many of them had to look at. Nothing was immediately catching her eye as suspicious or bizarre to her quick eyes, although what was she expecting, a big neon sign? The fact she could see nothing just frustrated her further and she wondered again why the President had sent her on this mission, a little awed at his trust in her when it seemed that she was actually of so little use in her own eyes.

The longer she stood there and mulled over the view, the more she actually came to realise that there was actually something…wrong, and that it might not just be wishful thinking for so far coming up with nothing. It was a feeling, something that had been slowly nagging away at her, rather than something she could see with her own two eyes. A shiver ran down her spine, despite the uniform she wore that regulated her body temperature, so that she would not be ill affected on returning to the warmer climate of South America. Moving off, the blonde headed for a dark smudge on the landscape below that appeared to be a town. Whether the locals liked it or not, they were going to talk to her, even if she had to drag even the smallest piece of information out of them. Finding a good stretch of road, Spitfire raced down it towards the town that sprang into view, her trademark flames blazing then guttering behind her as she went, aiming for the very middle of the town, coming to a stop in the middle of a spacious, well maintained square, with a statue set there of an angelic figure, wings outstretched. It was…quiet, there in that square. It was that sort of chilling silence, where you come to realise that there wasn’t even any birdsong.

Maybe they were all in church or something. Religion was very comforting to many people, especially in times of unrest…And God, if it didn’t feel uneasy here in this place. A shudder broke out, running down through her entire body and she turned and ran out of that town, leaving it behind her for the time being, more determined to check out the surrounding area, farmyards, isolated homesteads…they all tore past the speedster and still she felt nothing but a ferocious deathlike feeling in the air, an emptiness and something picking and picking at her the entire time, eating away at her freewill until she wanted to stop and sink down into the ground, spent. But she had a task at hand and a purpose, the thought of which made her carry on, suppressing her feelings, putting it down to paranoia and the lack of being able to do anything else, just wanting to find something concrete that she could take back to Magnus. The thought of failing at this task ate away at her.

But, she could not run forever in circles and made the next farm she checked the last one, as it had all been the same and she turned with a sinking heart and returned to the town she had started in. Jackie wanted to go back there to check again, if only to prove to herself she was simply going crazy and that it would be normal on her return and not so empty and desolate as before. It was all in her imagination, it was just her imagination…
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Spitfire
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The town seemed to be as she had left it, still cold and grey and absent of even those little fragments of life that reminded you that you weren’t living in a dream, that you lived and breathed and could see, hear and taste things, touch them… “Oh, stop it Jackie…” the speedster admonished herself, huffing slightly. She was a big girl now, and she had a bloody important job, she was going to see it through to the end, even if it was cold and creepy and she’d soon hear her stomach growling anyway, if she really wanted background noise. And really, they could all actually be in church or at some sort of event or festival or even have some sort of curfew, something relatively normal that she could take down and deliver back to the President. Taking a different route around the town this time, she went by the church, a clean, white building and after a second standing at the gates, she went in, the heavy doors creaking open s she pushed them. Empty…The building stretched out, large and empty before her. It was an orthodox church, and so devoid of pews which made it slightly easier to see if anyone was present.

<Hello? Is anyone there?> her words came out in Russian, sounding alien as she asked the empty room her question. No answer. A vague sense of dread prevented her from stepping into the church fully, the altar intimidating her from across the building and she withdrew, closing the door behind her quietly, as if not to disturb the ghosts which seemed to have claimed this town. Pressing on, she travelled in an arc through the streets, ending up by the angelic statue once more. Approaching it, she stared up at the figure, feeling oddly comforted, when a strange prickling sensation broke out through her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she knew that someone was there with her.


“My, my... aren't you a fast one,” a voice floated through the quiet air as the slender form of a man who appeared to be in his late thirties peered around from the other side of the statue. A gentle smile graced his slightly lined features as he strode around the statue, coming to a halt and falling against it. As he leaned against it on one shoulder, he thrust his hands in his pockets and studied the blonde with penetrating eyes that twinkled with what could almost be described as amusement.

“I tried to catch you before you left town the first time... didn't expect you to come back.”

His English was perfect, with maybe a hint of an indiscernible accent, “Why did you?”


Jackie’s mouth fell open and the speedster nearly jumped out of her skin as the voice reached her ears, breaking the silence that had ruled this town. She lowered her head in a blur to face the man, who appeared utterly normal. He could easily have been a teacher from her school, back when she led a human life. He propped himself up against the statue, as if this meeting was the most perfectly normal thing in the world.

<Who - > Spitfire started to speak in Russian but then realised he spoke perfect English, momentarily perplexing the blonde. “Who are you? Where is everyone else? What happened here?” she demanded, drawing herself to her full height, her voice authorative despite her somewhat diminutive appearance. She would wait to see if his answers were satisfactory before pressing on with the intent of finding out more about what had happened here, and who he was.


He tutted, shaking his head in disappointment without moving from his spot, “How rude. I asked a question first, you know. It's good manners to answer it before asking your own.”

“But,” he said with a slightly resigned look, “I'll go first since you're obviously a victim of your abilities.”

He took a hand out of his pocket and offered it as he stepped closer to the girl, “I'm Joseph Karloff. I have a dental practice about three blocks from here. Where everyone is... well... I'm not sure you want to know the answer to that particular question. As to what happened here...” he glanced toward a couple of the empty buildings, “The same thing that seems to be happening everywhere else.”

“Change.”


Narrowing her blue eyes at the man, she took a step backwards as he came forward, offering her his hand to her in a friendly gesture. She briefly clasped it, holding her head high. “I am Jacqueline Falsworth, I represent the President of the mutant nation, Jus Soli. I was sent here after reports of strange activity within the area…I came back as I found nothing on my search of the surrounding area.”

Glancing around as he gestured at the vacant houses, she could still feel something nipping away at her, aggravating senses she didn’t have. Looking back up at the man, she set him with a very determined look etched on her young face. “And I very much do want to know where everyone is.”

Spitfire shivered again as he uttered the word change, as if he had made it into something bad and wrong, something that shouldn’t happen. It was all in her imagination, it was all her imagination…He was just some man who was a bit bitter that the majority of his clients had moved, so was trying to start scaring girls. That was it.


If he had been impressed by the girl's declaration that she spoke on behalf of one of the most powerful nations, not a hint of it flickered across his features. Instead, he rubbed the fingers that had just touched Jacqueline's delicate hand against each other as he brought them close to his nose and inhaled. Closing his eyes briefly as he took in the scent on his fingers, he appeared to be enjoying himself.

Finally, he lowered the hand, thrusting it back in his pocket as he looked back at Jac; he wore apathy like a mask.

He finally shrugged, “Well, if you must know, they're buried in a mass grave about half a mile to the north. I had several of the young ones fill in the hole before I made them kill each other. You'll find their bodies in my office. I wouldn't recommend going in there though. It's not pretty. Doesn't smell very nice either.


Was he…Jackie stared as he seemed to sniff the fingers that had just touched hers, no, scratch that, he did damn well sniff them. The unsettling thought about that did not last long however, and her disgust was broken into as he spoke of mass graves and murder. This could not be any ordinary man, not by a long shot. Spitfire suddenly felt very alone and very vulnerable, but she had been sent there to find out what was happening, and she was not about to fail her mission, even if it meant she would have to fight tooth and claw to get out of there.

“They’re dead? Why? What purpose will their deaths serve?” she asked, keeping her voice level as possible, while she boiled inside. She felt little sympathy for humans and their deaths, but she would never approve of such wanton acts.


"Simple," Joseph said with a shrug, "I've been away for a while and I had to let off a little steam. Seeing a bunch of children kill their elders and bury them in a giant hole seemed diverting at the time." He looked around, "Now that it's over... feels like it was a bit of a waste, don't you think?"
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Spitfire
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JP

Her mouth slightly agape, Jackie stared at the man as he spoke of the crimes he had committed so lightly. It was hard to comprehend, what purpose did this serve for mutant betterment, if indeed this was what this was an act of. Narrowing her blue eyes at him, she took a step back, her heel grinding into the stone surface of the square. “You killed them all?” she asked, wanting a piece to magically fall into place to explain all of this. She had seen many bad things during her time on the front lines, back home in Jus Soli, but this was different. This man could be dangerous, and she kept her guard up, poised and ready to run if need be.

“Who are you, really?” she asked, not satisfied with his earlier response to her questions. There was something most definitely wrong here. Her mouth felt dry and she could not stop shivers from breaking out all over her body as she kept still, staring the man down. It was almost ironic that their conversation should be overseen by an angel…Dark thoughts started to push at her mind, as well as feelings of inadequacy, stronger than earlier. No. No, Magnus had faith in her, she would succeed…


His manner seemed to change from curiously bemused to perturbed in the blink of an eye, “God! You're almost as witless as everyone else in this hick town... just as boring as they were. Just as simpering and cowardly... I swear I haven't met one interesting person since her.”

His eyes narrowed at her as he started to close the little space left between the two, “Didn't you hear me the first time? Do you have a listening problem or something? I'm Joseph the fucking dentist.”

He took another step toward her, “Does it really matter anyway? You'll know everything soon enough. Oh, by the way... I'm afraid your calender has been cleared. Congratulations... you're getting a new life.”


“My ears are fine, it’s my ability to believe in your identity that I’m having problems with. Why would a dentist have everyone killed? Or did you do one crown too many and just snap?” Spitfire shot back at him. He was closing the space between them, but it was not worrying her; she could easily break away and be a hundred miles away before he could do much of anything about it.

His threat however, made the young speedster’s blood run cold and she took on a defensive stance; maybe it wasn’t going to be so easy to leave the town as she had initially thought. “Oh, really? I’m sorry to say you don’t have the authority to do that. Just try me,” her words were defiant towards him, she was not going to be a coward in the face of adversary and shame her nation.


A malicious grin spread across his face as he stepped closer to her, invading personal space till he was just a few inches away... the man was barely taller than her. With his last step he leaned in, almost appearing kindly again as he shook his head slightly from side to side.

“Don't move,” he said in a tone that barely exceeded a whisper, yet his voice seemed to reverberate through the air around her as if ghosts were echoing his command.

He merely stared at her for a few moments, stooping slightly with his hands on his knees so he could look her directly in his eyes. He seemed to be studying her, watching every hint of a reaction in her expressive eyes... drinking in whatever it was she radiated as if it were the sweetest wine. Finally he stood up, cocking his head to the side as he began to slowly walk around her.

“Try you,” he repeated, pausing behind her and leaning forward till his lips were inches from her right ear. “I might just do that, Jacqueline. In fact, you might just regret that invitation when I'm done.” He inhaled once again, holding it for a few moments before slowly releasing it.

“Once I've finished with you... once I've squeezed out every drop of exquisite pleasure from you... I'll be surprised if you don't beg for me to slit your fucking throat right there. In fact, it'll be a small miracle if you'll be coherent enough to actually string together thoughts enough to make the request.”


She couldn’t move, her feet were frozen to the floor, lodged there. It was like her worst nightmare come true. Ever since her mutant powers had manifested, her speed was one thing she could rely on, no matter what was happening, her speed gave her freedom just by simply moving her feet. God, she wanted to move. She fought to keep the look of fear from her face, to keep her expression defiant. It didn’t matter what he was trying to do, he would not succeed.

Gritting her teeth as he leaned in close, she made a noise of disgust. “You might be the one who ends up regretting what you are doing. You might try be, but that does not mean you will win…And I don’t beg, mister, it’s really not becoming.”

Her words hid the fear burning inside her, the worry that she might not get out of this, trapped inside her own body, here in the backend of Russia, she’d meet her untimely end far quicker than she had ever thought possible. It shouldn’t be like this, she was only sent after dark energy…Although, she was almost certain she had found it, even if it was yet to be a consolation.


“Not becoming? We'll see what your definition of not becoming is after a couple of weeks with me. You'll probably see and experience things you didn't know were possible before we met.” He chuckled, “Hell... you might take to it like a duck to water. You look like you need to let go a little bit.”

He walked around in front of her and cupped her face in both his hands, forcing eye contact, “You do anything I want. See... I've been gone for a long time, and I just got back a few weeks ago. I was checking out my new moxy when low and behold I found the dentist with some extraordinary abilities, and I couldn't help but give them a spin. It was a complete accident that I came across him... even he didn't know he was a mutant.”

“But I'm afraid his ability comes with a price, and I've been adding up one hell of a debt. I need a new ride soon, and you're it. Shame... I'll miss Joseph.” He sighed as he looked off in the distance over his shoulder, as if dwelling on happy memories. Finally, he looked back at Jacqueline, “I'm afraid you don't have a choice here.”
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Spitfire
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Jackie’s skin crawled as he spoke to her, talking about her as if she were a new toy or a pet for him to enjoy and to play with. The girl gave an involuntary shudder as he even suggested that she might take to it, whatever it was. Let go? Her? She was on duty, of course she was going to be a little reserved, it was her responsibility, and one that she took very seriously. Focusing her mind, Jackie was determined to stand her ground and while she was physically unable to moved, she tried to give off a sense of standing proudly and defiant against this man.

Shivering in disgust as he touched her face, taking it in his hands, the speedster glowered into his eyes, her blue eyes filling with a complete contempt for him. “So much for you’re Joseph the fucking dentist, eh? At least you’ve decided to give up on that one. So, what are you, a parasite? An invader who has to keep on jumping from host to host from boredom, or need?”

Inexplicable rage was just massing in her, for the people that had just been killed, for herself, for the mistreatment of another mutant. Glowering up at him, she remained strongly defiant, despite her young years and the fear that still burrowed deep inside her. “Go on then! Try me! You bloody cowardly little bastard! You won’t win, not really!”


Joseph's eyes danced in amusement. “Won't win. Not really,” he parroted mockingly, “Did you know your nose gets all crinkly when you get angry? It's adorable. Not really... what does that even mean? Haven't I already won? I could kill you right now and there's not much you could do about it. I could do whatever the hell I wanted to you and all you could do is scream.”


“Oh... I know what you mean. You think that regardless of what I do with you – your body or whatever – that I'll never take your mind. Well guess what?” He shook his head, “I don't care.”


He considered her for a few moments, her face still in his hands. “For instance,” Joseph leaned in till his nose brushed hers, “Choke.” The last word seemed to carry an unnatural weight as once more, it sounded as if unseen specters echoed it in haunting whispers.



Glowering up at him, she was burningly aware that she apparently had a crinkling nose and felt a little sick. “Bastard,” Spitfire scowled, spitting up in the man’s face. It was a childish act of defiance, but without full motor control, there was very little she could do against him, having to remain still, frozen in place. She could easily go ‘You realise who I am?’ as her position gave her a bit of immunity when she was out of Jus Soli, acting as an official representative of the nation. If people just did whatever to her, it was an insult to her country, not because it was Jackie Falsworth getting a beating, but because of what she represented.

About to shoot off on a verbal barrage of insults at him, he suddenly leaned in close, the tip of his nose touching hers then uttered a single, simple word that seemed to be uttered a hundred times to her young ears. It was if something had suddenly lodged in her throat, sealing it tight and nothing could get in. A strangled gasp left her throat and a second later, Spitfire dropped in a heap to the ground, her vision blurring. The girl tried to drag herself back up to her feet, but scrabbling to her knees, she only fell back down to the ground, trying desperately to breathe the free air. There was nothing there…There was nothing there…It was all in her imagination, she wasn’t really choking, she wasn’t really going to die…Coughing, she looked up at ‘Joseph’ who was standing there, watching her and in another act of pig headed defiance, simply stuck her middle finger up at him. She was not going to beg for her life, not a cat in hells chance was she.



Joseph let her face slip from his hands as she collapsed to the ground, struggling for air. He watched her writhe and squirm as she mimicked a fish out of water, soaking in every minute detail of her struggle with a look of keen interest on his face. Defiance was imprinted in her eyes as she climbed to her knees and flipped him off, not even being able to wheeze past a blockage that wasn't even there.


Joseph knelt in front of Jac, “My god you are the most stupid girl I've ever met in my life. It's like I'm talking to a wall. You don't get it do you?” He batted the offending hand away, “I don't give a damn what you think. I just want you to know how stupidly powerless you really are before I turn off the lights in that pretty little head.”


He shoved her as he said, “Breath.” The word was just as heavy as the one that had prevented her from sucking down lungfuls of air. He stood back up. “So, who are you, anyway?”


The man called her stupid once more, but for someone who was keen to mark her down as a fool, he was wasting an awful lot of time on her, if he could just smite her down and take over her so easily. He must be bloody well bored or unable to admit that he was slightly interested, there had to be some reason he hadn’t just killed her already.

The command to breathe came and the blockage that Jackie could feel in her throat vanished as soon as it had come on. Gasping, she dragged in lungful after lungful of air, feeling woozy and faint for a second until the oxygen did its work on her and she felt better. “I told you who I am. Jacqueline Falsworth. My mutant name is Spitfire. I represent the President of Jus Soli and I will be very much missed and before you say it I’m not bragging, it’s the way it is. Now, is there something wrong with your hearing or do you need it explaining once more? And who the hell are you, while we’re at it.”

Clenching her fists, she struggled to get to her feet, still feeling unable to move from that spot, as if something was keeping her locked down, deep in her subconscious that she was unable to fight.
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Spitfire
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JP

He grabbed her by the hair and pulled, helping her climb to her feet as he locked his gaze on her, “I can hear fine, bitch, and like I told you I'm Joseph the dentist. Any other name I might have had died with me.” Moments passed in silence as he kept a firm grip on her hair, studying her intently.


“Mutant names. Presidents. Nations. Mutants and humans are still going at it, both sides clueless to what's really out there. When will any of you learn how insignificant your little squabbles really are? I've seen beings who eat planets. I've seen entities made of pure thought and energy. I've seen whole planets go to war over things you could not comprehend.” He gave the girl's hair a vigorous shake, “You're pathetic. Your President is blind, and your country's cause is pointless when compared to the immaterial.”


Jackie gave an involuntary yelp as his hand lashed out and grabbed her hair, yanking her up then giving another yank as he poured words of scorn upon the young girl. Her words were starting to fail her and she struggled to think of responses. There was very little she was able to say to this man anyway, so would it even matter? Struggling, she tried to force her arm to swing out in a punch to his gut, her face still an angry little picture of teenage rebellion.

You, ‘Joseph’ might think it’s pointless, but we don’t! My kind has not been tortured and endured wars and suffering and bigotry, to allow ourselves to be thrown away into gas chambers and ovens! So called humanity makes the same mistakes over and over, and if we have to repay in kind because they understand no different, then so be it! At least we have a cause, something that brings us together and binds us and I don’t care what you say to rubbish that, you great big wanker!”



The scowl painted across his features contorted into a sneer, “So... cute little Jackie is a patriot. I think I'll single-handedly tear your little mutant home apart after I completely mind rape you. Sound good? I'll even wipe the tears off your eyes with your own fingers and lick them off.”


“It'll be good for you. In fact, it'll be good for everyone in that little bit of heaven to have a reality check. I–”


A crack echoed from behind him, causing his fingers to loosen slightly on her hair as he twisted around to look over his shoulder, eyes searching for any sign of an intruder. He finally spotted a roofing tile from one of the buildings on the ground, shattered into several pieces. He glanced back up at the roof it had apparently slid off and watched if for a few moments. Finally convinced it had been a random accident, he turned back to look at his victim, only then noticing that her hair was no longer between her fingers.



“Too fucking right I’m a patriot!” she yelled in his face. “You dare try and destroy my home, you just dare and underestimate my nation you piece of crap, they’ll know it’s not me, they’ll kill you on the spot and I’d be glad for them to, so I don’t have you invading me any longer like some disgusting tape worm!”

Spitfire almost jumped as there was a crash and backed away as Joseph loosened his grasp on her long blonde hair and he turned almost dumbly, maybe expecting company or something else, Jackie had no idea but the sense that somehow fate had decided very kindly to allow her precious seconds to escape and get the hell out of there. With his concentration lapsed, she found she could move freely and quickly once more and not before time either.

It took her less than seconds to bring her foot back and give the man a good, solid boot to his bollocks. “There’s that for patriotism, long live Magnus!” she yelled at him and in a streak of yellow followed by flames, Jackie jumped backwards and away from the strange man, instantly pushing herself to her top speeds to get away. The Russian countryside rushed past her, changing as she raced into Europe, feeling a little safer as she pressed on. Her intent was to reach Jus Soli without so much as a seconds break. The speedster was genuinely terrified. Despite her bravado back in the square, she was shaking from top to toe and she felt sick inside, knowing she just had to get home, that she wouldn’t be safe anywhere else in the entire world; she had to get home…

Never before was she so thankful for her powers, the friction that created flames in her wake, keeping her rooted to the ground. Her blonde hair streamed out behind her as she kept running, not even going via the base in the Ukraine or even fishing her visor out of her utility belt, as she normally did when running long distances, such was her desperation to get home. Jackie knew she was pushing herself to her very limits, that she would likely be ill for days after this, but she had no choice, she had to get as far away as she could from that godforsaken town, she had to tell her leader about what had happened and how real this threat was, how very close she had come to not returning…Her legs shook, making her course less than arrow straight for several miles until she sorted herself out, breathing hard. Home, she just had to get home…Everything would be alright.
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Perched on the edge of the seat, Jackie stumbled through the last of her report, eyes continually darting to the window, despite the fact that the sun had now set and a gloom covered the mutant nation of Jus Soli. It had been mere minutes since she had returned from Russia, desperate to give her report to Magnus and no one else before him. Fear still clung in her stomach; it had only been after she had fled the scene in the town square that she had felt real fear sink in and grab hold of her, only after she had given up her bravado had it hit her so heavily that she jumped at shadows.

“I…I couldn’t get him to tell me who he was. I’m sorry,” Jackie hung her head, slightly ashamed at what she perceived to be her failure in the task. She had been able to provide information on the man, his powers and what he had said about the town and every other detail of their conversation and meeting, but that one most important detail, his true identity had eluded her. She dragged the back of her hand across her dirt streaked face, sniffing a little. She was so tired…Flicking her blue eyes upwards, she chanced a look at the President from behind a curtain of messy blonde hair. “I didn’t stop by our base in the Ukraine. I’ll contact them when I’m done here, tell them about…him.”

“No,” Erik said coolly as he sat on the corner of his desk, “You'll go straight home, get a shower and get some sleep is what you'll do. You've had a harrowing day, and from what you've told me, you might have saved your country from a possible threat. Keeping your wits about you in order to effect an escape and come back to warn me shows a great deal of bravery and courage, my dear.”

He gave her a small, encouraging smile, “I'm quite proud of you.”

“But…But a tile fell off the roof, that’s how I got away,” Jackie half protested, despite his kind words that praised her actions; to her, it still wasn’t quite good enough, she still could have done more, gotten more…It could have been so much worse as well. The thought made her shudder and she shook her head at the prospect of sleep, no she couldn’t sleep after this. Shower, definitely. God, she would go and scrub her skin raw for an hour after she finished this briefing. “I definitely won’t be sleeping Sir, I’m sorry to say, I don’t think I can.”

A small smile crossed her lips, making her feel just a little better as he told her he was proud of her. Spitfire was not a particularly egotistical person despite the bravado she could put on when situations required, usually thinking she could do better instead, always trying to push everything, even down to her top speeds, never thinking anything was good enough. But…If the President was proud… “Thank you, Sir, but I’m just doing my duty. I would never give you any less than what I did today.”

His smile grew wider, yet there was a certain understanding in his eyes, “Jacqueline, you have learned a very valuable lesson today. Not everything we do in life will fail or succeed according to our ability. Sometimes there are things that happen... little nudges of fate that push things in a certain direction. Perfectly good swimmers have drown in the water... expert hand-to-hand combatants have been killed by lesser men. I would be lying if I told you that Jus Soli was built upon nothing more than the efforts of our countrymen. There is an element of unseen that has helped give us our home. Destiny... God... call it what you will, but do not let the fact that a little tile kept you from becoming a victim. If anything, I would encourage you to take heart. Jus Soli was meant to exist, just as you were meant to come back to me, and that is a comforting thought.”

He removed himself from the corner of the desk, and moved forward to place a hand on her shoulder, “I encourage you to at least try to rest, child. Guards will be put on high alert, and I'll have a small contingent watch over your home. You have nothing to fear.”

He slid his hand down her shoulder, giving her arm a light squeeze as he gave her another warm smile. His helmet floated off his desk, and letting go of her, he snatched it of the air and placed it on his head. “Please be at work early, Jacqueline, and when you arrive, tell Reverb that I will be gone for a couple of days.”

Listening to his wise words, she felt a little calmer and nodded slightly, sitting up and wiping the corners of her eyes in a movement too quick for any normal person to see anything other than a blur. He was right, naturally, even if it was hard for her to believe in such things as fate sometimes, she was becoming slowly convinced that things did happen for a reason. In the current circumstances, it was very comforting, that she should have gotten away largely intact, to return to her home and her leader to bring the news, even if it was unpleasant. But now the word was delivered, even if she could not sleep for reliving the events in Russia and the horrible thoughts of what could have been, at least she knew and was reassured that she had done her job well.

Looking up at Magnus as he moved from the desk, placing a hand upon her slim shoulder, she nodded slowly. “Um…Thank you, Sir,” she gave another nod, a little awed that he would have guards alter their normal duties just for her. Her feelings turned to slight confusion as he summoned his helmet and made his request to her.

“Gone…But – what if he asks me where you are?” Jackie asked, almost stumbling on her own words, as she was the one curious, and a little worried, about the destination of the President. “But of course, I’ll be here first thing,” the speedster nodded, biting down hard on her lip to try and prevent her from asking anything else.

“Good. I'm taking a little trip to speak to this Joseph myself. I don't like the idea of some unknown mutant out there making light work of the humans in the area. They don't stand a chance against him if he gave you such a hard time. I think this is a matter that requires my personal attention. Not to mention... I really don't want the humans of the world to blame their neighbor for releasing a rabid mutant on them. This planet has been torn apart enough as it is.”

Jackie jumped out of her seat, nearly knocking it over in her haste, her eyes wide. “But – Sir! Please – I…” realising she couldn’t get the words she wanted to out, she swallowed, looking across at Magnus, the same old fear prickling in her stomach that had taunted her when she had been with Joseph. “Please be careful?” she asked in a very small voice, not like one would address a President, but more like a family member. She kept her eyes downcast, hoping she had not overstepped the line.

He watched her for a few moments, a flicker of a smile playing at his lips, “Thank you for your concern, Jacqueline, but I'm the President and founder of Jus Soli. I've seen worse than this man, I assure you.” He was actually touched by what seemed like genuine concern that transcended presidential treatment. It was something he had not experienced in a long time.

“Thank you just the same. Now... that will be all, my dear. Off you go.”
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Spitfire
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Joint Post with Spitfire and Magneto

The Presidential Palace spooked her at night. Jackie flitted carefully down the corridors, heading towards Magnus’s office, nibbling on a sandwich and slurping at a cup of tea she had gotten to keep herself going. It was late, or early, depending on your standards, most people were gone or asleep, save for security officials, but she didn’t see them up here. Moonlight came in through the windows where the curtains were hanging open, adding to the spook factor. She felt like a little girl left home alone in a strange house and that she might start jumping at her own shadow on hearing unexplained noises out there.

Shuddering, Jackie crammed the last of the sandwich in her mouth, swallowing it down with her tea as she turned the corner into the room outside the President’s office, where she had stationed herself for the past three days, anxiously waiting his return. Recalling what happened in Russia made her feel nauseous and she had not slept more than several short naps since then, worrying about what had happened. Spitfire stopped, as she noticed that the door was slightly ajar and her heart rose up into her throat. Dumping her mug down on Reverb’s desk, she inched towards the door, knocking hesitantly before pushing at the door and poking her blonde head around it, peering into the office.

For a moment, she thought that it was empty, and that light was streaming in from the moon outside, but the drapes were pulled shut, and a lamp in the corner gave off a muted light.

“Sir…President Magnus…?” she swallowed, tentatively speaking his name to catch his attention.


“No...”

The voice sounded desperate, coming out of the darkness somewhere around the President's desk. It was followed by the sound of papers rustling frantically, then the sound of a drawer being slammed.

“Wait... what do you want? I didn't call for you. Stay away? Who's there?”

A head appeared behind the desk, sillhouetted in the dim light, eyes glowed with powerful silver that no one had seen since the War. A fistful of papers were crunched in each slightly shaking hand. “Did you see him?”


The young speedster jumped, her mouth going dry as she herd him speak, sounding so unlike his normal self… “It’s…It’s me Sir, Jackie. I’ve been waiting for you to come back and I saw the door was ajar…”

She gripped hold of the doorframe, feeling afraid of the sudden change in her President, alarmed by his eyes that shone out in the room. Spitfire felt at a loss of what to say to him in response. Seen who? She half wondered if he meant Joseph, but he didn’t even seem to know who she was at that moment; he did not exactly have many young, British-born girls who worked in such close quarters.

“See who, Sir? There’s no one awake but me and some of the security people…” she said, her voice quivering despite her efforts to remain cool on the surface, all sorts of horrible scenarios rushing though her head as she jumped from conclusion to conclusion…He was just tired, that was it, tired and overworked… “Have you rested, Sir?”


He merely stared at her for several long seconds, processing what she'd just asked him, eyes burning at her in abnormal concentration. Suddenly, they flared brilliantly as he strode around the desk purposefully, “Rest? How can you ask me that? Don't you know who I am? Don't you know what is at stake?”

He closed the distance between himself and the speedster, “Humans all around us, nipping at our heels... keeping watch for homo superior's one moment of weakness, and once they spot it, they will kill you! They will eat our children and rape our women and use our flesh for warmth! We stand on the edge of a knife... fall asleep for one moment and we fall.” He turned away from the girl and strode back to his desk, leaning against it and bowing his helmeted head. His arms began to quake; his shoulders heaved slightly as what almost sounded like choked-off sobs came from the man.


Jackie flinched as he strode towards her, eyes blazing as he closed the gap and she shrank into the doorframe. “I’m…I’m sorry…I didn’t – I didn’t mean any disrespect Sir. It’s important you remain strong as always and you must’ve had a long journey, it’s late…” she said in a very small voice, her fingernails digging into the wood of the door.

“And of course, you’re right, the humans’ll wait for any chance they can take but we’re better than them, we can watch out for them…” she wanted to stay in the safety of the doorframe, ready to bolt at any second, but an overwhelming sense of duty as well as respect for her leader took her across the office, nearer to his desk. “Sir…?”


Laughter suddenly mixed with Magnus' tears, “You'll watch them when they slice off your eyelids and be forced to witness the rape of your people.”

The laughter became more prominent, occasionally broken by tearful hiccups, and suddenly both ceased as he slammed his fist in the desk. “No!”

He hit the desk again, harder, “No! They cannot be trusted, yet the people are poisoned with apathy. In order to give our children the life they deserve, we must sacrifice. Sacrifice them all and watch in awe as their smoke blots out the stars and the smell of burnt flesh fills our nostrils. The stench will be our salvation.”

He grabbed the desk and violently flipped it on its side, “Social inequality is directly proportional to the percentage of meta... ratio... shh!”

His head snapped up, his sliver eyes darting around wildly, “He's here.”

He looked back down at the desk he'd just overturned.

“Damn them... damn them all,” Magnus muttered.


Spitfire didn’t know what to do. There was something so very, very wrong with the President, but she was alone and there was no one on hand to help. She could call the guards, but what would they make of it? Would they suspect foul play, that someone had injured their President, or think him mad? It was almost too much to risk at this second. She was mute as he raved, his sobs transforming into maddened laughter and tears pricked at the corners of her blue eyes.

She gave a scream as he flipped the desk with a massive crash, a hand flying to her mouth to smother it, catching herself so it was more of a muffled yelp in execution, shaking violently now as she watched him. He seemed to be arguing with himself, or that might have been her imagination, wanting to put the blame anywhere but on him. Something had happened, something bad, something she couldn’t even understand or guess, let alone deal with. But he needed solidarity and loyalty now, he needed the support of his subjects and their trust, else the nation would fail, and that loyalty had to start there, in that room, with her.

Lowering her hand, her eyes rimmed with red, she held her head up. “Sir…You are our wise and just leader. But all leaders need their rest. Do you have any orders for me? Do you need anything? I can bring anything in the world to you and lay it at your feet.”


“Thank you, Jacqueline,” Magnus said without looking away from the overturned desk, “for your loyalty to me and to your people. You have so much to offer our race... to offer anyone, and it shall be yours.”

Erik blinked slowly in thought. “Anything,” he mused.

“I think...” he said as he raised a hand, uprighting his chair with his abilities and set it down in front of the window overlooking the great city of Superstes. The President strode toward the chair and fell into it, resting his head in his hands, yet keeping his eyes open, fixed on the scene outside the window.

“We have squandered it, and now we must make up for lost time. Be my eyes and my ears, Jacqueline... let me know what is happening. Be my mouth, girl, for I am too tired to speak, yet someone must. Be my hand, and strike down our enemies in my name.”

He blinked tiredly, falling back in his seat and looking up at the ceiling as he contemplated what was to come next. “We must move quickly, child. This is what you must do...”


Her breathing steadied out as he seemed to regain his composure and there were flickers of the President she held high in admiration there once again. His words bowled her over…She was to speak for him, act for him? Her? Not about to question his choice, she nodded. “Very good Sir. I shall do as you ask of me.”

She stepped towards the door quietly. “Please, get some rest?” she half mumbled at the door before she stepped out of the office, considering herself dismissed. Shutting the door, she let out all her breath in a rush, choking on tears that started to drip down her face and she collapsed against the door, sliding all the way to the floor as the weight of everything sank into her and she realised what responsibility she now bore for her President and her nation. She could not fail…Never.




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