Interlude 2-8- Raven’s Weakness

Maker’s Lab- Dining Area- 23- March- 2008 (Night)

Raven Darkhomle- (Mystique)

Raven smiled as she pushed the power button on the monitor, killing off the feed of the camera. The camera was in the ceiling of the room the kids were sleeping in. The sight of them sleeping on cots with curtains around them, reminded her what she was fighting for. Then she sighed at the sound of a liquid being poured into a glass.

“You know you’re kids are clearly your weakness. How long, until your enemies figure it out too?” Saul asked from the other side of the room.

"You mean besides, being not as powerful as the others?" Raven pointed out.

When she turned to see his reaction to her question, she saw him drinking water from a glass. As he pulled it away he said. "Look at me. Do you think I stand on the same level as people like Exodus or Magneto? Heck, Avalanche took me out the first time we met. And look what happened to him."

"Died, buying time for his friends to escape," Raven muttered as she moved to the seat she had used when they all ate at earlier.

"Died, fighting powerless people. So no, your power not being overly useful in combat is not your weakness." Saul said, pressing his point. As she thought about it, he took another sip of his water, before adding. "Say you continue down this path. You take those three kids with you, to wherever Exodus is guiding you. Then one day down this road, one of them is captured in battle, what are you going to do to keep yourself from overreacting?"

“There is that risk for any of us.” Raven snapped.

Saul put his glass back on the table before asking. "And will you be able to hold back, to complete the mission, when they are being beaten and questioned? Or will you abandon the mission, risking thousands or millions for that one kid?"

Raven gripped the edge of the table between them firmly. Her knuckles would change colors if not for her powers. Then she asked him, “Your point?”

He took the time to pick back up his glass and took another drink, before saying it. “Are you sure about this plan? You plan to fly so far south, in a stolen moderate, at best, plane. Even if Exodus does find enough fuel for the trip, how will you get that thing there?’

"Land in the ocean, swim in the seawater, and refuel it? And what about this patron of Magneto's, what do you know about him, are you even sure your ploy will work?"

"What are you talking about, what ploy?" Raven leaped back from the table, her metal chair falling onto the floor behind her.

Saul didn't say anything. Instead, he drained the last of the water in his glass, and then just gave her a knowing smirk, before refilling his glass halfway again. The heat of the caves did make everyone sweat.

The two of them held a staring match and just as she was about to ask him, ‘What other choice do I have?’, but he broke it and repeated a question that she missed.

"I mean it, what do you know about this patron of theirs?" Saul asked before taking another sip of water.

Raven cleared her throat before saying. “His name is Nath’aniel, and before you ask, no, he isn’t some politician or world leader.” She pointed at the pitcher of water before continuing. She waited for him to partially fill another glass and slide it over to her.

“That’s an odd pronunciation.” Saul pointed out, while she wet her own throat.

"It's because he's not human, I don't know how old he is, but Exodus suggested that he might be the oldest person alive," Raven explained after pulling the glass away.

“Is he an Eternal?” Saul muttered softly to himself.

“A what?” Raven asked him, only partially hearing what he said. He didn’t answer, but just waved her question away.

Then he muttered louder. “Never mind, continue.”

"He has a base, it's called the Citadel. I don't know much about it, but I am supposed to withhold judgment till I tour it. What I do know, is that it has five floors, and it's somewhere in a topical place in Antarctica." Raven spilled basically all she knew about where they were going.

She knew that he had already turned down Exodus’ offer to join them again, during their dinner.

“The Savage Land?” He again muttered, but more clearly than his first slip-up.

"The Black Queen said the same thing, what do you know about the place?" Raven repeated herself as well.

Saul sighed before actually answering. "There is an anomalous region in Antarctica. It's a semi-large area that is inhabited by various animals and seemingly primitive men. Many of these animals are considered extinct to the rest of the world, so brace yourself before you go wandering around this new base of yours."

“How do you know all that?” She asked him rather surprised he knew about it.

“I didn’t always hide away in a volcano.” Was the only answer Saul gave her.

She of course knew that, but it still bothered her that they knew so little about the Maker. Had he repaid them for their aid and assistance in getting him squared away, sure he had. However, he still kept to himself. Even now he made it clear that he was not a part of the Brotherhood, with his refusal to come with them to the Citadel.

Even his country of origin was a mystery to them. Given that he fell out of a portal near one of their bases. Raven would be willing to bet that he was of Spanish descent, but the man didn't seem to speak the language and yet spoke a variety of other languages.

His words brought Raven out of her musing. "Look, I am just trying to help. My powers will let me make that secondhand plane able to make the trip, but I can't make something that will help you when you do whatever thing you have planned. And while you can deny it, the way you reacted told me all I needed to know was that you did have a ploy or trick planned."

She sighed, before finally admitting. “Magneto said, only the Brotherhood could come to live at the Citadel.”

"And yet you are bringing three kids who aren't members, as well as that man in the red and black jumpsuit," Saul said, probably figuring out her plans, and he did when he added. "Those three dressed as they are and taking their own code names, you hope to slip them in as members aren't you? You want to protect and train them, I get that, but why the merc?”

"Destiny said Copycat would only agree to Magneto's plan if we brought him with too, something about healing the man as payment," Raven said clearly.

“What plan?” He asked.

“Exodus said that Magneto insisted that we take her with us, and when Destiny heard that, she got a vision. In this vision, Copycat became a surrogate mother, for this Nath'aniel and his people." Raven explained what they talked about back in Chicago.

“Right, because unlike you, or Morph, she copies what’s presented to her. Meaning she could become an alien if we gave her the proper sample materials. I will have to give it to Magneto, he is bold if that is his plan." He nodded at that and then put his glass back on the table. "Get some sleep, I am going to get your plane up to snuff.”

Then the man walked out of the dining area, and Raven looked back at the monitor that she had turned off. As she stared at it debating turning it back on and checking on the kids again, she had to admit. ‘He’s right, they are my weakness. After all, I see that Cable again, he is dead for what he did to Destiny. But at the same time, if we don’t live to protect our kids, who will?’