The Brotherhood.

[Ankara]

The Black Mamba sat at the desk in her office. The gentle sway of the ship could do nothing to relax her. Quicksilver had left an IM telling her that his trip to Russia would take longer than he had anticipated. She tried not to let it worry her, she could handle anything that could possibly happen. Mystique and James Madrox should be arriving in the helicopter shortly, and already some of the prospects that Quicksilver and herself had sought out and found were making themselves comfortable.

The Medussa had been supplied by one of their wealthy backers, and would be perfect for a base of operations. They didn't expect any trouble, as long as they stayed in International waters.

Mamba stood up and moved over to the window, searching the skies for the helicopter. Nothing yet, she had to do something to keep her mind busy. She should get everyone together, so that they can start getting to know each other, and see how they react to one another.

She sent out a page for everyone to meet her on the deck, then she could wait for the helicopter, and greet everyone.

 

[Josheb]

The Annihilator

The Beetle and the Shocker. Tom had recognized them from some pictures in the Daily Bugle. They showed up at his last bank job and they weren't too happy about Tom operating in their area. The fight didn't last too long before the cops got there and they all split. It was becoming fairly obvious that operating on his own wasn't ideal. So when the white haired fella sat next to him at a manhatten bar and offerred him a place in his organization Tom figured he'd check it out.

So far it hadn't been a bad decision. Food was good, the headquarters was a ship in international waters, which was pretty slick. The food was good but these guys were a bit, well, fanatical about mutant rights. Tom was infinitely more concerned with Tom's rights.

His pager went off and he headed to the deck as requested. He wasn't sure if they wanted a salute or what when he got there, so he just nodded to the chick in charge, Black Viper or something like that. Well, it was some kind of snake.

 

[Screech]

Reanimator had been skulking around below decks on the ship for a couple of days now. There wasn't an awful lot to do to keep busy, except for fishing, and that wasn't going too well. Mostly because he didn't know how to fish. String, hook, branch. Not that good. Not one bite. He had thaught about animating one of the cooked chickens, but chances are nothing would have happened. Muscles tend to be useless once burned. And the lack of a head would cause problems too.

He wasn't too familiar with the crowds that were being assembled on the ship. Sure, he had seen a couple on the news, but he was terrable with names. Well, when you spend your days inside several cedaver's decaying minds, it can become a struggle to remember your own name...

One thing to be said for this group, however, was that their tailor was good. Reanimator had been supplied with high-quality goods with which to make his current outfit. Mostly dark colours with a hooded cloak thrown in for effect, his boots and gloves had replica bone designs attached. He thaught it would have looked much better with real bones....

The beeping of his pager raught Reanimator out of his stupor. Checking it, he found it was a summons to the top deck. Something good was probably about to happen! At last, a chance to show homo sapien just why they should not resist the growth of mutantkind! Getting up, he dashed as fast as he could to the top deck

 

[Ithica]

Wraith looked down at the beeping pager that was on her belt and thought “Good. Maybe now something’ll happen.”. She threw on a black sweater and ruffled her short black hair before leaving her room for the deck.

It had been a few days since she arrived on board and since she had been recruited. She had been living in New York a year before she heard about a shelter ran by other mutants. Shelters weren’t really her style and she hadn’t frequented shelters since she gained more control over her powers. Shelters aren’t the safest places to be and seeing how she could just teleport in and out of hotels or vacant apartments undetected, there were safer places to be. She could take care of herself pretty well and hadn’t needed a gang to survive but she would hang out with some of her old friends, which led her to the shelter. The interest in this shelter wasn’t the food or a place to sleep but because the mutants running the place had some interesting ideas about mutants and where they fit in the world. This was where she was first approached by the Brotherhood.

Wraith walked out on to the top deck and looked around.

 

[Iamnoname]

Since arriving on Medussa, Surge had spent most of his time sitting in the dark in the ship's power plant. Though his powers could be triggered by light, 10 years in a stinking hole had gotten him used to the dark. He could feel the power flowing out of the generator and into the rest of the ship, and the feeling soothed him. Hearing his pager go off, he let out a small sigh and stood up off the deck chair he'd brought down. With a stretch and a yawn he put his sunglasses back on and casually walked up towards the top deck.

 

[Ankara]

The Black Mamba watched as four of the newest recruits walked on deck. The first was The Annihilator. She knew that he had some military experience. He would certainly come in handy in furthering their cause. The next was Reanimator. Quicksilver had really wanted to recruit him. She didn't know much about this man, but she did know that he creeped her out. She let her mind search his hoping to catch what his fears were, but was hit with a fantasy of his that she hoped never to have to see again. She shuddered and moved on to the next person arriving. It was the little teleporter that the New York shelter had dug up. Mamba had been looking for a teleporter for a long time, and was surprised when the shelter had found her. And lastly Surge walked on deck, a smirk hit Mamba's face, she had the perfect job for him, she hoped that her information was right, and couldn't wait to try it out.

"Welcome to the Brotherhood. I am Black Mamba and I will be in charge of everything that happens here until Quicksilver returns. First off, I would like to tell you, this isn't training, this isn't a school. We aren't going to hold your hand and baby you. We are at war and if you want to learn something find someone who can teach it to you, or be damn sure that the person who knows it is on your mission.

If you're on this ship then you know what the Brotherhood stands for and you've agreed to help us in the fight to free mutantkind. If you don't agree with this, then you need to leave now. If you ask who we are at war with. It is humankind. They choose to fear us, to enslave us, to control us. We cannot allow this to happen any longer.

Also there is a group of mutants who call themselves the X men. You all have heard of them, I am sure. They are human sympathizers. They fight for the humans. These mutants you need to be aware of. You can study them on our computers, everything that we know about them is filed there.

I welcome you to the Brotherhood, temporarily. You will be tested. To make sure that you are loyal to our cause.

And lastly, if you use your powers on this ship against another Mutant under my protection, I will fuck with your head so long that you'll wish I'd just let you die. Any questions?"

 

[Josheb]

Tom saw the pale guy walk onto the deck. He didn't know what the fascination with looking like a walking corpse was, but he'd never been up on the latest fads anyway. Then came the girl. Tom had spent enough of his life never knowing if he was going to be alive the next day to develop a refined appreciation of the fairer sex. Black sweater, short hair. He'd have to introduce himself. Then came another light skinned guy wearing sunglasses. Must be a trend.

Tom pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, whacked the bottom a few times, pulled a cig out, and put the brown end in his mouth. He dropped his pack back in his jacket pocket and pulled out a lighter, cupping his hand around the end as he lit the smoke on an open boat deck and dropped his lighter back in his pocket. He blew out a stream of smoke and looked around. Seemed like this was it. The snake lady started talking, Tom figured he should pay some attention.

The truth was he didn't give two shits about mutant rights, Tom looked out for number 1. But they weren't looking for him to sacrifice himself for them, so he was good with that. Killing humans didn't bother him. That's what the Army paid him to do till about a year ago, and he didn't have a problem with it. He'd have to take Mamba up on the computer thing and study up on these X-Men. Always know your enemy, and in this case a bullet may not slow these guys down. Though he'd like to meet the guy who could take a .50 cal rifle round and not get a scratch on him. Tom spoke after Mamba finished up.

"Gotcha, don't kill each other. I'm not looking for a class or anything, but if we're going to be working with each other we should know what we all can do."

 

[Iamnoname]

Surge stepped out onto the deck and took a deep breath of the salt air. The sunlight was at once painful and soothing to him, causing a strange mix of sensations. He made note of the others: Two men, one girl. Eventually he'd probably have to learn their names.

He listened carefully to the Mamba's speech. The mention of the war with humanity brought a small smirk to his face. Mutant freedom and the dominance of the Mutant species were all secondary in his mind to the war. What happened after it was over would be no concern of his. However these "X-men" concerned him, he would surely have to check the computers about them. Humans are easy enough to kill, but other mutants would no doubt be far more challenging.

When the Mamba finished speaking one of the men next to him asked a question and Surge was genuinely surprised when it was not a stupid one. Deciding to jump right in with both feet, and perhaps to be a bit mischevious, he held out his hand and drew the heat from the tip of the man's cigarette into his body. The energy was dispelled as quick white flash behind his sunglasses.

"There. That's what I can do." In contrast with his little prank, his voice remained cold and emotionless. He next turned to Black Mamba "I do hope, ma'am, that his cigarette was not under your protection."

 

[Ithica]

Wraith had a lot of time to think about what the Brotherhood was about and believed that Black Mamba was right about a war. It's the only option the humans have left mutants. The humans are afraid of mutants enough that they would turn against their own children and look at what they did to that Xavier guy. It was all over the news; he was working to protect humans and they attacked him in his own home. It's time to fight back before they have us all in cages. Humans have never dealt well with difference and it was time to do something before history repeats itself.

Wraith was shocked by the closing comment made by Black Mamba and didn't believe that she would say something like that unless she could back it up. Better not push that one. After hearing that she took a look around, curious about what everyone else could do and was glad when someone else asked. Wraith watched while Surge absorbed the energy from Tom's cigarette and released it in a flash of light.

Wraith started laughing at Surge's smart-ass question about the cigarette and decided to get in on the game. Wraith suddenly disappeared and teleported herself so that she was standing in front of Tom. She gave him a wink, took his cigarette, and disappeared. Seconds later she reappeared in her original spot holding up the cigarette.

 

[Josheb]

Tom wasn't some anger-ridden maniac that needed to destroy all adversaries. After his initial surge of annoyance at having to re-light his cig, he decided the other guy was just joking around. It was the smart ass remark that made Tom decide to short sheet his bed sometime this week. While he was fishing in his pocket for his lighter the girl disappeared and reappeared in front of him and stole his cig. This sort of prank meritted a different response.

Tom stepped toward wraith, proffered the lighter and thumbed it on.

"Need a light?"

 

[Ithica]

Wraith smerked at Tom and, after lighting the cigarette, she took a drag and said,

"I hope lighting cigarettes isn't your only power."

 

[Josheb]

In my defense this was very funny after a 16 hour shift

"Unfortunately it is," Tom deadpanned as he fished around his other pocket for his pack. "Luckily I'm very good at it." He pulled out the pack, extricated a cigarette, put it to his lips and lit it. He exhaled another stream of smoke and continued his deadpan.

"Actually I have the power of delusion," he paused, taking a drag, "after 30 or so rounds of cuervo I'm very deluded, some would say wasted." Tom exhaled the smoke and smiled, finally acknowledging the joke.

"And I do a very clumsy striptease and pass out," Tom leered, "if you're buying you may just get a chance to see the show."

 

[Screech]

Reanimator crossed his arms across his chest and scoled. Such fools and ameteurs! Showing off and grand-standing like they were, it made him almost question why they had all been recruited. Once he was satisfied that they had all stopped fooling around as much, he spoke up. "My power is no parlour trick and, unfortunatly, there are no... raw materials nearby" He glanced back at Black Mamba. "Unless our host has something I can use to demonstrate with"

 

[Ithica]

Wraith rolled her eyes and said,

"You really are delusional if you think I want to see that. So what should we call you? Fratboy?

Then Reanimator interupted and began to beat them with his snobbery. Which got Wraith to think it would be a good idea if he woke up tonight in the ocean in the middle of no where.

 

[Josheb]

Ignoring the Reanimator for a moment Tom smiled at Wraith's comment.

"You say that now, but we'll see how you feel after you knock back a few. I hear its a pretty impressive sight. Unfortunately one of the side effects is that I don't have any recollection of the events."

Tom took another drag and grinned.

"I'm like the goth kid over there," Tom thumbed toward the Reanimator, "my powers don't show too well without a prop. They call me Annihilator," which wasnt exactly true, no one really had any idea who he was, "I'm a reverse midas, things I touch turn to nothing. So lets face it, the cigarette lighting is really going to be my claim to fame."

No need to tell them he was already an accomplished burglar who's string of bank jobs had it's own feature in the Daily Bugle. They'd either figure out that he was responsible for the mysteriously missing vault walls or it would come up later.