PRELUDE TO ASCENSION - 7/?
By Various


Antarctic Citadel of Magneto

Magneto, his plans his own, makes ready to leave his hidden Antarctic base.

Renegade: (Apologizing for shoving away Magneto after he offered her
sympathy) "I'm sorry, you didn't deserve that. It's just, well, I'm not
all that together. People have played head games with me, and I don't
know who I am sometimes or why I do things. You were kind, and I meant
what I said, I will follow you. Anyone that has a chance to make
something better deserves all the help he can get." She offers her hand,
without her shield, exposed to his power. "Let's start this over right,
my name is Sally Blevins, I'm from your future to save you because greedy
fools don't share your dream like I do. Can we be allies?"

Magneto: Turns from his packing at Renegade's words with quiet but
noticeable surprise. After only a moment's hesitation, he takes the
offered hand, lifting it slightly with the half-bow of the European
gentleman. "Willingly," he answers with a slight smile, but there is a 
caution in his voice that is explained by the more hesitantly spoken
remainder. "But you should know that for the immediate moment, where I go
is NOT of that fight, but to one in which you hold no part... In all
likelihood, it will take only a few days, and I will take you wherever
you wish to be instead, but for this, you cannot follow." The smile
returns, but quietly ironic now. "It is my duties price of a double
accident of birth. I have known only one other who shared my path - apart
from my own children. And I cannot expect them to recognize a tie they 
never knew existed." 

Renegade: (Shakes her head) "Riddles. Why do powers always talk in
riddles. Well, I know this much. I've vowed to protect you, and I will go
where you go, welcome or not, or at least I will try. I may not share
your double life or whatever, but I must keep the one I know alive and
you are in danger no matter where you go." 

Magneto: "Very well..." Having finished the delicate crating of goods,
the master of magnetism steps back and allows his power to surge outward,
warping the domicile inside out until it is a vessel to transport cargo
under his power. With a gesture the remaining traces of his hiding hole
are buried beneath the snow, and with another, the duo is rising into the
air.

Renegade: She stifles a dog like yip as the ground falls away from her.
She tries to adjust to the vertigo, fails, and instead closes her eyes
and holds her stomach.

They head off, at a velocity that would be dangerous in an ordinary plane.
They travel up the coast of Africa and along the Red Sea. Their
destination is a small hidden base within Israel's borders, a base he'd
developed long ago, buried deep in the heart of the Golan region. 

Israel - Golan One - Magneto's Fortress

The air inside is stale as Magneto's power brings life to its generators,
and begins moving the life support pumps. Machines hum in the drab
furnishings. It is cramped, but efficient like a submarine, and
undetectable to the outside world.

Renegade: Looks around, "Why don't you jazz up your hideouts. They're so
blah. You wear purple tights and a red helmet, why can't you paint your
walls." She is ignored as Magnus primes his computers and surveillance
equipment. As if to feel important, she removes her own small probe from
the computer device on her belt pouch. She waves it around, irritating
her ally's magnetic sense the way screeching would to the ear. "All Clear
- but you already knew that. Ninety -um- eight-dot-six percent psi
shield. Topped with your and my psi shields, we are invisible to all psi
scrying. Now I can risk my trump card. If we have to, we can stop the 
Gamemaster. I know who he is," she takes out a scrap of paper, "David
Haller. Also known as Legion. Genesis said that you knew him or knew of
him?"

Magneto: Despite his work he listens. According her an attention that
suggests rather more respect than he's appeared to show for her so far.
At the name Haller, he lifts an eyebrow, murmuring an answer to her
question, "I knew his parents, once..." 

Renegade: "I don't know anything about how to stop Apocalypse. He's got
more operatives then you've got lives."

Magneto: "I think it is safe to say I have already used rather more than
my allotted quota of lives," with a dry smile.

U.S Embassy Israel

In a private room are gathered the U.S. Ambassador Enrico Perez and the 
Israeli special issues Ambassador Dr. Gabriel Haller. and their two aides.

Perez: "The peace talks remain stalled. That was a bad move in Lebanon.
The Secretary damn near put his fist through the seat in front of him on
the flight over. The CIA also believes that Syria wants to exploit the
tension."

Haller: "We are aware of this, but we must remain in a position of
strength. The Iranians grow bolder each day, we can't allow their
fanaticism to dominate the region. Even the Egyptians are folding under
the fundamentalist uprising. Surely such terrorism has reaches far beyond
the middle east, perhaps all the way to Manhattan?"

Perez: "I am aware of the situation Doctor. Although I am a Clinton
appointee, I am an expert on the Middle East having been part of the
Brooking Institute think tank for several years now."

Haller: "So I have been told. When you have finished lecturing me, I will
finish educating you."

Perez: "OK. I get the point. The US is asking that there be no more
"incidents" at least until the President has finished the initial stages
of his domestic agenda. He doesn't have the political clout at the moment
to protect you if you do."

Haller: "I am not the Prime Minister, but I will relay your words to him,
but I believe operation Accountability will continue. However, if your
President does not finish his domestic Agenda soon, I doubt that Israel
will be his main concern." An Aide interrupts Dr. Haller. "No!" She gets
up to leave. "You will forgive me Ambassador. The Hizballah has fired
rockets into Northern Israeli territory. I will meet with your Secretary
of State on the morrow, my aide will arrange things, I must leave." She
doesn't even stop to shake hands as she leaves. In the hall: "Not only
must I suffer fools, but they are forever finding new ones. Conflict
after conflict, and it never seems to end."

Golan One - Magneto's Fortress

Magneto: Using equipment that would not normally be unable to receive
such things, Magneto monitors the conflict above his underground base.
Then he simply sits, entirely absorbed, feeling out the metal in the
rockets flying nearby with his mind and quietly, subtly, diverting them;
and they fall on unpopulated areas. "They will appear to be poorly
targeted." He says offhand to Renegade who watches his effort via a 
military satellite broadcast.

Renegade: "Cute timing. A welcome wagon maybe?"

(3 Hours Later) CNN News

"A pipe bomb exploded on a work bus carrying Arab workers into Israel at
a routine border checkpoint. 17 People were killed, including 3 Israeli 
businessmen, and seriously wounding several border guardsmen. One of the 
Israelis, whose name has not been released, is said to have been a close 
relative of the general in charge of the occupation of Lebanon. Israel
has already begun retaliation with a savage volley of missile strikes
into the self declared security zone. Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin is
expected to hold a press conference within the hour."

Golan One

Operation Accountability: An effort to influence Syria into ceasing
terrorist aggression by bombing border towns and flooding Lebanon with
refugees, refugees that Lebanon can not afford and will hold Syria
accountable to. Syria responds by mobilizing forces into the region. A
standoff with minor gunplay begins.

Magneto: Mutters something, disgusted about human wars after news of the
further bombing appears on the radio. When half an hour later, Syria is
screaming in outrage over the Israeli retaliation, Magneto pushes his
chair back and quietly heads toward the tunnel out through the top of the
mountain. (To Renegade) "If Syria intends to involve herself in this, I
want to see beforehand with what and from where. Not all her tools are
metal; some of this will have to be done by overflight." And he goes out
and to get a close look at the Syrian border from the air; both sides of
it. 

Renegade: "Great, how am I supposed to protect him if he just flies away?
Why the hell did you send me Genesis?" She wanders about the small bunker
as Magneto's computer begins displaying new information. Absently, she
reeds the words on the screen. "E-Mail Reply from Trust. Something about
only the true one... Trust? It can't be! Why, he'd be 15 or 14 years old!
I'd be nearly 17...My god, I didn't even think of it! I'm out there
somewhere! Probably brainwashed by Stryffe...with Rusty." She collapses
into the chair, crying, "Rusty."

Boston, MA 

The Lighthouse Restaurant Jodlin Pierce, a man in his twenties, slightly
heavy set, well dressed, but not comfortable in a suit, is eating dinner.
He is accompanied by a fetching young woman - a well intentioned blind
date, and two more couples. All of the men are Jodlin's Harvard
fraternity chums. {Jodlin attends Harvard but also takes courses in
computer Science at MIT.} The woman, despite Jodlin's continual 
obnoxiousness, seems to have gained the ladies affection, but a cynic
might note that the Pierce family is quite wealthy and was once a part of
the inner circle of the Hellfire Club)

Suddenly there is snapping sound in the air like the breaking of a tension
wire on an electric pole, followed by a gust of foul air. In the middle
of the room appear five monstrous beings in outlandish clothes. The
normally quiet, snobbish folk scream in surprise and horror. The largest,
his skin mottled and humped like a crustacean, steals a wine glass from a
petrified butler and devours it, wine glass and all (Tusk). Another one,
long haired and greasy with green protrusions that look like a mass of
phone cable where his hands should be, aims his appendages at Jodlin
(Barrage). The smallest, and ugliest, seems to be the leader (Gauntlet).
His skin is green and scarred and his eye is replaced by a mechanical
device glowing red. He levels a gun at Jodlin as he speaks: "We are the
Dark Hunters. We were once the Dark Riders, but now that our true master
has returned we have been promoted. To bad for you our job is the same. We
are here to test you! To see if you are worthy of joining the great
conflict to come! If not, prepare to die, mutant!"

Jodlin: Turning to a friend of his cowering at the table, "God Scott, I
never knew you were a mutant! Well, it was nice knowing ya, chum."
Barrage opens fire on Jodlin, barely missing as Jodlin dives under his
table and concentrates on his mutant ability to totally control the human
body.

Barrage: (Suddenly locked in bleary tunnel vision)> "My eyes! The
genebust has messed with my eyes!" 

Tusk (Suddenly intoxicated): "Little Buddy! S'sorry!" And bear hugs
Barrage. Tusk flushes and he becomes...excited. Tusk makes an odd
expression as he hugs his comrade, then smiles evilly as Barrage tries to
get away.

Barrage: Tries to blast Tusk, but his eyes narrow and his brow wrinkles
as a migraine overwhelms him.

Jodlin: "Great, that gets THOSE two out of my hair." 

Gauntlet: The fiend seems immune to Jodlin's power, and instead of
attacking Jodlin, begins to open fire on the crowd with ambidextral
efficiency. "Can't have any witnesses!"

Foxbat: The last of the Dark Hunters is a feral creature whose eyes and
ears begin to dilate and ring, but he compensates with smell, touch and
rage. He leaps onto Jodlin's table and finishes it off and then hauls
Jodlin to his feet.

Jodlin: "You're not looking well jerk, in fact you have the flu." Jodlin
concentrates and thinks, "Never tried so many at once before, I can't do
it!"

Foxbat: "I feel fine it's you who soon will be ill." 

Gauntlet: Finishes slaughtering the two score humans, then saunters up to
Foxbat and Jodlin whom is having trouble breathing through the vise grip
on his neck. Gauntlet puts his gun to Jodlin's face. "Any reason why you
should see the glory of tomorrow?"

Jodlin: Uses his mutant powers to insure that he doesn't soil himself.

A door slams open and several humans in light body armor run in, all
heavily armed. Two of them are videotaping the massacre. 

Graydon Creed: "You're doing my work for me Mutie. Get the terrorists on
tape. The public damage this will do is worth a few points to the
Gamesmaster."

Gauntlet: "How did they get here so quickly? A set up?" 

Jodlin: "Who ARE all you people? And why the hell are you picking on me? 
Here I am-" 

Gauntlet: "Shut up genejoke," he mutters, his attention barely diverted
from Creed. 

Jodlin: "That tears it asshole," thinks Jodlin. "You need to be taken
down a peg." Using a will strengthened by fear, Jodlin's mutant power
commands Gauntlet's muscles to lock up in a series of debilitating and
painful cramps, to actually crush him with his own muscles. It Fails.
"He's immune to my power? How?" In desperation he reaches out with his
power to Foxbat and plays havoc with his neural responses. Foxbat drops
in a convulsive fit and begins squawking "12, 12, Why is it always 12!" 
Jodlin, exhausted, loses control of Tusk who remains slightly tipsy and
happy as the effects take their time to leave his system. Barrage remains
crippled by the migraine and collapses to the floor as Tusk drops him.

Gauntlet: "Damn. We can't take on the brat and the Upstart, get us out
Hardrive!"

Hardrive: A ghostly image of a man appears and teleports the Dark Hunters
away.

Graydon Creed: (To the fading apparition) "Interesting resemblance to the
Gamesmaster."  Surveys the carnage. "An appalling waste of humanity and as
the leader of the Friends of Humanity, it is my duty to avenge these poor
souls. By the time the evening news rolls, an innocent bystander on the
street will have given the police a videocam of this mass murders. To bad
you won't be alive to defend yourself." Graydon Creed points a menacing
weapon at Jodlin.

----------------------------
The Players 
DougLock:   Jennifer.L.Lehoczky@williams.edu (Toby Elliott)
Magneto:    rivk@midway.uchicago.edu         (Naomi Gayle Rivkis) 
Colossus:   dn961@cleveland.Freenet.Edu      (Matthew S. Mccarthy) 
Rogue:      jav41196@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu        (Jennifer Vodvarka) 
Gambit:     V534YYNN@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu    (Matt Dempster) 
Majik:      glaw@Jade.Tufts.EDU              (Gabe)
Apocalypse: david@coral.cs.jcu.edu.au        (David Conlan) 
Wolverine:  musgse@meaddata.com              (Steve Musgrave)
Cannonball: tnieboer@nyx.cs.du.edu           (Toby Nieboer)
Cyclops:    CHL701S@vma.smsu.edu             (Christopher Lenger)
J.Pierce:   uplink@cwis.unomaha.edu          (John)