Sanctuary (17 page)

Amelia ignored her, choosing instead to stand at the opposite end of the table. Their conflict, as they silently confronted one another across that expanse of wood, had never seemed more clear.

"Okay, let's get down to business," Voght said. "Dawn isn't far off, and Magneto has asked that we forget about policing the city for the rest of the night. Things have calmed down some for now anyway. People are likely waiting to see who ends up on top."

"Aren't we all," Unuscione commented drily, and it was clear to Voght that the woman wasn't talking about the Empire Agenda at all.

"There were plenty of mutants in the city already, and more are coming in by the hour," Amelia continued.

"The Sentinels have logged and identified most of them, and it's only a matter of time before they show up here. Magneto also believes that we'll see an even larger wave in the morning."

"So do we finally get some sleep, then?" Harlan Kleinstock asked gruffly.

Amelia shot him a withering look and shook her head.

"Sadly, no," she answered. "We've got a few more important things to deal with just at the moment. Namely, the X-Men."

"Those buffoons," Unuscione scoffed. "I was wondering when they'd show their faces. Don't worry, Harlan, you'll be sleeping like a baby come dawn."

"I wouldn't be so quick to laugh them off, Unuscione," Amelia said, unable to stop herself. "You were, if I recall, defeated by Iceman, were you not? And isn't he supposed to be the weak link in that team?"

"Don't start with me you bitch!" Unuscione shrieked, leaping up from her chair and starting along the table toward Amelia.

Senyaka and Cargil were up immediately, holding her back. More accurately, she allowed them to hold her back, as her psionic exoskeleton could have tossed them both aside like rag dolls if she so chose.

"You cross me one more time—" Unuscione continued, but Amelia cut her off.

"Do
not
presume to threaten me, girl," Amelia said, loading each word with menace. "Magneto has made me field leader of the Acolytes and until such time as he chooses to revoke that title, you will follow my commands as you would his."

"And if I do not?" Unuscione asked defiantly.

"If you do not, then Magneto will never have the opportunity to correct you, for I will have disciplined you myself," Amelia said curtly. "It is not something you would enjoy."

"For all your talk, Voght, you have ever been the softest of us," Unuscione said smugly as she sat back down. "Do not think your laughable new rank changes that a bit."

"For the last time, keep silent," Voght said.

This time, Unuscione acquiesced.

"The Sentinels have recorded the entrance into New York of five members of the X-Men aboard the same
Blackbird
jet they used as transport to Colorado," she began. "While the Sentinels could not be spared to confront, or even trail, the X-Men, we have independent confirmation that the
Blackbird
landed in Central Park and was abandoned there."

"How the hell do they think they'll find us?" Cargil asked. "Unless they brought Professor Xavier with them."

"Xavier is not in Manhattan," Voght responded. "These are the same five we dealt with so unsuccessfully in Colorado—"

"Speak for yourself, Voght," Senyaka snapped. "We did just fine against the X-Men."

"We outnumbered them, Senyaka, but they handed us our heads," Amelia corrected. "If not for Magneto, we'd be in federal custody right now, heading for the Vault. Of course, the situation is a little different now. We've got Magneto
and
the Sentinels on our side, not to mention all the new recruits that are pouring in even as we speak."

"What I want to know," said Sven Kleinstock, "is where are the rest of the X-Men? I mean, there's at least ten of them, not even counting the various other mutants that are part of their little clique. Do you think this could be a setup?"

"Maybe it is," Amelia admitted. "Magneto supposed just that. But even if they do have reserves on hand, they aren't in Manhattan already or we'd know about it. "

"Unless there's some new recruits that you don't know are part of the X-Men," Cargil suggested. "That'd be just the. kind of thing they'd pull."

"Enough chit-chat," Amelia said finally. "We've got our marching orders. The X-Men have got to be on their way here. Lightning was just spotted in Times Square, and it's a clear night otherwise. That's got to be Storm. Unuscione, you and Cargil will take Magneto's first recruits out to find the X-Men, while the rest of us remain behind and cover the building's lobby."

"You've gotta be kidding," Unuscione spat. "The two of us and a couple of rookies up against the X-Men?"

"If you miss them, or they defeat you, the rest of us will be here to capture them when they reach the building," Amelia explained, then allowed a small smile to turn up the corners of her mouth. "Unless, of course," she teased, "you don't think you can handle it?"

"You bitch!" Unuscione screamed. "You're setting me up for a fall."

Amelia sniffed dismissively. "That's what! thought you'd say."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Unuscione demanded.

"You're a smart girl," Amelia said. "You'll figure it out."

"That's it!" Unuscione screamed, and used her high leather chair to stomp onto the mahogany table. With a loud, almost melodic hum, her psionic exoskeleton seemed to burst from her body in a three dimensional spray of green light. It enveloped her in a square-edged armor of energy that changed its shape to fulfill her every whim.

"It's time you were taught a lesson about how you speak to your betters!" Unuscione declared, and began to stomp toward Amelia with murder in her eyes.

"All right, you little brat," Amelia spat, "you've been living off your Daddy's reputation for way too long. And he wasn't much to speak of in the end, was he?"

"You're gonna die, Voght!" Unuscione roared, and her psionic exoskeleton lifted huge glowing arms and brought them down to crush Amelia with their power.

But Amelia wasn't there. At the last instant, she teleported out of the way, and appeared behind Unuscione. To one side, the Kleinstocks, infantile as they were, began to snicker, giving her away. A battering ram of psionic energy shot out from Unuscione's back and slammed Amelia hard against the wall. Her breath was knocked out of her, but she teleported again. When she reappeared, she stood next to Unuscione, just beyond the electric green shell that protected the other Acolyte.

"You idiot!" Unuscione cried with delight. "Do you want to die?"

Unuscione reached out and huge psionic energy hands wrapped themselves around Amelia's throat, and began to squeeze. Stars exploded in Amelia's head as she instinctively fought for air. But this was what she wanted, to have Unuscione so close. The other woman was merciless and would pound an enemy to gory pulp without blinking an eye. But this close, Amelia had wagered that Unuscione would not be able to resist a more intimate attack, and she had been correct.

That was all Amelia needed, to get her hands on Unuscione's exoskeleton.

Struggling to keep from suffocating, even as Unuscione gloated and, more than likely, prepared to break her neck, Amelia slapped her hands over the monstrous psionic energy fingers that choked her.

Then she teleported.

As she reappeared, Unuscione was screaming, her psionicexoskeleton being drawn back into her in tattered ribbons. On top of the mahogany table, Unuscione doubled over in pain, holding her hands tight against her chest.

"What have you done?" she screamed.

"I've hurt you," Amelia said softly, as she stepped toward Unuscione, still on top of the table. Around her, the other Acolytes stared at her in astonishment, as if she had suddenly become a total stranger to them. And in a way she had. None of them had ever really thought of her as a powerful or dangerous woman. Just transportation.

That was about to change.

"I've hurt you bad, I hope," Amelia whispered as she crouched by Unuscione, who knelt now, still holding her hands to her stomach. "I took hold of your exoskeleton and I teleported part of it away."

"You what?" Unuscione asked, her face red with pain and fury. She began to get unsteadily back to her feet.

"I stole a piece of you," Amelia said coldly. "I might just as easily have taken your head and teleported away with that. But Magneto would not have been pleased. I hope it hurt. A part of you is gone forever, though I don't suppose it will prevent you from using your powers.

"Now," Amelia continued, leaning in to speak through clenched teeth, even as Unuscione finally stood straight and tall once more, "you will not question my orders again. Is that clear?"

"Crystal!" Unuscione said, and slammed her fist into Amelia's face with such force that Amelia fell back and rolled off the table. Cargil sidestepped to get out of the way, even as Unuscione dove at her.

"I don't need my power to defeat you!" Unuscione screamed. "I'll kill you with my bare hands!"

Amelia stood quickly and moved into a fighting stance. Unuscione came for her and Amelia ducked her blow, brought up her left leg and kicked the other woman three times in quick succession, twice in the face and once in the chest, sending Unuscione stumbling backward.

"Care to try that again?" Amelia asked, and was astounded when it appeared Unuscione was going to take her up on it. For the first time, she began to worry that she would have to kill the other woman to defeat her. Magneto would be sorely displeased, but she knew that if that was what it took, if she had no other choice, then she would do just that.

Unuscione charged at her, roaring. Amelia readied for the assault, just as Magneto entered the room.

"Enough!" Magneto commanded. He lifted his hands and Amelia felt herself plucked from the ground by his magnetic power, as if she were nothing more substantial than a child's doll. Unuscione also was lifted from her feet, and the two women glowered at one another as Magneto slowly lowered them back to the floor on opposite sides of the table.

"I trust, Voght, that this is the 'conversation' that you had planned to have with Unuscione, and that it is now over," Magneto said evenly as he looked first at Amelia, and then Unuscione. "However, in the unlikely event that there are any among us here who still do not understand, let me make something completely and ultimately clear.

"Regarding field excursions, or any battle situation where I am not present and specifically in command, AmeliaVoght's orders will be noted and obeyed by each and every one of my Acolytes," Magneto said, meeting their eyes one by one and finally letting his admonishing gaze rest on Unuscione. "Should I learn otherwise, should anyone of you balk at these instructions, you will be severely chastised. If that is not completely clear, speak up now, and I will try to say it more plainly."

No one spoke. Though Amelia was tempted to smile, she fought the urge. Though there was satisfaction in her victory over Unuscione and Magneto's rebuke, the Empire Agenda took precedence over all individual concerns. Magneto seemed to think Amelia above such petty things as vengeance, and she did not want to give him reason to think otherwise. Not that it would matter. She had no doubt that her conflict with Unuscione was far from over. The woman had been humiliated in front of her comrades. No matter what Magneto said, Unusclone was stubborn and ignorant enough to seek revenge.

Frankly, Amelia was glad. If she didn't kill Unuscione first, Magneto would get around to it eventually. Unuscione would leave him no choice.

"Now that I have your attention," Magneto said, some of the tension leaving his face, "I would like to introduce you to three new Acolytes, the first to be recruited from the growing mutant population of Manhattan. Two of them have fought at my side before, and were, in fact, well acquainted with your father, Unuscione. While we have had our differences in the past, I am pleased to welcome them, and their ally, to their new home."

Magneto stepped aside, lifting his hand with a dramatic flair that Amelia was surprised to discover in him.

"Mortimer Toynbee, alias, the Toad," Magneto said, by way of introduction. The man who entered the room then was familiar to Amelia only by way of his reputation. The Toad was perhaps five and a half feet tall, though it was difficult to tell for certain from the way he crouched. His posture and his face both reminded Amelia of Quasimodo, for Toynbee was far from handsome. Though his super-powerful legs allowed him to leap great heights and distances, they were also perfectly suited for murder.

Once an object of ridicule, the Toad had developed a new reputation of late, that of a merciless criminal who loved nothing more than to bring pain to his enemies. Amelia was surprised, to say the very least. She knew for certain that Exodus, the guardian of space station Avalon, had rejected the Toad from the list of candidates for citizenship on Avalon for various reasons including his deviousness and doubts about his potential loyalty.

That Magneto would take him in now only served to further illustrate two things that Amelia had come to understand only recently. The first was that Exodus did not necessarily know Magneto's every whim. The second was that Magneto's plans for his mutant empire on Earth were far more vast than his original concept for Avalon.

And if the Toad were here, Amelia could guess who was next in line. For Toynbee rarely went anywhere in recent years without ...

"Frederick J. Dukes, alias the Blob," Magneto annouced.

Just as Amelia had suspected, and yet, having never actually met Dukes, she was stunned by the size of the man. To get inside the room, the Blob was forced to duck his head and lean the top of his body through the door, then turn sideways and shuffle the rest of his bulk nearly eight feet tall and Amelia judged by his sheer girth that he might weigh as much as nine hundred or one thousand pounds. He was incredibly strong, and according to his modern myth, immovable. If the Blob was in your way, you weren't going anywhere.

Immediately upon entering the room, the Blob set his gaze upon Unuscione, who seemed to shudder visibly at his attention.