Chaos Theory { Magneto }

[Erik Lensherr]

He watched her for a moment longer, observing how she moved just that much quicker, trying to finish everything that she needed to. She said that if they didn't cut the power, she could get rid of the files in two minutes.

"They won't cut the power," he said, fairly confident in this statement. He'd been in simliar situations before, and it was a last resort, to cut the power. They'd have to work with night vision goggles, and if there was anyone present who had a source of light, well, it was easy to blind someone wearing night vision goggles, that was certain.

Erik moved swiftly towards the door even as she was asking if he could occupy the guards for two minutes. Keeping them busy for two minutes was mere child's play. He raised an eyebrow as she warned him not to destroy the place before it was uploaded, and then he smirked.

"I am very well aware of how computers work, my dear," he said, before turning back to move into the hallway, "Just be ready to leave in two minutes," he called back as he reached the door, stepping out of it and into the line of sight of the guards.

"There he is!" one of them shouted.

"Don't move! You're under arrest," another added, and all of the guards had their guns drawn.

Erik stopped when they shouted, raising his hands as if in surrender. "Don't you have any weapons other than your guns?" he asked, a touch of contempt in his voice. Every time he ran into humans like this, they made it far too easy by using guns. He could deal with guns. Magneto made a small, upwards gesture and the guns were suddenly pointing in the opposite direction, facing their owners.

"This is what happens when you make lists," he intoned, "It starts with a list, then it moves to rounding up the people on those lists. And then, you're no better than the Nazis," he spat.

And then, he gestured downwards, bringing part of the ceiling down between the guards and the room where he and Mystique were working.

"There," he said, heading back inside, "That should hold them for at least two minutes."

[Raven Darkholme]

Oh, so confident he was. She had to admit, it was refreshing to see a man so sure of his abilities, after what she had been working with as of late. He may have been a touch too cocky for her tastes, but perhaps she could stand to be a bit more so.

She watched him exit with a shake of her head before turning her attention back to the screen, watching the time ticking down as the program began to worm it's way into the mainframe. Computers made everything so much more difficult than it needed to be; she found herself longing for the days when everything was simply kept on paper files, and torching a building was enough to get rid of it all.

Soon, Magneto had returned, and Mystique glanced up from the monitor to him with a curious expression on her face. "No better than the Nazis, mm? What a statement. I'd heard you were something of a... speech maker. Quite dramatic. Of course, I believe you just put a large obstruction in the way of our exit, but... what do I know?"

She looked back down to the monitor, something of a smirk on her lips as she watching the countdown. "Not much longer now."

[Erik Lensherr]

Mystique glanced up as he returned, the expression on her face curious. He watched her, trying to gauge what she might be thinking, why she might have such an expression on her face. But before he could ask anything, she had repeated something he'd said to the guards.

Without even thinking about it, Erik's hand automatically went to his forearm, the place the Nazis had tattooed forever into his flesh a brand, a number, a reminder that he would forever be a second-class citizen. Some people could forget the way they had been treated, they could .... move past it, but Erik had no such luck. He was a Jew and a mutant, and both had been targets during the Holocaust; he refused to let it happen again.

"Dramatics have nothing to do with it," he said, his voice cool, his expression calm. He had long since learned to deal with people's misunderstandings, thinking that he brought the Nazis into the equation just for shock value when he knew first-hand what horrors they'd perpetuated.

When she said that he'd put a large obstruction in the way of their exit, though, he couldn't help but laugh. "Not at all," he replied, glancing at the monitor as she did, "I was planning to go up, so if anything, I've hastened our exit." That had much to do with dramatics, he had to admit. But, it was also faster to go straight up than to try to find a way out of a maze like this.

[Raven Darkholme]

Mystique followed Magneto closely enough with her eyes that she caught the brief motion of his hand reaching across his body, fingers touching a portion of his arm, a place on the forearm that immediately clicked in her memory. Ah, yes, that would explain a thing or two, now wouldn't it?

"Es tut mir leid," She murmured, the language coming as easily as English would by now. World War Two, he would have had to have been little more than a child at the time. If he only knew what she had stopped all those years ago... Ah, but there would be a time for those sort of revelations later.

He explained that they were going to leave through the roof, and it took a lot of power for her not to shoot another comment about his lack of subtly at him. There would be no point in it right now. "Believe it or not, most metamorphs spend a lot of time trying to avoid theatrics. That's the reason we tend to hide."

Despite the harsher words, though, there was a hint of a smile on her lips. The timer was ticking down into seconds, now, Mystique taking a second to cut the mouse cord from the computer, followed by the keyboard in an attempt to keep anyone from being able to shut down the program... if they even managed to get to the computer in time.

"We've got seconds left. Let's get out of here before those children figure their way out from a pile of rocks, hm?"

[Erik Lensherr]

It was apparent that she'd seen his gesture, something he'd only realized after he'd dropped his arms back to his sides. The apology she offered him was sincere, and in his own original language. He could tell, even from so small a phrase, that she was fluent. It had been so long since he'd spoken German with someone that could fully understand the language that he automatically replied in the same tongue.

"Schon gut," he murmured, more than used to that sort of thing by now. It wasn't truly fine, but she had apologized, and what more could he ask for, really?

He couldn't help the little laugh that slipped out at her comment about trying to avoid theatrics. Well, that was one thing he didn't know how to do well; he'd always had a flair for drama, and it was something that people remembered about him. But if they were going to work together, perhaps he could learn a little bit from her about ... subtlety.

When she said that they had seconds left, he glanced down at the computer, waiting until the timer hit zero. As soon as that happened, he turned to Mystique and offered her his hand. "You might want to hold onto me," he warned. He could project his forcefield a fair deal, but it would be easier for both of them if she held onto him while he flew them through layers of the building. Plus, there was less chance of accidentally hurting her, and he decidedly didn't want to do that; she was a fellow mutant and a new potential ally.

[Raven Darkholme]

Her apology did not fall on deaf ears, and she was admittedly a touch surprised when he responded to her in German. Not surprised that he spoke it, more so just surprised that he bothered with it after all that had apparently happened to him. She had been in Germany during that time, and she couldn't help but wonder...

Sparing another glance to the man, she squinted at him a moment before shaking her head, turning her gaze back to the screen. As the progress bar ticked to complete, Magneto offered her his hand, instructing her that it would probably be best if she held onto him.

Daring man. Taking his hand, she pulled herself perhaps a bit closer than he would have intended, but if there was one thing that never bothered Mystique much, it was personal space. "Oh, is that so? I think you might just be looking for an excuse, Erik."

Did she think he was attracted to her? Only as much as all men were attracted to a shapeshifter. Still, a little fun and games never hurt anything, as far as she were concerned... and she was curious just how far Magneto saw their newfound partnership going.

[Erik Lensherr]

Magneto was fully prepared to ... bring the house down, as it were. This building was full of metal; it held the walls together held the concrete over their heads, etc, and it would be child's play to bring it down as they went up.

At his suggestion, Mystique took his hand, pressing quite close to him. Erik glanced at her momentarily, then turned his attention back to the situation at hand. If that's what she wanted to do, then so be it; at this point, it didn't matter too terribly much.

When she spoke, though, suggesting that he was merely looking for an excuse to be close to her, a little grin found its way onto his face. So that's what she thought, was it? While he certainly was a flirt, he didn't need to make excuses to do such things.

"Oh I don't need an excuse," he told her, one corner of his mouth quirking upwards, "If that had been my intention, I would simply have told you that." True, it wasn't a bad addendum; it simply wasn't what he had his mind on, at the moment. And she was a metamorph; he had no idea what she really looked like.

But all of that was beside the point and could be considered at a later time; right now, he had to get them out of here. They had to start making plans to get those other copies of the list.

Glancing upwards, he took a moment to feel each floor, to assess each point that he would be able to manipulate easier than others. Erik took a deep breath, reached up into the air, and made a pulling gesture, bringing part of the ceiling down onto the computer.

Bits of shrapnel flew towards them, but it couldn't get past the force-field he'd erected, cocooning them in safety.

Now that the computer itself was also destroyed, it was time for them to get out of here. He raised his hands again, concentrating on the floor above them, and separated his hands, pushing the floor apart, essentially.

They flew higher, and he would repeat the motion, floor by floor, each one only taking a couple of seconds. Soon enough, they had reached the roof. He had one arm resting lightly on Mystique's back, stabalizing her as he glanced down at the roof, surveying the damage he'd done. It would take quite a bit of time and resources to repair that, something he was counting on.

"Now, my dear, is there somewhere you would like me to take you or would you be amenable to the discussion of an alliance?"

[Raven Darkholme]

Oh, and she hadn't even thrown him for a second, her closeness earning her nothing but a glance. She had to admit, there was something admirable in a man who wasn't thrown by a pretty woman-- though she wasn't certain what his ideal type was. Perhaps she could have thrown him more if he did... It tended to work on most men, becoming the woman from their ideal fantasy. But with a man who knew her secret, it was doubtful he'd be convinced by anything she showed him. A shame.

She felt a shift around them, the way the air before a thunderstorm feels charged, and her fingers tingled a bit at the sensation. Mystique's reflex was to flinch, reaching one hand up momentarily to deflect any of the bits of concrete and metal that flew towards them, only to find it was unnecessary. Somehow, this man was deflecting all of it, throwing it back upon the building itself.

She was impressed-- and a woman of her age was not an easy creature to impress.

Leaning her slight weight against the man when they had reached the roof and taking a moment to note the placement of his hand carefully, politely around her back, she gazed down into the building. Those boys were likely dead, now... and if they weren't they could be by the time emergency personnel actually got to them. Her lips quirked upward into a faint smirk.

"I would say you can drop me anywhere-- but I'm afraid you might take me a little too literally," She glanced back to Magneto, thinking him over a moment. "Trust me, Erik, I'm not the sort of person you want allied to your cause. And something tells me you already know that. So... what sort of 'alliance' did you have in mind?"

[Erik Lensherr]

He couldn't help the little chuckle that slipped from his lips when he saw her lift a hand to deflect the shrapnel flying all around him. It seemed that she didn't quite trust that he'd keep her safe, that he'd get her out in one piece, the way he'd said that he would. Well..., he hadn't really said that in so many words, but Erik knew what he'd intended. Still, if she was taking his words very literally, then it made sense that she wouldn't quite trust him.

Still, she trusted him enough, and he was able to get them to the roof.

Her comment earned her another little smirk and even as she spoke, he took them away from the building, soaring above the streets below, moving them ever closer to the vehicle he had hidden, so that he could make his escape from this place in a slightly more subtle fashion. After all, he wasn't hard to spot when he was flying. If he was in a car, it was much more difficult, and he intended to keep it that way.

He raised an eyebrow at her words, tilting his head slightly so that he could look at her. "And why would you suppose that?" he asked. She was a mutant, and it was quite clear that she had no love for humans; he needed all the allies he could muster, and she seemed like she would be quite useful, just the way that he could be useful to her.

Still, if she wasn't willing to discuss it, he wouldn't press. Not yet. At her question, he raised an eyebrow, a little smirk slipping onto his face.

"Help me find the other copies of that list," he said, "Help me......and you'll have Magneto in your debt." Which wasn't something that very many people could claim. It could be useful to her, to be able to call on Magneto when she needed him.

If they worked together, though, it would be much easier to get their hands on the list....

[Raven Darkholme]

When the pair finally touched down on the ground once again, near to a his escape vehicle, Mystique separated herself from the man in order to look back towards the damage he had just caused. Sirens were starting to wail on the horizon, making her grin slightly.

He was looking at her strangely before he asked his question, and the woman couldn't help but give a little laugh, turning her attention back to the man. He didn't know who she was-- which was met with a mixed reaction. On one hand, she was glad; there was a possibility he wouldn't have helped her if he knew just what sorts of things she did. "Because, Mr. Lensherr, you and I... operate in different fashions. You believe in a superior race, and while you will fight... there's something in you that tells me you really would rather it didn't come to that."

He explained his thoughts, and she pursed her lips a moment, thinking it over. Truth be told, she didn't much care for having him in her debt, despite the way he said it as though it would have been some great honour. My, my, what a narcissist.

Taking a brief moment to think, she unclasped the belt from around her hips, removing the thumb drive she had stolen and twisting with it between her fingers. Did he need her help? No, probably not... But she was intrigued as to what he possibly thought a metamorph could have to offer his 'cause.'

"I have methods you may not... agree with, Magneto. If you think you can, ah... keep up, then why not give this a shot?"

[Erik Lensherr]

They touched down next to the vehicle he'd set up for his escape, and the woman untangled herself from him, taking a step away from him to glance in the direction they'd just come. It appeared that the humans were finally starting to respond, but they would be too late to salvage much of anything.

Mystique said that they operated in different fashions, and while that was true, Erik had to admit that his methods .... hadn't had the best results. Perhaps it was time to try something different.

"My methods haven't been working as well as I would like," he commented, raising an eyebrow at her when she said 'if you think you can keep up.' "Though it appears that you think I'm just an old man, trying to fight for a cause I've already lost," Erik added, folding his arms over his chest. "Believe me, my dear, I'll very much be able to keep up with you." He might be older in age, but the way he interacted with the Earth's magnetic field served to, essentially, keep him young, to keep him spry and active. It was what enabled him to do as much for the cause as he did, personally, as opposed to havinvg to delegate it to more capable soldiers.

"I will fight," he said, dropping his arms to his sides, "And I will do what is necessary to ensure the future of our mutant brothers and sisters." And if that meant taking the fight to the humans before they could attack more mutants, then so be it. If a method didn't work, it should be discarded and a new way of fighting back should take its place. And it was time to discard the old ways.

[Raven Darkholme]

His offence to her words were evident, and she couldn't fight the sharp peals of laughter that escaped her. He really seemed to believe that she was, sincerely, judging him based on his age. Oh, how little he knew... If only he knew that she were at least twice his age, he may have realised her jest. He was quick to defend himself, and as her laughter slowly settled into little more than a soft chuckle, she shook her head.

"Your methods don't work as well as you'd like because your methods work on the assumption that there can ever be a peaceful resolution. I know better. Trust me, I know better..." She leaned her head slowly to the side, waiting for her bones to give the satisfying crack before straightening once again, listening to Erik resolute tone.

Brothers and sisters. Mystique hardly believed that there would ever be any peace between mutants, either, but that was a personal opinion and one that she felt wasn't necessary to voice in front of him. Instead, she lifted her shoulders in a casual shrug, allowing her lips to curve into a faint smirk.

"You barely know who I am, what I do, and you're so quick to attempt to ally yourself," As she spoke, her guise of the female guard slowly melted away, revealing her true skin underneath. Was she attempting to surprise him, see some sign of wariness at the sight of her from the man? Perhaps. "You must be in desperate need of help."

[Erik Lensherr]

There was much Erik wanted for mutantkind, and he knew he had to be more aggressive to achieve his goals. He had been operating far too much like Charles Xavier in the past, working on the assumption that humans and mutants could live together when he knew better.

No, it had more been that he had been trying to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, but he of all people knew that, to win a war, blood had to be spilled. And he was under no illusions; they were at war. Or if they were not, they soon would be. Homo sapiens could not abide being second on the evolutionary chain, and they would turn on homo superior as surely as he breathed.

And Mystique basically said as much, something with which he agreed. There was no peaceful solution, and the sooner he started operating with that in mind, the sooner something would happen. Regular humans tended not to notice things unless it threatened their way of life, and he meant to do just that.

She went on to comment that he barely knew anything about her, that he was quite quick to try to ally himself with her. The truth was...., while he had followers that were willing to do his bidding, he was in great need of allies, people that he knew he could call on that would help his cause, people he could trust, at least to a certain extent.

But before he could say anything of the sort, Mystique's form began to change, shifting from that of the guard she'd been impersonating to reveal what he thought was her true form. He watched as blue skin was revealed, and his eyes moved to meet hers, yellow and unusual as they were. And he knew that she truly was a mutant to behold.

He had been slightly startled at the fact that she was blue, but that was quickly replaced by admiration. Erik knew that he beheld her true form, and she was magnificent.

"I am in desperate need of change," he finally said, in response to her comment. "I have been far too soft, too forgiving, and that changes now." No longer would mutants suffer at the hands of humans; each human that threw a stone, threw a taunt at a mutant would feel the wrath of Magneto.

[Raven Darkholme]

He showed no outward disturbance at the revealing of her true skin, other than his eyes darting around, though it may have been as much that she was naked as it was her blue skin. Most men weren't certain which fact was of more importance, but they often settled on the latter. Erik Lensherr said nothing of either, and it made her want to laugh.

Finally, when he spoke, he stated that he was in need of change. If there was one thing in which she was proficient, that would be it.

"That changes now," She hummed, though whether it was a simple repetition or said in agreement remained to be seen. Mystique crossed her arms, taking a moment to lean against Erik's get away car in thought.

Her nails clicked loudly against the hood, and she finally gave 'Magneto' something of a grin. Did she see herself allying with this man's cause? No. She could never claim to believe that what this man believed in could ever come to be... But that didn't mean he wouldn't be useful in the meantime. Quid pro quo. He would use her, and she... She had plenty of uses for him.

"Well, if we want to catch up with that truck, we'd better get on the road, shouldn't we?"