[hr][hr][center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/FKJKRczH/the-gifted-591b350cc9ba7.png[/img][/center][hr][center][@Nallore][@FantasyChic][@BlueSky44][@Achronum][@Trainerblue192][@KazAlkemi][@Framing A Moose][@MsMorningstar][/center][hr][center][color=f7941d][b]December 18th, 2020 - 2:10 PM[/b][/color][/center][hr][color=f7941d][b]The Hellfire Club Headquarters - [/b][/color]

	Polaris glanced at her phone and frowned deeply, before placing it back in her pocket. [color=A9F8C7]"I have to go,"[/color] she told those present, before leaving the room and taking the elevator without another word. She didn't give an explanation as to where she was going, but that wasn't uncommon. Members of the Hellfire Club were not required to give a detailed itinerary of their comings and goings. Additionally, Sage had discretely bugged all of their phones. Every message went through her and everyone's location was monitored. 

	Speaking of messages, Sage scanned the text that Leighton had sent to Max. She discretely deleted it from her records without a second of hesitation. [color=11FCBC]"Ice Queen has the target,"[/color] she informed Reeva and Anastasia robotically. [color=11FCBC]"Jinx is still at the mall. I'm not sure why they've separated."[/color]

	Reeva nodded her head. She tapped her fingernails rhythmically as she thought. [color=B1C1EB]"Have Pyro tail them, please,"[/color] she requested. [color=B1C1EB]"I'm afraid I don't have anything else to suggest for you, Anastasia. But I'm certain that you have a busy day ahead of you with important people to meet and greet, so I won't hold you here any longer. Be safe - and take a coat. It's rather chilly."[/color]

[color=f7941d][b]The Road - [/b][/color]

	Desiree and Leighton would be able to make it to a small strip mall without too much issue. There were a variety of stores there where they could find a place to talk. There was a nail salon, a Wendy's, a Chick Fil A, a Dunkin Donuts, a mattress store, and a UPS Store. The parking lot itself wasn't too crowded, but the snow was starting to come down hard, making it difficult to see the outlines for the parking spaces. On the bright side, Desiree's voice would (finally!) return to her. 

[color=f7941d][b]The Mall - [/b][/color]

	The nurse running the First Aide room nodded sympathetically, grabbing a dose of ibuprofen and filling a plastic cup up with some water. "Here, this'll help with the pain sweetie," she told him. She had a name tag on, giving her name as [i][b]WANDA[/b][/i]. Unlike Jinx's (ex?)-best friend, she had freckles smeared all over her face and her hair was hidden by a hijab. The security officer on duty wrote down the description Jinx gave him, before handing him his card - it was just a generic one for mall security. "Give us a call if you remember anything else, okay, son?" he said. His name tag said [i][b]PETER[/b][/i].  [hr][hr][center][h3][b][color=935DB8]Veil[/color] and [color=#DAF7A6]Sunshine[/color][/b][/h3][img]https://i.postimg.cc/wTTC2PzT/giphy.gif[/img][hr][hr][b]Location:[/b] Mutant Underground Hideout - First Floor: Training Room 
[b]Skills:[/b] N/A [hr][/center]	Sunshine huffed in annoyance. It seemed stupid to let Leighton and Max and all prance around perfectly alive and well. They had joined up with murderers, thieves, liars, and worst of all, [i]the rich[/i]. The sooner those two were out of the picture, the better mutants everywhere would be. At least they were going to stop by the food court. Her hunger was just about the only thing as important as her rage. [color=#DAF7A6]"Fiiiiine,"[/color] she grumbled. Sunshine dragged her feet slightly as she followed Spark Plug up to where the vehicles were kept. 

	A sudden, sharp pressure filled Veil's head. Her initial response was panic as Tome's voice filled her mind. He had apparently connected her with Ice Queen as well. Even though he [i]claimed[/i] he couldn't hear her thoughts or read her mind, Veil didn't trust him. She shut her eyes tightly, just in case he was going to try to sensory scry. Telepaths learned to do that back at the Xavier Institute. [color=935DB8]"One moment, everyone,"[/color] she told those gathered around her. 

	Sapphire reappeared, as Veil stopped keeping her invisible. She was keeping her mental concentration on having her mind be blank, worried that she might betray herself or their location. She raised a single finger to those gathered around her, unaware as to what they were doing as her eyes were still shut. [color=935DB8]"Tome has established a magical connection with my mind... and Ice Queen's. He's asking if I know a world reshaped by the Scarlet Witch,"[/color] she told her friends. 

	Sunshine stopped in her tracks instantly, doing a sharp about face. She had been about to go aboveground. She was frozen in the entranceway, before she made her way back into the training room. Spark Plug could wait. The Scarlet Witch had reshaped a world? Would that... Could that... She avoided making eye contact with Jack, not even acknowledging his greeting. Tears started to form in her eyes in spite of herself. [color=#DAF7A6]"D-Do you want me to knock you out?"[/color] she asked Veil, sniffling as the tears began to fall, gross and heavy.  

	[color=935DB8]"I'm not going to acknowledge the connection,"[/color] Veil said. [color=935DB8]"I don't trust them enough to speak with them this... intimately."[/color][hr][hr][center][h3][b][color=DBA1DE]Casper Theriot[/color][/b][/h3][img]https://i.postimg.cc/vDFx7Ctg/image.gif[/img][hr][hr][b][color=DBA1DE]Location:[/color][/b] Mutant Underground Hideout - the Second Floor Hallway -> Entranceway
[b][color=DBA1DE]Skills:[/color][/b] Mediumship[hr][/center]	Casper nodded, completely in agreement with Waverley. He couldn't believe that Max would send them a dead rat by [i]accident[/i]. It was definitely a message, a threat that Max was going to come for them and decapitate them all while dressed in stylish corporate garb. James was far too easy and forgiving when it came to Max. [color=DBA1DE]"Have you ever seen those videos of Russian traffic accidents? That's what Max is - one big ass accident that'll get a million likes but god forbid you ever see one in person or it'll traumatize you,"[/color] Casper argued. [color=DBA1DE]"Even if he didn't mean to send us a death threat, the fact that he's got reach into where we live, shit, and eat means that he could send a nuke by mistake next time."[/color] He wasn't going to bring up the next portion of his argument, not in current company. Max had been the one to kill Waverley's mom. What if he killed James' relatives next? Or Veil's undoubtedly extremely Canadian parents? 

	[i]"I actually do agree with you on this one. He's like the Scarlet Witch... Just I'm not sure if he's crazier than her or not,"[/i] Ben commented. He was walking along with James and Casper, trailing just a few inches behind him. He could have walked on ahead, but he hated passing through people. It felt [i]weird[/i]. 

	Casper walked down the staircase, trying to remember what the last date he remembered was. He wasn't really a big person when it came to keeping track of a calendar. The last time he had done that was when he had been counting down the days until his first date with James. [color=DBA1DE]"Does the eighteenth sound right to you?"[/color] he asked James. [color=DBA1DE]"I kinda forgot that calendars were things until now, going to be honest...."[/color] his voice trailed off. He could hear someone crying in the training room. There were a lot of voices in there. It must have been where people were assembling for the mission.