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[b][right][color=FFDE15]XAVIER INSTITUTE[/color][/right][/b][/h1][/sup][/color][sup][h3][right][color=FFE650]// REVELATION[/color][/right][/h3][/sup][sup][h3][right][color=FFE650]// WINTER[/color][/right][/h3][/sup][INDENT][hr][/INDENT]
[INDENT][INDENT][INDENT][color=DARKGRAY]Erik made sure that the taxi driver was appropriately tipped for getting him to St. Pauls. Across the street, he watched churchgoers leave the chapel grounds, and some presumably talked about morning service amongst acquaintances. Then, he proceeded to blend in with tourists heading inside to likely see the exhibits and memorial banners. A crowd was already gathered around one of the exhibits near the chairs. But a few people prayed at the altar alongside the pastor. Erik went over to the chair farthest away from the nosy crowd and began his wait for the anonymous contact to appear. However, to his surprise, the pastor seemingly appeared out of thin air to greet him. [color=LIGHTGRAY]"How can I help you, my son?"[/color]

[color=LIGHTGRAY]"I only need some alone time, father."[/color] Erik dismissed the pastor, but he got closer instead.

[color=LIGHTGRAY]"Are you sure that's what you truly need?"[/color] Then, with a faint smile, the pastor started walking towards the back exit. [color=LIGHTGRAY]"Come with me to the yard, and we can talk there."[/color]

Erik raised an eyebrow. [color=LIGHTGRAY]"And why would I do that?"[/color]

[color=LIGHTGRAY]"Because, my son, you're looking for answers. And I can provide them to you."[/color] The pastor smirked and proceeded to the churchyard before Erik could respond. He got up from the chair and started pursuing the pastor into the empty yard. But then, Erik saw the pastor struggling to transform into a younger woman. Or transform back. She was strained, made evident by leaning against the bell's metal supports. Erik carefully approached her.

[color=LIGHTGRAY]"Who are you?"[/color]

[color=LIGHTGRAY]"Often ask that same question in front of the bathroom mirror."[/color] The woman chuckled before putting on a white mask and started standing straight. [color=LIGHTGRAY]"But my friends call me Slips."[/color]

[color=LIGHTGRAY]"Friends?"[/color] Erik moved closer to her.

[color=LIGHTGRAY]"Yeah, the ones that helped me set this meeting up."[/color] Slips remained composed with her arms now crossed. [color=LIGHTGRAY]"The ones you still think betrayed you in '87."[/color]

Erik stopped and took a step back out of surprise that she knew about that year. Everything from the anonymous contact to the little indications of their former association began to make sense. He was talking to an agent of the Thieves Guild, a renowned secret society of thieves united to offer their services to those willing to pay the right price. Erik paid that price once, and it ended in ruin. Now, he was talking to one of its agents. It wasn't a surprise he became upset.

[color=LIGHTGRAY]"I see your boss sent lackeys in his place."[/color] Erik said with pure disdain toward her indirectly. [color=LIGHTGRAY]"Still afraid of meeting with me?"[/color]

[color=LIGHTGRAY]"You know that this isn't about him, Erik."[/color] Slips groaned at his remark, more annoyed than anything else.

[color=LIGHTGRAY]"Then, you're just wasting my time, child."[/color] Erik started walking from her, clearly unpleased with... well, everything at the moment. Finding out that the anonymous contact was just a pawn of the Thieves Guild was disappointing, to say the least. But instead of chasing after him, Slips pulled a black USB stick out of her pockets and began fidgeting with it playfully, almost as if she was showing it off. [color=LIGHTGRAY]"Shame. And here I thought you'd be interested in learning who the Brotherhood's first target is."[/color]

[color=LIGHTGRAY]"What."[/color] Erik froze in place without turning around to face her. He didn't need to look at her to feel that grin behind the mask. It was truly an agonizing experience as if he heard her say with that infuriating amused smile: [color=LIGHTGRAY][i]You heard me, old man[/i][/color]. But even the tiniest bit of information she possessed was crucial to expose the new Brotherhood. So he bit his tongue and returned to Slips, more willing to be friendly than earlier. Only to get that info without incident.

Slips pretended to be surprised by his return while still playing with the flash drive. [color=LIGHTGRAY]"Good to see you're back from your little tantrum. Now, what do you know about Dr. Steven Lang?"[/color]

[color=LIGHTGRAY]"Someone who thinks they understand mutantkind better than we do?"[/color] Erik answered cheekily.

[color=LIGHTGRAY]"Cute."[/color] Slips dismissed the attempt at humor and then stopped messing with the stick to show it off again. [color=LIGHTGRAY]"But he is certainly a professor at Empire State and recently made the mistake of disregarding the Brotherhood publicly. So naturally, they want to know everything there's to know about him. All because they're petty about what he said about them in some interview days ago."[/color]

[color=LIGHTGRAY]"And what did the guild learn?"[/color] Erik crossed his arms.

[color=LIGHTGRAY]"You mean, 'what did [b]my[/b] team and I learn.'"[/color] Slips corrected him while putting the flash drive back in her pocket. [color=LIGHTGRAY]"Quite a lot, actually. It's incredible how easy it is to obtain someone's weekly schedule from their phone. Or how much you can learn about someone from hacking into their socials. Like how our dear professor hides his anti-mutant stance from his workplace and public life."[/color]

[color=LIGHTGRAY]"What else did your team uncover?"[/color] Erik interrupted, slightly irritated that she was starting to go into too much detail about something totally unrelated.

Slips shrugged her shoulders. [color=LIGHTGRAY]"Nothing else worthwhile. I doubt you want every piece of detail my team had to gather for the contact."[/color]

[color=LIGHTGRAY]"And the flash drive?"[/color] Erik asked directly, now completely tired of her stalling.

[color=LIGHTGRAY]"Afraid that isn't for sale. You really thought I'd break the guild's rules for your cause?"[/color] Slips giggled and made her way toward him. [color=LIGHTGRAY]"Come on now. I have not, or will never, betray my clients. It's bad for business, after all."[/color]

Erik wasn't bothered by her boasting and asked in a rather harsher tone than expected. [color=LIGHTGRAY]"So why bother telling me everything if you were never going to help in the first place?"[/color]

[color=LIGHTGRAY]"Using your fist to deal with a bigot, especially the outspoken ones, is one thing. But turning them into martyrs will hurt mutants more than the bigots in the long run."[/color] Slips began explaining her reason when Erik noticed her mood had shifted. It wasn't as nonchalant or boastful as moments ago. There was more to her reason, but that damned mask hid her emotions well. In a sudden move, she started making her way out of the churchyard. But she turned to face him one last time with a brief sadness underneath that mask. [color=LIGHTGRAY]"And I suspect we both know the professor's death will be used as an excuse for the government to eagerly slaughter us all in a heartbeat."[/color][/color][/INDENT][/INDENT][/INDENT]
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