The red light flickers above him but it does not make a single noise. A single man lies on an olive drab and steel cot, counting the footsteps just outside the door to his cell without moving a finger. His breathing is well under control as his calm demeanor pushes his mind through different memories and scenarios that he had already lived through. The light is not enough to light the room, alack, it is the only color visible, and it might as well be pitch black in the cell.
Lights out in cellblock charlie was twenty minutes ago, when the footsteps stop just outside the heavy steel door. Scott Summers does not make a move when the locks slide into the door and away from the wall. He is mostly defenseless in the current state, Fury knows enough about him to keep him away from the sun, and he couldn't will a single spark of energy to form in his eyes without a day in the sun to feed him.
There is no light to flood into the room, the only thing are two illuminated circles held exactly where the eyes of a man just over six feet should be. The illuminated circles adjust to the dim light, he can see the movement and even the slight noise made by minute servomotors that select the filters, Scott guesses Night Vision, and by night vision, he knows this isn't some visit by a psychiatrist to make sure S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't abusing his human rights.
Human rights, such a thing is almost laughable to the man in captivity. "Good evening, Fury." Scott still does not move a muscle or give the General the respect of a glance. "What brings this visit?"
"It's time to go, Summers."
Scott Summers did not move. "I'm comfortable here, Fury. It's quiet, and I don't have to pretend to play your little games."
"No more games, I've got a mandate that is over my head, I'm not running this show at the moment."
Scott could not see Fury move his arms over his chest, nor could he hear the man sigh. "Fine if you want to play it that way, I'm done trying to be nice to you."
The General turns and closes the door without locking it; there are no footsteps for Scott to listen. He knows the General is standing outside the door, and what's more is he knows there's something of a card up his sleeve.
The bright light floods the room and his eyes feel as though they may explode. For a moment or two, Scott simply closes his eyes in hopes the light will not invade his retinas, but it is too much. He can feel the heat nearly cooking the exposed skin outside the single piece of fabric that covers the majority of his body. He never knew the color of the jumpsuit, but it wasn't like it mattered.
His hands jump to cover his face and before he can feel the heated skin on his face he feels his back resting on something new...something cold. Four men rush to restrain him. Tightening leather straps against his wrists and ankles, the weakened mutant hasn't the strength to fight them off, and the white light pierces his eyelids and he wants to scream aloud.
"Three months in the darkness is enough to make most men go insane." Fury's voice speaks out to the blinded mutant. "Xavier taught you fairly well, but it isn't like his methods are very new to people like me."
"This is too much Fury," A woman's voice pleads out, the southern accent defining the voice as a friend, but Scott Summers mind rationalized it beyond that...he had no friends anymore. He reminded himself as the pain flooded his mind. "Turn this machine off," Rogue's voice tried to appeal to the hardnosed officer without avail.
"Torture isn't your strong suit, Fury." Scott puts up his bravado. "Ten more minutes of this and you'll lose your stomach for it."
"This isn't to torture you Scott, but I don't envy the headache you'll have for the next few days."
"You wouldn't envy anything about me, not if you had to walk in my shoes."
Rogue rests a hand on his forehead, trying to comfort the man she once knew as her friend. "Don't touch me."
"Scott, I..."
"I said, don't touch me."
She drops the hand to her side as Fury shakes his head in her peripheral vision. "I'm just trying to help."
He turned his head away from her voice. "Friends are a luxury, I have none of those."
"Okay drama queen," Fury's voice is frustrated, it's the one thing Scott can take even the slightest pleasure. "There is business to attend to, and like it or not you're smack dab in the center of this bullshit."
"That's right Mister Summers," another female voice enters the room. "We have a little job for you to do, and the benefit should prove worth listening to."
"Valerie," Scott almost hisses out the name.
"Cooper, yes you know who I am, that's impressive. Now can we get on with this?"
"Talk," he tugs against the restraints, "It doesn't look like I'm going anywhere for a while."
Scott counts the loud footsteps; he guesses she is wearing heels with a three-inch height. She sits at his side, running a hand across the unkempt beard he wears on his face. "Facial hair doesn't suit you, Summers."
"Pleasantries aside, or are you here to pet me like a dog you keep locked up." Scott almost spits. "I've been good, have you housebroken me yet."
"It doesn't have to be like this..."
"Right, I made you all do this to me, it's all my fault and all the psycho-babble you fed the psychiatrist that visits every Thursday."
"You were able to keep track of the time, even locked up like you were?"
"I've been in worse situations, Val. Being in solitary confinement for three months, a week and four days doesn't have a much of spot in my worst week. You should really try living a year in my shoes."
"No thanks," Valerie doesn't hold any interest in Scotts antics. "I'd show you the paper work I have on you, but your still probably pretty much blind after all this going on so I'll save that for another time. But, there is something I need for you to do; we have the active Intel on X-Corps headquarters. We need someone to take them down, and leading the squad, we want you."
"Shove it."
"You haven't heard the benefit, yet."
"I don't give a shit; I said shove your offer."
"Scott, Scott, Scott. I understand you're angry," Valerie grabs a full handful of the shaggy beard of coarse brown hair. "But I'm not here to offer you the position; I'm here to tell you what you're going to do for me."
The pain fires every nerve in his face as the woman tugs his face downward. "You're a prisoner, Summers. You knew what would happen if you let Jean go unchecked. You knew you weren't to impregnate her, you were supposed to make sure that at least never happened and you lost sight of your responsibilities, so now your life is in my hands."
He lets the frail arm pull his face away from the wall; the pain is more an annoyance than anything he couldn't handle. The threshold wasn't broken, only the dignity of being treated like anything remotely human. "What would you have me do, Master?"
Scott's sarcasm stings, "Don't talk like that," Rogue speaks up. "That isn't fair."
"I never asked for you to speak, please keep your voice to yourself."
The woman turns, he can hear the motion on her heels digging into the metal floor. Valerie releases her grip on his beard and Scott lets out a small breath of release, "You've got a funny way of trying to make me do your dirty work, Val. The government gives you a little power and I see it goes straight to your head, it's all so impressive to see you bowing down to your new masters’ beck and call."
"Shut it, Summers, I don't have time to listen to these poetic little games you've cooked up for your enjoyment. This is damned serious and you're going to listen to me, no matter how long I have to make Fury keep you tied up."
Scott laughs a little, "Fury is answering to you? Oh that's rich."
"Can it, buddy boy, or we'll just see how far my willingness with her goes." Fury's voice thunders over Scott's laughter. "She's here because we have a similar goal in mind, unless of course you'd like to see X-Corps spread its influence over the globe. Our inability to do anything about the latest of mutant clubs, whoever the leader is has been able to take over a decent sized section of South America, simply because the rest of the world never gave a shit. Well, Summers, now we give a shit, and in turn, like it or not, you're going to give a shit too. Because your sentence is tied to the success of completing this mission we're going to give you."
“I’m listening.”
Valerie smiles, nodding to Fury as she hands over the file she formerly held tight to her side. “That’s what I want to hear, Scotty.”
Twenty minutes is all Cooper wanted. She checked her watch and saw Cooper was actually two minutes ahead of the time limit she asked from Fury. She was a piece of work, even had Fury running circles expecting something much less of her. The team leader smiled to herself when she realized she hadn’t had much dealing with Cooper in the past, but what she saw today, Rogue could generally admit that she was impressed.
Fury nodded and she took the signal and left the room. Leaving the two playmakers to make their deals and play the political game, Rogue walked down a main corridor and turned inside a small room where a number of individuals waited. James was wiping the floor with Chris at the pool table and every minute or so after Rogue entered the room, Jared would chime in notifying the rest of the room that he would take on the winner.
They all wore the same colors, it wasn’t something Rogue remembered thinking about ever in her past. Leading the X-Men had a certain appeal but Cyclops was the natural leader, it was hard to be in his shadow, Alex told her as much on more than a single occasion. The group had been together almost six months, and she was fond of the dynamic they’ve been developing, especially lately with the addition of James and Sarah from Xavier’s little illegal venture. They’ve filled their own niches since first meeting up in Genosha three months ago, it was a good thing to see that even they were willing to look as this more than something as a way to stay out of prison, the two quickly became a positive addition to the team both in the field and out.
Corbo flipped through channels, skipping over the news stations and landing on a sports channel. “You’re a junkie, you know that?”
“Hey boss lady, I watch it for the cheerleaders, honest.”
Rogue smirked, “Nothing like women that bare most of everything they have just to stand out in the crowd.”
“Why do you think I’m in the super hero racket? You can’t get anywhere near a team without coming across any eye candy.”
“Considering that’s all you can get,” James Proudstar laughs and sends another stripped ball into a corner pocket. “I’m not surprised.”
Corbo never bothered to look back at the insult thrower, relaying a message with a finger raised to the ceiling. “What’s the good news, bosslady?”
She enters the room finally leaving the doorway and pulls up a chair at the empty card table. Shuffling a deck of cards she sighs, “Looks like they got their way.”
“Shit. You’re kidding?”
She doesn’t take her eyes off the cards, “yeah, they’ve got some big operation in mind.”
“They replacing you?” Corbo turned, finally interested after the commercials interrupted his escapism.
She stops the cards as they finish their arch and she pushes them together, “Looks like,” she speaks up, “he casts a large shadow, I’m not sure if this is permanent or not, but there’s something large on the horizon, that’s about it.”
Chris chimes in as the eight ball finds a new home in the center left pocket, “How big?”
“Big enough for Cooper to get Fury’s panties in a bunch.”
“Go fucking figure,” Corbo turns back to the television, “we screw up once and Fury is out to change our whole situation.”
“Win some and you lose some, right?”
“Ever the optimist, Chris.”
“Comes with the territory, you know beating death and everything.”
The rest of the room groans and Proudstar tosses the ball rack to Chris, “Shut the hell up and just rack the balls so I can kick Corbo’s ass in thirty.”
“You think you got what it takes, yank?”
“You know that’s offensive right?”
“I told you to shut your mouth Chris,” Proudstar laughs and wraps his arm around the youth’s neck. Keeping it tight enough for Chris Bradley to want to tap out of the neck hold. “It would be offensive, but he’s Canadian, when was the last time they affected the world?”
“Good. Point.” The younger man labors to choke the words from his lips.
“Children please,” its all she can do but laugh, “We need to talk with Sarah, Fury is giving us the opportunity to pick the first round of augments to our little venture before Scott does. I suggest we put some serious thought into this unless you want the tight-ass to start running this team full time.”
“Yeah, no thanks.” Corbo rolls his eyes, “its bad enough that I’m in the military now, I don’t need Xavier’s tight wad running this show too.”
“Okay then,” she laughs and turns to leave with Chris Bradley in tow, “make the next round quick you two, Chris you’re with me. We’ll be in the conference room.”
“Sure thing boss lady,”
He rubbed the skin under the thick beard; he didn’t want to admit to anyone that the damn thing itched. He stared over the folders, maps, and pages of biographical information over more than a dozen men, some of which he knew personally. “This is all you have?”
“Not by a long shot, it’s all I wanted to carry in here.”
“Taking these people down is going to be a large scale operation, and tricky now that the leader is in full political control of Ecuador. It might be seen as an act of war, what would the rest of the continent think of this?”
“South America is fractured,” Fury speaks up, “a lot of the neighboring countries are threatening war with the nation, but we don’t want that to happen.”
“I would be an interesting cover, split the forces in a multiple front war.”
“Scott, we’re trying to do this without a massive loss of life.”
He nods and stares back down at the maps. “Sentinel deployment an option?”
Cooper shakes her head, “Massive mutant retaliation all over the world.”
“This can’t be tolerated, and the mutant community needs to know it.” The former leader of the X-Men muses to himself. “This is a bad situation, what options are available?”
“That’s why we came to you; we need your brand of creativity here. I thought about using the Avengers but they are linked so closely with the American Government that it might spark global reaction.”
“S.H.I.E.L.D. isn’t linked to any one government,” Scott started to think aloud. “How many mutants does Rogue have under her charge, Fury?”
“At the moment, she only has a partial team. Two of Xavier’s group that tried to take over Genosha stuck around in a deal to stay out of prison and tried under Genoshan law. They’re pretty green, screwed up a fairly easy mission a few weeks ago.”
“That’s not like her,” he shook his head, “what was the situation?”
“It doesn’t matter; I want you thinking about this.”
Scott Summers circles his fingers around his right wrist, trying to relieve the skin from the pinching of his restraints. “And what are my terms if I complete this?”
“The thanks of the world aren’t enough for you?”
“Not really, no.”
Cooper shifts her seat to move closer to Scott. Placing a hand on his wrist, “we don’t want to keep you locked up, but you know we can’t just let you go free.”
“Yeah, I know.” Scott’s head drops and he takes a moment to remember, “Those people in town hadn’t a chance.”
“I shouldn’t ask you, but what were you thinking? Did you forget what happened to Pryor when you knocked her up?”
Both Cooper and Summers turn their attention to Nick Fury, “bad form, Nicholas.”
“Go to hell, Val. And get on with this deal so I can put this dirt bag back in jail.”
“Always playing up the tough guy, you know that gets really old and fast.”
The pair bicker back and forth, throwing each other’s jurisdictions in the other’s face. The yelling starts to get intense and Scott throws down his first, “Christ enough with this! These are the terms; if I do this I do it my way.”
“Of course.”
“Secondly, if I pull this off, I clear my prison time, and I’m done with anything else you want of me.”
Cooper and Fury stare at one another for several seconds, “Done.” Cooper speaks up before Fury can utter a single word. “The U.S. is willing to forgive the Alaska incident if the threat of X-Corps is ended. Full Presidential pardon.”
Scott crosses his arms and nods, “lastly, if I’m going to get this over with quickly I am going to need real authority.” He stops talking and looks at Fury, “and the kind of authority that S.H.I.E.L.D. carries.”
Fury hates the idea, as much is present in his eyes and the scowling he receives from Cooper makes him agree with the statement. If Scott were going to pull this off, his men and women would need to look at him as an authority figure. “I anticipated as much,” Fury spoke and filtered his fingers through several folders on the table between he and Summers. “It’s not against all of my judgment, but I have my reservations.”
“You’re not as decisive as your reputation speaks.”
“Save it, Valerie. It’s as far as I’m willing to go, as it’ll at least give Summers tangible authority over Sutton.”
“Sutton?”
“Rogue’s last name, or did the world’s best telepath and his lapdogs never figure that much out?” Fury almost laughs at his own brand of humor, “Realize that I have you on a tight leash, but welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Summers. This is your gig, but I don’t want you distracting my people from other ongoing operations. You will report directly to me before you put any plan into action or as much as begin training scenarios.”
“I expected as much, but do I hope you understand that this thing doesn’t start until I have assurances on paper and lawyer present to see the three of us sign this.”
“Of course, I can have a lawyer here in twenty minutes.”
Scott smiles, “Jennifer Walters. Not some pussy court appointed lawyer, I want someone I respect.”
Cooper nods, “Fine, while you’re at it would you like a gold coated Twinkie?”
“If you can find one, I won’t look a gift horse in the mouth, but I’d rather have a room and a shower.”