The Mag-Lev
6:45 PM Local Time
People have gathered around Loki watching his tricks, and most are rather amazed. Kevin is shouted down a bit as he reveals the trick but it's quickly forgotten in the wake of further illusions.
Carl listens with a wry grin on his face as Raisa babbles on and on, throwing in the odd "Really" and "I see" here and there, but really doesn't get a chance to tell anything about himself.
Dara too is still talking non-stop and is tailoring, what you now can see was a nearly finished sleevless red shirt with a green chinese dragon wrapping around it, to X12's size without taking a single measurement or missing a single stitch. (Think demolition man, and what Stalone wore at Taco Bell... reminiscent of that).
The Mag-Lev speeds along for a few minutes, travelling the entire length of the airport. You see a number of aircraft landing and taking off on your brief trip. As you approach the main terminal, the Mag-Lev comes around a wide corner, and you see a huge throng of people waiting for the train to arrive. Among the travellers, you see a large contingent of media.
"Oh dear, I was afraid of that," you hear Grandmother say when the media come into view. "Stay in your seats, Chilrden, and avoid using your powers until we are away from the flashbulbs."
The train slides gracefully to a halt at the terminal, and cameras, both flash and holographic motion cameras, are pressed to the glass, snapping off shots and rolling film for several minutes before airport security finally regains control and moves the line back. Thankfully, none gain access to you car.
A knock is heard on the door to the car and the steward and stewardess go to answer. The pilot has stepped out of his cockpit. "Not to worry, folks," he says calmly. "We were fairly well prepared for this."
As if to argue the point, as the steward talks to man, apparently airport security, just outside the door, a wirey looking reporter with a camera bursts past them. He starts rapidly firing off snapshots, his camera flash creating an after image in your eyes from how quickly it's going. He's snapping so many pictures and the flash goes off so often, that it causes the small seat-sensors start flashing from red to green constantly until several give a fizzle and burn out. The spots dancing in everyones eyes, combined with the shouting and cameras from outside, make most of feeling a bit overwhelmed. Rebound has expanded in surprise and is ricocheting off the walls.
"Hey, get him out of here!" the pilot shouts and security recovers their wits and rushes in. They subdue the man quickly and drag him away as he pelts you all with questions. "Well, mostly prepared," the pilot says once the man has been removed. Security leaves and after making sure nobody else is lurking about outside, the steward closes the door and locks it.
The Mag-Lev leaves the station in about ten minutes, lifting off again and rising quickly on its track until it is at a height of easily two hundred feet. It soars towards the city and begins to cross over an outlying subdivision, building speed until it finally reaches what you guess (or Johan knows) to be 200 mph.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking," the pilot's voice is heard over the speakers. "We'll be heading for the main Mag-Lev terminal now. Estimated travel time is forty five minutes, so please make yourselves comfortable. Track height will rise to 200 meters shortly, or roughly 550 feet, and you'll have a great view of the Mega-City of New York as we pass overhead.
"We have several guests with us today, as our reserved car indicated, and you are sharing your trip with EPIC's first students to their new academy. If you are a reporter, the next one of you to try anything stupid will be ejected from my train. Everyone else, feel free to punch the nearest camera man.
"The Mag-Lev corporation thanks you for choosing to travel in comfort and style. Enjoy your trip."
"The captain is quite a card," the stewardess says cheerfully.
When Vince addresses him (I just put it back in order for the heck of it) Jackal chuckles a bit, but still manages a warning glance against making jokes about him, something Vince feels he probably won't do very often, at least not today. "You've seen what I do," he says. "Well, most of it. I can talk to dogs, though great conversationalists they are not. And I heal probably as fast as the tatooed wonder over there," he says, gesturing towards X12. "See?" he says, pulling out a penknife and nicking the end of his finger. It doesn't heal right up, but it's a minor cut really, and he resorts to sucking it until it stops bleeding. "Heh, well usually," he says, with a embarassed grin.
Loki
As you entertain people, you spot a man exiting the stairwell from upstairs in the mirror near the front of the train. He is dressed in a Mag-Lev worker uniform (like a utility worker uniform), but has no tool belt. He watches you watch him, gives a slight smile and nods at you, then continues up the train nonchalantly. Nobody else seems to notice him, not even Stealer who is copying your powers.
X12
You smell something... metallic? It is reminiscent of the smell in a machine shop, like when you work softer metals into shapes, with a faint hint of some sort of lubricating oil, but it is very faint. The back of your neck begins to tingle.
ELSEWHERE
In a darkened room, a man sits in front of a fireplace. His hands are steepled before his shadowed face in contemplation as the fire crackles and sputters. A door at the far end of the room opens and a butler enters, a tray with a single wine goblet upon it in his hand.
"Your wine, sir," the butler says deferentially, and the shadow-faced man takes the offered goblet. "The gentleman says they are in position, sir."
"Very well, Xavier," he says in a strong voice that is the complete opposite of what one would expect from a man cloaked in shadows. "Have them proceed."
"Yes, sir. He is concerned that excess force will be needed, given the nature of the samples."
"Remind him to not use deadly force until we have determined if what we are seeking is there. Now leave me."
"At once sir," the butler says, quietly making his way outside the room.
The shadow-faced man sips at his wine and sets it down on a table beside him before steepling his fingers before his face again in contemplation.
