24. (Side story) Magneto 03 - Blame Sunspot Activity

Finally finished that next Magneto bit...

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The sleek metal craft reshaped itself as it slowed to a stop, hovering in mid-air above the designated landing spot, a helicopter pad on the rooftop of an office building in downtown Ontario.

Director DaCosta had idly mentioned that it was one of the lesser known government offices where the bureaucratic boondoggles were handled for Canada's Department H.

Not where any of the research was done, nor a base for the more superheroic members of the department to be deployed from, but rather a place where clerks filed the research or handled the minutia of dealing with superheroes.

More paperwork.

A minor thing that Magneto hadn't enjoyed about having become known as the leader of his own nation rather than simply a terrorist was the need to conform to certain procedures and international law. Such as having to file a flight plan and checking in with local air traffic control now that he was in Canadian airspace.

Just flying in with no warning had always been much simpler.

He sighed. On the other hand, one advantage to being the leader of his own nation was that now he had minions of his own to take care of all the paperwork needed.

He mused that when the time came and he did end up needing to wage war on another country, the option of simply drowning his enemies in paperwork rather than crushing them with metal had a certain appeal.

It likely would not kill them, giving him a PR boost in the eyes of the world, but their suffering would nevertheless be terrible indeed.

The craft reshaped itself further, legs folding out of the metal and a door irising open into a stepladder to allow its inhabitants to exit.

Magneto ran a hand through his long, white hair as his bodyguards stepped out of the craft first, surveying the area and ensuring it would be safe for him to disembark.

He knew he didn't actually need it, but it made them feel useful.

He stepped through the door of the craft, walking down the metal steps he had deployed and noted idly that the building actually was a fairly defensible structure. It might have been in the middle of the city, but it was high enough that any missed shots were likely to go over the neighboring buildings. The metal he could feel laced through the building made it extremely solid.

He had wondered why Canada's new leader had opted to conduct their meeting in a building as public as this one, but now it was clear the man had simply been prudent. While also opting to be as subtly public as possible.

After all the leader of the Genoshan people wasn't supposed to be seen engaging in the sort of mass destruction he'd once done as a younger man.

What would the international community say? He thought to himself sarcastically.

He snorted in derision before glancing about once more and noted that there was actually no one on the roof. He had expected at least a minor functionary or two to serve as a guide to where the meeting actually would be held, but it was simply unoccupied.

"We're not early are we?" Erik asked over his shoulder.

DaCosta's tie was flapping in the wind as he held up his wrist to look at tastefully over-priced Rolex. "No. It is 9 AM on the dot, El Presidente. You'd have expected them to at least have someone waiting for you up here."

Almost as though specifically waiting on those very words, the door to the rooftop swung open and a woman glided through. She wore a long, elegant white dress with gold trim.The top was cut distractingly low across her impressive cleavage, and only covered up slightly by a gold threaded cobweb pattern that stretched from a choker to encompass her entire chest.

She was enticingly beautiful, inhumanly so, with pale creamy white skin and long dark hair, but there were features that made her distinctly non-human. About her head was what appears to be a diadem, but at a second glance seemed to be horns growing out of the sides of her head that curled around to almost meet at her brow. Her eyes were golden and had slitted irises, like a snake. Down lower, the dress had cut-outs at her hips, from which a pair of black wings, colored the same shade as her hair, were projecting from. The wings seemed to be coming from somewhere at her lower back, but the dress was elegantly tailored to allow them free movement… and possibly to allow her hips and the tops of her thighs to be seen. The wings were folded in close to her as she came through the door, but flared out slightly once past.

Erik's guards tensed slightly, but maintained their position on either side of him.

Behind him he could hear DaCosta audibly swallow.

Erik smirked slightly, glancing back to note that the man's mouth was slightly agape.

He whispered out of the corner of his mouth, "DaCosta. Stop drooling. It's unbecoming."

He heard the audible snap as the man shut his mouth.

The woman glided closer, coming within a meter of his guards before she stopped and bowed a tiny, incremental distance. Almost, but not quite, enough to be mocking in its lack of respect. "Ah. You are here. President Magnus of Genosha,"

There was a sneer in her tone that had caught him off guard. He was accustomed to those addressing him having a quaver in their voice. A tightly controlled bit of terror that only the Mutant Master of Magnetism could inspire. This woman had none of that. Merely an arrogant condescension that served to inform him that she considered him and his entourage as something that would need to be scraped off of the sole of her elegantly heeled boot.

Erik found that refreshing.

"And you are?" He asked politely.

"I am Albedo, Guardian Overseer of Na--" She stopped abruptly before smoothly correcting herself, "Of Canada. Here to welcome you to Ontario on behalf of his most glorious Majesty, Ainz Ooal Gown."

"Very well, Guardian Overseer Albedo," Erik replied smoothly. "Where will we be meeting with his Majesty?"

"He has asked this one to convey his deepest apologies for his tardiness. Something unexpected and unavoidable came up and his Majesty will be running late." She responded, gesturing to the door she had come through. "We have a room prepared down below where you can wait. Refreshments have been prepared."

"Unfortunate."

She bowed once more, this time just a tiny fraction deeper than before. "Indeed. There is no intent to insult, but as mentioned, this was unexpected."

DaCosta seemed unable to contain a tiny, explosive snort.

Erik noted how the woman's yellow eyes immediately narrowed, glaring hotly at Genosha's Director of the Intelligence Ministry for just a fraction of a second.

If looks could kill, Erik had no doubts that DaCosta would have been smeared across the roof.

In a world of powers, mutants and magical nation conquering skeletons, looks actually could kill.

Erik glanced over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow at the younger man in an unspoken communication. Really?

DaCosta gave him a small, helpless shrug and a weak smile.

Albedo turned sharply and sneered over her shoulder. "Do please try to keep control over your creature. He seems to be an unruly type."

Erik allowed himself a small chuckle and he knew Cargill and Unuscione were far too professional to allow themselves to laugh at DaCosta's characterization as 'unruly', but it was clear they were straining to keep it in.

"He has his uses." Erik allowed.

Albedo sniffed. "My Master would not have kept something so insolent so close to his side."

DaCosta frowned at that and before his better judgement could catch up to him, then shrugged and coyly replied, "El Presidente's is an excellent judge of character."

She sneered back, "I'm certain your leader sees something of… use… in you."

"I'm sure I could find some way to be of 'use' to you, as well." He leered back. "Perhaps we could get together sometime and discuss our leaders further."

Her eyes narrowed once more and again that flash of anger flared and was just as quickly extinguished.

Albedo directed her next comment directly to Erik rather than in general. "Consider perhaps getting him muzzled. And neutered."

The two members of the Genoshan security detail were having the hardest time keeping themselves from nodding in agreement.

"I'll take it under advisement." Erik replied smoothly, then glanced over his shoulder at DaCosta once more with a slightly raised eyebrow.

He caught it and gave a small nod in return.

"Indeed," Albedo said coolly. "A poor servant reflects poorly on its master."

That clearly merited a response. But a calculated one.

Erik glanced at DaCosta once more and gave a small nod.

DaCosta grinned widely then replied. "Your Master," He gave the word his own mocking emphasis, "Didn't seem to think enough of this meeting to show up on time. That seems to reflect poorly directly on himself."

This time Albedo's eyes flared with hatred. A literal flash of golden energies as her voice growled out, "His Highness has given this meeting all the consideration it is due."

"As you said, 'a poor servant reflects poorly on its master'." DaCosta… Bobby now, really as he shrugged carelessly, all formality gone from his manner. "An ill-mannered lackey sent to make his excuses for him also seems to be part of that ill-consideration."

Albedo, trembling with rage, took a step closer. Her voice cold, "Beware how you speak of my Master, worm. You are less than the dust beneath his feet."

Erik stepped aside with Unuscione and Cargill. He was curious to see how this would play out.

"Yet you were sent to treat with that dust." Bobby continued sarcastically, gesturing expansively as he did, "Truly you must be his most valued servant, indeed. If you are meant to be a representative of your master, then consider me underwhelmed."

"Your lack of respect towards my Master is intolerable." She snarled, now practically within reach of him.

He sniffed, echoing her own earlier disdain towards them. "Your master's inability to show up for a formal diplomatic negotiation on time and then choosing to delegate such a delicate and important task to... you... means that he has truly earned the amount of respect," He gave the word a snappy, sarcastic emphasis, "That I am displaying."

That, unfortunately, was that one step too far.

The trembling stopped and her eyes sharpened almost lethally as she raised a hand and seemed to vanish from sight for just a moment.

Director Roberto DaCosta, head of Genosha's Advanced Intelligence Ministry had a fraction of a second to smirk even as an inverted explosion of light congealed across his body.

Black radiance stretched out, leeching the light from around him and settling onto his body, painting all of his exposed skin in a single flat, black shade that drank the light in thirstily. Black spots kept popping in and out around his body, constantly absorbing any light that came too close. His eyes were now glowing yellow.

Then a massive burst of air swept across the roof, hard enough to rock their aircraft slightly and even forcing Cargill to hold her arm up to shield her face. Unuscione and Erik himself were unaffected.

Bobby had one hand up. In it was Albedo's wrist, caught in the motion of a back-handed slap to his face.

Her expression was one of surprise.

Bobby seemed delighted. "My goodness, you are pretty strong aren't you? Fast too. I almost didn't see that coming."

She snarled, her face twisting into a rictus of rage. "You--" She pulled back, ripping her wrist from his grip. Her wings spread, seemingly preparing herself for another charge.

Energy crackled over Bobby as he smirked.

Erik nodded thoughtfully then made an idle gesture with one hand. "I believe that will be enough."

"This insult will not be borne. His insolence--" She surged forward, but found herself suddenly pinned in place by bands of metal that had peeled away from the aircraft.

"Will be dealt with," Erik said, his voice ringing with finality. Another gesture had Bobby bound in metal as well and floating just a few feet away from her.

She struggled against her bonds briefly but found them firm. Erik could tell that she could… if she had so chosen… simply burst the bonds. Her strength was immense. Fortunately, the moment had passed and she had calmed down once more.

"That-- was unseemly of me." She admitted after a moment.

Erik glanced at Bobby and quirked an eyebrow in yet another subtle, unsubtle, unspoken communication.

The matte black of his skin reverted back to his normal skin tone as he glanced away and replied sullenly. "Sorry."

"Will everything be properly diplomatic if I were to release you both?" Erik asked mildly.

"Yes," both chorused.

It was at that moment that the door to the rooftop swung open and an immensely tall and broad shouldered skeletal figure in a black robe stepped through. That he had managed to make it through the normal door was an impressive achievement, as it necessitated turning himself almost entirely to go shoulder first through the door because otherwise it would not have been wide enough to allow his pauldrons through.

His tone was deceptively mild as he took in the scene before him. "I was running late and expected everyone to be at the meeting room already, but-- is there something I should know about?"

Erik smiled broadly as the metal uncoiled from both DaCosta and Albedo. "Nothing at all. Just a few minor… personal details your Guardian Overseer and my Director of Intelligence had to go over."

"While tied up and floating in mid-air?" Ainz's tone was almost, but not quite wry. It should have been impossible to give the impression of a quirked eyebrow when one's face had no flesh, nor actual eyebrows to do it, but somehow he managed.

Bobby straightened his tie and flashed a smile. "They were most vigorous personal details."

Albedo's expression was cold but she managed to bite out the word, "Indeed."

"I… see. Well, then perhaps we can take this inside. I understand you are eager to discuss the… mutant situation."

"Very much so."

Ainz gestured to the door, inviting Erik to precede him.

As everyone worked their way to the door, Cargill leaned in closer towards Albedo and whispered to her, just loudly enough for Bobby to hear, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry you weren't able to smack him one. He deserved it."

Albedo was briefly startled and glanced at her.

Cargill smiled and nodded.

Albedo nodded back.

Erik smiled as he walked deeper into the building.

Diplomacy.