(no subject)
Magneto is grim-faced upon stepping out of the infirmary, the tired circles around his eyes clearly suggestive of the amount of rest he's been getting. Still, at least he's somewhere other than his room or office - clearly visible where he stands, prying absently at one sleeve cuff to get the button undone. Then the other.
And somebody's been looking for him for quite some time. Toxin, not looking exactly her best anyway, has finally hunted down her fearless leader. "You look like you've been run over by a Panzer." she observes in a quiet tone, rubbing at her bare arms. Dressed in a tank top and loose pants, she doesn't cut the picture of the cold-hearted second in command at the moment.
Magneto manages a hoarse chuckle for that, although he hasn't actually looked up from his sleeves yet to make eye contact. When he finally does, it's with a look that hints that he's been aware of her searching for him. "A Panzer I could handle."
"Considering you probably would never have let it run over you in the first place." Toxin observes with a wry smile. She tucks her gloved hand underneath Magneto's arm, and starts to guide him towards his quarters. "I need to talk to you."
Magneto simply nods, putting just enough effort forth into adjusting his posture to make it look as if he's doing the leading...regardless of whether he is or isn't, his left hand falling neatly over the gloved one under his right arm. "Yes. Considering. And I thought you might."
The tiny acts of propriety are what Toxin really likes about Magneto. As she maneuvers them into his quarters, she carefully shuts the door. "Erik...what happened the other day..." She trails off and simply gazes at him. She doesn't need to finish her thought, because he should know what she's going to say.
The lock clicks smoothly into place before Erik even indicates that he's heard, his cool gaze shifting to meet hers evenly once more. "I miscalculated Warren's worth. I...made an error. And the Brotherhood paid for it."
"Indeed." Toxin replies, her voice soft and smooth. Leaning on the wall, she crosses her arms over her chest. For several moments she doesn't speak, but finally she has to. "What is she to you? Emma Frost. Other than a monetary benefactor. You could get that from Sabella and I."
Magneto doesn't seem all that keen to fill the silence that falls before the question is finally asked, but his immediate reluctance to answer is carefully suppressed. Unfortunately, it would be a lot less evident if he wasn't quite as tired as he is. He owes her the truth. "I have known Emma Frost for a very long time." All of it. "Since she was a little girl. Her family...her real family, was not very supportive."
For the time being, Toxin doesn't interrupt, simply listening. "And you were the family she needed." It's common knowledge that Magneto wasn't exactly Papa of the Year to a couple of his children. Feeling the need to sit, she perches on the very edge of the bed, drawing her legs up and wrapping her arms around her knees. "So when she needed you, you were there. And now that you need her..."
Magneto mantains wary eye contact as Toxin moves over to the bed and fills in a space or two, a single, slow nod attributed to her assumptions. "She is still a young woman. Fickle...I..." Erik's brows tilt slightly as he trails off. "I don't know what she's going to decide. But I believe we may need to begin to look into alternate means of obtaining information regarding Mutant Registration."
The poisonous woman merely shakes her head. "There are always alternate means. Emma Frost may have been the easiest way, or the safest, but we can find another." That doesn't seem to be a big problem to Toxin. "After all, it's a government operation, which means somebody can be bought, blackmailed, or just taken out." Problem solved.
"She may yet decide to come around, and she *is* more valuable with us than she is against us. We may start looking, but I would like to know for certain that the deal is off before we make our next move." Falling quiet once more, Erik works to even out the emotional kinks in his expression before speaking up once more. "I am considering granting half of the Brotherhood a week of vacation. And the next half the next week."
"Vacation? Erik, are you certain that's a good idea?" Frankly, Toxin isn't sure some of them would come back. On the other hand, that might be a good thing. "Then you need to speak with her once all of this has cooled down. Not that I'm sure it ever really will."
"Not off the island, obviously - but more time to relax than they've had here. Morale is exceedingly low, Toxin. They don't know what hit them, and they are not going to be any happier when they find out. This is the second time in a month that we've had heavy injuries like this, and this time we must deal with the consequences without Sabella." Erik presses, his mouth thinning before he moves back onto the topic of Emma. "I will not go crawling back to her to see if she plans on mantaining a deal of her own devising. If she declines to contact me within a month's time, we will move to aquire the files from someone else."
A few more times, and Erik might just manage to get a few of his more loyal acolytes killed. So far they've been lucky. "Honestly, Erik, if you let them loose, you're going to lose a few of them. They have to understand what happened." Toxin pauses, and a small, sad smile creeps across her face. "Sooner or later, they were going to discover that even you are falliable."
"For their sakes and for the sake of the Cause, Veronica, I cannot afford to be fallible!" His voice lifting in anger, Erik has to force himself to turn away a moment later, even if most if it is directed inwardly. A hand lifts to rub over his face as some of the fire dies out of his glare, which has conveniently shifted its focus onto the chess table. "I have to tell them the truth. Or some version of it, at the very least."
"You are old enough to realize that you cannot be infallible. No one is." Toxin says in her soft tone, shaking her head slowly. "If you are to tell them the truth, you must tell them all, or nothing. Because a version will only lead to other versions. You cannot afford that." Offering counsel to her leader isn't one of her specialties, but for the most part, Toxin looks comfortable with the role, her gaze steady and firm.
"No more than I can afford having them question my ability to lead. And regardless of what I do tell them, for Emma's sake I cannot go into the specifics of her involvement. Better to say that she was with the X-men from the beginning." Not having turned back, Erik paces slowly for the table, his glare distracted. Unfocused. "Are you all right? I never took the time to ask after I woke."
Sighing softly, Toxin knows how this argument is going to end. "Some of them won't buy that, but that's one possible way to put it. You should probably avoid mention of Emma at all, if you can. Lorna and Lillianne were really the only ones who got a good look at her." The blonde female watches Erik, her expression one of concern. But it erases as soon as he asks about her. "I'm fine."
"Mmm. Lorna I can trust. Lillianne is more worrisome, but I suspect that you are correct. The less attention drawn to a subject, the less speculation...unless the reverse turns out to be true." Erik is, of course, speaking mostly to himself, until he remembers a moment later that Toxin is still present, and that he just asked her if she was all right. His hand finally falling back to his side, he turns to face her with lifted brows. "Good."
"Lillianne will keep her mouth shut if we tell her to. And of course, Lorna's not here enough to really make any difference one way or another." Toxin doesn't move, her gold-green eyes meeting Erik's blue ones without hesitation. Maybe she's lying about her condition, maybe she's not. Certainly there are no physical signs of injury on her.
Magneto pulls in a slow, deep breath that does little to ease the tension that saturates his posture, his eyes searching carefully through hers, only to find nothing of help. Or, at least, not what he's looking for. His mouth half opens to say something, only to abandon the effort before any actual words can be formed.
Tilting her head to one side, Toxin brushes stray locks of golden hair out of her face, her expression changing once more. It goes back to concern this time, and she says softly, "Erik...what is it?"
Magneto shakes his head, his brows knit and his jaw sliding automatically into a much harder set. Whatever it was, he's successfully crushed it. "Nothing of importance."
Emotions that flash across Toxin's face - disappointment, concern, embarrassment - are smashed flat in a few seconds. Her mask carefully back in place, she rises from her spot on his bed and nods. "In that case, I should leave you to your rest." There's the unspoken words of 'you need it'.
Magneto's eyes flick immediately away from hers at whatever emotion he catches within them, his own glare still oddly soft to be fixed within such a stern expression. "I want you to get some rest as well, Toxin."
"I'll be all right." comes the tempered response from his lieutenant, tossed over her shoulder as she pauses near the door. The lock is thrown back, and Toxin starts out into the hall, trusting that the door will be shut and locked behind her.
Magneto allows it to remain open for a good minute or two before closing it with little more than a flick of his wrist, but it's a long time before he actually moves to seat himself on the side of the bed. And longer still before he leans over to begin working at the laces of his boots.