Cipher emerged as she always did when she passed through large solid objects, with the feeling of a pulling force that would usher her through. A willed pull. She emerged still invisible, inaudible, intangible to everything she wished to be, in the small cubicle sized bathroom on what was likely the lowest floor of Magneto's facility. She was able to access it through the walls of Ka-Zar’s house that were the ridge itself, deep in which this facility resided, on the mountainous interior of the savage land.
When she was fully out of the wall she stepped from the cubicle, that she wouldn't let herself smell, into a small bedroom, unoccupied with ruffled sheets on grey, bland bedding. She walked through the walls of the room that led her to a narrow grey hall. The place was well lit and she assumed that this lower floor was just the living quarters of the few treacherous crazies that were based there.
The narrow hallway lead to a staircase going up. She decided to skip the unnecessary tread and surf straight through the ceiling of this floor to higher floors where she was most certain to find the action she was looking for.
No sooner did she level on the next floor in a room far more spacious that the one below, but bare and grey with a hard-looking bed fit for a prison cell, scattered tools and scraps of circuit boards, mechanics and paper, than the door to the room swung open and the Wolverine himself threw a frail looking man into the room. He stumbled with a ghastly look in his eye and stress all over his pallid, fatigued face.
Cipher hadn't taken her eyes off him before the shadow of the Wolverine left the doorway. 'Poor guy' Cipher spoke in silence. She had no time to stick around to get to know him. Just to take note and move on.
Cipher followed the short, husky, hairy man down another well lit hallway and up another flight of stairs which landed in a small room with large glass panels above several dashboards with control panels that obviously operated some kinds of mechanics.
" Are all systems go ? " a gentle baritone came from speakers mounted somewhere in the room.
"Look's about it." answered Wolverine to the voice Alisa only assumed to be Magneto’s.
Cipher moved in closer from the entrance of the room close towards Howlett's father, who was bare chested and wearing just a pair of comfortably fitting jeans and boots.
"So we'll launch tomorrow. I don't want to be keeping around that pitiful fool any longer. We'll dispose of him tomorrow as soon as our mission is successful."
Ali saw the Wolverines head twitch and his metal claws popped through his wrist. Then he withdrew them. For a second she took fright. But then she realized it wasn't that he somehow magically detected her. Something was definitely off about him. She observed the faint reflection in the glass pane. His eyes appeared slightly spaced out and his left brow twitched. Then his eyes once again found intent to look through the glass into the next room.
When she got closer to peer over his shoulders through the glass panes she saw that the room was elevated above a wide open cavity in the ridge. The cavity must have been the biggest part of the entire facility. It was the size of a football field at least. For a second Ali imagined the expanse of a colossal creature, as it grew, maybe even digesting the inner matter of the ridge. She imagine Calisto the Krakken.
Mageto was there, hovering above a series of machines. At least 800 identical machines, coloured red and yellow, were lined in rows. They were lighting up row by row as Magneto hovered above them in his well fitted purple pinstripe suit, donning silvery locks. They were more than machines it seemed. They looked like androids. Or, at least they all bore the same familiar face. A face she had seen several times before. Ali’s invisible eyes widened with the realization of who it was, who that frail pallid "pitiful fool" must have been. Anthony Stark!
Anthony Stark was a billionaire who had, for the longest while, been supporting the mutant cause. He’s given several hefty donations to various non-profit mutant organisations and even contributed to the Agency itself. After his disappearance The Captains had been put on the case, the government believing it to be too high profile for the Agency-X and out of it’s scope since Tony is just a regular supergenius human.
Ali spent the next forty five minutes scouting the remainder of the facility. It was a bit extensive. Amazing what someone as powerful as magneto can do with just a bit of time. He was also something of a genius. Not quite on Stark’s level, but enough to be able to quality control the sentinels, make sure that Tony wouldn't be able to sabotage him, give himself power to control them remotely as a fail-safe. Genius and cunning.
For the time she wondered about the stories that Ka-zar had given them. Not much, but more that what X himself had let off. Interesting that a lot of what they've learned this week had to be second hand. Things add up, but so much more is missing. Cipher was the best at gathering intel, however, she was certain there would be more she would learn.
Forty five minutes and a full secret lair scouting later. Ali was able to report the data she gathered of the facility for the logistics of the mission; building structure, ventilation , exits, technology and the weaponry, everything. Her team all gathered in the ridge-walled room.
"He called the sentinels his iron-men... "
"Magneto has Tony Stark?" interjected Alex for the third time. He was in disbelief.
Lorna finally addressed the issue. "This complicates the mission a little bit. Mr. Stark has been missing for ten months and his case has been in The Captains' portfolio since then. We can't risk telecomm back to base being intercepted so we'll have to deal with his rescue mission till our cover's blown. His rescue is now second priority to decommissioning the sentinels. It takes precedence to Magneto's capture. "
"Magneto's capture might become more important. When I was there it appeared he could control his iron-men remotely with his powers."
"This is how the plan has to be then." continued Lorna. "Cipher will phase us up to one of the rooms on the lowest level. There's no surveillance there. Then I'm giving her eight minutes to phase up to the cavity. Take out the control room tech and then start taking out the sentinels. Once you're doing that we move out. Anole secure Mr. Stark. The Wolverine might come for him. Give it all you got. Havok and I will tag team Magneto. Howlett and Ka-Kazar will help taking out the machines and be ready in case any get initiated. As soon as you're done, Cipher, you get Stark and phase him out. Cipher hasn't reported Cyclops being in the facility. All clear?"
"Crystal." The agents responded.
Ka-zar gave a consenting nod.
