"Eric, you're sure that the Infinity Stones are in here? It seems like there's nothing here."
On the drab, gray, and dark far side of the moon, Mystique brought down the aircraft and once again questioned Eric's judgment.
Eric unconsciously rubbed the ring on his left ring finger. Under his helmet, his misty eyes calmly surveyed the surface of the moon. "Riwen, don't be deceived by appearances. Look at the substance of things."
Mystique shrugged. "Come on, Eric, it's my job to confuse people. Also, I don't want to get caught by Charles."
Eric slightly shook his head and waved his hand. A powerful magnetic field surrounded them, suspending them in the air. This was one of his most proud skills. It could withstand all sorts of attacks and cosmic radiation, and could also strongly keep the air trapped around them. Captured in this magnetic field, he could sustain himself for a moment in space.
The two exited the hatch and stepped out of the spaceship. They flew ahead, but what they could see was a desert landscape. This again instilled Mystique with doubts about Eric's judgment. Just when she was ready to tell him so, Eric just stopped and pointed towards a place close by—a tiny crater. "It's there."
Eric manipulated the magnetic field to set down, then extended his palms up a notch towards the ground. The ground shook, and an undercover hatch was exposed.
Mystique realized at once. Her body started to change and, in a flash of time, she transformed into a middle-aged man clad in a blue uniform. The symbolic "4" on his chest exposed her identity.
"Why must it be Reed? Why cannot I be Charles? I worked hard to obtain his irises," she grumbled.
"This base was constructed by Reed, and certain sections can only be entered by him," Eric clarified.
He waved his hand gently, governing the magnetic field to push Mystique towards the hatch.
A red light swept over her, and the hatch creaked slowly open.
They stepped into the base, and the hatch creaked shut behind them. A synthesized voice, created electronically, intoned, "Mr. Reed, welcome back."
Mystique looked over at Eric and inquired, "Have Charles and Stark visited here recently?"
"Professor Charles and Mr. Stark visited eleven days ago."
"And the others?"
"Mr. Strange stopped by once, seven days ago. Mr. Bertram and Namor have not visited since the last session."
Doctor Strange, Black Bolt, Aquaman—along with Professor X, Iron Man, and Mister Fantastic?
What was this place, anyway? Mystique was confused. Eric had told her only that this was the covert headquarters of Charles, Mister Fantastic Reed, et al., without providing specifics.
Now it appeared this was a much more complicated setup than she had envisioned. These six people were some of the world's best superheroes, each representing different camps. Together, their individual pull reached across the entire superhero universe on Earth. What were they doing?
"This is the Illuminati!" Eric remarked as he slowly entered a hexagonal hall, his low voice inflected with sarcasm. "A secret society established by a couple of pretentious individuals to resolve crises that jeopardize Earth and even the cosmos. No one is aware that such an organization exists except for themselves."
"How do you know about it, then?" Mystique asked, confused.
"Me too, that's what I want to ask!" Suddenly a light ring formed behind them, and Tony Stark burst into view in his suit. Standing behind him were Professor X and Doctor Strange.
Mystique slapped her forehead. This plan, as with so many others before, it seemed, had failed even before it started. A look of hopelessness, she strode over to Eric with a catwalk strut.
"Oh my God, they have to show this video to Susan, his wife. Mister Fantastic, the old-school Frankenstein, walks down the catwalk in real life!" Stark said, nodding towards the projection of Mystique as Reed. The video played on his armor.
"Yes, that's it!" Stark yelled in excitement. He rapidly went through the projection, edited out the clip of Mystique strutting down the catwalk, looped it, and inserted it along with eerie music to make a brief ghostly video.
"Stark!" Professor X cautioned.
"Oh, all right, don't get so uptight. I just want to brighten things up. Now, let's get businesslike!" Stark replied, stashing away the projection.
-----
If you want to read more chapters, go on p@treOn.
[email protected]/MiniMine352