15623/The King's Tomb part 2

The King's Tomb part 2
Date of Scene:	23 September 2023
Location:	The Tomb of the Desert King, Egypt
Synopsis:	Magneto and his team continue to explore the Tomb of the Desert King recovering the Segment of Death for the Sceptre of Eternity. On the way out they run into Israa's assistants.
Cast of Characters:	Magneto, Phoenix, Polaris, Boom-Boom, X-23, Juggernaut, Sinister

---

Magneto has posed:
The chamber beyond the newly opened door shrouds itself in darkness, with the only source of light emanating from the now-open portal. Magneto strides through the entrance, his form passing by Israa, Tabitha, and Laura, who are positioned in its threshold.

Within this chamber, additional columns now stand sentinel, their silhouettes morphing into ghostly shapes amidst the profound darkness.

"Boom Boom," Magneto calls back through the chamber, his voice reaching out to the far side, "do you reckon you could shed a little light in this space?"

Phoenix has posed:
Jean has been made aware of what Magneto plans in Egypt, but trying to locate him, even with Cerebro, is neigh impossible because of his mental protection. As she continues to search, one could understand a bit of frustration, but Jean is anything if not patient.

That patience pays off when she finds a familiar mind amongst the ruins.. Tabitha Smith. Who, one might reason, has very little reason to be in Egypt. Or at the very least it would be quite a coincidence if she just happened to be in a location unmarked on any known map, at the same time as Magneto was looking for some hidden tomb.

Normally, Jean would contact a team of X-Men, but time is not on her side.

So instead she makes her way for the Blackbird and speeds out towards Egypt after switching into her green and golden field gear. And that's how Jean gets here,

eventually.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna Dane has been largely staying out of superhero politics lately, focusing on her geophysics work up north..However ominous warnings from Sinister had her a bit concerned about what's going on with the Brotherhood and Xmen too. More importantly she's concerned about rumours that Magneto might be trying to awaken an old nemesis..Or something.

So she arrives a bit late to the party after checking in with contacts as to his current location. Of course it would be some creepy cavernous chamber or tomb or whatever this place is. And so she arrives on her own or possibly taking others with her as she makes it to the rendezvous site.

Boom-Boom has posed:
"For a civilization that loved it's sun god. They really loved sticking things where the sun doesn't shine." Tabitha states with the opening of the new chamber,

Illumination is the easy part though. Sure bringing lamps and lanterns and flashlights would be handy, but most of them are only in a single direction.

Boom-Boom however can do way more than that. Small orbs start appearing around her, a swish of arms and waggling of fingers and the orbs glow bright enough to cast light everywhere. Floating around with in the chamber, her psionic control leaves her hands free still to otherwise poke and prod when something needs it.

Not that she would, at least until she knows there's no bobby traps. "So far so good. No mummies or other desiccated bodies." she comments to the others playfully.

To be fair, Tabby had gotten roped into the whole mess a while back, and had done some snooping with Cyclops. Obviously word got back to Westchester.

Tabby kept on with this probably for the Indiana Jones references.

X-23 has posed:
Laura Kinney is very much on guard. She isn't afraid, of course, she's long past any fear of harm or death. But this is definitely a bad idea and she can't help but feel as if everyone else knows it's a bad idea, but they all just keep going anyway.

"I'm starting to feel like Short Round," she says. That's a movie she's seen, at least. Her senses are twitchy, the ancient smells trapped here displeasing and eerily dead. It all makes her want to sneeze.

She's waiting for an army of skeletons or a giant slime monster or something to come out and try to kill then. Just a matter of time.

Juggernaut has posed:
You know what the world needs more of? The Juggernaut.

He had been laying low for awhile. Strange happenings in the aftermath of some business dealings in Madripoor made him think the time right to duck and cover for a little bit and re-asses goals both short and long term. But you can't keep a big man down and really, a world lacking the panic induced by a sighting of The Juggernaut is just a world in dire need of some excitement. Thus when a call came to request his presence and assistance by none other then Mag-Freaking-Neto...he groaned, rolled over in his reinforced bed and went back to sleep.

Except eventually he changed his mind because, again, the world needs more Juggernaut.

Timing paired his arrival to the area with that of Lorna and so by the time the entrance to the tomb has been reached he's right behind her and peering at it with a frown clearly visible on helmeted features. His dubious expression is quite audible in his grinding rumbling voice as he rests a hand on his waist and gestures at the dark entrance, "What is this...tomb raiding? I thought he needed something punched or smashed or whatever."

Sinister has posed:
Sinister's still here. He's annoying like that, in that he's persistant at being where he possibly shouldn't be. Mind you, he's been mildly helpful so far, so... you win some you lose some. Tapping his cane on the floor the once, the crystal on the end of it lights up nice and bright and conveniently... infra red. It paints the walls in interestingly different shades, but it also will highlight if there's any sources of heat in there, long before anyone actually encounters something that might be a brain eating scarab, or some other such nonsense.

"It seems you're insisting on this course of action, Magnus. Very well, this is how it is." He cocks is head, a faint little crooked smile popping up there, as he peers through nothing and dark and stone, to something ... else.

"And behold, there's now a convenient walking wall with a helmet. Good day to you, Cain." A comment made without looking that way, he glides alittle further forward, not actually walking upon the stone. Don't set off pressure traps that way. "I beggar to think what you're hoping to find in here."

Magneto has posed:
With the chamber bathed in the light Tabitha has provided, Magneto casts an approving gaze around. "Much better," he acknowledges, his voice echoing with satisfaction.

Satisfied with their immediate surroundings, Israa ventures further into the room, following in the wake of Tabitha and Laura. Her eyes alight on the columns that stand like sentinels once more. "More columns," she muses, her tone contemplative. "Perhaps another riddle awaits us?"

However, Magneto's attention is momentarily diverted from the columns as more of his fellow mutants make their entrance. "I see you've finally decided to join us," he remarks, a hint of wryness in his voice. "Better late than never, I suppose."

His gaze then shifts towards a distant wall. "I believe our path continues in that direction," he suggests, his tone carrying authority. "But I would advise against brute force, Juggernaut. We don't want to bring the tomb crashing down upon us."

Just as he speaks, a loud click resonates from somewhere within the room. "Oh my!" Israa exclaims, her voice filled with astonishment. She points towards one of the walls, where shadows, cast by Tabitha's lights, begin to converge and form a mysterious image.

Phoenix has posed:
The Blackbird settles into the dirt before the entrance to a tomb long hidden and Jean descends the ramp. Finding the gathering of mutants shouldn't be quite as difficult with the trail already blazed and a pair of minds to lead her through the precarious obstacles. But it still requires caution, even if the fact that most of the puzzles that lead her to Magneto and company have been solved. It affords her speed in catching up...

Picking her way through tunnels long buried. Ducking beneath hanging bits of stone carved by ancient civilizations and hidden away from the eyes of mortals since history recorded. Nothing about her abilities gives her vision in the dark, but the Phoenix provides. Casting a hazy red glow that illuminates the corners of her eyes and sends wisps of fiery energy up around her equally fiery red hair. While a yellow-gold glove passes across webs to clear them from her path, following the groups path on the wings of Tabitha's, and now Sinister's, mind.

Polaris has posed:
It seems that Magneto has attracted a lot of attention on his little excursion, not that it should surprise anyone, of course. Lorna would rather stay out of these sorts of things to be honest, but with her father involved and presumably doing something incredibly dangerous and foolish, not to mention putting the safety of Genosha at risk, she needs to get to the bottom of this, one way or the other.

Soon it seems even villains, or at least former villains of the Xmen arrive, and she teases as she hears a familiar voice in her head, glancing at Sinister a slight frown and nothing more. His warning is acknowledged but she is in a hurry to get away from people whom she's not sure she trusts and find Magneto one way or the other.

Jean's presence is more than welcome however, and she falls in behind her, letting her lead the way once she catches up with her. "Jean..How far in does this thing go? Think you're able to pick up his presence?" oh, she has so many questions but so little time so she falls silent, and follows course behind her, hoping they reach their destination soon..

Boom-Boom has posed:
"Short Round could fight and drive like a madman. Dude got himself an Oscar as an adult too!" Tabby points out. "Shame the last movies were pretty much elder abuse." she laments to Laura.

The blonde woman chuckling as yet more columns stand out, and stand up. "These look kinda load bearing too. So like only break in an emergency. Knowing this place so far. Prolly totally rigged to collapse and bury us all. Juggy, you might survive, but you wanna be stuck down here for flark knows how long?" she posits to the big red giant.

Luckily for the redhead incoming. Tabby's brain isn't that difficult to track when it's in range.

Of course they still have to progress further so she lets Israa get on with all that translating. "So lemme guess. When is a door not a door? When it's a jar. Canopic it or what!" she can't help herself sometimes.

X-23 has posed:
Laura Kinney looks back at Tabitha, "See? Just like me. Just waiting for the right audition," she says.

The arrival of the other Brotherhood members doesn't hugely reassure her, but she figures she can at least use Juggernaut as a personal shield. Hell, they call could, dude's as big as a house. The brush of Jean's mind over hers is familiar and, while she doesn't generally like people in her brain, Jean at least was trustworthy. At least, as much as Laura trusted anybody which wasn't much.

"I just don't like it," she says at last. "Any of it."

Juggernaut has posed:
With his helmet on, any brushes against his mind are reflected away. He's a void to psychic senses but that doesn't stop him from being seen at a distance as the approaching lights likely fall across his massive back like sunlight over a mountain range. Plus he's not eactly quiet. His deep voice rumbles and echoes with sarcasm and a rumbly sardonic tone.

"Yeah well ...brute force is kind of what I do, remember?" The giants remarks are surly as he removes his hand from his hips and begins to slowly lumber forward. He does, however, concedes Magneto's point by adding, "..But I've been buried alive enough to know none of y'all want to experience that...".

He looks over the area with mild disdain while stepping forward slowly towards the indicated wall, presuming Magneto's words to imply he does want a way through. A gentle push, perhaps, as opposed to a building demolishing swing. To that end, even his steps could be said to be practically mammoth tip toes as The Juggernaut is well known for shaking city blocks by merely walking as if the sheer pressure of his footfalls was too much for the environment about him. Not so here. He can offer restraint when it suits him. Underground in some godforsaken tomb with a bunch of others is probably suiting him.

"So where's the hinges on this thing then?" he asks, assuming a secret door or some other offering as he moves forward to run his fingers about the aforementioned wall and then crouches low to press them against the earth where the wall and the ground meet. "Secret button?" he mutters, eyes narrowing in growing impatience. "...Song on some magic flute?"

Sinister has posed:
Casting a glance over his shoulder, Sinister elects to wait a little while, hanging back from advancement. After all, if they do bring the roof down on their heads at least he's closer to the exits? Or something of that ilk, at any rate. He watches for the arrival of those he knows are coming, turning back only when they're imminently to arrive. He floats forward, lifting the walking cane to make the infra-red considerably more helpful in guaging dimensions. Light needs to illuminate, right? And the standard spectrum Boom-boom has covered.

There IS a sigh for the very terrible dad joke though, his motion silent as he floats forth for a better look at what's before them all. It doesn't seem to bother him in the slightest that he's odd man out here.

Magneto has posed:
Magneto dismisses the queries and observations of the assembled group, his focus intensifying on the enigmatic shadow play upon the wall. The shadows take on an array of forms---some resembling hieroglyphs, others animals, and yet others, human figures.

"I wonder what is causing the shadow to behave in such a way," Israa muses, her curiosity matched only by her proximity to Magneto.

For a brief span of silence, Magneto ponders the enigma before him. "You may not have noticed," he begins, his voice measured, "but there appears to be a fluctuation in the magnetic fields within this room. They seem to ebb and flow in sync with these shadows."

He extends his hands outward, his control over magnetic forces manifesting. As if by command, the shadows cease their restless motion, frozen in place.

"I cannot explain the mechanics," he concedes, his voice tinged with intrigue, "but it's evident that the two are intricately connected."

Phoenix has posed:
"Your father is incredibly difficult to track." Jean says to Lorna, offering a wanning smile to the emerald haired mutant as she brushes spiderwebs from her path and finally catches up with the second group arriving into these hidden tunnels. "But Tabitha is not." She indicates one of several paths with an extended point, "They went this way." Peering around at those who've gathered around Polaris, specifically Sinister.. whom she does give a smile, if a bit of a tight one.

Of course he's here.

But he'd set her own the path, so it shouldn't be at all a surprise... stepping into the haunting red glow imenating from his staffs head, her pupils constrict and the wisps of fire born energy coiling up from the corners of her eyes dissipates.

Until they come within view of the shifting forms of shadows taking on various symbology near where Magneto is now frozen the figures into something more controlled. In a combination of various light sources, she can regard these figures from afar. "Someone went to a great deal of effort to seal this place through means very few people on Earth then, or now, could open. I can't possibly be the only one here who thinks there's a reason for that? That, perhaps, this is a terrible idea?"

Polaris has posed:
"But of course he is.." she sighs and nods in agreement, impatient to get there as soon as possible.

Once they join the others, she is too aware of strange magnetic energies somehow connected to the shadowy dancing figures on the wall..And there is Magneto, doing..Something to them.

She frowns, stepping towards him, "Father, what is the meaning of this?!" she demands tersely.

Boom-Boom has posed:
There's another grin aimed at Laura. "Least we're not hired because of our screams!" she admits while she circles those light bringing little balls of plasma around. Creating new ones as others fizzle out in little soundless puffs. Swirling balls in shifting colors but bright enough they hit walls closer to normal if bright light globes.

"If it really came to it. This is all like limestone right? Wouldn't take long to glass this whole thing. Might wanna not be around a whole bunch of molten silica." she adds.

It'd actually take a stupid long time though to slag so much as a brick of the stuff though. So impractical.

The weird electromagnetic stuff hers a shrug of her shoulder. "Sure it's not me doing it? I am a walking bioelectric generator after all." an actual valid question. Most plasmakinetics tend towards absorption, and redistribution of the required energies.

Finally hearing Jean and Lorna following through and catching up, Tabby grins and waggles fingers. "Oh yeah, this is totally going to try and bite us in our mostly all shapely asses." she replies. "But like not as bad if we don't? McGuffins we straight don't want ancient evil overlord assholes getting their mitts on."

X-23 has posed:
Laura Kinney snorts "I scream spectacularly."

She mostly just feels her hairs standing up on her body, all the magnetic and primal energies in the air. It's not really helping her nerves, overall, her body already primed for action at any second, flooded a bit with adrenaline, making her pace a little bit.

"The redhead has a point," she says, pointing towards Jean as she wonders what exactly they're doing here in the first place.

Juggernaut has posed:
Jean's words draw a quick glance from the kneeling Juggernaut who then looks back over the frozen shadow play once more. There is a pause...an odd sort of consideration of matters before the mammoth brute finally stands back up to his full height and spreads his massive arms out to his sides in a gesture of exasperation.

"Does somebody wanna tell me what the hell's going on here!? What're we lookin' for ? Whose tomb is this?"

Quick to answer calls for help and slow to ask questions in advance it seems.

"Red aint wrong either. " he adds with a jab of his tree branch thick thumb over in Jean's direction. "More then any of y'all I got some experience with stuff bein' sealed needing to stay sealed..." His tone darkens at that with a brief tinge of self reflection and personal connection to things otherworldly and best left undisturbed hanging in the air.

He pauses as he considers Sinister and then adds quickly, "Well...more then anyone here .except for him I guess. But still. You open something up in here you might not like what you find." He turns towards Magneto finally and brings his thumb back to indicate the wall, "So what's it gonna be? You want me through this wall or not?"

Sinister has posed:
"It's the tomb of Amun-Deshret, the Desert king," Sinister obliges, but it's measured out with a shake of his head, a press of his lips and he levitates further, gliding on to the shadows to take a good, solid look at thier shapes and designs. He doesn't become any more helpful though, turning away from them and closing his eyes. When they open again, they look prismatic, like those of a mantis or insect, staring around at the stone and carvings, pillars, walls, floors. "Ancient technology, keyed to the electromagnetic field, giving clues to those that have electro-magnetic control. You know, I should just..." he shakes his head, gritting his jaw as he floats further around, in to inspect something or other and shine his own infra-red glow on various surfaces. He even looks up, across the ceiling of the tomb.

He then turns his head drifting close to various spots to apparently listen intently, staring with eyes that are just alien seeming.

Magneto has posed:
The sound of his daughter's voice disrupts Magneto's concentration, and the shadows on the wall resume their familiar dance.

"What is the meaning of what?" he repeats, his brow furrowing. "Are you referring to the puzzle? I must admit, I'm not entirely certain of the answer yet, but rest assured, we will unravel it."

When Tabitha suggests that her powers might be the cause, his attention shifts to her. "No," he counters, a note of certainty in his tone. "I'm quite accustomed to how your powers function. This phenomenon is distinctly different."

The rising presence of Juggernaut captures his focus once more. "Indeed, we're well aware that anything hidden within this tomb should remain so. Regrettably, we're not the sole seekers here. It appears that we've arrived ahead of Clan Akkaba, though I'm at a loss as to how."

Concern lingers in his voice as he cautions against breaking through the wall. "As I mentioned, such an action could lead to the entire structure collapsing upon us. You, Juggernaut, along with Jean and X-23, would endure. We could construct protective barriers. But what of Boom Boom or Israa?" He nods in the archaeologist's direction. "Not all among us are mutants."

Sinister's observant eye scans the chamber and identifies the technological source of the shadow play nestled within the columns.

Phoenix has posed:
Well that explains enough. If there's a cult attempting to find the same tomb as they are currently in, their intentions are likely far less pure. "I see..." Jean offers with a frown, glancing back the way they'd entered and then over at the moving shadow images with Magneto's control temporarily paused.

Then again, it is possible if not very 'probable' that they could destroy whatever rests in the tomb.

So she moves over to search with Sinister. Keeping a weary, mental, eye cast around them. An aura to alert her should they have sudden, unwelcome, guests. "I don't like this. I agree that we should prevent Clan Akkaba from entering, but we don't have to open this door to do so." She murmurs, tracing a finger around one of the columns.

Juggernaut has posed:
"No foolin'..." grunts Juggernaut, though if it's to Magneto's comment about everyone there not being a mutant or the potential harm a cave in might cause is left unclear.

"I know that." he says, again leaving unclear what he's referring to at first....though he does add, "I thought you wanted through this wall. But if it's a fight you came here for, now you calling me in makes more sense."

He quiets and steps back from the wall now to let those with more apt senses and skills take the lead and his long strides move him closer to Laura and Tabitha, passing by them like some irate oil tanker.

Knowing that there is an opposing force interested in this tomb does get his mind whirring though. A mercenary by trade and villain by label ...he knows what -he- would do in such an instance and he can't help but voice that.

"If you beat them here and they know you're working against them and don't want you to have whatever is in there...what're the odds of us getting shelled from above or otherwise buried alive anyway?"

He cuts his gaze over towards Sinister and Jean both now as he continues, "Don't you think you better try and find out where these folk are? I don't like the idea of walking into some sort of trap."

Boom-Boom has posed:
There's a shrug of Tabby's shoulders as Magneto dismisses any affect she has. "Well if this whole thing goes sideways it's totally won't be my fault!" she states with her usually levels of playful snark.

"Still prefer not to be crushed. Well I'm crushing here and there, but not splat under tons of debris." she adds as the others debate even doing this heist.

"So you guys like remember when they said there were like four of these. For all we know Akkaba is looting one of them others already. So if anything we play keep away. They can't complete their thing if they don't have all the bits. Like dragon balls. Need the set." she points out.

Sinister has posed:
Zeroing in on what he was looking for, Sinister floats right up to it and stares a few moments at the mechanism. It's ancient rather obviously, but -- there's a slow exhale and he places both hands on either side of it, exploring with his technological awareness. "Interesting," he murmurs, tapping his knuckles on various spots of the stone, then glancing down at the shadowplay. "Scrambled purposefully..." a tilt of the head, a press of the lips and he reaches into his pocket, rummages a few moments then removes a smart watch, which he checks over. That's affixed to his wrist and he places that hand near the mechanism; two little wires pop out and winnow beneath stone.

"We would need a mental image of who it is we're looking for. Otherwise, that would take forever and a day, because deserts are not so devoid of life as you'd think. Anyone care to supply a face for the telepaths?"

Magneto has posed:
Magneto tilts his head, acknowledging Juggernaut's observation about the possibility of an aerial bombardment. "To our knowledge, Clan Akkaba is unaware of our opposition. I've yet to encounter any of their members in person. But regardless, they remain determined to acquire the Segment hidden within this tomb. Reducing the tomb to rubble would risk destroying the Segment."

A flicker of relief crosses his features as Tabitha articulates a insight. "Exactly!" Magneto exclaims with approval. "I knew there had to be an astute mind among the X-Men team. If we secure this Segment, we can thwart Clan Akkaba's nefarious plan. No resurrection of Apocalypse."

Magneto's expression then tightens in response to Sinister's remarks about the clan's appearance. "We have no definitive information on their appearances," he concedes, "but they typically don brown hooded cloaks.

Now, did your exploration of that column yield any discoveries?"

Boom-Boom has posed:
"Brown cloaks. Oh no, we're looking out for Jedi." Tabby might take the compliment about her asspull of a guess but knowing what to look for in opposition kind of makes things murky.

"They got anything else. Trigger phrases that'll get them rattling on or actual distinguishing marks. Tramp stamps we can find if we yank the cloaks?" she ponders and looks around.

"Jean, like how fine can you get with your TK? Think you could find any cracks and sift out any latches and mechanisms? Gotta be like a Bill Goldberg device in there but hey, why rack our brains one way when we can feel things out with a brain another." she suggests.

This is likely her experience as a thief. Why crack a security code, if you can safely hotwire it.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna Dane was ready to yell at Magneto for doing something so foolhardy, but now it seems to make some twisted sense. "...Oh.." is all she says. And sighs.

"Then we had better open this first and take it someplace safe, however, I'm not sure of safer places than a tomb.."

They might have to figure that out later however, if they're racing against the clock.She reaches up to touch the wall with a slight frown.

"I thought I sensed a magnetic disturbance in the rocks, and they reacted to your powers.." this directed towards Magneto. Then she reaches out with her own powers to test them against the wall with those shadowy figures.

"Do they need to shape a particular form to open the door..?" and she searches for any clues or symbols that might hint at to what that particular formation might be.

Juggernaut has posed:
The crimson behemoth considers the situation once again and listens...and when Tabitha speaks and Magneto voices his approval he just groans abit.

"So we don't know what they look like...so the mind-folk here can't search for them. You know something is in here possibly behind this wall and you need to recover something before they do. Cool."

Juggernaut claps his hands together. The sound producing a palpable disturbance of air from the idle gesture.

"Time to go through the wall so we can go home and get drunk."

It's a seeming about face from his earlier statement but he then points out. "You got the strongest folk on the planet in here right now, Mags. I think you can stop a cave in. You got you, Red, Green. Me. Pastey." He's just doing that part on purpose now.

"FIgure it out so we can get what you need and get outta here before your cultists show up. If y'all can't keep a roof from collapsing then you need to hand yoru x-gene cards back in. I'm going in unless somebody got a reason as big as a nuclear bomb to convince me not to or make a key out of sand or something. Do it now." By the time he's done talking, he's back at the wall, reaching a hand up and laying it flat against it to prepare to start pushing.

Sinister has posed:
Sinister forces his hand flat to the stone, eyes narrowing as they stare at the wall that's causing them so much issue with being stubbornly... a wall. The shadowplay arrives briefly, flickers off, returns again and with a long, slow inhale, something goes very softly 'ffffttttttzzzt' -- "Give me a moment here," he murmurs, closing his eyes completely and tilting his chin up again, like he's listening to something.

He raises a hand toward the wall, spreads fingers loosely and makes a little left-right sweep of the wrist. "Open Sez-a-me," very softly said, but Jean can probably hear it. "You might want to help it along, it's fighting me somewhat..."

Phoenix has posed:
If their options are leaving this tomb to possibly be discovered by the Clan or opening the door to protect the tablet inside, standing around trying to summon solutions to a Tomb Raider puzzle from thin air is off the table. "Alright, if we have to get in, we're getting in." There's an air of frustration in her tone, where she's standing beside Sinister.

Her hands extend outwards, fingers curling. More as a foci for her telekinesis than any real need to center her abilities towards the mechanisms hidden behind the walls of this ancient tomb. Between Juggernaut's brute force and the power of two of the most powerful telekinetics on the face of the planet, never mind Magneto and Polaris' ability to control magnetic fields, the fact they're being beat by a hiroglyphic word puzzle isn't just frustrating...

It's down right insulting.

So baring someone stopping her, and that'll be incredibly interesting to see, Jean Grey is about to tear this stone door off it's stone door hinges and sort out the collateral damage. Our powers combined are way more impressive than Egyptian picure words.

Magneto has posed:
Magneto releases an exasperated sigh. "Israa, if you wouldn't mind standing beside me for a moment," he requests, "it appears some of our allies are leaning toward a more forceful approach to the door."

While Sinister continues his work on the column, Jean wields her formidable powers to forcibly open the door. As the door begins to rise, a low rumble ripples through the tomb, but to their relief, the structure remains intact.

"It appears to have worked," Magneto observes, his tone tinged with satisfaction. "Very well, let's uncover the mysteries that lie beyond this door."

With caution, Magneto proceeds through the door, ensuring not to make direct contact with it. He enters another chamber, where the focal point is an imposing sarcophagus positioned at its centre.

Israa, driven by a palpable excitement, takes a step around Magneto and traverses the chamber floor towards the sarcophagus. Delicately, she pushes the lid aside, revealing the mummified remains within---undeniably those of the Desert King. Nestled beside the remains rests a short, gleaming golden bar.

Juggernaut has posed:
Jean's intervention is timely because Juggernaut was just about to begin pushing and crumpling that door inward like so much tinfoil or wet tissue. Her own desire to move forward seems to have gotten just ahead of his by half an instance and so as the door begis to ilift he pulls his hand back and frowns.

"That's it? No traps? No cave in? We were doing all that fussing and that was it? If the guy whose tomb this is was alive, I'd kill 'im."

He doesn't bother stepping in all the way himself, preferring to remain at the threshold as he eyes the contents of the newly revealed room and watches as the others step in past him.

"So that's it right? Let's take it and bounce."

Polaris has posed:
Lorna Dane blinks at Jean's decision and sighs, lowering her hands, "It's always the brutal approach in the end.." she mutters but focuses on creating an electromagnetic shield, hopefully big enough to encompass at least so,e of them as she anticipates a cave in..And is quite shocked and relieved when there is none. Into the sarcophagus they go, but she hesitates at the sight of the mummy. "Please don't tell me we'll be cursed if we touch that thing.." she takes a step back, a bit hesitant to go any further down that rabbit hole.

Boom-Boom has posed:
Things move with Jean's Brain and Tabby grins as things speed up and a dead old king is visible. And a gold bar. "We get you a black catsuit, and we might just make a sexy burglar out of you yet Boss!" she encourages the telekinetic woman.

"So, they all gonna look like that thing? If so, we could probably get a good fake made up that looks pretty but doesn't do anything worth while. Like me on a Sunday morning." she jokes.

Juggernaut seeming frustrated like the others gets a chuckle. "Drop a deuce in the coffin. Then when we seal it back up, Akkaba gets a whiff of that bad boy and dies! Problem solved!"

Sinister has posed:
Sinister raises a hand, from up above by that pillar, slowly extricating the wire from the stone before he floats on down. "There were traps. There was also quite the possibility of things going pear shaped. Glad to see we're not facing that possibility, hmm?" He looks to Jean, gives her the faintest nod of respect, then tucks his hands into the small of his back once more, gazing at the tableau of sarcophagus, mummy, gold bar. Without moving a hand, he lifts the sarcophagus lid, rotates it so that it is upright and slowly turns it around, drifting closer without his feet touching the floor, essentially to read over the cartouches and the heiroglphys, blessings, spells and curses engraved and painted upon the lid. That's where they're at, after all.

"There's probably a small arc around here also, it will be made of gold and hard wood. It might be relevant, it might not, but it will contain the Canoptics and the pharoah's Ka anchorage." He adds, for what it's worth. "And likely a pile of mummified animals, which is less interesting to everyone else, but quite interesting to me. If you spot any, please do let me know."

Phoenix has posed:
Jean takes a deep breath and lets her shoulders sag forward when the door moves, begrudgingly at first, between her mental command. She settles down upon the ground and returns Sinister's nod, following a step behind him as he enters the chamber proper with her green eyes turning to regard the exterior wall.

A small force field projecting around herself and those near her just in case there's some defenses that have not yet triggered. It's one thing to move the chains of getting in and quite another to drop her own guard.

Magneto has posed:
Israa gingerly lifts the golden bar from its resting place within the sarcophagus and subjects it to closer inspection. "Yes," she affirms with a hint of awe, "this is indeed it. The Segment of Death. The hieroglyphs are engraved along its surface."

Magneto, as he approaches Israa, scans the chamber perfunctorily. His focus, however, lies solely on the golden bar, for Sinister's pursuits within the tomb hold no appeal for him.

"Excellent," Magneto concurs with satisfaction. "In that case, it appears our task here is concluded."

Israa contemplates the inconspicuous metal rod in her hand, a hint of bemusement in her voice. "It does seem rather trivial that this slender piece of metal is purported to possess such power," she remarks. "I suppose the completed Sceptre must be a far more formidable artifact."

Magneto accepts the Segment, carefully storing it away. He then retraces his steps back to the previous chamber, remarking with a hint of irony, "It appears I didn't require the assistance of you all after all..."

Just as his words echo in the chamber, voices emanate from the tomb's entrance, intruding upon the moment of triumph.

Juggernaut has posed:
At Tabitha's remark, Juggernaut's expression crinkles and wrinkles with the look of one who is trying to decide on what emotional wavelength to fall on. He finally just snorts.

"No thanks. I'll settle for the old fashioned version of just planting my fist into his face."

He sounds amused at least. It's rare he encounters someone willing to be more uncouth then himself in a given group.

The rest becomes a blur of activity that goes in one ear and out the other. He seems only intersted in the peripheral at this particular junction.

He frowns, at the last, when Magneto finally speaks and he shakes his head, "Yeah sure. I mean I was only in Madripoor. Egypt's just around the corner to go stand in a tomb for nothing. RIght."

At the sound of voices, though, his snarky mood and attitude seems to be replaced by curiousity and interest. "Yer cultists?" he asks whiel glancing over towards Jean and Sinister, expecting them to confirm or not.

"If they aint coming packing a small military division let's just go take 'em out.. Hell even if they are."

He turns, starting slowly for the entrance again with or without confirmation from the telepaths.

Polaris has posed:
Perhaps she is just a little bit too superstitious, or maybe Lorna just doesn't trust a lot of people here. Whatever the case, her eyes widen as Isra reaches for the gold bar, tensing visibly and expecting the tomb to cave in or..Something.. Surprisingly perhaps, nothing happens, not yet, anyway. But she's not holding out hope.

And then Magneto takes it. And leaves. Her frown deepens, following after him, "Magneto, wait! It could be cursed..We should just leave it..Destroy everything, bury it all, I dunno, but this is a bad idea.." was this all just a set up? She doesn't like one bit of it, nor the fact that one of the items to revive Apocalypse now lays in his hands.

And then it seems the cultists have arrived. Greeeat. This is exactly what she was trying to get away from.

Boom-Boom has posed:
"Well that's a dickish thing to say." Tabby says back to Magneto. "For all you knew that scepter could have been all bone, and there wasn't so much as a plink of metal. Hell, do we even need you?" she points out.

Of course with voices down the hall. "Ya know, you might still need us yet." Boomer chuckles as she looks down back where they came.

"Pooping would have been funnier and humiliating and all that. Hurts more than being punched and I've been punched by stronger men a shitload. So I am wise and experienced." she adds to Cain as she charges up a few heftier orbs of plasma.

Ready to Boom!

Phoenix has posed:
"Yeah, you had it well in hand without our help." Jean says, every bit as sarcastically, to Magneto. "Standing there trying to read the stars through a couple hundred feet of sand..." She rolls her eyes and turns her emerald stare back out the direction they came when the sound of intruders reaches them from the chamber.

There is a distinct tingle in her aura of telepathy and her eyes narrow at the stone doorway with a glance over in Sinister's direction. "They were only a step behind us..." She inclines her head, nods, and steps off to one side. "Tabitha, I want you to summon a single orb and hold it until I tell you. We need to get everyone through and they're we're going to bring this whole cavern down ontop of them."

To Juggernaut, "Make a path, we'll follow behind... As big a mess as you can make. The hell with this tomb, that cult, and... yeah.. they just walked into a bees nest, let's go sting them until they die from it."

Sinister has posed:
Sinister's expression as he turns his head to look at Magneto, could literally freeze volcanos, given half the chance. Cold, clinical -- followed by a distinct, if fleeting look of sheer disgust. He flies out of the door though, up toward the pillar that he had been tinkering with earlier and with a purpose. His cane is lifted up, the ruby quartz tapped on the spot he'd earlier tampered with and he casts eyes toward the exits. "Have at it. This tomb is powered by ancient technology, but it's talking to me now. And by the by, a millenia and more of power and it's still going, with the right knock you'll bury this place so deep in the desert it'll never be found again. A shame really."

There's a silent contemplation for all of a moment or two.

"Why, I ask you? I don't know. I tell myself to just observe..." muttering off as he stares at the ceiling, then simply starts triggering... overloads. It'll be fun in a few minutes, yes.

Magneto has posed:
As the assembly of mutants makes their way back to the initial chamber of the King's Tomb, an unexpected sight greets them. Two men, attired similarly to Israa, are discovered in the chamber.

The newcomers appear startled by the sizable gathering of individuals who seem prepared for a confrontation.

Israa takes the lead, pushing past Magneto with an apologetic tone. "My apologies, everyone. It was a false alarm. These two are my assistants."

The young men look somewhat sheepish and quickly extend their apologies for causing any undue alarm.

"I understand," Magneto acknowledges. "No harm done, I suppose. It's best if we make our exit from here."