8340/Magnetic Nightmares

Magnetic Nightmares
Date of Scene:	16 July 2019
Location:	Palace, Genosha
Synopsis:	The royal children have to deal with some unsettling events in Genosha's royal wing.
Cast of Characters:	Polaris, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch

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Polaris has posed:
Genosha was hot, as always, the sun had slowly begun to set and the dinner hour was winding down. Lorna had, per usual during her visits, had dinner alone in what was essentially, her suite of rooms. It wasn't as if every time she visited Genosha her father was available for a private family dinner. And sitting alone in the dining room was typically just as lonely, if not sad, as sitting in her rooms. At least here she could relax, turning on the TV, and try not to get too absorbed in her ongoing duties in the palace.

The constant movements between Genosha and the Mansion in the States were beginning to wear on the magnokinetic, and she took what little time she could to relax. The balcony doors were open to let in the sea breeze, and the view from the top of the royal suite was spectacular. A grand sweeping view of Hammer Bay opened out to twinkling lights as the sun dipped lower on the horizon could be easily seen from almost anywhere in her rooms. Even if her internal clock from the States told her it was several hours earlier than it was in Genosha.

A sigh, and Lorna picked up her tablet as it dinged and she got off her bed, picking it up and shuffling to a plush velvet chair in a pacing motion.

Quicksilver has posed:
ZOOM!

Pietro ran across the ocean as he traveled to Genosha, as he had always done. He didn't like using Wanda's portals, because he's never liked magic, and he thought any other mode of transportation was far too slow for him. So he's more than happy to just run it off, along with some frustrations he's been dealing with as of late. But, nevertheless, He's soon speeding into the great mansion set for the royalty of Genosha, and through some more and more rooms like he was looking for something, until he eventually finds Lorna, and Pietro is in his full costumed Regalia as Quicksilver. "Hey sis."

Polaris has posed:
Lorna jumped and dropped the tablet as Pietro manifested as if from nowhere, though obviously that wasn't the case. He was simply too fast for her senses to pick up on, particularly when she wasn't focused on the magnetic fields at large. So, Pietro's entrance, otherwise unannounced made his youngest sister curse and swear as she dropped her tablet and bent to pick it up. She shot the speedster a look, as she brushed off her tablet and grumbled.

"Pietro! Could you at least knock or something next time? What if I was like changing or something? Geeze." She rolled her eyes, shaking her head, but she still headed over to her half brother to loop an arm around his shoulder in a brief half armed hug.

"Is everything okay with you? Wanda? Don't tell me you ran all the way to Genosha..?" She asked, arching a green eyebrow upward.

Quicksilver has posed:
Pietro watched on as Lorna dropped, spoke a few curses that would make her fellow X-Men blush, and he seems to smirk at her. "Heh, good to see you too. If you were changing, you wouldn't leave your door open or unlocked." he winks at her lightly. A hug was offered, and a hug was accepted, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to keep her close before he releases her.

Pietro gives a smirk to her lightly. "Everythings fine with me and Wanda. Aside that she has a new boyfriend that I'm probably going to eventually kill. But...she's doing fine. And, what if I told you running all the way here was exactly what I did?"

Polaris has posed:
Lorna rolled her eyes and made to tap away at her tablet, and glanced briefly back at her half sibling. "Oh good, I was partially worried something was terribly wrong to get you to come all the way out here to visit me." She flashed her brother a grin, and from her tablet an automated voice chimed in with a 'What would you like to order?' Lorna glanced at Pietro and arched a brow.

"Well then I'm going to assume that since you ran all over the Atlantic freaking ocean, that you're likely hungry? What do you want from the kitchen? I just finished eating, so whatever you want can be sent up." She gestured to the tablet, and Pietro could scan through pages and pages of menu items, or there was the option of typing in something else he might want.

"Having a private kitchen staff is sort of nice to have now and then."

Quicksilver has posed:
Pietro just seems to laugh a little bit as she gives him the tablet and he scrolls through it, even as Lorna partially scolds him (subtly) about running across the atlantic ocean. "I only got lost once or twice." He says probably just to make her worry in a very brotherly sense of the word.

"Wow, I didn't notice that they finally upgraded the menu." he looks amused for a brief moment, but eventually he puts in an order for french fries and some chicken legs. He's very simple in this regard, when he's not ordering the most extravagent item on the menu.

"Benefit of royalty. How you been, Lorna?"

Polaris has posed:
Lorna rolled her eyes and shook her head as she took the tablet back from her half brother and set it down, she settled on the plush chair once more, and should Pietro want, with a wave of her hand--another plush chair came floating over by its metal frame and was set down beside her own. She arched a brow, leaning back as she turned the tablet off. "What, you don't even order anything different anyways, you don't get to complain about the palace staff's kitchen choices." She teased back, a laugh hidden in the corners of her smile.

"I'm okay, been jumping between here and the Mansion. Might be time to settle here again more often. With the Sentinels going quiet for now and Alex being back.. it might just be easier for everyone if I stick around here more." She grimaced and reached up to pull her hand through her hair. The lights suddenly flickered, and a frown marred her expression, her eyebrows furrowing.

"That... shouldn't be happening.." She breathed.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
The sound of footsteps coming down the hallway at decidedly less-than-Pietro like speeds presages the arrival of Wanda. She's switched into her Scarlet Witch attire for the visit to the royal palace. Black leggings and the red jacket with the neckline that has inspired far more posters than Wanda has realized.

"The chamberlain said I might find a few siblings about. Assuming the white and blue blur seen coming in from the ocean is a certain brother of mine," Wanda says. She pauses to glance up at the lights as they flicker. "Probably nothing," she shrugs, figuring these sorts of things happen. A transformer blown there, a fuse over here. Someone from Genosha Light and Power probably has already flipped a switch to fix it. She figures.

"Am I too late for... which meal is it?" she asks, trying to remember what time she left so she can do the time change in her head.

Quicksilver has posed:
"Hey, I order what I want to order, nothing more and nothing less." Pietro says with a scoff that pretty much describes all of Pietro's arrogance. But then There is Wanda! Looking lovely as always. "Sister." Pietro says fondly and he moves to give her a warm hug in greeting and a brotherly kiss to her temple.

Then he'll release her and ponder about the blinking lights. "I can go check on the transformers real fast, but I', not a technician. Or we can send one of the staff to check it out. He moves over to Lorna then.

"Now whats this about Alex? Boy troubles again?"

Polaris has posed:
Lorna perked up as Wanda entered the suite of royal rooms that made up Lorna's apartments in Genosha, the green haired woman grinned as she waved away her concerns and assumed that well, frankly.. Wanda had to have portaled over and therefore created a power flux. She shrugged once, and waved away the tingle that worried her senses. The power shouldn't be surging, not in the royal palace. She'd have felt it had been anything more.

Still, she got up, flashing Pietro a look for his comment regarding the kitchen food and she made her way over to give Wanda a hug.

"Dinner, I just finished up. Had Pietro order something on my tablet from the kitchens. It should be up soon enough. He ran all the way here, so I figured with his metabolism he'd keel over." She teased only partly, as she glanced back to her half sister.

"Did you want anything?"

Which is when the power flickered again, on and off. Once. Twice. And then returned to normal. Lorna's frown deepened and she stepped away from her siblings, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she sent her senses out beyond the room and into the electrical grid. "...That's weird..."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda Maximoff returns the hug to brother first, squeezing him tightly, and then to Lorna. If not squeezing as tight, it's longer and expresses a degree of warmth that is still newfound in their sibling relationship. Wanda lets her go and says, "Oh good, I can pick from his plate then. You know, he really should watch what he eats," Wanda says, glancing over at her brother from the corner of her eyes as if she were noting a few extra pounds he's been carrying. Though Wanda's already high cheekbones quirk higher as the corner of her lips turn up a bit with the playful comment.

Wanda glances up at the flickering lights, but still doesn't seem to think too much of it. "We can call... what is his name again? The one with the..." Wanda says, motioning above her eyes, "The unibrow I think they call it? Rex?" She moves over to pick up a phone and call over towards the command center. "Yes, this is Wanda Maximoff. I was curious as to the situation with the power flickering?"

Quicksilver has posed:
Pietro looks at Lorna for a moment and he seems to narrow his eyes up at the lights. "...weird." Then he's looking at Wanda as she makes a joke about his weight. "Pfft, please, I'm more slim than both of you." he says defensively and a bit on the aggressive side. Was he sensitive about his weight? Probably. But its true, Pietro had the perfect runner's build.

"But you can have some of my food, Wanda. I'd let you have some too Lorna, if I didn't catch you when you already finished eating."

Polaris has posed:
Lorna's smile for Wanda was entirely filled with warmth and good will, and the hug was lighter for it. She retreated after a moment as Wanda spoke of stealing some of Pietro's food, she shook her head with a roll of her eyes. "Pietro ran more miles than I can likely be bothered to fly in one go. He deserves his chicken nuggets and french fries.." She teased, playfully making to try to bump her half-brother with her hip as she glanced toward Wanda when the young woman went to the phone and called the command center. She fell silent, waiting to hear what was going on regarding the power.

On the other end, Wanda was promptly questioned over what power flickering. Everything was running smoothly. No power fluctuations. No brownouts. No surges reported on any systems.

Which is when the scream pierced the other wise silent corridors of the palace proper.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda laughed warmly and decided not to push the joke on Pietro before she took to the phone. "The lights have flickered in here twice, the second time just now rather pronounced," Wanda tells the person over the phone. "Perhaps you should have an electrician check-" she is saying when the scream sounds. "There is a scream near Lorna's quarters. Put the palace on alert and send some security," she says, before hanging up the phone.

Wanda's hands wreath in scarlet energy as she moves with a quick step towards the hallway. The Avenger goes looking for the source of the scream, never doubting Pietro will be with her, the twins used to functioning as a pair. She does glance to Lorna with a nod, obviously wanting her there as well as they enter the hall.

Quicksilver has posed:
Pietro looks at Lorna as she apparently retreats. "Chicken - LEGS -." He corrects her..even though he totally wanted some chicken nuggets and some fries. The McDonalds special, as it were. But then he's hip-bumped and he looks at Wanda, awaiting to hear the news.

Being as how Wanda is apparently elaborating, either the electricians are imbeciles, incompetent, or they are experiencing some trippy shit right now.

Then there's a scream.

Pietro sharply turns his head and then he's gone in a blue blur, clearly going to investigate the noise.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna nodded to Wanda as the woman glanced her way, and the trio of royal siblings exited the suite to the hall with ease.

Neither Wanda nor Pietro would have to go far out into the hall of the Royal Family's suite of rooms to find out what was going on. In the hallway it was at once apparent who was screaming. One of the palace staff had been sent up from the kitchens to deliver Pietro's ordered food. The cart was standing there, still holding the hotel styled silver serving tray and heating element. The woman that had scream had backed away from the doors where Lorna's rooms started, her hands clasped over her lips as she bent double and stood there trembling.

Lorna glanced around once, but there was nothing else in the hallway that immediately made it apparent what had frightened the woman so very badly. So, Lorna stepped toward her, moving around the cart and stretching out a hand which the woman took as she wrapped the other around the maid's shoulders. "Hey, shh, shhh, what was it? Are you okay?" She asked, arching a brow and glancing around. But there was nothing as the woman sucked in panicked gasps of air to try to breath, the woman turned wide, and wild eyes to the hallway at large. Her oversized purple colored eyes, were constantly shifting from side to side, struggling to find something.

"There was ... was a man. He.. he.." She struggled to inhale air and her gaze settled on Wanda and Pietro, and gestured to roughly where they stood.

"He was there."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda doesn't even make it to the door before Pietro has zipped past her. Expecting it, she has her hands up, ready to assist him if anything dangerous is afoot. Once out in the hall, Wanda glances about for the source of the disturbance. As Lorna goes to speak to the woman, Wanda turns slowly about in a circle.

Her senses extend beyond the hearing and sight and sound. Across the realms of magic, feeling the flow of energy, spiritual and otherwise through the palace. Sensing for any residual magic. Wanda's hands lift and a red glow spreads up and down the hallway, so if anyone is present but invisible, they should leave a blank space free of the soft red light to spot them by.

Quicksilver has posed:
Pietro finds nobody. He looks on as Lorna attempts to comfort the distressed maid, but is more interested in what she saw and what Wanda is hopefully likely to unveil. "What did he look like?" Pietro asks, though he seems to be ready to run. Whoever was there, if anyone was there, was likely to die before they knew what happened. He does wonder if it was Nightcrawler accidentally peeking in or something, or Azazel. But...there's no smell of brimstone or sign of it in the area.

Weird.

But...what would Wanda find?

Polaris has posed:
Perhaps even stranger, was that there was nothing magical to Wanda's senses. There was nothing that remained to be found. No curses, spells, or hexes. There was a feeling of powers.. but in a mutant country like Genosha that was hardly surprising. Even this far above Hammer Bay, at the height of the palace, there was simply power so concentrated in the area that it wasn't clear beyond that.

The sobbing maid, seemed to calm down in the presence of the three royal children, and she slowly inhaled and exhaled at Lorna's prompting. Pietro's question had the maid shiver again, but she finally stepped away from Lorna's support with a sheepish look toward the princess.

"Well.. he.. he was tall. Dark. He.. he wore like.. a coat, a long one. And uhm.. a hat. The brim was shiny. But it was when the lights went on and off and I didn't get a good look at him. He had uhm.. boots?" The maid's eyebrows furrowed and she struggled to piece together anything else.

Lorna thanked her, and glanced toward Pietro and Wanda in question. "Anything Wanda?"

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda shakes her head slowly. "No sign of anything unusual. But the command center said they didn't notice any power fluctuations," Wanda replies in her softly accented English.

She looks about again, frowning softly and then finally looking back to Lorna and Pietro. Wanda gives a little shrug and shakes her head, not sure what else they can do about it. "It was probably nothing bad. We'll keep an eye out just to make sure," Wanda says. "The security should be here momentarily, they can walk you back," she offers to the maid. Wanda goes over to take the cart so the woman doesn't have to do anything else, pushing it into the room.

Quicksilver has posed:
Pietro narrows his eyes. He memorizes the description of this mystery man and he proceeds to watch as Wanda takes the cart. He stands up straight when nothing is found, and he seems to look...yes, irritated is the proper word. But he doesn't seem to wait for security, looking around just in case Wanda missed something. After a few zooms here and there, Pietro is back.

"Nothing."

He crosses his arms and looks at the maid. "You'll be fine in a short moment." which for Pietro might as well be a lifetime. The impatience is killer.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna ushered the young maid into her rooms with a smile as Wanda took control of the cart. "Security is likely going to do an overhaul of the systems to make sure there's nothing outside or in. We'll get everything checked out. Maybe it was a trick of the lights, yeah? How long have you been on your feet? Eat anything recently?" She offered gently, knowing that sometimes people could very well work themselves sick.

As the group returned into Lorna's suite the lights flickered off for a moment longer than before, and came on just as they stepped inside the royal apartments. Everything was as they had left it moments before... however as each entered, they could clearly see painted on the far wall still dripping in wetness... a swastika. Painted in something red and thick. It was large, impossible to have been painted in the few minutes they'd been in the hallway. But it was there. On what had previously been a clean, clear wall. It took up the whole length from floor to ceiling.

Lorna's feet stopped working as she stared, her eyes going round as she inhaled sharply. Her features went ghastly pale and her frame jerked to a halt.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda draws on her power again, searching the room first and then moving over to the swastika to examine it. She leans near to the red substance to smell it to see if it is paint, or something worse. "Pietro? A quick search of the entire palace?" she suggests, knowing he can check every room in the time it will take her to look around the rest of this one.

Wanda turns back to Lorna, moving over to touch her arm in a reassuring way. Though the symbol itself would inspire a certain reaction from anyway, even if Wanda and Pietro do not identify as Jewish, they were raised amongst the Romani, who also suffered as heavily at the hands of the Nazis.

Quicksilver has posed:
Pietro sees the swastika and he narrows his eyes. "Thats it, they're dead." And he looks at Wanda as she asks the question. "Take care of Lorna." Pietro says, even though he'll be back in probably about two minutes.

Probably less.

But he nods at his twin, and in an instant he's gone! A blue flash going from room to room, into the kitchen, into the pantries, into the dark basement that Magneto doesn't tell anyone about, looking through the patios...you get the point.

Pietro checks every nook and cranny.

Polaris has posed:
The poor maid screamed again as she saw what was painted on the wall, but this time it was muffled against her hands. Lorna swallowed a thick and heavy lump that clogged her throat and she stepped further into the room as Wanda went to the wall to inspect it. It was blood of some kind. And it was slowly dripping down to the wooden floors, leaking in dibbles and thin streams to stain the floor.

Yet once more.. there was nothing. Not a thing else to sense. Not a person to be found at the root of the matter. There was simply nothing to find. Pietro found nothing. Though he did pass the security team that now reached the royal family's private quarters and did a sweep of the area as they too entered into Lorna's rooms.

They spread out, one taking the maid and ushering her out of the room and away from the royal's eyes. The security team acted as a unit, well trained, and there was a crackle of radios as each moved through the royal apartments and they too... found nothing.

In all the chaos, Lorna stepped closer to Wanda, her eyebrows furrowed. "Is it what I think it is?" She whispered, expression pinched as she sought out comfort with her half sister standing there. The thought that she might've gone through all of this.. alone.. had they not visited sent a chill down her spine.

The security team's head approached, a mutant with fluorescent skin, who saluted both Wanda and Lorna. Pietro as well should he have returned by now. "The area is all clear. We've got teams reviewing security footage and doing a sweep of the palace top to bottom. They're covering the gardens and surroundings, but haven't found anything yet. Reports on the power that you called in, your highness," He looked to Wanda, "It was a localized surge. To only this floor, specifically the main hall and Princess Lorna's quarters. Nothing else. We've got a team investigating why and how."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda Maximoff nods to Lorna and says, "It seems to be, yes. Not paint." She frowns and looks about the area. Glancing up at the lights. "I am not sure what else we can do to investigate the matter. So far, other than attempting to spread some terror, whoever is responsible has not harmed anyone. Let us hope it remains so," she says quietly.

Quicksilver has posed:
Pietro returns from his search, coming in with intense speed. "I've searched the entire palace. Nothing." He then looks at the security team, which is extremely effective, and he crosses his arms when he hears that there was a surge only on this floor in a specific room. "...curious." is all Pietro says, but he doesn't doubt this elite taskforce.

"..where is father?" Pietro asks Lorna. "If this is happening, especially with his past...he needs to know about it immediately." This is the only time where Pietro seems to be fully onboard with bringing in Magneto.

Polaris has posed:
The security team saluted again, and another one radio'ed in someone to clean up and document the mess that was Lorna's wall. The green haired woman wrapped her arms around her waist, grimacing as she eyed the men and women as several came and went. It would be some time before she could go to sleep... as if she could actually go to sleep after the chaos that had just happened. But for now the lights held solid and strong, without a hint that anything at all had been amiss.

Lorna glanced at Pietro as he asked after their father and she shrugged, "He missed dinner, so he could be up to anything. He's been busy... always is." She muttered, and shrugged. "Can... you two stay the night? You have rooms on this floor... maybe we could uhm.. camp out in another suite?" She offered, looking around her room. "I don't really want to sleep in here.."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda frowns over towards the wall and she tells Lorna. "What do you say that we head to the school? Comfortable and familiar surroundings there," Wanda says. Not bringing up, safer as well if this is happening here." She smiles and slips her arm about her sister. "Besides, I have to introduce Josh and Pietro. And if you're there it's less likely Pietro will try to pummel him," Wanda says, flashing their brother a playful smile. "What do you say?" she asks, offering to teleport them all back.

Quicksilver has posed:
Pietro looks at Lorna and he approaches her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Alright, you'll come with us." Then he looks at Wanda and narrows his eyes, apparently initially against any suggestion of meeting Foley. Besides...could Wand and Lorna - really - react fast enough to stop Pietro should he get the urge to kill? Probably not, but Josh was no pushover either in that respect.

"Fine." Pietro eventually concedes after clearly much thought.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna exhaled a breath, her lips twisting in a grimace as she nodded to Wanda. "Okay, sure.. just let me tell the head of security here that I'm off the island. At least that way it can get added to the report and whenever father gets it, he'll see we're at least taking precautions.." She walked over to the security, spoke a few words with them and collected her tablet, and a few other odds and ends she wanted to bring with her back to the mansion.

"Aim for my room? I don't want to deal with students just now.." She drawled.