"Really," Nodoka said, feeling nervous.
"Used to be a freelance terrorist," Mr. Sinister said, enjoying the shocked look on Nodoka's face. "Led a group known by the rather poorly chosen name of the Evil Brotherhood of Mutants." As he proceeded discussing Mystique's past the look on Nodoka's face sunk further and further. "Has two other known children. One was raised by gypsies and the other was adopted by your son's father and raised as a daughter. Both now have ties with the X-Men."
"My son's father is a criminal?" Nodoka asked vaguely.
"A shape-changer, a spy and assassin," Mr. Sinister confirmed. "Currently working off her past criminal activities by acting as an agent for the United States Government in various suicide missions. Missions that are quite likely to serve as a death sentence sooner or later."
Nodoka paled again as a word penetrated her shock.
"Her?" Nodoka repeated.
"Why, yes," Sinister said, smiling. "Didn't I already tell you that? Your son's sire is a woman by birth. To tell the truth, I'd never suspected Mystique to be one to experiment like this. And it calls into mind other questions."
"Such as?" Nodoka asked, feeling ill.
"Well, until this moment," Sinister said. "I had thought that Mystique's power was only one of surface appearance, not extending to genetics. But, were that the case, you would have had a daughter, not a son. Perhaps she could have inherited the shape-changing ability and changed in the womb, but I highly doubt that."
"W..why?" Nodoka asked, nervously.
"I had ample opportunity to observe your son while I had him," Sinister said. "He possess none of the glands or genes that indicate a shapechanger, were it not for his curse, he'd have one form only."
Sinister appeared to think for a moment and then smiled, turning a patronizing look toward Nodoka. Nodoka's hand shook as she tried to hold her tea steady. Sinister tapped her fingers a little bit, hmming quietly and maliciously.
"What is it?" Nodoka asked.
"I think you might be having a reunion with your boy's other parent fairly soon," Sinister said. "I had never considered inviting Mystique to my company before, shapechanging is not so uncommon a gift though she is exceptionally skilled at it...but with this new evidence of your boy. If she can alter her genetics, then she can copy any mutant power there is. Including, perhaps...I think I must have examine her genetics...personally."
Nodoka felt a chill run down her spine.
"It was such a shame too," Mr. Sinister said, obviously not apologetic. "She was doing so well at redeeming herself for her past. At least, perhaps, you two can...get to know each other in her proper form."
He threw in the last bit about Mystique's recent trend away from villainy just to give a further jab to Nodoka. Let her be aware that this information just condemned someone trying to turn their life around to several rounds of torture.
"Not to mention some minor experimentations to see what can be done with you," Sinister said, sipping his tea casually. "A little tweaking to your code and you'll be more than a carrier of the mutant gene. And I am curious to see what you will develop into."
Nodoka swallowed and the cup in her hand started sounding as if it were cracking.
"In any case," he said. "It will be interesting to see how your granddaughter turns out."
At that Nodoka had too much and fainted...after the tea cup shattered in her grip.
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(Posted Sun, 22 Dec 2002 14:10)
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