The dense, snow-covered forest surrounding the Bavarian village was eerily quiet, save for the distant howl of the wind. The village itself seemed ordinary, a quaint collection of cottages with smoke rising from chimneys, but beneath its surface lay a dark secret. A hidden bunker, guarded by Magneto's hired soldiers and medical staff, was the true reason Mystique had come so far into the heart of Germany. Here, they held Wanda Maximoff, a powerful mutant and daughter of Magneto, in a drug-induced coma.
Mystique crouched at the edge of the village, her sharp eyes scanning the surroundings. 'A village hiding a fortress,' she mused, the thought of such irony bringing a smirk to her lips. 'Clever, but not clever enough.'
Behind her stood a small group of mercenaries she had hired for the mission. Bloodscream led them, his pale outlook resembling the color of the the snowy backdrop. The others were nameless, faceless operatives, each skilled in their craft, trained to cause chaos and destruction without question. They were the perfect tools for the job 'Fodders'.
She had assembled a team of mercenaries for this mission, not just relying on Bloodscream's lethal efficiency but also bringing along a handful of nameless, faceless operatives. These were soldiers of fortune, well-trained and well-armed, perfect for creating the chaos she needed.
"Remember," Mystique said, her voice low but commanding, "cause enough chaos to draw out the guards and destroy their infrastructure. Leave the bunker to me and Bloodscream."
The mercenaries nodded, their faces obscured by masks and helmets, blending into the night as they moved out to their designated positions. As they made their way into the village, Mystique gave a signal, her eyes glinting with cold determination. The mercenaries spread out, blending into the shadows, their weapons ready. 'No one can be left alive to tell the tale,' she thought. 'This has to be clean.' she thought. 'Wanda will be mine, and the Brotherhood will finally have the edge we need.'
As the mercenaries set the village ablaze with explosives and gunfire, Mystique and Bloodscream moved swiftly towards the entrance of the underground bunker, a hidden passage disguised as a simple cellar door in the largest house. The chaos above had already drawn the attention of the soldiers stationed there, and they rushed out to defend the village, leaving the bunker lightly guarded.
She landed near the entrance to the bunker, shifting back into her true form as Bloodscream joined her, his crimson eyes gleaming with the thrill of the hunt. "We go in, secure the target, and get out," Mystique ordered, her voice low and commanding.
Mystique slipped inside, her form shifting into that of a young German nurse she had encountered earlier. 'I need to look the part,' she thought, glancing at Bloodscream, who followed silently behind, his presence barely detectable.
Inside, the bunker was a lot different to the village above. Cold, metallic walls lined the narrow corridors, and the sound of machinery hummed in the background. Mystique navigated the maze of hallways with ease, her memory of the layout from Irene's visions guiding her.
As they approached the central chamber, a voice crackled over the intercom, speaking in German. "Margarete, is that you? What is going on up there?"
Mystique responded in flawless German, her tone laced with urgency. "Ja, Herr Hauptmann. We are under attack by a force—many of our men are down. We need to wake her now, or we won't make it out alive!"
"Gott im Himmel," the voice cursed. "Fine, I'm on my way. Get to the chamber and prepare her for extraction."
Mystique couldn't suppress a small smile. 'Perfect,' she thought. 'They have no idea what's coming.'
They encountered a small team of nurses and soldiers, all clearly hired by Magneto. The nurses were in a state of panic, rushing to prepare Wanda for transport. Mystique sneered at their incompetence. 'Magneto's always so cautious. He must really fear what Wanda could do if she woke up.'
As they approached Wanda's chamber, they were met with a small group of guards. The mercenaries quickly dispatched them, but not without raising an alarm. Mystique cursed under her breath as the facility's lockdown procedures initiated. "We need to move, now!" she barked.
They entered the chamber where Wanda was being held. The room was dimly lit, dominated by a large cylindrical tank filled with a thick, greenish fluid. Wanda floated inside, her long hair swirling around her like a halo, her face serene despite the nightmare she had been subjected to.
'So much power… and yet, they've kept her like this, helpless,' Mystique thought, a pang of pity mixed with cold calculation. 'They kept her in the dark, probably lied to her about everything. Not even her brother's fate…'
She approached the control panel, glancing at Bloodscream, who positioned himself near the door, ready to eliminate anyone who might enter. 'Wanda,' she thought, looking up at the girl in the tank, 'they told you Pietro was dead. But they didn't tell you who really did this to you.'
As she began deactivating the restraints and the systems keeping Wanda unconscious, she heard footsteps approaching. 'Timing couldn't be better,' she thought, turning to face the door just as it slid open.
A tall, stern-looking man entered, flanked by two other soldiers. "Margarete?," he started, but the words died in his throat as Mystique's form rippled, shifting from the nurse to her true, blue-skinned self. His eyes widened in shock. "You! You're—"
He never finished the sentence. Bloodscream was on him in an instant, his sharp claws slicing through flesh and bone with lethal precision. The soldiers tried to react, but they were no match for the mercenary's speed. Within seconds, the room was silent again, save for the whir of the machinery.
Mystique turned her attention back to Wanda. 'Time to wake up,' she thought, flipping the final switch that would drain the tank and release the girl. The green fluid gurgled away, and Wanda slowly lowered to the floor, her eyes fluttering open as she regained consciousness.
"Who—who are you?" Wanda asked weakly, her voice trembling as she tried to stand on shaky legs. Her green eyes were wide with confusion and fear.
Mystique knelt beside her, her voice soft but firm. "I'm Raven. Your family sent me to find you and bring you home."
"My family?" Wanda echoed, her mind struggling to process what was happening. "Pietro… they said he was—"
"They lied to you," Mystique interrupted, her tone soothing but with an undercurrent of urgency. "Pietro is alive, but we need to get out of here before more of them come. Can you walk?"
Wanda nodded slowly, still dazed, but as she took a step, she stumbled. Mystique caught her, holding her steady. 'She's weaker than I expected,' Mystique thought. 'They've drained her power, but it's still there, just beneath the surface.'
As they made their way out of the bunker, the chaos above reached a crescendo. The mercenaries had done their job well; the village was in ruins, the soldiers who remained were scattered and disoriented.
Wanda hesitated as they neared the exit, her gaze shifting back towards the bunker. "Who did this to me?" she asked, her voice filled with a mix of anger and pain. "Who put me in there?"
Mystique paused, a calculating look in her eyes. 'Should I tell her now?' she wondered. 'No… not yet. Let her believe what she needs to. I can use this.'
"That doesn't matter right now," Mystique said gently, pulling Wanda towards the exit. "What matters is getting you out of here, and finding your brother. You've been through enough, Wanda."
Wanda's eyes filled with tears, but she nodded, allowing Mystique to lead her out into the cold, dark night. Bloodscream followed, his crimson eyes scanning the surroundings for any threats. The mission had been a success, but Mystique knew the real battle was just beginning.
'Wanda doesn't know the truth yet,' Mystique thought as they disappeared into the forest. 'But when she does, when she learns what her father has done… she'll be mine. And together, we'll make the X-Men pay.'