The shadow mutant was angry, good that was what Sam had been going for. He was surprised however when he didn’t attempt to attack Sam. Meaning he didn’t have much fight left or he started to realize what kind of situation he was in. Sam was in control here he was sure they both knew it now.

Sam listened as Shade started to explain that Streak was his intended target, ‘oh good it wasn’t the child you tried to attack she just got in the way while you were trying to kill one of my friends’ thought Sam as frost started to form on the beer bottles revealing his displeasure with the statement. Sam remained quite however until Shade was done talking. Once he was finished Sam finished the rest of his beer and set it back in the almost empty six pack where a few of the bottles remained.

The air still remained warm but the glasses still remained frosty. Sam didn’t reach for another slice of pizza he wasn’t full but this conversation was starting to irritate him. Shade claimed he wasn’t the brains, if he wasn’t who was? Was there someone else pulling the strings further into the shadows? Sam had already intended on using him anyways better than leaving him here to rot. A promise could be made and he’d have the shadow jumper under his control but was there something else he wasn’t thinking about? Maybe. The more he talked the more Sam wanted to leave him here however.

Sam let out a small laugh and then commented, ”No, clearly you can’t be the brains or you would have gone about getting my attention some other way, a way that didn’t leave you in a jail cell and me pissed that you attacked someone in MY mansion.” he didn’t pay the bills or own the mansion but it was his home and everyone in it was his family so Sam took it personally whenever someone attacked it or a resident. Sam’s finger tapped on his knee a few times before he continued, ”Or you were just desperate.” either way Shade was an idiot that was one thing they both seemed to agree on.

”Like I said, I have bigger concerns than the order at the moment. What makes you think you’d be the only one capable of betraying them? Why do you think I’m not too worried about them? Sam smiled slyly as he let the meaning sink in, he didn’t have anyone spying on the order at the time but there was no way Shade could have known that. ”You’re failing to impress me.” Sam said dryly as he reached into his phone and looked at the clock making it seem like he had somewhere important to be and that Shade was just wasting his time.

Desperate. That was the best way to describe Shade situation. He had been desperate for recognition. He had been desperate for gratitude. He had been desperate for attention and power. But now? Now, he was only desperate to get out of this stupid cell. He wanted a shadow. He wanted to be invisible. He wanted a means of escape so he could hide from the world. Shade could never handle the spotlight, even though he craved it so. He was meant to be the unseen threat. He did not just want a shadow. He needed a shadow to survive.

"Look..." Shade said, licking his chapped lips. The shadow mutant was beginning to get nervous. What if Cold Steel did not take his offer? How long would he be stuck in this damned cell? The thought made Shade glance uncomfortable at the exit to his prison cell and the long awaiting safety of a shadow. Escape was so close, yet so far away. "...any mutant could certainly inflitrate them...but I'm already in. And I'm in deep. New recruits would have to be tested. They would have to prove themselves. I have already done so. Who would suspect me? I'm just a loyal foot soldier."

Shade was spilling his guts. He was supposed to be reserved, protecting his own interests. But that was before the year of solitude. That was before he was slowly dying from malnutrition. That was before he was going slightly insane. To know that he would be stuck in here forever would break him. It would shatter his mind. But he had to focus. He had to show Cold Steel that he was the only one that accomplish this mission. He would do whatever was necessary.

"You know I'm good. I infiltrated the mansion's security system twice. I can get in and out faster than any other mutant. You can't find me unless I let you. And I'm the perfect killer." Shade continued. He was the best (no, the perfect) mutant for the job. Cold Steel had to see that.

Sam wouldn’t admit it especially to Shade but he was right about one thing, he was good at infiltration something not others could claim. Sure Sam could break into tons of places but if someone was trained and knew what to look for it would be easy enough to tell that he was there. Neena and Sara were both great at infiltration but again, they always left some kind of trace. Shade, he didn’t use doors or windows he had more ways in too any given building anywhere. He was a shadow. That was why Sam wanted to use him.

Shade was desperate his sudden change in his answers revealed that much. It only caused Sam to laugh, ”Again, what makes you’d be the best choice? I already have a few eyes in the Sanctuary and who knows maybe even the order. More than just foot soldiers.” Sam said smiling, it was a bluff once again but there was no way Shade would know. ”You’ve been gone a long time from them, Shade. What makes you think they’ll take you back?” he let the statement sit for a minute. He looked to the now cold pizza and the frosted over bottles of beer.

”A lot of things have changed Shade, you may think you’re the perfect killer but you need shadows.” Sam took control of the temperature in the room and made it cold again. He wanted to get the point across that he was far more dangerous than Shade could ever be he wanted the shadow mutant to know that if Shade ever thought about betraying him that there wouldn’t be much he could do to escape him.

Leaning forward a blade of ice appeared in Sam’s hand one that stretched out towards Shade mere inches from his face. ”Water is a weapon for me, I can use blood as well.” Sam said letting go of the blade and having it fall apart into snow before it hit the floor. The air started to get warmer and he sat back down in his seat. ”You might be a foot solider but if you’re gonna work for me you need to be far more than that.” Sam paused for a second and let the comment sink in before he added, ”I need someone smart, not just a killer that can break in. Shit like this.” Sam gestured around to the entire cell, ”Thing of the past, you won’t make yourself seen. You’d be a shadow.”

”Got it? Keep in mind if you do agree to this it comes with a promise. An oath that can’t be broken lightly. I’m not someone you want to cross anymore. I changed quite a bit.” he let the threat sink in as well as he waited for the shadow mutants response.

There was no way that the X-men could have infiltrated the Order. The Sanctuary was a free place for all mutants, but to get someone inside the Order, a mutant had to be ruthless. No X-men would willing do that. Shade was certain of that. Or was he? A year was a long time to wait. Heck, that massive Roach had risen to power almost over night. An X-men insider was not too far of a stretch. Luckily, Cold Steel did not dwell on it for long, and Shade had an answer for his next question.

>>”You’ve been gone a long time from them, Shade. What makes you think they’ll take you back?”

"I've been gone longer before." Shade said instantly. "They will be happy that I have returned."

At least, he hoped they would. He might be in trouble if they learned about Shade had almost killed Kaitlyn. Of course, Shade had more pressing issues to worry about at the moment, as Cold Steel brought a blade towards to throat. The shadow mutant moved back instinctively, but the blade followed, stopping only inches away. Shade knew it was only a show. The X-men would never kill him. He was only establishing his dominance, like the Alpha male in a wolf pack, but it did not stop Shade from feeling inadequate and entirely useless. He did not breath until Cold Steel dropped the knife into snow.

Cold Steel wanted Shade to leave his old life behind. That was fine. Shade had left it behind him when he started this journey. And being a shadow was fine by Shade. He actually preferred it that way. Most people felt weird talking to an invisible person though.

"I got it. I'll be a shadow. You won't have to worry about that." And he would agree to whatever promise he needed to. At this point, he would agree to almost anything to get himself out of this cage.

When he agreed to it Sam doubted Shade had any idea what was in store for him. He was sure he had no idea about his assistants mutant abilities to help people keep their word. Shade was about to find out though because when he sat smugly in his chair he pulled out his phone and started to write Drew a text. Knowing full well that Drew was in the building doing god knows how much paper work due to Sam’s ‘death’. Any chance his assistant would get to step away from the paper work Sam knew Drew would take.

”Now this isn’t the first chance I had to consider how things were going to go down here. I discussed it in detail with my assistant.” Sam said finishing the text that requested Drew to come down to the cell bringing the note pad that was in his top right drawer in the office that had a certain set of guidelines for someone if they had to agree to the offer that they were made.

The small voice in the back of Shade's mind was trying to warn him that things might not be as simple as they appeared, but the shadow mutant's tiny conscience was drowned out by Shade's overwhelming urge to get out of his tiny jail cell. But in order to sooth his conscience, Shade only had to tell himself that it was not like he ever honored his words. Hell, he was breaking an oath with the Order, just by agreeing to Cold Steel's terms that he was not suppose to break. If Cold Steel needed his secretary down here for the final say so, Shade was not going to fight it. He just wanted out of the cage.

"Fine, sure. Call whoever. Let's us get this over with already." Shade said. He was tired of being pushed around by the ice mutant. When Shade finally made it to a shadow, it would balance the odds more. Presently, Shade was like a fish out of water. All he could do was slowly die.

Sometimes Drew regretted taking the job Sam offered him. Particularly the mountains of paperwork that it generated when the boss decided to play dead for a while made him want to scream in frustration. He usually consoled himself with the notion that he was helping make the world a better place, even if it didn't seem like it when he was re-alphabetizing the student files. He sighed and was about to get back to taking care of the Mount Doom by Paperwork when his cell phone buzzed that he'd gotten a text. He quickly checked the message and the quick follow up requesting a cell phone too.

So it was finally time huh? Drew pulled open the desk drawer and pulled out the small paragraph of promises he and Sam had hammered out for the occupant of the cell downstairs. It was sort of a dirty trick to pull on the mutant in question but if that was what it took then Drew was fine with it. After all there was a certain mass murderer out there who owed her reduction in freedom to him too. If this kept up he might have to go get a law degree. Drew snagged a cell phone on his way out of the office and headed down to the cells.

As Sam and his guest came into site Drew nodded lazily before tossing the notepad and cell phone toward Sam.

"So this is him huh?" Drew took a long look at Shade, "You sure you wanna do this?"

He addressed the question to Sam mainly but if Shade answered too, well that was fine.

Sam understood being locked up could make some one edgy but he had a feeling once Drew arrived with everything he asked him (including the cell phone) Shade would be singing a different tune. A promise by Drew wasn’t one that could be easily broken. One of the many reasons he was glad to have the guy around.

Once Drew arrived he gave Shade a look one that Sam didn’t pay much mind to. He knew that if other X-Men knew what he was doing Sam would have had to debate using Shade in the first place, hell keeping Shade in the cells would have caused a big stir among the team. Luckily things like this had a way of being pretty hush hush if the need was great. Sam knew once he let him out though Streak would have been pissed. ”Yeah, I’m sure.” Sam said nodding his head to Dew as he received everything he asked.

Touching the phone and looking at the screen Sam nodded his head and tossed it Shade, it was an older phone with one number programmed in it, the number belonged to Sam’s. The phone had a GPS tracker in it one that would allow him to monitor Shade’s movements it also had a program in it, which made it difficult to reverse the tracking on it. With the promise Shade was about to make Sam was pretty sure he wouldn’t want to lose the phone or let anyone else use it.

The pad of paper had the promise written on it one that Shade would have to say in front of Drew one that would be binding and protect Sam and all from Shade unless Sam directed otherwise. Reading the promise in his head he smiled and handed the sheet to Shade it read, "I promise not to betray Sam Johnson or the X-Men. I promise not to speak about anything pertaining to the X-Men, their missions, members, training, and facilities without Sam Johnson's permission. I promise not to attack a member of the X-Men or a member of society without Sam Johnson's approval. I promise to check in with Sam Johnson every other hour unless sleeping and will keep him informed of the goings on in the Order. I promise to be Sam Johnson's shadow and will protect him from all harm. I promise to carry out any mission Sam Johnson gives me to his details." Once handing the sheet with the promise over to Shade, Sam looked to Drew and nodded his head.

”Shade, why don’t you read that allowed and make the promise to Drew.” Sam said giving him the go ahead to read it allowed. He then looked to Drew and pointed to one of the beers, ”Help yourself.”

The new arrival was a tall, skinny lad a few years younger than Shade. He did not appear much of a threat. The shadow mutant had to wonder why Cold Steel had insisted on his assistant. What made him so special that he had to say these promises in front of him? Couldn't he just hold up his right hand and swear over a Bible or something? Wasn't that how the good guys did this stuff? A person's word was all the trust they needed, right? The simple fact that the newcomer referred to Shade as if he could not hear him only increased Shade's yearning to slice his throat open. He made a face at Drew that perfectly described his own feelings about being stuck down here.

Luckily, Shade turned his attention to Cold Steel as the ice mutant tossed a mobile phone at him. He managed to catch it, although he wasn't entirely sure what he needed it for (Maybe play snake?). Not to mention it was a freaking Nokia! A Nokia!? What the hell? Were the X-men broke? Still bewildered with over the Nokia phone, Cold Steel made him a small piece of paper. Shade read over the sheet quickly.

"What the heck is this crap?" Shade asked, gesturing to the items he had just been handed. "I promise not to betray Sam Johnson or the X-Men. I promise not to speak about anything pertaining- IS this your secret code or something before you become an X-men?"

Looking over the details on the sheet of paper, Shade could see things that were certainly not going to be fun to adhere to, like "I promise to check in with Sam Johnson every other hour unless sleeping and will keep him informed of the goings on in the Order". That would definitely be a pain to remember. Maybe, Shade could just fake like he was sleeping all the time. Also, "I promise to be Sam Johnson's shadow and will protect him from all harm". What the hell did that mean?

He smirked.

Really he couldn't help it. Everything about this guy said that he didn't believe there was anything happening here that threatened him at all. Drew had learned to spot the type over the few years he'd been with the X's. After all he was in trouble so often it didn't hurt to learn to spot who was probably going to be trouble and this guy just screamed that if his mutation hadn't been rendered harmless he'd rather be ripping them limb from limb than making any sort of promise at all.

He'd learn. Anyone that made a promise to Drew learned sooner or later. Heck Drew had certainly learned in those frustrating days when his mutation only affected him. When Andrew Leroy was around, you better watch your promises or they'd come back to haunt you.

So Drew smirked at the guys incredulous outburst and grabbed a beer. He ignored the prisoner beyond that though. Instead he turned to address Sam.

"When we're done here I've got an idea I'd like to discuss. Just a way to keep the evidence of this" Drew pointed at the note pad, "a bit better hidden."

He hadn't seen Alli in a long time but her ink control capabilities would certainly come in handy for ensuring the resulting tattoos were less suspicious. Besides, Drew was a little tired of the collar around his neck and the various other mutation spawned tattoos being so obvious. Taking a swig of the beer, Drew contemplated what he'd ask Alli to do with all that ink. Getting this guy to take him and the promises seriously wasn't his job. It usually worked better for Drew if they didn't take him seriously.

The temperature in the room dropped ten degrees, his focus of his mutation was around Shade but if Drew felt the effect it was only to demonstrate how long he had been down in the cell with the shadow mutant. It was clear that Sam wanted to be ‘dead’ somewhere else. Between the look on Shade’s face when he looked at the phone and the way he didn’t finish the promise. Well, that wasn’t going to fly with Sam. He ignored the phone issue for now because it wouldn’t look suspicious at all if the guy had a fancy phone with only one number plugged into it. This phone was strictly used for business between him and Shade nothing else.

”No, I can honestly say I don’t think you will ever become an X-Man. At least not in the near future, this is a promise for insurance. Drew here is the witness.” Sam said lying to the shadow jumper. ”Now start over and read the paper word for word, remember this is a promise for Drew. Not me.” Sam said his hold on the air around Shade ending when he finished talking.

”The sooner you promise Drew the sooner you can get out of this cell.” Sam stood up the chair being moved slightly behind him. If shade wasn’t going to make the promise then Sam would simply leave the mutant down here longer. He’d break eventually and Sam had no problem showing Shade how patient he could actually be.

Well, Drew was not helpful at all. The newcomer only smirked at Shade, like he knew something that the shadow mutant did not. Shade really wanted to slice that smirk into a bloody grin. Then they would see who would be smirking. Of course, Cold Steel's response was to drop the temperature down to make Shade uncomfortable. However, the prisoner gritted his teeth against it this time and refused to show that it was affecting him, even if his skin was reddened from the chill. Shade gave Cold Steel a deadly glare.

"Fine, whatever. Okay, Drew..." Shade said, shifting his attention to Cold Steel's assistant. "You ready to witness this little show. I promise to not to betray Sam Johnson or the X-men."

Shade spoke the words, sealing the first promise. A link of black chain appeared around his left wrist in the form of a tattoo. The shadow mutant did not even notice it as he was reading with his right. A little voice in his head (His conscience? Shade thought he did not have a conscience) told him that he should not be thinking about ways to betray the X-men, but Shade pushed the idea from his head.

Of course, that was the first thing I am going to do. He thought to himself. He looked at the paper, but the words had blurred. That was weird. Shade tried to blink it away, but there was suddenly a pain in his chest. It felt like someone had stabbed a burning blade directly into his heart. Shade clutched at it instinctively, but there was nothing there, only the burning. He slopped over in pain as he tried to yell, but he had no breath. He did not understand. Then he understood. He was dying. Why was he dying? His eyes searched for answers, but there was nothing to see.

Then that little voice returned, telling him not to betray the X-men. Shade wanted to push it away, but he couldn't. Something inside him told Shade that it was his last hope. He would not betray the X-men, Shade told the voice. He would not betray Sam. And the worst part was he believed it! He believed it with all his heart. Then there was no pain. It just vanished. Shade gasped for breath as if it was his first. He rolled onto his back in exhaustion as the rush of adrenaline ran its course.

"What the hell did you do to me?" Shade asked, his voice hoarse.

Drew wasn't sure he'd ever get used to this power over words. He'd stood back while Sam made his little speech to the man in the cage. Drew figured that if there was so much as a crack in that containment then they'd be having a brawl instead of a semi-civil conversation. Either way he focused all his attention on the man when he began the oath. If Drew were poetic he'd wax lyrical about it. But his promises weren't things of great fanfare. There was nothing elegant or beautiful about it. Just the right set of words and a person was bound to their promise.

At least they got a tattoo out of the deal. Drew cast his eyes on his own arm as the promise took hold. What he saw almost made him laugh. Black chain links? For a promise like this? How cliche. Of course he didn't dwell long on the tattoo. Their guest ensured that with what he could only assume were traitorous thoughts mere moments after making the promise. With it being so young and only thoughts he probably wouldn't die, a supposition proven correct when the fellow managed to demand an explanation through a pain roughened voice. Drew just raised an eyebrow in his direction.

"Well since you didn't do anything or say anything traitorous I can only assume you thought about it."

Drew paused to take a swig of his beer. Yes he was being dramatic but there wasn't much ole Chains in there could do about it.

"That's just a little insurance to make sure you follow through on the promise. You didn't seriously think Sam was dumb enough to trust you with some flimsy promises made in front of your average desk jockey did you?"

He drained his beer and set the can down.

"You've even got a handy reminder, in case you forget the oaths you're swearing. Just take a peek at your left arm."

It wasn't often that Andrew Leroy got to gloat a little.

Sam remained silent while Shade showed he was in pain. Sam gave Drew a little slightly nod of approval as he explained what was actually happening. ”Finish the promise on the sheet or I’ll walk out of here and leave you to die.” Sam said coldly as he looked back to Shade who hadn’t finished the promise yet. He wasn’t going to let Shade off the hook after he only promised so little from what was on the sheet he gave him.

Sam took an overly dramatic step to the door and turned to Shade, ”Or do you want me to promise Drew I will?” it was an idle threat. Sam had too many plans for Shade at the moment and he wasn’t willing to throw them away just yet. Shade might be able to call his bluff but he knew the shadow jumper wouldn’t willingly stay in the cell any longer. Meaning he only had one way out.

"Shit." Shade said, simply. His body was going barely recovering from the shock that had been delivered to it. It did not help that he was skinnier than most anorexic models. He had no strength. He was running off of fumes and adrenaline. Shade rolled over and groaned as he straightened himself back up. His body was beginning to feel sore from the tension that he had experienced when he had almost died. Glancing at his left arm, Shade could see that there was a new tattoo wrapped around his wrist. Why did all his bad decisions have to involve tattoos?

"Let me see that damned sheet." Shade replied. He had dropped during his near death episode. Snatching it off the ground, the shadow mutant focused back on the page. For a moment, he almost felt like crying. Shade? Crying? But there was nothing else he could do. He was either trapped with these words written on the page in front, or he would be trapped in the light. With one glance around the cell, Shade knew which option he was choosing. The shadow mutant's moment of vulnerability disappeared as his eyes reset into stone. He cleared his thought as he refocused on the piece of paper.

"I promise not to speak about anything pertaining to the X-Men, their missions, members, training, and facilities without Sam Johnson's permission." Shade watched as another tattoo band wrapped around his wrist.

"I promise not to attack a member of the X-Men or a member of society without Sam Johnson's approval, unless attacked first." Heck, I got to be able to defeat myself."[/font] Shade commented, voicing his concern to Cold Steel. He need he was pushing his luck, but he had to look after number one after all. Even so, that single command felt like Cold Steel had just cut the legs out from the shadow. He was an enforcer, the silent blade in the night. What good was he if he could not attack people?

"I promise to check in with Sam Johnson every other hour unless sleeping and will keep him informed of the goings on in the Order, at least everything that they tell me.. They don't trust me with all their plans, you know." Again, Shade had to cover his own butt. There was no way he wanted to feel that close to death again.

"I promise to be Sam Johnson's shadow and will protect him from all harm. I promise to carry out any mission Sam Johnson gives me to his details. There! Am I feel to go now?" Shade completely. By now, he had several rings of tattoos wrapping around his left arm, so many that the shadow mutant did not even want to count them. They were chains holding him down.