It had been an argument. A series of arguments. Mirror was not a fan and Sam was actively against the plan. Becca did not feel great about the threats she had to make to get her way, but if she learned anything, it was that no one was playing fair anymore.

Aoife was relocated from one of Sam's safe houses to SUPER's primary facility. She was still being held in mirror space under the watchful eye of SUPER Agents that Agent Sang claimed to trust. Becca was not a fan of trusting SUPER, but Sam was off-balance since his fight with her sister. Despite hating what Aoife did, Becca did not want to leave her unattended with an angry Sam who was smelling like whiskey again. The decision to work with SUPER, of course, did not help her reputation with anyone who might accuse her of turning her back on mutants now that she was not one.

Despite her apprehensions, Becca relented to Sam's demand request for a visit to Aoife's cell. He might have been angry, but even he would behave in the heart of the mutant-policing beast. Becca was making frequent visits to the cell, both to place wards and to monitor Aoife. Sometimes her sister would speak to her; some days, she gave her the cold shoulder. If anyone believed Becca was trying to make allies of the Cult, she was clearly doing a gods-awful job.

Becca had a badge hanging from the lanyard on her neck as Agent Sang led the way through a secured hallway. "You know the drill; no reaching into the cell, no casting spells that are not specifically that ward we approved. No. Ice." That last rule was new and very pointed. She accessed two different biometric scanners to unlock the door into the observation area of Aoife's cell. "Do not give me a reason to cause an incident none of us want to deal with right now."

It was clear what she meant; SUPER, X-Men, and even Cultless Mystics did not need the negative press of fighting with one another. Not right now. Becca straightened her belt, keeping a case flush against her leg. She had glyphs securely in the box, all approved by SUPER security. "Oy. Before we go in there, are ye sure ye want tae dae this, Sam?" She pressed her lips, not excited to officiate a shouting match with Sam and her sister. "She might nae say anything. Ah cannae promise she's keen on cooperating. There might be no closure in this," she warned him.

The air was chill around him, voicing his irritation so he actually didn’t need to speak about backwards everything seemed to him. Each breath a plume of smoke, showing even more irritation about the situation. It was clear the frost-wielder wasn’t happy. Funny he thought breaking his sobriety would have had made everything better. It didn’t. Now he just had to deal with a hangover... and Becca.

After Aoife, Becca’s sister mind whammied him with her magic spells it was hard to keep his anger in check. The safe house he kept Becca’s sister at needed some repairs not from Sam fighting anyone else but rather himself. His knuckles were red, whiskey was on his breath and a flask remained heavy at his side.

After finally convincing Becca (there might have been several attempts) Sam was walking through the halls of S.U.P.E.R. willingly to go ‘help’ with interrogation. Something Sam knew how to well. Unfortunately, that meant he was going to be watched by not just Becca but everyone else in the facility as well.

The icemancer didn’t trust the company as a whole, there were however several members of the organization he trusted but also knew the individuals were capable of so it made it a difficult situation for him.

Could he have an uninterrupted word with Becca’s sister? Yes, would he have to fight his way out after and apologize to the rest of his team after? Yes. Just because he was angrier than he had been in years, reliving the trauma of seeing his ‘not-real’ family would do that. It didn’t mean he was stupid though. It would have been dangerous to do anything other than talk. Especially with Becca there. While their relationship was always strained, he knew what she meant to the people he cared about so he promised to be on his best behavior.

Sam didn’t say a word till Agent Sang spoke, reminding him of no ice followed by a threat that made Sam turn his gaze to the agent. ”Nobody wants that kind of headache Sang. Just want answers. Would have had them already if it wasn’t for Red here.” mainly where they leaders of the cult were and where this ‘well’ resided. All the mystics could talk about was the ‘well’. At first when he was getting answers from other members of the cult he thought it was the name of a drug. Turns out it might have been more literal than they let on.

Chewing his words he looked back to Becca and locked his eye on her. It was an awkward position for everyone to be in. They attack Becca, then him and Maya. There would be little closure till the cult was shut down. He’d freeze half the city if he had to. It was an attack on mutants. His friends and family, Sam would freeze the world if had to for them. A world without them was not one he wanted to go back to.

”I wasn’t finished talking with her last time. I just want a location. A name. Something else to go on. While you might not think it’s an issue, I’m taking this as a very real threat.” Sam paused for a moment realizing what he said and then added a simple, ”Sorry...” they were siblings. Sam kept reminding himself that she was Becca’s sister.

They cyclopean team leader didn’t want or need to explain what Aoife did to him. Why he was drinking or why he was so pissed. ”I won’t ever get closure. Just want this **** show is behind us. I’ll sleep better knowing the school isn’t about to be attacked and the kids there aren’t going to be killed or forced to drink whatever is in the Kool-aid.”

Sam was... a lot of different things. Maybe that happened when you were an X-Man for as long as he was with a long, messy history beyond it. Becca met a younger version of Sam once with a chip on his shoulder and less baggage weighing him down. Part of her missed that young man, only because she thought he could have deserved a second chance at life without the trauma.

Sadly, that trauma was still firmly in place. Worse, Aoife pressed on that trauma like a boot on his neck. Sam's bad blood with Rebecca's sister was justified, but she still had to take it upon herself to keep either side of that conflict from inflicting new wounds. Physical or mental.

Becca held her tongue when Sam commented on her role in "delaying answers," according to him. "Yes, because you had her sae willing tae talk," she muttered under her breath. Being held off the grid unlawfully had a habit of making people less chatty.

Regardless of how she felt about the way Sam and Maya handled Aoife, what he said came from the right place. Aoife was a threat. So was the Cult. Becca only brought Sam to S.U.P.E.R. because she believed his goal was to get the information the team needed. She was chaperoning because emotions were tricky and she didn't need Sam arrested or Aoife impaled. "Then let's try tae get whatever ye need tae keep everyone safe. And only that."

Sabine beeped the pair into a sealed room with a large mirror in the center of it. The image only reflected back Becca and Sam as they approached, but there was something in the background of the reflection. She liked to keep to the corners of her mirror space because being stubborn was a McIntosh trait. Rebecca sighed, knocking lightly on the glass.

A near-identical sigh came from the mirror and a freckled ginger slipped into the frame. Aoife and Rebecca shared an undeniable resemblance, but she was not a reflection. Becca's sister was being held in the Mirrorverse under the effects of Maya's mutation; it was the only place they knew at the moment where Aoife's magic seemed to hold no sway over them. "Th' checkups hae tae be gettin' old, wee sister." The witch looked behind Rebecca and noticed who was accompanying her. "Oh goddess be, nevermind. Ye jist brought Handsome tae finish me aff," she corrected flatly.

>>>"Yes, because you had her sae willing tae talk,"

Sam said nothing. His gaze shifted as the room opened. Everyone seemed to forget about his past and what he was raised to do. There thousands of ways to get someone to talk. A little torture to get results was part of the training. He was good at it. Even if he didn’t like what he could become when he was doing it. It would have been stupid to say anything. After all, the only reason he was allowed this meeting was because Becca was here and he promised to be on his best behavior.

Entering the room the icemancer noticed something right away other than the mirror. It was the stagnant air, the lack of air flow would have been maddening to him. Then again no reason to have proper amenities if the prisoner was trapped in a mirror.

Aoife was the first to break the silence. Not too long ago he would have been happy to finish her off. The perfect time would have been when there was an arrow sticking out of her and he just came back from the living nightmare that was his kids calling out to him. They weren’t real. He had to remind himself. A problem he was still struggling with. Even after talking it out with Gemma and Cora.

”That would imply I didn’t need you for anything else.” he shot back. Looking around the room. ”Sides, I wouldn’t have brought Becca here to watch that. Even I’m not that cold.” he smirked. ”Just be glad she is here and you’re in there. Never got a chance to talk to you properly. You can thank her and the one who shot you with an arrow for that.”

The coldmancer's eye danced around the room making sure not to make eye contact with Aoife or Becca. One for obvious reasons, the other because he didn’t like what he saw when he did. There were cameras in the room and one exit. Nothing else. It was clear this was a newer style cell. Not a lot of of them had a massive mirror in it.

”Can we get some chairs in here? My place at least had chairs.” Sam yelled allowed to Sabine hoping it would distract the SUPER boss. Sam still didn’t trust her nor the people working for her. Call it a gut feeling. Sam saw the other side of the organization before. They were all the same.

Pulling his flask out and taking a sip Sam let out a sigh, ”So... never got an answer... what do you want?” asking Aofie hoping he’d get something. It was an easy question. If he couldn’t torture her, he could at least try to see if there was anything she’d be willing to trade information for.

Freedom wasn’t an option not while her organization was still running rampant and he couldn’t kill her because that would make things... messy. It would more than likely come down to Becca and Mirror on how they wanted to handle things.

Despite the tension that came from Sam and Maya making choices Rebecca disagreed with, they were on the same side today. Rebecca had to remember that. She wanted to protect her sister in spite of the choices she made, but they also needed answers. The Cult had plans, and Aoife was privy to more than your bog-standard Mystic.

Rebecca was quiet, but Aoife was quick to groan at the mention of cold. ”Ice puns? Is that necessary? I’m already in prison.”

A SUPER agent brought two rolling chairs into the room, but Rebecca waved off the offer for herself. She wanted to keep on her toes for this conversation. They got settled in and Rebecca stayed quiet about Sam breaking out his flask. That was his business, especially after everything that happened.

Sam led the questioning. Aoife sighed, sitting herself on the ground, not facing them. ”Right tae th’ point. What fun is that?”

Rebecca scrunched her nose. ”This isnae about fun, Aoife. Your Cult is a real threat tae people Ah care about.”

”And that’s why Ah was tryin’ tae give yer family th’ gift, sis.” She leaned back until her back was on the ground and she could look up at Becca. ”Not my fault your daughter’s the only grateful one who understands.”

Rebecca’s cheeks and ears went red and her mouth opened, but she caught herself. ”Aoife, your group is recruitin’ and they’re rallyin’ up mutant panic. Why? Why nae just gather your power, open your wells, and leave us be?”

Aoife rolled her eyes. ”Why dae ye think so many people want tae learn magic? Mutants and Mystics have always been at odds, way before… well, it’s been a lang time.”

>>>>”Ice puns? Is that necessary? I’m already in prison.”

The icemancer smirked. ”Makes two of us. You Earned it.” Sam turned slightly to the door opening and the chairs being rolled in to the room. Nodding to the agent who brought them he took both chairs and wheeled them over to where they were standing. He sat, and then maneuvered a little to put his flask back into his pocket.

There was an exchange between the siblings. One Sam followed best he could without scoffing every now and then at Aoife’s responses. His way would have been faster. Or just leave her in her reflection to watch the world pass her by.

Sam was tempted to frost the glass a bit but knew that Sabine and the rest of her agents were already waiting for something to happen. He gave a thumbs up to one of the cameras, his cool was kept. No reason to make things worse, even if the mystic was asking for trouble.

Becca’s face started to match her hair in color. It was something that irritated the icemancer as well but he was better at hiding it. Even if he didn’t know why it upset him. ”It’s true.” Sam said backing Becca’s sister up. ”Hated magicians ever since I can remember. Not as much as clowns but still.” shifting his weight again he pulled the flask from his pocket and took a sip.

”See I don’t normally give a **** about what happens to cult members or a cult as long as they keep to themselves. I do care when they start abducting people and making it seem they are giving their victims options.” he paused, ”How about we start with some names?” Sam offered hoping the family bickering would end and they could get some useful information. ”I’ll even take some locations. Who knows you might even get put into a regular cell and not this reflection.”

Given everything she did, Aoife expected Sam to be the temperamental one in the discussion, but she was starting to get on her sister’s nerves. All the better. It made sense for the mutants to be angry with her, but it was almost offensive how Rebecca could be so ungrateful of the gift Aoife gave her.

Sam did still rub Aoife the wrong way with his flippant attitude. He didn’t know the history; mutants did not remember legacies and ancient grudges. His offer of a cell relocation did make her laugh. ”Dinnae insult my intellect, handsome. We both know Ah’m tay dangerous for a normal cell. Ah’ll be here til they find a way tae control my illusions, and that ain’t happening.”

Rebecca sighed. ”But there are still concessions we can make, Aoife. We need information; whether ye think ye’re in the right, some of us were nae on board with what were done tae us,” she reminded Aoife, clearly still hurt. ”And we’re seein’ violence on th’ rise; there’s been a messy serial killer runnin’ aroond. Ah hae tae believe ye’re nae okay with that.”

That last piece of news gave Aoife pause. ”He’s… Ah dinnae agree with what he’s daeing. Th’ blood; Ah’d never dae that,” she admitted weakly, struggling to come to terms with the things she chose to ignore to stay in the good graces of the First. ”But Ah cannae dae anythin’ about The Fifth. Ah’m jist focused on what we need tae dae.”

Becca noticed the morsel of information that the serial killer on the loose was, in fact, a Supreme, but she said nothing. She wanted Aoife giving her more details. ”Make more Mystics? Bit why? Is it worth lettin’ a lunatic run free? Why are ye jist lettin’ it happen?”

Aoife sat up, frowning. ”Cuz some Mystics think Mutants are gang tae keep us from doing what we need tae do. The First said that’s what happened ‘afore and it’ll happen again.” She looked down at her knees. ”Ah dinnae hate mutants. Nae personally,” she conceded. ”Bit The First saved me and gave me meanin’ as a Mystic. Ah had tae choose mah own side; jist like ye,” she added, looking at Sam. He was a mutant and would do what he had to do to protect mutants, even if it meant crossing lines. Aoife had her own lines to cross for the sake of her people.

The icemancer smirked, his finger tapping his flask. ”Wouldn’t dream of it.” he wasn’t lying. Not really. There were ways to make it easier to put her in a ‘normal’ cell. ”Everyone always seems to forget what I used to do before I joined up with the X’s.” he specialized in neutralizing threats. Mystics however were a newer problem. One he was still trying to understand.

”You whammied me but not my partner that night. Makes me think you need close proximity and I didn’t hear any chanting so that’s a start.” his fingers stopped tapping his flask it helped him narrow things down further. ”and you haven’t attacked anyone yet. Meaning you can’t or your waiting for something.” he said still not looking up into her eyes. She was being held in a mirror. In a S.U.P.E.R. facility. Good luck.

”Be easier if you just told us. Could give yourself an actual shot at escaping.” he looked to the mirror prision she was in and then looked to his teammate who tried appealing to her humanity which surprisingly revealed probably a lot more than Aofie intended.

The mutant killer in question was apparently ‘The Fifth’ meaning there were more. A ranking system, made sense. Sam still wasn’t sure where the captured redhead landed on that roster but it was clear she didn’t agree with his methods. ‘The First’ was another number. They saved her and gave her purpose. ”So where does that put you on the ranking?” Sam asked curiously. Apparently the first also fought mutants before, he made note and continued on with his questioning filing the information in the back of his mind.

”I didn’t pick a side until the murders and kidnappings started. Your First, apparently ‘he’ had dealings with mutants before? Bold to assume we are all the same. I even worked with a few magical pals before.” he said truthfully, he wasn’t going to throw Rex under the bus but Hercules... he could lift it. No need to name drop just yet. Sam also didn’t know if the first was a man or woman. He was hoping Afoie would give up a little more information.

Aoife was not a fan of being analyzed to her face, much less being underestimated. Giving Sam information was something she wanted to avoid, but she did want to shut him up. She would not address him, at the very least, wanting to be petty to the last. "Rebecca, given who ye decided tae marry, ye better know now: magic needs access tae the Mystic Plane. Where ye cannae access it, ye cannae use magic." She looked pointedly at Sam. "That's why Maya didnae get whammied, nae 'proximity.' This Mirrorspace of hers... it's nae the same as our plane, and Mystic Energy disnae reach here."

"Sae that's why ye've been behavin' in there?"

That question was worth a sharp laugh out of Aoife. "Ah cannae believe keepin' me in here was dumb luck."

Rebecca rolled her eyes. "And yet you're the ain captured, sis."

Given Rebecca's limited experience with the cult that took her powers, she never heard of a ranking system for the Supremes. How relevant was it? Maybe not at all, but any information was a start.

Questioned about her own spot, Aoife pressed her lips into a tight smile. "The Sixth. Of six," she admitted, convinced there was no harm in giving them a scrap like that. "The Deceiver."

"Appropriate," Rebecca muttered, still not over her sister's betrayal.

Aoife was visibly uneasy when Sam mentioned murders. She was glad he moved the topic back to the First. "The First knows our history. I dinnae know how lang he's been around, but he keeps the stories." Given the nature of his magic, she was sure The Unmaker was longer-lived than he looked, and he looked old as dirt as is. "Mystics used tae be more common when we still had an open gateway tae the Mystic Realm. And it was mutants who closed the gateway, sinking it intae the sea tae take away our gifts," she parroted bitterly, having heard the story many times under The First's care.

”Heh.” was all he could muster when Afoie spelled it out to them about why he was the only one effected that night. ”Means you’re effectively stuck there then. Helpless.” the comment would more than likely upset her but Sam wasn’t really to concerned about how Afoie was feeling.

”Could be worse. You can still see and speak.” he shrugged knowing that comment would have upset Becca more than anything. Sam glanced at her apologetically for a moment before looking back to the mirror and Afoie’s feet. Even if she couldn’t access magic in there he still didn’t want to give her a chance to hit him again. Sabine and the rest of the Super squad would have been pissed if he froze the building out of anger.

”Catchy name. It fits.” Sam sighed agreeing with Becca.

”So you got beef with us now because some old guy is retelling stories of the glory days?” clearly over simplifying everything. Sam made note to ask Hercules and Rex about the ‘good ol’ days’. ”So we just got to sink your well then? Easy enough.” this time he was making note to ask Jorge to sink a well.

If Sam had the chair turned around under him he would have leaned back. Instead he sighed loudly into his flask. ”She’s not even top five. I doubt she even knows where the old guy is.” looking to Becca. ”You get enough family time?”

Aoife didn't like being called helpless. She felt helpless for most of her childhood, so a man gloating about her predicament rubbed her the wrong way, even if she deserved her current punishment.

Rebecca was torn, because she hated how her sister ended up embodying her Deceiver identity so well. She was indoctrinated by a cult, but she still lied and messed up Rebecca's life. Aoife made it hard to empathize with her.

But she did give them plenty of information to go off of, assuming she wasn't just talking out of her ass. She was, after all, The Deceiver.

"Ye hae a knack for assuming things are as simple as ye'd like tae think they are," Aoife mused, curious to see how his black-and-white worldview would handle what came next with the Welldrinkers' plans.

Rebecca looked at her sister, then back to Sam. He was right; there was nothing more they were going to get out of Aoife today. "Yeah, Ah think Ah'm read. Ah jist..." Rebecca moved as close to the cell as she was allowed without getting shot by SUPER Agents. "Ah hope ye realize Ah dinnae jist come here for information. Ye're my sister and Ah'm the one who is coming tae see ye. Nae the Fifth. Nae the First. Me."

Aoife said nothing, but she did avoid eye contact. Instead of answering, she finally just moved straight to, "Goodbye, Becca."

”Blame it on my upbringing.” he shrugged, it wasn’t much of one. Becca knew that much about him. This was pretty black and white. If mutants were the first ones to strike the mystics or mystics to mutants. It didn’t matter. If they attacked someone close to the icemancer they made an enemy of him. The cult of mystics and her sister would pay for what they did to Becca.

At the moment the safest place for Afoie was either hiding behind Becca or in this room guarded by S.U.P.E.R. an organization Sam didn’t fully trust. It was hard to trust organizations like that. Having been groomed by one, but he could trust they’d keep her locked up and hopefully pass along any information she’d eventually divulge after being captive for so long. A man can dream.

When Becca moved closer to the mirror Sam’s eye darted to the camera and then the door making sure that there wasn’t a handful of agents bursting through the door. Sabine made it clear. Thankfully she didn’t move any closer. Just talked. It was... hard to watch for the icemancer so he gave the two siblings a moment while he mulled over everything with another sip from his flask trying not to think about his next A.A. meeting.

>>>"Goodbye, Becca."

”Come on.” Sam waved Becca towards the door and stood. ”Afoie, I’m sure we’ll see each other soon. After you had some time to reflect.” nailed it. Looking to the camera and speaking out loud he added, ”Sabine, you can turn the lights off behind us!” before walking to the door and waiting for it to open.

Once out in the hallway Sam waited till one of the agents who greeted them was out of ear shot so he could ask his teammate? Former teammate? ”...How you holding up?”

Aoife's farewell to Sam was not as somber or sincere as the goodbye she gave her sister. Waving with the waggle of her fingers, she blew a kiss. "Come back soon! For our next date, mebbe jist ditch th' chaperone, Sammy."

Rebecca was frazzled leaving the holding cell, thoughts running through her head as her eyes faced forward, unfocused. She was only pulled back to reality when she realized Sam said something to her. "Huh? Oh." It was a good question. Her complicated thoughts and feelings toward Aoife were not getting simpler with each meeting. "Ah'm okay. Ah think she's jist gettin' bored an' banterin' gives her somethin' tae dae."

The trip did get in Rebecca's head, and she needed that clear if they were going to plan. Once they were safely out of restricted SUPER areas, she grabbed a notepad from her pocket. She had been practicing runes and was more or less confident in the Metation spell etched in neat penstrokes. She placed her hand over the spell, taking a deep breath to draw in mystical energy. A Calm Mind Charm. It wasn't the most impressive thing she had worked on, but between the Cult and parenthood, she was sure she would get plenty of mileage out of a charm that slowed her mind and heartrate down, allowing her to reclaim some lost focus.

There was something easier to process from this meeting, at least. "At least today was mair productive than most visits. Atlantis," she repeated. "We need tae gie tae th' island; maybe see if they hae some history or records that can point us tae what th' Welldrinkers might be planning next.

Rebecca was so used to analyzing and working on plans, she almost missed how quickly she forgot herself and made some big assumptions. "And by that, Ah mean your team should send a few people tae investigate on Atlantis. And, Ah guess, if ye'd want me along in case some of the information needs a magic touch..." It was Rebecca's decision to leave the X-Men, but that did not mean everyone on the team would have kept her if she asked. She never let things get to a vote before announcing her departure.

The Cult's plans were a problem Rebecca was invested in, but Atlantis was a land by and for mutants. If she was going to return to the island, it had to be as a guest, invited and chaperoned.

Ignoring Afoie’s farewell he kept his eye forward. There was nothing else he could get from her now, she’s too comfortable. Some time alone would indeed give her time to reflect on her actions. Maybe in a week he’d swing by again. Get a little more information out of her. Sabine might be a problem though. Why he handed her off to SUPER he still didn’t know but figured it keep him out of the team’s doghouse.

”Well hopefully she gets bored then.” he said trying to be sympathetic towards her. Bored means she’ll be more willing to talk next time. Make a mistake. She already revealed some of the hierarchy with the mystics and where she thought the birth of magic was. At least that was the same conclusion Becca came up with as well.

”You don’t think it’s a wild goose chase? Be smart to get a few of our team out of the states for a while. Besides Atlantis isn’t the most welcoming from all the chatter about the place. It did produce the Princess after all.” but the island also gave them Praxi, a trainee and one of Sam’s favorites. ”Can’t we just ask the princess to call them?” with the abductions of mutants going around Sam didn’t want to leave the city.

”My team?” Sam scoffed as more doors opened and they walked through towards the exit. ”Don’t be dumb. I’ve said it before and I’m willing to die on this hill. You don’t have to be a mutant to be on the team. Not a lot of people I'd be willing to die next too. You earned that spot on the team. No one wants you to leave it. Sides, not like Maya wouldn’t tell you everything anyways.” he chuckled and held the door open for her leaving the SUPER facility.