Maurader's Hideaway

[Banshee]

If you are not in the Mauraders, you will not think any thing of this house. It looks like any other in Carrion Cove. The house appears to be a run of the mill abandoned shack. But on the inside . . . . .

[Toad]

Toad walked through the area of Carrion Cove leaving from his ship transport to the island’s docks. He was in his full uniform and carrying two duffel bags over his shoulders of all his personal belongings. Looking around as he walked he noticed no passers by paying him any attention. After all these years Toad was still weary of being in open public, but of course here he was just another face in the crowd. Taking the opportunity to be a little more comfortable he leaned down and began to walk on all fours.

Turning the corner at one street he stopped to pull out the piece of paper with his written instructions. It didn’t say much just authorized transfer to something called the Marauders and an address and day. The day was this day and the address was right down the street. As he moved closer to the building he was supposed to report to Toad started to become very angry.
“Ohh just bloody great, they diddled you Mortimer. They just straight out tricked you into taking some damn demotion. This is probably the Genosha mailing room or something. I’m going to become the fat offish security guard sitting in a chair and sleeping all day. Just bloody great.”
He moaned as he made his way over to the shack of a building. He wrapped his fist on the door once, then twice, then a good ten times but received no answer. To the side was an odd looking doorbell. Pushing his finger on the button it lit up rather brightly but made no sound. Before he could push it again the front door popped open. Looking around for a moment Toad slowly stepped inside the building.

No one was inside to great him just an empty hall. The minute he fully stepped inside the front door shut and locked behind him. Toad was now starting to become nervous about all off this. The fact that he had been told little to nothing about this new assignment only added to his uneasy felling that this was all some kind of set up. Turning the corner into the open entrance way out of the hall Toad was awe struck.
“Well blow me…”
He stammered out looking around at a room filled with the most advanced computerized tracking station and monitoring operations system he had ever seen outside of the Shield main base. “Definitely not the mail office.”

[Black Tom]

The large main view screen suddenly began working on it's own. The screen Showed Black Tom speaking from his office at home Hammer Bay. "Mr. Toynbee, I see ya found yuir way in with no problems. Most would just walk by and assume they have the wrong address."

[Toad]

Toad jumped back as the video monitor came to life unexpectedly. To his surprise the communication was actually to him, then again as he looked around and saw no one else around it didn’t seem like such a surprise.
“Well it wasn’t that hard you just ya know ring the litle ol bell there.” He said scratching the back of his head. Toad recognized the man on screen; he had seen him before with Lord Magneto. The man seemed to be the one in charge or at least his superior in one way or another for sure. This was looking more and more like a real assignment. Mortimer thought he better treat it as such and stood up as straight as his back would allow him too.
“Mortimer Toynbee reporting for transfer to the Marauders unit as instructed.”
He called out like a good soldier he was trained to be. It was all part of Toad’s kissing up to those higher in the food chain plan. It had worked well for him so far in his career. The trick was finding out what kind of kissing up different people liked. Some prefer a good boot licker, some just like you take all their abusive crap, a few actually like a strong assertive person who will tell them what’s what. He had yet to meet a superior officer that actually liked their men for just themselves, and doubted he ever would. He waited patiently for instruction on just exactly what he was supposed to be doing.

[Black Tom]

((Cross posted from the Cassidy Estate))

Tom held back a laugh as the screen startled Toad. A little jumpy apparently, no pun intended. He seemed a little uncomfortable, which was understandable. He’d seen what Shield life was like. They were true military, starting in the dark of the morning and ending in the dark of night. The Marauders were more like professional athletes. You work hard during the day and play hard at night. Tom was actually quite interested to see how Toad adapted to the new lifestyle. He was the first Red Guard member to ever join the group. Few people asked for transfer out of the guard. Even less people were ever ‘transferred’ to the Marauders. Tom usually did his own recruiting.

“Mortimer Toynbee reporting for transfer to the Marauders unit as instructed.” Tom couldn’t help laughing this time, although he did muffle it somewhat. This was definitely going to be interesting. “How much were ya told about tha Marauders, Mortimer?” He had to ask the magic question. As much as Tom enjoyed being treated like a superior, that would have to go. The constant screaming and saluting got old, and Bella was sure to tear him apart if he didn’t stop that. “I think that yuir in for a few surprises.”

[Toad]

“It already has sir.” Toad said relaxing his posture and stance as he considered the informal questioning to be his new leader’s way of telling him to stand down.
“All I know is the same stuff everyone knows about the group. They work for Magneto and do the things that need to be done and the majority of people aren’t even sure if they’re real or just a legend to spook the humans in line. I just happened to raise some complaints with Miss. Mystique that I thought I wasn’t gotten enough assignments were I could really do what I’m good at. Which is mainly killin folks. Next thing I know I’m getting reassignment here. So that is all I know sir.”
He stood quite after answering the man’s question. Toad wasn’t sure if he should ask anything yet. He did have a lot of questions, like what was his new assignment, why was he the only one in the bloody building right now, and how did a damn Irishman get so high placed. He waited patently for what information he was going to be given voluntarily now or to see what hops he would have to hop through next. Hoping was what he was good at after all.

[Black Tom]

((Crossposted from Cassidy Estate))

They work for Magneto and do the things that need to be done and the majority of people aren’t even sure if they’re real or just a legend to spook the humans in line. Unfortunately, some people knew even more than that. One of the major problems of being a secret organization is the damn conspiracy nuts putting clues together over the internet. Of course, they had no solid evidence. But they did get awfully close sometimes. Why couldn’t they just illegally download music and look at porn like normal people?

“Time fuir a crash coarse then. First, cut out tha military act. Ya just graduated from soldier to mercenary. Next, Ya’ll need a place ta stay, a house or an apartment. We only use tha hideaway for business meetings...” Tom’s attention was pulled away when Theresa walked in and closed the door behind her. Obviously, Bella didn’t just sit quietly by the pool. She sat on one of the leather chairs in front of the desk, looking upset.

Tom looked at her for a second then turned back to his monitor. “Why don’t ya come ta my house in Hammer Bay? I can give ya tha entire rundown and ya can meet another member as well.” This was a fairly simple scheme. Let the rookie run interference on Bella while Tom spent some time with Theresa. He would probably have to call Mystique by the end of the day from the look on Theresa‘s face. Tom wanted to spend some time with her before then.

[Toad]

“Time fuir a crash coarse then. First, cut out tha military act. Ya just graduated from soldier to mercenary. Next, Ya’ll need a place ta stay, a house or an apartment. We only use tha hideaway for business meetings...”


‘Oh that’s just bloody great, go from living in nice regulation style barracks and now I’m going to be a bloomin popper again. What a transfer thanks a bundle Mystique.’ He yelled to himself on hearing the requirement to get his own place to live. Toad wasn’t a material kind of guy, when you grow up owning nothing it’s rather hard to be. So he knew he could manage for himself no matter his living situation. Still going from provided food and shelter to what ever this arraignment was to be was not that great sounding of a change.
Watching the monitor it seemed that his new superior was distracted by what sounded like someone else in the room.

“Why don’t ya come ta my house in Hammer Bay? I can give ya tha entire rundown and ya can meet another member as well.”

“That’s fine by me sir if ya just tell me how the heck I’m supposed to find my ways there. And if I may, mercenary, solider, thug it’s aoll the same to me. I just do what I do and do what I’m told so I don’t get in no trouble. As long as I’m doin what I can for the House of M it don’t matter one bit to me. Ohh and if I may one more question sir.” He crooked his head to side. “Who the bloody heck are you any way?”

[Black Tom]

((Crossposted from the Cassidy Estate))

Tom pulled up the computers Satellite capabilities from his own pc and marked the route from the hideaway to his home. He then printed a copy on the printer in the hideaway. "There's a map ta my house. The route is already marked."

"Ohh and if I may one more question sir. Who the bloody heck are you any way?” Tom raised an eyebrow. When did the little twurp stop kissing ass and turn disprectful? Tom was suddenly glad to be throwing the rookie to Bella. He'd never be the same after that, if he survived. "Black Tom Cassidy," was all he said, as if expecting Toad to have heard of him. By all accounts, he probably should have. Tom was a member of Magneto's Brotherhood, before they became an army. Most of them were honored inm some way, which is how Tom became in charge of the Marauders anyway. He was also absolved of all his crimes across the globe. Few people remembered that most of the Brotherhood weren't misunderstood freedom fighters but criminals putting their talents to use. That's because history is written by the the winners.

[Toad]

Toad hopped over to the computer and tore off the printed off directions to where he was now supposed to go. He looked over the directions carefully before placing them in his pocket. The place was in the bloody center of town. Either this outfit was extremely covert or extremely casual to the point of carelessness. Toad was starting to think it may be a mix of the two.

"Black Tom Cassidy,"

The man finally gave him a name thou Toad had been hopping for a little rank or some kind of designation to go with it. The name did ring a bell but he could not place where from. He was starting to wish he had paid more attention to the whose who in military politics game. But right now Toad knew his name and the he was his superior officer for sure. He gave a quick salute to the man in view. “I’ll be there promptly sir.” He told the man just as the video screen went out.

“What a rude paddy.” Toad muttered to himself at his new commander’s curt ending of the discussion. Mortimer took a moment to take a small tour of the rest of the outpost. The guy was right this definitely was more of a hideout then a major base of operation. Aside from the large computer room and the closed off armory there was nothing but a break room, a bathroom and a small room with a cot in it. Having surveyed all the Toad took a look at his map again before hop footing it out of there and to this Black Tom’s estate.

[Black Tom]

As Tom drove the marauders to Carrian Cove, he briefed the others to the situation in Nebraska. This wasn’t normally the time of them he did, driving his team to the hideaway. Well, maybe Bella, but the group had never been gathered at his house before when they got a call. Hell, they never gathered at his house. It wasn’t like he threw these ‘company barbeques’ all the time, or ever.

They pulled up to the hideaway and Tom didn’t even have to ring the special doorbell. He pulled a remote from the center console and pressed a button that opened up the secret hideaway. No one was around to see the wall open up and allow Tom to pull his car inside.

The lights and equipment had already activated when he remotely opened the door, and were downloading the information Mystique sent. Tom stepped out of the car and instructed the others to “Suit up.” Stopping for a second, he turned around and looked at Toad. “We don’t have uniforms other than what we choose ta wear. You kin take whatever you find in here as far as clothes go. But it’s mostly camouflage and flak jackets. Weapons, we have a slightly larger selection.” While he did offer the rookie the use of his facilities, his voice wasn’t exactly welcoming. Tom hadn’t forgot what Toad did to his daughter.

Not giving the mongrel another look, Tom went to his personal locker and began retrieving his things. He had only a small amount of room to change in, and it was in open view. Tom didn’t care though, as long as Toad kept himself at a distance. He almost expected Mortimer to try something, only because it would piss off Tom more, and that was all Toad had been good for so far.

After he was changed, Tom grabbed his cane and a small suitcase. The suitcase carried a special weapon he had made. It was basically a Freddy Krueger glove with wooden tips in stead of blades. He’d used it as a weapon before, but today the thought in might be of use for extrication. With the glove, he could emit more precise heat beam and basically use it like a welder to cut with a torch.

Ready to go, Tom had the satellite photos printed out for the everyone. They could go over them on the jet. Once the others were ready, Tom lead them down the path that took them to the jet, where they left for Nebraska.

((Black Tom exits to Nebraska. I’ll make the entry post when the Red Guard start to arrive.))

[Belladonna LeBeau]

This wasn't anything new for Belle, she had been a Maurauder for many years and had been on many missions with Tom and "their" team. She didn't feel entirely comfortable saying "his" team...seeing as they were equals and she was not about to let him think any different. She had stood by his side on many a brutal battle and come out with most faculties intact.

That's what made it so wierd...there was a new kid on the town. An annoying new kid who had spit up on her. There was a large reason that Belle did not have children and, although her husband was thousands of miles away, the biggest was that she didn't like things like that. She could handle blood and gore, death and destruction...but a little spit up and she was GONE. Hand them off when they were potty trained and she was fine, but it was just the principle....

Belle shuddered, putting that image out of her mind. Hell, if she had had a baby when she and Remy were first married...she'd be about Theresa's age now but a bit younger. Tom finally did the trick of pushing it out of her head with his simple command, “Suit up.”

Going to her 'favorite' locker, she opened it up to find herself all ready. Changing into a pair of tight camis and a matching tank top, she tucked her two knives into convienent locations on her body, and then picked up a heavy handgun from the store. She wasn't very good with guns, she had to admit, but with her knives and her acerbic wit, she was armed to the teeth.

After she was ready, she pulled her blonde hair into a tight braid and trekked after Tom to the jet...it was time for some bloodshed.

[Toad]

Toad listened intently to the impromptu mission briefing during the drive. While the mission itself was not all that complicated the reasoning for their selection had Toad's head spinning. From all he had been told and instructed of this organization they did the dark work that Lord Magneto rightfully wanted kept under wraps. Investigations like this didn't seem to call for such secrecy or a force such as them. It seemed much more like a legitimate SHIELD job then anything else. Still he was not about to question orders or cause a stink at this point. Right now was the time to do his job and ask questions later.
When they arrived back at the little secret hideaway Toad couldn't help felling like he could have saved himself a lot of trouble if he had just stayed there.
"We don’t have uniforms other than what we choose ta wear. You kin take whatever you find in here as far as clothes go. But it’s mostly camouflage and flak jackets. Weapons, we have a slightly larger selection."

Tom instructed Toad still giving him a wide birth and cold looks. 'Well ya sure did one thing ya wanted to Toad, ya made an impression on em.'
"What ever ya say." He responded simple. Mortimer was fine with his basic uniform he already had on him. Opening up the jacket he did help himself to a few of the guns, ammunition, and grenades available there. Once he had the weapons loaded up and concealed he was ready to go. He was expecting another car ride to somewhere with transportation to the states but to his surprise along with all the other equipment and secret mission stuff this building also had it's own hidden jet. 'For such a small laid back unit these guys sure are full of bloody surprises.'