Location: Washington DC, The Cherry Bomb, Basement Skills: N/A
Callie looked at Max for a moment when he blew some kind of dust into his eyes, and knocked Luna out after the second attempt, she wasn't sure if he was being mind controlled or not at the moment, until Leighton came over and told them that the two of them were leaving willingly to the Hellfire Club. She turned to look at Havok and shrugged slightly, she would have forced them to not join the Hellfire Club. "Well seeing as they attacked us last night and the Morlocks to, so yeah i'd force them not to join." Callie said, looking at the two of them as the elevator closed.
Then Veil got a phone call along with Havok to, seeing where they were at right now she looked back down the hallways hoping that Mister Sinister didn't decide to rear his head again. And the Glimpse woke up again and slowly got back up to her feet, and gave a slight shrug. "Well Max decided to drug you, and joined the Hellfire Club with Leighton." Callie told her, and then started to press the elevator button for it to come back down to pick them up.
Maria Smith
Location: Amtrak Station, Washington DC Skills: N/A
Maria turned to look at the girl Ana, and heard the gunshot going off, seeing her girlfriend being shot, and then Bonnie getting knocked out as well. She was more worried about Novikova now as she ran over and then started to hold her hands down over the bullet wound, Maria looked down at her with a worried look. And then eyed the other members of the team who were knocked out at the moment, leaving just her and Flynn.
The other members on the team were busy with another mission at the moment though as Maria turned back to look at Novikova and gave her a slight smile. "You are going to be okay Novi." She said, trying to reassure her and hopefully the gunshot wound wasn't serious at all either. She just hoped that Flynn wouldn't end up attacking her either, the rogue mutant group seemed to be handling their own.
Every channel in Washington D.C. is talking about one thing - Reverend William Stryker's anti-mutant rally. Dubbed "Stryker's Crusade" and largely driven by members of his Church, the Hope of Humanity, the rally has about 30,000 participants. The angry crowd, carrying picket signs as they protest the mutant population is made up primarily out of citizens - especially those who identify as Purifiers.
Outside the White House, the Purifiers have plastered images of those who died due to mutant violence. One image is repeated more than any other - Johnny Ward, their fallen leader, slain by the mutant menace not too long ago. Other images are shown - those lost on 7/15, as well as dozens upon dozens more who the Purifiers claim to have been killed by those with an X-gene. The famous and influential across the country were all giving their soundbites -
"Everyone needs to remain calm during the march. If it turns violent in anyway, the police need to be prepared to defend innocents, both human and mutant as is there duty to do so. No rioting of any kind will be tolerated since it is within their rights of assembly to do this," said presidential candidate and ex-O.M.E.N. director Alexander Jakobsen.
"They're a menace! It's about damn time that we've started to wake up and realized that we have let the enemy surround us!" said J. Jonah Jameson.
"This country was founded on freedom - freedom for everyone, human or mutant," said Captain America.
"I don't see what the problem is - I don't! And believe me, I'm a smart guy, everyone says so, and I think that it's great seeing the crowd out there! Disgusting mutants need to learn they can't just go around killing people!" said the President of the United States, the Cheeto in Chief.
"They are within their rights to participate in the march. However only together can we strive for a truly peaceful coexistence between everyone. They can do what they will, but I ask that the mutants of DC... Do not attack them, as you will only cause more strife between humans and mutants of the area," said Professor Charles Xavier.
"This march is a tremendous success - a tribute to what we as the human race can accomplish. I'm looking forward to similar events planned across the country soon!" said Benedict Ryan.
The Penthouse - Shaw Industries...
The elevator opened up to reveal the penthouse for the very first time to Max and Leighton. Emma was seated on the couch, with a dark skinned woman by her side. "I apologize for the traffic, dears, but it can't be helped - that dreadful Reverend Stryker has stirred up the Purifiers in the city," Emma explained, standing up and walking on over to the pair. "I would like to introduce you to my associate, Reeva Payge."
Reeva got up from the couch as well and walked on over, smiling as she extended a hand to both Leighton and Max. "It's a pleasure to meet you both," she said earnestly. There wasn't anyone else in the room at the moment, but it was positively immaculate. The bar had been repaired and it was fully stocked. There were light snacks set out at the low table by the sofas. And from the windows, they would be able to see the massive crowds in the streets, carrying those hateful signs.
The Training Room - Shaw Industries...
As soon as Anastasia had returned with Legion, Emma had placed the omega level mutant into a psychic coma and placed him in his room in bed. She had explained to Anastasia that due to his large number of personalities, she wanted to make sure she could study his mind and prepare some precautions first before they began working with him. However, the arrival of Emma's niece and her friend had changed some plans for that day. Polaris, Magneto, and the rest had left Genosha early to return to D.C. Emma and Reeva were handling their guests, with the rest asked to stay out of sight until they had settled in comfortably.
Magneto decided this was the perfect time for a training session. The training room of the Hellfire Club didn't possess the Shi'ar technology of the X-Men, but it did have various pieces of equipment set up. Sage was at the control panel, whereas Magneto, Polaris, and the White Queen were on the training room floor. "Which would you two prefer - spar each other or spar me?" Magneto mused.
"I didn't come here to fight children, Father."
The Raft - Location Classified...
After Anastasia abandoned Valentine, the Three in One, Jinx, and the other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, it hadn't been too long for back up to arrive. They took Valentine into custody and took her to the Triskelion, in order to find a family member who could come pick out a new institution to house her in. The Three in One and Jinx had been shipped off by helicopter to the Raft, an underwater prison populated by the worst of the worst.
The Three in One were placed in a single cell, outfitted with collars (as was Jinx). "Jinxy, when we're out of here, want to kill the little blonde slut with us?" the Three in One jeered, speaking in perfect unison even with the collars dampening their powers.
"How cute," Luminous muttered from her cell, directly adjacent to Jinx. She had an uncanny resemblance to the Scarlet Witch, yet her coloring was far more reminiscent of Quicksilver. Was their yet another child of Magneto running around? "Blonde hair, blue eyes - you certainly have that going for you, though the brains seem to be lacking..."
"Would you please shut up?!" Doctor Doom snapped. His cell was right next to Jinx's. "Some of us would appreciate being able to think without hearing Nazi propaganda and the ideals of the Aryan race."
"Says the disfigured failure," Luminous taunted with a smirk.
"I agree with Doom - shut up!" the Scarlet Witch snapped, meditating in the back of her cell - or at the very least, trying to.
New Mutant Underground Hideout...
With the combined abilities of Blink and Magik, the possessions of the Mutant Underground had been relocated to their new hideout. An underground, abandoned mansion, it consisted of two levels. The upper level consisted of ten bedrooms of sorts, though some of them evidently had been used as studies or parlor rooms long, long ago. On the first floor, there was a dining room and a large open area that could be a nice training room. The entranceway took up most of the space on the first floor, with a staircase to the south going up to the land of the living.
Vulcan was currently tied to a post in the dining room. Everything was in a state of major disrepair, with vast amounts of graffiti on the walls and floors. Rats and bugs were running by constantly. There were some cool little treasures, but for the most part everything of value had already been taken. Only a few of the vehicles had been in good enough shape to move from the old location to the new, and they were left above ground, hidden under tarps in hopes that they wouldn't be stolen.
Veil wasn't ready yet to be a leader, even though she knew it was urgent. Sinister could easily pack up his entire lab and take his captive mutants away, especially since he knew they were there. Leighton and Max had left, gone off to join one of the most manipulative and twisted mutants out there - Emma Frost. She imagined that they'd be dead or completely wicked within weeks. All of these people at the Mutant Underground were counting on her to guide them, yet also to protect them. Colossus had gotten his baby sister back, that was a win at least. Havok was quiet, staring at Vulcan and tilting his head slightly, as if trying to figure out if they could really be related.
"What do we do next?" Veil mumbled to her best friend, before wrapping Sapphire into a hug. She knew that Sapphire was the ice queen in everything but official alias, but Veil needed someone to lean on. "I mean, fuck... We have to stop Sinister. But we're not a team - we're not the X-Men," she added in whispers, not wanting to freak everyone else out here. Feedback in her opinion was especially fragile at the moment, after everything with her mother. That was at least one situation Max leaving helped - Feedback didn't have to look him in the eye anymore.
Lounged on a moth eaten couch, Casper had a smile on his face and the buzz of morphine in his brain. His fingers were twitching slightly and he reached into his pocket to take another pill, only to notice that his medicine wasn't there. "Hey, uh, James? Jimmy Jimbo? Can you give me back my meds, please?" Casper asked, assuming that James still had them after he had given him a pill. The ghosts had vanished from his line of vision, not even Ben appearing. His powers didn't work until he was sober and Ben always was the first ghost to appear.
Yes, Casper missed Ben - but Ben would understand. He didn't fade out of existence just because Casper couldn't see him at the moment. Feedback's mom wasn't in his line of sight now, screaming about wanting her death avenged and begging for one more minute to speak with her children. Casper wasn't some great philanthropist - some miracle worker like his father. He was a drug addict and he liked his life just the way it was.
Sunshine was sitting on one of the steps of the staircase that lead up to the bedrooms, sullenly playing with her Yo-Yo. Her stomach was growling and she wanted food, but there wasn't anything here to eat. They were at an all time low supplies wise. Her brain kept going over the knowledge that Erg's killer was immortal - or at least one of them was. Shaw hadn't been there, but Sinister had. And her best disease bomb hadn't even stopped him. Then, Leighton and Max had betrayed them, going to join Emma Frost.
"Can I give that a try?" Magik asked Sunshine, avoiding her brother if she could help it. Colossus kept on following her around and fussing over her, acting like she was still the little girl back in Russia and not a young adult.
"No, it's mine. Get your own," Sunshine snapped, not even turning to look at her. Negasonic was sitting on the stairs a few steps back, listening to music on her phone and texting cute pictures to her girlfriend. The stairs had more or less become the young kid hang out spot, especially since the other new mutants had left.
"What if I trade you for it?" Magik bargained.
Sunshine held her Yo-Yo tightly in her hand, looking up at the other blonde. "You don't have anything to trade."
"Sell your body for a Yo-Yo," Negasonic chimed in from behind. "It's how Yukio and I met."
To say the least they were in an interesting sort of predicament, and it seemed like everything was catching up to Veil now as she started to realize what exactly was going on. Though a small part of her really wanted to say that she told her so when it came to trusting Leighton and Max. A part of her also wouldn't be surprised if Glimpse joined the Hellfire Club at this rate too, but she kept that sort of thought to herself. Veil was freaking out clearly, and right now she was more of wanting to be there for her friend.
"We'll figure it out Veil, don't you worry about it," Sapphire said, giving her a slight smile as she returned Veil's hug. She wasn't one to typically give hugs to anyone, but she knew that right now, Veil needed her, so she was going to be there for her. "I mean... Yeah, we aren't a team... We're a group of people who don't typically deal with this sort of thing but... Well obviously we need to see about stopping Sinister, we can't just let him keep doing what he's doing... But we can fight him off, just have faith in that, we aren't that bad of fighters, and we can do this if we try... It'll be okay, whether you think it will be or not..."
Jack Theriot
Location: Mutant Underground HQ Skills N/A
There were a million different things going through Jack's head right now, and it was starting to get to him at this point.
After leaving Sinister's lair, his mind was still going over the different things that seemingly was messed up about his life. Namely the fact that his father was literally the one person he associated with evil most in the world. He was someone who tried to help people for a living, to the best of his abilities, and that was how he had ended up with the Morlocks in the first place. Now he was discovering that his father was the one who had caused the first Morlock Massacre and might have had a hand in the second one. Add that to the fact that Jack had a kid who he hadn't known about, and his father seemed to know where she was, that made a lot of things even worse.
Then came the fun little thing he had been told by James about once they had gotten back to the Mutant Underground HQ before moving to the new one. Namely the fact that James had given Casper drugs thinking that it was a prescription or some sort of medication. That was not a good thing at all, and Jack blamed himself for it more then anyone else. He should have warned James about Casper's drug addiction problems, and that odds were that he'd try to steal something from the hospital. That led to a bit of a conversation where Jack calmly told James about the problem, and everything revolving around it, including what it was that caused the whole thing. He had remained as calm as possible, but internally he had wanted to essentially snap at James and walk away.
Now closer to the present, Jack barely had had time to process all of that, when he had gotten a call from of all organizations, SHIELD. This was not something he had expected, and when he heard what was going on, that was what definitely caused him mentally to spiral and essentially break at this point. The call had been regarding his other half-siblings, David and Val, both who were in a mental hospital for the most part, since they did need some help. He learned that his brother had been kidnapped, and his sister was currently in SHIELD custody and since he was their emergency contact, that is how he had gotten the call. He managed to stay calm long enough to arrange for her to be moved to a different mental hospital, one with better security hopefully, and he hung up the phone.
By now he was off in an empty room by himself, and hit his head against the wall more then once. Right now, he was perfectly fine with knocking himself out. Currently only one person seemed to know that his father was Sinister, and that was Sunshine, who hadn't seemed to tell anyone else about that, yet. He still had the notebook from before, but he was distracted a bit, so he wasn't really going to look through it any time soon. "...My family is so screwed up," he muttered under his breath, still hitting his head against the wall a few times.
Location: Shaw Industries - The Penthouse Skills N/A
Leighton took in the room, marveling at how different things were back when she was with the Underground. Granted, she knew that luxury didn't amount for much. She was still skeptical about everything. She also understood that it may not be as easy to part ways with her aunt and all of this if she really wanted to. She was prepared for it, but she had to check. If what her aunt said was true, and given the crowds storming the streets below being easily visible from the window, then this would be worth it if mutants could live in peace.
She stood up and shook the woman's hand that Emma introduced her too. She oozed regalness in her opinion. "Nice to meet you," Leighton said in reply. Leighton knew, of course, about the Reverend and the Purifiers. She had a run-in with one, Johnny Ward, when she saved Jack. Her mind then went back to the Underground. Where was her place in all of this?
"If you don't mind me asking, I'd like to know what the next steps are here."
Anastasia Reinhardt
Location: Shaw Industries - The Training Room Skills Telekinesis
Ana expected some type of backlash for leaving the Three-in-One behind. Not so much for Jinx though. However, she was mildly surprised. If one thought about it, Ana completed the mission to the best of her ability. If she stuck around, the SHIELD agents would have broken out of her control and went after her. And given the fact she had a man with the personality of a toddler as her ally, she didn't like her chances. Self-preservation is a vital human component after all.
What Ana also hadn't expected was the arrival of two more people with one of them being Emma's own niece. Ana found herself very curious as to why the girl was here now, but she let it go and followed Polaris and Magneto into the training room. The comment about children may have stung more had she not almost single-handedly take out a group of SHIELD agents just moments prior. "Yes, it does seem unfair for her. Perhaps then we will take you on." It wasn't a question, but a statement. If she was to train here, she would put it all out there.
Location: Washington DC, the Mutant Underground HQ Skills: N/A
Callie looked around the underground mansion that Blink and Negasonic had found together which was a really nice place despite the rodent and bug infestations and the graffiti as well. It did remind her a little bit of her time back at Xavier's mansion as well, before moving out and striking out on her own before joining the Mutant Underground. Callie looked at Veil and Sapphire for a moment, the two of them having a private moment by the looks of it. She walked over to where Havok and Vulcan were seeing him staring at his apparent brother that he never knew about.
"If you keep staring at him you are going to burn a hole into his head or something." Callie said jokingly as she leaned back slightly. She thought for a moment as Callie looked over at the stairs where Sunshine, and Magik were right now they still needed to take down Sinister and his hounds as well and try to save those that he had held captive. "So, do you remember anything while you were being controlled by Sinister or anything like that?" Callie asked, maybe she knew of a place where he had another lab of some kind.
Location: Mutant Underground HQ-- Washington D.C. Skills:
The new headquarters weren’t awful, at the very least they had bedrooms and space that they could have to themselves should they need it. Hiding the vehicles under tarps wasn’t ideal but it was better than having no cover at all and Luna was still able to have her rented motorcycle. As for the rats and bugs, they made great target practice should one need it. Things could be much, much worse. Luna was wandering, she wanted to talk with Veil but she seemed to be having a moment with her cold best friend and so Luna thought it best to walk away. She moved past the posse of children on the stairs and wandered down the hall until she found Jack. She leaned on the door frame and knocked. ”I do believe that is a wasted effort,” she noted, watching him hit his head on the wall. ”The thoughts will still be there, just more annoying with a headache. Can I talk to you for a minute? It’s about the gentleman you were speaking with at the bar.” Of course Jack had every right to turn her away if he wanted, clearly he was going through some things as well but Luna had a need to know and if he needed to talk, well he could talk to her. Luna may be telepathic but she was good at keeping secrets.
The whole underground seemed pretty somber. The news the bar team brought back with them was far from comforting and they were at the bottom of the totem pole again, trying to climb back up. If it was even worth climbing back up again. They were up against some serious villains here and they didn’t have a lot of manpower. Still, Cayden had a smile on his face, even standing in the same room with Vulcan, who tried to kill them all. Twice. They couldn’t let him go but they couldn’t keep him either. ”Do you really think that medication we got will help them be, normal again?” It was an open question, to anyone really. Illyana, Colossus sister was relatively normal again and that was a good sign but she also had a psychotic break of some kind that almost got the people in the vehicle with her all killed. That wasn’t an ideal way to break through from being drugged but maybe that’s what they would all have to face. Still, it would be easier just to kill him but easier isn't always right. Cayden’s father used to take the easy way out and rather than turn, Cayden took the harder way and moved through his life with compassion. This situation would have to be no different, if only to keep Cayden sane and guilt free.
Location:Shaw Industries: Penthouse Skills: New Outfit
Max watched as Leighton took in the room. This was her first time here, and Max's first time welcomed in. He knew of the stark differences between this immaculate penthouse, the sewer dwelling Morlocks, and the ruins of the underground. It was enough to wonder why they couldnt all work together. As he looked about the room himself, there was no sign of a struggle. The bar was replaced, no scorchmarks seen from his flames, and the glass leading outside showed no sign of him being tossed out. He stepped further into the room, noting the new face who wasnt present the day of his mission. Reeva Page. What were her strengths? Weaknesses? Powers?
He hadn't extended a hand to her, electing to pet his new cat that was cradled in his arms. "The pleasure is all mine I'm sure. I'm with Leighton, wondering what the next steps are as well as where the rest of this club is." This couldnt have been their only room in a building of this size. Would they allow the pair to wander the halls of the Hellfire Club to figure out what they had to offer? Or would they be condemned to remain in the main room until they had proven their loyalty. "The names Maximillian by the way. Doesn't seem as if you do code names here."
Peter Jackson Bernard
Location: The Raft Skills:
Jinx looked around the cells, noting the translucent walls, collars placed on everyone, and who was kept close to him. The Three in One were still in unison, but for how long that was to remain unseen. There was Wanda...no, a twin? Well...triplet? He didn't recognize her but she looked so much like her and Pietro that it was borderline creepy. Between Bonnie and her he'd swear someone was making clones of every powerful mutant out there which could only mean...He had a clone too! His eyes scanned the area and fell short of any evidence that there was any of a clone of him here.He huffed as he leaned against a wall and looked onwards towards his new roommates. Noting the real Wanda was here as well.
He examined the collar of the mutant next to him and noticed there was a code input in the back. Something to help remove the collars and deactivate the function of dampening. He knew however that touching your own resulted in an immediate shock. He looked around and noted the six heavily armed guard, sighing for a bit as he wondered just how he was going to get out of this one. Chances were he could use his natural skills to swipe a gun and hope each shot landed in their skills before they could alert or pull any triggers. But that wasn't a way out, just a pleasant distraction for the moment.
"Aye, Wanda! Glad to see a familiar face around...well I guess not here but hey familiarity is nice right? Where's Piet?" There was genuine concern in his voice as he asked. If they were able to capture her, he was sure her brother wouldve gotten her out by now right? How long had he been gone from the Brotherhood? How long has she been in here? He hated to bother her while she meditated but was more than enthused to see her. His eyes darted back towards the other her. " Who are you supposed to be anyways? You're not Wanda and I dont recall ever meeting you so what gives?"
As he spoke he began to pace about the room, looking for who best to try and Jinx. Naturally he'd want to free his friend and mentor, however he didn't want to risk shocking her in the process. He settled for one of the Three in One, feeling his power well before a long shock went coursing through his body and shot him down. "Man today's just been shocking huh? What all do you know of these collars Doom?"
Location: The Mutant Underground's New HQ Skills: Electrical Engineering
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck.
James sat face in his palms, reeling after the conversation with Jack. There were a lot of mixed emotions right now and guilt was one of the most prevalent ones. He knew he shouldn't reasonably blame himself. He didn't know. He had no way to know Casper was recently released from rehab for drugging himself to the point of addiction to avoid the very issue he faced last night. He had no way to know he was feeding into the very problem Jack tried to ensure didn't repeat itself. Excellent. Now he was an enabler and Casper was looking for a way to maintain his fix.
And then, two of the three people he knew prior to this mess up and left. To the very people trying to kill them. He'd thought Leighton was cool with them. They worked together well as a team during the training session and afterwards trying to take down Vulcan and Magik. Sure, she definitely had some attitude problems when they first met but that was reasonable. She just stumbled randomly into the Morlocks after her life turned upside down. Should they have seen something? Maybe how they worked together was just a fluke. Maybe her stuck up attitude originally was how she really was.
And Max. That caught him completely unawares. The guy was a loose cannon for sure and needed way more training or practice or whatever someone did when they had magic but whenever he talked, he always wanted to be the hero. He always wanted to help people, even if what he was doing ended up hurting more than it helped. To hear he defected to a group that launched an attack on a place holding children--Max still shuddered thinking about how badly some of them had to be patched up--it seemed like a lie. But the evidence was in this building. The entirety of the group was here.
And Max wasn't.
James trembled with the emotions he'd been holding inside as Casper pestered him for the drugs. There was too much going on: the relocation, the defections, the betrayal. And James had just about reached his limit. James looked up at Casper and tried to keep himself in check. "I don't have your drugs, Casper. If that's all you want from me, back off. I won't have any anytime soon." James snapped at him as he stood off the couch. He needed to do something. Sitting on round stewing was driving him up the wall. Blink said earlier they might be able to get the electricity going again so he might as well dive head first into that. "I'm going to try and get this place working again."
James made his way around the new headquarters, peering around and through the broken wall pieces, following chewed and frayed wiring through both floors, and frankly losing hope that they could get the electricity running. It would take a lot of equipment, time, and effort James wasn't sure they were able to or willing to pull off. "Damn, there's a fuck ton of work to do." He muttered to himself as he made his way through the rooms.
Location: Mutant Underground HQ Skills: Radio Wave Manipulation (Music)
The frantic events of the day, the excitement, the fear, the panic, the running, even the anxiety of the mission had all been welcome guests to Waverley, having filled her head just enough to keep out the one thing she didn't want to feel: a surplus of unbearable sorrow. But there, in the quiet, sprawling subterranean complex, it didn't take long for those unwanted feelings to sink into her mind. After all that had happened, the silence was all that it took for the reality of what had happened to hit her. Since the Underground's arrival underground, and the subsequent deciding of who'd be sleeping where, Waverley had been lying in one of the two old beds that inhabited her room. Her shaking frame curled into a question mark, arms hugging the radio she'd looted from Vulcan to her chest. Out of its small speaker, a song played -- Sweet Child O'Mine, and it had been playing for the forty five minutes she'd been there. Tears trickled down Waverley's cheeks.
It was the first song she ever remembered hearing, when she was a little girl in her red Power Ranger pajamas. Her mother used to sing it to her in place of more traditional lullabies she could have sung. After all, Mrs. Watts had not been a traditional woman. Waverley remembered looking up at the woman looming protectively over her, singing the song in what Waverley had at the time thought to be the most beautiful singing voice that could possibly exist. She, of course, thought this purely because it was the only singing voice she'd been exposed to. In actuality, Mrs. Watts was not a singer, not even close. Her voice was choppy and often out of tune, and she didn't particularly care enough to put in the work to get better. But despite its imperfections, Waverley loved it with all her heart. The singing was a promise, a promise that her mother would always be right there with her, even on the nights when the night light didn't work or the wind caused eerie rustling outside. It was a promise of protection. A promise that her mother would always be there when she was needed.
And there, in the abandoned bunker, Waverley needed her. But she was nowhere to be found. Waverley was alone, with no one to protect her. Her only company was her grief, and an array of strangers she barely knew.
Max leaving had helped. It guilted her to admit it, but she felt relief when the group from the bar came without him in tow. Before, it had been so confusing. He'd been a member of the Underground, and what he'd done might've been an accident. But his defecting changed that. It gave her the justification to hate him, and that guiltless hate set fire to the flammable sense of loss that consumed her, starting within her a blaze of fury for the boy. And as strange as it might seem, it helped. One can only stew in sorrow. Rage is more easily directed elsewhere.
It took less than an hour for Waverley to run out of tangible tears. By the end of it, she was left with tear stained cheeks and damp, bitter eyes. Once she reached this point, she tossed her legs off the bed, standing up as she placed the radio, still playing, in her jacket pocket. As she walked out of the room, her hand reached down, grabbing her rebar from its place leaning against the wall, leaving behind the backpack that was propped up next to it. She told herself it was out of caution that she took the weapon, but in actuality, she just needed something to hold onto that wouldn't break no matter how tightly she grasped it. She walked through the bunker, until she reached the top of the stairs. She walked down a single step, before taking a seat behind her peers. She didn't feel ready to be among them, instead watching over the Underground as if she was an outsider looking in. As if she were just watching another one of her movies. Maybe if she sat watching them like she was for long enough, she reasoned, just maybe she'd forget that she existed at all.
"Of course - please, have a seat," Reeva beckoned, sitting next to Emma on one of the sofas. Glasses of water with lemon wedges levitated over from the bar and came to a rest on the coffee table - one for each person present (compliments of Emma, of course). "I am not sure what you have learned from Emma, but I am certain the two of us can help to illuminate things."
"You are very perceptive, aren't you Maximillian?" Emma praised. "While it is true that we do not often use pseudonyms such as the X-Men and other mutant groups, this is not mandated. Each member is free to choose how they wish to present themselves. I prefer to use my human name as I spend a great deal of time in the public arena - but of course, the Black King or Lord Imperial are both suitable choices."
"I use my human name for similar reasons - though I would respond to the Black Queen as well," Reeva chimed in. "The irony is not lost on me." She chuckled slightly, picking up her glass and taking a sip of water. "The White King and Queen are in our training facility at the moment, I believe, with a few other members."
Emma nodded in confirmation. "The others are currently indisposed," she explained. "Yet as for next steps... Of course, I would be lying if I said we were without secrets. The establishment of a nation is not a task to take lightly and if information were to be leaked, it only becomes all the more difficult - I'm sure you can imagine that politicians around the globe would hardly be thrilled to find that us mutants have carved out a place of our own. They'll see us as a threat."
"So please, understand that if you do decide to join our organization, I will then be able to discuss our plans with greater detail. And even if you do not wish to join us, I would like to provide room and board for the both of you - it is the least I can do for my true family, darling," she looked at Leighton with a smile. "At the moment however, we have purchased an island near Madagascar and are in the process of construction. We wish to have housing and essential utilities prepared before the end of the year, if at all possible, but it is likely we will finish in the spring. Once the infrastructure is ready, we will seek out mutants and offer them a place on Genosha. There are many mutants with the ability to teleport - but for the moment, we are using my private jet and other aircraft to transport ourselves to and fro."
"We're also in the process of cultivating relationships with key members of the United Nations, so that way when the time comes we can lobby for UN recognition of Genosha," Reeva added. "I'm afraid it can be a boring job at times, but it's worth it. Our mutant brothers and sisters deserve a place to call home."
The Training Room - Shaw Industries...
Magneto chuckled. "Very well. Sage, stay on the Raft - see if you can loosen those collars," Magneto instructed, before turning his full attention to the women in front of him. His helmet blocked out telepathic influences, including Anastasia's morality manipulation. This fight would pit his magnetic prowess against that of Polaris, as well as Anastasia's telekinesis. Yet as a hardened warrior, Magneto also knew that the fight would be truly decided by wits, not brawn.
"No fatal shots," he told them, setting the only rule for the match. "Begin," he told them, yet he didn't make a move to attack. He was letting them take the first shot.
Lorna hardly needed permission to attack her father - she was working with him now, but it didn't change the hatred she felt towards him. Levitating herself up into the air thanks to the metal bands she wore, she then sent metal rods from the pile in the back of the room flying at her father, completely disregarding his rule about no fatal shots. Her eyes narrowed as the rods reversed direction once they came within five feet of Magneto, only to then be shot back towards her and Anastasia.
"What can you do?" she asked Anastasia, deflecting the majority of the rods, although a few hit Lorna in the shins. Her father's powers were stronger than her own.
The Raft - Location Classified...
For a second, Wanda smiled slightly at seeing Jinx, since the two of them had been friends when he was back with the Brotherhood. Yet at his mention of Pietro, the smile vanished from her face. Wanda glared at Jinx, there was a slight hint of sadness in her eyes that quickly shifted to anger. "How dare you mention him!" She snapped. Odds were if she could use her powers he would be dead.
Luminous smirked at Jinx, looking very much like the cat that ate the canary. "I'm the final stage of humanity's evolution. Some gutter child such as yourself obviously would never have met me before," she bragged. She definitely had the haughtiness of Quicksilver, just the general appearance of the Scarlet Witch.
"I hate it when villains talk like that - such a cliché," Phoebe complained.
"You sound like that sometimes," Esme pointed out and Sophie started snickering.
"Ooo, burn!" Sophie chimed in.
Unsurprisingly, Doom had to boast as well. "I know more about these collars than you'll ever know about any subject in your life, boy," he snapped. In many ways, he was the villainous counterpart of Iron Man - intelligent, rich, and cunning, yet his mask hid the massive disfigurement of his face. "If you think one of your little shows of power will work to free yourself, then by all means, try - yet if I am still here, do you really expect your attempts will have any sort of different outcome?" he scoffed.
"Don't worry, Mum'll have Sage handle this," Esme told Jinx. She tended to be the empathetic one of the triplets.
"We're not supposed to call her that around humans," Sophie and Phoebe reminded her.
New Mutant Underground Hideout...
"Is it sad I honestly expected you to cheer or something that Max and Leighton aren't coming back?" Veil asked, releasing Sapphire from her embrace. She knew that Sapphire was hardly quick to trust. Her words did help to relieve her anxieties slightly, but it was really the fact that they didn't have time to sit there and panic. If they didn't act now, then the window of opportunity would vanish. They had Blink and Magik now to make transportation faster, a blessing with the large crowds filled with Purifiers taking over the streets.
Taking a breath, Veil glanced over towards where the others mostly were, gathered near Vulcan and Havok in the dining room. She didn't want to risk their lives. She couldn't ask them to do more than what they were capable of. "Okay, here's what I'm thinking. We contact your friend at S.H.I.E.L.D., let him know about Sinister and Shaw - and we go rescue the mutants in his lab. If we all go in as a group and stick together, we should be able to use Blink and Magik to get in and out pretty quickly, maybe before he even notices we're there..." Veil doubted they'd be able to stop Sinister permanently - that was where tipping off S.H.I.E.L.D. came into play, they were better equipped for a long fight, yet she doubted slightly that they would pursue it. "Do you think S.H.I.E.L.D. would go after Sinister and the rest?" she then asked Sapphire honestly.
On the staircase, Magik glanced at Spark Plug and nodded. "Remembering is not my problem," she told her. Her life had been an endless tragedy even since she had been kidnapped by Shaw, worse than her experiences in Limbo at time. Magik hardly even felt human at the end of the day.
In the dining room, Havok turned his head and glanced over at Spark Plug, seeing her standing in the entranceway. "It's all a blank," he admitted, not having remembering anything when Malice had possessed him. He wished that he had more information, but he didn't. He didn't even recognize Vulcan as a part of his family, even though he apparently was his brother. His insides felt like they were twisting up inside and he knew that he ought to call his older brother, Scott, but something kept him from picking up the phone and dialing the former X-Man.
Colossus nodded at Moonwalker's question. "Da - it must." He didn't know what they'd do if it didn't.
Meanwhile in the entranceway on the couch, Casper's eyes widened as James snapped at him. It took him a moment to make sense of it. James must have talked to Jack about his drug problem. He sighed slightly, tugging on his hair as Casper shook his head. He really liked James and he had been comforted by him in the van... but he loved drugs. And he had just met James. His brother was nowhere to be seen. Casper figured that James must have given the drugs to Jack. Most likely, the drugs were in Jack's pocket then - so his prime opportunity to snatch them back would be once Jack went to sleep. He could wait that long. He had gotten a hit not too long ago in the car. And it was pointless to try to pickpocket Jack.
Back on the staircase, Sunshine turned and looked at Feedback. She didn't have too much of an opinion on her, but she recognized the pain she was feeling. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a granola bar and tossed it to Feedback wordlessly.
"You good?" Negasonic asked Waverley, playing on her phone.
"I'll be honest, I really wanted to at the very least say I told you so about them, but figured it wasn't the right time to do that... But since you mentioned it... I told you so. No way was that bitch someone worth trusting around here," Sapphire said with an eye roll as Veil stepped away from her now. She hadn't wanted to bring it up, but since Veil had commented about it, she figured she might as well set the record straight about how she felt about Leighton and Max leaving. She never was going to refer to Leighton by any name other then bitch, since to her, that's what she was, and she didn't deserve to have what her powers were acknowledged in any sort of name.
Hearing her idea to see about calling Flynn made her blush ever so slightly, but she shook her head slightly and her face returned to it's typical color. "No idea what SHIELD's policies are on anything, so I guess we could see about talking to him about that sort of thing... No idea if they'd see about locking them up or whatever, since not sure at all if SHIELD would perceive them as a threat or not, which would be really stupid. But we can see about calling them and whatever..."
Jack Theriot
Location: Mutant Underground HQ Skills N/A
Jack didn't even really hear Glimpse enter the room, so he essentially just stopped banging his head against the wall when she started talking, keeping his head against the wall as he looked over at her. "I'll be blunt, saying that is not going to make me not want to hit my head against the wall anymore. I mean seriously... That's just not how things work..." he wasn't too thrilled that Glimpse had decided to walk up now of all times, especially considering what was going through his mind at the moment. Her questions though about who he had talked to at the bar. That was more of a trigger then anything.
He stood up straight and turned to glare at her. "You're a telepath aren't you? You could probably figure out what the hell is going on if you aren't sure about something, honestly one of the reasons why telepaths have a bad rep, because they constantly are poking people in the mind or whatever. You want to know who I was talking to? Well first of all, should say something flat out, Casper is only my half-brother, older half-brother mind you, but usually I'm grateful to say I'm not related to Xavier. However right now, that would be better then freaking reality. His name? Nathaniel Essex. Who is he? Also known as freaking Mister Sinister! Oh, and one other thing, he's my dad, There happy, you now know who I was talking to, and I consider myself a major idiot for never catching onto that whole thing before. Oh, and to make matters worse, turns out my older brother David got kidnapped and my sister is currently in SHIELD custody. Can't even tell the one other person who would probably care, also known as Casper, because he's high out of his freaking mind. So believe it or not, banging my head against a wall is definitely not the worst thing I could be doing!"
That was a bit unexpected. He hadn't meant to go off on a rant like that, but everything was piling up and he just couldn't stop himself from more or less blowing up on Glimpse like that. "...Sorry, didn't mean to dump that all on you, don't know why my brain decided to go off like that... It's my problems not yours so..."
Location: Shaw Industries - The Penthouse Skills N/A
Leighton did as she was asked and sat back down. As Emma spoke, her mind went back to the Cherry Bomb's basement and Veil's warning to be careful. The place Ema was envisioning sounded good. Almost too good to be true. Granted she knew the extent of her family's resources. Resources she was sure her aunt had in spades, especially if this was their headquarters. And what was with the chess names? Seemed a bit too on the nose for her liking.
But on the other hand, she wanted to be part of something that mattered. If what Emma said was true again, she had no idea that Shaw had kidnapped children and was vehemently against it. This could also be lies. She and Max had to tread carefully here. She didn't want to show her hand, but she also didn't want to burn a bridge and have it be gone forever.
"I understand the trepidation aunt Emma, but also understand I have been lied to my whole life, so trust from me needs to be earned, especially from family. I extended the olive branch when I agreed to come here, so I would appreciate being met half-way. I don't need everything laid out in front of me, I'm smart enough to put two and two together, but also understand that we have been warned against you and your group here. Plus given recent events and the growing mutant hatred, I want all the game pieces on the table before the match starts." She glanced over at Max, hoping he was on her side. He was the only person she trusted wholehartedly as of this moment.
Anastasia Reinhardt
Location: Shaw Industries - The Training Room Skills Telekinesis
Ana was saved by the girl, so she allowed the girl a pass the next time she annoyed her. "I have the power to manipulate morality in a person, but with his helmet on I can't do much. I also have telekinesis, but that won't win us the fight. We'll need to get around his defenses somehow." Ana had an idea, but she knew if she attacked with any metal object, Magneto would be able to counter her easily. She noticed bricks nearby and formulated her plan.
She tried to pick up the bricks to no avail. She cursed under her breath. That would not work. Instead, she decided to go for it and tried to lift his helmet off. She knew it was preventing mental attacks and that would be her best way of succeeding. She latched on and with some effort, lifted it off his head and tossed it to the side. He would be able to pick it back up, but hopefully, Lorna would be able to get some attacks in and stop him, provided she saw the opportunity.
Location: Mutant Underground HQ-- Washington D.C. Skills:
Luna remained standing in the doorway while Jack blew up at her. She didn’t mind in the least, yelling was a great stress reliever. She listened to him speak and confess who the man he had been talking to was. That was a bit of a surprise and a shock. Luna kept her eyes on Jack, giving him her attention but her mind was racing right now on what all of this could mean. How this could affect them all. As for his telepathy comment, Luna knew exactly what people thought of her and how untrustworthy everyone, even her own family, believed her to be. It was one of the reasons she didn’t poke into any of their minds the first day she showed up. If she desired her own thoughts to be protected, she would respect everyone else’s privacy. In this case though, Luna had gotten a read on that older man and it hadn’t been sitting well with Luna. She needed to know and she wasn’t going to poke into Jack’s mind so she asked him instead. Luna shifted away from the door and found a spot to sit after Jack’s tirade. ”There’s no need to apologize Jack, that is a lot to take in. Especially for only one person to take in. I wish I could agree and say it is solely your problem but I have a feeling it won’t be. If only because we all just stumbled onto your father’s lair and he knows about all of us now.” She watched Jack, trying to pick her words carefully but sometimes there were no easy words. Especially when you just found out your father is a super villain. ”At least your dad has good taste in lairs,” she said, attempting a humorous joke.
Cayden Proudstar - Moonwalker
Location: Mutant Underground HQ -- Washington D.C. Skills:
Colossus answered Cayden and seemed self assured that it would work. He smiled at the big guy and nodded. They all had to have faith right? ”I guess we just need to wait it out then. In the meantime, should we go on a supply run?” He looked around the room but Veil was still speaking in private with Sapphire. They would have to wait for her all clear but Cayden thought a supply run would be a good idea. ’Oh, is there running water in this place? A shower would be ideal,” Cayden noted. Of course, there were in an underground, half collapsed mansion so the odds of running water were low but you never knew. This place was like a bunker, it would have to survive all sorts of things, right? Cayden turned his head, looking at everyone gathered on the stairs. They all seemed to be in various stages of tiredness. Some just starting to get there, others overtired and therefore energetic now and others just simply there. Waverley didn’t look like she was doing very well but Casper seeing her mother would have done any of them in he was sure. Cayden was still glad he had been chosen for the hospital raid rather than the bar scene. There were already stories floating around about what had happened with that group.
Waverley was pulled out of her dissociative gaze down at the forms wandering through the bunker when a granola bar landed perfectly in her lap, leaning against the rebar laid across her thighs. It felt somewhat jarring, being yanked back to the forefront of her brain after trying so hard to push herself away from it. She glanced up, a look of confusion present on her face. Despite being able to see almost everyone from her vantage point, she was so lost in her own mind that she wasn't sure who threw it. She didn't linger on the question for long, her eyes flicking over to Negasonic when she asked her question. Part of her wanted to blow up, yell that she was not 'good', ask the punk girl how the hell could she possibly be good. But, as always, this part of her was quiet, chained starving to the back of her mind.
"Yeah..." she croaked instead, nodding her head. Her voice, having only been used for sobbing the previous forty five minutes, sounded rusty, like it hadn't been used in years. It distorted her reply, making it sound more like a quiet grunt than anything else. Despite what she might've said, Waverley was not good. That much was clear. She looked at the others on the stairs, and then down at those on the first floor. Part of Waverley felt like she was at the kid's table of a family gathering. She felt, as much as she could feel, given her emotional drainage, guilty that she wasn't down there. But another, bigger part of her felt like she was exactly where she belonged. She was still a kid after all, as much as she tried not to be. There was an absence of a certain anxiety she felt when she was with the older members, an anxiety to be grown up, which was an anxiety she couldn't deal with right then. With the staircase kids, if she closed her eyes, she could imagine they were on the bleachers in some high school comedy-drama movie, where nobody dies and everyone gets a happy ending.
"Have you ever wanted to kill someone?" she asked, the question tumbling without permission out of her mouth as soon as the topic of death came to mind. The question surprised her. She hadn't developed it in her brain before saying it. Instead it simply came out, as if it had always been wordlessly hanging in her mind. Despite her lack of intention, however, Waverley still looked to the others with interest, waiting to see how they'd answer.
Location: The Mutant Underground's New HQ Skills: N/A
While he worked, James gave everyone a wide berth. The frustration that drove him to lash out at Casper was still bubbling under his skin but having something to focus on gave it time to settle. The guilt creeped into the space the anger left and he sighed as he encountered yet another set of useless wires. The entire place needed rewiring, almost all the insulation needed to be replaced, the ceiling was sagging and that was never a good sign, and they needed to deal with the rat problem. Traps and sealant galore. James hated dealing with rats. And of course, Max and Leighton left with all the knowledge of every person in the Underground. James was tempted to crack his head against the wall and just be done with it but he knew he’d just be left with a headache. Please, someone just kill him now.
Maybe Sunshine could help him out.
Except he’d prefer not to die of plague. James shuddered at the thought and moved on from that train of thought onto the gnawing feeling in his chest. Damn it. Now was as good a time as ever. So he made his way back to the couch Casper was sitting on and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Hey, I’m sorry for snapping at you. That wasn’t cool and it was way out of line. You’ve gone through some shit and I probably shouldn’t judge how you’ve handled it since I don’t really understand it. At all really. Still wrapping my head around the whole Hey, ghosts are real thing but yeah, sorry. Um, did you wanna tag along? I know its a lousy way to hang out but I want to check on Cayden after Vulcan nearly seared his face off and I want to check the bedrooms to see how many rat traps we might need?” James was rambling a little but he thought if the world, and apparently fuckign ghosts, weren’t going to let them hang out in a somewhat normal manner then this would have to do.
Location: Washington DC, the Mutant Underground HQ Skills: N/A
Callie nodded slightly towards Havok and Magik when they both answered her, as she continued to lean slightly against the entrance to both of the rooms. She ran a hand through her hair slightly when Veil mentioned about going after Sinister, she of course was completely down for it as well. "I'm down for trying to take him down again, his little minions weren't that tough the last time." Callie said as she took a moment and looked down at Vulcan who was there, they really did need to find a way to deal with him. He had attacked him twice now and leaving him unattended was pretty dumb.
"What are we going to do with him though?" Callie asked gesturing towards Vulcan. "We cant kill him, and we cant leave him unattended like last time." Callie said, as she looked over at the others in the room, at the moment she didn't really see about going on a supply run right now or getting power into the building either. Callie wasn't sure if SHIELD would even join in and help them fight against Sinister either, but it would be really good to have some additional help to.
Location:Shaw Industries: Penthouse Skills: New Outfit
The air seemed tense, or was that just him? It was scary how the family resemblance shined through, from the way the spoke to how they acted it was like looking at a mirror. Honestly he wouldnt be surprised if they each crossed their legs at the same time and folded their hands in unison. For now it appeared that they may have reached a difficult move on the metaphorical chess board. Someone would have to give in but it was only a matter of who. He agreed with Leighton, and understood why Emma couldnt divulge every secret to them. But she invited them, she asked them to give her a chance so now was her time to plead her best case it felt like.
Max neatly folded his hands in his lap as he saw that there was no further way to move this discussion than to join their society in full. He collected himself as his eyes scanned the mutants before him before going towards Leighton and finally landing on Reeva. "I can see where this is headed, and rather than muck about at a stalemate, I'd love to hear the opinions of those who work for you and with you. Do you mind leading me to the training room? It's been a while since I could stretch my powers and what better way to forge friendships than with healthy sparring." His voice was cool, calculated, and hoping that this was the right move.
Peter Jackson Bernard
Location: The Raft Skills:
Jinx could practically hear the sadness dripping through the anger filled scream of his friend. It was never his intention to hurt her. He would never hurt her. But somebody had, and somehow Pietro was a part of it. He didn't know who it was or what they did, but he'd make them pay. He clenched his fist tightly as he punched the wall with all his forces, breaking the skin on his middle knuckle and causing some blood to pool up. He then placed his forehead against the wall facing Wanda, his voice low but audible to her and full of regret and sincerity as he spoke. "I'm sorry Wanda I didn't know. I've missed so much since I left I...it was callous of me. But I'm going to get you out of here and I'll kick whoever's ass needs kicking to make sure you two are back together. I may only be able to alter luck, but I'd change the world for you." He slid down slowly, head still against the wall as he was now sitting on the floor.
There was a new sort of...conviction in Jinx. The same spark he had when moving towards D.C. He ignored Luminous for now, her comments meaning nothing in terms of their situation as she was also being detained. Doom however had his uses. His mind was still brilliant and his knowledge more valuable than any Jinx he could lay at the moment. "Doom you're gonna help me right some wrongs here, all of you are. Esme, Phoebe, Sophie, if you have nothing important to add then shut it for now. Luminous you may be the final whatever or another but you're still here, trapped, so dont act all high and mighty you cheap knock off. Now Doom, tell me what you can in as much detail about these callers, the guards, the weaponry, and the shift schedule here. If we play our cards right then we wont need Sage. You're the worlds most brilliant mind and it's not even an x-gene. " Hopefully stroking his ego would help with persuading him to help him out. Jinx may act like a buffoonish child most of the time, but he didnt get this far I'm life on good looks alone.
"The information I have given you thus far, darling, is how I can extend a hand to meet you halfway," Emma explained. "I appreciate that I must earn your trust, and that you must earn mine, but we are true family. Related by blood and by X-gene. I want you to be a part of the foundation of Genosha, Leighton."
Reeva and Emma exchanged a quick glance after Max's request. "Of course. The White King is running a session at the moment and I am certain he wouldn't mind having two more to spar."
Emma chuckled slightly, shaking her head a bit. "Erik plays... rough, to put it delicately. But please, do follow me," Emma said, standing up from the couch and motioning for them to follow her to the Training Room.
The Training Room - Shaw Industries...
Polaris' eyes widened slightly as the White Queen managed to get the helmet off of Magneto. She had a gut feeling that Magneto was playing easy with them - no one ever really managed to get that helmet off of him. The X-Men had trouble with it and they routinely fought him with all of their might. "You need to try harder, Father!" Lorna snapped, enraged at the idea that he was treating them like children and not like decorated warriors. Clenching her fists, she sent more metal rods flying at her father's face, but he once more deflected them harmlessly.
Metal clearly wasn't working, so Polaris ran at Magneto and kicked him in the gut. The Master of Magnetism fell backwards, heading for the ground. But his magnetic prowess saved him, as he stopped his fall and came up to his proper height, levitating about ten feet off of the ground. He deposited his helmet back on his head firmly. "Good play - now, the aerial portion."
"I've located Jinx and the Three in One - working on sending a remote signal to their collars now. The Scarlet Witch is also there."
"...Aid her as well, Sage," Magneto said without much urgency or feeling at all.
The door then opened, revealing Emma, Reeva, Leighton, and Max. "Hold, please," Emma requested. Up in the air, Magneto turned his gaze down on the new mutants and Polaris redirected her attention as well, metal rods still suspended in the air around her. "I have two more for this session."
The Raft - Location Classified...
"It's common knowledge that Pietro decided to join the X-Men!" Wanda instantly snapped back at Jinx. Her anger and sorrow were coloring her thoughts and decisions, obscuring any friendship that existed between Jinx and the Scarlet Witch.
Jinx's words wounded Luminous, the egotistical experiment glaring at him. "I'm going to enjoy ripping your heart out," she threatened. It was her method of choice when it came to executions and the principle reason as to why S.H.I.E.L.D. had locked her up in the first place.
"Bold of you to assume we take orders from you," the Three in One said in unison, staring at Jinx. The triplets had lightened up slightly towards him, knowing what Emma had done to his mind earlier that day, but his instruction to shut it ruined whatever good will they had amassed towards him.
"I am the world's most brilliant mind, which is precisely why I don't need to tell you any of that in order to formulate a plan," Doom pointed out. "And I would not allow myself to be in this facility unless I wanted to be here," he then added. Maybe it was the truth, maybe it was a lie in order to save face and protect his wounded ego. "They'll bring lunch soon. They collect utensils afterwards. Do with that what you will." The hint would be clear enough - if Jinx wanted his collar off, he would just need to figure out a way to keep his utensil after the lunch trays were brought by. He could then use it to pry the box on the back of the collar open and from there, it was just a matter of knowing the 4 digit code.
New Mutant Underground Hideout...
Veil grimaced, agreeing with Sapphire's assessment. Even if they tipped S.H.I.E.L.D. off about what was going on, the odds of the agency doing anything about it was next to nothing. Mutant lives weren't a priority in this country. The X-Men were beloved because they were seen as being the good ones - everyone else was a walking weapon of mass destruction, not even seen as a living being with fundamental rights. "Right, we're on our own then," Veil sighed. "I'll make some calls to others in the Underground, let them know that we aren't taking refugees except for on a short term basis here... If we're going to bring these assholes down, it'll take all of our resources and attention."
By her count, they had about fifteen people here that they could count on. She could divide everyone into three groups of five. No one would be caught off guard by themselves then hopefully and made into another one of Sinister's playthings. If the groups were any bigger than that, they'd have trouble fighting effectively in those small spaces. No matter how much she didn't want this to be a deadly battle, Veil knew realistically that it would happen. She needed people she trusted in each group. "Okay, three squads. First one - me, Jack, Moonwalker, Spark Plug, and Blink. Second one - Colossus, Casper, Glimpse, James, and Negasonic. And third one - you, Havok, Sunshine, Feedback, and Magik."
"Sound good?" she asked Sapphire. Two of the groups had teleporters and if she remembered correctly, Glimpse was a bit of a speedster, so everyone should have easy getaway options. "Vulcan should be fine here if you can maybe give him enough drugs to knock him out for a few hours?"
In the dining room, Colossus considered Moonwalker's suggestion. He wasn't in charge of the Mutant Underground, so it wasn't his call as to whether or not they went off on missions. "I do not know if there is water," he answered. They had been in this new place less than an hour. "Supply run, da, maybe... But now is time to end Hounds. Supply can wait. Sinister, nyet."
"If Sinister isn't already in the wind," Blink pointed out. She didn't know too many details about what had happened, but she had gotten the basics that while she and Negasonic were gone, Vulcan had attacked at the hospital and the others had walked into a trap at the Cherry Bomb karaoke bar. "If I were him, I would have left town, hired some mercs to hunt everyone down who got in the way, and come back once they were gone."
"...Maybe I can give my brother a call, see if he'll come and take Vulcan," Havok suggested, looking away from his newly discovered third brother. "That or we just beat the shit out of this guy, make sure that he doesn't wake up this time."
On the staircase in the entranceway, Negasonic rolled her eyes slightly at Feedback. "You're a horrible liar," she told her bluntly. She was about to say something else, but her phone buzzed and Negasonic quickly went back to texting, writing what looked like a lengthy paragraph to Yukio.
"Belasco," Magik coldly, glancing over towards Feedback. "The demon who imprisoned me in Limbo, forging a portion of my soul into a bloodstone." Her words were quiet, quiet enough that her brother fortunately couldn't hear, yet loud enough for the other teenage girls on the staircase to listen.
"...I killed some purifiers," Sunshine answered, feeling somber for a moment. "I'd do it again. But... I want to murder Sinister, Shaw... My mother... The judge..."
"Deadpool. He's fucking annoying," Negasonic chimed in, before going back to her phone.
On the couch in the entranceway, Casper was a little bit surprised to see James come back and apologize so quickly. He reminded him a little bit of his brother. "Sure, why not? I love those Extreme Home Makeover shows," he added at the end, smiling slightly. He loved seeing the ruined, crappy buildings turned into warm and inviting homes. Sure, it was largely just camera angles, staging, and better lighting - but it spoke to him. If a horrible Katrina damaged house could be made whole again, maybe Casper himself could be healed too.
"I should find Jackie - he kinda freaks super easily. He drinks way too much coffee," Casper mused. A vague image flickered out of the corner of his eye and he tried his best to ignore it, hoping that it was his mind tricking him and not the ghosts returning.
"Alright, sounds like a plan to me," Sapphire said with a smile towards her friend when she mentioned letting the other members of the Underground know somewhat of what was going on. There was no way they'd be able to take in any sort of strays right now who needed help, not when they had other things that they needed to deal with. Sinister had to be stopped, and they couldn't risk bringing in any sort of extra people into the station, especially if they were going to potentially draw major attention to themselves.
Hearing what teams they were going to be on, she made a bit of a face. "So... I get stuck with Havok and get to play babysitter? Especially considering the fact that let's face it, Havok is just a bit of a big child! Alright then, that sounds fine with me. Let's see how things go, and hopefully everything ends alright... I have faith in your judgement, so alright, let's tell the others the plan. And see what they say about everything I suppose," she said with a shrug, giving her a bit of a smile again.
Jack Theriot
Location: Mutant Underground HQ Skills N/A
"No, no matter what it was not a good reason to snap at you like that... I flat out shouldn't have done that, at all... So, sorry..." he said, nodding his head slightly at Glimpse. He did feel pretty bad about going off on her like that, and typically he wasn't the sort of person to lash out or have any sort of breakdown. However, with everything piling up, Jack had essentially lost it completely for a few seconds there, but now he was going to take a few deep breaths to calm down. Hopefully he wouldn't lose it again like that.
Letting out a small sigh, he looked away now as he thought about the words that she said, about how technically this was everyone else's problem, because he knew they were there. Oh if only she knew. "...He's always seemed to know more then he ever let on... It's hard to explain, but based on the fact that he knew who Sunshine was, completely, odds are he knew why we all were there and already knew who it is that we were. That sort of thing... It's part of the reason why for the most part I try to learn as much about a person as I possibly can before I even really start to trust them, since I would prefer to know ahead of time if someone ever really has a few skeletons in their closet that could stab everyone in the back. Haven't really gotten the chance to do that since I'm not a telepath or anything... But that's beside the point... It still feels like it is more of my problem... Like if I had known ahead of time, what could have happened? If I knew that my dad was Sinister as opposed to you know, not being him, maybe I could have done something to stop him myself. All the what if situations keep playing through my brain right now."
Though he was glad that Glimpse at least tried to lighten the mood a little bit and he let out a small laugh. "If you say so."
Location:Shaw Industries: Penthouse Skills: Conjuration-Explosions New Outfit
The White King? Erik? Who could that be? Whoever he was it appeared he was a harsh instructor when it came to training, most likely using more force than necessary when fighting back. Good. That just meant that Max had to hold back even less than he did usually. He was glad that for the moment the tension had been halted, moving forward towards a new subject so that they could potentially prove their worth and get offered even more information. Hopefully. As they entered the training room Max could hear some distant voices, something about a father and aerial portion? It was difficult to say until the doors opened up to reveal two familiar faces and one new one. Magneto; Max clenched his jaw for a moment as he saw the master of magnetism hovering in the air. That must be the White King. How she could displace herself away from Shaw and yet still work alongside a known criminal was beyond him. This didn't bode well for their little club and he hoped Leighton felt the same. The other was the white haired mutant who so kindly tossed him out the window. There didnt seem to be a single burn on her...what were these people?
"I heard you like to play rough, suppose I can let loose a little then, but dont worry I wont be going for fatal wounds." Max's eyes began to glow as he whispered sutiperc and a cacophony of explosions began to flash and take over the sky above, resonating within the training walls. Max began to search the ground for any sign of Magneto, but saw nothing. He quickly looked up and noticed that Magento had expertly dodged his attack unharmed. He truly was a force to be reckoned with. Max continued his assault, running towards the airborne mutant and jumping up in the air as he caused small explosions to form at the soles of his feet. The blasts propelled him upwards but also caught his pants on fire. Using this momentum he swung his right leg towards his enemy as hard as he could, missing and allowing for his opponent to have an opening. Stupid. Magneto seized this opportunity and landed a strong kick into Max, knocking him down towards the ground.
Peter Jackson Bernard
Location: The Raft Skills: Pickpocketing, Deception.
Jinx tightened his fist as he could hear Wanda sinking deeper into her emotions. That was never good, and that's coming from a chaotic force himself. Wanda-clone 2000 was still ranting about whatever, he hardly cared and hoped she rotted away. Sure she may of been a mutant, but she was a cheap knock off added with glitter up her ass and a edgelord complex to make her seem relatable. So she could stay. The Three in One continued to prove useless and Doom actually helped. Though if he was being honest, Jinx couldnt make heads or tails on if the good Doctor actually wanted to stay aboard this insufferable place. So he'd leave him here for now as well. "I'm not trying to give you orders you three, I'm just trying to make sure Emma doesnt start feeling like you're a burden if all you do is wait around for her to fix your messes. Honestly I'd get fed up with it too, it's why I try to fix mine."
Was there any use in talking to Wanda? He wasnt sure but for now he would remain silent so as to not stoke the flames. "Thanks Doom, and no worries I wont set you free then, no sense in mucking up your plans." Just as Doom had said the crew came in to drop off their lunches. As soon as Jinx was handed his, he expertly slid away the knife, hiding it from the guards view and having him never of noticed. Ofcourse him not knowing was an issue because then they would ask for it back later on. So Jinx needed his silver tongue to help out. "Hey aren't you forgetting something? I need a knife to eat." The guard gave him an off look as he simply said "make do with your spork" Once the charade was all over he sat against his wall, thinking about Doom and what he had said. The man had pride so he could've been lying to save face, that's something to consider. But he was also extremely intelligent and may have actually wanted to be there. The more he tried to think on it the more his head hurt and at a certain point they both looked like viable options.
