| | marvel | |𝘾𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙨

[The Bunit]

Had she felt better, she might have expanded on that, but instead she turned her attention to Stevie. “If it comes to that, your plan is sound. But I’d like to exhaust other options first.” With sentinel services honing in on mutants with a renewed tenacity, it was too much of a risk when her days were likely limited anyway.

Their conversation moved away from Mik’s plight and fell on Shandra. Stevie’s inclination that the near-miss hadn’t an accident sounded solid. “Her reaction was extreme.” No wonder so many humans were up in arms about the dangers powered-people carried. With that kind of power, a knee-jerk reaction from a mutant could spell destruction. Not that she agreed with the holocaust of anyone unfortunate enough to be saddled with science-defying abilities, but she could at least see why there was so much fear. “Zero regard to other life.” Mik shook her head in disdain, fully agreeing with the blond next to her.

Aron came to them then and filled in the details of what they were missing - mostly where they were, what organization they had found themselves with, who Shandra was. THere was a note of fondness for the woman in the man-bear’s voice, and while Mik could understand that they were friends, it didn’t mean that either Stevie or herself had to like the woman.

Nodding along with the blond’s assessment of the MU not wanting a bunch of people congregated in one building, she silently wondered how long she would be here herself. Grasping at straws for ideas on ways that didn’t result in raiding a pharmacy, the Bulgarian woman hopped up with as much perk as she could manage as another idea flitted through her head.

Harlan.

He’d helped before, why not now?

And after searching through her phone, she found the necessary contact, and soon they were off. (To see a wizard. Sort of.) Even through text, Harlan’s personality shined through, telling her to bring friends if she had ever managed to make any.

Grateful that both Stevie and Aron were game to help her get to the island, she expressed that, only for Stevie to dub Harlan an evil scientist. Snickering, she shook her head. “He’s not quite so devious. Though he did suggest me using a battery-operated kidney in place of a human one.” Grimacing, what she thought of that idea was perfectly clear.

**

It felt strange to be back here, as if no time had passed but, weirdly that eons had transpired in the same breath since she had departed to make a mark on the world. Harlan hadn’t aged, and despite how crummy she felt, she put on a brave face for the benefit of her friends. Eyeing Mira carefully, the Bulgarian woman couldn’t quite conceal her displeasure at seeing the standoffish woman be a part of the welcoming party. Mira’s cold, stony features did little to inspire confidence that the once snobbish, irascible b***h had done much to improve her personality. Not once in the time that they had shared living arrangements had the woman ever deemed Mihaila worthy enough of even a greeting, despite her own efforts to be passably friendly in the past. In a time where she had craved companionship to help shovel off the loneliness of being separated from her family, Mira harbored no chance of even making acquaintances.

Call her bitter, but she had little use for the woman now. At least presently, Mihaila had made friends, even if just so. They still counted. Mira called back her cheetah when Aron growled, and her fingers gave the bear cub a light squeeze in appreciation.

The dichotomy between her exuberance to see Harlan and the animal mimic couldn’t have differed more. For the doctor, she was warm, spirited. For Mira, she fell to reserved, almost cagey. The woman’s tone in response to her one word acknowledgement lacked any emotion, only furthering her hypothesis that she hadn’t altered her insufficient charm. Forcing herself, she managed a smirk. “Thanks.”

Following behind Harlan and Mira to the interior structure, the AI ushered her own greeting to the guests. “Oh, you’ve upgraded.” The brunette said, looking around the building that had once been her home. The good doctor gave everyone a rundown of basic rules, where things were, etc. She stayed quiet, familiar with the procedures already. Though, Amelia was new.

"Never took you as the type to keep pets." Her eyes honed in on the bear, locking eyes with the creature. "Unless it really isn't."

Rounding her gaze back to Mira’s countenance, she tilted her head in consideration, but her grip on Aron tightened protectively, a silent warning to be wary of this suddenly chatty woman. “Probably wouldn’t be able to take me as a type for anything, all things considered.” She replied, her tone just as flat as Mira’s greeting had been on the docks. In the short time since returning, the animal mimic had said more to her than she ever had when they actually lived together.

Turning to the blond beside her, her tone softened, wanting to tend to her friends before asking for a private session with the doctor they had come so far to see. “Are you hungry? I know Aron probably is…” A bear needed more food than they had been able to give him thus far, right?

“Doc, you think we can get them set up with a meal and then give me an injection or something?” Already there was a light sheen of sweat dappling her temples, the hair at the nape of her neck damp, and she certainly felt feverish. But, it could surely wait a few more minutes, after waiting so many days for treatment.


Had she trusted Mira more to be even somewhat nice, she might have asked for the woman to direct them, but given how she kept eyeing Aron like he was a curiosity for her to poke…

[The Bunit]

[ ʈ | ɦ | ҿ ➸ S | i | z | e | - | S | h | i | f | t | i | n | g ]xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxAtlanta... nitááwa’kimaa

Though it had been well over a decade since he had claimed to be a part of the X-men, the high stakes stress fell back on his shoulders with a familiarity that caused his heart to ache. He had left this life and had chosen a simpler one. Finding the wire on the woman caused him to voice a reminder to the world that he had retired -- not that it carried much weight. Instincts took over and he started barking out orders to the first people who seemed capable.

Ripping off the wire from her clothes, he crushed the device between his fingers, knowing it was likely too late for that to really help. Without anyone really in mind, he voiced a need to check the other mutant for another tracker.

Before he could move to check on his own, he was lifted and thrown into a brick wall opposite of him. Crumpling to the floor, the native punched the tile beneath him in frustration. Quick to get back to his feet, Aren grew to a length of 15 feet as he did so, diving between the telekinetic’s line of sight and the group of innocents that still needed his protection.

The natural giant called out that he’d take one if he’d focus on the other and Aren nodded once in reply. Bidding Esme to usher who she could out, the size shifter turned to face the woman who had been so demanding of answers. “It’s typically my policy not to hit a woman.” She threw him once again, his back flat against the wall. “Looks like that needs a few amendments.” He grumbled.

Snatching one of the bricks from where the wall had just cracked, Aren’s arm stretched out far, hurling the mass toward the blond with wild eyes. She dodged, but that had been the intent. Somersaulting toward her, Aren did a sweep with his arm, pinning her against the ground with one smooth move that would likely cause him a few aches when everything settled. Grabbing her head, he slammed it against the floor with enough force to knock her out. “Have that headache.” He glowered down at her, unable to understand how mutants could sell each other out. It wasn’t realistic to believe that helping SS would make them trust them at the end of the day.

Leaving her unconscious, Aren jumped back to his feet, just as Roland roared for them to get out of there, saying he’d take the lead. The sirens wailed as they drew closer, and Aren headed up the caboose to make sure no one was left behind.

Maneuvering through the streets, Aren kept his eyes peeled for the sentinel services that were sure to pop out soon. Pulling out his phone, he tried for the voice commands so as to not slow down.

“Text Máóhk.”

“I do not see a Mohawk in your phone, would you like to try again?” Glowering down at the piece of tech, he shook his head. “Clearly robots haven’t much improved the last fifteen years.”

Tech only made his life more complicated. But he definitely hadn’t tried to memorize Shandra’s phone number, since she stressed that their cells were only burners with no sense of permanence to them.

”Hey, kiddo?” He glanced upward at the kid on his shoulders. “Any chance you can read yet?” Perhaps if she could, then he could have her start messaging the MU. But the shake of her head shot that idea down.

Digging the heel of his hand into his eye socket in frustration, he kept pushing forward, grabbing the little girl he’d given the cookie to and carrying her on his shoulders. Another hand fumbled clumsily through the contact list, pulling up Shandra and dialing out.

It rang twice before it hit voicemail. “Hey I know you were searching for the one guy, but we have a situation here, south of the church. Wires and Sentinel Services. I’m going to need a place to transport this group to, and sooner rather than later.”

“Is there a fallback point? A plan B if you will?”

“Three streets south, four blocks east, there’s a set of warehouses. We can lay low there until we get some help...” Considering he’d driven a run down truck with a bucket seat to the church, it wasn’t as though he had enough room to pack everyone in. There hadn’t been a plan to transport these people to the MU yet. And thankfully they hadn’t. If he had brought back the entire group immediately, the hounds would have given everyone their location, killing all the work that Marcos and everyone had been doing. “I didn’t drive wheels equipped for mass transport.” He called back apologetically.

Not even ten seconds later, someone’s radio started bleating out detainment ideas. Napi. “Looks like they caught up. Distraction?” Not that they had much time to react, Roland braced for impact. Able to handle himself, the man seemed apt enough to taunt his attackers, belly laughing at their efforts to secure him. In a quick move, Aren caught the radio that Roland tossed his way.

“Sounds like they want to make you a science experiment.” Aren said, ushering the group down an alley, away from the fight. “Who are the other 18 before you?”

Did he have a number too?

Taking stock of the group, he nodded at the blond helping people to their feet. “YOu need a mule to help carry anyone?” The urgency in his voice made it apparent that they didn’t have much time. More sirens were coming, and if only Roland and him were going to be fighting these people off, they needed to do some crowd mitigating, and fast.

[ N | a | t | i | v | e ]

▂▂▂▂▂▂ ▂▂ ▂▂▂▂xxxxxxxxxxxx

[)(Over.Dose.On.Cyanide)(]

Freya and Ian chatted as they waited for someone to come by. She had no idea who he had been in contact with, and really she probably should have been more worried about a possible trap than she had been. Of course, she had also already assumed that if he was working for sentinel services or someone like that, they would have already busted down the door and taken her into custody when he had fallen off the radar for those three days.

Their topics changed from time to time, them each latching on to something the other said. Freya had admitted to being a prisoner for some company, and Ian admitted that he couldn’t understand their logic of treating them like they were animals. "Humans don’t like different. It’s that simple. It's a threat to their way of life, and there is some basic instinct to fight against it. Probably some fear of change." She said with a shrug. "At least that’s how I’ve always looked at it. Of course, that doesn't mean that it isn’t idiotic."

A soft knock took them from their conversation. Ian seemed to know the people on the other side of the door, allowing Freya to relax ever so slightly. They spoke about poetry, something that had caught the gas manipulator off guard. She worked to put it aside though, assuming it had been some sort of code. A code she didn’t have the energy to break.

It wasn’t long into the meeting that the green-haired woman turned her attitude from Ian towards Freya, demanding answers to a string of questions. In a matter of fact voice, the redhead covered them all, only to be told that she should look elsewhere for sympathy. Of course, that did not endear the unhappy woman to Freya any more than her demanding questions and idiotic unnecessary attitude did. Freya told the woman that she hadn’t been seeking sympathy, something Ian had even echoed. Her eyes turned to him for a moment, giving him a nod of thanks.

At least someone in the room could actually tell what emotions other people expressed.

Confusion crossed her face one more as they spoke about Aren, still not realizing that there was a slight difference in the way the names were spoken and spelled. At least not until Ian mentioned the man's hair color. "Ah, right, I had a different person in mind." She muttered. However as they both went on, she couldn’t help that there was some pun she was missing, not that it really mattered to her in the end.

For the briefest of moments, after Ian declared his want for a shower, Freya almost asked him to stay, just to provide some sort of buffer for the conversation. She decided against it and instead chose to lightly tease him, saying that a shower was probably a good idea. He shot back something about her being a shoddy, neglectful nurse because she hadn’t bathed him. "Oh? And you don’t think that would have been an invasion of privacy? Little old me taking care of… Little old you?" She asked, her eyes dipping once again towards his nether regions.

Her teasing smile fell from her face as Ian dug into Lorna one more time before disappearing to take his shower. She held both of her lips between her teeth, trying to keep the satisfied smirk off of her face as he laid into her. If she had been a lesser person, she would have high fived the man in front of them to show her support.

Between her buffer taking his leave and Shandra trying to pull information out, Freya began to feel a little anxious, leading to her craving a cigarette. She didn’t even bother to ask if any of them would be bothered by it, after all, it would only be the smoke from the cherry that would leave any traces behind.

She spoke around the cigarette and even used it to point a few times as she did her best to sort out the names and faces of people she hadn’t seen in many years. Shandra confirmed her words, and for a moment she was proud of herself for remembering. "Right, training. I never really got into all that." She admitted. "And the names I should be better with. Everyone was so unique, you’d think stuff like that would have made them stick a bit better."

Lorna had excused herself for a phone call, and she wasn’t exactly missed, not by Freya anyway. It had given the pair of redheads a chance to talk without the palpable hostility in the air. The clam didn’t last long though as she came back in, demanding the keys to the car. Her eyes found their way to a stain on the carpet, ignoring their conversation, figuring it was best to try and not be nosy.

What they were up to was none of her business. Had there been other circumstances, Freya may have actually been curious, but she was an outsider. It was something the green-haired woman had made pretty clear.

In a break of their conversation, Freya spoke up, saying that she would take off and that if they wanted to try this again, Ian could send them in her direction. Not waiting for a response she began to gather up her belongings, and only paused when Shandra asked her to wait. A brow rose in the woman's direction as she did just that.

Ian had come back in and left again before returning once more, catching the end of the other redhead's speech.

Freya heaved a sigh, adjusting her bags on her shoulder."Look, you two haven’t even given me your names yet. I now only know hers because you slipped it into your little speech there." She said slowly. "It’s obvious you have some issues on top of what I already expected. I’m not saying I’m going to disappear." She said as she pushed some of her hair out of her face.

"You two just sound like you have a situation that needs your immediate attention. Something I’m not entirely sure I want to be a part of, but I know I don’t want to be the cause of the issue getting bigger." She paused for a moment, looking to Ian then back to Shandra. "I’ve waited fifteen years for answers, what's a few more days? You can give me a call when you’re ready. Ian has my number."

Freya moved towards the door a moment before Lorna joined them again. She blinked at the sudden apology, her head tilting slightly. She wondered what had caused the sudden flip when the grumpy woman directed her attention to Ian to thank him for saving her before she excused herself once more, this time to wait in the car. A brow rose in his direction, wondering if she had expected something from the shoddy sudden apology.

After a moment she shook her head. "Sorry again for the trouble I caused Ian. Good luck with… Whatever this is." She said as she waved her hand before departing the crappy apartment.

The new pair had apparently parked behind Freya on the street. She popped the trunk, unable to help the words she tossed in Lorna’s direction as she got into her own car. "Sorry you got dragged out here when you clearly didn’t want to be involved. Good luck with whatever is going on." She slammed the trunk shut after tossing her overnight bag in.

She didn’t bother to wait for a response before climbing into her own car and starting up the engine. She pulled her phone and pack of cigarettes out of her purse. She lit one before deciding to text Ian.

Sorry for leaving like that. I just can’t. They seem like too much drama right now, not to mention how just awkward the one made me feel. If you need something just let me know or whatever. Later.



┏━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┓
Location: Ian's place
With: Ian, Shandra, Lorna
Thinking: Don't be a b***h...
┗━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┛

""

[Shimmering_Apocalypse]

𝖂 𝖍 𝖊 𝖗 𝖊 𝖆 𝖇 𝖔 𝖚 𝖙 𝖘
____An island?


Aron let his gaze drift briefly to the man that was supposedly the one that was going to help Mik with her health problems. He really didn't know the extent of them but he imagined they were much larger than what Mik lead on. His gaze drifted up to her as he pondered that question, wondering just how severe her illness was. Aron could feel Mik's grip tighten on him a bit as she exchanged words with the woman who seemed to look at him more often than not, which was making him rather uncomfortable. He preferred to be one in the background, not the center of attention or have a stranger stare at him in such a manner. Aron curled his lips and offered a low growl at the woman, picking up easily on the fact that Mik was not a fan of the woman.

Regardless of this, Aron was content to stay in Mik's arms and keep an eye out. That was until his gaze met Mira's and he heard her voice ring in his head. Was that a threat? That definitely sounded like a threat to him. And in response Aron squirmed from Mik's grip, jumping down to the floor but as the pads of his front paws hit the floor, Aron grew exponentially and his fur shifted from the sandy brown it had been moments ago to a snow white, taking on the shape of a full grown polar bear. Aron rose up on his back haunches and took a deep breath before letting out a loud roar directed at the woman, before dropping back down and lunging forward at the woman, falling just short of her and her cheetah friend but making his reaction to her invasion very clear, she was not welcome in his mind. Aron watched the cheetah and woman wearily, not about to turn his back on either of them or leave Mik or Stevie alone with either of them.

Aron shifted his weight so that he was closer to Mik and Stevie, his eyes refusing to leave Mira and her cheetah. He had been right to come with them, he didn't trust either of these people. The suggestion of food lost on Aron for the moment, despite the hunger he could feel gnawing away at him.

[Shimmering_Apocalypse]

𝐋 𝐎 𝐂 𝐀 𝐓 𝐈 𝐎 𝐍
Hound Facility

Lex laid silently staring at the back wall of her cell, vaguely aware of the blonde haired man squeezing through the bars to get into her cell. She really didn't want him poking and prodding to see if she was alright. Luckily, it seemed that he had the sense to not try and touch her, instead keeping his distance. Lex brushed the tears that were still slipping from her eyes to try and help herself to stop from crying. She'd survived far worse than this down in Mexico when she was on her own, what more could they do here that she hadn't already experienced.

Lex only muttered a brief, "Leave me alone." She was too tired, sore and nauseous for it to even register in her mind that she had spoken in english rather than spanish. After all, she had told Marcos that she only spoke in spanish. With the pain of the electricity that had been coursing through her body gone, she forced herself up onto her feet unsteadily, wavering from side to side a bit. Lex only made a straight line for the shoddy bed in her cell and buried herself under the blankets, as the cool air conditioning started to send chills down her spine.

Lex pulled the blankets in close to her body and laid facing the wall, trying to shut out the rest of the world. It was then that she heard the sound of footsteps and an unfamiliar man's voice. She didn't bother to roll over and look. After all, what did it matter what he looked like, either way he was going to do whatever it was that they had planned for them. And quite honestly, Lex couldn't be bothered to turn her head to look, the world felt like it was spinning and she just felt absolutely vile, if only she could get another fix then she'd at least feel a bit better but that probably wasn't likely in here.

[Vicious Madam Mari]

ｌｏｃａｔｉｏｎ :
Ian's Apartment -> Street
The buzzing of Lorna's phone made Shandra's attention turn sharply towards her. Something about the fact that someone was calling Lorna felt foreign somehow. The fact that Lorna still had a working cell phone considering what she used to do to electronics was actually impressive.

”Marcos? Where are you?”

Well that at least answered why Lorna made herself scarce. In fact, the door opened and closed multiple times for Ian and Lorna while Shandra tried to help Freya understand the tricky situation that everyone was in. If it wasn't for the fact that Shandra had been acclimated to guys moving about in nothing but towels doing her stay at the mansion, the way that Ian had decided to walk out of his apartment before coming back in would have been a larger subject considering how comfortable, or dismissive, it seemed that Freya was used to such with him. Which rang a little strange to her and she filed that away as something to keep track of considering the fact that she thought they had really only just met. Perhaps she was being overly cautious though but as much as Shandra wanted to reassure another lost girl, there were security precautions she needed to see to more. Though considering the fact that doing so meant she needed to mend the broken relationship...she'd rather be fighting or risking her life than trying to explain that's what was happening to someone. She was better at the former and the fact that so much seemingly depended on her ability to do the latter didn't really help matters. Judging by the fact that Freya adjusted her bags and gave a heavy sigh, she hadn't really done that great of a job. Which was frustrating to say the least.

"Look, you two haven’t even given me your names yet. I now only know hers because you slipped it into your little speech there. It’s obvious you have some issues on top of what I already expected. I’m not saying I’m going to disappear." There was that at least. Though it wasn't exactly comforting as she could hear the potential 'but' at the end of Freya's statement. "You two just sound like you have a situation that needs your immediate attention. Something I’m not entirely sure I want to be a part of, but I know I don’t want to be the cause of the issue getting bigger. I’ve waited fifteen years for answers, what's a few more days? You can give me a call when you’re ready. Ian has my number."

Shandra shifted in her spot as she stared at the girl while Lorna came back in. She looked like she was swallowing back something for the stability of the situation. Lorna was never very good at concealing her emotions though.

”Look I’m sorry for getting off on the wrong foot. I may have… been a bit… rude. And thank you Ian for helping get me out of Sentinel Services custody.”

The fact that an apology had spilled so quickly was either very good for her personal development or it meant something very bad. Which was why it did little to ease the tension that Shandra could feel stabbing her guts. Nor did the way that Freya was almost dismissive over being a part of what was going on help. The one thing that Xavier tried to teach all who entered his halls, with varying levels of success, was that interconnected teamship that came with ensuring a brighter future for all. It seemed like such a lesson hadn't twisted itself into Freya's gut - at least not to the point that Shandra could be assured she wouldn't say anything just yet. Though the redhead couldn't really blame her. She'd been abandoned, betrayed even, and that was never a good feeling. To that end she could relate.

When Freya spoke to Ian about all the supposed 'trouble' she caused, Shandra turned towards Lorna. She was clenching her phone so tightly in her hand that Shandra could see the white of her bony knuckles. Whatever the call was about it hadn't been a good conversation. Which brought a couple situations up. Though given the fact that Lorna hadn't just run off, she ruled out Marcos being mortally wounded.

”I’ll wait in the car.”

As both Lorna and Freya left, Shandra let out a deep breath and closed her eyes momentarily. As she tried to sort through all the immediate things that needed to be done within the next couple of seconds, Shandra absentmindedly rubbed the bandaged bite mark on her hand. In her opinion the world was free to slow it's a** down so that she could properly catch up with everything that had happened or was happening. It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the fact that she was fifteen years behind most people. And the one person, Aron, that could possibly relate to the dizzying confusion of the situation had not only left but she wasn't likely to speak with him anytime soon.

"Sorry," Shandra started before taking in another breath and opening her eyes. "The last couple of days — I mean, when I realized that you'd gone...missing, for lack of a better word, for three days. There were a lot of possible reasons for your silence playing out in my head, none of them as positive as you just running into an old student."

It wasn't exactly a smile she offered him to try and cushion the implied torture imagery she held back from saying but it was close. "There are a lot of groups out there that want to dismantle the MU that could have gone after you after you helped with Lorna... since being a single target... it would be easier to get to you than the whole group. So I didn't come here exactly in the...calmest of moods. I'm sorry about that."

Best not to inform him that part of the reason she was worried wasn't because she was worried over him, but what he knew without knowing. The information he'd gotten about the mansion, while limited, was already more than she wanted those after them to know. She'd been worried about him as a human being, well mutant being since the lines were battlelines now, too. It was just that Ian posed more of a threat to mutant kind than he may even realize. She hoped he didn't realize it at least because that would undoubtedly mean he had been thinking about what value he had as a living prisoner to opposing groups.

Before she turned to walk out of his ramshackled apartment, Shandra left him with one thought. Or a couple. Whatever he took out of it really. "It won't stop you from being a target but if you want practice to learn how to bite back, Lorna and I could try to help…or maybe someone else there if you want."

His relationship with Lorna and herself wasn't exactly the best it could be given that they'd barged into his life and made him feel unwelcomed. Shandra wanted to extend the offer anyways. She obviously didn't know what it was like to use his ability as much as he did but she was pretty good at helping students weaponize what they could do as well as helping them learn the three D's.

Dodge __________ Duck __________ Dive

The redhead turned around after nodding slightly as though that would help the good intentions of her message. She stopped at the door before opening it up as she heard Ian's phone vibrate. The sound of it made her pause given that the last time a phone had gone off, one of her former students (victims) had come back with more turmoil. Her pause seemed strange even to her so she covered it with a more direct offer.

"So did you want to come with or…?"

Judging by the way that Lorna had already been waiting two or three minutes, she probably wouldn't be happy about needing to wait more. Between that or leaving someone behind, though, she'd have to suck it up. Then again, Shandra didn't know the circumstances behind why Lorna had been gripping on to her phone for dear life. There was probably another dire situation on their heels.

________________________________________

Getting back to the headquarters proved out to be more of a headache than anyone would have ever predicted. The lanes of any sort were crowded and traffic had piled up to the point that drivers honked their car hoarse as they tried to pass through downtown. During the lull while the cars moved only a foot a minute, Shandra finally noticed that her phone had a missed call...and a voice mail.

She tilted her head slightly as she balanced the desire to check the phone with the fact that she was supposed to be driving. The urge to check won. Thankfully even burner phones had upgraded to the point that she could use her fingerprint to unlock it to get to the voice mail at least. And instead of trying to manuver the thing in her hand and fight the urge not to try and take the side of the freeway out of the jam...Shandra just turned it onto speakerphone before setting down the device.

Aren's voice filled the car:
“Hey I know you were searching for the one guy, but we have a situation here, south of the church. Wires and Sentinel Services. I’m going to need a place to transport this group to, and sooner rather than later.”


"Lorna---" Shandra didn't really get the time to say much else other than that as another disaster struck.

The ground shook as they neared the taller buildings, it wasn’t long until one of the buildings came down. Only the building didn't topple like it was being knocked over. It sort of collapsed inwards on itself. The cars moved only a little more until Shandra wasn’t able to even move any further; gridlock.

”That means nothing good,” Shandra commented as she just gave up and turned off the poor, abused car.

Considering the fact that the town hall literally just been destroyed, ‘nothing good’ was the understatement of the year. As was the norm for the two women in the car, that wasn’t the only disaster happening.

[Vicious Madam Mari]

11/07/2037 ___________ 02:00 __________Target: Freya

ATTACK!!!

As she passed by a larger building, Freya’s car was overturned by a beast jumping at her as though all it wanted in life was a bear hug. As the beast recovered from overturning her car it flipped around in a way that was almost feline. If felines looked like they snapped their own backs to turn so sharply. Long claws, teeth, and all came back at the redhead in extraordinary fashion as it made an attempt to get to her through the windows.

[Shimmering_Apocalypse]

-----𝓛 𝓸 𝓬 𝓪 𝓽 𝓲 𝓸 𝓷-----
----------Hound Facility


Carol couldn't help but stifle a small laugh at Jasper's quick retort that considering he didn't have her blue blood and Marcos' batter acid blood, he was going to be just fine. in all fairness the kree blood that was still coursing through her veins was a boon for her, it helped her recover from her injuries just ever so subtly better than she'd been able to heal before but she could see how blue blood would be off-putting to most that hadn't experienced what she had. Carol watched the interaction between Jasper and the kid, who clearly didn't want anyone else's help at this point. Which couldn't help but have Carol wondering why the girl had stuck her neck out to try and help them in the first place. She suspected that there was more going on than she could pick up on the surface between the girl and Marcos. Judging by the man's interactions with the girl, there was some tie there.

Carol looked over to Marcos as he pointed out that they were still able to use their powers, likely due to the fact that whoever was holding them captive, didn't yet know the full extent of their powers. And as if on cue a voice chimed in, confirming Marcos' suspicions that they hadn't yet had the chance to evaluate their abilities. Carol crossed her arms tightly against her chest, as much as she wanted to blast her way out of here, she knew that the kid was in no condition to escape and honestly Marcos and Captain Sparkles really didn't look that great either. Another boon of her kree blood perhaps? That the sedatives weren't hitting her too bad in the aftermath.

Carol's gaze stopped on the man that had entered the room and when his gaze turned towards her, her gaze met his, unflinching and unimpressed. She just stood silently, staring back at him, offering no emotion or tells. Carol wasn't about to just give her powers a whirl to see if they would work, no that'd give them more information than she was willing to give them. And they'd have to open the door to her cell sooner or later, at which point she had her military training. Carol watched the man closely as he addressed Jasper, and it wasn't long after the lab rat had shown his face, that he was excusing himself to deal with some other matter.

Carol watched as the man left and as soon as he was gone, although she was sure cameras would be on them anyways, she looked at Marcos and spoke, "Alright, so clearly a lot has changed in the time I've been gone. Mind filling me in more than you did in the truck. You said Shield is gone." Fury really was the only person she could think of that she could rely on to get herself out of this pinch, not that she had any way of reaching him without her suit, which she was sure was being tested and explored by these science nerds.

[I-The-Fallen]

Roland Chevalier
Atlanta
Holding the Line

Throwing the rifle across his back, Roland scanned the area. He heard the sound of sirens in the distance as he imagined some uniform officers getting caught up in the hunt with Sentinel Services. He was only a few weeks out of that facility, but he caught on quick. Sentinel Services were the long arm of the law in this country now. He remembered seeing schematics for “Sentinels” at one point; big ugly robots designed to fight the “mutant menace” some schmuck on the 6 o’clock news rambled on about. He wasted no time in making sure he was properly kitted. Pistol across the thigh, rifle at his back, radio across his chest. He kept the massive sword across his back, the man’s own impressive height making the normally difficult task of drawing such a weapon from that position a whole lot simpler. He likely would need to get his hands on a shield at some point, melee defense aside, being able to fire from mobile cover would be advantageous even with his own armor. Of course, getting something proportional to his size, that would be a bit tricky.

Securing the troops that he’d laid out flat, he got an answer to his question about a fallback point. Not too far away were warehouses that they could lay low. He trailed back towards the other evacuees, For a moment they had fear in their eyes, the weapons strapped on him made it look like he was one of the enemy, until they realized that this guy was a lot bigger. Pointing the and making direction gestures, he repeated the same directions he heard a few times, “Ok guys, we’re going a few blocks south, and then we’re going east. There’s some warehouses that we can take cover in.” he took note of Aren carrying a child on his shoulders. Good move, both to comfort the kid and improve mobility.

Looking to the Native, he caught up and looked to him as he tried fumbling with his phone, “Hey I’m not with the Underground, but I’m not too bad with a touch screen.” he gestured to his hands and fingers, big bear paws they were, “Big man adapting to a tiny world.”

“By the way, don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of introductions, Roland Chevalier.” He said to the man, looking to the little one on his shoulders with a friendly smile, “We make it through this, I’d be happy to shake your hand.”

Thoughts quickly turned to the mention of “Subject 19” and what that had meant. Aren noted that he was likely the latest in a line of subjects, “Full disclosure: I did wake up in a lab in Texas a few weeks ago. Last thing I remember before that, I was in Ukraine with a NATO detachment. And from what I’ve heard, that’s last decade’s news.”

“Chances are, someone’s looking to try and recover me for whatever the hell they were doing.”

He sprinted ahead, taking point again as they made their way to the warehouses. Scouting as best he could, he spotted some areas they could stash away the refugees. Directing them to hide best they could, Roland unslung his procured firearm and checked the chamber. Looking to the Native and the blonde he was very clear and decisive in his actions: “I’m going to the rooftop of this warehouse, use that as a vantage point and figure out a good exit if we need it.” finding a ladder he quickly scaled the side of the building, taking quick steps across the roof as he had his weapon trained. The moment he saw something that smelled like trouble he was ready to open fire.

He kept an ear on the radio he’d acquired, no indication that they were moving towards their position.

Yet.

OOC: Let me know if there’s any issues!

[Prosaic Tropes]

L O C A T I O N
Ian's apartment.

Nodding his head along to Freya’s assessment of humans not liking anything that strayed too far from their normal, but neither he nor Freya could condone the outright cruel behavior shown towards mutants. “To be fair I guess, there’s evidence to suggest that evolution is to blame for some of it… Humans were, up until the X gene, the only surviving hominid in the world -- likely because they killed all of the competition. It only stands to reason that they would instinctively do the same to mutants and others that have an uncanny resemblance to their species.” Ian said, pulling on his anthropology roots for an explanation. “And I say that… I understand the concepts behind it from a scholar’s viewpoint… but as a person with emotions, I can’t detach myself from how illogical and horrendous it is to hunt something to extinction.” He admitted, brows furrowed. But, humans had likely done so to nine other “human-like” species, why would they stop now?

A soft knock ripped them from their conversation, and Ian answered the door, answering Shandra’s riddle with one of his own. Almost immediately after the pair of women entered the apartment (he wouldn’t deign it fit to call it his), Lorna bristled with hostility. Freya responded in kind, and the sound manipulator could find no fault in her defenses. Adding to it, his gassy friend gave him a nod as a way of thanks, and he shrugged, signaling that it was nothing to back the person on the right side of morality.

For a covert group, Lorna flashing all of her cards from the word jump was an easy way to get everyone in the MU killed. Attitudes aside, that needed to matter more than her own personal saga of Days of Our Lives. Even if her beau was in some hot water, sussing out someone new seeme inherently more dangerous to the people they had promised to protect in getting out of the city. Selfish of her to only think of her personal story instead of the whole underground.

Shandra set up some tests for Freya to pass in order to tell if she really was one of the former students from the Academy, but most of it went over the outsider’s head. The only contact he had with the mansion had been the renovations; his parents had not thought a school that housed different sorts of people as a safe option for their son.

Announcing his need for a shower and to walk away from the growing tension, Freya teased him about his smell -- a remark that he shot back with her being a poor nurse for not keeping up with his hygiene while she took care of him these last four days. A c**k-eyed grin tugged at his lips, pronouncing a dimple in one of his cheeks. “Curiosity didn’t get catch that cat, I take it.” He teased back, a complete shift in personality from how defensive he had been with Lorna.

“Just because you’re going through a hard time and failed epically at staying out of Sentinel Services’ reach, doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t have our own problems to deal with. It’s just that some of us aren’t so self-centered to only think of themselves.” He rounded back at her, making certain with his sound manipulation that his retort made it to her, even if she had already retreated. “Hence why I jumped out of a car for you, not knowing you or really anything about you, but I stupidly believed you were worth saving. But if this is how you treat people who want to help, I won’t make that mistake again.” To be honest, he wasn’t entirely sure that wasn’t to both of the women who he now believed had only come to find him to make sure he hadn’t betrayed their cause, and not out of any actual concern that he might be dead. Not waiting for a response, he simply dipped into the bathroom and let everyone else sort out their issues.

Without any clean clothes at the ready in the apartment he had never even stepped foot in
until four days ago, Ian breezed past the women and headed out to his mini cooper to retrieve some clothes, completely uncaring of how it must have looked to be half naked outside, rooting around in a car.

When he came back into the living room, he just caught the last of Shandra’s speech, asking for Freya to wait. Cocking his head to the side, he glanced between the women -- Lorna looked pale and frightened, Shandra tense, and Freya… she was a hard one to read. Brown eyes settled on her, trying to read what she would do -- until Lorna started apologizing.

Weird.

Taken aback when she thanked him for helping her escape Sentinel Services, his face immediately got suspicious. For all the classes he took in anthropology and sociology… one thing was certain. He would never understand women.

“Am I supposed to shake on that, or something?” He asked, suddenly feeling all out of place. Did she get switched out with a pod person? Or did she need something from him now, after that phone call. Considering her whole demeanor, Ian noted the whites of her knuckles on the hand clutching the cell phone.

Ah. There it was… the familiarity of needing something. Exactly what, he wasn’t sure, and even with the apology, he wasn’t entirely certain she was deserving of more charitable help from him. You could only kick a dog so many times before it bit back, and he wasn’t a saint in the patience department.

Freya pursed her lips, adjusted her bags and sighed before carefully answering Shandra with her own bout of reasoning, jarring his thoughts for the moment.

"Look, you two haven’t even given me your names yet. I now only know hers because you slipped it into your little speech there. It’s obvious you have some issues on top of what I already expected. I’m not saying I’m going to disappear." There was that at least. Though it wasn't exactly comforting as she could hear the potential 'but' at the end of Freya's statement. "You two just sound like you have a situation that needs your immediate attention. Something I’m not entirely sure I want to be a part of, but I know I don’t want to be the cause of the issue getting bigger. I’ve waited fifteen years for answers, what's a few more days? You can give me a call when you’re ready. Ian has my number."

Freya needlessly apologized to him, and Ian shook his head, dismissing it. “If anything, you just help my understanding a bit more.” He remarked, not delving further into what that meant. Surely Shandra was astute enough to know that the constant treatment of him being an enemy had chafed… and that the comment alluded to the fact that he knew where he stood with the MU now. “And you did do alright as a makeshift nurse the last few days.” He said, his tone elevating just a bit with a hint of teasing at the end of it.

Freya dipped out, leaving him and Shandra to stand there in what might have been construed as an uncomfortable silence. She seemed frustrated as she searched for something to say, and Ian offered no reprieve. She offered an apology too, laced with excuses. Maybe that was his superpower… In his experience, women loathed to admit they were wrong… and he had somehow wrestled three different women to try and mend bridges in less than an hour. Screw sound manipulation, he could make a killing if he learned how to market this.

“Your mood is understandable -- even the part that I’m guessing you aren’t saying about the disappearance being a potential leak of information.” He wasn’t naive enough to think that she actually cared about him as an individual. She had made that pretty clear upon arriving to the apartment. “I get that you don’t know me from Adam, but throwing suspicion at every corner to the people who try to help you is a fast way to lose allies. And I get that trusting anyone in this environment is a risk… but you have to recognize that I’ve been extending all of mine to you on blind faith that you are decent people, trying to do the right thing as we all struggle to survive. Everything I’ve done so far has been to help people like me, because I was never given the opportunity before.” Actually, aside from the usual scars that kids bore from their parents’ mistakes, his life had been relatively easy in comparison to most at the MU.

”Trust has to go both ways, even if it’s just a fraction at the start. Getting treated like you’re something to be stepped in when you consistently stick your neck out for people you just met is a good way to make enemies. Not saying I’m on my way to being a super villain or anything because I’m more level headed than that… but historically speaking, this is how terrorist groups radicalized individuals to do their bidding.”

Hooking a thumb in the direction he assumed was their car, he raised one eyebrow. “Maybe don’t take her along for covert and subtle conversations. She’s going to get you killed.” And despite it all, the concern in his voice was genuine. As grating as it was to be treated like a second class citizen by the first mutants he really had exposure to, he didn’t want any of them hurt. He wasn’t the monster that they kept making him out to be.

“If Freya had been a plant - which I am inclined to think she isn’t - Lorna’s stunt could have gotten all of us locked up or worse. I get that time is of the essence now and all that, but she could have completely blown everything for the MU. And IF Freya is a plant, she already has given far more information than I ever would have been willing to. Had she some finesse, you guys would have had the opportunity to find that out.”

All this said, he hadn’t given Shandra any indication of whether or not he planned on staying with the MU, because honestly, he wasn’t sure. She seemed to realize that and offered a small olive branch in that way. “It won't stop you from being a target but if you want practice to learn how to bite back, Lorna and I could try to help…or maybe someone else there if you want."

Shrugging, he cast his gaze down at the floor. “My power is more for recognizance I think. Hearing things I shouldn’t, keeping silence and whatnot.” He’d not really fiddled with hitting someone with sound waves. In theory, it could be done, and he had made quite a mess of books when losing control as a child, but it had seemed too risky to try. “Other than common sense, that’s what I have to offer.”

"So did you want to come with or…?"


Sighing, Ian pushed the locks of chestnut hair from his face, raking it between his fingers. “Call me a glutton for punishment, I guess.” It wasn’t as though he had anywhere else to go. “Let me get dressed.” He said, lifting up his clothes. “Tell Lorna to keep her shirt on and we’ll get to wherever she needs us to go.”

Hopefully this time, he wouldn’t have to jump out of a car.

___

It hadn’t taken him long to gather his stuff and get dressed, piling into their car, opting to leave his in the parking lot for now. There were few things he had that he really cared about, the little skate-like car was one of them, and wherever they were headed was ultimately disaster. Best not to sacrifice the coop.

Sitting in the backseat, he answered Freya’s second apology with his own. I’m sorry about them. I have no idea what’s going on with Greenie, and given that I don’t know her at all, I’m not going to make excuses for her. Whatever is up her a** has apparently died. As for red… I’m not even sure that the leadership for this whole thing is worth sticking around for; I just have no where better to be at the given moment. As soon as miss damsel’s situation is cleared, I’ll reach out with more reasonable people. Likely Aren, seeing as she had touched on possibly knowing him.

And just as soon as he had that thought, a text from him came through the speakers on the car, asking for a place to tuck more refugees as he sorted out a batch of Sentinel Services. “That sounds promising.” He said, in regards to Shandra’s one word ask. Not that she really could expand on it as the ground rippled beneath them.

Not far off, one of the buildings lining the road toppled. Whipping out his phone again, he texted Freya. Without seeming too suspicious, which way did you peel out of my apartment complex? Want to make sure you haven’t found yourself in trouble.

“What do you mean ‘nothing good?’” Ian asked, deadpan. “This seems like its going to be a barrel of monkeys kind of fun.”

[der Haku]

Location: Ocean Laboratory

Harlan was waiting for her to ask since she always seemed to become surly when he wanted to start in earnest. "You look like you need it," he said while eyeing her, subtly remarking upon how wet her skin had become even though they were at sea and the entire complex was temperature-controlled. "Though I don't think I have a fresh batch of the serum ready; you're probably going to have to wait while I prepare it. I can't give you anything that has been sitting about for how many months."

Several locks whirred and hissed as he brought his guests through the corridors. He fully expected Miranda to slink off silently in due time. He had always sensed that she and Mikhaila never really got on as well as he had liked. It was a shame that the only 2 women in his life couldn't get along. But it was what it was going to be. They were both welcome even if he saw one about as often as the other. "If you all want to make yourselves comfortable, I shall be by in a bit. Just ask Amelia if you need anything."

By now they had reached an area with a door marked KITCHEN and another marked SHOWERS. Just down from that was an area marked LIVING QUARTERS. Harlan had quickened his pace and made his way away from them, entering a previously unknown and hidden door that had appeared to be wall paneling. There were so many of these that it had always felt like the complex was always shifting and could reorder itself on a whim. Obviously it was highly controlled by Amelia who could react faster than a mere human, but sometimes even he got lost and needed her to help him out.

[No current time skip.]

[Norse Princess]

xxxxxxxxxBought a ticket for a r u n a w a y train
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxLike a madman laughing in the rain
xxxxxxxxA little out of touch, a little insane
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxIt's just easier than dealing with the pain
xxxxxxxxxxxxRunaway train never going back
xxxWrong way on a one-way track
xxxxxxxxSeems like I should be gettingxxs o m e w h e r e
xxxxxSomehow I'm neither here nor there

xxxxxxxxxxLᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ: The Underground xx///xxCᴏᴍᴘᴀɴʏ: Mik , Aron

Even with all the flourish of the introduction into the interior of the building, it didn't smell like a home. She couldn't imagine what it smelled like for Aron, considering his senses were probably through the roof. Stevie's eyes darted from side to side, taking in the way things looked around them. Everything was like it was from a showroom rather than neatly placed in a living space. Like someone designed a boxy little home that was made to look just slightly less comforting than a hospital waiting room. The whiteness and the modern, contemporary look made her uneasy.

Stevie felt like she had stepped into a lab that was made to not look like a lab. Which honestly, wasn't that far off from where they actually were. This man, with his flourish and his AI that greeted them, was some sort of doctor. Though she wasn't quite sure if it was by title only or not. She didn't trust him. Even though Mik did. Stevie continued to tug at the seams of her clothes, picking at loose threads.

The woman that had come along with the doctor spoke to Mik, and it was obvious that they were the furthest thing from friends two people could be without being enemies. Stevie's eyes moved from Mik to Aron as he was in her arms. She would say that there was something about the woman named Miranda that made Stevie uneasy, but the chances were that she was a mutant and at this point, nothing was surprising. After all, Stevie was here and she wasn't a mutant. In fact, that's what made this entire experience all the more concerning. She wasn't a mutant but she had an ability and she had no idea how.

Stevie's attention snapped the Mik when the woman spoke to her. Her stomach flipped at the thought of food. She was too on edge to even think about eating. "And get drugged by whatever hospital food this dude serves? I'll pass." She wasn't going to let her guard down and she wasn't going to play nice with this guy. They were here for Mik and Stevie's sour attitude wasn't going to affect that. She wasn't going to give this guy any idea that he was trusted in the eyes of the blonde teen.

Whatever that woman did, though, set Aron off. He wiggled himself free of Mik's grasp and dropped onto the ground. Fur was standing on end. A second shift, one that Stevie hadn't seen before. Within a moment Aron went from cute and cuddly to full-blown Iorek Byrnison in a second. He lunged at the woman, stopping just short of her face and her cat beside her. Though the woman didn't seem to blink an eye at the response, Stevie's eyes locked in on the woman. How could she not even waver? Who the ******** was this chick?

Aron moved back away from Miranda after a moment, putting himself closer to Stevie and Mik. The doctor didn't seem to care much about the exchange, spoke to Mik, and went on to prepare whatever concoction he was going to use to make her better. Stevie felt like she needed a cigarette to calm her nerves and her fingers twitched at her side. She was half-tempted to give in an light a cigarette right here to wash out the smell of hospital and bleach masked with what some random chemical company thought was lemon.

Instead, she refrained and stepped up to Aron, her hand touching his shoulder. She had to admit, though she and Aron were far from being buddies, having a giant ******** polar bear next to her was a little comforting. At the very least, she felt like the doctor and his friend wasn't going to mess with them. "I'll eat if you will," she said to the bear beside her. It wasn't that Stevie's attitude changed, but it was becoming more and more obvious that she was still just a kid compared to her friends. No matter how tough she acted or how many cigarettes she smoked, she was still a kid.





xRunaway train never coming backxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxRun away train tearing up the trackxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Runaway train burning in my veins


x


xxxxxxxxx𝑖 𝑟𝑢𝑛 𝑎𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑠𝑒𝑒𝑚𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑒xxxxxxxxx

[Norse Princess]

xxxxxxxxI'm a super (s)hero, b***h, don't try me hoe
xxBad like a villain
xxxxxI pop it then I reload
xxxxxxxxAll the best things in life come for free
xxxxxxxxxBut don't you think that applies to me
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxI do what I want 'cause I know I'm hot
xxxxxxxxDon't need no clippers to give you a chop
xxxxTook me to dinner then I took him out
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxI like it when you call me crazy
xxxxxxxxxxxxLong as you keep callin', baby
xxxHe think it's cute that I know how to shoot,
xxxxxxdon't you get scared if I point it at you?

xxxxxxxxxxLᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ: Atlanta Lab xx///xxCᴏᴍᴘᴀɴʏ: Hyabi, Harlan
Miranda moved on silent feet as she followed Harlan into the building. Her steps silent and careful, just as silky smooth as Hyabi's beside her. The pair deathly silent like night predators. They stepped onto the moving floors and waited, even Hyabi used to the unfamiliar feeling by now to the extent that she yawned, sharp teeth on display.

When they stopped, Amelia greeted them and then asked Harlan for the security clearance level. He gave it, setting the level before giving a rundown of the rules. It was pretty simple, don't touch anything, don't be stupid, don't be nosey. Simple instructions that he surely overcomplicated because he was who he was, of course. Miranda rolled her eyes before she settled on Mik and the bear she had been holding.

She questioned the pet she held because from what Mira understood since Mik had left she had cut ties all the way up till now. She never seemed like the type to keep up responsibilities, even over her self it seemed. Considering she was now here, practically begging Harlan for help. And of course, he was willing to give it. Mira would have laughed and shut the door in the brunette's face. To pop in and out when she needed something was kind of obvious. Mik, to Miranda at least, was a user. So, here she was, looking a little worse for wear. Smelling sick beneath the clean air of the building. Mira took in another deep breath through her nose before she smiled at Mik's response.

"Well, you are the one with a shelf-life." Mira bit back before her eyes locked onto the bear and slipped like a warm blanket into his mind. Speaking to him. The reaction from the bear was expected. Especially when she watched him drop from Mik's arms and shift. Growing and lunging at her at Hyabi. Neither of them blinked an eye. She was relaxed, therefore her friend beside her was relaxed. Though, she did get a sideways glance at the big cat. "How cute, he comes in different shapes and sizes."

She kept her eyes on the bear just long enough to feel the connection complete. "Well, what else do you have? I would love to add to my collection. The little one is of no use. Perhaps Kodiak next? Or even a Black Bear, they are excellent climbers." Mira chuckled to herself though her eyes shifted from the bear and to the blonde who moved up beside him as he backed away slowly, putting himself closer to his companions. She watched as the blonde touched the shoulder of the large bear, her brow arching as the woman spoke softly to him.

"How cute. Fine. This way." Without even checking to see if they would follow, Mira turned on her heel and made her way toward the kitchen. If it was food that they wanted, then it was food that they would get. They were guests anyway and Harlan would be annoying if she didn't at least make an effort to entertain. She didn't want to hear it, she was already ready for a cat nap.




xDiamonds are a girl's best friendxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxI don't need youxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I got flooded out baguettes


x


xxxxxxxxx𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒚 𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒆𝒕xxxxxxxxx

[Norse Princess]

xxxxxxxxxYou should see me in a c r o w n
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxI'm gonna run this nothing town
xxxxxxxxWatch me make 'em bow One by, one by one
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxone by, one by
xxxxxxxxxxxxYou should see me in a crown
xxxYour silence is my favorite sound
xxxxxxxxWatch me make 'emxxb o w
One by, one by one
xxxxxone by, one by one

xxxxxxxxxxLᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ: Road Blockadexx///xxCᴏᴍᴘᴀɴʏ:Mutants, Sentinel Services, and a Kree
Jasper slipped through the bars easily, though his chest throbbed a bit from the squeeze. He managed to get in and keep his distance from the firestarter that had tried to use her powers and really just told them what would happen if they tried. He kept his distance from her as she cried. He couldn't tell if it was from pain or frustration or both. Perhaps it was from that and more. Either way, Jasper was careful to keep himself away from Lex so he wouldn't get burned.

He tried to speak to her in a relaxed tone, though it was kinda like trying to talk to a feral animal as if it was a puppy. Marcos piped in with his own two-cents about the collars around their necks and Jasper's eyes snapped to him. "Not help-" Jasper stopped mid retort when a stranger's voice became clear to them. His eyes darted around before settling on the speaker where the voice had originated from.

A door down the hall that housed their cells opened and a man in a white coat came through. Jasper moved to the glass to see better the face of the person who was imprisoning them here. He introduced himself as Dr. Campbell, claiming that he was in charge of the facility that they were currently in. Jasper rolled his eyes as the 'good' doctor claimed that his team worked to keep them safe and comfortable. There was a snort from the long-haired man, "Judging by your dry skin and eye bags you can barely take care of yourself let alone take care of a handful of mutants in this ******** up dreamworld that you call a safe and comfortable facility."

At this point it seemed like the doctor was focused on Vers rather than on his comment as he addressed the collars around their necks like he was a Bond villain giving a speech, "At least in most of your cases. I must say that I'm not accustomed to hosting an Inhuman; interesting subsection that you are, you are almost extinct in this day and age. Regardless, the collar should function the same way as it does for your mutant compatriots."

"Your obsession with her is a little gross, doctor." Finally, Jasper was addressed and the mutant smirked at the attention, "It's Croft, but continue.," he corrected. Jasper's stomach sank when he mentioned that any hope of getting out of here and being transferred back to France was out of the question. He tried not to let it show as his smug face wavered at the doctor's tight-lipped smile. "I'll show you a national-security threat, you s**t-eating American pig." There was a calmness to Jasper's voice that rumbled like a storm. He backed away from the glass, taking his time to look around the room.

Something came up to pull the doctor's attention away from them. There had to be cameras, and it was clear that there was also an intercom system as well. Along with lights, computer-controlled locks on the doors. There was electricity buzzing through the place. The best part of a high-tech facility was just that. The gears in Jasper's mind were already spinning as he worked on a way, silently to get them out of here.

Once the doctor was gone, Jasper's hands went to the walls. "I'm going to need that bed, gamin." Jasper went back to the glass to look across the hall where Marcos and Vers were, "Seems like they don't have much of an idea on what you can do, Sang Bleu." He reached up at tugged at the collar with nimble fingers. He pulled over and over again, slowly pulling harder and harder until it buzzed with electricity and knocked him on his a**. He grunted, hitting the floor flat on his back before he started laughing.


xYou say, "Come over baby,xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I think you're pretty."xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I'm okay, I'm not your baby.xxxxxxxxxxxxx
If you think I'm pretty...


x


xxxxxxxＹＯＵ ＳＨＯＵＬＤ ＳＥＥ ＭＥ ＩＮ Ａ ＣＲＯＷＮxxxxx

[Vicious Madam Mari]

___𝓦𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽𝓼___
In a Cell at a Lab_

"Not help-"

"Leave me alone."

The words were quiet, muffled by the space and the glass between them, but he heard it like a whisper. So the girl spoke English after all - at least well enough to mutter it out while simultaneously going through withdrawals. He knew from experience that was a feat that wasn’t so easily done. He didn’t have the time to unpack that as another voice, less known to him, spoke out.

”You’re right on the first account, Mr. Diaz.”

Marcos looked around the greater area trying to find out where the voice was coming from. He failed, of course, because of the fact that it seemed to be coming from everywhere. They weren’t kept waiting very long before a middle aged man in a lab coat swan into the hallway between all of the cells.

"Hello, I'm Doctor Campbell and I run this facility. My team and I worked to ensure your safety and relative comfort.”

"Judging by your dry skin and eye bags you can barely take care of yourself let alone take care of a handful of mutants in this ******** up dreamworld that you call a safe and comfortable facility."

The look in the good doctor’s eyes didn’t really change. It was almost psychopathic in the direct intensity. Marcos shook his head, more towards the situation than anything but he also knew that Jasper questioning the effectiveness of the man in the jacket wasn’t helping. In his experience, questioning someone’s ability to do something wicked often led to worse things happening. He used to to step up his game when people badmouthed how effective he could be and it was never a pretty outcome.

”As you can see, you've been given collars that will limit your capacity to express your mutation. At least in most of your cases. I must say that I'm not accustomed to hosting an Inhuman; interesting subsection that you are, you are almost extinct in this day and age. Regardless, the collar should function the same way as it does for your mutant compatriots.”

"Your obsession with her is a little gross, doctor."

”Oh, and Mr. Craft---”

"It's Croft, but continue."

”---I do apologize but if you were harboring the idea that your government might be contacted to negotiate for your transfer, that won't be possible. Under the current laws, you'll have to understand that the U.S government has full jurisdiction to handle all threats to national security. And as an associate of Mr. Diaz and the others here, that's just what you've become. Now--" And the evil villains monologue was interrupted by his own cell phone.

Marcos didn’t like the look of how Jasper was backing up. There was a threat in his step that, unless he could carry it out through the pain the collars would induce, was likely to end them all up in more s**t. Because the moment he could, Marcos knew he’d leap into the fray if he could. He needed to get home...home to Lorna and his kid.

"I'll show you a national-security threat, you s**t-eating American pig."

”Don’t,” Marcos called out in a strong voice towards Jasper.

Even though he called out the word of warning, a good part of Marcos wished he would. It was just that he doubted it would work. They might not have much time until proper inhibiting collars were placed on them but what time they had they needed to use wisely. Even though all he could think of doing was trying to bust out too.

The call the doctor took lasted for maybe a minute but Marcos’ could see the change in his expression change. Considering their situation, the smile on the good doctor’s face meant nothing good for them.

"Apologies. But I'll have to cut our meeting short, something of great interest just came up."

Their gracious host make his exit the same way he came, composed despite the threat that each of them posed. Marcos turned his head towards’ the man’s exit as he tried to figure out what could be so important to pull the villain way from his big speech. What was the ‘great interest’ that the man had been talking about?

"I'm going to need that bed, gamin. Seems like they don't have much of an idea on what you can do, Sang Bleu."

Marcos turned his eyes towards Jasper. The guy was fidgeting with his collar. Unfortunately there wasn’t enough time to warn the guy about how that was probably a bad idea. Marcos let out a deep sigh when Jasper had his legs taken out from under him.

"Hey, how're you and the kid doing over there?" Marcos asked towards Jasper. "The collars are no joke huh man?"

He pressed his head against the glass as he continued to try to think the situation through. With the drugs still gripping his system in the aftermath and his lack of energy, thinking things through wasn’t exactly going so well. Then again it had never truly been his strong point. He could speak from experience, which he had plenty of, but trying to puzzle out someone’s nefarious plans was beyond him. As he was trying to sort through everything that had happened, Vers beside him spoke up.

"Alright, so clearly a lot has changed in the time I've been gone. Mind filling me in more than you did in the truck. You said Shield is gone."

Marcos turned and angled himself so he could see Vers through the bars as well as keep an eye on Alex and Jasper. For all the good keeping an eye on them did. They were all pretty much lab rats at this point.

”Yeah, I remember something about how they made a mess of things around the time that the Registration acts and the Sokavian accords made life even harder to live if you weren’t a normal human. After that most mutants had to go into hiding, specially with that whole inhumane scare that went around for a while. Some guy tried to start SHIELD back up but that went bust and no one’s heard from that group in more than fifteen years now.”

Marcos paused, looking her up and down. She’d been talking about how her blue blood was something to do with Kree. And the good doctor that was their current jailer mentioned how she was an inhumane - a dying breed at this point.

”Were you one of their kids or something? ‘Cause you seem a little bit out of the loop. No offense.”