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 Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 4:19 pm
  Viktoria had pounded on the Doctor’s door for what seemed like an eternity when a man with gray wisps of hair at his temples swung the door open with such force that she was afraid he was going to rip it off of the hinges. Had her pounding on the door and yelling demands made the man angry? Viktoria hadn’t stopped to think about how her conduct on his doorstep might make the magician feel but with a guard on her tail and injuries that needed to be tended to, there was little else to think about. She looked back up the path toward the cast iron gates that she’d climbed over and the trail of blood drops that she’d left in her wake, shrugging from where she’d propped herself against the threshold and tried to offer a weak smile.
“Sorry for showing up on such short notice, Herr Doctor. Didn’t have much of choice with a Purifer guard chasing me but that’s another story for another time. Care to invite me in for a cup of tea? Or perhaps first aid?”
The Doctor’s face lit up in amazement as he looked her up and down, trying to make sense of what he was seeing before stepping outside onto the manse’s stoop to inspect his front lawn for any additional uninvited guests and grabbing Viktoria by her uninjured arm to lead her inside.
"You're lucky you found me at home. My God, what sort of trouble did you run into, Viktoria? Does your father know what you're getting yourself into?"
"My lips are sealed, Herr Doctor. I would tell you more but my superiors instructed me otherwise. Daddy dearest hasn't spoke to me since I left to live with Grandma at the Brotherhood compound so no, he doesn't know. I doubt he'd want to."
Victoria breathed a sigh of relief as she gingerly walked behind Doctor Strange into the vestibule of his home, ignoring the arcane artifacts that lined the walls. She was quickly led into a door off the right side of the lobby into his pristine, white kitchen, where he sat her in an old wooden chair by a window before disappearing into another area of the home. Viktoria almost felt bad for coming to his home battered, bruised, and bloody, only to mess up his clean kitchen. She was odd that way; a mutant like herself that was designed to destroy ought not to care so for keeping things tidy or with appearances in general. Viktoria propped her head against the windowsill as Doctor Strange brought back in his physician’s bag, opening the leather sack from its delicate gold split handles. His face was so somber and his jaw was set in a hard line as if he was in deep thought. Of course he’s in deep thought, Viktoria thought to herself. What are you supposed to do with a woman who has shown up to your home, visibly injured and bleeding? Invite her in for a game of cards? She let out a chuckle as the doctor left his bag at the counter and was about to wash his hands and forearms in his stainless steel sink when he seemed distracted by someone at his door. He called out to him from the kitchen- did he call him Peter?- before walking back into the vestibule to meet his guest. Viktoria assumed that soon he’d come to inspect her injuries but while she waited for him to greet his guest and prep for treatment, Viktoria heeded her body’s pleas for rest and felt herself drift off to sleep with the lull of conversation drifting in from the lobby.
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 5:17 pm
  Nick flinched in surprise, not expecting another mutant to teleport behind him right then. Mutants were crawling out of the woodwork today. He eyed the new mutant, apparently he was a friend and not foe, but he didn't trust him completely. He obviously was using a code name, and wasn't about to give his real name away.
"Uh...Okay, call me Zero. That's Pyras and Pixie, and Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde up there needs to get taken down before any more heads get split open. Any ideas?"
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 5:42 pm
- Breaking News: Trouble in Central Park - "Listen to me Zero! I can feel myself fading...... Please...... HELP ME!" After these last words Gabe was pulled back into the dark distorted place that was his current state of mind thanks to the evil Azuriel. Gabe just hoped that Azuriel wouldn't kill any more people while Gabe tried to find another way out. "Looks like your one saving grace is trapped once again... Time to die! Azuriel's dark booming voice ringing through Central Park as he begun spinning his katanas around and around as he slowly approached Zero. Azuriel still didn't know what he was facing so he wasn't going to just rush in to attack for now.
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 5:52 pm
Zero eyes Azuriel cautiously, he didn't understand the split personality he was perceiving, and he backed up a few steps as he approached him, spinning his swords. He had no intention of being sushi tonight.
"Looks like I've got his attention, the rest of you scatter, pick your spots, i'll keep him busy," Zero said. Pyras and Pixie were confused, not used to taking orders, but he was right. They scattered to the trees, hiding and trying to find advantageous positions to counter attack. In the mean time, he had to slow down the advance of the dark angel. He went with his first instinct, and that was using the natural humidity in the air, and the lakes from the park, to raise a foot and a half thick wall of ice between himself and Azuriel, just to see his reaction.
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 8:10 pm
Dread Tyler slowly backed away from both Zero and the dark angel, never taking his eyes off of Azuriel. Frost was right. He had to pick his spot. He had to be patient. A virtue he wasn't really known for. But, then again, he had never faced a threat like this before. He knew that is wasn't the blade that threatened him. He could disarm Azuriel if needed. The real threat was this twisted entity carrying the blade.
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 8:39 pm
"Peter, what brings you here?" Doctor Strange asked after escorting Viktoria inside his home to fulfill his Hippocratic Oath and render aid. With Spider-Man arriving at his gate mere moments after the wounded Mutant, it didn't take much for the former Sorcerer Supreme to put two and two together. "I take it that her pursuer has been apprehended?"
"Yeah, Doc, I got him...or her...or whatever," Peter responded half-jokingly as he tried to infuse a bit of levity into this already tense situation. "Seriously, though...I was headed to my lab to try to get some work done on the project that I'm on, when I spotted a blue-skinned woman who kinda reminded me of Nightcrawler a bit being chased down Bleecker Street by some armored goon as I was web-swinging down the Avenue of the Americas. The guy opened fire into the crowd and nearly hit a few pedestrians with his wild shots, so I took him down and left him hanging for the cops before I knocked him out and followed the trail of blood here. I'm not too sure how she even found the Sanctum anyway, although in her shape, I guess that she might have figured that even in a construction site that there'd be a chance of finding someone who could provide first aid...or at least call an ambulance. Doesn't quite explain how she knew to call for you by name though..."
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Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 3:14 pm
Viktoria had no clue how long the Doctor had been gone from the kitchen when she woke up enough to hear the sound of light conversation coming from the vestibule. She didn’t think it had been too long since he’d received this guest because no self-respecting doctor would leave his patient unattended like that. The Doctor had only gone to quickly greet a guest; he’d come back soon enough. Viktoria lifted her head from where it had been resting on the windowsill to eavesdrop on the conversation, wanting to know why Doctor Strange lingered in the lobby with this man.
“Peter, I don’t think she had that option. I think calling an ambulance would have put her at some sort of risk by bringing the authorities into the picture; I don’t know what kind but I’m judging who you left for the police had something to do with it. Whatever she’s hiding had to stay that way because she won’t tell me anything.”
The Doctor fell silent after he admitted that he knew nothing about why Viktoria had appeared unannounced at his home and began to pace back and forth. She knew that the curiosity had to be killing Strange and his guest. They’ll just have to live with not knowing, Viktoria thought to herself as she attempted to listen into the conversation more. She had scoured the farthest reaches of her memories for someone to turn to when she fled from the Purifier’s shell company’s tower and had stumbled upon her father’s tales of the peculiar Doctor Strange. The address- 177A Bleecker Street- had been the first thing to pop into her frazzled mind as she booked it down 7th Avenue. Only the Doctor knew the full story behind how he and Nightcrawler knew each other. Viktoria had a feeling that she was about to find out the story that even Peter wanted to hear.
“She bears that uncanny resemblance to Nightcrawler because he is her father, Peter. Viktoria had to have heard the stories of how Margali was convinced Kurt had killed her husband, Stefan, in cold-blood and banished him to another dimension. Professor Xavier reached out to me at the Sanctum to prove his pupil’s innocence and I went with his half-brother, Jimaine, and the X-Men to locate Kurt and reconcile him with his mother so she would release him from her construct of Hell and we could all return to Earth. Kurt must have told her my address at some point and she thought to come here. I’m not sure how she saw through the spell that disguises the place.”
Viktoria had heard another pause in conversation between the two and attempt to lean in closer to hear what was being said. It shouldn’t have been so difficult to hear, considering her advanced abilities, but the stress on her system must have hindered that skill. Viktoria had heard of how her adoptive mother had accused her father of murder in her grief over losing her husband but she hadn’t heard it in such detail. She couldn’t put a finger on who she’d learned Strange’s address from but she was just glad she’d remembered it and saved herself from certain death in the process.
“Peter, it would be best if I returned to treating her. I’ll help treat her enough that it will be safe for you to take her to the Institute. Xavier’s facilities are better suited for care than I am. If you want to, you can follow me back to the kitchen.”
Viktoria had no desire to return to the Institute but her body was so exhausted from her run through midtown and lower Manhattan that escape was unwise. She would rather be patched up and sent on her way back to the Brotherhood but Kelvin would soon find out that she was not dead and she couldn’t say with any certainty that her home would be a safe hiding place. Xavier’s facilities were state of the art; if Kelvin dared attempt to harm her inside the Institute’s walls, the X-Men would be there to resist his efforts. As nice as it is, Viktoria thought to herself as she leaned her head back against the windowsill once more. I’ll just leave once the coast is clear because the Brotherhood will always be my home. She could hear footsteps approaching the kitchen so she prepared herself to have her injuries inspected and endure such a basic treatment that would tide her over until she was in the hands of the Institute, the last place she wanted to be.
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Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 1:18 am
- Breaking News: Trouble in Central Park - Azuriel would smirk at the ice wall that was suddenly in his path. With one flick of his hand his sword danced through the air with beautiful grace and easily shattered the wall to pieces. "Hmm... So Mr. Zero was it? You are one big ice pop it looks like! You'll be no trouble at all," Azuriel said as he began to laugh, This shouldn't take very long!" Azuriel advanced on Nick his swords swinging in a beautiful crisp circular motion as he closed in on the young man. When he got close enough he would go for a scissor slash, looking to behead the Icy Warrior.
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Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 3:44 pm
Zero's eyes went wide when he sliced through the ice wall like hot butter. This was going to be harder than he thought. Nick continued to back away, but it didn't take long for Azuriel to get in range to strike. Zero's survival instincts kicked in right before his head was about to get lopped off and he ducked, and he reached up to grab both of Azuriel's wrists, and with his sub zero temperature, it would be pretty unpleasant seeing as the last two people who touched him got frost bite, and the last mutant to touch him froze like a statue and shattered into pieces. If his ploy worked, he'd call out to his temporary team mates.
"A little help!"
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 1:17 am
Dread Tyler quickly teleported to Zero's side, and went for the blade. However, he couldn't disarm Azuriel. His grip on the blade was strong, and Tyler could do nothing. Thinking fast, he turned to Zero, and idea forming in his head. "Freeze the blade."
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 6:28 pm
In a rare moment in which Peter Parker was completely serious, he nodded silently as Doctor Strange brought him up to speed with as much information as he had available, following him into the kitchen when the invitation was extended.
"Do what you need to do, Doc, and I'll call Logan and let him know to expect us."
Right then, Spider-Man wasn't worried about whether or not Wolverine was still mad about the little prank earlier. In fact, he was fairly certain that with their history, he had probably blown off a bit of steam and forgotten about the whole thing...and even if he hadn't, a wounded mutant -and the daughter of one of Logan's closest friends, at that- would be more than sufficient grounds to put aside any hard feelings for the time being.
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Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 2:41 am
Neo_Hurricane caine69 Dread Tyler quickly teleported to Zero's side, and went for the blade, easily disarming Azuriel with Zero's help. Tyler then teleported a short distance away, tossed the blade, and then teleported back, kicking Azuriel in the back of the head. This all occurred within ten seconds. Tyler, however, was still on guard, not knowing what else Azuriel could do. ((Thaaaaat...that's a little godmoddy...)) ((Yeah, it is. My bad. I'll edit.))
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Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 9:12 am
Viktoria watched from out of the corner of her eye as Doctor Strange reentered the kitchen with his guest in tow, leaving the man at the threshold while he returned to the stainless steel kitchen to wash his hands prior to treatment. She had heard the entire conversation in the vestibule so she had every intention of getting a glimpse of the stranger that had arrived on Strange’s doorstep in pursuit of her after he had nabbed what was chasing her. Viktoria’s eyes widened to find that it was yet another web-slinging crime fighter, although this one she had heard of- Peter Parker, the Amazing Spider-man. While any other mutant would be excited that such a big name hero had come to her rescue, she was less than enthused because she’d faced the anonymous web slinger earlier and just couldn’t seem to rid herself of these masked vigilantes. Is this city infested with these pests? Viktoria thought to herself as the corners of her mouth curled down in a frown and she turned her head away from Mr. Parker to the Doctor, who was now approaching her to inspect her injuries. This city has more than its fair share of pest exterminators so it wouldn’t hurt to call one of them. It would be more than fair that Viktoria was still feeling disgruntled over having the sticky web substance get in the way of her assignment from Kelvin and thus create the situation she found herself in now. Kelvin would soon find out that she wasn’t dead because anything connected to Spider-man made every news outlet in New York City and the Stark guard being strung up to await arrest would be no exception to the rule. She grimaced as she took a deep breath and heard Strange mutter to himself, assuming he must be taking mental notes to use during his treatment. During the next few moments, Viktoria begrudgingly complied with the Doctor’s directives to breath so he could check her ribs for any signs of a break, roll up her sleeves to reveal where the bullet had hit her in the arm, and finally grasping her shoulder to check where the bullet had hit and what could be done about it in his kitchen. The last inspection had caused her enough discomfort that she howled in pain for the whole household to hear and bared her elongated canines as she hissed at the Doctor, hoping that would be enough to encourage him to release his grip on her shoulder. Doctor Strange let go of her shoulder and stepped back from his patient, letting out an exasperated sigh before returning to his physician’s bag to arrange the tools and supplies he needed on the table. He briefly returned to the stainless steel sink to run hot water in a bowl before bringing it back to the table and tossing some gauze in the vessel.
”I know this is tremendously uncomfortable, Viktoria, but you’re just going to have to grin and bear it. You’re quite aware of your injuries- the bullets that nicked your arm and the one in your shoulder, the ribs, et cetera- but I’m going to treat you as best I can with what I have. They’ll be best equipped to care for you if I know the infirmary’s staff well enough. For now, I’m going to handle the bleeding, dress your wounds, and give you something for pain to tide you over until you arrive at Xavier’s. That’s the safest place for you to be until whatever is chasing you has given up so I don’t want to hear any objections. I’m not dense enough to think who was apprehended is the end of it.”
Viktoria simply nodded her head to confirm she’d understood the Doctor before he began treating her wounds as he said he would. She took the pain medication per his instructions; grimaced as the Doctor washed the wound on her arm with the warm water and mild soap before applying antiseptic ointment, dry gauze, and medical tape; repeating the procedure for the wound in her shoulder because he felt the staff at Xavier’s would be better suited to treat that wound; washed the blood from her arm, shoulder, and side; and applied red oil to some of the bruises he’d seen during treatment. The Doctor retreated from his patient after he finished and washed his hands again in his kitchen’s sink before turning back to his guest as he dried his hands with a towel.
”Forgive my bad manners for not introducing my guest sooner, Viktoria. This is Peter Parker. He’ll be your escort to the Institute.”
”I know who he is, Herr Doctor. You forget how much my father loved to tell his stories.”
Viktoria didn’t bother with any of the pleasantries that one might normally use when greeting a guest, which was almost forgivable considering the circumstances of their meeting. She wasn’t about to divulge that she’d met the man’s mini-me only a short time ago because that would put her ability to access to treatment at risk, regardless of what excuses she had for following Kelvin’s orders. Viktoria had already told the Doctor she couldn’t share any information about what had happened and why because of her superiors and she wasn’t about to spill her secrets now. There would be procedures to follow when she was forced to be more forthcoming and that time would come soon enough. Viktoria flashed a weak smile before making herself sit a little straighter in her chair, preparing herself to leave whenever Strange permitted Parker to leave with her.
“You have my permission to leave with Viktoria when you are ready, Peter.”
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Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 1:43 pm
"Uh, Doc...I am kinda trying to keep up the whole SECRET IDENTITY thing, ya know," Spidey scolded, half-jokingly. "But anyway, Wolverine is getting the infirmary prepped at the X-Mansion..." he trailed off as he got a look at the extent of Viktoria's injuries. He figured that she was in pretty rough shape by the screaming and hissing, but WOW.
"We should probably get her there as quickly as possible, but there's a small problem in the transportation department. Web-swinging might end up inadvertently re-open her wounds -not to mention the fact that there aren't a lot of tall buildings around the Jean Grey School- and it might draw more than a little unwanted attention if somebody is after her. Also, I don't drive, and hailing a cab dressed like this is more likely than not a bad idea, too. Most of the Avengers are currently halfway across the planet, so I can't exactly get a ride from them, and I'd try to catch a ride from Reed, but he's pretty busy...and I already bummed a ride this morning getting my nephew to school.
I'd hate to impose, Stephen, but could you possibly whip up a portal or something?"
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