The X-men run missions and work together with the NYPD, striving to maintain a peaceful balance between humans and mutants. When it comes to a fight, they won't back down from protecting those who need their help.
Haven presents itself as a humanitarian organization for activists, leaders, and high society, yet mutants are the secret leaders working to protect and serve their kind. Behind the scenes they bring their goals into reality.
From the time when mutants became known to the world, SUPER was founded as a black-ops division of the CIA in an attempt to classify, observe, and learn more about this new and rising threat.
The Syndicate works to help bring mutantkind to the forefront of the world. They work from the shadows, a beacon of hope for mutants, but a bane to mankind. With their guiding hand, humanity will finally find extinction.
Since the existence of mutants was first revealed in the nineties, the world has become a changed place. Whether they're genetic misfits or the next stage in humanity's evolution, there's no denying their growing numbers, especially in hubs like New York City. The NYPD has a division devoted to mutant related crimes. Super-powered vigilantes help to maintain the peace. Those who style themselves as Homo Superior work to tear society apart for rebuilding in their own image.
MRO is an intermediate to advanced writing level original character, original plot X-Men RPG. We've been open and active since October of 2005. You can play as a mutant, human, or Adapted— one of the rare humans who nullify mutant powers by their very existence. Goodies, baddies, and neutrals are all welcome.
Short Term Plots:Are They Coming for You?
There have been whispers on the streets lately of a boogeyman... mutant and humans, young and old, all have been targets of trafficking.
The Fountain of Youth
A chemical serum has been released that's shaving a few years off of the population. In some cases, found to be temporary, and in others...?
MRO MOVES WITH CURRENT TIME: What month and year it is now in real life, it's the same for MRO, too.
Fuegogrande: "Fuegogrande" player of The Ranger, Ion, Rhia, and Null
Neopolitan: "Aly" player of Rebecca Grey, Stephanie Graves, Marisol Cervantes, Vanessa Bookman, Chrysanthemum Van Hart, Sabine Sang, Eupraxia
Ongoing Plots
Magic and Mystics
After the events of the 2020 Harvest Moon and the following Winter Solstice, magic has started manifesting in the MROvere! With the efforts of the Welldrinker Cult, people are being converted into Mystics, a species of people genetically disposed to be great conduits for magical energy.
The Welldrinker Cult
A shadowy group is gaining power, drawing in people who are curious, vulnerable, or malicious, and turning them into Mystics. They are recruiting people into their ranks to spread the influence of magic in the world, but for what end goal?
Are They Coming for You?
There have been whispers on the streets lately of a boogeyman... mutant and humans, young and old, all have been targets of trafficking.
Adapteds
What if the human race began to adapt to the mutant threat? What if the human race changed ever so subtly... without the x-gene.
Atlanteans
The lost city of Atlantis has been found! Refugees from this undersea mutant dystopia have started to filter in to New York as citizens and businessfolk. You may make one as a player character of run into one on the street.
Got a plot in mind?
MRO plots are player-created the Mods facilitate and organize the big ones, but we get the ideas from you. Do you have a plot in mind, and want to know whether it needs Mod approval? Check out our plot guidelines.
Posted by Akshay Malik on Aug 19, 2017 20:11:54 GMT -6
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Sept 18, 2022 19:05:19 GMT -6
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Akshay was certain that he did nothing to draw attention to himself. He had looked at his target, of course, but it had only been for a moment, nothing that should have been able to draw suspicion. After he glanced at her, he moved away and leaned against the bar, ordering beer for himself. As he leaned forward on the counter, he kept his eyes on the counter, not needing to look at the woman to know that she was there. However, after a few moments he felt a shift in movement. He didn’t turn his head but instead could see the pillar of orange light creeping closer and closer to him from the side.
Dammit, how was his cover already blown? Did the X-Man have abilities that he didn’t know about? That Agent Gage didn’t know about? His jaw tightened as he slowly began to turn his wrist, causing one of his hidden blades to start wriggling down the sleeve of his arm. He didn’t want there to be a scene but if he had to defend himself, he was going to make sure he drew first blood.
Closer and closer she edged, he kept his eyes down, his lips pressed against the opening to his bottle of alcohol. He held his breath, waiting for her to get close enough for him to draw blood and then lock onto as far away a mutant as he could and zip out of there. But, as she edged closer, it wasn’t her fists that flew at him – but rather her words.
>>”Um…Hi…You’re gay, right?”
He blinked. Startled for a moment, Akshay just stared at the countertop dumbfounded. After a second of this, he lifted his gaze and turned to the woman again. She was bright and luminescent but Akshay focused through the light to actually look at her. She wasn’t trying to attack him, she wasn’t condemning him, actually she looked as if she were truly curious. Given their setting and the fact that he was here, Akshay could do nothing but…smile.
”Umm….heh…y-yeah…?” he replied, his voice suspicious. ”So…I’m afraid you are barking up the wrong tree.”
Posted by Akshay Malik on Aug 19, 2017 15:15:08 GMT -6
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The music pulsated around him so hard that he could hardly hear himself think. Still, despite that, he was able to look past it and into the crowd of faces in the club. So far everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, dancing, drinking, sharing longing looks. For the most part it didn’t seem as if anyone was out of the ordinary. However, to Akshay, things looked very different. The second he walked into the club, he saw nothing but a din of dull gray ghosts. As the seconds ticked on, there came blazes of orange lights in the crowd – there were mutants here.
Akshay winced as one passed too close to him, the fiery orange burning into his eyes. His eyes followed the individual with the glowing aura and realized it was a man with a line of tattoos around the neck. The two exchanged a look as the tattooed man grinned, winked, and practically beckoned the agent to follow. He didn’t; instead he pressed on, further into the club.
There weren’t a lot of mutants here, but those that were lit up like roman candles in his world. Over the years he had grown to ignore the blazing lights, to get used to them so that they didn’t burn as much as they did; but it always hurt some – every time. Closing his eyes, he shook his head as he moved on, checking each of those lights for signs of the woman matching the description he had been given by Agent Gage. So far…nothing.
Korean, dark hair, stormy eyes, so far none of the people in the club seemed to match that description. Maybe the intel was wrong, or maybe this wasn’t the night that Combatant was going to make her move. It wouldn’t be the first time that intel guessed wrong. Akshay was only going to allow himself another few minutes before he called it a night but, just as he passed by the bar, he heard the gruff sounds of someone grumbling...
>>”Go away.”
He raised his eyes. Turning back to the bar, he saw that bright orange of light indicating that there was a mutant there. Peering through the light, he spied the woman with the dark hair and the resting b*tch face – honestly who else could it be? Just observing her from this distance, he could see that she was definitely hiding something. Pretty, well-dressed, but definitely someone who looked as if she didn’t care for attention. With a smirk, Akshay stepped up to the bar, a few spaces down from her and just craned his ears as he listened.
Posted by Akshay Malik on Aug 19, 2017 15:14:41 GMT -6
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He probably should be saying as much as he was but, really, what was Svetlana going to do with any of it. If she decided that he wasn’t trustworthy, then nothing would come of it and she would be broken anyways. If she did listen, well, then she would be able to survive longer than most people in this place. That was really all this was, a test in survival, a test to see who was worthy of keeping themselves as they were, rather than hollowed out, broken, and rebuilt in whatever manner that SUPER saw fit. Really none of this had any bearing on Akshay himself, but it totally rested on the shoulders of Svetlana and how she wanted this to go.
A spoon full of Jell-O in his mouth, he smooth his hair back out of his eyes as he watched Svetlana have her lunch (or was it dinner by this point?). He could see those mental wheels churning, trying to solve this problem, trying to understand her options and where she fit in this world. This was going to be a pivotal point for her. He had no idea what she would decide to do but, whatever it was, now as the time for her to decide.
Describing what he knew of the process of pairing up, he mentioned that any of candidate would have to be less powerful. Given his own circumstances, it more than likely would not have been himself.
>> "Why? What's one portal more or less in the fabric of reality?... Maybe there's a dimension where you're actually a good guy."
He scoffed. ”You almost sound disappointed it’s not me,” he said with a sarcastic smirk. He then shook his head at the mention that there was a universe where he was good. ”So I guess the guy you mistook me for doesn’t count? The movie producer?” A sigh. ”Maybe aside from the differences, some things are just meant to remain consistent.”
>>"... do you think they are looking for my copy on this side too? On the off chance she has the same power?"
He stopped and looked at her. It was true, in SUPER’s investigation is seemed that there were a lot of cases where people seemed to have doubleds. However, these doubles were not always exact. Some were different ethnicities, some were different genders, and in the case of mutants, some didn’t even have the same powers. It was an intriguing prospect, yes, and he wasn’t going to lie and tell to her now.
”Probably,” he admitted. ”You’re gifts are strong. If there is a chance that there is a double of you running around in our world, they would investigate. Can’t risk an asset like that falling into the wrong hands.” He shook his head. ”Luckily they don’t seem to want anything to do with mine.” He shrugged. ”But who knows. Maybe your double will have hit the jackpot and been born human.”
Posted by Akshay Malik on Aug 19, 2017 10:53:00 GMT -6
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Agent Gage had a target in mind. Normally when Akshay was sent out, he was sent out to track down mutants that had been a danger to society; they had done something to warrant being tracked. But this was different. Apparently Nolan had “met someone” and wanted to get more information from her. Of course he would add his own, personal touch, later, but for the meantime, all he wanted was general whereabouts; that was what Akshay was for.
Admittedly, Akshay felt like he was being used more for running an errand than anything else. From the description that he had of the woman, it really just seemed like she was a good fighter, nothing too extraordinary. But Nolan confirmed that she was a mutant and, not only that, matched the description of a member of the X-Men. That, of course, changed things considerable. The X-Men were a group to be, essentially, ignored so long as they weren’t causing mass destruction, but they needed to be policed and watched as well. Now that they had a bead on one of the actual members (possibly) they needed to learn more.
Admittedly, from what he read about the X-Man Combatant, Akshay was a little intrigued by her. Her fighting prowess was supposed to be quite legendary. SUPER had been after her for years, since she was younger, before he even joined SUPER, and yet she always managed to get away. SUPER wanted to know how her powers worked, if it could be replicated, something to pass onto the rest of their agents to make them truly well-rounded when out on the field. In Akshay’s opinion, it was a pipe dream – but he was never one to defy orders.
It took the team several weeks but they finally were able to triangulate a series of locations that could be identified a Combatant’s “hunting grounds”. There were several portions of the city where she had been spotted, where criminals were found beaten to a bloody pulp, and so forth, and while they couldn’t narrow down her exact path, it was enough to start the investigation.
This district had been known as “the bad part of town” for awhile now. It was a favorite for drug dealers, gun runners, and various other nefarious activities. However, what normally wasn’t known about this place was that it had a particularly popular gay club known as The Ruby Slipper. Akshay, on occasion, as attended said club, picked up a bedmate or two for a night before returning home to his husband the next day. On this particular night, though, intel had come through that there was going to be a notorious gunrunner in attendance. It was exactly the kind of scene that would attract a certain female ninja with anger issues.
Getting in was easy, as was weaving throughout the crowd. As Akshay moved, dressed in a nice pair of dark jeans, a black shirt that hugged his physique, and a maroon jacket, his dancing shoes clicked along the smooth floor. Smoothing his hair back, away from his eyes, he attempted to drown out the sounds of the pulsating music and ignored the hungry eyes that turned in his direction. There would be time later; for now, he was on the hunt.
Posted by Akshay Malik on Aug 18, 2017 13:46:23 GMT -6
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It was strange how normal this felt. It was as if he were just chatting along with another agent, sitting in the cafeteria, trading war stories, advice, etc. But this wasn’t an everyday conversation, was it? He was under quarantine and she was being held because of how powerful she was. He didn’t know what the woman’s gift was when he met her. He felt the effects of her aura, but other than that, it was nothing that immediately drew concern. Even when she told him to be wary of them touching, it still didn’t click. Now, however, he understood and he knew just how valuable she would be to SUPER.
He spoke with her honestly, telling her about psychics. It wasn’t exactly hidden knowledge as it was part of the organizations agenda that all field agents must keep track of psychics. Just like adapteds, they were wanted in high quantity in the war against the mutant threat. Anything to give the organization any edge over whatever threats they may come across.
Though Sveta was powerful, she was lucky she was not one of those ranks. Psychics tended to get “special” treatment. However, it would seem that this was a state of being which the Russian had grown used to.
>> "Be glad. Sure…Do you have any idea how many times I have been kidnapped in the past? Some crazy woman took my blood once. A guy that absorbed other people wanted to add me to his collection as a personal battery. I... and a hot commodity, my friend. And they will probably pair me up with someone whose powers need boosting. Someone who has enough grip on them that they don't go boom when I high five them... but also someone who is useful to them when scaled up. Probably a psychic, from the sound of it. Any guesses?"
From her telling, it seemed that many times people have tried to use her for purposes similar to this. Whether as a lab rat or personal want, Svetlana was someone who was used to be captured and detained against her will. He snorted a bit. No wonder she had such a big attitude. He would make a smartass comment about how she should be used to this then, but it didn’t seem like the right time, especially when they were actually having a civil conversation.
She tried to guess about whom she would be paired up with and he shook his head. ”That’s not my department,” he admitted. ”Whomever it is probably will not be extremely powerful already because the last thing they’d want is an incident. So, you’re right, probably someone low level, who can maintain control. At first it would probably be an adapted, until you’re used to things and then find a mutant who could use a field boost.” He turned to his Jell-O. ”Definitely won’t be me, considering what happened the last time I got near someone like you.”
There were more factors than just being near a booster that had caused all of this. There was a time manipulator as well. Spacetime, upped to the nth degree, that would certainly have done something to physics. But, still, SUPER wasn't stupid. They would wait, they would keep him away from boosters until they were sure. They were nothing if not meticulous.
Posted by Akshay Malik on Aug 18, 2017 11:17:50 GMT -6
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>> "Oooh. Cooties."
He smirked. Probably for the first time since their encounter began. Honestly it wasn’t that farfetched. Given how universes evolved and changed, there could very well be bacteria and pathogens in her universe that didn’t exist here. But one would think after three weeks he would have been cleared. Just another example of how much a priority he was to SUPER.
It looked bleak. There was no denying that. Akshay could tell that these weren’t the words that Svetlana wanted to hear, but it was all he had for her. The truth was that she was lucky that they hadn’t already just broken her and started to build up again. Her power, from what he had read, was increasingly strong. They had boosters in their ranks before (as a matter of the fact, one of the bastards helped to cause this whole mess), but Svetlana made they all look like double A batteries; by comparison, she was a goddamn nuclear power plant.
Of course it made the agent wonder exactly why she hadn’t been already been set up for automatic re-education. SUPER had enough psychics in their ranks to make her believe she was a part of the cause all along and they couldn’t have to go through this mess. However, deep down, he knew that those things didn’t always hold, especially when someone was extremely strong-willed. Svetlana seemed like the strong-willed type and, honestly, it was better to convince someone rather than force them.
Svetlana sighed, deep in thought, before she raised her eyes to him again.
>> "It can't be that easy, can it? I mean, everyone would be playing the long game, if it was. What's the catch? Psychics? Human lie detectors? Killing someone to prove you're one of them now?"
Another bite of mac and cheese and he dabbed any excess off into his napkin. ”Wouldn’t be the government if it was easy…” he confirmed. ”…so…all of the above?” He let that hang in the air for a moment before continuing. ”SUPER is extremely interested in psychics. If they catch wind of one, they are automatically recruited; there’s not bothering with tagging, tracking, or any of it. Psychics are a valuable resource because of how strong and varied their abilities are.” He gestured towards her. ”Be glad you’re not one. We’d probably be having an entirely different conversation.”
Posted by Akshay Malik on Aug 18, 2017 9:27:28 GMT -6
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>> "Good. I didn't wanna end up thinking I'm crazy or anything."
He didn’t say anything. Truth be told that that could be a very real possibility. Akshay didn’t know everyone who worked here but he knew that the company recruited psychics whenever they could. Like adapteds, they were prized above all because of the sheer amount of power and potential that they possessed. That put them high up on the prize wheel. And those that were indoctrinated, well, if their power was strong enough, useful enough, then they were used up rather quickly doing god knows what to people.
He had seen it before. Those people who fought so hard at the beginning of their capture and within a week (if they would be especially useful), were suddenly happy and compliant with being an agent. It was needless to say that the team psychics really couldn’t give two f**ks about the livelihood of certain assets and would do whatever was necessary to get them to fall into line. That was how Akshay stayed ahead of the game, he knew how to play it and that was what Svetlana needed to do if she wanted to survive with her mind intact.
Noting that she finally took him up on the offer for lunch, a little less fight in her, she went ahead and started to put some food on her tray. Once it was collected, the pair of them turned and found an isolated, empty table where they could sit. Akshay slid into his seat with some difficulty, but he managed. Setting himself down, he sighed as he picked up his plastic spoon and scooped up a spoonful of the hot, steaming entrée.
>>"Do agents have communication privileges? Because honestly, I'm probably a missing persons case already..."
He munched on the hot, cheesy concoction for a second, covering his mouth as he sucked in and blew out air to help cool it. When it came to mac and cheese, the man was always impatient and tended to burn his tongue. Luckily it wasn’t too bad this time but it was still warm enough for him to have to cool it down.
Swallowing, he considered her question for a second before he sighed and stirred his mac and cheese a bit more so that it could evenly cool. ”That depends on how good you are.” He watched her. ”You have to think of it as employee perks. The better you do, the more you’re trusted, the better perks you get.” He shrugged. ”For example, I don’t live here. I live out in Brooklyn with my family. Only reason I’m here is because I’m healing and technically under quarantine for being in an entirely new environment. You…” he said, pointing his fork at her. ”Are an asset in ‘training’,” he said with finger quotations. ”You start complying, show them they can trust you, the more privileges you can get. And…” he took a second, unsure if he should say it but figured he should. ”…they won’t have to break out the big guns.”
Posted by Akshay Malik on Aug 17, 2017 18:43:07 GMT -6
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It was strange that she actually went quiet when he begun to talk about what she needed to do in order to survive. Did he really think she was going to get out of here? Hell no. Did he think that she had what it would take to survive? Possibly. It may not have been right to offer her any false hope but it was clear that he didn’t like her being here either. Normally such attitude and pleads fell upon deaf ears, but the fact that he owed her his life was enough to push the man to uncomfortably seek a way to help her out. Besides, if she didn’t find a way out soon, he was sure that SUPER would break her before she got too far.
But he didn’t want to see that. Surprisingly it made him uncomfortable to imagine the Russian blonde as part of the ranks of SUPER. Again, maybe it was guilt for dragging her into his world (which wasn’t his fault at all!) but it was there nonetheless and he wanted to offer her some kind of help. He couldn’t get her out of here but at least he could be a face for her to talk to.
Well, apparently a face for her to yell at.
Walking into the depths of the cafeteria, it looked surprisingly…normal. A few agents in suits were around, having lunch. Others in more business attire were huddled together, eating at their tables. There were even others, dressed much in the same way as Svetlana, chatting at another table as they had their lunch. At most it looked like a hospital cafeteria but the food definitely smelled better.
As they moved, Akshay began to explain a little about his situation. This was where he had met Bruce, in a cafeteria much like this. It was him who he was sharing a life with, had a kid with, and cheated on constantly because of his own shortcomings. Svetlana didn’t need to know that last part. But it was a fear of his, that if he betrayed SUPER that Bruce and the kid would pay the price. All agents worked under those subtle/not-so-subtle threats, and still some people pressed on. Did they regret their decisions? Did Akshay? When he first joined he knew he was doing the right thing; after meeting Bruce, though?
Hrm…
>> "Can we at least agree that this place is royally f**ed up? Like, not in a 'public transport system needs to be fixed' kind of way, but in a, 'serious human rights violations' kind of way?"
He sighed as he made his way to the line and picked up two trays. He slid on across the counter towards her. ”Like the king’s concubine…” he said in response to her question. With that he picked up a cup of Jell-O and another of Mac-and-Cheese, setting them upon his tray.
She was really an antagonizing ass, wasn’t she? While, yes, there was going to be some attitude and skepticism because of the way she was captured, honestly Akshay was just running out of patience with it. He didn’t expect her to roll over and accept her new circumstances but, at this point, he could have prayed, couldn’t he? It was a lot to take jn, to try to accept, but he was normally one of those guys that tried to easily break in the new recruits. He was just a field agent. Really he had no business being here, trying to quell her fears. And yet, here he was. What was that about? Guilt? Since when has he ever felt guilty for the things he’s done?
>>"It almost sounds like you don't want to help me escape."
He didn’t say it, but yes, the thought crossed his mind when he first heard that she was here. He figured it was the least that he owed her, considering she helped to save his life in her world. But escape from a SUPER facility was next to impossible. It happened, of course, but guilty parties were always caught and they were always handled. Unless he fled with her, which wasn’t likely, she wasn’t going to escape with his help.
”If it’d get you to stop yelling at me, I might have to consider it, “ he grumbled back with just as much venom.
She didn’t belong here. He knew that much was true. But the fact of the matter was that he couldn’t do anything about it. If she was stupid enough to get herself captured and not run head long back into the rip once she was on this side, it wasn’t his fault. She had warning, she had the chance, and she still fouled it up. No amount of anger was going to change the situation for her. So, if she wanted to survive, there were clearly something things that she needed to do differently.
>>"I don't want to survive here. I want to get out of here. I'm not a f*** battery. And the people I work for will be looking for me. And they will be a whole lot of trouble for SUPER. I don't think I'm worth it."
He sighed as he whipped around to face her. His voice lowered as he glared at her. ”How the **** do you think you ‘get’ out of here?” he asked her. ”They don’t keep you here twenty-four seven when you’re a good soldier, you know. You do good, you get to get out and live a life.” He ground his teeth as he turned around and continued to lead on. ”What you do when you’re outside these doors, well, that’s on you. Just know that they won’t make it easy…but there’s a chance at least.”
Trace Tanner got out, didn’t he?
>>"Is that why you're still here, family man? Because they'd kill you if you left? Or would they kill your family too, for national safety?"
He wanted to tell her to shut up. He didn’t want to talk about his family with this stranger, especially if she was going to be as harsh as she was. But, at the same time, she did need to understand this place and him being closed off wasn’t going to do any good. Silence encircled him for a long moment as he trudged on until he found the doorway leading to the cafeteria. Using his I.D. card, he waited until the door clicked (a second at most) and pushed in, letting Svetlana show herself in.
Despite what she figured a government cafeteria would smell like, it really wasn’t half bad. It wasn’t gourmet level cuisine, of course, but it was at least better than the grade school cafeteria slop that was usually dished out. So, as he waited for her to join him, Akshay shook his head as he started to explain.
”I met my husband here. Bruce. He…was just a data analyst, human, a good man.” he said. ”He knows enough about what happens here, not all, not as much as me, but enough.” He led the blonde to the food trays. ”But, yes. There are certain clauses that will be put into effect if the organization sees you as a threat.” He shrugged. ”I’d rather be a monster and know he and my son are alive than put them in SUPER’s sights.”
The X-Men were vigilantes, and that meant that they were a problem. Mutants running around, unregistered, well, it was just looked bad. It made other mutants believe that they could start taking the law into their own hands, that they could start calling the shots and screw what the rest of the world thought. It was simply not a good thing and they couldn’t allow it to continue to happen. For the most part, SUPER didn’t pursue them, but if they had come across one or two, they would definitely be detained. It seemed impossible, but it had happened in the past. A few of them even ran in their ranks now.
But now, a whole universe where the X-Men were lauded as heroes, as working with the police force, that was something that would never catch on here. One could say that it was a situation similar to SUPER, but the X-Men were loose cannons. There was no control over them in that universe and SUPER simply couldn’t allow that.
Still, he wouldn’t argue with the blonde. Instead he kept his piece to himself and instead, when she inquired how he had joined the group, he stood up and made his way towards the door. One would quickly surmise that maybe he was going to give up, that he found this exchange to be useless and they would just continue on with their day. But that wouldn’t be the case. Rather, as soon as the door was opened, he stepped out and invited the blonde to lunch.
Not as a friend, mind you. Rather he just wanted her to shove something in her mouth so that she would stop yelling all the time.
>> "Yeah, because you look like they have decent food in here…You know you're weak. I could overboost you and make you ghost me out of here. Or whatever."
As they made their way down the cold, smooth hall, Akshay’s cane clicked against the floor as he led the way. While it may have seemed stupid to let someone like Sveta out so quickly after her capture, really, there was no way she was going to get out of here. From what he had heard, the few times she ran, well, they didn’t work out well for her. So, she was free to try, but she wasn’t going to get far away from him.
Still, he smirked a bit at her comment about just overpowering him and making him teleport them out. She really needed to learn how other powers work if she wanted to get anywhere here.
”First of all, there are enough adapteds in this place to ensure you couldn’t charge your f***ing phone,” he responded rather gruffly to her threat. ”Second, my powers don’t work like that. Only one who can teleport is me. And, even then, only to another mutant.” His cane continued to click with every step. He shook his head as he moved on. ”You don’t have to like me, Svetlana. But if you want to survive here, you better damn well stow the attitude and start paying attention.” His eyes grew a bit distant. ”You don’t want to know what they do with the rejects.”
Posted by Akshay Malik on Aug 16, 2017 15:35:26 GMT -6
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Jorge
>> "My world tried this racist s**t once. The X-men shut it down."
Akshay nodded. He didn’t say anything to that. He had read some preliminary results concerning the other world. He learned a variety of things, and strange similarities between the two universes. SUPER wasted no time in collecting all the data and trying piece together everything they knew about the other world. The most interesting had been the fact that both universes, at some point, had internment camps for mutants. Both had been tragedies, surely, but things went decidedly different ways.
X-Men. Akshay tilted his head at the name. The X-Men existed in that world too but they seemed to be far more openly accepted by the world. Here they weren’t so lucky. He sighed, adjusting his seat so he was more comfortable.
”X-Men are vigilantes in this world,” he admitted. ”I’m sure you’re already heard.”
SUPER was doing what they could to identify X’s but they were also instructed to not waste resources on apprehending them when there were bigger fish to fry; the Syndicate being one of them. He said nothing else, though and simply watched the young woman. She asked him what name she would probably go by and he answered, truthfully. She didn’t take it well.
>>"Well, I sure as hell am not gonna answer to a f*** number…That's some prison camp bullsh*t right there. And your sense of self-esteem is shot if you think Stalker is a good name to go by. Creep."
This was going well. He wasn’t here on any official orders, he only wanted check in on her, hopefully give her a friendly face to try and keep her from hurting herself. But it seemed as if he was met with nothing but aggression and frustration. It was understandable but exhausting at the same time. Thankfully he had heard worse from others so the name didn’t really have any bite. It just came with the territory. He shrugged.
”You’re not the first to say that,” he said, fiddling with the cane. ”I’m sure you won’t be the last.”
There were lots in life that people needed to learn to accept – Akshay accepted his.
>>"So... how did they get you?"
The question startled him somewhat. Raising his eyes to her again, she eyed the frustrated look in her eyes. She wanted to know how he started here but he was certain that it was an answer that she wouldn’t like. It was best to stay away from such topics so, leaning on his cane, Akshay stood up and made his way towards her. However, rather than stopping, he moved past and back to the door. Pulling out his card, he tapped it on the reader and watched the door slide open. He turned back over his shoulder and nodded to her.
”Come on. I’m sure you’re tired of these four walls. I can at least walk you to the cafeteria. Get some decent food in you.”
>>"WELL YELLING SURE AS **** MAKES ME FEEL BETTER!"
He winced, sighed, and kept his gaze locked on hers. It was clear that she wasn’t going to just lay down and accept her circumstances. He understood that, of course, but really, yelling at him wasn’t going to do any good since he didn’t have the authority to release her anyways. Unfortunately, she was just stuck in this situation and she was going to have to deal with it. Just, like, he guessed he was going to have to deal with her yelling. At least she was burning off some frustration with it all.
Still, he had to point out that he had given her a chance to get out of this mess. If she had just run the other way when he had told her to, then she couldn’t have been captured. She would actually be living it up back in her own universe. But, for whatever reason, she was now on this side and she was immediately picked up by SUPER. Great way to start off her trip to another world.
>>"I did run! It's not my fault that your a**hole boss decided to pull me across the portal!"
He clenched his jaw and sighed. He vaguely remembered seeing Nolan there. That guy definitely made Akshay uneasy. As much as he wanted to be loyal to SUPER and all the agents within, there was just something about Nolan that rubbed him the wrong way. Anyone else may have just let Svetlana go but she had gotten onto Nolan’s radar, somehow. Once he had you in his sights, it was difficult to get away. He was a stalker too, but a whole different breed of one.
Akshay wasn’t going to condone their actions, though. He was an agent, through and through, but even he had to know when to draw the line. He wasn’t one that let good deeds go unrewarded, hence the reason he told Svetlana to run. Being a mutant, he figured that SUPER would try to recruit her and he wanted to spare her that. He could have easily just dragged her across the dimensional void himself. He really was trying to spare her.
So he tried to reiterate that he didn’t agree with her being here. He actually didn’t. She had helped him and being recruited was not something he wanted for her. Still, her attitude wasn’t making it easy for him to feel any sympathy.
>>"Well gee thanks, I'm glad we are on the same page. I am not even a part of this world! I am not your problem!"
He shrugged. Limping over a chair that was in the room. Akshay slowly sat down, needing to get off his knee and not waiting for her to give approval. Sitting back, he balanced the cane across his lap as he looked to her.
”SUPER doesn’t see it like that.” he said. ”There’s no agency like ours in your world, correct?” He shook his head. ”To them, your world is just an untamed land that needs an intervention. And since when has the government not made other places business their own?”
It was true. SUPER didn’t really have jurisdiction in whatever this world was, but that wasn’t going to last for long. Eventually they were going to step in, they were going to present their agenda to the government and, depending on how the mutant situation is viewed, take action from either. Either way, SUPER was not going to let a world where mutants ran free stay that way for very long.
>>"Muse…The X-men called me Muse. When I was a vigilante, they called me Red Russian, which is frankly insulting, but I did wear red. Before that, when I was a mail order bride, they called me Effie. Which one do you think they will use when this blows up as an inter-dimensional diplomatic incident?"
Things were starting to calm, a little. It wasn’t by any means a lot, but it was enough that they could have some breathing room to let the emotions at least calm to normal levels. Akshay nodded as he took her various monikers into account. He rolled his eyes at the less than acceptable one and snorted a bit.
”Called me Slumdog Millionaire when I first showed up,” he shook his head. ”***holes.” He then sighed as he watched her, letting her question roll around in his head. He shrugged his shoulders. ”You’ll probably just go by classification and number, at first. Iota and then whatever number they feel like assigning you.” A pause. ”I’m sure a nickname will be given at some point, depending on what you do or don’t do. I’m Iota-1. But they also refer to me as Stalker…as you now know.”
Posted by Akshay Malik on Aug 16, 2017 11:38:35 GMT -6
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Jorge
Though it may not actually seem like it, Akshay actually did understand Svetlana’s anger. He had seen it many times before in new recruits and, to be honest, he had done it himself from time to time. He didn’t like having to haul people in (not all the time) but he did know that SUPER had done some good as well. It wasn’t a black and white scenario here. They prevented a lot of heartache and they ensure that mutants who would be used by supremacy groups were instead given a better purpose in life. Of course, for someone like Svetlana, he didn’t agree with their taking of her. But, from what he read of reports, an asset as powerful as her shouldn’t be left to her own devices.
>> "Oh, am I? AM I, really? Whoa, I would have never thought, after only THREE WEEKS OF BEING SHUT IN HERE AGAINST MY WILL!"
He didn’t say anything as Svetlana continued to swear and then gestured towards the door. Clearly she knew that she was in a bad situation with little to know chance of escape. He ground his teeth a little at the attitude that she shot his way but he wasn’t going to argue with her right yet. Really there was no point to it as she was probably just beginning to understand how hopeless her situation was. She would work for SUPER, whether she wanted to or not.
Leaning back a bit, trying to keep himself on his feet, he held out a hand defensively to her, nodding his head. ”Listen, I get it. But yelling at me isn’t going to make the situation any better. You’re here, you’re just going to have to deal with it, Svetlana.” he said. His eyes grew a bit darker as he sighed. ”They have ways of breaking you. Trust me, I’ve been used for that more often than not.”
How many times had he been sent to bring back a rogue agent? How many times had he partook in stalking, terrifying them out of their wits? How about cutting into their skin until they were willing to accept their role, only for one of the agency psychics to use that as a means of reconstructing a new memory of them willingly taking their place with SUPER? This organization had a wide variety of means to make people join and, for as stubborn as Svetlana was, they hadn’t even broken a sweat in their attempts to break her.
>> "Maybe instead of telling me to run from de portal, you could have said something like 'I work for an evil agency that kidnaps mutants to use them for their powers'? Maybe a little less subtlety next time, Stalker?"
Her hand slammed against the door. Really everything in the room was either bolted down or make of rubber and plastic. Nothing she could throw at him would hurt; at most it would just provide a momentary distraction for her to grumble. Still, he knew the appeal of glass shattering when enraged. He was just sad that wasn’t something he could provide for her.
As she began to rail against his organization, Akshay didn’t say anything and just sighed, letting her finish her rant. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t heard before but he did understand that from her perspective, it needed to be said. After she had blamed him for not warning her further, Akshay just rolled his eyes as he tilted his head towards her.
”Excuse me for not giving you the complete rundown of my work,” he said firmly. ”I’m not exactly at liberty to say things and considering I had no idea who the **** you were, I figured that ‘Run!’ should have been sufficient enough.”
He was starting to get heated too. But he sighed, closing his eyes, and trying to remember that this was a new experience for her and she had every right to be upset. At least that was what the staff therapist said. He lifted his gaze to her again.
”And SUPER isn’t exactly…evil. They’ve done a lot of good things too.” he said with a sigh. ”There was someone like you, several years ago. A mutant terrorist who could amplify the powers of another. He hooked up with some kid that could make explosions with a thought. Damn near blew up a good portion of New York. If it wasn’t for us, a lot of people would have gotten hurt.” He ground his teeth. ”That was why I joined. And, just for the record, I don’t agree with you being here either.” He sighed and shook his head before giving her another pointed look. ”And don’t make fun of my name. Better than Iota-One.”
Akshay knew that she was in here. That was part of his mutation, to always see mutants, wherever they were around him. It was hell when out in a populated mutant environment. But here, at facilities like this, it was a tad bit easier. Adapteds were always around as SUPER tended to hire them in droves in order to continue the battle against the mutant threat. Because of that, his powers could, sometimes be a bit muddled. If there was an adapted on the floor below them, or next door, that could easily hide Svetlana from him. It made it difficult on any mutants who were part of the system as well, their powers continuously in flux. But, for a long time agent like Akshay, he grew to live with it.
However, in this particular situation, it didn’t help that he couldn’t see Svetlana when he walked into the room. He chewed on his lip thoughtfully, calling out to her by her assigned call name before trying her real name in a much lower voice. SUPER was always listening and watching, whether by mutants or devices or whatever, they made sure to always know what was going on.
>> "Akshay?..."
Leaning on his cane, Akshay turned to the sound of someone speaking his name. As he did, he immediately caught sight of the Russian who had helped him after being badly injured. She pushed herself off a wall near the door, staring at him in an almost confused way. He would have apologized for not visiting sooner but before he could even get the words out, she crossed the gap between them and shoved him fairly hard.
>>"What! THE HELL!"
”Hey!” Being shoved backwards, his set his foot down funny on his bad leg and hissed. He had nearly fallen over but struggled to keep himself upright with his cane. After a few seconds and a heavy sigh to push back the pain, he finally righted himself as he looked at the woman defensively. ”Not cool to shove a guy healing from a knee injury.”
Okay, so maybe he really didn’t have a right to get angry at her for that. He was certain that he, in some small part deserved it. Svetlana was just an innocent bystander. A mutant, yes, but she had been scooped up and collected by SUPER the second they were on the other side of the rip. Though, really, he did tell the woman to run and he was more than serious when he said it. Still, this indoctrination wasn’t an easy process. He sighed, controlling his own anger as he straightened up to look at her, after a moment he grumbled at her.
”I did tell you run, didn’t I?” he said with a shake of his head. ”Now you’re f***ed.”
Akshay was still healing. After being hurtled across dimensional borders, falling hard enough to dislocate his shoulder, being pierced by a shard of glass, and then dragged back through a dimensional gateway, it tended to leave a mark. It wasn’t something that Akshay was just going to heal from overnight. That wasn’t to say that SUPER didn’t employ healers, but agents were only given a certain number of times they could use a healer in a year, government healthcare at its best. Akshay opted to not bother with too much of the healers and instead just focused on any internal injuries to ensure that he was healing.
The rest, well, it was hospital time. What Akshay didn’t know was that his leg had been pretty badly damaged at well. It was a probably that would have been identified had he stayed in the free clinic in the other universe, but he left before it could be discovered. Now Akshay was in the a special facility where he could heal, properly. Deep down, though, he knew it was BS. He came back from another dimension. He needed to be observed, to be checked out thoroughly to ensure that mutant-related plagues and germs didn’t follow him back.
Over all, he was sick and tired of this place. The same white walls, the same nurses and doctors, the same pain meds. Bruce got to visit him, from time to time, but contact was kept to a minimum to avoid foreign pathogens. It had been weeks, maybe a month since he had come back. Surely that would have quelled any fears by now. However, it wasn’t his call to make.
Finally, though, Akshay could at least leave his room. Dressed in sweatpants of dark black, sweatshirt in a hideous shade of orange (Bruce couldn’t pick colors if his life depended on it), at least he could take a stroll, well, as best he could with his injured leg.
Akshay was a bit leaner now. Government issued hospital food will do that to you, but he was nonetheless strong of body. With only a minor limp and the aid of a cane, Akshay left his room behind to wander the halls of the facility. He grumbled whenever he passed windows, eyeing his reflection. He looked like a goddamn Jack o’ Lantern in the middle of summer. How ridiculous. But Akshay paid no heed to it as he marched on, getting in his walk exercise as he passed doorway after doorway.
But there was one that immediately drew his attention.
SUPER was not a nice group. He knew that. One of things he detested was their recruiting center located in the same facility. Mutants who did not join willingly had to be coerced. The methods varied but in the end they always swapped out their civilian clothing for the suits and dark glasses. Still, not everyone too well to the process, therefore it was a good thing there was a hospital in the same location. Stopping at the door way, he peered in to see that there was only one new recruit in the room so far. His heart sank. When he had heard that Svetlana had been picked up, Akshay could hardly believe it. He f***ing told her to run, didn’t he?
But, somehow, here she was. With a sigh on his lips, and a quick glance to make sure no one was watch, Akshay fished his I.D. card from his deep pockets and tapped it against the card reader. The door audibly clicked and slid open. He limped inside, peering for the blonde he could have sworn he saw a moment ago. The second he was inside, the door slid closed and locked behind him.
”Iota?” he called out. SUPER’s usually referred to their call handles rather than their names. This was especially important with new recruits as it helped them understand that was their name now. But, still, a small part of Akshay took pity on her and followed that with, ”Svetlana?” He continued to peer to find where she had gone. Where was she?