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 Pharoah Dynasty
An ancient sorceress is on a quest to bring her long-lost warrior-king to the modern era in a bid for global domination. Can the heroes of the modern world stop her before all is lost?
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 Cold Steel on Oct 17, 2021 12:18:43 GMT -6
X-Men
Team Leader of the X-Men Teacher of Self-Defense
color=48D1CC
4,381
107
Oct 30, 2024 15:27:33 GMT -6
”On you’re left!” Sam shouted rolling over Maya’s back throwing an elbow to the nearest attacker. ”I thought there was only one of them! How did they multiply?” he asked probably just as confused as Maya as they quickly found themselves surrounded. The blow seemed to make contact but did little to slow the attacker.
”They feel... different.” he said shaking his hand after punching another attacker. They were all the same person, same face same size which was weird because when Sam and Maya decided to interact with the target they were alone walking in an alley away from where Maya said she had found her family.
”Clones or?” Sam stood upright and didn’t dodge an attack the illusion of a fist passed through him and then backed up into a fighting stance. The icemancer smirked, ”Illusions.” he said not exactly relaxing but easing up on the targets surrounding them. ”What can’t they do?” Sam asked wondering how a group with this much power appeared practically out of nowhere.
His thermal sense started to work into over dive as he tried to determine what was a illusion and what was real. There was a figure hunched over hiding behind a dumpster. Sam couldn’t see them, just feel them. ”I got them.” he said shooting a beam of ice at the figure. When the beam made contact the illusions flickered.
“Gah!” the figure moved trying to escape from the ice that was quickly enveloping them. ”What did they call the witch hunters?” he asked curiously not attempting to make a joke. “You mutants are old news! All that power.... we are just leveling the playing field!”
Sam ignored the comment and waved his hand sending another beam of ice as the illusion broke and the hidden figure appeared with his legs and lower torso encased in ice. ”You’re up!” Sam said as a reflective surface appeared behind him. They needed more information to find who they were looking for.
There was only supposed to be one wizard. With. Sorcerer. Warlock. Whatever the f*** they called themselves. Becca had not decided on the terminology yet, but as far as Maya was concerned, she was not going to fall into the same category as the cultists anyway. Sam and Maya had set out to find them, and since the building with the well was heavily guarded, they tracked a lone wolf, hoping to get information. Instead, they got a whole lot of the same guy.
>>”On you’re left! I thought there was only one of them! How did they multiply?”
"I dunno, how do you usually multiply?" Maya snapped, spinning around, eyeing the attackers. It would have been an easy fight if it had been a mutant. But magic? Magic wiped the board and had a whole new set of rules.
>>”They feel... different... Clones or? Illusions. What can’t they do?”
Illusions. Maya blinked, then turned around, looking for the nearest reflective surface. While Sam shot ice towards the wizard, she jumped into the mirror world, circling around. Suddenly, it was just Sam, and the dumpster guy out there.
"No way..."
>>”I got them... What did they call the witch hunters?”
"Let's... not go there, shall we?" as much as Maya was angry at the cultists, the analogy was bound to get super problematic. And the X-men were not going to run around rebranded as the New Inquisition. That was what SUPER was for.
>>“You mutants are old news! All that power.... we are just leveling the playing field!”
>>”You’re up!”
"Let's level then, shall we?" Maya snapped, reaching out of the ice mirror behind the guy, and dragging him into the mirrorworld. The next moment, he was in there alone, and Maya landed lightly outside, next to Sam.
"Welcome to the Rabbithole, *sshat" she folded her arms, glaring the man down. "Your magic doesn't reach out here. And that ice mirror is super brittle, so I wouldn't try to break out." she lifted the sleeve of her uniform, showing the scar shaped like broken glass. It was old now, but still visible.
"F*** mutants!"
"F*** cultist. You're the same tired old sh*t in new packaging."
Posted by Cold Steel on Oct 17, 2021 13:47:02 GMT -6
X-Men
Team Leader of the X-Men Teacher of Self-Defense
color=48D1CC
4,381
107
Oct 30, 2024 15:27:33 GMT -6
It took a few seconds for Maya to appear next to him but he wasn’t surprised in the slightest as he walked closer to the frozen reflective prison. There was a joke there but given Maya’s current disposition it was best to refrain from cracking jokes. Maya was still very clearly pissed and while this was the normal way he blew off steam he had to make sure Maya wouldn’t do something she’d regret. Sam was the one who was the one to pull the trigger. He waved his hand and the ice mirror shrunk slightly.
”And I don’t think we need to tell you what happens when that prison you’re in is gone completely.” the air was cool, he wanted to make sure this was just a conversation between the three of them.
With the illusions now gone Sam took a step forward again, ”So, we talk now. We have some questions for you.” “Go to hell you freak!” Sam raised a hand and cut him off, ”Kinda in it already.” a chair of ice formed and Sam sat in it so he could sit eye level with the captive. Time for a little interrogation.
”Now normally I’m the one that needs to be held back from doing something dangerous. From killing, in short. See I’m really good at it. Was force to learn this stuff as a kid. Kinda like riding a bike, just... more of a mess.” he paused, most of the words were true.
”Now see, she’s different. She’s normally the one that reigns me in, reminds me I’m supposed to save people. Show them there is another way... unfortunately for you and your merry band of... witches? Warlocks? Whatever you call yourselves.” Sam waved his hand as he tried to find a name for them but then decided it didn’t matter. ”You guys kidnapped her family and forced them to drink from whatever Kool-Aid you’re pushing.”
“Ha, which one of the freaks were they? Been a lot recently. Your kind is a dying breed.”
Sam held up a hand trying to calm Maya down before he continued, ”I’d be careful what you say next. While you think you’re in control here I can snap my fingers and the world would never see you again... What’s your name?” the captive spat and it landed on his side of the reflection and streaked down.
”Spit then. Doesn’t matter. Before the end of the night you’ll just be the first to go missing. We are going to keep on doing this till we get a location of one of your members.” Sam stood snapped his fingers and the chair he was sitting on shattered out of existence. ”Right, Maya. You’re up.” he said walking over to a wall and leaning against it tagging in his... who was the bad cop in this situation?
Sam shrunk the mirror a little, and took a seat to talk to the man. Maya took a few deep breaths to compose herself. She expected to be pissed, but even she was not prepared for the rage she felt at the man's defiance.
>>”Now normally I’m the one that needs to be held back from doing something dangerous. From killing, in short. See I’m really good at it. Was force to learn this stuff as a kid. Kinda like riding a bike, just... more of a mess. Now see, she’s different. She’s normally the one that reigns me in, reminds me I’m supposed to save people. Show them there is another way... unfortunately for you and your merry band of... witches? Warlocks? Whatever you call yourselves. You guys kidnapped her family and forced them to drink from whatever Kool-Aid you’re pushing.”
Sam was playing up the good cop-bad cop thing, but right now, Maya felt it was pretty accurate. She was not sure threats were going to work, though. She winced as Sam mentioned her family. These people have hurt Becca and hurt Kalos. Took their powers away. It was still making her head reel to think about that.
>>“Ha, which one of the freaks were they? Been a lot recently. Your kind is a dying breed.”
Maya lunged for the mirror, but Sam caught her in time. The man spat at them, but only managed to spit on his side of the mirror. Not very smart, was he.
>>”Spit then. Doesn’t matter. Before the end of the night you’ll just be the first to go missing. We are going to keep on doing this till we get a location of one of your members. Right, Maya. You’re up.”
Maya walked up to the mirror to stare the man down. It must have shown in her eyes how angry she was, because he shrank back, despite his better judgment.
"Here is the thing. We don't actually need your help. We know where your fountain is. We can just hunt all of you down one by one. I don't give a s**t. You people have hurt my wife and child. My mother is a trained assassin. It kind of runs in my family to protect our own." she paused, glaring at the man to give him time to digest her words. "So, this game is about you now. You have five minutes to give us something useful about your little cult. Depending on what you say, you might survive this."
Posted by Cold Steel on Oct 18, 2021 5:02:44 GMT -6
X-Men
Team Leader of the X-Men Teacher of Self-Defense
color=48D1CC
4,381
107
Oct 30, 2024 15:27:33 GMT -6
Five minutes. Sam didn’t say anything but gave a slight nod in approval. It was a time limit that would make this guy really think about what was going to happen in those five minutes. However while the threat was valid he wondered how far Maya would go for revenge. The icemancer guessed it really depended on the answers they got.
“I’m terrified.” there was a role of the eye and the man in the mirror folded his arms as Maya approached giving him some insight to her childhood. “I’m not gonna sell out my own kind. Especially not to your kind. There is nothing in it for me. I finally got power, why would I turn on them? Do your worst.” his voiced wavered at the end and Sam had to struggle to keep a straight face. The man was new to this. They weren’t.
Starting a mental timer Sam waited and watched sending his thermal vision outwards around them to make sure that they wouldn’t have to worry about anyone else stumbling onto their interrogation. “I mean... you’re gonna kill me anyways so why would I tell you anything?”[/color] the captive finally said behind the reflection. His hands slammed on his prison cell and the whole reflection shook slightly. If Sam wasn’t paying attention the think probably would have shifted forward and fell. Luckily for them Sam was keeping an eye on them.
The man had a point. Sam wasn’t above killing all of them if it meant no one else would get abducted but they were looking for someone in particular. Which meant that they did need him or someone to spill the beans. ”Tic-toc. Got three minutes left.” Sam said allowed. More for a reminded to Maya that she set the timer so she’d either have to get a little more physical if she wanted answers.
Maya had met bad criminals and full-on psychos before. Some of them had been mutants, and some had been humans. But dealing with magicians was a whole other ball game. Not just because they were operating with another set of powers, but also because they seemed to be the cultiest of cults. This guy, for one, was definitely not scared to be locked into an ice mirror.
>>"I’m terrified. I’m not gonna sell out my own kind. Especially not to your kind. There is nothing in it for me. I finally got power, why would I turn on them? Do your worst.”
"You don't want to know what my worst is."
>>“I mean... you’re gonna kill me anyways so why would I tell you anything?”
He slammed a hand on the ice and the mirror swayed. Maya swore, slamming her own fist against the ice in frustration. The block of ice was more solid than a glass mirror would have been, but it did make a strained sound.
>>”Tic-toc. Got three minutes left.”
"What the f*** is wrong with you people?" Maya hissed, staring at the man. "You got magic powers, so f*** what? Does it come with a contract to hate mutants? Or is it just straight up jealousy? Always wanted to be special and daddy never loved you? What?"
Posted by Cold Steel on Oct 25, 2021 4:53:05 GMT -6
X-Men
Team Leader of the X-Men Teacher of Self-Defense
color=48D1CC
4,381
107
Oct 30, 2024 15:27:33 GMT -6
“I’m willing to see it.” the cult member said looking around his prison trying to figure out an escape route. An image of himself flickered into existence behind him in the prison and started to walk around. Which unfortunately for Sam he couldn’t feel anything inside the reflection.
“You people? No what’s wrong with YOU people? You suddenly see normal people obtaining power and you come and attack us? No, we are just trying to defend the world from you freaks! You have had too much power for too long! It’s our turn now. You clearly don’t know how to use your power so it’s our job to stop you. You’re kind took my wife, one of you threw a car not even wondering if anyone was inside! What other reason do I need! DO YOUR WORST!”
This caught Sam’s attention, there was an incident a few years ago that did remind him of what the cult member claimed. ”We stopped him. If it’s who I think it is he won’t be seeing daylight for centuries.” he clarified. “So that makes up for him killing my wife!?!” Sam frowned and pushed himself up from the wall.
“You never think about anyone else other than ‘your’ kind. Its time someone starts looking out for everyone else. You can’t make me sell my kind out. I’m willing to die for them. For the cause. We are going to see everyone of you freaks normal and depowered.”
”Oh?” Sam asked sighing and looking to Maya. ”You’re call Maya, clearly he’s a tough guy.” he said knowing torture was always an option but for Sam to do anything he need the real cult member out of the reflection.
Aoife had been irritable since her last encounter with her sister and niece. Rebecca was so godsdamn stubborn; Kalos saw what she was trying to do. Even after years of lessons reminding her that mutants were the enemy of their great change, she went out of her way to be merciful and offer her family a gift. Whether her little sister was grateful or not, she was one of them now. Eventually, she would see reason and come to her older sibling to better understand her new gifts. Aoife did her best to manifest patience, a rare trait for the cunning redhead. The other Supremes were quick to confirm she was failing.
Staying in New York so her family could find her when they came to their senses, Aoife could distract herself with mundane civilian life. The shopping was unmatched if she pretended Paris did not exist, and it was hardly a challenge to get a good ticket to a Broadway show in her position. A few days of shirking her responsibilities as a leader could be justified away as a mental health break.
Unfortunately, a Supreme was always on call, and an attack on one of her acolytes near a Well site warranted her attention.
Not looking to walk right into trouble, she slipped into the building next to the distress spell, opening a window and sitting on the sill. She muffled any sounds of the window opening and cloaked her presence long enough to get an idea of what she was dealing with.
The eyepatch man was familiar from their reports and explained the ice away cleanly. More interesting was his companion; a familiar face presenting as the woman Maya today. Her sister's spouse had come looking for answers. Aoife smirked, because this was always in the cards. She didn't need the damned Lady in Red's help predicting that.
The pair were occupied with threatening a reflection in the makeshift mirror. These two could pose a challenge; illusions were great at tricking the five major senses, along with some of the more niche ones, but mutant senses like her sister's former ability to detect metal were outside of her ability to manipulate. For now, she would make due with what she had, biting her thumb to draw a seal in blood on her wrist. She altered the space so the walls of the buildings seemed to melt away, dissolving into a mist that seeped around them, filling space until they stood in a thick fog and an undefined expanse. The walls were still there, but they were imperceivably unless you ran into one.
Aoife's voice called out, projected to echo from no particular direction. "Maya, Ah knew we'd be talkin' soon, but Ah was really hopin' it coulds ay jist been us girls. Nae need tae scare wee acolytes or bring a boytoy along." She drew a swirling mark on her forehead, altering the equilibrium within the warehouse. Even she needed a moment to grab the window frame as she wobbled and almost fell from her perch before adjusting to her own spell. "Did ye come tae find a villain tae monologue about our evil plans? Because Ah might be feelin' chatty today. Or maybe you're jist deliverin' a thank ye basket frae my sweet baby sister?"
There was bitter rage on both sides. Maya glared at the man, feeling all the burning hatred she had always managed to push aside before when she was dealing with mutant hating fanatics. But this time, it was very, very personal. She did not care what kind of a sad story that man had, or why he decided to hunt mutants. She really, really wanted to hurt him.
>>“You never think about anyone else other than ‘your’ kind. Its time someone starts looking out for everyone else. You can’t make me sell my kind out. I’m willing to die for them. For the cause. We are going to see everyone of you freaks normal and depowered.”
"You don't have a kind." Maya spat. "You have a fascist cult you joined willingly. And if you think they won't sacrifice you for whatever project in a heartbeat, you are deluded."
>>”You’re call Maya, clearly he’s a tough guy.”
Maya stared at the man. She wanted to break the mirror. The X-men were the good guys, really, and she didn't usually hurt people on purpose. But this time, it was really damn hard to make that choice.
And then, the choice was made for her. Suddenly, things were enveloped in mist.
>>"Maya, Ah knew we'd be talkin' soon, but Ah was really hopin' it coulds ay jist been us girls. Nae need tae scare wee acolytes or bring a boytoy along."
The voice sent a jolt down Maya's spine. Her.
"Sam. Mirrors. Now."
Something moved, and Maya wobbled, falling against the ice block with the acolyte in it. It spider-cracked, and the man yelped in pain. What was happening? Maya had a good sense of balance, but it took her precious moments to find her footing.
>>"Did ye come tae find a villain tae monologue about our evil plans? Because Ah might be feelin' chatty today. Or maybe you're jist deliverin' a thank ye basket frae my sweet baby sister?"
"You f**ing heinous b*tch" Maya snarled, drawing an arrow. She couldn't see Aoife, and she was throwing her voice. But she was there. And if Maya had been angry before, now she was on the verge of losing it.
Posted by Cold Steel on Oct 28, 2021 4:56:00 GMT -6
X-Men
Team Leader of the X-Men Teacher of Self-Defense
color=48D1CC
4,381
107
Oct 30, 2024 15:27:33 GMT -6
If someone in the mirror world could feel cold this guy would have. Sam didn’t care about his life or what happened to his family that made him this way. It was too much to wrap his thoughts around. What he could wrap his thoughts around was his friend and their family. Which by extension made it ‘his’ family.
>>> "Sam. Mirrors. Now."
The wizard of cold was already reacting once he heard the stranger's voice. He didn’t move from the wall just yet but focused on two things reinforcing the existing ice mirror to the wall and then a reflective surface of ice under Maya’s feet his third action was to coat himself in layer of ice in case the voice brought reinforcements.
The air became heavy and dense with fog, something he thought was ‘cute’ he too could do that. What he did notice was the lack of temperature change as the air started to get hazy. Was this another illusion? Was that all the witches and wizards had to offer. Hatred and illusions?
”Under you!” Sam shouted as ice grew over his face. ”Take it she's the one we were looking for?” the icemancer asked closing his eye and ignoring the fog that was forming around them. Sam activated his own mist and the air temperature dropped quickly. ”Boy toy? I mean yeah. Look at me.” he said pushing himself from the wall and walking forward sending out his thermal sense.
”I’m Sam. Maya wanted me to meet you. Have a chat, a sit down. Maybe take you to jail? If not we can come up with something else. I’m open to ideas.” two ice golems pulled themselves out from under Sam as he stepped forward however, both of them were obscured by his mist and the ‘fog’ that was around him. The only one who knew what he was doing without actually seeing him would have been Maya because this was another one of their plays.
The X-Men had a reputation as the family-friendly, approachable face for mutantkind. They were deputized by the police and clearly had an effect on improving the public image of mutants over the years. Right now, there was nothing family-friendly about the tactics Maya and her friend had been pushed to use.
Aoife considered how this would play out for them publicly if this scene hit the media rounds. Objectively, it would have been the best choice for the needs of the cult. Selfishly, she had to hold off; there was still hope for Kalos and Becca to see the light, but if Aoife went around ruining Maya’s life by making her into a scaremongering talking point, she was burning that last rope bridge between her and her family.
As a consolation prize, she could still push Maya’s buttons. Winning her over would be great, but that look in Maya’s eye said she was not in an open-minded mood.
The vertigo aura noticeably put Maya off kilter, which was a good start. Emotionally, she was already there. Aoife tutted the aggressive tone. ”Tsk tsk, Maya. Ye should really work on your language. Lots ay internalized misogyny tae work through.”
The pretty boy was called upon to make more ice, which Aoife assumed served the function of mirrors. That certainly sounded like cheating to her. That was fair; most of what she did felt like cheating. Case in point:
>> ”Under you!”
She drew a blood glyph across her lips, casting her Counterspell. The man’s voice shifted in the air, hitting Maya’s ears as, ”She’s behind you!”
Misinformation complicated fights. Aoife hopped from her perch, flipping up the hood of her enchanted sky blue cloak to better conceal her presence. She gave Maya a wide berth to get closer to Sam.
Maya was blind with rage, but Sam still had quips. She appreciated that; how often did she get to quip during her modeling hours? ”I can think of a few ideas,” her voice echoes from every direction, even as she approached the cryomancer from behind. ”We gae tae a nice restaurant, Ah wine an’ dine ye, then we can find a quiet Well an’ let ye rejoin Becca. Xavier’s would make a great Hogwarts,” she suggested, reaching a blood-touched finger to Sam’s temple. If she could shift his perception and rewrite Maya to appear as Aoife instead, she could let the X-Men do the work for her.
>>”Tsk tsk, Maya. Ye should really work on your language. Lots ay internalized misogyny tae work through.”
"Oh, slither off and die, you psycho."
Maya was not really in control of her emotions anymore. Or her vocabulary. Mist swirled all around.
>>”She’s behind you!”
Maya spun, and set the arrow loose. It disappeared in the mist, and she could hear it clatter off a nearby wall. No Aoife in sight. Did Sam's heat vision pick her up?... Did magic mess with heat vision? "Sh*t." Her feet slipped, and glancing down, she saw an ice mirror. Good job, Sam.
The moment Maya dropped into the mirrorworld, the world spun, but also cleared up. She could see fog, the kind Sam usually created, but not the eerie mist they had had moments before. Maya moved into another reflecting surface, trying to get a better view.
>>”I can think of a few ideas. We gae tae a nice restaurant, Ah wine an’ dine ye, then we can find a quiet Well an’ let ye rejoin Becca. Xavier’s would make a great Hogwarts,”
Oh no, you're not gonna ruin Hogwarts for me. Worse ***s than you have tried.
Posted by Cold Steel on Oct 29, 2021 14:13:49 GMT -6
X-Men
Team Leader of the X-Men Teacher of Self-Defense
color=48D1CC
4,381
107
Oct 30, 2024 15:27:33 GMT -6
Having been so quick to move it took a second for the world to catch up with him. His body waivered and the golems he had been controlling seemed to fail to notice what he was experiencing. His knees shook slightly and felt the world shift on him. Up was down left was right. He looked down at his hand trying not to move too much.
He heard his voice, but didn’t say anything. He closed his eye again and tried to focus. Focus on what he could feel and what he could feel was someone walking up behind him. But was that real? His golems didn’t move. Neither did Sam. He was busy focusing on the voice.
>>>>”I can think of a few ideas,”
Sam’s head turned one direction eye still closed in case it was more illusions. The air grew colder as did his confusion. The golems didn’t react yet, he didn’t have a focus point yet.
>>> We gae tae a nice restaurant
The icemancer raised an eyebrow in his ice armor and continued to turn around. The figure got close to him in his thermal vision. Was it real?
>>>> Ah wine an’ dine ye
She seemed desperate but made note to mention it to Cora. Sam still had it. He knew that but it was still nice to hear.
>>>then we can find a quiet Well an’ let ye rejoin Becca. Xavier’s would make a great Hogwarts,
”Oh... Ewww. Had me considering something for a moment.” he said shaking his head trying to get a location on the voice. ”Becca’s with Maya!” Maya/Gawain was his best friend, which meant any one they dated was strictly a not attractive person to him.
>>> "Sam! On your right!"
Right? That matched up with his thermal sense. Sam leaned forward and away from the woman who was in striking distance and kicked his legs out behind him as he prepared to catch the concrete as he fell.
”Go!” he shouted as he landed with a quick thud and pointed to one of the golems causing it to thin out and form a reflective surface.
Aoife tried to rationalize that she was working. These were X-Men trying to impede the progress of her organization, and she was dealing with them to keep them from being a thorn in everyone's side. She had to play nice with Maya if she wanted to get Rebecca and Kalos to see the light, which she really did want.
But Maya was so righteous and holier than thou; it was hard not to find her anger entertaining. Her wife and daughter were still alive and healthy, and yet she was angry beyond the point of quipping. "Such a shame; Becca said you had a way with words..."
Focusing her attention on Sam, Aoife missed Maya slipping into one of her makeshift mirrors. Sam was a different kind of difficult to taunt, because he chose to wildly misinterpret her suggestion. In his defense, she was being wilfully suggestive, but still, way to miss the point, frosty.
>> "Sam! On your right!"
Aoife missed where Maya's voice came from, but it stole her attention for a fraction of a second. By the end of that fraction, she was taking two boot-clad feet to the stomach, knocking Aoife back into a wall. The impact was enough to drop the boundaryless void, returning them to the alley. She touched the back of her head; she had a small bloody spot from a loose brick. Great.
Sam had dropped to the ground, which she realized was equal parts unintentional and planned. He could not control the loss of equilibrium, but if he was going to fall, he had a great excuse to dropkick the woman behind him. Either his powers picked her up or Maya really did see her.
And it was the latter. Probably both, but definitely the latter, as when Sam created a new mirror, Aoife saw her sister-in-law in the reflection. Her illusions must not have extended into Maya's private world. "Shit." Knowing Maya's weapon of choice, Aoife jumped to the right before a potential arrow could find her. Theoretically, the X-Men were not killers, but boy, did Maya sound like one today.
Jumping was a problem, because her carefully maintained balance did not account for yeeting herself into a new direction horizontally. Aoife landed on her shoulder hard, tumbling on the dirty ground. That effect was outliving its usefulness, so Aoife dragged the back of her hand across the bloodmark on her forehead, returning balance to the zone.
She was strong, but these two X-Men were unfortunate counters to her skillset. She had to get rid of one. Hastily getting up to her knees, she brushed her fingers, wet from the blood of her head wound, across her eyelids like eyeshadow. She took a breath, opening her eyes to look for Sam, hoping to meet his. She could not change the world around him to trick him, but maybe there was baggage in the grizzled man's mind with the capability to keep him distracted. She conveyed the message with her eyes, tinted red by her spell: Retreat to a happier place. It was not a suggestion for him to run; instead, it was an invitation for him to retreat into a world of memories in his mind.
Getting to her feet, Aoife's head was on a swivel, looking for ice mirrors and reflective surfaces. She drew a mirrored pattern on both sides of her abdomen, ending in a point to either side. Two illusionary copies of herself manifested. Maya could see through the illusion in the mirrors, but she had to come out to interact with Aoife. "Come on noo, Maya; Becca wouldnae want us daeing this. Gae home and be there for yer family. Kalos accepted her new gifts when Ah offered them tae her. And Becca..." that one was still unfortunate.
"She'll appreciate her magic. Curiosity is a family trait," she pointed out, keeping back-to-back with her copies. "Ah really dinnae hate her. Ah gae her this for her, Maya. Ah could gie it tae ye, as well. A gift ye can share wi' yer family."
Sam knocked Aoife back into a wall. His training was still solid. The fog disappeared, giving Maya a clear shot; she jumped out of the mirror to take it. Aoife moved on instinct, and the arrow pinged off the bricks by her shoulder. Maya frowned and stepped back into the mirror. The balance was still off. She did not stop to wonder what exactly would have happened if Aoife had not moved.
Aoife fell. She seemed bloodier than before. She wiped some blood in her eyes, and glared at Sam. The next moment, there were three of her. As if one of the b*** wasn't enough. Maya could see them, but they were no more than hazy afterimages; the mirrorworld held out.
>>"Come on noo, Maya; Becca wouldnae want us daeing this. Gae home and be there for yer family. Kalos accepted her new gifts when Ah offered them tae her. And Becca... She'll appreciate her magic. Curiosity is a family trait,"
"Kalos didn't know the truth. And Becca did not have a choice. F*** your magic. You are not family."
>>"Ah really dinnae hate her. Ah gae her this for her, Maya. Ah could gie it tae ye, as well. A gift ye can share wi' yer family."
"You try that, and I will break you." Maya's voice was as cold as Sam's powers. What was Sam doing, anyway. "You are right. Becca doesn't want me to kill you, which is why you are still breathing. But I can't let you go around with your little cult, ruining people's lives. So, we're gonna have to do with without you dying."