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.
" Actually, I did. You've seen more than any other living person, so you might as well know some more."
Neena still wasn't sure whether to consider that an honor or a deathwish. She flinched as Roland wrapped her arm firmly, then helped her stand.
"I am actually wanted by INTERPOL and several crime organizations worldwide. Knowing my last name would prove dangerous to you, since someone getting you could get to me."
She didn't reply, instead concentrating on staying upright. The pain in her leg wasn't quite as intense as that in her arm, but the wounds actual position made it difficult to keep her balance as they made their careful way out of the house.
"Whether you believe it or not, I actually do care for you. Not only have I not attempted to harm you, but I don't want you knowing everything about me just yet. At least not until we have had the chance to see if we can have anything together or not. Even if not, I won't harm you. I'll just take my chances."
Behind the glasses she rolled her eyes. He could call it confidence all he wanted; Roland was arrogant. And the infuriating part to Neena was that she found it amusing. She balked slightly at the thought of taking the dead woman's vehicle. But she had arrived on foot, a mode of transport not especially appealing at the moment. So she didn't protest as he helped her into the passenger seat. Then, while Roland fiddled with.... whatever he was messing with, she pulled out a slim cellphone and dialed 911. Without waiting for it to connect, she tossed it out of the car. The phone's owner was a non-existent persona, so the call wouldn't be traced back. And someone needed to be made aware of the loss of life in the house.
As he slipped into the driver's seat, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes, and began a mental damage report and situation overview.
Her ears still throbbed, come to think of it, in time with the steady pulsations running throughout her body. She'd taken painkillers earlier, but only with the intent of warding off the headache that usually accompanied these little nighttime excursions. This little party had gone far beyond that, and knocked through the measly, hurt-free barrier like a giant, fiery bulldozer. Her stomach and chest hurt where the bullet spray had impacted with her suit, as did her rear where she'd fallen backwards. Her scalp burned, and she felt sure there was a bald spot somewhere on her head now. And all of that after she'd pushed herself to climb trees and walls, squeeze through windows, fight, hang from doors, and fight some more. And now she was riding in a car with a thieving mutant who had no qualms killing to protect his identity, had uncovered said identity to her, and in the same breath claimed to have feelings for her.
Report conclusion? Damn, she was beat.... So beat that she didn't care how foolish of a move it was on her part: She let herself pass out. If it was her time to die, so be it. If not? Well, she'd deal with the consequences when she woke up. Not more than ten, fifteen minutes tops, Neena's head tilted sideways, breathing slipped into the rhythmic rise and fall of deep sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A dull pounding at the base of her skull finally pulled Neena out of her comforting darkness. Partially anyway. She blinked several times, to clear the shuffle her various visions habitually went through whenever she woke, then sat up. Sheets fell away from her body, and she realized she'd been lying in a bed, and not her own. Her bodysuit was also missing, leaving her clad only in the thin tank top and pajama shorts she used as undergarments. Her wounds had been properly cleaned and dressed as well.
Frowning slightly, she began scanning the unfamiliar room. Considering the throb in her head, she wasn't sure she wanted to push her visions just yet, especially not xray. That left manual exploration. Her glasses lay on a nearby nightstand, so she slid her feet to the floor and limped over gingerly to retrieve them.
Ugh, she was stiff. And sore.
Faint sounds came from somewhere outside of the room, beyond a door on the far wall. She made her way slowly to it, and cautiously swung it open. She stood in the doorway, looking side to side curiously. One eyebrow rose above the top of her glasses in a 'What in the world...?' expression.
The house had come cheap. Roland had visited the realtor's office the night before and left with some excellent photographs of the man and his secretary. A paltry down payment and a roll of negatives later, Roland found himself the proud owner of a lovely estate. Close to the city and having a fair amount of land attached, Roland had moved in a week prior to the night in question. The manor had come furnished, a clash of modern and antique, something that warmed Roland's heart the moment he had stepped into the foyer.
It was three stories, a full basement, a two car garage, a pool and a stables. Not bad at all. Roland was admiring the view of the nearby lands, sipping cognac. Robert Johnson, the amazing guitar player of the late 1930's was playing in the background. The man was a legend of the blues, having sold his soul to the devil for his skill. That was the story , anyway. It was hard to tell sometimes when myth and fact mingled. Roland had that problem often. A fire in the grand fireplace was burning, finally. It had taken an hour or so to get it really going as it was now. The lights were low in the room otherwise.
Roland heard the door upstairs open. Normally he might not have, but he had been waiting to hear it open. He had removed Nehanda's bodysuit and put her to bed after cleaning and properly dressing her wounds. He was no surgeon, but her scars would be minimal and remind her of the evening. He hoped that she would have more pleasant memories as the night evolved.
If it hadn't been for her photographic memory, Neena would have been experiencing a wave of deja vu. The style of the hallway she'd just entered mirrored the one she'd been chasing Roland down....
.... How long ago? How long had she been out?
She turned in a circle, but didn't see a clock of any sort. Not even a grandfather, though it would definitely fit in with the classic decor. The air was clean, but not completely fresh, as if the building had been closed up for a time.
Her stealth instincts kicked in. She winced slightly as she activated her infrared, and began scanning for lifeforms. They would be the immediate threat. She need to find some painkillers as well, and soon.
The sounds she'd heard came from the direction of the stairs. Quietly she padded in that direction, keeping close to the wall. She paused, just out of sight of the top of the stairs. There were two large heat signatures coming from below, one without shape and sending out quite a bit of residual, the other person-shaped. And.... music?
She paused for a moment, debating whether or not to risk her xray for a view of the lower floor, or to simply take what came.
Without the protection of her suit, the latter option she deemed foolish. Better to deal with momentary pain than risk more permanent damage. Steeling herself, she switched one eye to xray, penetrating the walls and floor to the next floor.
"Gah!" She saw enough not to worry about keeping quiet, and quickly deactivated her vision as pain swiftly coursed through her head. She descended the stairs slowly and favoring her leg, one hand on the banister and the other covering her eye beneath the glasses, grumbling irritably.
"Got any painkillers?" she asked Roland when she reached the landing. "And how long have I been out?"
Roland heard Nehanda's cry of pain and moved to meet her as she descended the staircase, holding a nylon robe in his hand. It wouldn't be as comfortable as a cotton one, but it also was easily moved by Roland's mutation. He held the robe out, letting her slide her arms into it to cover herself. "Got any painkillers? And how long have I been out?" Roland smiled as he had expected and anticipated these needs and questions.
Stepping back a few feet to give her the space she needed to orient herself, he remarked," There's a bottle of Hydrocodone tablets in the left pocket of the robe for you. The prescription is under a dead man's name, so feel free to take them with you. You have been here for four hours. It's actually around three A.M. I wanted to ensure you had your bearings before I went to bed myself." He walked back over to the raging fire and picked his drink up and took a sip.
" I hope you don't mind me undressing you, but I felt a need to get you out of the constrictive suit so I could clean and dress your wounds properly. I hope you like my handiwork in that department. Your suit is out in the garage. I gave it a good spraying down to get the blood off of it. Other than the bulletholes, everything is in order. I didn't go through your pockets or anything like that." He sat down in the large leather chair by the fire, assessing her condition and admiring her silhouette in the light of the blaze.
He considered asking her to join him in the chair opposite his or asking her if she wanted food or drink, but he didn't. She was in foreign territory and Roland felt fortunate enough that she hadn't snuck out already. Keeping her in a neutral mode was preferable to pushing her anymore than he already had.
" There's a bottle of Hydrocodone tablets in the left pocket of the robe for you."
"That'll work." That would be more than enough, actually. With her tolerance level, it wouldn't eliminate the pain, but at least reign it in to 'deal with' range.
"The prescription is under a dead man's name, so feel free to take them with you." She peeked out from under the glasses at the label.
"Anyone I may or may not know?" Rhetorical question borne of fatigue.
"You have been here for four hours. It's actually around three A.M. I wanted to ensure you had your bearings before I went to bed myself."
" I hope you don't mind me undressing you, but I felt a need to get you out of the constrictive suit so I could clean and dress your wounds properly. I hope you like my handiwork in that department. Your suit is out in the garage. I gave it a good spraying down to get the blood off of it. Other than the bulletholes, everything is in order. I didn't go through your pockets or anything like that."
"I appreciate that."
She watched him retrieve a drink, and when he sat, she did the same, wrapping the garment around herself snuggly. Instead of choosing a chair, though, she sat on the floor near the fire. For her warmth proved more of a comfort than anything.
"May I have some water for these?" She indicated the pills.
Once she had that, and had washed down a tablet, she eyed Roland once more, her lack of expresion being her version of caution.
"So. What now?" She realized she was in a rather precarious position, both on unfamiliar ground, and in possesstion of precarious information.
Roland continued to remain calm and kept his small smirk on, though he was slightly disappointed at her decision to sit on the floor. At her request for water, he rose and stepped away, returning with a glass of ice water for her. As he handed her the glass, she asked the million dollar question. "So. What now?" He seemed to let the question soak into his brain. He sat down in the chair once more, crossing his leg over the other and regarding her, as if he could pull the answer from her image.
" Well, I suppose that is up to you. You are welcome to stay the night and leave in the morning, of course. As I stated before at Katharine's, no harm will befall you from me regarding your knowledge of my identity. I will simply trust you as I hope you are beginning to trust me. I can understand if you do not, as I did lie. Though my initial facade was due to my wanting to investigate the Mansion and the mutants there. I had no idea that I would meet you. I had even less of an idea that I would be so taken with you."
It had really thrown a kink in his general demeanor. He had spoken the truth to her, however. He would no more report himself to the police than hurt Nehanda. He regarded her profile further."Beyond that, it is strictly up to you, Nehanda. I freely and honestly admit I would like to see more of you. I enjoyed our time together tonight and had it not been under false pretenses, could have been even better. Since I am the one who must prove myself though, I will simply leave the ball in your court. I will respect whatever decision you decide to make." Roland polished off his drink and waited for her response, hoping for the best yet preparing for the worst.
" Well, I suppose that is up to you. You are welcome to stay the night and leave in the morning, of course. As I stated before at Katharine's, no harm will befall you from me regarding your knowledge of my identity. I will simply trust you as I hope you are beginning to trust me. I can understand if you do not, as I did lie. Though my initial facade was due to my wanting to investigate the Mansion and the mutants there. I had no idea that I would meet you. I had even less of an idea that I would be so taken with you."
She blinked, and remained quiet for the moment. She reached up to set the remainder of the water on side table. He seemed almost as confused as she was.
"Beyond that, it is strictly up to you, Nehanda. I freely and honestly admit I would like to see more of you. I enjoyed our time together tonight and had it not been under false pretenses, could have been even better. Since I am the one who must prove myself though, I will simply leave the ball in your court. I will respect whatever decision you decide to make."
She pushed her glasses up into her hair, and regarded him with a slight frown. Her pinkie nail slid in between her teeth in tell-tale symptom of her thought process working overtime.
"You've known me a cumulative perioid of half a day. Maybe less," she finally stated, momentarily setting aside his first admission for further consideration in a moment. "You obviously know more about me than I do about you, but still very little. How can you possibly be so sure that you can trust me?"
It was a valid question, given her own lack of forthcoming in their first conversation.
"You've known me a culmative perioid of half a day. Maybe less. You obviously know more about me than I do about you, but still very little. How can you possibly be so sure that you can trust me?" Roland seemed to ponder her answer, or rather her question, for a moment or two. " Well, I suppose that's the nature of trust , isn't it? I don't know that you won't go and turn me in once you have left. I don't know that you won't have your mutants come back and give me a stern warning as to my boundaries. I really don't know much of anything. I do know that I feel something when I look at you. I am not sure what it is. I also know that I have spent what seems like multiple lifetimes running from people and things. I don't wish to any longer."
He poured himself another short drink from the decanter on the table and had a sniff and then a sip of it. " So, as foolish as it may or may not be, I have resigned to simply trusting you. If it is an error of judgment on my part, than I shall surely deal with the consequences of it. Since you are still here and speaking to me about it, I must assume there is at least a glimmer of hope, though. Am I wrong?"
" Well, I suppose that's the nature of trust , isn't it? I don't know that you won't go and turn me in once you have left. I don't know that you won't have your mutants come back and give me a stern warning as to my boundaries. I really don't know much of anything."
Neena considered that. She wouldn't involve the school in this situation in any way, no more than she involved them during her other nighttime excursions. But would she turn him in? She should. He had killed a person to preserve his mask. On the other hand, she owed him for keeping her alive. Though she had a feeling some on her Team would argue vehemently with that. It was a difficult position.
"I do know that I feel something when I look at you."
She blinked a couple of times, realizing her gaze had wandered while she debated with herself. She pulled her eyes back to hold his.
"I am not sure what it is. I also know that I have spent what seems like multiple lifetimes running from people and things. I don't wish to any longer. So, as foolish as it may or may not be, I have resigned to simply trusting you. If it is an error of judgment on my part, than I shall surely deal with the consequences of it."
She grunted softly, attempting not to show amusement with a statement she repeated to herself daily. She wondered if this situation was a set of those consequences coming back to bite her finally.
"Since you are still here and speaking to me about it, I must assume there is at least a glimmer of hope, though. Am I wrong?"
Well, there was no hiding the amusement at his question, though she did try by turning to look at the fire. He was persistent, she'd give him that.
"It's definitely been one of the most interesting nights I've had in long time," she admitted, a bit begrudgingly. "Though I'd rather not repeat all of it for awhile."
She winced slightly, and attempted to find a more comfortable position that wouldn't pull at her wounds. She wondered how she was going to explain those to Tricity. Not to mention her new acquaintance....
Roland watched Nehanda as she listened to what he had to say. He was definitely pleased at her open-mindedness in regards to what he believed could be a long and fruitful relationship. He noticed that she looked back into his eyes at the mention of feelings and optimistically hoped that the look signaled some kind of reciprocation. With her eyes breaking the gaze and returning to the fire at his question of hope, he wondered if he had spoken too soon.
"It's definitely been one of the most interesting nights I've had in long time, though I'd rather not repeat all of it for awhile." He smiled at the presence of hope after all. He rose and walked over to her, noticing her discomfort at sitting on the floor. He offered her a hand." There's no reason to sit there on the floor with that leg wound. Why don't you join me outside on the terrace for a moment. I have something I'd like to show you. I want to put your mind at ease a bit further and also offer some gifts of knowledge that may help to better indicate my intentions with you."
" There's no reason to sit there on the floor with that leg wound."
She leaned back a bit and craned her neck to look up as he stood, and offered a hand up.
"Why don't you join me outside on the terrace for a moment. I have something I'd like to show you. I want to put your mind at ease a bit further and also offer some gifts of knowledge that may help to better indicate my intentions with you."
Well, she couldn't go so far as to say she trusted him, nor that he should really be trusting her. It seemed that they were both thieves at heart, which could prove problematic in the future. But, for the moment, no benefit would come from continuing to question the issue. May as well go with the flow, as she did with everything else.
She clasped his wrist, and let him help her up, noticing he had a solid grip in the process. She followed him out onto the balcony, and glanced around at the grounds.
"And I'm looking for....?"
Come to think of it, the area looked familiar. But she couldn't place it from this angle.
She came easily and without hesitation. Perhaps she was warming up to the idea. She certainly wasn't fighting it, which was good enough for Roland. She followed him out to the terrace , looking out on most of the acreage of the estate. It was a beautiful night, the stars twinkling brightly in the crisp Autumn sky, the moon waxing down upon them."And I'm looking for....?" Roland smiled. At this point, it seemed honesty was not only the best policy, but a necessity.
" Well, if you look off over to the hills there, you'll see some high tension power lines. They move along the hills and then go over. I saw the same lines from the other side, perhaps a mile away from the Mansion. So even if you had to meet me secretly, it would only require a three mile jog through the land, half of the distance being on my property." If his identity was already compromised with her, there was no reason not to tell her everything. Well, almost everything.
" Also, as my initial tour of the grounds was under false pretenses, as we have learned, I might as well also tell you that I left a monitoring device there. However, it has not been activated. I won't activate it either. It also doubles as a phone, with a direct link to me. You may have noticed that I put it in the Library. It is in the vent in the ceiling above it. I want to come as clean as possible with you so that anything that occurs between us has the best possible chance of success."
Nothing to do but wait, now. He knew she had to be cold on the terrace in the robe. If she reacted favorably to his truth telling, he might offer to warm her up.
" Well, if you look off over to the hills there, you'll see some high tension power lines. They move along the hills and then go over. I saw the same lines from the other side, perhaps a mile away from the Mansion."
Ah! That's why they looked familiar. She'd passed this estate numerous times in her travels, but had no reason to investigate past the front green.
"So even if you had to meet me secretly, it would only require a three mile jog through the land, half of the distance being on my property."
Neena couldn't help but shake her head and chuckle. He made it sound like some kind of Romeo and Juliet nonsense. Yes, she routinely snuck around, but out of habit, not necessity.
" Also, as my initial tour of the grounds was under false pretenses, as we have learned, I might as well also tell you that I left a monitoring device there."
She glanced sharply at him, then in the same movement searched her memory of his actions during the tour.
"However, it has not been activated. I won't activate it either. It also doubles as a phone, with a direct link to me. You may have noticed that I put it in the Library. It is in the vent in the ceiling above it."
So that's why he'd been so interested in the Library.
"I want to come as clean as possible with you so that anything that occurs between us has the best possible chance of success."
"And here I thought I was the sneaky one," she grumbled. The library would be her first stop when she returned, that was for sure. He must have been at this thief business as long, if not longer than she had.
She sighed, and rubbed the back of her neck with one hand, while holding the robe closed with the other. It was chilly and breezy on the balcony, and she did not like the cold. It simply increased the throb.
Roland joined Nehanda in her chuckle when he mentioned secrecy. He felt he had misrepresented his meaning." I know you can go wherever you like when you like, dear. I only meant that it might be easier for you to sneak over here rather than introduce me to your family of mutants. I would be happy to meet them, though, if you liked." The revelation of the phone in the Library returned a fierce look. One similar, yet not as intense to the one in the bathroom earlier in the night. She seemed to recognize his intent, though. She was also still standing there, listening.
"And here I thought I was the sneaky one." Roland smiled and edged closer to her. " I saw you tonight. I saw you work. You are quite sneaky and quite skilled. I never had to explain a thing and I fully trusted you , even when things went a bit off. That says alot and I hope you can see that." He saw her shiver and pull the robe closer. He took the initiative once more and slid his arm around her waist.
He looked over at her and pulled her closer, while still remaining beside her. " I've been as clear and honest as I can be without putting myself in serious danger. All because the moment I saw you at the gates of the Mansion, something inside me was released. I have turned it over and over in my mind, trying my best to rationalize it. There's no point though. I feel something for you, Nehanda. Every moment I spend near you only makes it stronger. If we are going to continue to reveal things to one another, let's do it inside, where it is warmer."
" I know you can go wherever you like when you like, dear. I only meant that it might be easier for you to sneak over here rather than introduce me to your family of mutants. I would be happy to meet them, though, if you liked."
She didn't reply to that. He had a lot more convincing to do before she would feel comfortable enough to risk such a meeting. Not in person, at least.
She sensed him draw nearer, and felt his arm slide around her waist. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes. Had it been a yawn and arm around her shoulders, she'd have started looking around for the movie screen.
" I saw you tonight. I saw you work. You are quite sneaky and quite skilled. I never had to explain a thing and I fully trusted you, even when things went a bit off. That says alot and I hope you can see that."
"Thank you. You've obviously had some practice yourself." There was something seriously wrong with taking being sneaky as a compliment, yet that's what she was doing. At the same time, however, a frown crossed her face over the loss of life.
She had all of her weight on her good leg, so when he tugged at her, she had to put her bad on down to keep from tipping over.
" I've been as clear and honest as I can be without putting myself in serious danger. All because the moment I saw you at the gates of the Mansion, something inside me was released."
<"There he goes again,"> she thought idly.
"I have turned it over and over in my mind, trying my best to rationalize it. There's no point though. I feel something for you, Nehanda. Every moment I spend near you only makes it stronger. If we are going to continue to reveal things to one another, let's do it inside, where it is warmer."
"You don't need to keep trying to reassure me, Roland" she remarked quite calmly. "If I ever view you as a threat again, you'll know it."
Warm was good. Warm was very good. But.... she'd have to have been truly naive to not see the way this conversation could easily turn. And.... she wasn't quite sure about her feelings on that possible turn yet....
"I'm sorry if I come across as harsh, Roland," she said as they headed back inside. "I pride myself on my observational skills, but you've made it quite clear that I've grown trusting over the years. I'm not sure whether that's a good or a bad thing. Its a bit frustrating on my part."
She slid into a seat, again close to the fire. "Yet, at the same time, I can't force myself not to be intrigued. Which is also a bit exasperating. Its a side effect of my mutation, unfortunately. Along with other things."