Roland had decided to look for the masked crusader again, to throw things at him. Though rather than sticks , he was thinking more along the line of concussion grenades, to see if the gymnast could fly. He had been stalking rooftops for an hour or so but it began to seem as if the vigilante was having a night off. He decided to take the initiative to practice his own rooftop exercises in order to better face him or any other things that went bump in the night.

Bounding and leaping from roof to roof, swinging from flagpoles and fire escapes, Roland moved across the city with efficient speed. He found himself in a more populated part of town, with the neon and music indicating that bars were open and prospering. A drink didn't sound terrible. He stopped at a suitable roof corner and surveyed the alleys below, which were conveniently occupied with two upper class looking types committing some sort of transaction which involved sniffing. He attached the grapnel to the roof and began rappelling down the wall of the building to the alley below as one of the two, more than likely the supplier, walked off. The other remained, which was fortunate as he was roughly the same size as Roland, which was the real point of the robbery.

Dropping behind him, he removed his mask, still clad in the slick black bodysuit. He came up behind the man and pushed the gun into his back. It must not have been his first time, as he merely dropped his head slightly and held the little brown vial out." I'm not interested in that, you keep it. However, I was curious as to your measurements." Hearing the man's groan and stammering of said measurements, Roland rolled his eyes." It's not that kind of party either, friend. I would like your clothes however. Keep the coke. It'll keep you warm."

Roland took each article and put it over his suit. He let the man keep his underwear, shoes and socks, opting to just use the boots of the suit as they blended in nicely as regular shoes. He even let the man keep his wallet and money, choosing to keep his keys after being pointed to an Escalade. Another test of equipment passed as Roland tried one of the knockout gas emitters that came from beneath his wrist. A small puff of air and the victim was a sleeping babe.

After having a look over the vehicle for anything suspicious, Roland found it surprisingly clean and in good order. He despised being pulled over for an expired tag or a non functioning signal light. He drove it down the street a few blocks and then returned it to its original parking spot, which was still there, to his surprise. He locked it up and set the alarm, walking the streets. Looking over the various watering holes, his thoughts returned to Nehanda. He wondered how her wounds were healing and if she was well. Lost in his thoughts, several blocks passed underfoot. He took his phone out and skipped through the contact list to her office at the Mansion.

It was suddenly dark. The buildings, the cars, even his phone. The link between them all and their loss of function made him think of one thing. An electromagnetic pulse. He looked around ahead and behind as cars hit each other and people began their general panic. It seemed that many humans were afraid of the dark, whether they claimed to be or not. Roland stepped into an alleyway and checked his suit. Dead. He checked his phones. Dead. He even checked his new communicator ring. Dead. He's have to speak to Dr. Ingram about this unforeseen eventuality.

Considering leaving the scene for brighter places, he saw something most interesting. Two people emerged in an alleyway, both with light sources. One had a strange green glow coming from his eyes and the other seemed to have a flashlight or something similar. He stepped back against the shadow of the wall and saw it was no flashlight. It was a light bulb, held by the female of the two. It also didn't take enhanced hearing from the suit to hear them bickering like an old married couple. He couldn't make out the words specifically, but the hand gestures and general tone said it all.

Two mutants moving down an alleyway after all the lights go out. It didn't take a rocket scientist to deduce who may have been the cause of said outage. Watching the two was interesting at first, as the girl tossed the bulb to the guy. It went out as soon as it left her fingers. Something to remember. She seemed to be hesitating, as if she didn't want to leave him behind. Was it a lovers' quarrel? The sound of an angry mob made it clear that it was going to evolve into something else entirely soon.

Seeing the two quicken their pace and get closer, the cause of the mob was evident. Roland heard sirens nearby and a helicopter sweeping the area as well. The kids would be fools to turn down a helping hand in this situation. Of course, this city was full of fools, just like the world was. He stepped out into the mouth of the alleyway before them. " Need a ride out of here? Looks like it might be getting ugly for those of the mutant variety."

She had them squeeze through a tight spot between a foul smelling dumpster and a hefty wooden fence. Lori could hear them organizing. She was silent with reason when she lead. The problem was that reverberation made it impossible to pin point location. The alleyways were skinny in this part of town, often Lori could put a hand on either side of the wall and trail her fingers across there if it weren't intolerably icky.

Rum and Coke just didn't seem to be one of those people who understood silence, however, as he started asking questions. Questions that had absolutely no bearing on their current situation. He must have been nervous. How did she end up attempting to sneak out of an electronic dead zone with a nervous talker? Lori sighed ignoring his requests for now as she turned a sharp left and immediately backpedaled. There were people milling around that exit. They seemed to be waiting for someone suspicious to pop out. Her heart was instantly in her throat. She knew this kind of group. Any one would do, they were just angry. It was just their lucky day that they happened to come across the guilty party.

"Uhm - better off this way." She muttered and pulled Rummy down a different direction. "We'd better hurry." He grabbed her arm and pulled her suddenly in a different direction and she burned with anger. Enough so that she felt her power raise to the surface enough to sizzle along her skin. He'd better let her go or risk a real zap. Lori didn't appreciate being man handled even if the situation was dire. Unfortunately, Rummy grabbed her and pulled them a different way only to be met by another group. Rum and Coke turned back the way they came and was met by another wall of people.

"uh oh. Hope you've got something up your sleeves."

Lori yanked her arm from his grip and cracked her knuckles. "There's always a door number three, Rummy. The only way left is to go forward." Lori edged backward. They'd turned a sharp right to get there. The way back was blocked. The obvious way forward was blocked. But this alley did not end at the fence they were backing up to. It continued a long way into darkness and eventually another street. Lori continued edging backward slowly, like a prey animal trying not to draw attention to itself in the presence of the hunter. When her back bumped gently against the chain link fence it was time for action.

Lori turned and kicked. It was really the pull of a magnetic field that took the fence down, but it looked like a kick ass fence punt. Viola. Door number three. Too bad she couldn't put the fence back without ruining the illusion. "Go!" As if he should need the prompting, but she wasn't taking risks with this one. She followed the alley until they were almost at the mouth. Suddenly Lori was back pedaling again, pulling up short as she could have, in her haste, potentially run over a single man, standing at the end of the corridor.

"Need a ride out of here? Looks like it might be getting ugly for those of the mutant variety."

Lori bristled. It was too convenient. Would this one be worth the risk? Was he a good Samaritan, a fellow mutant, or a trap? She settled with stating the obvious.

"Your car had better be parked far enough away."

Chris didn't know of where they could go. Then again he didn't know the alleys like the young woman did. They were blocked in by the mob and getting backed up to a fence. Never a good situation to be in. He looked at her when she talked a little. She also pulled her hand out of his grasp, he'd forgotten he'd been holding onto her arm. Chris kept his eyes on the mob, that was slowly creeping in, when the barkeep turned around and kicked down the fence that was behind them. Wow. Definitely don't want to piss her off. She's got one mean kick. He thought as he looked amazed.

"Go!" He didn't need telling twice, or even once for that matter. He followed her through the alley until they were at near it's end. She started to slow down and he did as well. There was another person at the other end of the alley. He seemed to be waiting for them. He didn't need to say anything. It seemed like the bartender was on top of it. He wasn't sure whether to trust the man or not. It seemed like to much of a coincidence to be completely trustworthy. He eyed him wearily as he let the bartender do most of the talking.

The two kids seemed agreeable enough. Besides, what were they going to do instead? Roland particularly liked the female's sass."Your car had better be parked far enough away." Before turning on his heel, he smirked and his eyes opened wide in an exaggerated fashion." Realllly? But why? Oh, would it be due to the pulse that knocked everything out? I wonder how you could know about its radius so easily?" Chuckling, he led them up the street and away from the mob, putting himself behind the kids.

" Keep your heads down and keep walking. No running. Running is like running around with a bloody murder weapon. Just nice and slow and easy. We have a few blocks to go, yet. SO, who actually knocked the lights out?" The boy with the green eyes seemed to be the quiet one of the pair. Strong and silent type? Interesting. His girlfriend was quite attractive and seemed to be the brains of the operation. Or at least the spine. He kept his wayward glances at a minimum and regardless of the length of the conversations, by their end, they would be at his new Escalade.

"Realllly?"[/i] She couldn't help but roll her eyes. Great. Their savior thought himself smart. "But why? Oh, would it be due to the pulse that knocked everything out? I wonder how you could know about its radius so easily?"[/color] He seemed awfully smarmy for someone who was helping which meant one thing: bad news.

"I don't." Lori snapped. She didn't have to like the situation, just survive it. Lori grabbed Rum and Coke's sweaty hand in a sisterly way. No need to give him any ideas, she just needed to keep track of him if he was going to go deaf, dumb, and possibly blind. "Rummy, maybe you should turn down the glow? Or close your eyes?" Lori turned a concerned face to the boy next to her, eyes flicking back to the man behind them. She didn't like him there, but one was better than many.

"Keep your heads down and keep walking. No running. Running is like running around with a bloody murder weapon. Just nice and slow and easy. We have a few blocks to go, yet."[/color] If it was a few blocks they should be okay. Lori looked at Rum and Coke and she couldn't imagine his power knocking out more than that. It had been a good magnetic pulse, but not that good. The group was also already walking since they'd met a potentially dangerous man who was luring them away with the candy of potential safety. Why were they going with him again?

"SO, who actually knocked the lights out?"

This one was sure bossy. Lori bet he liked to think he wore the pants. At least Rum and Coke had apparently lost the will to babble. Lori looked again at Rum and Coke and then turned over her shoulder to glance at the older man to answer his question. She wasn't loud, but she was forceful. "None of your goddamn business." Lori pulled Rum and Coke closer protectively and gave him a look. "It was an accident anyway. Won't happen again." She knew that if the man had any brains that would be answer enough, but Rummy would feel like she was protecting him. If their good samaritan actually meant trouble, Lori wanted him on her side. If nothing went bad, she'd at least leave a decent taste in Rum and Coke's mouth. Her aim was to end up neutral at the very least on all fronts... unless someone really deserved it, of course.

(ooc: Lori, his eyes aren't glowing anymore. Just FYI)

Chris continued to walk. There wasn't much to say to their, ironically perfectly timed, savior. He wasn't happy that the bartender was doing all the talking; however, she seemed to get the answer out fast than he could. Many times he'd open his mouth to answer the man but was cut off abruptly by the young woman.

Apparently their rescuer was a smart ass. Not something he wanted right now. The pieces weren't adding up and Chris was having a little trouble figuring it out. How is it that a man just happens to appear in the same alley that we're goin' down. Has a working car, and knows about the pulse. Something's not adding up and I don't like it. He ponder quietly as they continued to walk down the alley with this guy behind them. Aside from him being helpful Chris found him a little disconcerting walking behind him and the barkeep.

Chris was shocked when the woman took his hand in hers. It seemed like an out of place move on her part considering how she'd treated him earlier. His hand instinctively jerked when their hands met. He knew it wasn't cause she liked him or anything, but it was odd. He didn't like the way she was talking. It make him feel like a wimp for letting her answer all the questions, however, she did a good job of answering them and not obviously pointing blame at him. For that he was grateful.

"What does it matter? Were both running from the mob." Chris finally pipped up, his answer didn't give anything away that he was the one responsible for the black out. He next whispered so quietly that she would be the only one able to hear him. "I don't trust him." He thought it might be stating the obvious, considering how she was acting to him, but he wanted her to know that he was on her side since he'd gotten her into this mess.

The most grateful of mutants walked before Roland. They both seemed to believe he was there to hurt them. That possibility hadn't completely escaped Roland's mind, considering the task of rendering all of his toys useless. There was probably a dollar amount he could attach to give the argument more weight, though he felt he really didn't need anymore explanation. The girl was still doing most of the talking, a fact that the boy didn't seem to enjoy. He didn't speak up too much to stop her from running over him. Perhaps it was a mating tactic.

As they put distance between themselves and the mob of angry patrons, Roland chanced a look over his shoulder. None seemed to be following, though doubling back would be impossible should they run into anything else up ahead. People were still clamoring about, though the cars had been kind enough to stop driving around too much." None of your goddamn business" Roland chuckled, though the noise seemed hardly lighthearted." Actually, I believe it is my business, in a way. I knew about the little stunt as I happened to see it occur, around the same time that all of my electronic devices decided to stop working and be ruined."

He could see the pilfered vehicle up ahead. He pulled the keys out from his pocket and clicked the locks and alarm. " The silver Escalade up ahead. I'd prefer you both sat up front. I have just as much to be concerned about as you two do. You seem confortable enough together. Who wouldn't like a pretty girl to sit in their lap?" Roland had a feeling that the girl might begin to fume and spit if he kept up this faux kindness. So, he would.

((OOC: Oh sorry about the eyes. Last i read he tried to dim them and i thought that meant they weren't entirely off yet. My mistake!))

In response to Coke and Rum's hastily whispered warning Lori grumbled back equally quiet. "Exactly why we have to stick together." She had been mildly offended that he jumped at her touch, but he wasn't the only man to have ever been leery of Lori's skin contact. It was her own fault. Like so many others, she'd taught him that fear.

"Actually, I believe it is my business, in a way. I knew about the little stunt as I happened to see it occur, around the same time that all of my electronic devices decided to stop working and be ruined."

Lori had half a mind to stop and demand a proper explanation on that. How was it his business? And how the hell did he see it happen? The fact that he said it was around the time his electronics died made Lori think that he wasn't basing his assumption on the useless equipment. What else had he seen? Lori's mind was reeling and so far from the present that when their savior next spoke lori actually jumped a bit, jarred back into their current situation.

"The silver Escalade up ahead. I'd prefer you both sat up front. I have just as much to be concerned about as you two do. You seem confortable enough together. Who wouldn't like a pretty girl to sit in their lap?"[/color]

The way this guy spoke... there was just no reason in Lori's mind that he couldn't be a mutant. Why else would he help? Why else would be have other things to worry about? But one does not point fingers and cry "wolf" so easily these days. Lori hesitated with her hand just above the handle of the silver car. This was such a bad idea.

"We just need a ride home to school." She hesitated at the door suspicion thick in her voice. She glanced over at Rummy realizing that she didn't even know the name of the school, but she wasn't about to get a ride anywhere close to her actual home with this one. The angry folk weren't nearly as pressing a disaster with an oily guy like this offering them a ride home. He was just so... Lori couldn't even put a word to it because he hadn't actually done anything overtly wrong. Perhaps that was the problem. No one is that good and still alive. Not in New York.

Chris continued to walk with the bartenders hand in his. However odd it may have been, he was quickly getting acustomed to holding her hand. Maybe he was just not thinking clearly because he was still trying to figure out what was their 'savior's' angle was. There was no way he was doing this out of the kindness of his heart. Chris listened closely to what the barkeep had to say. It seemed they were on the same page and thinking along the same lines.

Finally they came to their getaway car, that conveniently worked, and happened to be a very expensive one. However, Chris had to admit, just because it was an expensive car didn't make him a shady person. Bartender stopped just short of opening the car door. He couldn't help but smile at their savior's smart comment. It was definitely a smart comment; however, he wiped the smile off his face as fast as possible. There was no denying that the bartender was attractive and He would have no problem having her sit on his lap for the ride, however long or short the ride may be.

The radiation mutant opened the front door and climbed in. It wasn't that he was eager to have her sit on his lap, that was the last thing on his mind. He didn't want to bring on any suspicion on them by lingering at the door to the car. He then helped the bartender onto his lap, leaning the back of the seat back so that she wasn't sitting right against the windshield. Before their rescuer got in the car he quickly said to her "I think we should just get out this thing as soon as we can. Other wise we don't know what he has planned. And since neither of us trust him..." Chris let the last part fade off because he figured that it didn't need to be said. Honestly he wasn't exactly sure where the school was from here. Running through all those alley's had him all turned around and his sense of direction screwed up. Chris did his best to get his sense of direction back but it wasn't happening. After saying this he waited for their savior to get in the car so they could get away from the area.

The kids were so skittish. He couldn't necessarily blame them, due to the circumstances in which the three of them had met, but it still troubled Roland a bit that they thought him some killer of children. The two shared glances and words as Roland entered the vehicle, no doubt speaking of a timely escape. The Escalade hummed to life, the stereo resuming the last track of the CD inside, it being Santeria by Sublime. Roland eased the volume down, leaving it playing quietly in the background to help soften the oppressive feeling in the cab of the vehicle.

As they began to make their way through the streets of the city, Roland decided to illuminate them to a degree, choosing a specific plan of attack in this testy diplomatic mission. " I don't blame you two for not trusting me. However, we are escaping the mob and you are going home, so try to relax a bit. You said you were going to school, would that happen to be Xavier's? Just wondering since you are both obviously mutants." He imagined they were ogling each other after such a revelation of knowledge. He simply assumed that was indeed the school they meant and began altering his current route to go that way, making the ride more familiar.

" I myself am not a mutant, but I am seeing one. Her name is Nehanda Jenkins. She is the Assistant Headmistress of the school. Spending time with her has opened my eyes to the mutant plight. I knew that there was still some bad blood after the repealing of the Registration Act, but I never expected such a scene as I found you two in. I am thankful that you escaped unharmed. Feel a little better now?" He smiled and continued to drive. Mutants like these could be very useful. Especially the girl, as he believed her to be a bit too old for school, though he wouldn't say so right out.

Chris listened to their rescuer talk. Once inside a more confined area and away from most of the mob he seemed like quite the chatter box. It annoyed Chris to no end. He wasn't against conversation,per say, he just didn't want to share a conversation with someone who's appearance was still a little to convenient for Chris' comfort. The radiation mutant was not surprised the he said they were mutants. It was pretty obvious. After all, they were the ones being chased by a huge mob because of an EMP, that knocked out so much of the cities power, seemed to have emanated from one of them. Neither of them had told this guy that it was Chris who'd set off the EMP.

"Why are you telling us this?" Chris asked him out of making small talk he continued to humor the man. "Look, it's great that your 'in tune' with our circumstance...but you don't have to try and sympathize with us. We're glad you showed up and are able to get us out of there. And yes that's the school were talking about." He said roughly to the driver. Chris was about as interested in what the man had to say as he was with watching the grass grow. Hopefully the bartender would have something to say pretty soon because he wasn't sure how this guy would take Fission's answers.

(ooc:hope this is alright. it feels a bit short)

Lori settled into Rummy's lap as they drove laying her head against Rum and Coke's shoulder. Luckily, the electricity elemental was small enough that she could almost completely curl up comfortably in Rummy's arms and lap. Lori seemed so much bigger when she was moving around or talking. She had a presence that belied her smallness. Now that she was still and quiet, she seemed so much... less.

Lori didn't know how to answer the man about the school so Lori continued to be as small, helpless, harmless, and as unobtrusive as possible while the men-folk chatted. It was interesting to Lori that this Assistant Headmistress Nehanda Jenkins, mutant by their champion's account, would date a non-mutant. Did that reflect on the school's ideals or was Nehanda a rouge? Did 'Handa not find him disgusting and wholly lacking? Their liberator, no matter how usefully he popped in to save hapless students, could not be as compatible as a fellow superior. In Lori's mind there would always be a great divide. No human could ever measure up to her standards, heck, not many mutants had either.

"Why are you telling us this?" Rummy asked in a tone that was more like asking about the weather. Lori's lips moved against Rummy's jacket, her eyes never wavering from Champ as her answer came faintly over the rumble of the car, "To gain our trust." It was for Rummy's ears, but she didn't really care if Champ heard.

Champ, the spotless liberator, asked if they felt better about his alibi. He smiled a perfect smile and continued to appear the perfect model citizen as they drove toward the location of the mutant school. There was something so wrong about having all the right answers, but Lori was paranoid by nature. She hadn't survived this long without a healthy intuition. And her intuition said get away from Champ. At the very least he was too perceptive. Rummy seemed to be having his own doubts. Well, Lori supposed she had set the tone when she'd told him in less than kind words that their business had been their own.

She hated playing the peacemaker. It was so much less fun, but then again getting dumped out on your ass is the least amount of fun so Lori felt she had to say something. "He didn't have to come to our rescue." Lori poked Rummy's chest and looked up at him from where she lay against his chest. "You're checking this gift horse's teeth." What she didn't say, but hoped was implied, was that no matter how "safe" they seemed as soon as the opportunity presented itself they should get very far away from Champ.

"Why are you telling us this?" The boy seemed to be very defensive. His lack of gratitude made Roland wonder how the interior might look splattered with what was left of that smug look on his face. The girl seemed to be staying quiet, though it was strange as she was now acting as if she were the meek and timid member of the pair. Quite a change from the fire in her at their meeting. Perhaps she was just rolling with the situation and playing whichever part she thought would maintain the illusion of trust in the car. Roland appreciated good acting.

"Look, it's great that your 'in tune' with our circumstance...but you don't have to try and sympathize with us. We're glad you showed up and are able to get us out of there. And yes that's the school were talking about." Roland continued to look ahead. He wanted badly to entertain the idea of murder, or at least attempted murder. The proximity of two mutants with strong electronic abilities didn't really bode too well for him. He thought he might catch the boy unaware sometime and talk to him then. For now, on with the Samaritan bit. " Very good. The school it is. It isn't far from here, so you won't have to suffer my existence too much longer." He added a smug chuckle for his own benefit. Maybe the boy would give him a reason.

"He didn't have to come to our rescue. You're checking this gift horse's teeth." Roland looked over, smiling and nodding at the actress. " Your words are kind, Miss, but if he wishes to hate me , it's his prerogative. I will make sure you get to the Mansion safely. Other than that, there isn't much to worry over." He had their faces and he could get their names from casual conversation with Nehanda. He would definitely see Green Eyes again. The girl? Who knew? Perhaps if it profited her he would. She seemed to be that kind of woman.

The car ride wasn't a very comfortable one. What made it uncomfortable wasn't the fact that there was an attractive young woman sitting on his lap, but the person driving the car. Chris found it very odd that the bartender was being so quiet now as opposed to earlier when she was so much more talkative. She also seemed smaller and very comfortable sitting curled up in Chris's lap. He had a good feeling that he knew exactly what she was talking about when she mentioned their savior being a gift horse. You can never trust a gift horse. Chris thought as he looked down at the bartender.

"Very good. The school it is. It isn't far from here, so you won't have to suffer my existence too much longer." when their driver said this to them Good. was all Chris think of. There didn't seem like a very good place for them to get out if they wanted to leave him. Although he didn't think the bartender would think much of jumping out of a moving car, and to be frank neither did he. Chris didn't feel that he had anything else to say to this stranger. He didn't trust him, no matter what he was saying. The radiation mutant started looking out the window for the best opportunity for the two to escape.