A small platform and podium had been set up in front of the Jacobs & Jacobs Security building. Seated on the platform were several of the companies executive officers, including one Oliver Jacobs, who had a rather confused expression on his face. Chairs were set up on the ground out in front of the platform and were filled by a few employees, curious spectators, and individuals from the local news affiliates. There was a light breeze and while the temperature was perfect for being outside the sky was somewhat overcast and dreary looking.

***

Luke Jacobs stood inside the actual building, looking out over the press conference set up with his sonar. He had already been informed by an assistance that things the sky was cloudy and he found himself shaking his head with a slight smile. "Should have asked Raina if she knew any weather manipulators. Then maybe we could have had some sunshine."

***

As the correct time rolled around, one of the women sitting on the platform rose to her feet. Blond with blue-eyes, many people might have pictured Deborah Langstan being more comfortable on a runway rather than a board meeting but she happened to be one of the most intelligent people Luke Jacobs knew. Originally she had been Luke's secretary but when he had been forced to back away from the business during the Registration Act, Miss Langstan had been promoted to be the Chief Financial Officer in her own right.

"Thank you all for coming." Deborah said easily with a pleasant smile on her face. "Jacobs & Jacobs has long been a company dedicated to providing the best possible service to its customer and the best possible environment to its employees. We are very much a family here but even families have to change on occasions. Situation arise that require a person, a family, or even a company to adapt. To explain a little more clearly, I'd like to introduce Mr. Luke Jacobs."

As soon as the introduction was made, Luke walked out of the main building's doorway. An assistant was gently touching his arm, apparently guiding him as he walked over to the stairs and then mounted the platform.

"Thank you all for coming." Luke's voice was even as he spoke over the light applause that came from the audience, "As most of you know from my dossier, I was raised and educated in Europe before returning to work in my family's company. I've done my best to be an asset to the company in whatever position I was given and even though Jacobs & Jacobs has been thriving I've had to sit back and watch as the world in general faced chaos. Fear has driven people to hide who they really are in order to be accepted by society. Fear has driven society to round up those that are different. Fear has caused the word 'Mutant' to have a meaning that it was never meant to have."

Everyone was silent as they stared at Luke. While his speech had started off rather normally, it had quickly changed to something that few had expected. All of the news media representatives were leaning forward in their chairs, listening attentively to see if there would be some special sound byte that they could use on the evening news and the rest of the spectators just sat in shocked amazement at what he was saying.

"At the advice of my Uncle and other board members, I've maintained more of a background role in this company. While I'm sure most of you believe that it's because of my youth and inexperience that has little if anything to do with the situation." Reaching up, Luke removed his sunglasses to reveal the cloudy, pale blue orbs that were his eyes. "I'm blind but yet I can still see. Even though one of my senses has been taken a mutation has made it possible for me to still function. That is the main reason I was requested to take a background role. I am a Mutant and because of fear I was forced to hide my true identity. That is no longer an option."

At Luke's announcement everyone began buzzing and murmuring back and forth. For a man like him to come out of the closet as it were and announce that he was a mutant was something almost unprecedented. Sure, society knew that there were mutants living in New York and the rest of the world but few considered the idea that high ranking individuals in well known companies could be anything other than regular humans.

"Even now, I would be forced to stay in the shadows," Luke continued after the talking had died down a little bit, "if it were up to the current Jacobs & Jacobs management. This leads me to the second part of my announcement. Through a variety of procedures I have purchased a 65% stock in this company. As of this moment the current CEO and board of directors are relieved from their positions until I can review the personnel and appoint those people that I think will best serve this company as it advances into the future. From now on, Jacobs & Jacobs will be a Mutant friendly work place. We will employee both combinations of various skill sets and abilities to test our security systems in order to provide the best possible produce for our customers needs."

The looks on the faces of the people currently seated on the platform covered a huge range of emotion. Deborah Langstan was smiling, Oliver Jacobs's mouth hung open in shock, and several of the other men and women ranged between shock, anger, and even fear. In this brief announcement the rug had been pulled out from under their comfortable lives and they were now hanging in limbo.

"I have a little time so I'll take a few questions."

(OOC: I've come up with a couple of questions for reporters to ask, but if anyone has a question they want to see answered, feel free to PM me and I will see about having an NPC reporter fire away.)

"Mr Jacobs!" A voice yelled out above the buzz as reporters scrambled to come up with questions to throw at Luke, "Jackson Dewey, New York Inquisitor. In a recent newspaper article the end of humankind was threatened by one of your kind. Our readers may question the motivation of your coming out at this time. What would you say to them?"

"Both humans and mutants are afflicted with bad apples. Men like Hitler and Mussolini have made certain humans suspicious of other humans while mutants like the one that wrote that particular editorial you refer to damage the reputation of all mutants." Luke replied after a moment's thought, his voice even and controled, "I've been planning this press conference for some time and its unfortunate that it had to take place after such a letter was published but there was no helping it. I am and always have been a believer in mutant equality not mutant domination. That's why I've invested funds with organizations that promote peace and neutral ground for both humans and mutants alike."

"Mr. Jacobs! Harry Newton, Associated Press. What's your take on the rise of mutant violence? How should we handle these criminals?"

It was relief to get a question that Luke was totally prepared for. Thanks to a conversation he had recently had in the park with a man named Rupert, there was no question about how he stood on this particular subject. "Criminals needs to be prosecuted and then imprisoned whether they be human or mutant. Obviously some things will need to be adjusted in order to handle a mutants powers and abilities but with specially built prison facilities I'm sure the situation could be handled. However, that's a question for policy makers, not just a normal businessman like myself."

"Luke! Katie Starr, New York Inquisitor. A few months ago photos of yourself and an attractive young woman were published in various magazines. Is love in the air?"

"My personal life is just that... personal." Luke replied with a slight smile, "Yes, I am seeing someone that I deeply care for but she deserves privacy just like any other person. Are there any other questions?"

(OOC: Kudos to Martin Stein for sending in the first two question answered in this post.)