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.
>>“Well, I suppose either you wanted to see me like this, or you didn’t like my suit. You didn’t like my suit?”Mars quipped.
Lenna bent to pull the security jacket over the unconscious guard's head. She held it out for the red giant. "It's an improvement. ...And this time, I'll keep a bit closer. I swear. It's just..." The metal belt buckle clicked, and belt slid away like a rip cord. Grimacing in effort, Lenna hauled the trousers off the bulky man's body. Her head turned, and she passed the grimace off as a weak smile. "Well, that confirms it, doesn't it? Adaptation... whatever. What you said earlier..." Her face scrunched. It wasn't easy admitting he was right, and she'd been mistaken. As she drew closer to him with a final tug of pants, the shrinking and discoloration again confirmed what she'd been testing when she ran. Lenna was almost tempted to step close, then run away, and rush close again, just to see how annoyed she could make him. She desisted, if only because she needed him to tell her more. "I still don't know what it is you mean by 'adaptation'. How good of an explanation can you give on the go? Oh, and you can handle the other bits of clothing on this guy. They couldn't pay me enough to..." Lenna trailed off as she walked the pants over to Mars.
Her eyes cut to Michael as she finished frying the camera records. Painful-sounding, from the looks of it. The Ranger walked over to the door handle, and wiped it down.
>>"You don't want your prints in some database later on."
Lenna nodded, in lieu of a curtsy. "Good thinking."
Now was the time for their next move. Lenna waited patiently for the man with the tail to finish dressing, then led them towards the truck unloading area. This time, she kept close.
~~"Our cover would've been blown if the move on security was too slow, I'd say she took the lesser a two evils."
“True enough, speaking of covers, while we have a second to our selves, what gives?” the question was obvious he wanted a little hint at what the heck she was trying to accomplish but acting so oddly, it was starting to weird him out a little. He was even flirting with Lenna bit to see if she’d get jealous. Not that he minded flirting with Lenna What was going on?
~~. "It's an improvement. ...And this time, I'll keep a bit closer. I swear. It's just..." "Well, that confirms it, doesn't it? Adaptation... whatever. What you said earlier..." "I still don't know what it is you mean by 'adaptation'. How good of an explanation can you give on the go? Oh, and you can handle the other bits of clothing on this guy. They couldn't pay me enough to..."
Mars spoke even as he was pulling the legs of the pants up around him. “I love knowledge. I’ll tell you as much as you could want to know, first things first, I don’t know if you believe that your abilities are due to an xgene, but they aren’t. You are technically human, but I still think you are more than that, I know a man who’s aura is absolute…I wouldn’t have my tail for instance…I would loose even more of my bulk. He is like you in that a certain radius cancels out most if not all mutations. I assume you all have a new gene as well, but it is still too early to put a name on it.” He put the shirt on and grabbed his wallet out of one of the few bits of clothe still hanging on from the white suit. He unbuttoned and unzipped and the last ruminants of the pants came off. “I tend to think tha your abilities are Humanities claim at the future, an adaptation to survive.” He finished getting dressed and then arranged the man’s hands in an embarrassing fashion. “ I think beyond that it maybe eaier to answer any questions you might have.
~~"You don't want your prints in some database later on."
"Good thinking."
~~~Mars looked at his hand intently. “ You know, actually, I bet the size change would make my fingerprints unrecognizable as mine.”
“True enough, speaking of covers, while we have a second to our selves, what gives?”
The Ranger decided against informing the ape-man of the situation at the present, he could easily summarize it but it might lead to too many questions and confusion that could slow down their escape. They did have to leave before the police decided to enter the building. "In short, I'm, uh, not quite myself at the moment. "
"Good thinking." L replied to the Ranger's statement regarding prints, and the ape-man followed it up with,
“ You know, actually, I bet the size change would make my fingerprints unrecognizable as mine.”
"It is possible, but unless you just have a hankerin' to find out for sure I'd say avoid touchin' too many things."
“shall we get down ot the cargo dock."
The Ranger nodded in response and then took hold of the ape-man's arm. Truth be told, s/he more than likely now could walk without falling or looking drunk, but the desire to be near the ape-man was too deeply rooted now. He didn't want to but at the same time couldn't resist the compulsion. L led the way to the truck loading/unloading area, and the Ranger pulled the door to the security room closed with the side of a female hand, to not leave prints. L remained close as they continued down the hall and entered the loading area.
The room was basically an oversized garage. It had three large sliding doors and a concrete floor. In between the large doors were tall, steel racks loaded with crates and corrugated fiberboard boxes. The middle and closest doors had semis with attached trailers to them backed into place. The farther of the two had employees at work unloading the truck. The nearer of the two seemed to have no one around it, it would be their way out. Problem was if they wanted to leave fast with least negative attention than trying to hotwire the thing would be out of the question. Past the employees working away, unaware of the anything going on outside of their little world, was a small board on the wall. The board had three hooks and two long, automobile keys hung from the hooks.
>>"I love knowledge. I’ll tell you as much as you could want to know, first things first..."
Ka-ching! Lenna listened intently as they hurried along
>>"I don’t know if you believe that your abilities are due to an xgene, but they aren’t. You are technically human, but I still think you are more than that, I know a man who’s aura is absolute…I wouldn’t have my tail for instance…I would loose even more of my bulk."
More than that? Hmm. Her eyes cut across Michael's back as he worked at frying the computer. For a while there, she'd been worried what he were saying was true... that she was a 'mutant', 'different', 'beyond'. Not... that that was a bad thing. To be superior to anybody in skill alone was enough for Lenna. To call one's self superior in genetic typing... was a bit hasty. When she'd heard Johnathon's mention of his powers having something done to them, seen Domingo's difficulties in using the full scale of his strengths in her presence... noted certain slap-worthy parties' inabilities to use their abilities as she waited impatiently... the thought had crossed her mind. What if I am?
What if she was?
So what? Big deal. Who'd fight over that?
It wasn't the worst thing if she just-so-happened to be a mutant. There were certain strengths should could play to her favor in that case... but as he was saying,she wasn't. So Lenna bit her lip, and dismissed countless hours of wondering as 'pointless pondering', then moved on.
So, she was different. Different than another so-called 'adapted' the dressing giant had mentioned. An adapted with an aura, absolute... so, the ability of an adapted was contained within an aura?
"An aura..." Lenna mouthed breathlessly.
And some auras were full. Others, weren't? And the aura canceled out mutations within its radius.
Aura, radius, mutation negation, new gene. Michael was moving away from the security station now, and her walking information source was putting on his shirt. Lenna pulled her best frosty look of appeasement out as Michael walked away from the camera records, and wiped down the door's handle.
~~~"Good thinking." She nodded.
Lenna turned to face her source again, brow furrowed to follow up with the question "Humanity's claim?"
She stepped out the doorway, and led them down the hall, towards the loading area, thoughts ringing in her mind.
"So, you're saying there are more than one of these 'adapteds...?" Lenna asked slowly as they approached the cargo area. She glanced back over her shoulder at Michael and Mars. Still friendly. Hmm. "And that one did a full negation, while I do less... how is that more than him?" If negation were a benefit, her half-negation would have been deemed less-useful than his, right?
Lenna sneaked a peek around the corner, into the cargo area. Two semi-trucks backed in, and three doors. The furthest of the trucks away from them had workers nearby. The closest was currently unattended. Three doors, racks of crates, employees, and... her eyes zoned in to the wall-mounted key rack across the way.
Lenna poked Michael in the shoulder, and pointed towards the rack. She mouthed the word 'keys'.
The body Michael was in appeared to deal in magnetism. This was more on Michael's level than hers. Lenna took a step back into the hallway with the source, and met his gaze with her eyes. "Just how long do you think my 'radius' of aura is...?"
~~"In short, I'm, uh, not quite myself at the moment. "
She knew damn well he hated answers that weren’t answers at all…then again. If she really wasn’t herself , she wouldn’t know would she. He put the statement on the pile of red flags and WTF’s he’d been collecting today.
“Fair enough.”
**"An aura..."
Mars nodded. “ like a magic circle of protection around little ole you, keeping big bad things like scary old me on an even field.” He smiled at his fairy tale reference. He would have said little red you….but, he was typically the red one.
~~"It is possible, but unless you just have a hankerin' to find out for sure I'd say avoid touchin' too many things."
“You’re right Charge,”Her name said with a little bit less of the fondness in it then, he had been putting on it. He was starting to feel like ‘not being herself was a bit too accurate’ something twisted in his stomach.
“Though, if we get a chance I want to find out,” he said up to Lenna, it’d take her participation.
**"Humanity's claim?"
Mars nodded slightly, he forgot so often that not everyone held the order’s disdain for humanity. “In evolution, when one species separates into a superior and inferior subgroups, if the inferior subgroup wants a chance at survival, it too has to find away to improve its chances. If Adaptation isn’t an evolutionary swipe at Mutation I don’t know what is.”
"So, you're saying there are more than one of these 'adapteds...?"
“yeah, I have heard of at least three others. The guy I know included in the three, I could put you in touch with the guy, if you wanted.” He made the statement and killed two birds with one stone, his offer to set Lenna on Jacen’s scent and testing how much of Lori was left in there….and by the devil may care attitude she was listening to the conversation, she either didn’t give a damn about Jacen anymore, She wasn’t actually paying attention or She wasn’t actually herself.
"And that one did a full negation, while I do less... how is that more than him?"
~~“from a mutant stand point, you are less of a threat; I could work around you, live in the same building as you. I wouldn’t feel any more threatened around you than any other mutant.” He paused. “You have one of my hands tied behind my back. He blind folds me and tosses me in manacles. Your adaptation is merely a hand on my throat, where his is suffocating me instantly. To Mutants you are merely another dangerous part of life, where as I have heard more than one mutant say the sentiment, that they’d rather kill the guy, then let him turn them human. So, In this instance less is way more. Your aura is seen as a benefit more to those that see mutation as a nuisance. Though there are a plenty of mutants that wouldn’t mind visiting the normalcy, that your aura would offer. Also, if the mutant doesn’t physically show they are a mutant like me, Take Charge here, she might just think she was drained around you and not give it another thought. Around that guy, any mutant is going to know something is wrong. Some mutants would die in his aura, where as yours would more than likely give them a chance to get out of your aura before they died.”
"Just how long do you think my 'radius' of aura is...?"
“I’d say four and a half to five and a half feet at most; judging from moving around earlier, we can pin it down after all this is done.”he judged the bagginess of his clothing, they were lucky that man was fat. “ you know what we can settle it now.” He put his hands on her shoulders lining her up in one of the one foot tiles and right at the edge. And took one, two, three, four, five and just as he cleared the back line of the fifth tile, he puffed up like a rooster letting the hens know who was in charge. The buttons of his shirt popped off at the wrists and would have at the neck if he bothered buttoning it. his pant legs were tight and a bit high watered for his taste, but nothing ripped…which was also good to know. He smiled at her. “five foot it is. And I’m not naked this time around. So we are swiping the first truck? I’ll get the bay door open, and check if we should go for a fast get away or not.” Mars slipped in and out of Lenna’s Aura and swapped color and size appropriately. He walked down all the way to the doors. He looked like the most definitive security that the mall had ever seen. Surprisingly no one noticed so far. He looked threw the glass panels and smiled as their luck held. He knelt down and undid the stops that held the door in and down and tossed the door up and back. It worked like the loading dock at the sanctuary. It went up and up and settle all the way back.
He turned around and went back to the truck and waited by the driver’s side leaning on the truck and waiting for the keys. He was in no rush to hop into the aura again and loose the ability to throw the truck he was now leaning on. Not that he was in a rush to stay away from Lenna either. Oddly enough it was Lori that had him thinking.
As they traveled to the door leading into the loading dock the ape-man went on talking about evolution and adaptation. Biology wasn't his best class back when he was in high school, but at least the comments stayed in the realm of 'stuff he paid attention to.' And as they approached the door they brought up the topic of another adapted. The Ranger was following the conversation since, as a mutant, knowing about people that could disable his power was relevant. And if he was to get his power back it would be a good thing to know about people around him before he did any heroics, and found himself seriously hurt because his reactive power was gone without him knowing it. And as he had nothing to add to the conversation he said nothing and aside from holding the ape-man's arm, which s/he know rather enjoyed, did nothing.
L looked around into the loading dock for moment and upon pulling her head back out of the garage like room she poked the Ranger in the shoulder and mouthed, 'keys' and then pointed them out across the way. L moved back into the hallway and the Ranger moved a little ways away from her. Roughly six or so feet. If she was weakening powers than it wold be best to try and be away from her while trying to sneak a pair of keys off a hook. The Ranger held out a female arm and focused on lifting the keys. The jingled a bit and then lifted, thankfully no one seemed to hear or care that the keys jingled. The key rose high into the air and then made it's way across the dock. And as it neared th Ranger, the ape-man to the door to the closes truck. The Ranger took hold of the key and moved to where if people looked around they wouldn't see a blond in a yellow dress. He assumed with the red again ape-man opening the door that someone would look around, the Ranger figured the uniform would keep people from asking questions of him, but if there was a visible pretty lady when they looked, well that might garner further attention.
The Ranger, key in hand, took a few noisy steps toward the truck. The damn heels refused to hit quietly on the concrete. The Ranger sighed and then stood there a moment hidden from the workers by a rack of boxes. He knew that a forklift would be moving around soon enough and it would mask the sound of heels being echoed around the large enclosed space. And sure enough one fired up, the Ranger took that opportunity to make his/her way over to the truck. The going was still a little clumsy but improved enough to not fall and at least half-look like a normal lady in heels.
Upon reaching the ape-man, the Ranger held out the keys to hand them to him. S/He knew that it wouldn't be him/her driving. Elle had warned the Ranger about that, the General was old enough to be an exception though. And this truck was not. "So will you be drivin' us out'a here, big guy?" The Ranger couldn't believe he just said that. It made him/her sound infatuated, and that is not at all how he wanted to sound. Yet, thanks to this body that it was becoming truth all the more.
>> “like a magic circle of protection around little ole you, keeping big bad things like scary old me on an even field.”
"So, wait... circle of protection, Red... you're kidding, right? That's way too quaint. In layman's terms, you're saying... a weakening field of protection against the powers held by mutants... " The next thought to come to her from what he'd said slipped out. "Humanity's claim?" Strange way to put it. What was he...
>>“In evolution, when one species separates into a superior and inferior subgroups, if the inferior subgroup wants a chance at survival, it too has to find away to improve its chances. If Adaptation isn’t an evolutionary swipe at Mutation I don’t know what is.”
Oh, yeah. Basic Darwinian theory. Evolution was a process governed by natural selection and descent with modification. The theory that species change over time, and that certain useful features have a chance at being passed on through reproduction was pretty basic. She'd scoped that book out ages ago when she first heard about mutants. His point rang true. "Makes sense." If one species fared poorer than another, its only chance at survival was to adapt, to find one field it excelled in, and surpass another group... or move on, and find a new home where the playing field was less stacked.
Which led to her next question. "So, you're saying there are more than one of these 'adapteds...?"
>>“yeah, I have heard of at least three others. The guy I know included in the three, I could put you in touch with the guy, if you wanted.”
Lenna took that offer in silently. She didn’t want to dismiss it up front. Instead, she nodded an affirmative, with a ‘maybe later’ tagged at the end. Perhaps, she’d check in on him later on? Right now, though the specifics of his ‘aura’ were a more pressing issue. "And that one did a full negation, while I do less... how is that more than him?"
She eyed the Source over her shoulder warily. Was there some personal opinion smuggled into his information?
>>“from a mutant stand point, you are less of a threat; I could work around you, live in the same building as you. I wouldn’t feel any more threatened around you than any other mutant.” He answered.
Lenna nodded. Bingo. There was some personal opinion. It was of note, though, that his statement had its merits. They could work together. That was good. And he wouldn’t feel any more threatened by her than ‘any other mutant’. Hrm… at the moment, that was also good. She didn’t want him threatened now! She nodded during the brief pause, and then he continued…
And said quite a bit.
One sentence stood out, and brought her to a pause.
>>To Mutants you are merely another dangerous part of life, where as I have heard more than one mutant say the sentiment, that they’d rather kill the guy, then let him turn them human.
So, Adapteds… could really do that. Take a mutant’s full power away. Lenna frowned at the thought, face turned ahead and away from the giant so he wouldn’t see it. To take that away… Domingo had been so shocked when his powers had failed him even slightly. To take them away… And when he’d been levitating. Jesus. If an Adapted with a larger aura than hers had been around, he might have fallen… straight into the cement. That was a hazard. She was… merely a dampening rod? Or… a filter? Her aura was like water used to dilute an active ingredient. And this ‘full negation’ man was a solvent that ate away at the entirety… And took away a mutant’s power.
For good? She’d have to ask soon. If he held the power to take a mutation away for good… wow. That was not good. Some mutants built their entire identities on their powers… their entire lives, and… hmph. It was good the source was speaking words of praise for Lenna’s own abilities. She was a good ‘bad thing’. And that other adapted was a ‘baaaaad bad thing’. OK.
Less of a threat… and of potential usage in those mutants who wish a respite from the more detrimental effects of their powers… She could get behind that. Lenna wanted to cross her arms and dismiss all the bad thoughts of what would happen if her power suddenly grew, and killed the only benefit she had over Him. She settled for hugging her chest, and glancing back at who Charge was hanging on.
“Some would ‘die’? Ugh… perish that thought. So, I’m okay then?”
She glanced around the corner to eye the scene with the stocking area. Her dialogue’s volume dropped down a couple notches as she gave the non-verbal commands to Michael to do what he did so well. As she popped back towards her walking text book, Lenna looked him in the eye. The next question was important. Darn it, in certain situations, it could be paramount.
"Just how long do you think my 'radius' of aura is...?"
>>“I’d say four and a half to five and a half feet at most; judging from moving around earlier, we can pin it down after all this is done.” Lenna opened her mouth. His followup shut it for her. “You know what we can settle it now.”
His hands were heavy on her shoulders as he shifted her into place, lining her up with one of the tiles on the floor. Lenna moved passively, glancing down to make sure she was standing right. Her bangs slid down to mask half her face as she kept watch. Heels clicked. There. She looked up at him as the pink giant stepped away. One step, two steps… all the way to five.
He grew. She’d of made a witty simile if she hadn’t been so focused on the situation. This was far too important to forget.
>>“five foot it is.”
Lenna brushed her bangs from her eyes as she nodded. “Got it.”
And he wasn’t naked this time. Which was good. Were they swiping the first truck? Lenna nodded. “Uh huh.” Why did she suddenly feel shy?
It must’ve been the fact she’d just been pegged as something new and unique… and still didn’t know what all that entailed.
Mars walked past her, and Lenna followed him with her eyes, turning her body to keep them aligned. Stomp, stomp, stomp. With unnatural finesse, he walked straight into the workers’ lines of sight and undid the doors. Was it really that simple? Lenna took a few steps forward, and got within 7 feet of Mars before she stopped. She’d let him stay red for a little longer… yeah. Red was a good color.
She glanced back at The Ranger, who’d moved a little ways towards the truck, and caught the glint of keys. Footsteps echoed a bit too much. Lenna would have to teach her how to be a better him in high heels, come hell or high water… a fork lift moved in the loading area to mask the sound. Finally, Michael rejoined them. She held out the keys for the giant, and Lenna raised an eyebrow.
>> "So will you be drivin' us out'a here, big guy?"
Yes. Lessons. He’d be getting all sorts of lessons… and counciling, soon enough. Lenna took the final few steps to cut the distance between all three. The giant shrunk and lost coloration to an inaudible sigh. It had to happen sooner or later.
Lenna set a friendly hand on FemmeRanger's shoulder and nodded affirmation. “Good work.”
When he was big and red, hardly anyone disagreed with him, much less questioned him. Plus he had this nifty disguise, never mind the fact that they had never scene the giant red security guard before. Maybe he was new, they’d wonder but with a grimace even the friendliest soul could be intimidated into walking away.
>> "So will you be drivin' us out'a here, big guy?"
~~“Good work.”
“sure, why not. And I agree sweetheart, good stuff.” He wondered idly if they were stealing a shipment as well as a truck and if so what merchandise they were getting, if it was clothes he’d gladly take it and stock the sanctuary up with extras. He unlocked the cab and offered the ladies a helping hand up, Lenna first; he wanted the saucy Lori next to him that was a little bit more like it. and she did know she wasn’t driving, so she had to have some memory of who she was…could it have been that Charge had a mental mutation and Lenna’s presence was messing with who Lori was? She did seem more her self a second ago.
Once the happy little trio was in the truck and buckled they would see how bad traffic was from a whole new point of view. He wouldn’t even be able to use their size to get people out of his way, they didn’t want excess attention.
The Ranger had offered the keys to the ape-man and immediately following that L stepped up and set he hand on the Ranger's female shoulder, nodded, and then said, "Good work."
After which the ape-man added, “sure, why not. And I agree sweetheart, good stuff."
The friendliness of her touch and the boosting of the presently low ego drew out a slight smile the Ranger. The ego boost of course was greater than it would have been from the ape-mans comment had it not been for the increasingly greater sway of the female Id. The Ranger looked to L and then turned his/her head back to the ape-man as s/he spoke, "Thank yall."
The ape-man then proceeded to unlock and open the door to the truck's cab. L was offered a hand into the cab and climbed in first. The Ranger second. Perhaps the ape-man was doing this on purpose so that s/he would sit next to him on the bench style seat. The Ranger enjoyed that thought, and hated that he enjoyed it. The Ranger graciously accepted the help into the cab. Under normal circumstances he would not have taken the help for something like this, but today he found himself a good seven inches shorter, a woman, and taking a fancy to the one offering the help.
Having climbed up into the cab with the ape-man's, aid the Ranger slid across the seat and settled in the middle next to L. For a moment the Ranger thought how it was good that s/he wouldn't have to hang onto the ape-man for help walking, and yet that also gave the Ranger a strange sadness.
The ape-man followed them into the cab and the Ranger reached on his/her right for the seatbelt and pulled it across his female waist to click it on the left. Problem being the old design of the buckle was prone to have mechanical issues. The tongue of seatbelt went in at an off angle and became jammed. Pulling the thing free proved a bit of a challenge, the joints in the forearms were still obstinate and doing a task where more dexterity was required was proving difficult. "Damn wires..." The Ranger muttered to his/herself as s/he finally fixed the stupid thing.
The seatbelt finally fixed the Ranger sat back and looked at the ape-man. The intention was to announce that s/he had fixed the belt and was ready to go, but stopped. A thought had worked its way into the Ranger's head. S/He wanted to kiss the ape-man. No reason why, just that it seemed like it would feel right.
Heels clicked against the edge of the truck as Lenna let their soon-to-be-driver help her up. She slid into the side of the truck's cab, and buckled in. The two duffel bags slid over her lap. She forced them down under her feet with a grunt.
>>"Damn wires..."
Lenna's eyes snapped to the blond in yellow as she wrestled with her seatbelt. Her eyebrow rose. "Need hel-- oh, you got it. Never mind." Her eyes shifted back towards the open doors ahead of them. Still nobody shouting... Lenna thought to herself. Just then, as if on cue.
"Hey! What're you people doing in the truck!? That isn't your truck... that's Johnny's! The hell?"
Oh, joy. Her eyes cut towards the right side of the loading area. One man had shouted, and now the whole crew was on their toes. Too bad they were already too late. Good for them, though. Lenna's attention snapped over to the Ranger and friend. "Drive!"
As the truck pulled forward out the loading bay doors, Lenna wiggled her fingers in front of the window. A final wave.
Mars watched appreciatvely as Lori got into the truck and then pulled him self up and in, He pretended that he didn't see the look that she was giving him, but was pleased that she was sending him that sort of signal, at least somewhere she knew that she cared about him even if she was being loopy. Both Lenna and Mars watched as Lori had a bit of trouble and just as it seemed both of them would help she succeeded. He was about to make a bit of banter to the two women as they had just walked out and into the bay and were about to walk away with an obscene amount of product from the company.
He even was unaware about the man complaining about johnny's truck getting hijacked. It was about the time that Lenna was shouting to drive that his heavy foot hit the gas petal and the large truck plunged into an alley way. He was about to get this escape started right, but the wise man would hide in plan sight so, while he sped down the alleyway away from the employees, he slowed to a reasonable pace as they crept on to the street. he made a right turn, forcing his way into traffic and easily enraging a cabbie. it didn't make him feel bad, that was just how cabbies were, always angry about somebody else driving like them.
He got into the right lane and was forcing his way left. Traffic was almost closed off due to a couple of cop cars,double parked in the right lane setting up a trap for some crooks coming out of Macy's. what kind of criminal hit a Macy's, honestly? and so the big machine forced the smaller automobiles out of the way and he tried to get a bit more space between them and the police officers that were so close but so far from catching their query...or at least spotting it.
Mars took a deep breath. " I'll start putting a bit more urgency on this thing once we clear a couple blocks, if we do get spotted, you are gonna have to get in the driver's seat"He looked to Lenna for a moment to insure that she kne he was speaking to her." I'll hop out and try to secure your get away. hopefully though. the doc isn't calling the cops on us now."
The Ranger's focus had turned inward to his/her own thoughts. A simple thought about kissing the ape-man had grown and were they not fleeing the police s/he would have acted on it. S/He just hoped that neither the ape-man nor L noticed the allured stare. The Ranger was brought back out of his/her thoughts by L 's sudden command, "Drive!"
Having no idea what was happening after being snapped back to the task at hand, the Ranger looked around. Had the Ranger's thoughts not still been distracted s/he might have realized that L demanding them move suddenly was warranted by someone noticing their commandeering of the semi. Finally, after the ape-man had launched the commercial truck into motion the Ranger saw L wiggle her finger to people outside and knew that they were why she called out for them to move.
The ape-man maneuvered into traffic rather effectively for driving such an over sized vehicle. When he had moved the semi into traffic the Ranger began to fiddle with the CB radio. Jumping around the radiowaves leaving it on a frequency only long enough to hear a few words.
" 'll start putting a bit more urgency on this thing once we clear a couple blocks, if we do get spotted, you are gonna have to get in the driver's seat. I'll hop out and try to secure your get away. hopefully though. the doc isn't calling the cops on us now."
The Ranger stopped adjusting the radio, s/he had found a frequency that would suffice. "Hopefully we can avoid having to do that. I found a station used by truckers, they communicate about the location of cops so they can navigate around them. So all we have to do is listen in." Besides s/he would hate it if the ape-man just up and left, even if it was to aid L and him/herself.
The semi truck pulled out the alley way gracefully, and barreled into traffic. Lenna glanced at the Macy's behind them in the rear view side mirror. Angry fist-shaking aside, they'd done alright. They were out of the department store and on the road. A sigh escaped her lips as she caught her reflection in the side mirror. Lenna blew up a strand of frazzled hair.
Today had been a mess. She'd failed at pick up lines, picked up trouble, and followed it right out into the path of gunfire and shopping racks. It was days like that that taught you who you were... and how severely you could screw things up.
Very severely, judging from the police vehicles double parked in the right lane. But at least she'd learned something beneficial. The word 'Adapted' still rang in her head. What it meant, and what she could do with it, stretched before her like an endless parking lot of binders... and each binder was filled with a new possibility.
And speaking of possibilities. Lenna glanced at their designated driver as he spoke a few lines.
>>" I'll start putting a bit more urgency on this thing once we clear a couple blocks, if we do get spotted, you are gonna have to get in the driver's seat." He looked at her to let her know she was his target. " I'll hop out and try to secure your get away. hopefully though. the doc isn't calling the cops on us now."
Lenna opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off.
>>"Hopefully we can avoid having to do that. I found a station used by truckers, they communicate about the location of cops so they can navigate around them. So all we have to do is listen in."
Her eyes fell on the CB radio. If only it was that simple. Lenna glanced out the window with a sigh. "Fine. Though if we do get spotted, I think I'd rather switch to a less-conspicuous vehicle..." They stood out in this one like a red giant at Macy's... the fact she couldn't drive a semi truck rode back seat on this issue. It just wouldn't do to stand out.
The big truck eased down the road and slowly made its way, stealthy as a sneaky water buffalo. The light turned yellow and the car infront of him actually slowed...they were almost off the block and they had to be behind the one car that actually yielded to a yellow, didn't they know yellow meant press down the Gas petal. he pumped the breaks bring them to a close stop that left their truck threatening to run over the little car in front of them.
>>"Hopefully we can avoid having to do that. I found a station used by truckers, they communicate about the location of cops so they can navigate around them. So all we have to do is listen in."
"You mean that, smokey on the mountain stuff is real, sweetheart?"
~~"Fine. Though if we do get spotted, I think I'd rather switch to a less-conspicuous vehicle..."
"Sounds like a good Idea, speaking of which, where do we want to go? The sanctuary is a good safe house, the cops would even drop off once we got with in a couple of blocks. The subway is kind of a moot point if we have a truck."
Their luck seemed to hold even as the CB chatter suggested a lot of police officers were answering a call in the inner city. but he wouldn't count on it to keep going. "So?" his fingers tapped on the steering wheel in irritation as the light stayed red. " what kind of loot do you think we got?" He idly wondered what they just ripped off from Johnny. His eyes glanced back in forth. left rear view, light, right rear view,light.
"You mean that, smokey on the mountain stuff is real, sweetheart?"
The Ranger laughed at the botching of the movie title, "Smokey and the Bandit. And yeah, during the 70's when speed limits lowered to 55 nationwide truckers took to using these to avoid speed traps."
L then chimed in that if they were spotted that she'd rather they switch to a less conspicuous vehicle. Which the ape-man answered back with, "Sounds like a good Idea, speaking of which, where do we want to go? The sanctuary is a good safe house, the cops would even drop off once we got with in a couple of blocks. The subway is kind of a moot point if we have a truck."
The Sanctuary. The Ranger had heard of the place, it was that mutant friendly place with golden doors. Beyond that all the Ranger knew was that, according to Hyde, the mutant he encountered in that bank and later at King Pharmaceuticals, Meld, had stayed there a while. The question was, why would the police not follow criminals into the area of it. The ape-man obviously knew Elle, though he called her Charge, it wasn't to far of a leap to reach the conclusion that Elle may have some tie to the Sanctuary. Thus making it a decent place to look for the woman in the Ranger's body, or at least clues as to where she might go. Yet, going somewhere that many people know Elle well could prove problematic. "If it'll shake any police than I vote for headin' that way."
"So?" " what kind of loot do you think we got?"
"I'd guess clothes, but that of course is assumin' it hadn't been unloaded yet."
Sitting there while the truck was stopped at a red light the thought came again of kissing the ape-man. And now that they were stopped at a light there was the chance. Giving into the desires of the body the Ranger's female arm rose, guiding the hand to the ape-man's head. Turing the head, the Ranger sat up higher and then directed the ape-man's head closer until their lips met. The Ranger's male mind had once again been subverted by the body.