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.
Member of the X-Men Mansion Swim Teacher MRC Detective
Seablue
Heterosexual
Married to Gemma
2,231
469
Sept 9, 2024 10:46:38 GMT -6
Jorge
“Viva con dios,” the detective whispered once the starlet and the lawyer were out of the cab.
The drive there was long one, but at least they were now gone. He doubted he would be able to hold his tongue much longer in the presence of that woman. Better to offer the lawyer as a sacrificial lamb to her, than himself or even the scarred woman.
He watched silently as they disappeared into the building and Jorge then spied the other brunette come around to climb into the backseat with him. It was better than constantly forcing her to turn around and talk to him. After all, they were going to be going to a place that possibly held the answers to a lot of what happened tonight. At least that is what the man hoped. If they were wrong…they were going to be back to square one.
A brow arched as the woman climbed into the backseat of the taxi with him, rambling about their experience with the diva…
>> "Shoot me, stab me but dear God don't ever let me chain myself to one of those two ever again."[/color]
He smirked as he nodded his head. “Don’t worry, you even need anyone to shoot you, you can count on me.”
It was a joke…probably an ill-timed joke, but his small sly smile showed that it was a joke indeed. Though this was the woman who stole his memories…he was not sure but he did not think her actions were done maliciously. Whether that really was how it happened, he did not know. But something about the way they interacted seemed to show that maybe they were on the same page. But if they were…why the memory wiping?
It was getting to confusing now.
He nodded to the taxi cab driver as the brunette gave him the address and off they went towards their next destination.
***
>> “You can arrest me if that would make you feel better."
The statement was sudden and out of the blue. The cab ride to Wheeler’s Bus Depot was quiet and the two barely looked at each other, but at least they were not arguing. After the incident at the watering hole where they stormed away from one another, Jorge had a feeling that they would not getting along well at all. But their feud seemed to have died down the second he made the peace offering of drying off her clothes. Since then they seemed to be in more an agreement than ever.
Jorge watched the cab driver raise a brow as he looked into the rearview mirror before shifting his eyes back to the road. The detective then turned to look at her and sighed while he nodded.
“Unlawful use of a mutant power on a police officer…yeah…” he said as he kept his attention on the dark, passing world outside. “That’s definitely an arrestable offence.” Absently mindedly he cracked his knuckles as he watched the cab get closer to their destination. “But let’s see what’s in the locker first.”
It must has sounded a little surprising to woman. Jorge this whole had probably been the most grizzly of the bunch, not trusting the woman, wanting all the answers right now, then to hear that he was not going to arrest her just yet? Maybe he was starting to get soft. Truth was he was highly interesting in knowing what was in that locker. It had to hold some answers as to what happened tonight.
Once they had entered Brooklyn, Jorge turned and decided it was better to be civil towards her. Conversation was not all bad in times like this. There was only so long they could stare at the city go by.
“Gage, correct?” he asked as he turned to face her. “You said you name was Gage, Federal agent, if I remember correctly?”
> “Don’t worry, you even need anyone to shoot you, you can count on me.”
"If I turn out to be a bad guy, I may hold you to that."
If she ever did need someone to put her down, this man had said it. He was joking. She was not. How could she continue if she could not trust herself? What could she do but offer herself up to be punished? Jail wasn't appealing, but if she turned herself in to RUPERT they could have her sent to the MaxSec Adapted prison. Which she doubted they would.
That place was reserved for the worst of the worst. And RUPERT would still want to use her even if she was broken. Maybe someone would take responsibility for her, though... like this cop. Then she would have no excuses at all. She wouldn't have to because he'd be there with a gun in his hand. She shuddered and this time it had nothing to do with her goosebumps.
Too much was riding on this locker. They needed to get there already.
"I would think the bureau would have something to say about 'unlawful use of a mutant power on a police officer.' Probably something along the lines of 'Good job' assuming... I was on a job, that is."
>“You said you name was Gage, Federal agent, if I remember correctly?”
"Not that I could prove that anymore than you could prove your cop-ness. I know you're for real, though. It's in the way you sit, the way your eyes scan a situation and in your voice." A truthful voice.
Finally, finally they pulled to a stop.
"Should I wipe the cabby?" She smiled a rueful smile at the cop. Neither of them had any money and no doubt he was jumping to some conclusions of his own. "I think there's cash in the locker." Just to take that off the table as a possible motivator for her possible future crime.
Member of the X-Men Mansion Swim Teacher MRC Detective
Seablue
Heterosexual
Married to Gemma
2,231
469
Sept 9, 2024 10:46:38 GMT -6
Jorge
>> "I would think the bureau would have something to say about 'unlawful use of a mutant power on a police officer.' Probably something along the lines of 'Good job' assuming... I was on a job, that is."[/i]
Jorge cracked another smile. “Touche,” he said.
It was true, cops and federalis rarely got along well. Cops saw them as opportunistic show stealers while Feds saw cops as uncivilized grunts. At least with his experience, that is how he knew federal agents to act. Even back in Miami, the few times he would have to deal with them, the incidents rarely went well; insults would fly, names called, it was like being back in the playground.
This occasion was not turning out to be anything like that though…well not now anyways. He knew he was going to have to start trusting the woman at least a little bit, and that meant that she was going to have to trust him in turn.
FINALLY they had reached their destination after more uncomfortable talk and watching the darkness of the city flow by. Before they knew it, Jorge could see the blaring, neon lights of Wheeler’s Bus Depot sitting directly outside the window. Now was the time for truth, to hopefully find something, anything that could point them in the right direction about what happened…
>> "Should I wipe the cabby?"[/i]
“What?”
Jorge was shaken from his thoughts by the woman’s blatant statement. Jeez, was his just crazy about wiping people’s memories? For a second he began to wonder if she skipped out on dates, meals, and other various place where she could simply make someone forget that she was every there! Talk about your dine-and-dashes. Though for the moment it sounded good… Nah.
He just shook his head. “I think you’ve done enough for one night.” he said as he nodded for her to get out of the car.
“Hey, no one is getting outta here until I get my money! I drove all the way to Brooklyn!”
“We’re gunna go get your money right n-“ Jorge started to say as he began to climb out.
“No you don’t! I’ve heard that one before!” the cabbie said as he locked the doors. “I’m calling the cops.”
Jorge, too tired to hear this anymore, sighed. “Listen buddy! I am the cops. Now I’m going to go get your money, but I’ve had a HELL of a long night. I wake up in the back of a trunk, handcuffed, in the dark, to Kitten-Lawyer and the walking MiB agent here, with no memory as to what happened. The very last thing you need to do is get in my damn way.”
The cabbie…eyes wide staring at them, meekly reached over and flipped the unlock switch.
Jorge took a breath as he reached over, opened his door and smiled as sweet as pie as could to the cabbie. “Now…wait right here. We’ll be back. Good tip in it for ya.”
He sighed as he climbed out of the taxi. The cold night air hit him fast and hard and he inadvertently shivered. But as he turned to look over the roof of the cab at Gage, he arched an eyebrow at the expression on her face.
It kind of pleased her, in a sick self-tormenting kind of way, that he was so offended that she would wipe the cabby's memory with such little thought for what he would be losing. He probably didn't remember that it cost her the same as what it would cost the cabby.
And of course, just in case there was anything that the cabby didn't know, now he did.
Noel rolled her eyes at the cop's back as he made his way out of the cab. She slid across the seat after him, but paused when her lips were near the ear of the driver. "Taxi cab confidentiality, right?" She wasn't good at threats or womanly wiles or anything like that, but the guy swallowed hard. That of course wouldn't keep him from protesting when they wanted to leave without paying.
She'd always wanted to say that. 'I am the cops' Noel tried to be a good girl. The MiB agent folded her hands behind her aching, scratched up back and looked as intimidating as her abused suit and empty holster would let her.
> “What?”
"I'm being intimidating." Or in pain. One or the other. She unhooked her hands from behind her back and sulked toward the bus station. "Look, it's my job to keep my job a secret. Kind of goes against the grain to let somebody off the hook." She chewed that over for half a second before she continued. "But... I guess he might not know enough to get himself into trouble."
The agent pulled the glass door open and held it for the cop. Secretly, she was hoping that she had stashed a change of clothes for herself. It was unlikely since the whole handcuffing situation seemed a bit desperate. All of her brooding showed on her face even if none of it came out of her mouth.
"Uhh. What's the number on that key?" The lockers were off to the left lining the walls and in a couple rows. There were hundreds of them so if it didn't have a number, they were kind of hosed. The rest of the scenery of artfully poised potted plants and benches with hobos or nearly hobos may as well have been painted on for all Noel cared.
Member of the X-Men Mansion Swim Teacher MRC Detective
Seablue
Heterosexual
Married to Gemma
2,231
469
Sept 9, 2024 10:46:38 GMT -6
Jorge
>> "I'm being intimidating..;Look, it's my job to keep my job a secret. Kind of goes against the grain to let somebody off the hook…But... I guess he might not know enough to get himself into trouble.” [/i]
The detective arched his brow again and had to stifle back the chuckle that wanted to erupt from his throat. It was a little humorous to watch this woman attempt to put on the tough guy guise. It was not that she could not pull it off, simply that right now really did not seem to be the time for it. They were close to getting back something, some peace of their forgotten past and the last thing they needed was to draw attention to themselves by acting all tough and scary to the general populace.
But before he could continue with his thought though, Jorge paused as he stood outside the cab. A familiar feeling had washed over him and he paused to look around. There, near the entrance to the bus depot, he could see it, and apparently feel it. In the courtyard was a large statue…a fountain.
The water gurgled and fell from the statue’s mouth and into the small pool of water beneath it. It was only a cheap fountain, one that barely cost any money to make. But that was not what drew his attention…it was the fact that he could feel the water. He could feel the calling, beckoning bubbling of the water.
He was connected to his powers again. But…he leaned back and glanced into the taxi. The cabbie was still there, he knew Gage did not have a nullifying field, and he never felt this around the lawyer…that could only mean…
“Starlet…” he mumbled.
Before he knew it though the woman was walking ahead for the bus depot. Jorge jogged after her, then paused as she opened the door for him. Such civility was impressive. He nodded as he stepped in.
>> "Uhh. What's the number on that key?"
Taken away from the obviously low-grade setting of the bus depot, Jorge reached into his pocket and pulled out the single, orange capped key and looked it over. On the back end of it, it was etched with a black painted 96.
“96” he said with a nod. It was then that he went up to her and whispered. “That was weird, when we got out of the cab, I could feel my powers again. Not like when we first got in there…” he mumbled as his thoughts went back to Gemma. She gave off a field that halted his powers just like that…yet she was not here. Could it have been either the cab driver or the starlet that had the same gift as well? He did not know.
Come on…one crisis at a time… he thought as he walked on towards the lockers, keeping an eye out for the 96. This better hold the answer…it better…
96. That wasn't so bad if the numbers followed any logical progression. Noel jumped, actually jumped, when he whispered to her. She had to think back about what he had actually said. She just... wasn't expecting any kind of closeness and BAM— he'd been right there in her ear.
Her eyes went up toward the peeling popcorn ceiling as she thought about the content of his message rather than the delivery. That feeling, he was describing an Adapted. Blink. Her cheeks colored and the agent took long strides toward the lockers. Like she had hoped, the first one was numbered with a 001. She skipped the first row altogether, guessing that it wasn't 100 lockers long and went to check one of the smaller interior rows.
If the cabby had really been an adapted, as she had thought he was, she couldn't have wiped his memory at all. It was embarrassing to think that little fact hadn't taken hold in her brain at all. She'd forgotten. Maybe she was a little quick to use her power, but to be fair there was a very small population of people that could withstand it.
The locker she had been staring at was numbered 203. So she turned around and looked at the back wall's lockers until she found the 90's and eventually the number 96. Here it was, the moment of truth.
After the cop had the key in the lock she had a brief worry that it was a trap, but that moment passed when the door swung open to reveal a rather normal looking duffel bag. Black, like so many others in the bus depot.
"Your badge is in there." She would let him open it and handle all the contents. It would be up to him if she got her gun back or not. "I think anyway. I took all our identification away. The whiney Adapted chick helped me remember..."
Member of the X-Men Mansion Swim Teacher MRC Detective
Seablue
Heterosexual
Married to Gemma
2,231
469
Sept 9, 2024 10:46:38 GMT -6
Jorge
Jorge watched as the woman skittered back and forth. Apparently he had startled her when he whispered about the return of their abilities. It seemed as if she still did not trust him all that much, not that he could blame her. After all, they managed to wake up, handcuffed to one another, and a lawyer, in the back of the moving van. He could be just as much a part of the scheme as she seemed to him. He would make sure to keep from startling her too much in the future.
And off she went, searching for their locker. She looked like a fidgety bumblebee searching for nectar from flowers. She fluttered to and fro, seeking and looking until finally she seemed to find their correct locker.
Jorge ignored everyone else around as he came up behind her and peered over her shoulder.
In went the key…
And intake of a breath…
Then a turn of the wrist…
And…click…it opened.
Jorge was not exactly sure what he was expecting: a shrunken head, a stack of documents and hard drives, the Ark of the Covenant, who knows. But instead there was an ordinary, run of the mill duffle bag. It was black, made of the usual, duffly material and did looked pretty normal. It was as if any bus passenger had just dropped their stuff inside.
>> "Your badge is in there…I think anyway. I took all our identification away. The whiney Adapted chick helped me remember..."
Eye brow up, Jorge stepped forward, seemingly given permission to open the bag first. He had to admit that that was a classy move of hers. Maybe she was trying to gain some trust or respect, maybe she was simply too scared to open it first. Well, whatever the reason, Jorge decided to take her up on the offer, reached in and grabbed the zipper to the bag. For a moment he was scared himself of what was inside but, with a deep breath, he slid the zipper open.
Looking instead, Jorge began to move around objects: a couple of wallets, badges, his handcuffs, even his gun, as well as Gage’s. Apparently the woman had stashed everything in here…but why.
As he pulled the bag out, he reached in and handed the woman her wallet and badge again. “Claim what’s yours.” he said as he moved around a couple of objects. So far none of this was helping her case…until he saw something else gleaming underneath the materials. As he moved aside his familiar, black leather wallet, he paused as he reached in and pulled out a small, zip-lock bag. Within the clear, plastic material was a what looked like a mass…of small pills.
Curiously, Jorge held the baggie up and stared at the small pills, each engraved with an ornate “M” on them.
His gaze switched to her as he held the duffle bag to the side, her gun still within it. “I sure hope you can explain what these are.”
He gave her the eyebrow. That was a definite step up in politeness from the finger. Not that he had flipped her the bird before. He hadn't. He just looked like he might have wanted to. She was in comfortable territory getting quirked eyebrows. Not so comfortable without her gun, but at least one of them had one now.
And then he held up the pills.
Noel waited for a flash of recognition or a twinge that something was happening in her brain, but it seemed content not knowing what the little red circles did.
"There's one way to find out." The agent shrugged as her tone clearly implied that one of them should ingest some of those pills. For the sake of science, you know? She wasn't serious, of course.
Her own badge she flipped open to check before it went into her inner breast pocket. She had a notepad, a hermetically sealed paper pouch, an injector, gauze, a map... her items were all small but they were many."It must have been the lawyer's if you don't know." And what a scummy stripper he was turning out to be.
Noel was most excited to get her phone back. She scrolled through the menus expertly to get to her address book. "Jorge Cervantes, MRC detective investigating M. Is this your number?" She held up the phone to show him the screen. There he was, or a picture of him anyway. It looked as though he wasn't ready for the photo to be snapped or that it was taken without his consent. The exact phrase that she had just read was under his name and under that, his cell and work numbers.
"What was Kitten's name again?" She clicked through the pictures quickly, though and had found him almost as soon as she had asked. "Aurum Mellitus, store clerk and law student. Caution, Adapted partner. There's no number for Aurum, but I have his picture."
The pictures didn't bother her. She often liked candids instead of staged photos. It made people easier to recognize if they were being real. What bothered her was the lack of personal interaction notes. Maybe it was in paper? Those were easier to ditch later if she needed.
Noel went on to look through her other belongings for other clues forgetting that she was in a bus station with a practical stranger.
Member of the X-Men Mansion Swim Teacher MRC Detective
Seablue
Heterosexual
Married to Gemma
2,231
469
Sept 9, 2024 10:46:38 GMT -6
Jorge
Jorge watched the woman closely, reading her face and seeing that she really did not seem to know anything about the bag of pills he was holding in his hand. He wanted to believe her, he really did, and maybe she was right. Maybe it did belong to the lawyer. He did look rather squirrely and did not object to being called ‘Kitten’ too much. It was entirely possible that the man had been pulled into a dangerous world of drugs and dominatrixes…
Huh…maybe that explains how Starlet knew him…She was domineering enough…
A second and Jorge had to literally shake his head to remove the images from them. Thankfully gage aided in helping him forget the idea as well with her own question…
>> "Jorge Cervantes, MRC detective investigating M. Is this your number?"[/i]
Hearing his name, he returned to reality and looked down at the bright, cell phone screen. That was indeed his name, his picture, and his number. How did she know all of that about him?
“Wait,” he said as he looked into the bag, removed his gun and secretly placed it back into his holster as to not terrify the public. “How do you have all that information in your phone?”
He paused, looking at her closely. He really was not liking this at all. This whole notion of not remember how he knew this woman, or really what she knew about him. Apparently she had either done her research, or they knew each other in some way, shape or form from before. But if that were true, then why would she deliberately erase his memory? Unless they were enemies…
Another pause, another second of looking at her and he handed her the duffle bag so she could get out her gun. There was no going back in the trust issue now. It was simply out of the question. He needed her to find answers…
Especially with what was nagging most at him now…what the hell was “M”? From whatever her notes said, he had apparently been investigating it, but as of right now, he really had no idea what it could be. He wanted to pose the question to her, but he supposed it was better to save that for later. Right now, he was being bombarded with too much information and he needed a way to sort it. His desk at work had to have the answers, that was the only place left. He knew he had a habit of hanging his current cases on his bulletin board. Whatever this “M” was referring to he was investigating, then it had to be up there…it simply had to be.
>> "Aurum Mellitus, store clerk and law student. Caution, Adapted partner. There's no number for Aurum, but I have his picture."[/i]
He glanced once more at her phone and spied another candid picture of the Kitten Lawyer. “I hope you realize how bad you are at taking pictures?” he spied te look on her face and shrugged. “Just saying, don’t quit your day job. If you can remember what it is.”
As she scrolled through her phones listing he paused when he saw a familiar name…Gemma T. The candid photo showed an extremely well know, dark skinned, soft eyed woman that he knew well…intimately well. It was Gemma, his girlfriend and someone he cared immensely for. How did Gage know her?
He wanted to ask her, he wanted to demand at least some answers instead of being overloaded with questions…but instead something caught his eye. He glanced about and noticed a trio of men walk resolutely into the bus terminal, very tough, very gun-for-hire, type of looks of them. For some reason the detective could not take his eyes off them as they seemed to be storming through the terminal, glancing about as if they were bloodhounds on the search for something.
It could have been nothing more than his paranoia, but the detective really did not want to wait around and find out.
He took Gage by the shoulder, spun her around and pulled her away from the lockers. “I think we need to keep moving. I’d rather we did not stay in one open place for too long. We have no idea who might still be looking for us…” he explained and continued to lead her away, in the back of his mind, praying that those men had nothing to do with whatever it was they were mixed up in.
"This phone is my life. I have to take notes because it's my job to forget things. Before that it was a palm pilot PDA. What a clunker." There was a hint of pride for the sleek little device in her hands. It was in a case so dense that it could survive the abuse she handled day to day. The way she handled it, it was clear that she and her phone were rarely parted.
He handed her the duffle with a lump of steel still in it. She did look up from her phone then. "You don't even want to take the bullets?" She hadn't been expecting to get her gun back at all. Was he stupid? Or did he have enough faith in the institution that her status as a Federal Agent meant that she had some official reason for taking his memory?
Noel looked at him. Really looked at him. Well... there was really only one way to find out.
"Do you trust me as a person or are you trusting the powers that be?" She checked her safety while the matte black metal was still in the bag and then tried to slip it into a holster that was loose and dangling around her waist after her trip across the asphalt. She ended up wedging it in her pocket. That was safer than gangsta style. She didn't want the gun going off accidentally.
Her nose wrinkled at the cop when he criticized her photos. "Ha. Ha. Very. Funny." She reached automatically to get the phone back. Maybe to comfort its poor trampled feelings.
But the cop had her shoulder now. Her mouth opened and he supplied words quickly before she could get anything out. She shut her trap. He was on point and focused. His words tasted true. Keep moving. "Where to?" Rather than letting herself be steered, she ducked her shoulder, her very sore and crusty shoulder, under his grip so that she could fall into step next to him.
"What do you see?" She didn't want to look around and tip anyone off, but they were headed deeper into the terminal. There were busses there but not much else. If they didn't get on one it might definitely tip someone off. Noel touched the cop's elbow and indicated a big metal bus that showed a local stop.
Well... he did say that he wanted to keep moving...
"My phone?" She held out her hand out just in front of the bus doors so that he could not enter without paying her fee. It was her life. She had already said as much before.
Member of the X-Men Mansion Swim Teacher MRC Detective
Seablue
Heterosexual
Married to Gemma
2,231
469
Sept 9, 2024 10:46:38 GMT -6
Jorge
>> "Where to?...What do you see?"
“Winkin’, Blinkin’ and Nod,” he said, still trying to walk casually but he gestured behind him with a nod. “They came in as you were getting your stuff out of the bag.” He still tried to keep their pace causal looking, but nonetheless, hurried. “Might be nothing, but I’d rather not take any chances."
As they walked, he kept his eyes peeled, looking, imploring for something to something to appear and offer them sanctuary. It was not that he was scared of these men, he had taken down individuals far stronger than they looked, but until he got answers, he would rather that no one knew that they had escaped from the back of that van. It was simply easier for everyone to assume that they were still out on the road or attempting to hitchhike back deeper into the city.
It was then that he felt the small gesture on his elbow and looked in the direction she was indicating. Small, movable steel box with only one entrance and exit. It definitely not a good option, but it was the only one available to them. He nodded in agreement that that indeed should be their direction.
As Jorge stopped at the doors, he felt Gage’s eyes on him again. “What?”
>> "My phone?"[/color]
“Oh,” he arched a brow as he glanced at the phone still in his hands and handed it over to her. There was really little else sense he could make from it. He would have to hope that if she discovered anything else in her “notes” that she would deem it wise to fill him in.
He moved with her to the bus, began to climb and read the fare. Inwardly he shook his head; the bus fare these days were absolutely ridiculous. As he climbed in, leading the way, he pulled out his wallet, fished out a few dollar bills and fed them into the machine. At least Gage had not dumped his money after stealing his memories.
Once the fare was paid, he glanced back at Gage. “You can owe me the two-dollars.”
Casually he moved to the back of the bus, slinging the bag over the shoulder as he went. The faces of the few people riding the bus either glanced at him with indifference or did not look up at them at all. That was the one thing he could count on in New York, people rarely cared what the other did. He sighed as he took a seat and waited for Gage to join him. As soon as she did, he peered out the window and watched as two of the earlier thugs had run into the terminal and surveyed the scene. From his spot it seemed like they were cursing to themselves before they pulled their phones free and began to talk into them. Jorge would have loved to have known what they were saying, but unfortunately nothing could be heard. At least he was able to gather that they had not found them out here.
“Experience,” he finally said, still glancing out the window at the two remaining thugs. Where was the third? Jorge turned to Gage. “In answering your question about whether or not I trust you. Gage, I’ve been a cop for a long time, longer than I care to count,” he said with a small sigh, “In my time I have learned to trust only a few things and one of those things in my gut. Saved my hide a lot of times. So right now, my instinct is telling me…despite all appearances…that I can trust you.”
He said it with a tone of determination, one that showed little to no real signs of being on the fence anymore. He really believed his words. But as he watched for Gage’s reaction, a small smirk appeared on his lips before he spoke again.
“But trust me, Agent Gage,” he said with the same about of conviction. “You prove me wrong, I will throw your butt in the slammer without a second thought.”
“OH how cute!”
Jorge looked up and sighed a kindly, grandmother type lady as she shuffled down the aisle and sat in the seat that was across from them. She beamed as she looked over, spying Gage and Jorge. Her small, black looking eyes squinted through her glasses as she reached up and fixed her tightly wrapped bun of white hair.
“It is so good to see fathers and daughters still talking to eachother in this day and age!" she beamed, looking all proud of this supposed "family".
Noel opened her mouth. Noel shut her mouth. Then she looked at Jorge with new eyes. She had seen gray at the temples and noticed how he gave in to her and she had thought he was one of those cops that had grown complacent or gone soft. God knows, being a mutant in and of itself meant he was probably corrupt. But had he seen her as a daughter? Seen her as a young sprout just trying too hard to do her duty? Did he dote on her as a reward for telling the truth? Did she remind him of someone he knew?
It was hard to remember that most people had lives outside of their work.
There wasn't anything she could say to the old woman that wouldn't be a lie or sound like a lame attempt to disown her own father.
Geez! That would be bizarre to see her father here on this bus and in the middle of this mess!
"Something wrong, dear?" The crone sweetly intoned and Noel smiled despite her personal feelings about old people. As far as they went, this one was… sweet.
"No ma'am. I'm just lucky to have someone like him on my side." And that was the truth. She couldn't trust herself to take herself to jail, but this water mutant would in a heartbeat. The agent pat the woman's hand and her skin was paper thin. Had she not been partly out in the aisle when the doors started to close, he would never have seen her.
Nod, was it? The third and missing brute from the trio they were trying to dodge stuck his hand between the doors to keep them from closing completely and, despite the miffed driver, he stuffed a bill in the slot and found a seat right at the front of the metallic carriage.
He could wait. There was no getting off until the bus came to a stop.
Would he alert the others? By cell phone, probably. But would they be able to meet them at their destination in time? If they knew where to be…
"Do you have any kids? I would love for you to show me some pictures." She had to phrase things carefully every now and then so that it would not be a lie. Noel would love for the old woman to show her some pictures because it gave her an excuse to hang out in the aisle and keep an eye on Nod.
While the old lady was digging merrily in her carpet bag, Noel nudged Cervantes and then nodded to Nod. "Keep him from phoning home? He might tell us more than we could tell him."
And then Noel was forced into a world of pink and lace grand babies.
Member of the X-Men Mansion Swim Teacher MRC Detective
Seablue
Heterosexual
Married to Gemma
2,231
469
Sept 9, 2024 10:46:38 GMT -6
Jorge
Had Jorge been drinking something when the kindly old woman appeared, he would have done the classic “spit-take” seen in countless movies and TV shows. Him be a father to her? What, did he really look that old? Well, maybe he did in comparison to her, but still, why would someone automatically assume that he was her father? How many times did celebrities date much younger or much older partners? Gage could have very well been his young, attractive woman who just happened to be attracted to the suave, older male…
A look crossed his face as he shook his head.
What the hell am I thinking? he groaned in his head. He immediately wanted to hit himself for succumbing male vanity. Still though, it did kind of hurt that the assumption was that he was the young woman’s father.
What else was the old woman supposed to think though?
>> "No ma'am. I'm just lucky to have someone like him on my side."
He looked over, a little surprised that Gage was going along with the old woman’s commentary, but then again, after a night like this, would arguing really help? In the end, he figured it wouldn’t, shook his head and just smiled encouragingly at the grandmother as he, awkwardly patted the young lady on the shoulder.
“Yup, and I’m just a lucky. Even if she can be a pain in the butt sometimes.”
Why not play along the whole way?
But the jovial roleplay would not last long. Before he knew it, their trek on the home stretch came to an end. A shutter of the bus stopping, the grumbling of a driver, and the heavy footfalls of a new passenger rang throughout the bus. Jorge looked up, just in time to see the last of the three criminals climb aboard. The man made no motion of seeing them and, after depositing his money, took a seat directly in front of the bus, his back towards them. He must have had some inkling that they were one the bus, or he would not have climbed on. Then again…who really knows the logic of guns-for-hire?
Silently Jorge cursed himself. This all stopped being pure coincidence a while ago. Those men were looking for them, but why? Who did they work for? Did that bag of pills have anything to do with this whole mess? He really needed to get back to the precinct.
Then, Gage seemed to switch tactics and grab the grandmother’s attention further…
>> "Do you have any kids? I would love for you to show me some pictures."[/color]
The looked on her face…well…it just lit up. It was like asking a child if they wanted ice cream or a new Blackberry. Jorge watched as she immediately nodded and started going off about Greg, Marsh, Jane, Michael, etc., etc., and Jorge shot her a questioning look. But, while the elder was busy, the agent leaned in and whispered…
>> "Keep him from phoning home? He might tell us more than we could tell him."
Good plan.
Jorge nodded and moved to leave when the kindly crone looked up a little surprise that he was leaving.
“Did I offend you?”
“Oh, no, no,” he smiled warmly. “I’m just going to grab a bus schedule.” he beamed in a proud, father-like way to Gage. “Be right back, hon.”
He ruffled her hair briefly before he slipped out of his bus seat and made his way towards the front of the bus. The detective was silent, like a shadow as he slipped by bus riders and took a seat in the row behind Nod. The man was big, with a long ponytail and several tattoos that ran along the back of his neck and disappeared down into the neckline of his shirt. He still had not turned around, but it was safe to assume that the man must have known about their presence on the bus. He was only waiting for them to get off somewhere, that was why he took the seat at the front. It would be easy to slip out behind them.
Still though, he had to contact someone at some point…
“Detective…” the man suddenly said, taking Jorge out of his thoughts. He said nothing but only looked up to see that the man was staring at him through the reflection of a mirror in front of the bus. “…that’s right, I’m talking to you.”
“What do you want?” Jorge asked in a hushed whispered as the bus rattled out and left the terminal. There would be no fleeing now.
“You know what you and that fine little thing back there have.” He said with a nod as he kept his eyes peeled towards the front of the bus. “My employer wants it back, and for the both of you to disappear.”
“I take it, that means there will be no bargaining…” Jorge muttered casually.
“Only in where both of you want the bullet. Either way, we’re taking back her phone and the pills…” he said sternly. “Two stops from now, you both are getting off this bus with me, or I’m opening fire in this whole bus. I have no qualms killing anyone here. You have qualms about people dyin’?”
Jorge sighed and said nothing. Instead as he sat there, watching the back of the man’s head, he glanced up to the mirror and spied…a small godsend. A careless passenger had apparently left a large bottle of water in the seat next to the thug, as well as left the cap somewhere else. Upon closer scrutinizing, Jorge saw the man’s cellphone, attached to his belt, blinking red with a new message. Objective…take down the phone…
“Alright buddy, no reason for people to needlessly die,” he whispered as he hide his hand behind the seat and gently flexed his fingers. The water in the bottle sprang to life, swirled with his movements and subtly seeped out and onto the hard, plastic seat. He focused as he made the water creep slowly over, and attempted to keep the man talking. “I’ll…go converse with my partner, and tell her the plan. Sound good?”
“Terrific,” the man said with a pleased, diabolical smirk.
But at the same time, Jorge pulled the water as close as he could before he suddenly clenched his fist and sent a nice volume of it splashing on and through the cellphone.
“Ah! Crap!” the man shouted as he turned and spied the water bottle being upturned and looked down at his soaked pants. For the time being, he was not aware that the red light on his phone had stopped blinking, indicating that it shorted out. Jorge, meanwhile, could not have been more pleased.
The detective nodded as he climbed out of his seat. “That’s why it says no food or drink on the bus. Never know what might tip over.” he whispered as he made his way back to Gage, a serious look on his face. They needed a plan for when they stopped and they needed it now.
"But I must be boring you!" The woman folded up her accordion of relations with all the love a grandmother should. Noel had taken the time while Cervantes was away to take care of a few things.
First, she wanted a few of those pills and she didn't want anyone to know about it. She took three and resealed the bag it was in. The three pills she slipped into her ankle pouch between her favorite places map and injector. Not hygienic, but she didn't actually plan to eat them or anything. Next, she double checked that nothing in her phone was entirely out of place. That was hard to do since she didn't really know what to be looking for, but Noel always hated over-the-shoulder-lookers.
She had to look up when the woman spoke. "Oh, I wish I had a good picture of my family, but there doesn't seem to be one on here." True. The only personal thing she'd brought with her to her training years and years ago was one good family photo. Now it sat next to her lamp on her bedside table and she had wished that she'd brought more. "Thank you for sharing. Really." It was good cover and she felt real sincerity toward the bus grandma even if Noel hadn't actually been interested in what she had been saying.
"You've got a real sweetheart, Mister."
The agent glanced up to see the cop returning. He looked as triumphant as a man trapped on a bus with a thug could, probably more than he should.
"Well don't you look pleased with yourself?" She scooted as needed so he could take a seat again. Her back made a sick sticking sound as she pulled it away from the pleather seat cover. She needed a new jacket. Definitely some new back skin. But she wouldn't take off the scraps of jacket again. Not with her arms covered in Sharpie condemnations and with her gun in the pocket.
Once they were shoulder to shoulder in their seats again she was all business. The phone screen flashed toward the cop again. There was a picture of a conservatively dressed woman with blonde hair and green eyes. She did not look happy and she was looking right at the camera, though the lighting and setting made it clear that this was no professional mug shot.
The words under the picture said "Be careful."
"Do you recognize the setting or this lady? Usually i'm a bit more thorough in my note taking so this one is kind of suspicious. Not even a name."
((OOC: the picture is of Lisa Wilson, the Sanctuary secretary taken in the Sanctuary lobby. But Lisa and Lori probably look quite a bit alike in a low res photo. *grin*))
Member of the X-Men Mansion Swim Teacher MRC Detective
Seablue
Heterosexual
Married to Gemma
2,231
469
Sept 9, 2024 10:46:38 GMT -6
Jorge
>> "You've got a real sweetheart, Mister."
“Ah, thank you,” he attempted to beam happily. “She is my little angel.”
>> "Well don't you look pleased with yourself?"
“Do I?” he asked.
Truth was his mind was going a mile a minute. After everything that the man had told him, they were quickly running out of time and they needed a game plan. He did not know how long it would take for them to reach those two stops, but whatever the case, they could not sit back and let all these innocent people take a bullet for them. That was simply not an option. And though he was reasonably sure he could take the man, what surprises awaited them once they stopped? It was late at night, the streets were pretty deserted, no one to eyewitness anything. Himself and Gage would only appear on the headlines as further victims of the growing violence in modern society.
He slid quietly into his seat next to the agent and offered the woman a kindly smile and nod as she returned to her minding her own business. She had done her part in letting another stranger into the world of her children and grandchildren.
The detective took a heavy breath as he glanced up and saw that the man finally returned to his seat, angrily pushing buttons on the phone but achieving none of the desired effect. He finally gave up, cursed silently and tossed his phone uselessly into his pocket. A glance in the mirror and Jorge and he locked eyes once more. Things were moving much faster than he liked…
A glance over to Gage and he saw she was still staring intently at her phone, checking for things he was unsure of. Then she showed him a picture in the small screen…
>> "Do you recognize the setting or this lady? Usually i'm a bit more thorough in my note taking so this one is kind of suspicious. Not even a name."
“Be careful…” he read as he looked at the picture.
Something, like a tiny pitchfork felt like it was picking at the base of his skull. That picture, though it was slightly low resolution, did look awfully familiar. Again it was a candid shot so there was no posing in it. But something in those green eyes and blonde hair really tugged at his attention. It was something he knew…from somewhere…but where…
“I…do recognize her,” he whispered. “It was…a case I was working. I responded to a call…and…she was there…” he wracked his brain as he tried to come up with the answer.
But before he could, the bus suddenly came to its first stop. This shook him from his thoughts as he looked up and noticed two or three people get off. Nod was still sitting in his seat, watching both Jorge and Gage closely. Time to business…
“Listen Gage,” he whispered as he leaned a little closer to her so no one else would hear. “We have a problem. Our extra passenger,” he said referring to Nod, “He knows us, and he wants somethings we have. Namely the pills…and your phone. Next stop we have to get off with him, hand them over, then pretty much lay down and die. Those are his orders. We don’t do that…he’s opening firing in the bus…” he sighed as he glanced to the elderly woman who have started to entertain herself with knitting. “We need a plan…”