It was as she had feared. Tricity was going to be registered, but what Michael said made sense. If Tricity surrendered willingly with the younger kids then they should be ok except for any bad talk they might receive.

Speaking of which, the guy who was taunting Nika didn't stop. He could see the anger in Nika's eyes as well as her clenched fists. Inside Nika was filled with anger.

"What are you gonna do little kitty cat?" the man continued, but Nika shook her head and closed her eyes as she tried to ignore him.

"That's what I thought you worthless scum." As the man spoke he lunged forward and jabbed the cat girl on her lower left side of her back. Nika twisted a bit with the blow and went to one knee. The man had gone and done it and now he was going to pay.

Nika's power had kicked in and in a flash she had shifted her body to face the man and leapt onto him. Her claws slashing through his vest and his clothing. She crushed his helmet as she swatted his head to the right. Seeing his exposed neck she tore into his flesh ripping his throat apart.

Two more soldiers and a cop rushed to try to save their fallen comrade. They had pulled out their batons and started striking Nika on her back, legs and arms. The strikes only seemed to further enrage the cat girl as she pounced the cop and ripped off one of his arms and tore open his chest.

People who were watching the whole registration act taking place started yelling and trying to rush up to attack the mutants as well. The soldiers and other police struggled to keep the crowd back but they were managing to hold the line. That's when the heavy calvary came in.

A Shadow Stalker appeared as it was already in mid attack. It knocked Nika off the now dead cop. The girl landed fifteen feet away but she quickly got back to ther feet and with a roar she dashed for the robotic monstrosity.

Unfortunatley for Nika the Stalker was faster and much stronger as it counter attacked by dashing for Nika. The two collided but the weight of the machine carried them in the direction the Stalker was heading. It had slashed her right side open and dislocated her left shoulder before pinning the girl to the ground. Nika screamed with intense pain as blood was already soaking her right side.

Four other men rushed over and one of them took off Nika's collar and replaced it with one of their electrifying collars. The second it was locked on one of the other guys pushed a button on a remote and Nika was shocked and yet again she screamed out, but the tactic had worked as Nika was now limp and unconscious. The men picked Nika up and carried her off to one of the holding rooms and dropped her on the floor.

Tricity watched as the line slowly moved forward. They would be up there in a few moments and she would have to begin explaining the mutations of these children; some who weren't even at their full potential.

Another van pulled up along the curb and began unloading more people. But something was different about this scene. These people were not going willingly and most of them looked dishevled and injured. "What is this?" she asked herself in a whisper as she watched them unload. 'When did they start forcing mutants to register now?' Tricity turned to one of the older teenagers, continuing to watch what was happening. "Carrie, take over for a second and watch the kids? I'll be back in a sec."

"Sure Miss. T," the girl replied, following Tricity's gaze over to the van of mutants.

Tricity took a few steps down to get a better view of what was happening. Apparently others were also curious of what was going on as they all began watching. The guards and robots were quick however, moving fast to get them out of view. A sudden flash of color caught her eye. Someone's hair... 'Raina?' Then a pair of cat ears... and then... "Star?!" Tricity began moving faster. She pushed her way through the mass of people to get down to them, but there were so many. "Excuse me! Please!! Excuse me!! STAR!! DEATHSTAR!!"

She finally got to the bottom stairs and hurried toward the van where the last person was seen being taken away and inside. "What's going on? Where did you pick these mutants up?" Tricity asked one of the dozens of guards standing outside.

"That's not really your concern is it, Miss?" the guard replied with a sneer, twirling his baton around.

'Prick' Tricity cleared her throat and crossed her arms in annoyance. "Look, I'm the Headmistress of Xavier's Sister School. Not that that will mean much to you... I have an agreement with the mayor and the chief of police that no one from the school is to be taken to get registered by force! And..."

"Get back in line, mutie!!" He grabbed her by the shoulder and roughly pushed her back toward the stairs.

This was getting bad. Tricity tried to control her temper, but if he touched her again... She looked up the stairs were Carrie was anxiously watching the scene. Tricity told Carrie she had a special job today. If anything bad were to happen, Carrie was to use her mutation... It was looking like that was going to happen.

"I said get back in line!!"

"I need to speak to the person in charge, then... Please?"

"How many times do I have to say it? GET BACK IN LINE!"

"How many times do I have to say it? I need to speak to the person in..." Tricity began, but the guard cut her off with a rough grab to her collar, yanking her toward him. He dragged her backward and disappeared among the many guards so a scene wouldn't be made and the other mutants wouldn't flee. He was taking her to the same doors the mansion residents had gone through. Suddenly five guards fell to their knees and Tricity was able to see Carrie again through the heavy crowds. "CARRIE, GO!!" She sent another shock to the guards then felt a sharp blow to the back of her head. Tricity stumbled backward and felt several pairs of hands wrap around her. Before blacking out however, the children managed to grab hands and Carrie ported them out safely. 'Get home... Warn the others...'

"Take her inside with those others from the school..." the guard who had been speaking to her, spat. "Stupid bitch..."

Her legs dragged along the floor and she felt handcuffs as well as some metal brace snap around her neck. People were speaking around her, but nothing was coming in clear. A moment later another door opened and she saw several figures in the room in a blurry haze. Everything went black.

"Tricity's outside now?" Then the lady herself was thrown in. "Or not." Ted then realised that she was hurt, and ran over to her. He helped her up, and sat her against the wall with the others. "Miss Tipper! Wake up!" He looked up at Michael, "Is there anyone who wasn't hurt?" Ted was jst getting angry now, and knew he had to supress it. Either the guards would come in and knock him out, or he would end up transforming, and get knocked out by the bracelet. The hoplessness of the situation was just too much. Ted screamed in anger and punch the wall. It left a few cracks, and a small trickle of concrete-turned-dust fell. And his knuckles started to sting, and blood ran down his hand. He could feel his instincts inside, and was about to give in, then the bracelet gave an onimous buzzing. Ted swore under his breath, and sat down with his face in his hands. Without looking up, or speaking to anyone in particular, he whispered, "We may as well give up."

Neena moaned quietly as she began to come around. Even behind closed eyes the darkness seemed to be spinning. It wasn’t long before her pain centers began making themselves known. Her neck hurt, her shoulder hurt, her right hand and arm hurt, her legs and back were stiff; in general she felt lousy.

”This one’s waking up. Hurry up with that bracelet.” She grunted painfully as something was secured on her wrist. Light was shining in her eyes, and she reached up to shade them. For some reason one hand wouldn’t move without the other.

”Wake up mutie.” Something foul-smelling was placed right under her nose. Her stomach lurched, so she twisted away. Someone grabbed her arm and pulled her upright.

”Ugh! Take it easy,” Neena complained, finding her tongue.

”State your name and mutation.”

”What?” she asked. She was still only half-awake, and the light was making her eyes hurt. She blinked, trying to shade them. ”Anybody see my sunglasses?”

”Answer the question. State your name and mutation.”

About that time she realized her hands were cuffed together. She muttered, ”That’s a statement, not a question.”

A shadow suddenly appeared in her vision, followed rapidly by something hard and cold slamming into her face. A rainbow of colors burst into her vision as the force of the blow knocked her sideways.

”Last warning, freak. State your name and mutation.”

<“Last warning? Where was the first?”> Aloud she answered, ”Neena Jenkins. Enhanced sight. At least, it used to be.....” At the moment all she was seeing was spots.

”What else?”

”That’s it, as far as I know.” Technically it was the truth, since lack of fear more of a mental issue than a mutation. In most cases.....

As the interrogation continued, her sight cleared a bit. There was a commotion going on off to one side of the crowd, but Neena couldn’t see well, because of the flouresant lighting. Again she brought her hands up to hide her eyes. The registrar and guards took her motion as cowering. One of them sneered.

”Serves you right. Maybe now you’ll learn your place in the world, mutie.

“Put her with the others from that freak show of a school.”

“Come on, you.”

She was hauled to her feet by the back of her shirt and lead, or rather pulled, to another door, and shoved in. She tripped over something, and fell on the ground. Fortunately this room was darker than the main one, so she stayed where she’d landed for a few moments, allowing her eyes to adjust. Even in the partial shade she had to squint. She immediately recognized many of those already gathered, including Tricity.

Then she saw what, or rather 'who', she'd tripped over. Nika, and she was bleeding badly. Neena’s eyes narrowed in anger.

”I swear, if I ever see that taser-toting Traitor again, I’m going to gouge his eyes out, before I tear his throat out!”

She moved closer and leaned over the cat-girl. A nasty-looking gash ran the length of her side. Neena looked around, trying to find something to stem the blood flow. She was still having trouble seeing, and couldn't find anything. The girl's shirt was torn, so Neena tried to bunch it together, and pressed against the wound. She glanced around at the depressed group.

"Any of you fellas got a jacket or shirt you don't mind going without? Got a bit of an emergency over here." She kept her voice level, but didn't like the amount of blood she was seeing at the moment.

"I do. Here." One of the boys sitting in a corner pulled off a hoodie, but his hands were also cuffed, and he couldn't get it off. Neena moved over toward him, and took hold of one side, then the two of them pulled, until the fabric tore loose.

"Thanks," she said and smiled, and returned to Nika's side. She pressed the material against the wound. Even though the girl was unconscious, Neena spoke aloud. "Take it easy Nika, this should help a bit. Everything's going to be all right."

She glanced up as the door was opened and two more bodies were thrown in like sacks of flour. She wanted to help, but she couldn't leave Nika either.

Was this what they all had to look forward to now? Beatings and broken spirits? Neena was depressingly sure that things were not about to get easier for any of these kids. The majority of humanity was not known for learning from his mistakes in history.

Deathstar stood in line observing her surroundings, when Nika walked up behind her "Nika are you alright" she said softly hoping her highten sense of hearing can pick up her soft voice. The stalker bot stood firm with a gun pointed at Deathstar's head, it was no way out she thought to herself. When Nika mentioned Tricity, Deathstar looked around quickly scanning around face to face trying to find her leader and friend. "Where Nika? I don't see her" as Deathstar finish her sentence one the guards hit Nika in the back of her head knockingher down to her knees. "Nika don't" she belched to her knowing first hand about Nika's temper.

As the line began to advance forward, Deathstar stood still trying to calm Nika down before she got herself into more trouble "Nika stay down!!" Deathstar said as she watched Nika's temper take over her body like a chain reaction.

"What are you gonna do little kitty cat?" the man said to Nika, "Nika listen to me, calm down, it will be all over before you know it" unsure of her words Deathstar was willing to try anything to not bring anymore harm to anyone. Deathsatr knew her words was not getting through Nika's head , before she knew it, the guard struck her and Nika retaliated. Oh no! Damn it Nika! she thought to herself. She couldn't help but to watch helplessly as the scuffle went down and the guards being victorious in this fight. Deathstar cleched her teeth as she watched the electrical shocks erupt in Nika's body.

"Excuse me! Please!! Excuse me!! STAR!! DEATHSTAR!!" Deathstar heard a familiar voice, she turns around to find tricity breaking through the crowd. "TRIC!!!" Deathstar dashed from bots hold amd ran towards her, when all of the sudden a guard pistol whipped deathstar in the face knocking her off her feet falling disoriented all the ground, they quickly cuff Deathstar, and drag her by her feet to the front of the line. They quickly snapped a collar on her her neck, while in the mist of this painful fight Deathstar faught back weak, the guards sent a series of shocks throughout Deathstar's body while she painfully screams out Tricity's name. They take her limp body to a holding cell along with the others who rebelled.

ooc: So, Rupert and I did have a plan that we posted in the plot section a while back and in the original registration section, that after some time He would use his status to break us out. or some of us a least. Is that still the plan/ ok with people? We can break it off into seperate threads... anyway, PM us and let me know

ic:

Raina sat slumped back in the corner with her arms wrapped around her legs. Tears streamed down her face but she tried to cover them so the others wouldn't see. All she could think of was Rupert and it was hard for her to not speak as the ocassional whimper came through and she felt electricity.

She watched the others, and saw Tricity get tossed in the room. This was surley hell.

ooc: short I know, just trying to stay involved

Then Nika was thrown in, and Neena. It was all too much. No! He couldn't just sit there and despair. He had to do something. e and Michael seemed to be the only non-injured ones, but he guessed that Michael had been through whatever the others had been through to get here, and so was likely tired, at the least. Ted went over to Neena, who was busy trying to help Nika, and tried to apply his limited amount first-aid knowledge, which meant looking to Neena for instruction. "How can I help? I don't know much about first-aid."

After about ten minutes, Naomi had calmed down some, and it seemed that their entire party had made it into this room. Looking around, Naomi realised their was some hope yet. Neena was helping Nika with her woulds, and ted was also helping the other, though just as full of despair as the rest of them it seemed. Naomi wiped the moisture from her face, and looked over to Michael, who was comforting Raina.

"I'm glad," She began, but when she heard the words leave her mouth, she decided that it sounded far too untrue," It's good that we're still all together. Your said we'd do this together Michael, and you were right. Maybe we can get through this if we work together like you said."

A small small made it's way onto Naomi's face, but it was too fragile to stay there very long. She wasn't sure if she actually meant what she said, or if she was just trying to tell herself that to try and frce some hope into herself.

Michael saw more from the mansion arrive, Neena looked to be alright, but Nika was in bad shape. Fortunately Neena and Ted were dealing with it. He was only just beginning to realise how tiered he was. The fight had been exhausting and the shocks had shaken him to the bone. He shuddered slightly at the memory.

When he heard Naomi speak he gave her a small but heart felt smile, “We just got to stick together. When one of us falls the others pick them back up. We’ll survive, and we have friends on the outside who will help us.” Friends like Emerald. Leaving one arm around Raina he motioned with the other to Naomi for her to come and join him and Raina. They needed each other now more than they ever had before.

Natalie was glad to have the small asian girl next to her, and it seemed as if alot of the others in the room all knew each other. When the girl went to join with some of her friends, Naomi stayed wheere she was, still crying.

Ted looked up at the sobs, and decided that since he couldn't really do anything to help Nika, and since Neena seemed to be fine on her own, he went and sat next to her, and hugged her, and she hugged him back. Ted included the two of them in the group hug that Michael had started, and the five of them sat there, and Ted felt emboldened by Michael's words. "He's right, we'll get through this, we'll pull together and survive, just like we did with Iris." He then realised that Naomi and Natalie wouldn't know what he was talking about, but it didn't matter. What did matter was that they worked together, like the X-men.

Neena gave the hugging group a small, encouraging smile. <"That's it. Hang together kids. We'll make it through this yet,"> she thought.

She turned her attention back to Nika, and the other two unconscious ones. She looked around for a moment, then her gaze fell on the girl Ted was comforting.

"Hon, could you help me out for a moment?" She smiled at the girl kindly. "I just need you to hold this, and press." She indicated the makeshift bandaging she was pressing against the catgirl's side.

Once that was done, Neena moved over to Deathstar. The girl was breathing at least. She didn't see any critical wounds, so she moved over to the next one, a man. He was asian, it appeared, and young. He too was out cold. Blood was trickling from his mouth.

"If anyone has any more extra shirts or jackets, they'd still be much appreciated," Neena announced to everyone, then moved toward the door of the room. No surprise, it was locked. She banged hard on it, wondering if they were being guarded as well, or if no one was near enough to hear over the noise.

The door unlatched and opened a crack. Even that little bit of light hurt the woman's eyes, and she squinted, dropping her gaze.

"Any chance we can have some water?" she asked, trying to sound properly cowed. Considering she didn't know what that felt like, the request sounded believable.

There was a pause, then the door slammed shut and latched again.

Natalie looked up as the lady spoke to her. "Oh, um, ok." She went over and did as she was told, pressing the makeshift bandage down firmly. "That right?" But she had a very quiet voice, which wasn't helped by the sore through she was getting from all the recent crying. So she sat there, pressing a blood-soaked bandage against some stranger. Then she realised that they weren't really strangers; they had all been thrown into this situation together, and only by sticking together would they pull through it. She wished for the cat-girl to get better, hoping that she would wake up. Please get better. Please don't die. She contemplated lifting up the bandage, but decided that she didn't know a lot about this sort of thing, so continued to do what she was told.

Gwendolyn Delray was not the happiest nurse in the city, and that was for damn sure. But she had school loans to pay off, and the state was offering good contracts to anyone willing to work with these... charming individuals. Not that she had anything against mutants; she just didn't have anything for them, either. Her brother James was a beat officer for the NYPD--he had fantastic stories about their... unique gifts.

She saw the guard opening and shutting that door where the trouble makers where getting tossed. She heard the request for water. And since she'd already seen the bleeding cat girl--those ears couldn't be real--getting shoved in there, she had a very bad feeling that it was

"Time to earn your pay."

Yeah. What the buff guy said. Gwendolyn flashed an insincere toothy smile, and headed into the room, a large red medical bag slung over her shoulder. She'd be working at the camps, once those got up and running. For the moment, she was at registration, on the off-chance that someone was stupid enough to--oh, she didn't know--tear up a few cops, maybe, and get what was coming to them in the process. Others were already tending to the downed officers--or what was left of them. That left her to deal with Miss Claws.

The first thing she did after entering the room was look down at the cat girl on the floor, and shake her head. Then she looked at the people who were helping the injuried already--an unflustered black woman and a scared little white girl. Everyone else was having a warm group-hug moment. Greeeeat. "What's your name?" She asked the black woman. "And do you have any medical training? Hold that thought." She rapped a fist on the door behind her. "Hey! The lady asked for water!" She looked back to the woman as she set her bag on the floor, and started taking out supplies. After snapping on a pair of latex gloves, she examined both the rabid cat, the Asian, the other girl, and the woman--the one that had seemed to think being a Headmistress of an all-mutant school would give her authority here. ...So cat girl won the prize for needing the most attention. Without any further ado, she set to work like a bandaging demon. "I'm Gwendolyn. As long as none of you fine folks tries to attack me, I'm here to help."

Gwendolyn Delray was not the happiest nurse in the city, and that was for damn sure. But she was good at what she did.

((OOC: Gwendolyn is an NPC; I think I shall control her, for now. She's 25 years old, 5'1'', a little rounded (particularly in her chipmunk cheeks), and generally scowling. Black hair and hazel eyes; Italian.))

With door slammed in her face, Neena assumed they'd simply have to make do on their own. She hoped it was enough....

She knelt next to the girl. "Thanks hon, that's fine. Just keep up the pressure." They needed a way to close up the wound, and fast, before Nika bled to death.

Abruptly the door opened again, and this time someone entered. Neena looked up to see who. Actually, she didn't really have to 'look up' very far; the new woman was really short. And round. And glowering. Neena raised an eyebrow.

"What's your name? And do you have any medical training?

The woman's appearance caught Neena off-guard, so she pause when the questions were first asked. "Eh, Neena.... And no, I don-"

"Hold that thought." She cut her off and went to shout out the door. Despite the situation, Neena was struggling not to laugh at the woman's comical appearance. When she returned Neena carefully blanked her expression; with most of the human population in the near vicinity regarding them as 'dangerous' and 'vicious', amusement was probably not an appropriate emotion to display at the moment.

"I'm Gwendolyn. As long as none of you fine folks tries to attack me, I'm here to help."

No, definitely not the time be amused. Instead she gave the woman a kind smile.

"Help is always appreciated. So, how can we help you help them?" She motioned to the three unconscious people.

Even with all the activity going on out side the Mutant Registration Building. Everybody kept a eye on each of the armored trucks that were dropping off more and more mutants looking for someone they might know. As one of the trucks pulled up the the curb four guards came walking to the back of the truck getting ready to escort more trash through the lines.

"Hurry the hell up!" One of the guards yelled as he pulled a little girl with long blonde hair out the back of the truck. Tears ran down this poor girls face. She looked terrified. And of course someone had to try a be a hero. A Asian looking man leaped from his seat still in cuffs he tried to tackle the guard. Though he did get the attention off the little girl. He brought a great deal of attention on himself as a number of guards surrounded him and dealt with him the only way they really new how... With force.
People in line began to get quite as more and more guards showed up to deal with the problem they had at the front gate. After the sisutation was taken care of two of the guards started to round the rest of the truck up. Shoving each mutant out one by one. Jason bent over trying not to let his head hit the top of the truck. Looking around Jason just shook his head as he watched the remainder of the guards drag off what seemed to be a motionless body in to a back room. After being forced into line Jason just smiled thinking how easy it would be to take out the worthless guards. Then out the corner of his eye he realized it wasn't just guards. There were some kind of machine's that he new he wouldn't be able to take... But thats not why he was here he said to him self. 'Im not like these mutants, there like sheep in a fence...'