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.
Shots fired! She phased herself, everything except a few toes. Goon number one who she had tackled wasn't so lucky and three holes suddenly appeared in him, and then started leaking red, and she panicked.
"AHH@$#%STOPWHY@#$%@!"
There was no saving goon #1, not that she would have, but really how stupid was his buddy to have-
SMACRACK
A foot sailed out of the dark and got him right in the face. Goon #2 crumbled, and sailed off the edge of the side of the boat and into the water below.
And then it was just two. Her and crazy helmet dude with a killer kick.
She shuffled a few steps away from the body of goon #1 and just... put that out of her mind for now.
"Oh hey! You ended up here, huh? Zek sure yeeted you pretty far." Her hands flapped at her sides for a moment, unsure about what to do. She was pretty sure she had heard about the helmeted vigilante from Xavier.
"Oh, uh, yeah. Docks. Drugs N stuff. Gotta stop em before they, like... take over the city or something."
She felt oddly underdressed next to someone who was decked out in like, an actual costume and stuff. Just standing around like a putz in a hoodie and yoga pants. Waaay less cool.
Wait, was that seaweed on his shoulder?
She blinked. "Armor lady didn't really explain much after that. Or at least nothing I stuck around to hear." She shrugged and looked at one of the boxes the goons had been moving around.
".... How are we supposed to get rid of a bunch of drugs, anyway?"
That hadn't been a no explicitly. Juniper squinted but dropped it. Cleary there were bigger things to focus on right now than the obvious weird roleplay fetish thing going on between the starcrossed lovers who were in a probably real scuffle.
She blinked at Elliott for his plan. Hope the fence? wouldn't that defeat the purpose of the game? "Isn't that like, cheating? Hiding outside the bounds or whatever?" Then again, she wasn't sure how this game was supposed to be played other than hide or fight. She'd never really played hide and seek with any other kids her age when she had been young enough to want to play.
She didn't have to worry about it for long though because with a loud NEIGH of greeting Zek re-appeared atop a glorious steed, and she slowed her run. "Hey, Zek! You found us!" She waved the best she could with her floaty still in her hands.
"Cool horse! Can I pet it?"
Elliott and Bella seemed to take his appearance differently than she did, which was weird. Like, Woah, Bella really went after him with a slew of comments that even had Juniper a bit wide-eyed toward the end. Bella glanced her way and Juni nodded robotically.
"Sure, sure. I hope so cuz I'm pretty sure a lot of that is illegal in like... every state." She reached out to give the woman an awkward pat on one shoulder.
"So you joining us? Or did you win already?" She wouldn't have been all that surprised. He had a natural ability to just vanish people into wherever the balls of light went, so she could easily imagine him clearing Smithy and the baby trio, and creeper-Jacob away.
She headed for the horse to give it scratches. It had been a while since she'd seen one! Not since that time she'd been snowed in on that ranch with all those cowboys! Goodtimes.
Was she getting scolded? It felt like she was getting scolded, and that was... weird. Her mom scolded her all the time, don't get her wrong, but... never for actually having done something worthy of being scolded for.
Her mouth snapped shut with a quiet click and she briefly considered just talking in her head from then on, but that would look weird. Grandpa would just look crazy talking to himself.
"Sorry, I'll try harder."
She thought about what he had said. Try to contact people? "I mean, I know a lot of people." Saph, and X, and Blue popped to the forefront of her mind. Heck, Zek too. There were a lot of people she knew who she could contact, and she didn't try to hide Saph's offer to 'take care' of her problem. "I don't have my phone though. I left it at home because I didn't want him to have it," Too many contacts in there. "and he doesn't let me out of his sight. This is the first time since going to get sandwiches for all of you that he hasn't been here breathing down my neck."
She resisted the urge to reach up and fiddle with said collar just in case her Uncle could still see them.
"I'll keep an eye open for stuff." She'd have to hide it on her the normal way though, which was stressful. He'd be able to glean his answer from her pretty easily since she started thinking about it the moment he brought it up. Not that she would know that. "Yeah... Hurts a lot when stuff gets stuck in there but I'll probably live. I've done it before." She... wasn't sure how he was gonna get to it if the collar was still on though. She glanced at him in question as they approached the steps up to the bank.
"I know Keith almost always has a knife on him. Elie too. He cleans it often."
She reached out to grab the door handle and open it for both of them.
"Porro, virtutique sedulo intenta figat, genistae, aut illae nos os tuum super nos volant, Recta est super cacumina tenebrae super lunam caelo."
A few people shifted uncomfortably as Zek joined them, chanted absolute nonsense, and Carrick followed shortly after with... dancing.
More than a few of the 20 people in white robes and sashes took a few big steps away to give the weird newcomers some space.
"Numquam transeunt dies nobis non probatur optimum, Tenentur trepidi despumat aeno coctos nostro pacem, miserunt in carminibus nostris obstare cupido"
Juniper hung back, watching Carrick's attempt at getting the rest of the hooded figures to dance with obvious distaste on her face. She really hoped this didn't turn into some kind of hippy dance party! She'd attended more than enough of those in her lifetime.
Her attention was drawn away from the circle of people around the huge fire, toward the various things that had been set up around the perimeter. The robe table was one, as well as a second door with a bathroom sign on it of all things, and a few more tables scattered around. She glanced at one white clothed table with filled cups and a pitcher. Drinks. She'd be avoiding that table at all costs, but not for the usual cult Koolaid reasons.
A table with different kind of snacks on it- healthy-looking things with herbs and nuts from what she could tell- was also to be avoided. Never eat or drink mystery things at a party unless you poured/saw it come out of a box.
Her attention shifted toward the only figure in red robes. She was a woman with a staff and crown made out of winding branches from a tree. Long grey hair fell like a river down her back, and despite the color of her hair it was actually hard to place how old she was. Not enough wrinkles for a granny, but not youthful enough for someone in their 20's.
"Timere potuit nocere, et in tenebris et tristis neque adverse excipe noctibus, Ghouls et manes et auferet somnum exterreri solebat lacrimans exterrita monstris currunt."
She stood from a chair with a tall decorative back and tapped her staff loudly on the cement to draw everyone's attention.
"Children of Magic! Heed me!" The chanting stopped and everyone turned to face the woman. "Before we get to the festivities tonight, we have five new initiates to bring into the family!"
The staff swept over the crowd, pointing out each member wearing only a white robe.
"Initiates, step forward!"
Two more white robe laden figures moved to the front while all of the red sashes grouped together in the crowd behind them.
A tall brunette woman and a shorter blonde man. Juniper blinked, looked around for Zek and Carrick, and then went to join the two.
Maybe this was like one of those college rites of initiation? She's heard plenty of previous hookups talk about them. Usually involved a paddle.
"Nos puellae et per artes magicas artes, cum in fuga, visus est satis videre? We're veneficas et iuvenes libenter sumus ut doctrina nostra artis!" The woman lifted her staff in the air and everyone in a red sash behind them immediately kneeled.
Juniper shifted a bit closer to her friends and leaned in to whisper. "...Are they speaking pig Latin?"
"First initiate, step forward!" The staff pointed at the short blonde man. He stepped forward. The woman produced a small decorative knife and held it out to him. "Take this blade. Cut a finger, bleed into the fire, and we shall see if you are worthy!"
The young man nervously did so, wincing only slightly as he pricked his own finger and stepped over to squeeze a few drops into the fire. It hissed and the flames grew larger and turned deep, vibrant red in color.
"Unus ex nobis! unus ex nobis!" Cried the crowed of hooded red sash wearers.
The young man cheered and smiled as he came back and was embraced by everyone else. Someone snagged him a red sash and started tying it around his waist.
"Next initiate!" The staff pointed at the tall Brunette, next.
She caught the tossed light with minimal flailing and soon had two lights on her head. Both pointed in different directions. She felt like a living lighthouse.
"It is Rootbeer and lemonade! Isn't it great together? I'm glad you like it! It's the more horrifying thing I've ever made." She said it with pride, too. She was proud of that.
The seriousness of what Carrick alluded to went right over her head. "You guys went to a circus?! What was it like?! Were the clowns really scary? Were there real lions and elephants?" Oh man, her mom would have had a fit!. She would have straight up asked to speak to the manager of the whole ass circus.
"I mean... I did find a post about this place online." She blinked, still wandering a bit ahead as the sound of chanting and the smell of sage grew stronger. "Thought it was for something different, but whatever."
The tunnel ended. Her headlamps landed on a cement wall capping the path off with a heavy-looking metal door. There was a little shut square toward the top, which she assumed was some sort of peep window.
"Knock knock!" She hammered her small fist on the metal for a moment, before giving up when it started to smart.
The chanting stopped, footsteps echoed from inside, and the metal flap slid open. The angriest looking pair of bloodshot eyes, hooded and set under thick salt and pepper brows, peered out at them.
"What... is the password?"
Juniper sniffed at the air. "Is that white sage?"
She full-on flinched when the eyes zipped her way and squinted in suspicion.
"...That is correct."
The metal window snapped shut, and a moment later the sounds of the door unlocking could be heard.
"I knew it. Mom used to use white sage all the time."
The heavy door started to creak open. Whisps of smoke creeped out as the dark, candlelit interior became visible. The man with the scary eyes stood before them, dressed in a heavy-looking white robe with a crimson sash tied around his waist, and the hood up to obscure the rest of his head.
"Come i-" He caught sight of Zek's Helmet hat, and then the bare legs of Carrick behind him, and immediately sought out the most normal looking one of the group.
"Come in." He stepped to the side and waved Juniper in first, scowling at both males. "...I guess you two can come as well."
The robed man turned and headed after Juniper as she hurried in, sweeping an arm out to usher her from behind without actually touching her.
"You three were almost late. Are you new?"
The potent smell of sage and... was that sweetgrass?... hit her like a brick of homesickness she didn't know she had. "Yup! I saw the ad online and... here I am!"
She was too distracted to pay attention to what both of her friends were doing.
A bunch of other hooded figures cloaked in white with red sashes were gathered toward the center of the large room, where a huge, contained bonfire was going. The walls met the ceiling in a gentle curve that sloped up to a large open grate, where you could see the light of day peeking through.
"Hurry along and change into your robes." He handed her a white robe as well, but without any sort of sash. Juniper shrugged and pulled it on over her head to replace her missing sweater. She was short enough it covered her feet and dragged on the ground.
"Could you turn the lights off? Kinda ruins the mood." The man grumbled while handing robes to Carrick and Zek as well.
"..Oh, uh... sure." She pulled them off, fiddled with them until they turned off, and then set them on the table where all the extra robes were.
The chanting started up again at the middle of the room.
She caught up pretty easily and fell in line beside Bella, who was keeping up with Elliott.
"Sup." She was absolutely still carrying her giant inflatable zebra floaty above her head. E asked where Z was, and she turned and blinked at the empty space beside her.
"Oh. Hmm. Maybe he got caught already? No, wait, I doubt that. Maybe he caught everybody already." She shrugged. "or he's still drinking his hot chocolate."
She faced fully forward again and looked at Bella, who didn't seem too broken up about things. Like, she wasn't balling her eyes out or anything.
"Hey, you okay? That was a pretty scummy thing for him to say back there."
Bella sniffed lightly, "I'm fine! I don't need him. Edward is so much more man than he is anyway!"
"... did you all purposefully theme all of this after the books? Please don't tell me Jacob only married you because of the kid you will eventually one day have. That's creepy and I didn't bring my ass-kicking boots." She didn't even own a pair of boots.
She turned her attention back to Elliott who she assumed was leading the charge or at least had a plan. Maybe.
"So what's the plan? We gonna hide, oooor... seek? I wasn't paying much attention while the old guy was explaining things."
She'd heard the shotgun go off before, and the distance 'Shit!' which had made her giggle as she was catching up.
"Where's Speedo Eisen? DO ya think he got caught already?" She was remarkably calm. Mainly because she didn't think she had much to worry about and was still under the assumption that this was all some big surprise game of Nerf hide and seek.
This was.. all waaaay above her pay grade. They were planning on double-crossing him, but he had already been planning on double-crossing them. It was almost enough to make her eyes cross.
"I just figured he thought he could get away with it because he always seems to... Like, he's only been to prison once. For three years. I don't think I've ever heard of him having been punished for anything before that."
She shot him a nervous smile. Yeah... neat instinct. Totally not a symptom of any of the massive issues she had, due almost entirely to Keith and her mom. She felt it was pretty just to blame her panic actions on those two.
Oh well. At least Simon didn't seem mad at her.
...Unless he was planning on killing her too, but... then why go to all the trouble of having her help him? Eh. Whatever. As long as her parents didn't end up at the bottom of the seat she could deal with whatever came further along down the road.
She did mildly react in surprise when he mentioned having been her uncle's teacher. Wow. That was... wow. That long huh? And he'd always been a waster of DNA and oxygen?
"No. I'm good. I don't know where to start with a plan though... This isn't something I'm used to dealing with."
A lot of things happened in pretty rapid succession and she honestly got more than a bit lost. Three people were now in Zek's dumpster, Zek *rescinded* his offer of food which, well, honestly how rude of him, and then the helmeted one made a swift exit via glittery light ball.
Juniper crossed her arms and half turned her back on the stooges in the trash can, trying to pay attention to what the obvious adults of the group were saying.
L shouted sea.
"I'll take sea." Juniper spoke over her.
Samurai armor person and the one who had floated down chose land and took off. Juniper contemplated waving farewell to either of the trash bandits but ultimately was too petty to do so. She sprinted off without a word, heading in the direction of the harbor Ninja Warrior had pointed out.
It took a little bit, but Juni was fast on her feet with all of her weight gone. She ultimately arrived just after shots were fired and freaked out for just a second, diving behind some stacked up harbor crates by a building before anyone spotted her.
What were they firing at?
"Did we get him?"
"I dunno, keep your guard up and try and get a bead on him again.... what was with that crazy helmet?"
...helmet?
The guy Zek had yeeted off into the sky came to mind. Oh. Had he been yeeted all the way over here? Ah @#$%.
Taking a breath to calm herself, she hyped herself up a bit and then came sprinting out from behind her hidey-crates. The guy closest to her had his back in her direction, and with her feet bare and weight gone she barely made any noise.
She crashed into him from behind fully solid, knocked him over, and made a grab for his gun.
It slid out of his hand like it was buttered thanks to her power, and she phased it into several chunks and a handful of small screws before his very eyes.
The other guy reacted immediately, firing at her, but the bullets passed harmlessly through.
Keith let Xavier ramble on along all on his own while drawing them deeper into the alley. They hit the center, where it intersected with another pathway between buildings. A lone light illuminated the area, casting dull yellow tones across the walls and floor.
Juniper stopped dead in her tracks when her collar gave off a soft beep, a signal that it had been deactivated. What was-
"Pepper, Darlin', take care of him, will you?"
The request knocked the breath right out of her and her ears started ringing.
...take... Take care of him?
The same way Eli was supposed to take care of Simon?
She turned, just as Xavier was finishing up with another question about her collar. She felt sick. This was..
This wasn't fair! Why did it have to be him of all people?
She blinked, felt hot tears sting her cheeks, and couldn't bring herself to look at her friend.
Was he worth it? Was saving him worth throwing everything else away?
Her gaze bounced around uncertainly for what felt like too long but was only a few seconds. She spotted a large, camouflaged sewer pipe behind Xavier, and another even further past that, out in the road beyond the alley.
"...I'm sorry."
She looked up at him, fully weeping, and phased one foot out of a shoe. The moment her skin made contact with the ground she phased it, the whole patch under him. She watched as he dropped, swallowed up into the ground until there wasn't anything but his backpack left on the dirty concrete.
Her collar beeped again and she slipped her shoe back on.
"Gooood, girl, Juni. I'm so proud of you!"
Her uncle's arm wrapped around her neck squeezed slightly and jostled her about, and then he started steering her from the alley. Kicked the backpack out of the way as he went, too.
Keith managed a hurt expression, but it never quite reached his eyes.
"I'd say I was hurt, but if you know anything about Pepper's family it's easy to see why she has trouble talking about any of us." He ruffled her hair, perhaps a bit too roughly. "It would have been nice if you would have at least mentioned me to some of your friends, ya know. I did basically raise ya."
Juniper glanced at him, expression carefully flat, and looked back to her friend. She wished she was able to convey what she was thinking to him. Send it right into his brain. He needed to leave.
Go away, Adonis! Go away!
He noticed the collar. She winced, and Keith's smile widened to show all of his perfectly white teeth.
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that Buddy." He stepped back onto the alley a bit and used someone passing them on one side as an excuse to move.
"Say, why don't we talk a bit more out of the way? Kinda blocked the road here, heheh. I know a little place with good food pretty close to here. C'mon, Pepper."
She moved to follow, but not before looking at her friend in the eye and shaking her head at him once, firmly. Maybe he'd get the hint and get the hell out of there.
"Say, Xavier, did you know your little Juni here has had a heck of a time making friends?" Her uncle called back, his lit cigarette glowing orange in the semi-darkness within the alley.
Her hand dropped from her neck immediately, accidentally revealing too much metal that wasn't supposed to be there. Keith reached over and tugged it right back up.
"Oh, ain't that sweet? You two know each other?" He took his place beside her and a little bit in front. "Xavier was it? Now that's a good name. Don'cha think Pepper?" He shifted slightly, slinging one long arm around her and resting his palm over her shoudler.
"You two were neighbors? Why didn't you say so, Darlin'?" He huffed, puffing at his smoke for a second and blowing away from them. "Here I am looking like a shmuck for not noticing. She never mentioned being friendly with anyone!"
Juniper had gone from looking at her friend in horror, to pointedly looking at the concrete like she had just witnessed some horrible accident.
...She.... she needed to get him to go away. He couldn't be involved in any way, or he'd mess things up, or put himself in danger! She needed to tread carefully, as if on very thin ice and super far from shore.
"Sorry."
Keith ignored her, offering a hand to Xavier after he deposited his spoke back in his mouth. "Ah, that's okay. All water under the bridge right? I'm Juni's uncle, Keith." He was sizing the boy up through the friendly smile on his face. Where had he seen this kid's mug before?
"You two don't seem like just neighbors to me, ya know... Don't think you can fool an old man." He chuckled, and his grip tightened a little on her arm. "How close are ya?"
How much did he possibly know? How big a threat was he?
Keith was fiddling with his phone. A lit rolled cigarette hung from his lips as he muttered and poked. He never had been really good with the latest technology.
"Pepper, be a dear and make sure that post is visible for me? I can't figure it out."
He'd grown comfortable around her in the last week and a half. Comfortable enough that he wasn't constantly trying to remind her that he was there and keep the fear in her riled up.
Simon had said as much... Just lay low, let him let his guard down, thinking that she'd given up and accepted her role. So far so good, it seemed.
Juniper took the offered phone, plucking away through the settings of an app she didn't use with ease, and making sure his posts were visible. Even though everything in her wanted to set them on private and not tell him.
"Done." She handed the phone back and went back to slouching beside him as they slowly meandered through an alley in a shortcut through to the other side of the block.
"Atta girl, Pepper." He reached out a big hand and ruffled her short hair, and it took everything in her not to visibly cringe. "You've really been on your best behavior lately. I should buy you a treat, ya know? What do ya say?" He chuckled, exhaling thick smoke into the cold air. "Good doggies get bones, right Baby girl?"
....Godshehatedhimsofuckingmuch.
They exited the alley shortly after, and Keith gently collided with someone just as tall as him.
"Oop! Sorry there, fella. Wasn't watching where I was going. You okay? Here, lemme dust that off of you." Some of the ash from Keith's cigarette had ended up on the tall Blonde's clothes.
Juniper turned to see what the fuss was about and froze. Her breath stalled in her throat and her eyes rounded.
... Xavier.
One of her hands immediately went to the collar, barely hidden behind her scarf.
Oh, sh*t Xavier!
"Pepper, what's wrong girl? You look like you've seen the devil himself." Her Uncle turned to her, caught the expression on her face and where her hand was, and a dimple appeared on one bearded cheek.
She broke out in a cold sweat as Keith free hand snuck into the pocket of his denim jacket.
He probably knew her well enough to catch the subtle shift in body language as she went from relaxed and slightly unnerved, too anxious and defensive. The glance she shot him with filled with all sorts of raccoon-caught-in-trashcan vibes.
"I did eat!" Blue had totally left her some food and she didn't know what it was called, but she'd still eaten it!
She tried to wave his concern away with the hand that had been stuck on her floor. "I'm fiiine. I'm sure of it. Totally positive. It's probably just like... some weird hiccup. I have been pretty distracted lately, too."
Oh, she was rambling.
"I'm sure nothing's wrong!"
Stepping back up onto his couch, she tried again to put her arm through the wall and shot him a dazzling smile when she succeeded.
"See? All better. Gotta go now! Bye!"
She hopped on through before he could stop her.
...
On the other side of the wall, she paused, letting the smile drop as she flexed her hand.
She didn't wanna think about how much of a pain trying to touch everything in his apartment would be.
At his question, she paused and looked at one of her hands, deciding to try and phase it through the floor. She succeeded, up to the wrist, buuuuuut.... it didn't wanna come back out.
Juniper didn't want to let on how stressful it was to have your hand stuck in a floor and seemingly not being able to control her power.
"UH..." She tugged. Hand stayed. Xavier put a large hand on her forehead which was cold, like normal. Juniper didn't put off a lot of heat being so small and all.
"I dunno? I don't feel sick. I feel fine. I just can't get it to trigger."
It was normally easy. Second nature even. She just had to think about what she wanted to phase, put a bit of effort in, and wala! Done!
She blinked at Xavier and renewed her efforts of trying to hand her hand out. Kinda actually hurt her wrist. "I don't wanna be a zombie! Redemption arcs sound like a real drag!" She yanked again and her power kicked back in, sending her rolling back.
She recovered by keeping the roll doing and ending up back on her feet.
"I'm free!" And she still had a hand!
"...Maybe I am coming down with something. That'd be weird, though, I've never really been sick."
