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.
Community outreach for mutants? Will tried to think if he'd heard the name of Haven in conjunction with any of the things he'd read or overheard previously. Maybe? It didn't help that the name was sort of synonymous with exactly that sort of thing, so an apt moniker, but it make it sort of fuzzy for him to put it concretely in his head. Quin was dead on though, that even if he knew for sure what Haven did, this would not be the sort of place he'd expect them to operate out of.
The elevator moved down and Quin explained that if Will were staying down below, he'd probably have some roommates one way or the other, either cots or whatever else they'd get set up in the classrooms and gyms, or bunks in the dorms. She also, in her infinite kindness, told him that the offer of the couch was sincere, adding in the promise of food.
Food? Food hadn't even crossed his mind. He should probably be hungry, but hungry was probably buried under two dozen other things in the later bucket that itself had gotten buried under the rest of the events of the day. As such, he didn't have much to say, just giving Quin a thankful smile and nod.
The doors opened, the trip down surprisingly smooth as far as elevators went, and Will was thankful for what must have been a pretty impressive ventilation system as he stepped into the hallway. Usually below ground levels felt stale, air still and heavy with the smells of who or whatever spent time on that level, but Haven seemed to be better about that. He wouldn't exactly call it fresh air, but no worse than any above ground building. Will looked up and down the hallway as Quin peered at the card before leading the both of them down the hall to find (thankfully) a dorm, rather than a gym or a classroom.
"Guess I get to be an honorary member of the club." Will said, taking a peek around the room and picking up one of the folded t-shirts on the bed, letting it hang down before dropping it back onto the bed. "Wonder if I get one of those neat patches, or if that's only for fully fledged members."
Quin explained where the showers were, that the card Will had been provided should get him in, and to text her if he needed anything, promises of frozen pizza and a place away from other people just a quick ask away.
"A shower sounds... really good, honestly." Will admitted, looking down at himself, the dust and dirt and who knows what else that'd decorated/ruined his jeans and t-shirt. Like Quin had said earlier, distressed was in, but their clothes were a bit past even the most generous depiction of distressed at this point. "And I'll probably take you up on that pizza after I get settled in here." Will paused before adding, "And make sure to take some painkillers when y'can. If I nod off, you're gonna be hurting again if y'don't."
Will was grateful as Quin stopped the concierge before they could start giving out any sort of instructions, offering instead just to bring Will to wherever he was going to be staying. At this point he was running on fumes and a half cup of coffee, and trying to follow instructions to get through a completely unfamiliar place with armed guards stationed here and there was more of a task than he felt up to cognitively.
Following Quin to the elevator, Will raised an eyebrow in some amount of surprise at the scanner built into the wall. Sure, electronic locks weren't anything odd, the keycard in his hand he figured, was pretty much like any other hotel card he'd ever used. Unlocked certain doors, maybe call an elevator. But a fingerprint scanner was an odd thing to see. And with what Quin had half-joked, half-warned earlier, it wasn't liable to be the only weirdness he was going to run into.
Scanning the card, the elevator responded with a cheery electronic sound and there was a hum of movement, indicating the lift was on it's way. "Didn't even know this place existed. I mean, I think I've been past the building a few, but..." Will shrugged, there were hundreds of buildings you could walk by in the city and never really know what was inside, after all. "Just happy they could fit me in, right about now."
The hum of movement came to a slow, then a stop and the elevator doors opened smoothly, Will giving Quin a bit of a hesitant look before stepping inside, walking to the back of the elevator to be able to lean back against the wall and take a bit of weight off his overworked legs. "I'll be honest though, if it's a cot in a gym fulla other folks, I might take you up on the couch." Will gave Quin a grin, half-joking. Even on the best of days, a room full of other people's noise would make it impossible for him to get to sleep.
Michael politely accepted the offer of the drink, but stated that job or no, she'd probably be helping people. That it was just in her nature. And warned them to stay safe until the end of all this. That seemed like good advice, and a little bit concerning -- they were being taken to a place that the two had said was pretty much the safest in the city, and the person driving the tank who could tear apart metal with her bare hands still felt the need to voice their concern.
Quin chimed in, commenting that she hoped that things went better with -this- offered free drink, than the last one... which had sort of been the start of Will's introduction to all the craziness of the day. Will smirked and stifled a laugh. "Y'know, maybe this is all my boss's doin' -- upset I'm givin' away table fees and drinks for free."
Will -did- though, fail in stifling a laugh, not much more than a quick snort of laughter, when it sounded like Michael and him could both lament a particular loss. Sounded like coffee cups to the face was a recurring theme today.
As they rolled up to Haven proper, Will peered out the windows. Armed guards? Quin was already speaking up, saying she hadn't seen that before, before he could wonder if that was standard practice here. Will could see the patch on the guards standing outside. He'd have expected to see something stating "Haven" or maybe law enforcement, but it said "Blackforest Tactical". Another name to add to the pile of things he didn't know and probably should find out about.
Words were exchanged between Michael and the guards. They called her boss, gave the rundown on what was going, that they'd been taking a number of people in and that they'd had to fight off a few bits of trouble. While he didn't like that trouble had found the place, the fact it had been fought off meant they weren't just hoping that trouble would blow over them without noticing. And that they could push back. That was good.
"Yeah, thanks for the lift." Will said simply to Michael as he hopped out of the Fordasaurus, raising his hand in a wave as he followed close after Quin. Quin told him to get ready if he wasn't already completely freaked out. Will was glad he'd tapped out on freaked out somewhere back when they were running for the church, because he didn't have any energy left for preparing himself for anything else.
Stepping inside was a bit overwhelming, even in the face of a disaster it was polished and marble and maybe a little ostentatious. Business with a capital B. Between the paramilitary forces around him and the imposing, unfamiliar architecture, Will made sure to stay as close on Quin's heels as he could without feeling like he was following her like a lost puppy. "Fancy digs. Feelin' a little underdressed, if I'm being honest." Will half-joked, giving his battered t-shirt a tug in emphasis. "Not sure I've got a suit nice enough for this place even if I'd been given the heads up though."
Will stood beside Quin, letting her do the talking as they stood at the desk as she gave the concierge information. Food for the Action Hero, a room for Will. Screens were checked and there was a practiced clatter of noise of keyboard and mouse clicks as things were checked and set in motion, and before Will knew it, he'd been handed a fancy looking plastic card with a number embossed on it that was supposedly his key for the room Michael had managed to get him into. Aside from the armed guards, it almost felt like he was being checked into a hotel he knew he couldn't afford on someone else's dime.
And, just like that it seemed, Will had a room at what was being stated by the other two people in the Fordasaurus to be one of the most secure places in the city.
Who in the actual hell was he getting himself tangled up with? When had the day gone from lattes and slacking on straightening up the game shelves to fighting for life and learning about Sorceresses and anti-paranormal task forces and... at least two different kinds of timey-wimey shenanigans. The Egyptian ankh and whatever Quin had told him about earlier. And that was just the things that came to mind right away, the things he knew about.
"Thanks for getting me in." Will replied to Michael, doing his level best to sound grateful, rather than burnt out and stressed. Slinging coffee in New York prepared you for an awful lot, but even it had it's limits. "Owe you a drink once this all blows over." In the customer service business, it was always all about favors for favors, and even in the thick of things, that part of his brain hadn't turned off. Sure, there was probably a difference between an armored escort and a caramel latte, but you gave what you had, right?
Will turned to Quin as she offered to put him up herself, should the amenities be lacking. "S'long as it's clean and quiet and safe, a broom closet wouldn't be the worst... But if I've got any complaints about the situation, I'll come knocking." He commented, trying to remain as polite as he could with the situation. If it was such a secure spot, it'd have to be in pretty high demand by just about anyone who knew about it or had ties to it, right? And, even without a shortage of beds or rooms, the idea of just not being alone at night after the absolutely terror of the last hours was a tempting prospect.
Looking out the ALON windows, Will tried to orient himself. The street names looked familiar, but the city had a vibe to it that made everything look alien and different. Maybe it was just the day, maybe the fact he was running with less sharp senses than he was used to... maybe just the fact he was in the massive vehicle, rather than hoofing it like usual, but it barely looked like the city he knew.
Will nodded as Michael explained in brief what their part in taking down Akh was, stating that plans were the first things that failed on contact with the opponent, and that their enemy made plans. Though, Will thought, that was the sort of sword that cut both ways, wasn't it?
So Michael was mostly riding around putting boots to butts to try and quell some of the chaos, which either hoping to run across signs of Akh, or, with the radio and her mystic allies, be ready to move on any sort of info that came in that pertained to the Sorceress. So there were mutants and mystics both that worked with SUPER? Guess that made sense if they had to deal with the worst sorts of preternatural type of things... current events included, but it was still wild to realize how much was going on right under his nose.
Will was surprised to hear the word Haven come up again, he'd been curious about it when Quin mentioned it offhandedly, about not leaving it for a week when he'd generally agreed with the idea, but Michael mentioned it now too, stating that Will would probably be best served by staying there, at least if safety was his main concern. Will wasn't quite sure how to answer to that one. He'd be lying if he answered that he wasn't concerned about staying safe in all of this. Even if Akh and everything that he'd just been told about weren't a factor, the day had been insane, and it was entirely possible his neighbourhood looked just like the cafe did.
On the other hand, getting dragged into even more strangeness, a new place, more secure than anywhere in the city? Some place... maybe? Associated with SUPER, or at least with Michael... A huge part of Will just wanted to pretend like the day hadn't happened. Go back to -his- apartment, that was tidy and familiar and normal...
Quin spoke up, supporting Michael's statement, that she was probably right, that Haven would be the safe choice. They there were places for him to stay, and that they could get him a place in... Ah well, normal was out the reinforced ALON window at this point, wasn't it?
"Ah. Yeah. Probably the smart thing right?" Will accepted the offer with a grateful smile to Quin, following up with a little chuckle, throwing a comment Michael's way as well. "Besides, be rude of you to make two stops with your busy schedule." Will joked, trying to make an excuse to take the assistance offered. It did make sense to accept the help, even if it was strange on top of strange.
Michael and Quin chatted while Will watched out the fancy, bullet-stopping windows of the truck, grateful for the relative feeling of security the behemoth provided even while they continued talking about the threats and trouble that existed outside the armored vehicle. Threats and troubles that sounded like they wouldn't be slowed too much by the thickness of any sort of armor. At least if magic worked the way it did in fantasy books and tabletop games and movies.
Time shenanigans. And gods. And magic. And stone monsters. Golems? Sphinxes? (Probably not actually THE Sphinx though. Maybe.) But no bandaged wrapped, desiccated corpse walking around, but just... a woman. Suppose Michael -had- only said ancient Egyptian, not mummy, but c'mon, what else was he supposed to think? Probably would have made it harder to recruit people if you looked like the human equivalent of a raisin, but, he wasn't about to rule out that magic could accomplish, considering it had apparently kept someone alive for 5000 years.
And her recruiting methods? Promises of power maybe? Or a chance at tearing down society? Sure, Will could admit in seeing a certain appeal to parts of all of that, but... There were ways to make changes that didn't throw -everyone- under the bus. And if someone's offering a gift like that, you should be wary about what's up their sleeve. Regardless, it seemed like Michael had plans for even if Akh's plan ultimately succeeded, evidently having a few 'troubleshooters' to call on if that happened. Will did have to wonder who that'd be, and felt more than a twist of anxiety at the stakes of everything as Michael said that if Akh got her way, it could be this, but global.
"So... hoping to head her off at the pass, but you've got a plan if it all goes south?" Will asked, trying to keep up with the general logistics of everything. Clearly Michael was out here doing the general hero thing... hence their current situation and the fight with Knightstick, but Will wasn't clear if cleaning up trouble was Michael's primary goal, or if they were trying to track down Akh, presuming they had any way of finding the Sorceress. Though, presumably, if they covered enough ground and kicked enough butt, the finding would happen naturally.
As far as the "we" in Will's mind at the moment, it was the three of them current in the Fordasaurus, for as long as it took them to get wherever 'safe' was in a situation like that. Which, as Michael continued to drive through the streets, was starting to sound like fewer and fewer places... if any, should Akh 'win'.
"Yeah, thinkin' I'll be locking my doors and hiding under my bed once I get home." Will joked, agreeing with Quin's general statement.
Alright, so sorceress wasn't just some term or title for some mutant with a really funky mutation. Magic was real. That was going to take some time to fully sink in. But Will was, as Michael said "livin' this now" and so nodded along as Michael explained a bit about some of what Will had asked. Mystics used magic, and seemingly one of them was the cause of Michael's need for more frequent wardrobe changes -- that wasn't just their mutation. Akh was one of them, and he guessed (hoped) was a frighteningly powerful one if she could survive for thousands of years and call on enough power, magic or resources to drum up a city-wide storm of trouble like this.
She had an artifact? More magicky stuff, Will guessed, she was trying to bring back her king? Her gods? Even the cliff notes of what was going on sounded utterly insane and overwhelming -- but knowing what they were dealing with... helped? Almost? The utter absurdity helped at least, in an odd way. It was all too big and strange for him to get properly scared of, unlike the more mundane happenings within the city, it gave him a target, faceless as it currently was to him, to target his frustration and anger at. Akh could be stopped, presumably, and it seemed like Michael had about as much info on the happenings as one would need to do just that.
"So. We're (we're? why was he including himself in this crazy bit of trouble?) up against a magic mummy who's got the power or resources to turn the city on it's head, as a distraction?" Will couldn't help but sound a little incredulous, shifting in the backseat with the sound of some of the equipment back there rattling, either his shoulder or heel bumped one bit of kit into another. "Either of you know magic then? Or can you just bop a mage as well as you can a mutant?" Will looked between Quin and Michael in curiosity.
Honestly, it was all vaguely reminiscent of the sorts of conversations he'd overhear during tabletop game nights at the cafe, (oh man... he still had to call the owner about that...) though admittedly the equipment around for those conversations had been more colourful dice and poster board maps, and less dart rifles and flashbangs.
So, the goal was to get back a King and some Gods. That sounded back. What-
Quin spoke up before he'd even managed to think of the question, asking Michael about what -happened- if Akh won. That was the question, even if he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer. Because game nights, if the BBEG wins, rocks fall and...
LEOs. Mystics. Akh. Feds. X's. Sorceresses. National Guard. SUPER.
Will almost felt the need to grab his head to keep it from spinning as he tried to keep straight the list of names, groups, acronyms and titles, some known, others not, one or two he'd only had vague ideas about. His best customer service skills were on deck, keeping his expression careful blank as he was both appreciative of how calm and nonchalant Michael was being about all the... everything, while also being utter flummoxed about it. Part of him was even almost angry, or maybe embarrassed? Will prided himself on usually being the more aware person in the room, super-senses tend to help with that, but here he felt about 7 steps behind and slipping further back with each conversation.
On the plus side, Michael did sound confident that things were, more or less, in hand. Or at least that they were being handled as well as possible. Will did note that there was no explicit statement that there wasn't trouble elsewhere, or that there was any specified safe zones... at least outside the Fordasaurus. If the windows were the weakest point, and he assumed they would be, and they could still stop a .50 caliber round, there wasn't much of anything getting through. Save a mutant like Michael, or a sphinx (The Sphinx?). An ancient sorceress. Someone who could manipulate metal. Okay, so it wasn't bullet proof. Well, it pretty much was--
Will shook his head as he realized he was doing the mental equivalent of rambling, cross currents of fear and anxiety and the side-effects of running on adrenaline catching up with him. The Fordasaurus was as safe as anywhere in the craziness of the city right now. They were all working to stay safe. He'd worry about the rest later.
Luckily, Quin and Michael were busy with their own conversation as he sorted his head out, Will managing to get his brain mostly unscrambled by the time Quin was asking Michael if the different forms that she (they?) had had different abilities. That would make sense. Action Hero didn't move all that fast to dodge the bat, but maybe that was more a reaction time thing? Will was well aware that just because your mutation boosted something, didn't mean it did it evenly or in a way that your body could always handle or take advantage of.
"Good t'know this thing's as much of a tank as it looks then." Will commented, rapping on the side of the behemoth vehicle with a pair of knuckles, as though to test the toughness of the outer shell. He had no idea what he was looking for, but it seemed like the thing to do. "But... y'mind explaining a few things once we get going? Feeling like I'm missing every third word with some of these conversations." Will paused, giving a little apologetic smile and glanced over at Quin, trying to gauge how much she had been keeping up with the barrage of unusual information, before turning his attention back to Michael.. "Uh, assumin' stuff like Akh and, mystics and everything aren't some black file, need-to-know type stuff."
Where Will and Quin were already hoping to take the rest of the day, or week, off, it seemed like Michael was resigned to continue her assault against the chaos that the city was in. That made sense, with the way the truck was loaded up, Michael really did seem ready to take on an entire army... or maybe a platoon? Will wasn't very military minded.
Michael and Quin chatted briefly, Michael telling Quin that knowing the limitations of what people were capable of was better than trying to wing in and making things a bigger mess. That she'd done better than most by being level headed and handing the rifle off. Will had to wonder where that put him, back when he'd been hanging off of Knightstick like a cape. Had he helped or gotten in the way? Suppose he'd only worked with the information he'd had at the moment. Will had reacted, thinking Michael had been completely out of the fight, rather than stunned, but it definitely hadn't been a thought out assault. Regardless, it all worked out in the end, right? And seeing how tenacious the metal mutant was, overall, he felt like he'd probably made the right call.
The two continued to talk, discussing sparring, the neat leg trick, that they both knew a woman named Lee who Quin described as a 'tiny Rambo' as she'd gotten summarily kicked up and down the length of the gym. Will's ears perked at the name and description of the person, it sounded like someone he'd run into by chance not too long ago... but pushed the idea to the back of his head. The world was weird enough without that many coincidences all lining up... He'd ask Quin about it later, when his head cleared. Maybe.
Michael's reply though, about who'd be taking care of their angry Tin Man, gave Will a bit of a chill, as Michael said that SUPER would be taking care of things, even going on to clarify it was a whole group set up specifically to deal with preternatural threats, trained to mitigate and deal with all sorts of powers. It made sense. Sure. Handcuffs and bullets weren't going to stop a someone like Knightstick, or Michael, for that matter. But still... Will had always heard vague bogeyman kind of rumors about the group, but hearing it spelled out, and seeing the kind of kit that Michael was carrying around She -was- SUPER after all, the cop earlier had identified her as much.
And of course of the single digit people whom he'd talked about or used his powers in front of, one of them would have to be a part of all that. And he'd given all his information to the cops here. He'd always tried to lie low and in an afternoon he suddenly felt like there was a target on his back.
Quin started to talk to him before the knots in his stomach had the chance to convince him that bolting away on foot was a better idea than staying here. She voiced her own concerns about the idea of SUPER. Will nodded his agreement to what she said on that, though kept his own mouth shut, beyond a simple, "Yeah." He opted to focus on listening instead as Quin continued.
It sounded like her relationship with Michael was a lot more complicated than he'd first assumed. They were, he presumed, friends, but there was some history (or not-history in Quin's case? All that still made his head spin trying to think about.) between the two of them, they'd been colleagues, or enemies... maybe both? And she'd asked Michael to help teach her to fight. Guess that explained the martial prowess shown in the cafe.
Regardless of the exact details, it helped calm his nerves a bit hearing Quin had some reservations about SUPER, that maybe it wasn't just all in his head. It was enough to convince him at least that the Fordasaurus escort was a smarter idea than hiking across the city with the state things were in, listening in with interest as a freshly dressed Michael called in for what Will guessed was a clean-up crew for their metal manipulating friend.
"Is the whole city like this?" Will asked once Michael had put the radio back in it's place. If he and Quin were trying to hitch a ride home in the armored escort, would 'home' even be safe?
Will left out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding as the Action Heroine yanked the dart from Metal and started wrapping things up as she instructed to... wrap him up. Huh. Apt. Watching with interest now, rather than concern, he was happy to see Metal starting to get re-restrained, this time seemingly with a bit more care taken to avoid providing him with any new ammunition.
With all that settled and seemingly under control, Will was able to turn and answer Quin as she spoke up, asking a rhetorical question that had been rattling around in the back of his head since roughly the time he had to break a glass over Knives's head, as well as voicing the idea of just taking the rest of the week off to sleep. Great minds thought alike it seemed. "No kidding on the shower. Gonna be picking gravel outta my back for a week I bet. Maybe a stroll through a car wash would do it?" Will played along with Quin's exaggerations, feeling much the same way, trying to add more humor to the thoroughly bizarre situation.
Mummy Magicians. Body shifting Action Hero(ine), complete with tank and accessories. Mr. Metal. The whole city seeming to be under siege... And, if what Michael had said was correct, this was all just... Part? of what was going on? Will wondered if it was magic, or money or threats or what that got so many villains and thugs riled up and pointed all in the same general direction, but... it wasn't good, no matter which way it was sliced.
"Honestly, I just stayed outta the way." Will admitted with a little shrug. There hadn't been any need for more than one set of hands on the gun, and Michael moved -way- faster than he could have kept up with. Moral support? Backup? Sure, he'd say he was one of those then.
As they made their way back to the truck, Will casting a nervous glance over his shoulder to make sure he didn't see or hear any metal clanking about near Knightstick, he heard Quin commenting on Michael's martial/gymnastic prowess, asking to be shown how to do the 'leg thing'. Once Will was satisfied that Metal was either out cold enough to not be snatching metal, or that the cops were being careful enough, he turned his attention back to the other two. Will was trying to take cues from Quin on how to react to Michael's shift. Quin knew Michael. Quin didn't seemed phased by the sudden, drastic, change and so... It must just be normal? For a certain application of the word, at least.
"So, who gets called in to deal with a guy like that? S'not like you can just stick him in a cell, right?" Will asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.
Will almost laughed at Michael's response to Quin, that the trouble was caused by an ancient Egyptian sorceress, that absurdity of the statement nearly sucker punching him, but the lack of any sort of flippant tone in Michael's voice and the serious topic overall kept his head on straight. The Action Hero was serious? The city was lit up in chaos because of a magic mummy maiden? If Will was still in disbelief, Michael's further explanation about what the vehicle was set up to do and was currently kitted out for. Mobile command. Moving troops. Taking down the Sphinx itself if need be.
Hang on, was it a sphinx, or the Sphinx? Guess that would depend on if it was the statue or if the mythological creatures were real... But if ancient sorceresses were...
Will's head perked up as Michael yelled in protest to something that was going on. There were the sound of gunshots, swearing, sounds of pain and struggling. Hard to tell when each one occurred exactly, chronologically, but it was all roughly at the same time. And it all meant things hadn't been quite as handled as they'd guessed.
Before he'd even had time to process the commotion there was a blur of movement that was Michael, moving at impossible speeds and changing as they did. Will could barely follow the violent gymnastic routine as Metal went down to the ground, losing the privilege of oxygen, courtesy of a pair of legs wrapped about his neck as Michael(?) took the mutant down and out.
Michael yelled for tranqs, the cops moved, looking for the appropriate equipment, seemingly not having the less lethal equipment on hand like the more classic sidearms that had only gotten them in more trouble. Michael then clarified that they meant the one in the truck and Will realized that he should probably not just gawk at the show, starting to move at about the same time Quin was digging about for the gun.
Will was hesitant to rummage too aggressively, too many things looking like that'd go 'pop' in one uncomfortable way or anything if he were to knock them to the floor of the truck, or worse yet, knock them out the open door of the Fordasaurus. Luckily, Quin found what they were looking for, and it was happily loaded, if what Action Hero(ine?) yelled was true. Quin told Will she had no idea what she was doing, and he could only bark back a nervous. "Same," in response before she was already out of the truck, thrusting the weapon into the hands of an officer between the truck and the scuffle.
Armed with the weapon, the cop strode a few steps closer to the fallen metal manipulator and raised the rifle, steadying himself before taking a single shot but leaving the rifle raised, the officer's eyes flitting over to Michael's as if to ask if the fellow on the ground might need a few more chemical encouragements to stay calm or not.
Will himself had managed to pry himself out from the mess in the backseat and came up to stand beside Quin as, hopefully, the matter of Mr. Metal was being put to rest.
As Quin and Michael went back and forth about the day, Will wasn't sure if it made him feel better or worse that this wasn't just some random or spontaneous act of violence. Something or someone was responsible for it, and probably for more something more than just making a few potholes and making things tough for people living in the city. Michael in particular seemed to have an idea about precisely who the instigator of the mess was, while Quin probed for information. Will just tried to keep up, it still felt like his head was wrapped in cotton, everything a touch less sharp than he was used to. He was far from used to actively using his powers, and running on less than a full tank wasn't something he was familiar with.
Metal seemed like he was well in hand at least. Mostly. Heavy duty looking non-metallic restraints and a few sets of hands on him. Seemed like the cops knew what they were doing? Probably? Michael seemed convinced it was the right call, and it felt like the right call to differ to the Action Hero's expertise on the proper protocols of butt-kicking. Quin did have a pretty good point on slapping the struggling mutant with more restraints though, he was still awfully feisty, even after they'd put him down.
Ignoring the sounds of the struggle behind him, Will stepped after Michael and Quin as they made their way towards Michael's ride. Jeez. Will had thought the thing had been a behemoth from afar, but it might have been even bigger and more imposing up close than he'd suspected from afar. There was no way that a vehicle like that hadn't been built for either spite, ego or combat, or maybe some combination of the three. As Michael opened the door to the back seats, the door swinging up, rather than out, Will could see the contents sprawled across the interior of the Fordasaurus. Taking in the almost parodic level of munitions, Will realized the vehicle definitely included at least the latter of the three reasons he'd thought of, but he wasn't ruling other either of the other two.
"Some of this stuff looks like I'd need a license just to be in the same room as it..." Will commented with a shake of his head as Quin pulled herself into the truck. It was all starting to feel like he'd gotten pulled in way, way over his head, but it was fine now. He'd just climb into the Fordasaurus, squeeze in between the .50 caliber and the flashbangs, let the Action Hero give him a lift home and then sleep for a week and forget it all ever happened. "What the heck are you expectin' to be up against with all this, anyway?"
Will nodded in response to Michael, both in agreement to the statement it would have been nice to meet under nicer circumstances, as well as indicating that he was holding up okay. Quin even offered up a quick inventory of the worst of both of their injuries, along with a sarcastic quip. Watching Michael hold the offered rag to his bleeding head, (seriously, how was the guy still standing?) Will checked to make sure his own bandage and treatment was holding up, and was happy to see no signs of having done anything bad enough to pull the wound open again. Good job, doc.
"Yeah." Will confirmed Quin's statement, giving the bandaged arm a little half shrug to indicate the one that was injured. "Started out such a nice day too. Thought I'd get to slack for once." He gave a little laugh and a smirk as they all took the time to steady themselves, Michael checking the blood on the rag he'd been pressing to his head and Quin climbing to her feet.
Michael and Quin shared some words, discussing a vehicle, and Will peeked through the hole in the tent, following Ranger's gaze to the behemoth of a truck that had certainly seen a better day, but still looked fit to drive through the gates of hell if it needed to. Will's gaze flickered between the truck and Michael once or twice. Yeah -- the "Fordasaurus' was about as fitting a ride for the Action Hero here as he could have imagined.
Will's ears perked up, and he turned to glance back at Quin as she said that since that was Michael's truck, he could give them a ride then. And that... that sounded like the best news he'd gotten since... Honestly, that might just be the best news he'd gotten, period. Being stuck here in the middle of what was rapidly seeming like an active warzone, or trying to hoof it across the city to make his way back to his apartment (assuming -it- wasn't also under fire... or on fire...) were both incredibly unappealing ideas. Hopping into a tank and getting a lift with a guy who could dead lift a fridge with one hand? Significantly better, and he didn't bother to hide the relief that spread across his expression at the idea.
Of course, it wasn't his choice to make. And he'd only just met Michael roughly five minutes and one thorough villain butt-kicking ago, so he wasn't about to press the issue... but surely allies in combat could hitch a ride once in a while right?
Will wished he'd saved some of his earlier composure when he was trying not to gawp at Ranger picking up the metal controlling mutant with a single hand. As Ranger commented, asking about Will's abilities, the smaller man just looked like a deer in the headlights for a moment before his wits caught back up with him and he shook his head, giving a non-committal shrug. "Yeah, something like." He commented offhandedly, and a little breathless from the scuffle. Panic and peril had given him tunnel vision on, well, not having his skull, or anyone else's skull get caved in -- and made him a little less worried about secrecy, his worries about that coming back in full force now, and a half minute too late.
Worries or no, Will didn't have time to think on it much as he watched with detached interest as Ranger quite literally peeled their adversary out of his metal skin, like some kind of piece of cybernetic produce, or maybe just like peeling the aluminum foil off of a burrito. Little wonder the bat to the head had only slowed him down if he could do -that- with his bare hands.
It did though, look like the fight, as brief as it was, had taken it's toll on all three of them... Well, four of them, but Will didn't have much pity for Knightstick, even as Ranger tossed him aside like a ragdoll. Ranger was breathing heavily, Quin wasn't even on her feet, and Will himself was cradling his wounded arm in his good one.
Officers came, seeming to take over the task of dealing with the no-longer metal wrapped mutant. Will listened in curiously. The guy controlled metal. Obvious. Someone said Ranger was super. But it was hard for Will to figure out if it was praise, a title, a nickname or something else entirely. Given the situation and the way the cops weren't treating him like some kind of vigilant however, he assumed it was probably SUPER. In all caps.
The Action Hero started to shrink, speaking to Quin and praising her and Will both. Quin stirred a bit on the ground, replying and giving introductions, and Will tried to clear his head. So, the big guy had a name. Micheal. Right, Quin had said that when he'd first shown up. "No kidding." Will muttered in support of Quin's comment about the day.
Will took the cue from Quin as she provided names for those that had yet to be introduced. Turning his attention to Ranger, he did his best in trying to follow common courtesies in spite of the bizarre situation. "Hey, pleased t'meetcha." Will giving a nod to Micheal rather than waving or reaching out for a handshake, stuck with one arm sore and the other supporting. Even with both arms up and running, Will would have been a bit hesitant in giving the other man a handshake, after watching him peel the metal off of their assailant like the label off a beer bottle.
Ranger answered Will's plea request for assistance. How? Will didn't know how the guy was still on his feet, let alone conscious. Then again, the Action Hero there had also grown muscles at a rate that would make any gym rat turn themselves inside out with envy, and he was currently clinging to a metal wrapped man who Quin had just Tupperwared with the plastic from around the tent and off the chairs that they had been sitting on just a few minutes ago. How was a question for way, -way- later.
As Ranger applied some percussive persuasion to the metal clad menace, Will could feel the first, and then the second impact through Knightstick. The second wallop made him aware of the hard points forming under the plastic wrapped around Metal's upper half. Sharp little nubs and spikes and twisting bits of metal trying to force their way through the material that kept him bound, like the armor was trying to imitate a particularly angry porcupine.
Will could hear plastic being cut, shredded, straining and snapping as, at the same time, he heard the squealing of metal sheering away from metal. The metal fellow he was giving a rather aggressive hug just about had one arm free, elbow adorned with nasty looking points that had helped punch through the plastic and ruin it's integrity... when another wad of plastic slapped down reinforcing the cracks and breaks and gluing the arm back in place.
Feeling the sharp little bits threating to break through where his chest was pressed against the struggling man's back, Will used the openings, both the literal and figurative ones, that Ranger had provided. Hauling himself half over and half around Metal's shoulder, he reached his front, hand slapping flat and dragging across until his fingers brushed bare skin.
Bingo.
Linking only took a fraction of a second, the mental array of Knightstick's senses leading in front of Will in all it's unique splendor and glory -- which Will promptly ignored, lighting up every single pathway and thread with as much juice as he could pump out in the moment of contact. Total overload of all five senses which would hopefully either put him out entirely, or at least down long enough for Ranger to finish the job. Will could feel metal coated mutant stiffen like a board, and sputter out something that wasn't quite words, but he didn't drop... Was he using the armor like a brace to keep himself up? Or was he just -that- tough?
Regardless, Will couldn't muster another jolt that fast, staggering back to give Ranger room to work and himself time to catch his bearings. His head felt like it was full of cotton and he had nearly dropped the link with Quin in the scuffle, mentally clinging to it now as he reeled from the blast he'd given to Metal. That would have to be it. He was in no way, shape or form a match for either of the two brawlers physically. Hopefully it'd been enough to swing the fight.
