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.
Even though Kyle's eyes were directed to the walls and the drying designs upon them, his instincts warned him that possible danger was forthcoming. In fact, his tendency to glance for whatever reason to either side was what let him catch the sight of something heavy heading his way.
By then it was too late to do anything, but the jar that Isabel had thrown at him wasn't directed at him, not directly. The jar smashed with a crash against the wall beside him, spilling murky water and glass shards to the ground at his feet. With a raised eyebrow, Kyle glanced down to the shattered pool of glass and water, then turned his attention to the one who'd thrown it.
"I'm surprised how defensive you are. I can understand the intruding on you're room, but it seems like you're more worried about me seeing that you like to paint. Like it degrades your image or something...I think it improves it to be honest."
Sighing and shaking his head, Kyle glanced to the wall once more, then smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "I guess that's a good warning. But, seeing as the mess around my feet is my fault in a way, I'm going to clean it up. Stab me now or when my back is turned, because that's what I'm going to do and that's the only way you'll stop me."
Bending down, Kyle picked up an unused tray from nearby and started picking the larger pieces of the jar up and throwing them into it. He'd have to find a broom to get the rest, after he'd cleaned the water up somehow. That would be the tricky part...especially if he was bleeding out at the same time. Blood was a pain to get cleaned up properly, after all.
In hindsight, choosing a battleground that groaned under your weight alone was probably not the best place to invite someone else to hop onto. The metal pile that Kyle had taken purchase on swayed gently as he adjusted his footing, a lengthy groan of protest accompanying the move. Risking a glance, Kyle checked once again that the ground he was on was stable before turning his eyes back to Sara.
She hadn't moved, not yet at least. When Kyle had lashed out at her with his barrage, Sara had managed to dodge all but a couple of the bolts, not an easy feat considering the number he'd launched. Now she was watching him carefully from her perch, those feline eyes both beautiful and intimidating at the same time.
Then she did something so quick that Kyle almost missed it. Her arm swung up suddenly and Kyle thought it was her merely bating at something. Then he realized she had thrown something at him. No, not at him. At the place he was standing.
"Oh sh..." was all he managed to get out before the brick she had thrown smashed into pile beneath him. The simple clang that followed quickly turned into a thunderous roar as the whole pile collapsed, taking Kyle with it. With another curse, he vanished into a cloud of dust and debris that kicked up into the air as the metal crashed into the ground.
For a moment, the only sound would be the dull silence that came after such a crash. Then from within the cloud, a spark of electric purple before a much larger blast of energy slammed into the base Sara was standing on. Directly below her feet to be exact and having put an considerable amount of his energy into that attack, it would be enough surely to remove her from her vantage point as well.
Sitting across the seat atop his bike, currently parked in an alley to avoid being part of the moving traffic flow, Kyle watched Isabel and her red escort as they started wandering forth from the Sanctuary. The pitter patter of the rain had grown slightly since Kyle had first descended the roof, enough that he could clearly see the rain falling.
With his head secure in his helmet and his body covered decently enough to keep him from getting too wet, Kyle wasn't concerned with the rain. In fact, he welcomed it. It would serve as a helpful way to avoid detection for a little bit longer as he examined this odd event before him.
And it was worth investigating. No sooner had they exited the building, did the red man glance to the sky before moving to a nearby hot dog vendor. The red man put something on the cart, which Kyle couldn't quite make out from his position, but he clearly saw the man snap the umbrella from the cart little effort. That caught his attention. Kyle had seen those umbrella's and they were held in place by a tough metal pipe, to help them stick around in even the worst weather. Most impressive to say the least.
Then the pair were off again, heading off down the street with the massive umbrella shielding them both from the current downpour. Watching them for a moment, Kyle then started up his bike again and slowly started following them. The umbrella would keep them safe from the rain no doubt...and for Kyle, it would help him follow them from afar easily.
Since his attention was mostly directed on inspecting the designs on the wall, Kyle didn't notice that his comments were getting a physical response to show on Isabel's face. His curiosity also dulled out the fact that the tone in her voice was anything but friendly.
The sound of something on metal made him glance over to her as she came down from the ladder. This also let him notice her display of paints and the the other needed materials a little more clearly. She had quite the diversity of colors there, most of which she didn't seem to be using. At the same time, several of them looked to be getting quite low.
Her tirade snapped him to actually pay attention to her for a moment and when she was done, Kyle simply gave her one of those smiles that she would know by now meant he wasn't concerned about his health when something interested him.
"I can read quite well actually. It's one of my favorite hobbies, truth be told. As for your name on the door, didn't see it at all, sorry to say. And if no one comes into your room ever, well, guess I'm the fool that gets to be lucky number one then." His eyes wandered back to the designs and instead of responding directly to that last statement of hers, he continued.
"These are some unique designs you got going here. Are they meant to symbolize something or did you just come up with them out of the blue? Pretty creative if you did.
You look like you're running low on paint though. I can get you more." Kyle dropped that last part almost casually, like it wouldn't bother him one bit to do so. And it wouldn't.
A long day. That was what today was turning out to be.
The sun was high in the sky at this point, what rays the clouds were not blocking shining down to warm his skin. It wasn't a particularly warm day out, but spring was finally starting to descend upon the city, basking it in the milder temperatures of a coming spring. As such, most the snow was gone and Kyle was able to lay upon the roof of a building with only the mild concern for catching a cold.
Despite what people said, he wasn't a fool though. He wore a long sleeved shirt to shield his upper body, jeans to shield his lower and his jacket fended off any of the extra cold that might dare to intrude on this decent weather. Beneath his clothes was his outfit, which he'd taken to habit to wear underneath in case of emergencies. Let people laugh at it; he didn't care one bit.
The building he had chosen to camp out and relax on was only a short distance away from the Sanctuary, which was serving as a temporary second home to him. It was peaceful up there and Kyle could enjoy the day fully without having to worry about....rain? That couldn't be right. Peeking an eye open to the sky, Kyle was rewarded with something wet splashing into it and forcing him upright.
Indeed it was rain...or maybe snow that the warm weather was melting before it hit the ground. The clouds before had suggested it but for it to arrive so quickly? Kyle sighed as the pitter patter of drops started filling the air, not heavily but enough to showcase this was more then just a basic drizzle. Sighing, Kyle tossed his backpack onto his shoulders and quickly climbed down the fire escape of the small building to drop to the alley below, where his bike rested.
Grabbing his helmet, Kyle was about to toss the thing on when he spotted a familiar face exiting the Sanctuary, with some beast of a man trailing beside her that he didn't know. Surprise was etched across his face at this, but it was soon replaced by an amused and thinking smirk. Oh ho ho...and here I thought she didn't have too many friends else. This could be interesting to check up on. Clicking his helmet on as he lowered it over his head, Kyle slapped the visor down and rode off on his bike, making sure to keep Isabel and her friend in sight while he remained as far out of it as possible.
There was something off about the way his neck felt, so as Noel responded to him, a hand drifted up to the side of his neck. With only the slightest of effort, he pushed against that spot as he craned his head sideways suddenly. His neck made a victorious and reliving crack and pop as whatever he'd pulled there fixed itself, a sigh of relief sliding from his lips.
Then, turning his attention back to Noel, Kyle smiled as he glanced towards the showers. "A shower would be nice. But you shouldn't have to worry about the mess. I was intending to clean it up after I finished up."
A thought hit him then that with the exception of the pants he was wearing now, the shirt he'd discarded somewhere nearby and his outfit that he'd faced Noel in, Kyle didn't have any other clothes. The shirt and pants would suit him just fine but going out to a public place with clothes stained with sweat and blood? It wasn't happening; for as much the reason of appearance as it was to avoid questions.
Besides, his intent had never been to take her anywhere for dinner. No, Kyle something a lot more simplistic in mind. "Actually, I don't have to think very hard about that. If you've got food here and a place to prepare it, that will work just fine. If you don't, a simple store run can solve that." Still smiling, he turned away from her and started moving towards the showers, glancing over his shoulder on the way out.
"After all, cooking is the least I can do to show my appreciation and I don't mind in the least. Plus we can talk without having to worry about annoying spectators overhearing things they don't need to hear. But we can worry about that once I clean myself proper." Then he disappeared entirely into the showers, into the warm embrace of hot water that dulled those aches and pains the battle with her, the training and the sparring with the boxers had inflicted upon him.
Kyle wasted little time in letting the water cleanse his body and once he was sure he'd gotten everywhere, he stepped clear and toweled off. Slipping back into his jeans and rubbing his wet hair with a towel as he exited the showers, glancing around for Noel as well as his tossed shirt. Bare from the waist up was okay, but hardly appropriate at this moment. "So, you wanted to ask me some questions?"
Even if Kyle didn't have the flexibility that Sara seemed to have, experience made up for his lack in this area. Experience and at least a smidgen of common sense to cover up for his missing knowledge. It let him think at least a step ahead, to plan for possible counters his foes might throw his way, to be out of the face of danger in his next step or pressing the attack depending on the response. Nothing fancy, but it had its uses in battle or when deciding what to do next.
In this case, his mind called for caution, yet to press. Sara had dodged, as he'd been hoping she would, to evade his incoming fist. But by doing so, she evaded right into one of this incoming bolts. Unfortunately, it was only one of the smaller bolts that caught her; the fist sized one slipped by her entirely. And she hadn't been idle while she was evading either.
Kyle felt the grip on him before he fully saw it, felt the weight of her pull on him even as his eyes lowered to see what she was doing. To her advantage, his weight had been behind the blow and thus, it was simple for her to pull him forward into her. Her knees were up when he came down, landing his chest onto the bottom of her curled up feet.
Then they were tumbling over the fence, Sara not opting to throw him as Kyle would have originally suspected. Sara landed on her feet, making Kyle wonder if her feline nature attributed to that, or if she was that good on these narrow spaces. He, on the other hand, landed on his back, causing him to wince as the fence bit into his back. Despite the pain, Kyle rolled back to his feet quickly enough, turning to face her again.
They were still in close range combat, a fact that didn't escape him as no mere coincidence. Smiling, he used a hand to steady himself as he faced her. "You're not without tricks either I see. But the game is no fun when the advantage is is granted to one side only...so let's change that." Leaping suddenly from the fence, Kyle landed into a roll on a nearby pile of metal which groaned under his weight, but held nonetheless.
Then he spun and lashed out bolts from all his fingers, creating a spray. Come little kitty; the fence is your playground but this will be a playground we can both utilize.
The painful retribution for the intrusion, the one Kyle was fully expecting to come striking his way any moment, never came. His body has been ready to defend itself from those deadly bones, to deflect them away or dodge them entirely, his retreat into the hallway the first step in a series that were beginning to form in his mind.
But it really never came. Instead, Isabel stood there, eyes full of shock as his were now. Neither of them had expected to run into each other like this, not in what Kyle guessed was her private room.
In the back of his mind, the reason he wasn't dead was burning its way to light. Isabel and himself were not part of the same group, the same team in a way. She might not have liked him too fondly, but being part of the same team gave him a bit of leeway in certain regards. She would seethe at him and look at him poorly, but at least she wouldn't murder him without good cause. A really good cause it seemed.
Her sharp and to the point words were what had the rest of his mind were focused on. The look she gave him begrudged no argument to the matter and Kyle had indeed been turning to leave, speaking an apology...and then his eyes had found her walls and he gaped.
The sense of death pushed from his mind, Kyle glanced back and forth around the room, to the dim blue walls that covered each corner, then to the stranger border that lined each inch of the room. The shapes there were simple, yet they were appealing to the eye as they varied in shape and their order not exactly streamlined. At first, Kyle assumed they had been part of the room's original design, painted there from before. Then his eyes had fallen on Isabel, who had paintbrush in hand, the various supplies she needed also coming into sight.
Smiling, his eyes flickering from the designs to her, Kyle took a step forward to get a better look, stepping to a near wall. "I knew you were an artist with your powers, but I never suspected you were capable of this as well. Its amazing! Did you just apply these recently?" His face was a mix now of curiously and amazement and if she looked hard enough, she'd see that his curiously had silenced the warning in his mind.
The Sanctuary was insane. Not literally insane, people running about doing acts that people might consider a step off the wagon. No, when Kyle said it was insane, he was referring to it in general. The place was unlike anything Kyle had ever seen before. It was massive in its own right but that wasn't what caught Kyle's eye.
There were mutants everywhere, mingling amongst one another without fear of human's judging them as they passed. Kyle saw dozens of mutants with mutations that would have them labeled in the real world, would have had them hiding out of fear, walked openly among their fellows without the slightest hint of fear at all. A world within a city...some might have called this paradise for mutants.
After Kyle had confirmed, a bit reluctantly, to join this so called Order, Lori had told him where the majority of that group were housed. It had taken him a bit longer to look into it, but now that he was here, Kyle was sad he hadn't come sooner. The place was magnificent, both to the eye and the mind and every which way Kyle turned, he saw something new that made him smile.
Lori had told him a great many mutants not only belonged to the Order, but lived in this establishment as well. A sound plan, when you thought about it. Not only a base of operations, but a shelter for any that wanted a place safe from persecution. A good idea and an oddly humane one. Maybe this place wasn't as bad as the rumors on the street made it out to be.
Kyle had no intentions of living here long term, seeing as he had his own little apartment which suited him just fine for the moment. Still, having a room here in case of emergencies wouldn't be such a bad thing either. As it were now, he had a backpack on him, which contained a few things, mainly just some basic essentials. Oh, and the rest of parts to his outfit. Still thing to have on underneath his clothes, but after his last run in with Isabel and the police, he wanted an easy way to hide his identity. Kyle knew he might look like a goof, but planting someone's head into a wall had a good chance of shutting anyone up about that.
Problem was with a place being so big was that it was easy to get lost. And confused. And all turned around so one didn't know which way they had taken to even get to where they were. Which was what Kyle was finding himself doing.
Kyle found himself wandering past rooms that all looked the same on the outside to him. Frowning and glancing left and right, he opted to try knocking on one of the door's to ask for help. Most were empty when he knocked, surprising considering the number of people he had seen earlier. When he did find a door with the sound of someone inside, Kyle leaned closer to the door to listen for someone coming; someone was moving about inside for sure, but the sound was distant. On the other end of the room it seemed and with no sound of it coming closer, Kyle guessed they might not have heard him. Shrugging and knocking again, he spoke in a voice that would be distorted by the door.
"Pardon the intrusion, but would you be able to direct me to the....Isabel?" Part of him found amusement in the magic of the door he'd picked...another was pondering just how fast a guard he was going to have to put up. The rest took to watching what she was doing, half waiting for the pain to come.
When Noel offered him the hand, Kyle gladly took it. Adrenaline was a wondrous thing when you needed it, allowing you to push on despite ailments that might be affecting the body. In this case, the adrenaline had driven off just how pummeled he had gotten in the end. And now that it was wearing off, all that pummeling was hitting home.
His arms, his legs, his torso, his head...heck, even his toes and fingers seemed sore. But it was a good sore; it left him with the feeling of a job well done and an exercise well spent. It drove off at least a portion of the aching pain his body was in to think that.
Panting and putting his hands on his hips after getting to his feet, Kyle smiled at Noel to her words. "I always try to have fun. When it's a harmless spar like that or training especially. And today has been more fun then I've had in a while.
Yea, I'm done...for a little while at least. Being drained from physical effort takes less time then if I'd abused my energy power to recharge. Gimme some food, rest...and perhaps conversation with you to tickle the brain and I'll be right as rain. If you wouldn't mind sticking around so we can get to know each other a little better, of course."
To the men's surprise and his own, Kyle was still standing. And was well on his way to defeating his fourth opponent.
The second man had persisted in his quick jabs and heavy rights, keeping Kyle guarding more often then not. His blows hurt when they hit, considering that neither of them were wearing the protective gloves that boxers tended to wear. Blows hammered his arms, his stomach, his chest, several glanced off his head. This wasn't the fighting of an angry man; this was the cold, calculated attack of a professional in training.
Still, Kyle held on. And it wasn't as if he'd never seen boxing before; he'd just never taken a liking to the sport. So what the man was doing hadn't been lost on him. Wearing him down by keeping the pressure on. Against a normal human, it might have worked. Against Kyle, however, its effectiveness was weakened. It was a combination of skill and luck that won him that fight; the man had taken a moment to catch a slight breath and Kyle attacked. His first hit threw the man for a loop and from there, Kyle had managed to hit home till the man conceded.
The third man had opted for the same approach, but this time, Kyle didn't give him a chance. Kyle dodged in the first chance he got and hammered him home, sending him stepping back to take a breather. And thus the fourth man had entered.
This one was more cautious, but just as vicious on the attack. During one of the man's relentless barrages, Kyle noticed something crucial. Two things really; the man was overextending now that Kyle seemed to be collapsing. And that he was breathing heavily. Kyle winced under his now laboring breaths. That wasn't good. His power allowed him a greater degree of stamina, enough to baffle most people into how he could go so long without resting. The fact that he was breathing hard now spoke volumes about how close he was to running on empty.
That was when Kyle noticed that the man was starting to slow himself. And when he wavered, Kyle slammed him hard. A double uppercut to the chin, which knocked the man flat on his back. Panting, Kyle took a moment to balance himself, then nodded to the next man.
Noel would arrive just in time to see Kyle smashed through the ropes and landing with a thud on the floor, in the direction of the shower. Half panting, half laughing, Kyle glanced up to the sound of her approaching feet. "The energizer bunny ran out of steam. Ah well..four out of ten isn't a bad score." The men, laughing to themselves, gave Kyle words of encouragement and congratulations before heading off to the showers themselves. Rising to his feet, Kyle cracked his neck lightly.
"I'm enjoying this arrangement already. I think I'm going to like it here."
Being the stranger in a conversation between friends or comrades was always odd. For one, people often talked to each other in a way they understood, while an outsider would be confused and lost. Second, for portions of the conversation, they didn't even seem to notice he existed as they poked fun at Noel. Third, and finally; they spoke about him as if he wasn't two feet from all the action.
Still, for this stranger, it was no bother in the slightest. In fact, the banter was as entertaining as it was amusing, especially since all of them seemed to be taking shot at them as if they were -together- in that regard. Part of him liked that thought, the other was using it as fuel for the fire he would need to play out his idea.
Noel silenced the group with a short but to the point statement, which gave Kyle the chance to open his idea. To his enjoyment, it made Noel gap at him as if he was crazy. Or maybe it was in regard to the fact that he was still up for something that was physically draining. Smiling, Kyle shrugged his shoulders. "What can I say? I'm like the energizer bunny; I just keep going and going and going."
This brought amused looks and slight snickers from the men, amidst a serious of groans that likely had to do with the fact that all of them looked as tired as sin. Fresh from a workout it seemed. Well, that was good in its own right; it meant the odds would be in his favor of lasting more then one fight or two. Noel herself simply stated they could go wild and that she was off to wash the signs of her own exercise from her body. Tilting his head to her as she went, Kyle grinned.
"Don't worry; I'll be gentle with them." Turning back to the group of men, Kyle folded his arms across his chest, then tilted his head to the side, a mocking grin sliding across his features. "Sooooooo...any of you actually got the courage to take on a little man like me or does taking jabs at me and her suffice for the level of your bravery? If it was, I think they need a shower for little boys...don't you think?"
Oooooooh, that managed to get to some of the hotheads. The ones who didn't seem to be riled now were likely the calm ones, who knew he was simply trying to incite any of them into this. Those were the ones that stood back and chuckled; the others were already spreading out over to the ring. Smiling politely, Kyle slinked that way as well, sliding into the ring and rolling to his feet before throwing his shirt off to the side. "Now now, one at a time now. Let's be civil about beating each other silly."
Enter foe number one. Decently big, well defined body from training, probably pretty quick...but already breathing heavily and his face was lit with the expression of one of the hotheads. Oh joy. Turning to glance at those waiting outside, Kyle shrugged...and the man darted forward and swing a right. Into the empty air where Kyle had been before. An arm swung back, fast and sharp, striking the man across the back of his neck and sending him forward on his own momentum through the ropes. The man groaned outside, and a quick check revealed he was down and rubbing the back of his head. Perfect. From the others, the jokes and muttering had gone silent. Smiling, Kyle motioned with one hand for the next person in line.
"Oh right, I should mention; I don't intend to fight like a boxer. I wouldn't have the first clue how. So please, let me see how it stacks up against trained folks such as yourself. I'm in your capable hands." Another man slid into the ring, this one calmer looking and his fists already up. Good, someone who would be an actual challenge maybe. Kyle raised his arms up as well...and then the fight was well under way as the man swung quick and heavy blows his way and Kyle did everything just to avoid taking one seriously to any place that could be bad. And threw his own blows whenever he got the chance.
Kyle continued swinging the blade as he listened to Noel, tuning half his mind to focus on the task in his hands, the other to focus on the task of hearing her replies. Trying to think of two different things at the same time did make him fumble a bit, till he focused on listening to her for a moment before continuing with a move. Not perfect, but enough to keep him from fumbling into a step that might cause bodily harm.
Amusement crept into his voice as he replied to that last comment, spinning the sword once in his hand before executing several quick jabs. "Well, if that's the cost of having my mind read, it's not a bad price."
The ringing of a nearby bell stayed his hand, the sword lowering to his side as he turned his attention to look at the source of the sound. He already knew the reason for the bell; it was tied to the door, a way to inform those within that someone was arriving. He'd heard it when he and Noel had entered eariler. The people entering through the door were all men, wearing light clothing and glistening in sweat. If Kyle had to hazard a guess, they were the regulars for this gym, possibly even the owner who was written outside.
Noel turned to them, then turned back to him to tell him they were done for the day. She then moved to join the group of men, greeting each other like you'd expect friends might do. Curious, Kyle stalked closer, holding the sword in his hand backwards so it faced away from the group. He managed to arrive into earshot just in time to hear them giving her jabs for bringing home another man. That brought an eyebrow up on him, though he couldn't keep the smile from sliding across his face. Not the first to be brought home to daddy and...daddys eh?
"I'd prefer to say friend, but apprentice works for now. No wonder you're so strong though; you've got a great batch of sparring partners to work with no doubt. I'm Kyle by the way." Saluting them with two fingers, he offered the sword to Noel to take before turning his attention back to the group.
"And an idea just came to mind. My lesson is done, but I'm nowhere near tired. Perhaps a few of you wouldn't mind giving me a sparring lesson. I've always wanted to see how my skills matched up to someone with real training. This is looking like a good chance to find out. So...anyone game?"
The cops were either preparing a proper plan for the two mutants or they were scared witless in the face of a known killer. Either way, it bought extra time for Kyle to gather his energy and his own wits, along with making a makeshift mask out of his damaged shirt. It wasn't fancy and it really only covered his hair and a portion of his face. But it would make it hard to identify him, at least without a good solid look. And he didn't intend to give them that look.
He'd gotten a slight moment of satisfaction when his mentioning of the Order and how he was part of it now stalled Isabel from leaving just yet, but it had been a brief moment. In his experience with the woman, all two meetings of it, getting her to pause in surprise was the highlight of those encounters. If anything else, he just liked seeing the expression on her face.
"You can count on that. Maybe next time we can do something fun together instead of against each other."
And then she was scaling the wall behind him, using those bone limbs of hers to get clear with record speed. Grinning, Kyle turned his attention back to the police. Several of them had approached when they saw Isabel leaving, weapons drawn and level with him. Cowards. They wait for the one they know is dangerous to leave first. Well then... Glancing over to a nearby garbage dumpster, Kyle grinned widely. Then he set the dumpster flying their way with a massive bolt of energy.
Ten minutes later, Kyle was racing across rooftops, easily clearing his way past obstacles while the police behind him struggled to keep up or fire poorly placed shots. Idiots. Eat less donuts and get more exercise. Soon enough he was clear of pursuit, having doubled back to where his bike rested at the cafe. He was on the road shortly after, gearing it for the Order's base to rest and recover at. Maybe next time he'd ask Isabel what she would like to do for fun...or offer to cook dinner for her.
Kyle had the odd feeling that if it wasn't the former, then it would be both. Ah well...it would be worth the extra effort. And much more fun too.
If Kyle hadn't been looking at Noel most the time to watch her suggestions, he might not have caught the slight change. To most, the frown she gave him might have looked the same as all the other frowns she'd been giving him. Kyle knew enough body language, however, to tell him this one was different. He wasn't quite sure how, but it wasn't a negative thing. Seems his words of apology had worked...sort of.
Raising an eyebrow at her suggestion, Kyle lowered his elbows to the suggested position...and found it was much easier to hold the weapon like this. Smiling, he tested his new stance by performing several of the moves she had shown him, testing how they felt compared to before. Surprisingly, they were not only easier, but it seemed to take less of a toll on him. Not by much, but enough to be noticeable.
"That's not true you know. You're teaching a lot better then most teachers I know; its just my brain is half work, half crazy. I'm good at multitasking."
Putting a bit more of this mind to the task, he broke into repetitions of what she had already shown him. Not a moment later, she told him to do it again. And again. And again. As he repeated them, she made him do them faster, change the sequence that he did them in, perform them in slow, deliberate movements to make sure he was doing them properly. His muscles started noticing the amount of work they were doing by the end of what had to be the tenth set...or was it the fourteenth...who could say? Yet he could still go on.
"I've been meaning to ask about that, now that I think about it. I figured out the mind wiping thing simple enough...but why did you need to kiss me after? Aside from reading my memories that is."
