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.
Had to give it to CS; his first impression had been weak, terrible, unbecoming of the leader of one of the most effective mutant teams in the known world. Now, near death and crippled in more ways then one, CS was showing something becoming of the man they'd been sent to take down. Such a shame, then, that only near death was he only able to show something like this. Well, a shame for him. For them, it just made their task that much easier.
His knives and bullet did their work quick, as the fight that had grown in the man obviously was sucked out of him. Still, that didn't stop him from lifting up a final salute towards his enemies. A one fingered salute at that.
Had it just been that, Leo would have scoffed. However, that finger glowed for a moment before a beam shot from his finger towards them. Neither of them stayed still long enough for it to hit them; neatly dodging aside, they attacked in union. Leo with a burst of sonic roar that slammed CS against the wall again as he fell, while Sagittarius put another few knives into him, including one that slashed against his throat. Not deep enough to hit something vital, but it did leave a nice pretty trail of blood as the man slumped to the dirt.
Eyeing the man carefully, Sagittarius drew one more knife, spun it around in his fingers...and threw it right into his back where his heart would be. The knife parted flesh easily enough and even as the two watched, CS shuddered...and went still. They both watched for several moments, Leo stalking closer until he was standing over the man, watching for the rise and fall of his chest. Putting a hand to his neck, he counted to ten...and then stood up smiling and stalking back over to his ally.
"No pulse, no breathing, heck, even the air around him is warming up. I think we can count this a victory. Even easier then I thought it would be."
Snorting, Sagittarius stalked over himself, pulling out the knives that were still stuck into CS's body. He wasn't about to leave those behind. "You almost let him get you, so I wouldn't count it as easy. In any case, we're not done tonight. Time to meet up with the others. We have more work to get done."
"Yea yea...no rest of the wicked." The two of them disappeared shortly after, vanishing into the night to meet their fellows.
Leaving the frozen body of CS laying in a puddle of his own blood...while nearby, the tracking device lay still...beeping ever so slowly. Just like the little rise of steam that came from CS's body. Steam from his breath against the frozen air.
A small smile slid across Aries face as Isabel managed to spit out a final, defiant strong of words. Broken, battered, her life soon to end and yet she still acted as if she would return to make them pay. It was sad and at the same time, impressive. Aries only wished he'd been much more a challenge for her; Cancer had done most the work.
Speaking of his companion, there was one last thing he needed Cancer to do. Turning back to his ally, who was clearly not amused at having his prey taken from him, Aries jerked his head towards the fallen Isabel, then towards the monstrous creature known as the Jackal. "Pick her up for me; I want a clean shot for this."
Hissing at his comrade, Cancer was tempted to tell him to bugger off or let him finish her...but then he realized he could give her one final bit of pain before his companion finish her off. Smirking to himself, he tipped his head a little before nodding to the Jackal, muttering something under his breath to the creature. "But of course, dear comrade. Allow me to make it easy for you." With a roar, the Jackal surged forward, picking Isabel up, none too lightly and pinning her to the tree...its claws cutting wounds in her arms before lifting her over the open air before Aries.
Sending a glare his comrades way, Cancer merely shrugged in response. "He doesn't do gentle, I'm afraid. Now let's hurry this up; there's plenty more to do tonight if we finish early."
"We will be having a talk about this later. In the meantime...I think I'll bring your suffering to an end Isabel." With a single thrust, he pushed his blade through the center of her chest, sinking it in up to the hilt before pulling it out just as easily, the blood slowly trailing down her body. With a snort, the Jackal tossed her lightly to the ground at the base of the tree before fading away into the darkness, like everything else save for the collar. That would vanish as soon as they were gone. "May you rest in peace."
With that, both of them faded into the darkness, the only sign of their appearance the damaged grass of the park...and the broken body they had left behind.
Cancer reeled back in surprise when Isabel spat in his face, a hand going up to wipe at the bloody saliva that had been sprayed upon him. Behind him, Aries had to keep himself from laughing. Considering the amount of pain Isabel was surely in at this point and in the face of some of her worst nightmares, she was still defiant. One had to admire her for that. Of course, admiration wouldn't keep him from killing her, or letting Cancer do it. He should end it now though, let Cancer's sick games come to an end. But...they had to break her. Break her for the people watching.
Taking a handkerchief from his own pocket and wiping the blood away, Cancer's face went from shock and surprise to one of elation. Chuckling, Cancer glanced to his creation, giving it a slight nod. "Still so defiant...excellent! I wonder how long that will last."
Driven by an unspoken word, the Jackal suddenly shifted its grip, tossing her into the air for a moment before latching its metal claws around her throat, gripping just enough to hold her there. Then, lifting its other arm slowly, it lifted a single claw to her torso...and started pushing it through her flesh slowly. Slowly, ever so slowly, until it poked through the other side. Then it retracted just as slowly, letting the blood spurt from the injury.
The Jackal hissed in her face, taking in her pain and fear. Then, as if casting aside a plaything, the Jackal flung her into one of the Stalkers, which didn't even budge as he body bounced off its metal frame. She wasn't done long though; the Jackal picked her up once again and threw her again, this time into the trunk of a nearby tree. It was about to go after her once again...until Aries stood before it.
"Enough Cancer. We've made out point." Turning to Isabel, he drew his sword again. "Its time we ended her pitiful life. Have any last words, Isabel Duskmoor?"
Sagittarius was the first to notice something was wrong. It had started when Leo had said that the air around them was still getting colder. Logically, if CS were dead, the temperature should have gradually started returning to normal, not getting colder. The fact that it was getting colder meant that he was still alive, no matter how mortally wounded he was. And if the reports about him had been true then if he was alive...
Sagittarius was already moving back, even as he grabbed Leo by his shirt and yanked him back as well. A moment later, ice spikes erupted from the pool of blood that Leo had been standing in a second ago. Leo himself gasped in surprise, but wasted little time in using a quick roar to shatter the spikes that had almost speared him. He had almost gotten caught completely by surprise from a half-dead man...he'd let himself get too cocky.
Both of them locked eyes on the suddenly moving form of ice that was fleeing away from them. Logically, with the injuries that had been inflicted on him, CS shouldn't have been able to work, let alone run. But he was and all it took was a quick roar from Leo to blow the mist away and reveal why. It was impressive, Sagittarius had to admit. He'd created an ice clone over his own body, using it to move his body. He hadn't gotten far, planting himself against a building and talking aloud to himself.
A quick glance to Leo was the only signal they needed; drawing back, Leo focused his roar straight towards where CS was planted while Sagittarius pulled out two things from his pocket; a couple more knives...and a bullet. Lifting the knives, he flung them for CS's chest while the other hand hung onto the bullet for a moment, lining it up with his lung...and then he flicked it hard, his power launching it like a rocket for him.
Guess the leader of the X-Men wasn't so weak after all.
Even before Isabel's feet were beating the dirt in a hasty retreat, Cancer was laughing. Laughing a sick laugh that only the most twisted of people would ever unleash, all but dancing in place and weaving his hands through the air like a mad puppeteer, his power blooming. For even before Isabel had started to run, Cancer had felt it. Felt her fear spike at the sight of this monstrous contraptions of metal that the camps, a terrible fate for any mutant to have suffered, had used to keep their captives in line. The Stalkers.
Deadly, feared and all but lost to this day, they had been the nightmare that plagued many a mutant in the past. Isabel, it would seem, had been one of them; of course, they'd known that even before they'd approached her this night. They had been long lost, however...lost, save but in memories. And it was in those memories that Cancer had dug and uprooted them, created from the same fear that had created Zephyr. No...no more then that fear. For as much as Isabel feared the man of wind, she feared these things more.
Of course, he could not let her escape. No, he had to see her suffer more. See hope fade from her before they took her life. With that in mind, Cancer spun his power more and more...cackling and chanting all the while. "Run run, little butterfly. Soon soon, you will die. You think you can run to safety and hope; I'll soon show you a reason to mope!"
It happened quickly. One moment she had open ground to escape too. The next, there were walls. There were bars. All around them, the park seemed to be sprouting new additions, until every direction was now sealed off from escape.
Cancer had brought the camps back to life to trap Isabel.
He didn't stop there. Bars continued to burst from the ground, pushing her way to make her stop, forcing her in only one direction. To the Stalkers that had now caught up to her, flanking her to keep her from fleeing.
Then the Jackal struck. An iron-tight grip suddenly latched around Isabel's arm and with an inhuman howl, the Jackal slammed Isabel into the dirt..and then snapped her arm like a twig. Any cry she let out would be mingled with the other sick sound of the night; Cancer's hideous laughter as he stalked over to his creation and Isabel. "Are you afraid yet, my dear? Would you like to live, for this pain to end? I might consider showing mercy...if you beg me for it."
From his location at the subway entrance, Gemini watched as Aquarius made her move onto the young man. It had been Aries idea, when they had been planning their attacks, that she make the move on Zephyr rather then her counterpart. There were plenty of reasons, of course; Gemini, like his twin, was emotionless, simple, bland as it were. Had he approached the man, the game would automatically have been up and things might have gotten complicated. Another was the fact that if Gemini had been the one to approach, Zephyr might have fled before Gemini's powers could effectively cripple him; it took little time for them to take effect, but the longer he had to work, the more he could tweak him.
And last but not least, on a gamble and thought from Aries, Aquarius was decided to approach him simply because she was a woman. A highly beautiful and classy women at that; considering that Zeph kept Isabel around, it wasn't a stretch to say he couldn't be enticed by a stunning figure. It would, if nothing else, give them the chance to snare him in the trap.
Oh, and Aquarius also had the right power to handle him once he was weakened. There was that too.
Favoring Zephyr with a smile of her own, all but dazzling in its warmth and beauty, Aquarius put a hand to her chest, a small giggle escaping her. She made no immediate move to take his offer, instead keeping her eyes locked on him as she replied. "Oh, nothing special. I was just looking for this absolutely handsome man I once saw. I must say, you look an awfully lot alike to him. Maybe your the man I'm looking for?"
She favored him with another smile before bending his way, allowing more of her bosom to expose itself to him. He wouldn't know it, but she was slowly exerting her control, her power, into the walls around, seeking a source of flowing water for her to use. All the while, she was waiting for the signal from her ally that everything was ready; it would not take long.
"Of course...even if you aren't him...maybe you could keep me company a while instead? What you think darling; would you like to have some fun with me?"
Aries watched as his companion sent his apparition to work, replacing his sword back into its sheath before folding his arms to let the spectacle before him play out. As much as he hated to let an opponent suffer to their end, he had to admit; Cancer had created a work of art this time. This Zephyr was well known to them, being one the targets two of his allies would be even now making their move on. But to see that Isabel feared him this much, to give Cancer the power to create such a powerful reproduction of him...it was unexpected. He hoped his allies would be able to take him down; they'd prepared for it but not everything was set in stone.
Cancer, meanwhile, was having the time of his life. With each passing moment, fake or not, his Zephyr clone was drawing her fear out, feeding him, making his power grow. For that's what his power was driven by; fear. The more a person feared something, the easier it was to draw the thing out into reality. The more a person feared something, the stronger he could make it. And the stronger someone feared something, the better the high he got for it. Not one of his comrades that Cancer was a warped individual...but they couldn't doubt his abilities.
Speaking of his creation, the Zephyr clone was doing a wonderful job of bringing the bone lady to her knees. She couldn't use her powers to defend herself, so the striking wind tore at her without mercy. But of course, Cancer was making sure to only give her superficial wounds, save for some slightly harder hits to her head and stomach with heavy blasts of wind. Finally, the wind died down at the clone stepped near her to answer her words.
"It's never your fault, is it? And yet, had you been a bit more restricted in your actions, then maybe people wouldn't have cause to want you dead. I'll admit, I've fancied the thought from time to time.
But I thought you could be useful. I thought you could be trained to be better, a real threat that could operate normally. I guess I'm nicer then I should be.
You think this is all a trick? Is all that pain your feeling a trick? The loss of your powers a trick? Everything happening here is real, Isabel. As will be the end result." Standing and walking away from her, the clone glanced at the two men before continuing on, merely saying/ "I'm done with her. Do what you want," before vanishing into the air and into the night. Cancer, gleaming, turned his attention back to Isabel, having dispelled the creation in lue of something he thought would be much better.
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but your words will never hurt me. Call me what you want, Ms Duskmoor...I don't care. But now, perhaps you want to see what I'm really capable of? I'm nothing but tricks you say? Well then, let me show you the only one trick that matters now."
With a snap of his fingers, something in the air stirred. The lights around them flashed, fading in and out in response to something coming. All drawn on by her fear, of course, but then, whenever he summoned this particular being, it seemed to affect the environment itself. With a grin that would make the Devil envy, Cancer pointed behind Isabel to the creature that appeared.
It was big. At least eight feet tall and that was hunched over. It stalked from the shadows as if it had been there all along, its footsteps thudding against the earth. It was a monstrous creation; his Jackal. Had it been pure, in its own right, it would have been just that; a standing, muscled, animal beast, its snout lined with razor sharp fangs dripping to the earth beneath it. But like his power, it was created with the fear of its target, so this one had some...modifications. First off, one of its legs was metal, taking from a machine that Isabel would know all too well. One of its arms was like that too, half metal, half flesh. From its neck dangled a necklace of collars, exactly like the one that was wrapped around Isabel even now. And most terrifying of all was that it had Zeph's eyes, cold, dark and locked on Isabel.
Grinning, Cancer smiled as the beast stalked closer to Isabel, flanked by perfect copies of the machines that had manned the camps all those years ago. "Meet the face of your fears, Isabel. Meet...the Jackal."
It was almost disappointing, really, to see how easily the lord of the X-Men went down. Sagittarius watched, with no small amount of satisfaction, as all six of his knives struck home. One went through his knee, the other through his thigh as he dropped suddenly. Three more dug home into his back, either getting close to their intended target or hitting something equally damaging in return. The only one that didn't hit quite what he wanted as the one for his head; it hit, but CS seemed to manage to prevent it from digging home.
His professional pride was hurt a little by that, but in the end it mattered little. What mattered was the mission and from what he could see, the mission was all but finished. Gathering himself, Sagittarius began making his way towards Leo, clicking on their radios. "Leo, our mission is almost down. Is he dead?"
On the other end, Leo tapped the headset in his ear. Looking down at CS, who was struggling after being stuck with six of his comrades razor sharp knives, Leo almost felt cheated. This was the great leader of the X-Men? He'd gone down almost too easily that Leo wanted him to get up so they could get a proper battle out of the man. But, like his ally, he knew that the mission came first. Pride was not something they brought into this thing, not if they wanted to succeed. "Almost. Didn't quite get all the vitals. Must be loosing your..."
Movement from the man caught Leo's attention and he turned his eyes down to the man at his feet. He'd moved his hand to his hip and when Leo looked, he could see a device of sort there. Realizing what possibly might be a call for help, Leo quickly stomped down on the device before kicking the blade in his knee. "Oh ho, not so dead quite yet, are we? Well...let's change that, shall we?"
Sucking in a much deeper breath then before, Leo bent over CS, all but a foot away from him...and let his roar loose. He was standing over him, so the majority of this outburst pushed down on CS hard from above, driving the knives already in his flesh to dig deeper until they hit the concrete on the other side, bending in their efforts to go further. The force of his roar at this range, this concentrated, was so much that the concrete beneath even begun cracking, as CS's bones surely would and his body rocked.
When he finally relented, Sagitarrius had joined him, covering his ears as he looked down at the broken leader. He wasn't moving at all. Think you broke him loudmouth?" Panting, Leo grinned and flipped his body over with a foot.
"I don't know...still feels awfully cold. You still kicking dear leader? I hope the rest of your X-Men aren't as pathetic as you are. After all...our mission may be necessary but who says it has to be boring?"
The effect of Leo's roar was instant. One minute CS had looked lost, a bit baffled and slightly tipsy when Leo had first approached him. It had irked Leo to find that the leader of the X-Men was this...this...drunk, ignorant, foolish man. One of his roars had changed all that, Leo knew it the instant his beastly roar had connected.
All around them, windows rattled and then shattered as his roar broke them apart with ease. Anyone that had been nearby had fled now and those that were outside his effective range were fleeing too; no one wanted to go caught up in a mutant's fight. The gravel beneath them rumbled, loose stones bouncing and skipping; building's shook slightly as the roar rattled them. And most importantly, CS felt the effects of his roar up close and personal. Felt it and realized now that Leo might actually be serious.
When he finally ran out of breath and his roar ended, Leo gave a feral grin at CS, who was trying to shake off the effects of his roar. While it had not been directed at him this time, the roar still had set him off balance and slapped him from his stupor. Now Leo could really get into this; now CS looked like he was getting serious. "Awake now?" he mocked, bracing himself for what was to come.
They had studied him beforehand, of course. Of his battles and his tactics. Leo knew, as the mist started to form, what CS was planning to do. It was part of the reason Leo had been chosen as one of the two to take him down. It was also the reason his partner had been chosen. "It's not what you did. Its what you are. But don't you worry; your death will send a powerful message. So have the good grace to die, plague." With that said, Leo suddenly erupted again, this time aiming his roar straight at CS. It disturbed the very around around them, blowing away the mist with the air with ease before the brunt of it bore down on CS itself.
Ice was a very dangerous weapon. But like glass, it was fragile. And Leo's roar would shatter it just as easily. And all the while, having waited for this moment, his comrade struck.
Sagittarius had been chosen for this mission for two reasons; he could reign in his comrade if need be. And because his ability let him attack from afar. With a quick flick of his wrist from his perch, the man known as the Archer sent half a dozen knives in quick succession at CS, timing them to strike just as Leo's roar ended.And unlike his comrade, he wasn't wasting time. Each of his knives went straight for a vital.
Whether by skill or drunken luck, the man known as CS dodged Leo's strike with ease, although he did fall flat on his back instead of remaining on his feet. Hissing in disapproval, Leo was already rounding back on him, his fist drawn back for another strike when he felt it. Felt that sudden change of temperature in the air, even as he watched ice suddenly propel CS back to his feet.
His instincts taking control, Leo cautiously took a few steps back, watching his opponent warily. The man may have been intoxicated, but he was also the leader of the X-Men. To let him pride get the better of him against this foe could be fatal; the General had drilled that into them from day one. Sure, he was excited and he could remain that way during the whole fight; he just had to be excited and smart.
Of course, it was hard not to believe he had the upper hand when the man didn't even seem to realize that his life was in danger. Really! It was like this was just some big joke to him, something to pass the time before he continued on his merry way. Well, Leo wasn't going to allow that to happen. "Oh, your girlfriend is going to kill you is she? Well, I'm soooo sorry then; I'm going to have to disappoint her. See, she can't kill what's already going to be dead."
Obviously, messing around with this man wasn't going to be the best play here. With the temperature dropping, getting into close combat at this moment was not the best plan of attack. Which is why Leo had been paired with his current partner; it was Leo's job to cripple him while his comrade did the real damage. Smirking, Leo chuckled a little. "You're going to be fashionably late for your meeting. Fashionably late and dead." Leo sucked in a deep breath then...and then he roared. He roared...and all around him the world suffered from it, as the earth shattering roar erupted from him; he hoped CS heard this. Heard it and suffered.
Kyle had to admit this about Evelyn; she kept a pretty good poker face. He had no doubt what he had done to the Samurai had hurt her inside, considering how much she cared about the art this place held. Enough to go challenging armed robbers with nothing but a broom the first time he had encountered her. It spoke volumes to how far she'd come as a fighter since then, something Kyle knew he couldn't take full credit for.
But at least part of her skills had to have come from their training session, which is why Kyle followed her without question into the madness. She hadn't darted off in a random direction, instead heading in the direction he'd indicated...and then taken the control of their route herself.
It wasn't random, Kyle knew that. She didn't suddenly just decide to go left or right, not with such surety. She didn't even hesitate in the direction she took and as they passed by art bursting to life, some still digging their way free of their paintings, Kyle could see that they were getting close. Another few pieces of art met his fist and energy as they got to close for his comfort and he fired a couple of shots at art that he could see attacking other people but otherwise he stuck to the course they were following.
When they entered a part of the museum that didn't seem to be alive, Kyle knew something was going to go wrong. There was no way this place hadn't been affected yet. His eyes scanned the the area around them, picking out the fact that they had entered the American Wing. Which meant there could be any number of serious threats to come.
Never letting his eyes leave the room, Kyle calmly replied to Evelyn. "I was going to say we should go our separate ways; one to take care of the mutant, one to contain the artwork. But now...I think we may need to....DOWN!"
Even as he said it, Kyle was shoving Evelyn aside as a line of soldiers that looked like they were from the American Revolution leveled muskets at them. The weapons were highly inaccurate and would only be able to fire once before they needed to reloaded...but there were about half a dozen of them firing at once. The weapons suddenly erupted, bullets tearing holes in the walls behind them; one skimmed Kyle's side, leaving a red line that burned in its wake. Ignoring the pain, Kyle lashed out at the figures, already diving into the group of them, his fists striking what felt like real flesh.
"Evelyn, more incoming! Watch your back!" Despite his situation, he could hear them coming. The sound of hoofs on the floor, growing louder and even closer. And he was too busy to be able to help her this time; hopefully she would be able to handle herself for just a few more moments.
Isabel could talk smack and put on a brave front all she wanted; Cancer knew better. Cancer could feel better. The minute his apparition of Zephyr had appeared, her fear had surged. Not nearly as much as Cancer would have liked, but it was enough. Enough to tell him that she feared this man. Enough to help him create this clone of him into reality. And, most importantly...enough for him to make this Zephyr as close to the original as possible.
Neither of them were fazed by her sudden charge, both aware that without her powers she was a severely reduced threat. Still, to not answer her charge would not only be rude, it would still be a foolish move. Aries, of course, was the one to answer it, stepping out in front of Cancer and putting his blade up between them and the charging Isabel.
It was Cancer who struck. Well, technically. He struck by proxy.
The air suddenly was alive, blowing hard back into Isabel to stall her charge. Then it was a full force gale, forcing her back from the pair even as the Zephyr clone stalked up between them, his expression even harsher then before, drawing on her previous fears of his rage. When it spoke, it spoke with his voice, his anger. It was, in Cancer's opinion, one of his better creations.
"I leave you alone for a little while and you get back up to your tricks? I'm surprised; I thought you were actually learning something.
But of course, I should have known better. Should have known not to waste my time." The clone sighed, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "But perhaps one more lesson is required. Maybe...maybe I just need to use a bit more force then before." The clone started towards her, the wind starting to rise around him. No more words were coming from him, only actions as the wind struck at her, aiming to strike at her from every direction.
And Cancer grinned maliciously as he watched his creation work.
As darkness descended upon New York, a lone man ascended the rooftop of an old, condemned building. The view from the building wasn't great, but it did allow him a good look upon the greater downtown from afar, those lights just starting to lighten the night of the city that never sleeps. The man, silently, watched as the city's night life began to come alive, the thousands who chose to work or play in the grip of shadows rather than the light. And the man knew, within those thousands, would be terrible peoples, murderers, gangsters, rapists...and even they were nothing compared to the true monsters that lurked within the city. Like a plague, they infested the city little by little, endangering the people and spreading their disease like rats.
Well, tonight there would be a new kind of monster to stalk the streets. And these monsters would begin the slow process of eradicating this disease...with itself.
A slow smile creep along his face as he turned to his companions, who were just joining him now. These two, his most trusted advisers and companions, who had been with him in this project since the first step. Now, after years of planning, preparation, carefully outlining each step and finding all the pieces to complete the chess board, finally, it would all begin to come to fruition. Tonight was the first step to cleansing the plague that had invested the world...and the General, for he needed no real name anymore, could barely contain his glee. He would, of course, for he was The General and he had soldiers that followed his example and lead. But for these two, he showed them just a little bit of his joy before hardening like a rock.
"Report."
The first of the two, a man barely into his thirties, tilted his head to the side as he listened to a voice in his ear, before speaking. "Everyone is in position and awaiting your orders, General. Teams one through four report that they are ready to commence "Operation: Revelations" at any time." Nodding to the man, The General turned to his partner, a woman in her younger twenties.
"And our "special" forces?"
"They are in place, with all their targets acquired. They merely await the command that will unleash them."
Smiling, The General clapped his hands together, rubbing them palm to palm as he looked out over the night once more, letting that scene of peace sink in for one more moment, before giving his order. The first order of many to come. "All forces, we are a go. Commence operations. Show the world what he can do. Show them all."
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As the voice of their commander echoed in their ear, two forms suddenly came alive. Across the city, they knew their fellows would be springing into action, striking out against the targets of Isabel and Cold Steel. Both well known targets that the public would recognize; one for being a violent criminal, the other for being the head of the X-Men. When they succeeded, they would be showcasing to the world the power they wielded at their fingers tips.
For Gemini and his partner, however, was an entirely different task. The pair of them, along with another duo of his comrades, had the task of eliminating possible threats to their cause that might come into play later. Their targets, while not high profile to the world, were likely to side with the mutants in the coming battle and needed to be removed. The other duo would be seeking their target, a mutant that while not overly powerful, was surely to involve himself in the coming fight and thus, had to be taken down. For them, however, they had not only a target that was a threat to them, but a dangerous foe that needed to be removed.
The man's name was Simon Oliver Smith. It had taken some serious digging to even get that piece of knowledge about this man. Simon, better know as Zephyr, was an illusive man that kept himself out the public eye. It had taken some serious work to learn what they did about him; but then, their network was better then most. They knew that recently he'd been interacting with Isabel, a dangerous thing to let happen. They knew of his connection to Sanctuary. And above all, they knew of his ability. His devastating, fearsome ability.
He had to be dealt with. Especially since he had connections with Isabel. On the positive side, Zephyr could also be used to broadcast their message.
Tracking him had been hard. He didn't follow any set routine and they had been worried they'd have to get lucky to find him. That had changed recently. Recently he had been going out to secret meetings with Isabel. They didn't dare get close enough to know what but it had made tracking him easier. In fact, they had tracked him today to possibly the best place possible to take him down; the subway.
The subway was far from abandoned, but the number of people here was smaller then it normally would a been, a stroke of luck from above no doubt. As it were, there were only a few groups of people about, with Zephyr himself sitting alone from the rest. Not surprising, given what they knew about him. Still, they were not to question it; they would need ever advantage they could get.
Glancing to his companion, who was seated across the subway from him, Gemini took up a position blocking the main exit from the subway while his companion, a lovely lady that put his own counter-part to shame. Carefully, he prepared himself, focusing on Zephyr, his power starting to grumble within him. It wasn't active, not yet...but he was going to be ready to use it in a moment's notice. Opposite, his female companion sauntered towards Zeph, a smile on her lovely features. Placing a hand on her hip, she smiled at Zeph as she cleared her throat to get his attention.
"Why hello there handsome...you look so lonely there, all by yourself? Perhaps you'd enjoy a little company?"
The man cocked his own eyebrow at CS when he asked a slue of questions. Each one was more confusing then the last, but the last one finally snapped him out of his funk. It all made sense, of course; CS had been going around bars, so he was likely slightly buzzed. While it would take away some of the pristine of the victory to come that his opponent had been intoxicated, he wasn't going to let that take away from the fact of what he was about to do.
That last question gave him the opening he needed, his grin going from ear to ear. Lifting a hand up, he made a little motion with his finger, circling it a few times before turning his attention fully on CS. "Sure...an autograph. You can make it out to Leo...but you think you could carve it into your flesh? Otherwise I'm going to do it in your blood."
Suddenly he was rushing forward, a hand cocked back in obvious attack. As he neared, though, something suddenly whizzed past CS, coming close enough to possibly cut his cheek. The point of the attack wasn't to inflict harm though. It was to distract. Even as the knife sunk into the ground, Leo was swinging his fist in for a strike at CS's face; first he was going to test the man. If physically he could not beat him, well, he always had that up his sleeve.
