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.
The shapely enigma took her time responding to his invitation. It wasn't completely unexpected, there were other people present after all, and the skyline scenery was quite captivating once one took note of it. It was a sight which never quite got old; there was simply something about the vast lucent array which, when scattered across the otherwise obsidian cityscape, became easily admirable.
With that being said though, when the dark haired gamine began to make her way over the elementals attention swiftly shifted. In truth it was hard not to; it wasn't that the girl was exceptionally pretty, which she was, but rather that she possessed a prominent presence in his spatial perceptions. Specifically, he couldn't sense her. In his minds eye the lissome creature was seemingly at the centre of black orb which shielded her from his ethereal awareness.
Thus when approached him the hessian simply had the impression that an eight foot sphere was bearing down on him from across the rooftop. Such a thing is difficult to miss at the best of times.
“It really is a nice view. You can’t ask for more in the way of inspiration than a city like New York.”[/color]
She was polite, and at least passable with palaver, always a plus in such situations, however her tone was also guarded. Understandable really, she'd been invited to join an utter stranger on a roof during a somewhat eccentric soiree. Admittedly the scene was something of a cliche which the hessian normally have preferred to avoid, but it had been the easiest approach given the situation. He had a slight suspicion about how he'd react to an adapted's presence, he was far from certain however and hadn't been willing to test the effect of her aura directly in the midst of the other guests.
As she drew closer he gestured for her to join him again the railing on his right, taking a slight but noticeable step to left as he did so to avoid the outer edge of her field even as he turned to give her an urbane smile.
”What can I do for you, Mr….?”[/color]
Zephyr made use of a number of monikers, each of which he tried to restrict to a certain group or class of individuals. Dio was the alias he begun using most frequently for social side trips such as this. Potential clients however tended respond somewhat better to the more formal soubriquet 'Mr. Smith' Other mutants however were generally given the elemental appellation of Zephyr, though the hessian had been using it less frequently of late.
In this instance he'd already introduced himself to a number of the guests as Mr. Smith and so that took the usual choice out of his hands. Using different names among the same crowd would only get him uncomfortable attention.
"Smith." He answered easily after only a moments pause. "I'm glad you could join me- though if you could stay right there I'd greatly appreciate it." He offered a small apologetic smile, "I don't mean to be rude, I'm just not certain how I'd react to your... unique, presence."
He waited a moment for his words to sink in, to see if the girl knew what she was and, by extension, what he himself had to be, before continuing. "However I was hoping you'd... indulge me, so that I might find out."
As expected his partners response was less than enthusiastic and Zephyr wisely used the time she spent berating him over the phone to enter an elevator and catch up with where he'd felt her on the 20th floor. There was little point in trying to get a word in edgewise with the soubrette as she was, they'd simply end up getting into an argument and wasting seconds they couldn't afford to lose.
By the time the gamine had finally spent her initial ire and actually gotten to the point of essentially asking what she needed to do next the elevator had emptied since few people were interested in going towards the source of the screaming and thus Zephyr was able to speak freely. While it was tempting to turn the girls words round on her it was a luxury he'd have to do without. Instead the ingénue received a more laconic form of instruction.
"He's on the 14th floor in room 1413. The corridor to your left connects to a stairwell, take it down six levels and when you leave go right, you should be able to follow the room numbers from there. I'm sending you his picture and I'm on my way up but I won't interfere unless I have to."
Without closing the call the hessian managed to send the aforementioned image and shift the phone back to his ear to catch any further questions the gamine might have. At the same time he hit a button closer to his current floor causing letting him get out on the tenth floor where he began to make his way to an empty patient room.
The hessian had no intention of actually meeting Isabel on the 14th level, the chance that he'd be spotted and then associated with her wasn't something he was willing to risk at this stage. In any case as long as he stayed in touch and continued to give her directions and logistics he doubted she'd notice his physical absence.
Stepping inside the unoccupied patient room Zephyr locked the door behind him before resting his back against it and swallowing a pair of pills before shutting his eyes. He was going to pay for this later, medication or not, large scale spatial awareness wasn't something the physical mind was meant to handle. Still if he could keep Isabel abreast of everything that was relevant in the facility there was still a chance they could leave without too much notice.
Attaching a blue tooth headset to his ear the mercenary slowly sank down until he was sitting against the base of the door. A deep breath left him as he began to ignore his other senses and focused only on his element.
In the distance he felt, rather than heard, the sirens as they began to close in and he swore silently before informing his petulant companion.
"We have about three minutes before company arrives."
Cafas: "Zephyr is the king of bad decisions, but if Sebby being weak to ghost is anything to go by, not so amazing at follow through."
Technology has improved a good deal of things for many organizations, if properly implemented it can reduce redundancy, improvement the collation of information, allow for greater analysis and hasten the overall decision process. Which in essence allows an entity to cut costs, raise prices and generally do far more with what they already have. Sadly though a great many companies simply stop there and never concern themselves with the needs of security, a flaw which Zephyr was more than willing to exploit.
The hospitals server room turned out to be incredibly accommodating in this regard. Located in the facilities second basement level the area carried the air of a prison and, not surprisingly, was largely deserted. Admittedly the door had been a rather heavy duty item given that it was meant to be fire proof and had been supplemented with an electronic card reader, however a short downdraft of air to the interior handle caused it to swing open with little inconvenience.
The servers themselves were not much more of a challenge, a USB thumb drive containing custom program he'd purchased from a more tech savvy acquaintance allowed him to reboot a terminal and bypass the majority of the security by granting him administrator access. From that point it was simply a case of going down the list he'd been given and altering the necessary records.
Zephyr had actually been exaggerating slightly when he'd told Isabel that the successor to Mafia's New York branch was prejudice against mutants. The man had no love for them after the beating he and his team had taken when they'd failed to wipe out the Sanctuary's residents and instead taken a severe beating, however he could work with them, at least currently. Popular thought though was that what limited tolerance Dotsenko Jr. possessed would disappear when he learned that Miss Duskmoor had killed his defenseless father.
A moments curiosity caused the hessian to pause as he finished modifying the last of the files. While he knew where in the hospital Dotsenko Sr. had been confined he didn't actually know why. It was a passing interest, but one which was easily fulfilled as the elemental adroitly brought up the ailing gangsters file and scanned his recent history for an indication of his current status, only to frown when he noticed that the recorded location for his medication delivery differed from his official room assignment...
Imagine that, a criminal entity with a grasp of subtlety. What was the world coming to?
This could complicate things, if Duskmoor only killed a decoy then the Mafia would move their current leader to a far more secure location which would make removing a far more difficult prospect. Technically the hessian could deal with the old man himself, however asphyxiation was unlikely to be attributed as a mutant killing and in any case the elemental had little desire for the Mafia to place a bounty on his head.
No, Isabel needed to do the kill. Her unique methods were widely recognized and she was more than capable of dealing with the vast majority of those who tried to claim what price was put to her. The only problem was finding the girl and getting her to the real target before SWAT showed up en mass. Regardless of the brunettes track record against them in the past a new killing spree wasn't part of the assignment.
Leaving the server room at a wind assisted sprint Zephyr raced back to the ground floor. He needed to catch his partner before she wreaked too much havoc, or worse, left entirely. Ideally she'd have her cell phone on and he'd be able to call her once he reached the ground floor and got a signal, just in case though he'd also begun to flashing through a scan of each level with his spatial senses to find the soubrettes distinctive figure.
As it turned out he was lucky. The screams had only just started to echo from above when his phone finally got reception and managed to get a call through to the gamine. The moment she answered the hessian began talking in a rushed murmur.
"What did Dotsenko look like? If he wasn't thin with a grey goatee then all you've dealt with is a decoy."
Cafas: "Zephyr is the king of bad decisions, but if Sebby being weak to ghost is anything to go by, not so amazing at follow through."
There were few things which could put Zephyr off his stride, a rare upside of his somewhat dysfunctional upbringing which had been further refined by his occupation. Being able to project an affectation of confidence or apathy could go a long ways with certain employers, or even opponents and so controlling ones mien was essential. The hessian had managed to face down homicidal bonemancers, unpredictable pyromancers and crimson juggernauts while barely even blinking.
Needless to say, a svelte young redhead unexpectedly taking his arm like a fresh paramour registered little more than a raised eyebrow as he glanced down at the gamine, only to be met with a shameless smile as the two of them made their way to the train and eventually found a place within the crowded carriage where the hessian could use his free hand to reach a pole running across the ceiling before the train began to pull away.
In all honestly he shouldn't have been surprised, the girl was well known for her sardonic streak but also for her brazen demeanor and occasionally exiguous attire. She was likely well used to playing such games to put others off balance in order to get her way. Still Zephyr was hardy a dilettante in such matters, she'd have to do much better if she wished to... distract, him.
“Chinese?”[/color] The question was offered in a saccharine cadence and accompanied with a brief flutter of eye lashes before she took the rocking of the carriage as an excuse to slip even closer and rest her head against his chest whilst pressing her breasts against his arm. “I do hope I didn’t interrupt some sort of prior business engagement.”[/color]
It seemed the soubrette was quite intent on doing her best to gain his attention and while there was a certain appeal in seeing how far the girl was willing to go, a part of him was still cautious given that she'd been trying to spy on him earlier. However yet another facet of the elementals thoughts argued that she'd be doing rather little of that if he turned the tables on her current game and actually started participating.
"Mandarin to be specific," he returned urbanely, barely giving her a glance as he used his thumb to flick to another page. "I find most vendors in Chinatown tend to be more, hospitable, if you can share their tongue in some way, though I suppose that's true for everyone, wouldn't you agree?" He shifted his gaze to her and once again gave a questioning look which this time was vaguely amused.
“Maxine Ralls. A pleasure to meet you again, Mister…?”[/color] The introduction came with a second question and hand which Zephyr simply stared at it for a moment before giving the girl herself a dubiously amused glance and indicating towards his raised which was keeping the two of them steady as the train rattled along.
"Dio will do." He replied in the same urbane cadence, before allowing the slight hint of a suggestive undertone to enter his voice as he held her gaze. "I would shake hands but I'm afraid they're somewhat tied at the moment, unless of course you'd prefer to be on your back?"
Cafas: "Zephyr is the king of bad decisions, but if Sebby being weak to ghost is anything to go by, not so amazing at follow through."
Networking was vital in any occupation, regardless of whether you were a low paid janitor or high paid executive, a career was all too often based on whom you knew rather than what. It was simply a facet of human nature and one the elemental had come to terms with quite quickly and strived to turn to his advantage.
"Ah, Miss Bowles? A pleasure to- yes, I am an acquaintance of Mr. Mancini, however I was hoping to talk to you about your upcoming article in Rogue. You tend to be rather insightful about such things, I was hoping you could give me your impressions on the guests thus far..."
The key to networking was to leave a favourable impression. A firm handshake and good eye contact was all well and good but discussion was the true decider. Being able to make your audience feel at home by maintaining a dialog they could follow and contribute to was vital. In the past this often required a considerable amount of research on a potential client to discern their interests and achievements. These days however with technology being what it was, everyone was overly eager to share their information and a brief online search could tell you almost anything you wanted to know.
"Mr. Yaeger? Oliver Smith, pleased to meet you. I was just talking with Miss Bowles- yes, she certainly has a, unique, view on things I agree. I'm quite capable of reading between the lines though and I was wondering if you'd considered..."
In a pinch however, media personnel still tended to be a source of reliable, if biased, information.
Still though, fashion fete's such as this were not the hessians typical métier milieu. While a number of those in attendance were certainly affluent enough to make them attractive as potential clients the overall setting provided only enough privacy for Zephyr to make vague allusions about his occupation. Even if some of the more astute individuals caught the underlying meaning of his 'consultant practice' they weren't necessarily in need of his services.
Even if he failed to gain a single client though, the night was far from a complete loss. He'd earned a sizeable sum from only a few hours work, set down a somewhat reputable foundation for himself among a number of the city's more privileged residents whilst enjoying the view provided by a number of agreeable young women showcasing Mancini's more exiguous work.
The most intriguing of these girls however was an appealingly lissome creature with dark hair attired in a slightly more modest dress. She possessed a presence he'd only encountered a handful of times but which had always garnered his interest. The quotidian vernacular for her kind was 'adapted'; individuals capable of suppressing or completely negating a mutants power, but to the elementals mind her kind represented an enigma he'd hence forth been unable to fully examine.
He intended to change that.
That being said though the hessian had little clue how he'd react to her aura, and the middle of the party was hardly the place to cause a scene giving all the effort he'd spent crafting himself a reputable persona. At the same time though it would be difficult to convince her to leave if he couldn't get close enough to engage her in conversation. Instead he chose a middle ground breaking away from the gathered guests and heading towards the railed off edges of the rooftop on the pretense of taking a phone call, before then asking a waiter to pass along an invitation to a certain young woman.
Cafas: "Zephyr is the king of bad decisions, but if Sebby being weak to ghost is anything to go by, not so amazing at follow through."
New York, home to the city that never sleeps. A multicultural metropolis playing host to all manner of individual's, industries and ideologies. It was a vast urban nexus where anything could, and often did, happen. The city's potential was vast, almost unprecedented, limited only by the bounds of human imagination. It could accommodate the most mundane matters and overly outlandish occurrences without any indication that events were anything but the norm.
Only in New York City would a few scraps of fabric warrant a seven figure soiree atop one of the most exclusives venues in the region.
The clubs official name was Vinicio's Vertex Vault, colloquially however it possessed a number of more succinct soubriquet, with 'The Vault' being the most common moniker and one which the owner did little to dissuade. Located near the westward waterfront the establishment occupied the upper floors of an impressive skyscraper and boasted the dubious honour of finding itself at the highest altitude of any its competitors and as such charged a significant premium for the use of its rooftop lounge.
Tonight that price had been paid by one Paolo Mancini, aka Paolo Martini due to his love of libations. A somewhat willowy individual in his middle ages the man sported shoulder length charcoal hair gathered into a pony tail and the faintest hint of a soul patch on his chin. The Italian had been a rising star in the fashion industry for the last several years ever since it had come to light that his mutation allowed him to meld living foliage with silk, thereby creating opulent garments which cleaned and mended themselves when exposed to sunlight.
There was likely a good deal more to the fashion designers success, but in all honesty, Zephyr couldn't find it in him to care. The realm of fashion had never truly interested the elemental, he knew enough to make himself presentable but the constantly cycling trends which came with each season simply struck him as redundant and inane. It was nothing more than a means of encouraging consumerism and keeping money in circulation and so as far as the hessian was concerned Mancini was just mutant who'd made use of gifts to achieve success.
Still, it was that same success which had permitted the man to purchase the elementals services and so the Briton couldn't truly complain. All in all it had been a rather basic task; nothing more than a case of retuning stolen property. A sketchbook to be specific, one which his client required to finish crafting a number of garments in time for their debut tomorrow evening and the Italian hadn't trusted the normal authorities to deal with the issue in a timely manner.
Exiting the elevator on the 63rd floor Zephyr stepped out onto the Vertex's main bar come lobby and glanced around. Although he knew the clubs reputation he'd never had an occasion to visit himself. The overall theme seemed to be that of a classical Italian villa mixed here and there with metallic fixtures in keeping with that if vault. It was, admittedly, an odd design but it somehow worked on aesthetic level and the elemental decided he approved.
Walking smoothly across the polished mosaic floor the hessians feet made almost no sound over the music which blared from the speakers situated in every corner and the constant murmur of conversation. The entrance to the rooftop had been roped off and was under guard by rather imposing individual in a non nonsense black suit, however an invitation from the elementals client allowed the Briton to pass unhindered.
Mancini's party was, if anything, a surprisingly low key affair. It wasn't somber in any way, the ample amount of libations provided by the serving staff saw to that, but everything appeared to be muted. Those present seemed to be enjoying themselves, however one group was noticeably isolated from the rest and their mien was significantly more subdued. A further inspection of said group found that it contained the elementals client and so Zephyr unobtrusively made his way over.
Several minutes later the hessian had been paid and Mancini's mood had been greatly improved. The Italian had given a brief but enthusiastic address to his guests encouraging everyone to stay and enjoy themselves while he himself abruptly departed. A move which Zephyr eventually intended to imitate, after he'd had a chance to mingle with potential clients and sample what was on offer.
After all, in a city like this you never knew who or what you might find.
Cafas: "Zephyr is the king of bad decisions, but if Sebby being weak to ghost is anything to go by, not so amazing at follow through."
"I didn't eve-... What? What?! I didn't even have to put this thing on yet? You couldn't have told me that before?! What he hell?!"[/color]
Laughing, would be an extremely poor decision Zephyr reminded himself yet again as he took in his companions increasingly crimson features and her expression of utter disbelief. Openly antagonizing the girl hadn’t been wise to start but he severely doubted that what little patience she had left would last long in the face of open laughter. Although possible, it wasn’t likely she could kill him, however in close quarters like this she’d be more than able to inconvenience him, by refusing to cooperate further if nothing else.
The hessian knew this, had realized it since he’d first worked with the soubrette, yet the gamine’s attire, or lack of it, made it exceedingly difficult to take her seriously. Admittedly his attitude would possibly change if she started sprouting spikes, but until then it took a significant amount of self-control for the elemental to keep his shoulders still and prevent his lips from smirking more than already were, yet he couldn’t quite manage to keep the trace of .
“I wasn’t certain it would fit,” He stated nonchalantly, the half-truth coming easily as he shrugged and held the gamines eyes. “and I rather doubted you’d have given me your measurements if I asked. Would you have preferred to find a potential problem now, or at the hospital?”
A black look was the only response he received and any further comments from the hessian were cut short as the shapely brunette abruptly seemed to start undressing in front of him. Demonstrating a surprising degree of flexibility despite the constraining costume as she removed her boots, again presenting the elemental with a brief but enviable view before the show abruptly ended as the girl began throwing on her normal attire over top of her revealing outfit.
"If you wanna leave before me, you'd better do it. You are so very close to losing a lung.[/color]
The elemental’s lips twitched as he spent a further moment watching the buxom gamine fight a short struggle with her buttons before he replied in a purposely urbane tone which still carried a hint of amusement. “You needn’t worry about that Isabel; you’ve more than taken my breath away as you are.”
Then he turned on his heel and made his way out.
--
The hospital, like most of its kind, was an example of poorly controlled chaos. No attempt was made to try and track the mass of people who came and went with the end of the normal work day. Zephyr was simply another face among the crowd as he strode through the sliding doors and made his way to the nearest directory listing where a cursory review failed to find either record storage or the onsite IT department.
Happily however a quick sweep of the building with his spatial awareness revealed the type of well-ventilated environment commonly needed for computer servers and other technological hardware. From that point it was simply a case of following the trail of air to the nearest stairwell.
Almost idly, he wondered when the screaming would start.
Cafas: "Zephyr is the king of bad decisions, but if Sebby being weak to ghost is anything to go by, not so amazing at follow through."
Waiting a few feet from the bottom of the stairs Zephyr had once again withdrawn the spiral bound phrase book from his pocket. His azure eyes skimmed over words while his lips silently shaped the foreign phrases with a habitual familiarity which made the process almost automatic. Coincidentally, this allowed his sixth sense to occupy the preponderance of his attention, letting the elemental remain acutely aware of his surroundings, including the floor above where the shapely brunettes disrobing figure was a glaring silhouette to his senses.
Eventually though the bonemancer finished changing and moved back into the hessians vision as she reached the top of the stairs and slowly began to make her way down. Sweeping his gaze up and then down Zephyr found little disagreeable with the sight before him.
Her cheeks were flushed pink and her arms were wrapped stubbornly around her midsection. The affect of the cool afternoon air was evident on her exposed skin, of which there was a substantial amount. Her shoulders were all but bare; a thin scarlet strap ran down each one to support the front of the garment which sloped low enough to reveal an alluring expanse of pale flesh, only just rising high enough to cover two noticeable points which it otherwise made no effort to conceal.
As his eyes swept lower, a large and somewhat tasteless red cross could be seen emblazoned beneath the left breast, yet the dress still somehow managed to hug the buxom soubrettes upper contours in a manner which emphasized her voluptuous figure. The costumes hem did similarly with her callipygian physique, reaching down to just scarcely contain her supple derriere, though it rose enticingly with each step the girl took, affording a view which Zephyr was not above appreciating.
"This sucks,"[/color]The remark was delivered alongside a mixed expression of embarrassment and contempt as the gamine re-crossed her arms, ruining the elementals rather appealing view of her cleavage and bringing his gaze back to meet her own amber eyes as he raised an eyebrow at her once again before responding with only a hint of amusement.
"I daresay that's one of the thing's the designer had in mind."
"Can we just go now? I don't want to be stuck in this stupid thing a second longer than I have to be."[/color]
Tilting his head at his companion the amused expression didn't stray from Zephyr's face. Now that they knew the dress would fit there was little practical reason for the soubrette to continue wearing it until they reached the hospital. It would attract far more attention on the streets than they needed, and the girls temper was unlikely to survive the numerous propositions and catcalls such an outfit was bound to receive. The last thing he needed was for her to start a fresh killing spree before they even reached the hospital.
"If, that's what you want." He began, speaking slowly as he picked his words with care. "However I thought you might prefer to change back and then put the dress on once you were in the hospital. It would save you a good deal of... attention."
"I was planning to head out before you in any case to avoid suspicion, so it wouldn't be a problem..."
Trailing off Zephyr shifted his gaze away from the gamines face as he glanced at his watch and again resisted the urge to smirk; one of the bonemancers incidental benefits, aside from her figure, was that her reactions in situations like this tended to be quite entertaining.
Although he'd only known Miss Duskmoor a relatively short time Zephyr felt he'd managed to pin down the key aspects of her character quickly. To begin the girl was immensely prideful; the NYPD's inability to deal with the soubrette essentially granted the girl carte blanche to do as she liked and so she'd carved herself a reputation which generated fearful respect in those around her.
The bonemancers ability to evade consequences had also cultivated a rather short temper and a skewed moral compass. She was accustomed to getting her way and without the threat of punishment hanging over her head she simply followed the easiest path to dealing with her problems which, given her abilities, more often than not led to her eliminating what she felt to be the source of the problem.
The end result of this, interestingly, was a rather fetching young woman who'd never had to grow up. A girl with no sense of responsibility, who was use to getting what she wanted and more than eager to throw and tantrum and fight when anyone dared to cross her. The flaw with such an attitude however was that, when confronted with a problem she couldn't threaten, maim or kill, the buxom soubrette was at an almost complete loss.
That being said though you could only push someone so far. The costume had only been a last minute addition and Zephyr had fully expected it to be shredded the moment the gamine laid eyes on it, to insist that she was more than capable of dealing with a handful of hired guns or to demand that he come up with a new plan. He'd never thought that she'd actually consider wearing the thing, especially given the vehement indignation she expressed regarding her current posters.
He decided to push his luck.
Restraining the full smirk which threatened to break across his features Zephyr simply stared at his comely companion as the ingénues amber eyes glared at him with no small amount of vitriol yet made no move to speak. When the silence persisted beyond a handful of seconds the elemental merely raised a questioning eyebrow at the gamine, prompting the bonemancer to drop her gaze back to the salacious garment in question before her a short sigh escaped her as her shoulder slumped and her arms fell.
"Fine. But I get to burn this thing when we're done."[/color]
The curt statement was accompanied by a rather reduced glare in the hessian's direction. This ended almost before it had begun as the shapely soubrette reluctantly started to scan the room, presumably for some form of privacy in which to don her 'disguise'. Whatever the case it gave the elemental time to mask his disbelieving expression before he also began to glance about.
All in all the room didn't have much to offer; one of the reasons the building had been scheduled for demolition was because someone had apparently decided to start the process themselves. Doors were fragmented if not altogether missing, walls were cracked and generally gaping while the floors, although mostly present, tended to creak ominously at the slightest provocation or none at all.
In short, the place made a less than ideal changing room.
There was a moment's pause as the elemental briefly debated trying to stretch his already strained luck further however the mutinous look in his partners eyes led him to conclude that there was little point risking what he'd managed thus far and so he simply inclined his head and told her he'd wait on the floor below before making his way to the stairs.
Cafas: "Zephyr is the king of bad decisions, but if Sebby being weak to ghost is anything to go by, not so amazing at follow through."
The life of a gun for hire was rarely so romantic or exciting as it is so often portrayed in film and literature. The hours were typically poor, the company less than hospitable and the pay rarely worth the hazards involved in obtaining it. Occasionally though certain contracts could be found which possessed the potential for an unexpected windfall, or benefits beyond the scope of original adjective.
"No. Nuh-uh. Absolutely not. There is no way in hell I'm wearing that."[/color]
This was one of those times.
"I've got a better idea. You wear that thing and I'll chat up the hospital staff instead."[/color]
Leaning comfortably against the living room wall of an abandoned apartment building Zephyr kept his gaze fixed on his Chinese phrase book and forced an expression of dull indifference across his features as he sighed at the buxom brunette. There were any number of arguments he could use to dismantle the girls flat out refusal. The most tempting of which was the fact that it was hardly the most revealing outfit she'd ever donned, as any cursory internet search would quickly reveal. However given his companions disposition such an approach would likely cause her to shred the outfit she now held at arms length.
No, a slightly more subtle approach was called for if he was going to gain the shapely soubrettes consent. Reason and logic wasn't likely to work but it was as good a place as any to start things. "I shall not be 'chatting up' anyone Isabel. I'll be accessing and modifying medical records regarding the X gene status of certain influential Mafia members. The succeeding Russian leadership is almost as xenophobic of mutants as the Church of Humanity and this will go some way towards destabilizing their presence in the city."
Pausing flip a page the elemental briefly ran a finger up and down its contents before continuing. "I will also be there to provide assistance in case you have difficulty dealing with Dmitry Dotsenko who, I might remind you, is the current head of the Mafias New York branch and as such has a significant number of bodyguards outside his room at all times who tend to be armed with enough firepower to take out a dozen tanks ever since they ran afoul of your particular faction."
Marking his place and closing the book Zephyr returned it to his jacket before at last lifting his azure eyes to Isabel's face as he finished. "The best chance you have of getting close enough to take care of Dmitry and guards is that costume. Dotsenko is a known lecher and has had several 'visitors' since he was admitted; his protection detail won't think twice about you until you're too close for their guns to matter."
It was all true, to a point at least, however giving the bonemancer a full explanation likely wouldn't help matters and so he glossed over the minor details. The fact that he knew the costumes measurements, and was a healthy young man, had nothing to do with his stance on the issue in the least.
"If you have any better ideas, or think you can convincingly edit official medical records then I am all ears."
Cafas: "Zephyr is the king of bad decisions, but if Sebby being weak to ghost is anything to go by, not so amazing at follow through."
Advancing at a rather sedate pace Zephyr endeavored to project an affectation of indifference as he progressed through the shipyard and occasionally glanced at the soubrette beside him from the corner of his eyes. The voluptuous brunette had become progressively listless and lethargic since they'd taken their leave of the cargo area and was showing no signs of improving. Her entire stance signaled exhaustion and considering the worryingly steady trail of fresh blood the girl was leaving it was little wonder why.
The gamine was injured, that much was clearly evident even if the bonemancer wouldn't broach the subject herself, quite likely out of some form of stubborn pride. Granted the girl had a degree of advanced healing if the manner in which she tore out her bones was any indication yet at the present it didn't seem to be able cope with her current wounds, or else, was doing so far too slowly to be of any real use.
Although his medical knowledge was somewhat lacking the hessian hazarded that the weary hoyden had perhaps another ten minutes before she simply collapsed, at which point she'd be just a breath away from becoming literal dead weight. All in all it left the elemental with an interesting choice he hadn't expected to have.
The first and easiest option was simply to let the girl succumb to her wounds, she'd repeatedly demonstrated her disdain for him throughout the evening, had been continuously disagreeable and would likely dismiss any assistance he tried to give. It would cost the mercenary nothing to just watch the brunette fall, in fact given the bounty that was still on her head he possibly stood gain a slight amount from her demise. All he needed to do was keep walking.
Alternatively he could save the soubrettes life. While not as immediately tempting a choice as the first option it had the potential to pay significant dividends in the future. Despite her poor behaviour the bonemancer had, more or less, carried out the task she'd been given and she'd done it for a fraction of the price the hessian himself had received. She was also, in a word, capable. Zephyr knew of few individuals, mutants included, who possessed both the ability and the willingness to perform as Miss Duskmoor just had and walk away breathing.
Furthermore, should he actually manage to get the girl medical attention it was quite possible her attitude towards him would change, thereby removing one of the main points in her disfavour and, ideally, rendering any future contracts between the two of them far more agreeable.
In essence it all came down to whether he was willing to sacrifice limited but certain short term gains now, for far greater but less reliable rewards in the future. It was the quintessential question faced by those on Wall Street everyday and it was one Zephyr was well accustomed too as he watched the brunette half stumble for the second time and considered whether she was worth the effort.
A few moments passed and as the soubrette tripped over her feet for the third time the elemental allowed a long suffering sigh to escape his lips. Stepping back to the girl side the hessian unceremoniously took her arm and placed it over his shoulders, tensing for only a moment in anticipation of spiking pain, before proceeding to pull the enervated ingénue along when none was forth coming.
Cafas: "Zephyr is the king of bad decisions, but if Sebby being weak to ghost is anything to go by, not so amazing at follow through."
Nonchalantly twirling a certain appropriated crimson pen between his slender fingers Zephyr allowed a hint of a smirk to tug at his lips as he felt his redheaded soubrette break into a mad dash for the station the moment she registered his words. Petty though it was the elemental couldn’t deny a sense of satisfaction from instilling a sense of urgency in the gamine and thus gaining her likely reluctant compliance as a result.
To Ms. Ralls credit she proved far quicker than the hessian had anticipated and turned more than a few heads as she ran by. As it was she reached the platform proper just as one of the trains pulled away into the darkness of a tunnel causing the lissome reporter to swiftly cast her head back and forth in such a manner that the elemental could easily picture the expression painted across her agreeable features as she searched for him.
As he had not been in any particular rush to end their peculiar game of follow the leader Zephyr had taken the earlier opportunity to place himself directly behind the stairs the redhead had so fervently raced down thus putting outside her immediate view. Granted it was little more than a delaying tactic but hessian still had no real desire to make things easy for the girl; watcher her rush around was far more entertaining.
Still though, there were only so many places he could hide in such a confined space, if she didn’t get discouraged the gamine was bound to spot him eventually. It would be better to give her a nudge rather than allowing the girl to mislead herself into thinking she’d somehow managed to trump him. The only real question was how to arrange their approach.
By mere happenstance the elementals thoughts were interrupted at that point by the arrival of the train he’d been expecting. Once the grinding dissonance of its arrival had faded away and its passengers given a chance to disembark Zephyr pushed himself off the back wall of the stairs, withdrawing his spiral bound phrasebook once again as he began to stroll around to the office animators right and sent her yet another hushed statement through the wind.
“You were faster than I expected… you’ll want the train to central park, it’s on your left.”
His tone was amused yet also courteous and as the redheads turned to glance at the aforementioned train he walked around from behind her and idly brushed shoulders with her as he strode by, a final comment coming over his shoulder as he strode by.
Keeping his own pace brisk as he wandered down the less clustered side on the outside of Chinatown Zephyr reflected, momentarily, on Miss Ralls. The redhead was proving to be a rather contrary character; given that she had been the one to initiate this somewhat diverting scenario by trailing him for who knew how long, her insistence on keeping to her own leisurely pace was a rather apt demonstration of cognitive dissonance.
It was also fairly annoying.
It didn't take much in the way of effort to infer the reasoning behind the girls actions, especially considering what was known about her. The gamine likely believed she had some degree of control over the situation since her presence had been acknowledged rather than dismissed and thus could afford to dawdle as she pleased. It was a somewhat reasonable assumption to make yet still a gamble in certain respects because the girl had to know to some degree that it would cost the hessian nothing to abandon their odd game if he grew bored with her recalcitrant behavior.
As things were though, she was fortunate that he took it as a challenge.
Deftly catching another of the redheads pens as it attempted to dart in front of his face the elemental idly relieved the animate instrument of its message before reading the contents and rolling his eyes . The soubrette certainly wasn't lacking for confidence it seemed, though a part of the hessian could only wonder how long such an attitude would persist if she happened to meet the city's resident bonemancer.
Dismissing such thoughts from his mind as he spotted the sign he'd been seeking for the past minute or so Zephyr released the green pen and began to make his way towards the descending stairs of the subway as he sent another whispered current to the emerald eyes gamine.
"One thing at a time Miss Ralls. I'd suggest you hurry before you miss the train, and do try to be discreet about your gift."
Interesting and unconventional as Miss Ralls mutation was, it garnered rather more attention than the elemental liked . If the girl wished to keep following him and avoid causing a panic or just general ill will while underground she'd have to apply some subtlety to her talent.
A moment passed, and then another before the relentless hammering in his head abruptly abated and all of his senses seemed to dull by a few slight but noticeable degrees. A relieved breath escaped the elementals lips, his posture fell slightly as he allowed his muscles to relax and he tentatively began to raise his head, quickly gaining confidence as he failed to encounter any pain.
It was as though someone had simply thrown a switch, the pain had all but vanished yet his other senses somehow persisted, if to a somewhat less precise degree. Given the alternative though Zephyr wasn’t about to complain, he’d gladly endure reduced vision, diminished hearing and whatever else in exchange for a clear head at the present moment. In some ways it was actually better than anything he’d managed to achieve with various painkillers.
“Better?”[/color]
“Much, thank you.”
Leaning back to settle himself more comfortably in his seat the elemental took the cloth from Katrina as he reviewed his surroundings properly for the first time. The kitchen itself was rather quotidian but it was clearly filled with individuals who were anything but, half of whom seemed staring at the hessian somewhat curiously whilst the other half, consisting of a number of identical teenagers who couldn’t have been over fifteen and appeared to arguing amongst themselves.
Completing his cursory glance of the kitchen Zephyr briefly returned his attention to Katrina, a number of questions were at the forefront of his mind and though Ghost was just across the table, rapidly reforming memories gave him little desire to speak with his svelte counterpart. That left him with his ashen eyed protégé whose own focus was likely somewhat occupied with providing the elementals anesthetic and could possibly limit her ability to provide answers.
Addressing the room at large the hessian spoke with what dignity he could muster in his current condition. “I seem to have missed recent developments, could someone catch me up? I’ve rather had my fill of surprises.”
His last words may or may not have been accompanied with a pointed look at a certain snow haired sylph.
Cafas: "Zephyr is the king of bad decisions, but if Sebby being weak to ghost is anything to go by, not so amazing at follow through."
Proficiency comes from practice, yet repetition eventually inspires ennui. It was a general form of cognitive dissonance which Zephyr well knew. Despite what some might claim, determination and willpower could only keep one focused for so long before the mind began to actively seek out distractions and thereby render productivity little more than a fallacy.
In short, avoid over exerting yourself when possible.
It was a simple piece of advice, but one the elemental generally tried to abide by, even more so when dealing with potentially lethal activities. Working to the point of collapse was an overly quixotic notion which only seemed agreeable until the first unforeseen and unpleasant hindrance arose, at which point the fatuity of excessive fatigue quickly became all too apparent.
Thus, when he noticed that his recalcitrant companion was beginning to make her way towards him through the imbroglio of carelessly strewn cargo containers, the azure eyed hessian decided to call an end to his extempore experimentation once he’d dealt with his last unwilling test subject. Annoyingly however the elementals speed whilst incorporeal was less than impressive and by the time he’d finally managed to corner the man Miss Duskmoor had all but followed the dying screams to their source.
"Are we done now? I’m pretty sure I got just about everyone. I’m starting to get bored."[/color]
Glancing back over his shoulder at the shapely brunette Zephyr shrugged and dissembled his irritation. He’d had no intention of showcasing his ethereal form to anyone still breathing but the soubrette had arrived just as he’d regained solidity, ideally the lack of any proper light would have masked his reappearance however he couldn’t be certain how much the girl had seen and he didn’t plan on asking. He would simply have to affect an indifferent affectation to avoid drawing any further attention to his latest trick and hope it slipped the gamines mind.
“A handful managed to get away but I suppose they don’t matter in the long run.” If nothing else they’d spread rumours about a new character with a distinctive accent capable of calling down both fire and a certain bellicose bonemancer.
Turning to face his companion properly Zephyr paused for a moment to regard the girl as he noticed the slow drip of blood coming from her skirt and a momentary frown crossed his features but he ultimately decided not to call attention to it. Either the ingénues last victim had met a particularly macabre end or she’d actually been wounded, whatever the case any direct comments were unlikely to be welcome and so he chose a different tact as he strode level with the girl and then began to lead her out of the poorly crafted maze.
“The police will likely be here soon, there was enough commotion to warrant someone calling them. Are you planning on waiting for them? I’ll be leaving regardless but it’s been some time since you last toyed with them if I recall correctly.”
