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.
Neena watched the young man's face go through various expressions as he spoke, from deep grief to attempted cheer. Something obviously bothered him.
"By my reckoning, Miss Neena, you're power is much better than mine. Not that it's my place to say, of course."
She shrugged, still smiling. "It's all about perspective, m'friend." Then she added, "And please, no 'Miss'. Neena's just fine."
"As to staying here, that would be wonderful. I don't know about classes, it all depends. The main thing I'm interested in is controlling this thing I have, although..."
She cocked her head, waiting for him to finish, and added 'timid' to the list of emotions she'd counted so far.
"Do you have a gardening class?"
"Well, not a class, per se," she replied. "But there is a very large garden that is open to all of the residents."
Behind her glasses she mentally switched her vision to xray, and scanned for any hidden weaponry. It had become a routine lately; she needed to consult Tricity about the possibility of adding a metal detector to the gates. Although.... that could prove a bit hasslesome to some of the residents....
"Well, let's see about getting you a room then, shall we?" She turned to lead the rest of the way up the drive. "Forgive me being nosy, but how do you do that?" She indicated the decayed flower.
"I think we all had those problem. And i hope i can give some insight about it."
"That would be wonderful!" Neena, possibly unexpectedly, laughed and nodded. "Oh, if you could find and give a clue what's going on in an out-of-control mutant mind, that would be beyond helpful."
Abruptly her expression turned serious. "That actually reminds me, have you ever been infected by Haywire? The reason I ask is that, obviously, every now and then a resident or few catches it."
She sighed and shook her head. "Anyone who lives or works here needs to be aware of that. There is a Haywire-specific Infirmary on the grounds, that keeps sick ones quarantined until they recover."
Neena made it a point to visit the ward at least once a week, if not twice, to check on any isolated from the rest of their Mansion family.
"Yeah. I do. And I don't see what's wrong with that. It feels right, it feels safe, and I was happy while I was doing it."
Neena could have been blind herself, and still felt the heat in Calley's momentary glare. That was the second time he'd met her eyes within a few minutes, more than she could remember his ever allowing before.
And then he turned for a third time, this time holding the stare.
"And thanks for the thought of the apology. I guess. But I'm not going to be able to accept it. Sounds like it wasn't even me you were angry with back there. So while I'm glad I was able to be your punching pillow, I'm afraid that's not my apology. Do you even realize what you just said? You just said that nothing I said to you out there made a difference, except the fact that it involved the Sanctuary. I basically give you my life story, tell you everything I've never felt safe enough to tell anyone, tell you I almost died, tell you I was glad to see you, and the only thing you feel is anger--towards the Sanctuary?"
The longer he spoke, and angrier he got, the more feline his features appeared. She had a feeling that, had he been in tiger form, ears would be lying flat, teeth bared, and claws extended. Possibly even hissing.
"Thanks, Neena. Really. It's good to know just how much you care. It makes it a lot easier to leave. Now are we done here? Because I still need to catch a cab back to my apartment."
For what seemed like hours, but might have only been a few seconds, she held his gaze. Finally, she sighed, and dropped her eyes.
"You're right," she replied quietly. "I was wrong to judge. The bits about the Sanctuary angered me. But its personal, and my own stupidity to deal with. You have every right not to accept my apology, and to continue to be angry with me in turn. I'm not going to argue that."
She looked back up at him, a bit of sadness in her expression, and her brow knitted together in a small frown. ”But don’t you dare take that to mean I don’t care about you, Caleb Swartz. Or Calley, or whatever you want to be called. I care about every member of my family.”
She wanted to get up and hug him, but she wasn’t sure how he’d react to any sort of embrace at that moment. He was so angry at her. She settled for middle ground, reaching out to place a hand on his knee, half expecting to get a set of claw or bite marks across her arm.
"Fungus, if you please. The pleasure is all mine."
Fungus? Now that was an intriguing name.... She cocked her head curiously when a distressed expression crossed his face. It disappeared in the next moment.
"If I may be so bold, I was wondering what exactly your... gift was, and how long you have been here."
Neena waved aside his unease with a smile. "Nothing so fancy as yours, I'm afraid," she replied. "I'm a sight specialist." She lifted her glasses momentarily, revealing her near-white eyes, squinting a bit in the sun as she did so.
"Welcome to Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters, Fungus." She replaced her sunglasses. "Are you looking for a place to stay for awhile, or interested in classes?"
"I don't mind it's not like I do much around here anyways."
Neena nudged her friend's shoulder. "Says you."
"No, I didn't bring anything else with me. It's hard enough getting places when you're blue. It only would have been harder with something like a suitcase."
She chuckled, glad to see the boy smile finally. So perhaps he was just shy. That would be understandable.
"Glad I don't have to go through security. I'd probably never get through. Mainly 'cause I don't have enough patience to deal with those idiots."
"A shame we can't all fly," she replied with a sigh.
"This way Gabe. We'll see what room is close. I imagine they all look about the same so I don't think you'll have to worry about getting one that looks bad."
"Thanks, m'friend." Neena squeezed the silvery youth's shoulder, then bowed toward the aquatic-appearing newcomer. "Welcome to Xavier's, Gabe. I'll let you know what classes are when they come available. In the meantime, enjoy yourself!" She handed over the map in the back of the file.
While the two headed out to find a room, she turned to set the file in the 'IN' box, for Garrett to file later. Between Streak, Garrett, Sam and Ghost, she had very little to do anymore. She smiled to herself. It was good to have the Team active again, in numerous ways.
Neena hid a grin behind her apple at the youth's startled reaction to her sudden statement.
"Ah, it is not a gift, but a curse, my lady. One I hope to be rid of in this place."
"Sorry to hear that." She bit into her snack and held it firmly in her mouth, as she swung down from the tree. She landed with a soft, 'Oof!' She mumbled around the apple while she dusted off her jeans, then removed it to speak.
"I've always been of the opinion that it's the way you use it that determines a gift from a curse."
She returned the young man's bow amiably. "Name's Neena," she introduced herself. "Nice to meetcha....?" She trailed off for him to finish.
"Well now, you would come in very handy in the kitchen."
A cheerful voice came from overhead. A dark-skinned woman perched in the branches of one of the trees lining the walk up to the Mansion proper. She peered at the young man from behind a pair of black sunglasses, munching on an apple as she took in his appearance. She took note of the white and black hair, and spotted eyes, as well as the odd spots covering his skin.
"That's a very interesting gift you have, m'friend."
"Thanks. I'm originally from down in the Tampa area of Florida. Been there all my life. I only just recently decided to get out and find somewhere more suited for me. I heard about the Mansion somewhere so I thought I'd come have a look. I haven't even been in the city all that long yet, so I don't really know where anything else is. My plane landed not too long ago, though looking the way I do and with everything that's been going on recently it took a bit longer for me to get out of that place and find this one."
When he paused, Neena wrinkled her nose in distaste. "I'm sorry you had to deal with that. You must have a lot of patience," she commended.
"Oh, uh, yeah, Streak's already shown me pretty much everything inside by now." She noticed he seemed a bit uneasy, but she put it off to being new in town, not the proximity to a number of girl. "He was just showing me around out here when we ran into you, but I think I've seen just about everything."
"Pefect!" Neena grinned and gave Streak a thumb's up. "Well, m'friend, I may have to reassign you to Meet and Greet duty, at this rate."
"Sure, finding a room sounds good." The idea seemed to bring a bit of the perk back to Gabe's face. "Hm? Oh, yeah. Nineteen. Will be Twenty by next April."
"I can find him a room," Streak spoke up. "if your to busy with this class. Unless you have to let him in."
She grinned, and nodded. "I'm not too busy, but if you're volunteering, then sure. I do have to go grab my keys from the office though." She turned to the still-splashing group in the pool. "Be right back, Miriam."
The yellow-haired woman waved acknowledgment, and Neena motioned for the young men to follow her back inside. She led them to the Headmistress's office. After a bit of rummaging in the desk, she came out with a ring of keys, which fit the empty rooms in the halls above, and handed them to Streak.
"Center hall, if you'd be so kind," she told him with a smile. She turned to Gabe. "Any other luggage you need help with, m'friend?"
"I don't know exactly but where ever there is nice weather and maybe a beach it would be good." Neena could almost hear the smile in Cailyn's voice. "And yes being a model is fun but very busy and you don't have allot of privacy to be honest."
The partially blind teacher understood the hint.
"Did i get the job then. Well this would be my first real teaching job if you mean that."
Neena smiled. "Well, that's the Headmistress's call, really. But we are in need of a science teacher at the moment. We shall see." Just like a number of schools, teachers always seemed to be in short supply. The turnover at Xavier's was especially high, no doubt due to the general instability of its residents' abilities.
"Here we are Neena. Here's your office."
"Thank you, Shawn." She disappeared into the office, and set the resume' in Tricity's 'Urgent-slash-Life-threatening' inbox. Not that reading and considering the new applicant could be deemed 'life-threatening', but it would ensure that the Headmistress would see it quickly.
As they continued the tour, Neena continued the interview.
"I have to warn you, our students are quite the handful. Aside from the typical pre- and teenage problems, the majority don't have much control over their mutations. Have you ever had to deal with a mutant outburst before?"
Calley turned and scowled fully at Neena. It seemed he didn't appreciate her question, and let her know by answering it with a blunt one of his own.
"What's the point in putting down roots?"
She listened without interruption as he explained the light in which he viewed things, or felt others viewed him, and that his mutation made all of the difference in that light. Sad as it was to admit, he was right, at least to a certain extent.
"Roots are just lies you don't see until they get pulled up."
She wanted to ask how they could be lies if they could be pulled up, but held her tongue. She also quickly quelled the residual heat at mention of Isabel and the Sanctuary; her personal issues had no place in this conversation. He still had things to say, and she wasn't going to stop him until he'd finished. And she was glad she didn't, as his revelation of the bit of life spent as a house cat actually clarified quite a bit.
She'd never had a pet cat, but she'd spent quite a bit of time around the big cats of the Savannah. Other than their size, very little differed between the two. Most cats, with the exception of lions, were loners. Yes, they spent time as families, raising cubs and teaching them how to survive. But for the most part, once life lessons were learned to minimal extent, Mother moved on to the next litter, while Brother and Sister went their separate ways. They were family for a while, but they were not close. They were not friends.
Ah.... There it was.
"But it's all just the same, isn't it?" She caught the corner-of-the-eye glare he sent her. One eyebrow twitched slightly. "This is just another place I'm going to get kicked out of. It's not me you admitted to the school--it was Caleb Yeldham, tiger shifter and wishing-well of smiling innocence." He paused, then added, "For what it's worth... I felt like I could breathe here."
She stared at him for a quiet moment. Since he found the wall so interesting, she turned her own gaze in that direction.
"Funny thing about breathing. You don't realize you need to, until you can't."
She could have gone into a number of lovely little speeches right then, about everything from the analytical -- how 'breathing' was symbolic for having friends and family or not being judged -- to the condemnatory -- he should have thought of all of that before registering under a false name or before neglecting to mention his Sanctuary connections or before trying out for the Team. But he had asked her to skip the speeches, hadn't he? All right then.
"I have to apologize to you, Calley," she started quietly. She tilted her body forward to lean an elbow on her knee. "For snapping at you in front of Luke. After the incident with Garrett, any mention of the Sanctuary prods a tender spot in my psyche. I shouldn't have let my personal issues spill out onto you like that, and I apologize for it."
She tapped her teeth with her nail, then bit down on her pinkie nail.
"It seems mutants and humans aren't so different when it comes to things like breathing, are they?"
She turned to look at him, her expression hinting at thoughtfulness.
"You enjoy being a cat more than anything else." It was a statement, not a question.
" Actually, I did. You've seen more than any other living person, so you might as well know some more."
Neena still wasn't sure whether to consider that an honor or a deathwish. She flinched as Roland wrapped her arm firmly, then helped her stand.
"I am actually wanted by INTERPOL and several crime organizations worldwide. Knowing my last name would prove dangerous to you, since someone getting you could get to me."
She didn't reply, instead concentrating on staying upright. The pain in her leg wasn't quite as intense as that in her arm, but the wounds actual position made it difficult to keep her balance as they made their careful way out of the house.
"Whether you believe it or not, I actually do care for you. Not only have I not attempted to harm you, but I don't want you knowing everything about me just yet. At least not until we have had the chance to see if we can have anything together or not. Even if not, I won't harm you. I'll just take my chances."
Behind the glasses she rolled her eyes. He could call it confidence all he wanted; Roland was arrogant. And the infuriating part to Neena was that she found it amusing. She balked slightly at the thought of taking the dead woman's vehicle. But she had arrived on foot, a mode of transport not especially appealing at the moment. So she didn't protest as he helped her into the passenger seat. Then, while Roland fiddled with.... whatever he was messing with, she pulled out a slim cellphone and dialed 911. Without waiting for it to connect, she tossed it out of the car. The phone's owner was a non-existent persona, so the call wouldn't be traced back. And someone needed to be made aware of the loss of life in the house.
As he slipped into the driver's seat, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes, and began a mental damage report and situation overview.
Her ears still throbbed, come to think of it, in time with the steady pulsations running throughout her body. She'd taken painkillers earlier, but only with the intent of warding off the headache that usually accompanied these little nighttime excursions. This little party had gone far beyond that, and knocked through the measly, hurt-free barrier like a giant, fiery bulldozer. Her stomach and chest hurt where the bullet spray had impacted with her suit, as did her rear where she'd fallen backwards. Her scalp burned, and she felt sure there was a bald spot somewhere on her head now. And all of that after she'd pushed herself to climb trees and walls, squeeze through windows, fight, hang from doors, and fight some more. And now she was riding in a car with a thieving mutant who had no qualms killing to protect his identity, had uncovered said identity to her, and in the same breath claimed to have feelings for her.
Report conclusion? Damn, she was beat.... So beat that she didn't care how foolish of a move it was on her part: She let herself pass out. If it was her time to die, so be it. If not? Well, she'd deal with the consequences when she woke up. Not more than ten, fifteen minutes tops, Neena's head tilted sideways, breathing slipped into the rhythmic rise and fall of deep sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A dull pounding at the base of her skull finally pulled Neena out of her comforting darkness. Partially anyway. She blinked several times, to clear the shuffle her various visions habitually went through whenever she woke, then sat up. Sheets fell away from her body, and she realized she'd been lying in a bed, and not her own. Her bodysuit was also missing, leaving her clad only in the thin tank top and pajama shorts she used as undergarments. Her wounds had been properly cleaned and dressed as well.
Frowning slightly, she began scanning the unfamiliar room. Considering the throb in her head, she wasn't sure she wanted to push her visions just yet, especially not xray. That left manual exploration. Her glasses lay on a nearby nightstand, so she slid her feet to the floor and limped over gingerly to retrieve them.
Ugh, she was stiff. And sore.
Faint sounds came from somewhere outside of the room, beyond a door on the far wall. She made her way slowly to it, and cautiously swung it open. She stood in the doorway, looking side to side curiously. One eyebrow rose above the top of her glasses in a 'What in the world...?' expression.
Despite what the movies daily convinced gullible audiences of being truth, the reality was that being shot hurt. Badly. Yes, sometimes adrenaline pushed people to lengths unachievable by normal means. But very few people could actually pop back up like a jack-in-the-box after taking a bullet to the body. And without that bit of chemical boost, even after years of slow desensitization to pain, Neena could confidently say that being shot still hurt.
Even with her heartbeat fighting with the ringing for notice in her ears, she could hear the short exchange taking place between Roland and the homeowner. Katherine he called her. And she held no delusion on where the conversation was headed. Still, Neena grimaced at Katherine’s gurgled ended. With all of the blood spatter about, this house was going to smell just wonderful in a few hours. Just the very thought reminded her of the Registration Camp graveyards. Mentally she began chanting Final Rites, as she had back then.
" Glad to find you in one piece, relatively."
Though she didn't pull away, her body automatically tensed at his touch. She winced when the movement sent another shock of pain through her nerves.
"You didn't have to kill her," Neena grumbled through clenched teeth.
So her fellow intruder was supposed to be dead, was he? And now she had the pleasure of being one of the few who knew he wasn’t. Lovely. Just lovely....
She decided to worry about that bit of dangerous information later. Leaving was a higher priority, before blood loss became an issue. She couldn't yet tell how bad her wounds were. Usually when they hurt this much, they weren't all that serious. Kind of like paper cuts and stubbed toes. She struggled to her feet, a task made difficult with the use of only one leg, and forcing her to lean on Roland for support.
(OOC: Just posting reactions and inner thoughts this time around, so the intro thread won't be obnoxiously long. Also, minor[/u] permission given to gmod if anyone wishes to demonstrate their abilities on an actual person. Neena's fearlessness is well known, so just keep that in mind when posting her reaction, please. If I have a problem with it, I'll PM you privately for an edit.
Versed as she was in observation, Neena soon faded into the background of the meeting. Not so much physically, as she took a seat close to Tricity and continued playing with the baby. But her actual presence melted into the rest of the group. She fell silent, taking in each new arrival and committing their faces to her photographic memory.
She tilted her head curiously at Calley's choice of a codename, and wondered at Raina's quiet appearance. Streak, Ali and Nika.... She also noted Katrina's arrival and position outside of the door, as had Jeramya. She could not say the girl was too young to be there; she was more mentally mature than some of the teenagers in the House. Ethan seemed tired, still drained from the nighttime attack. His condition bothered Neena a bit, and she began thinking of ways to help.
Tricity began the meeting. Neena listened to the speech with only half an ear, more interested in everyone else's reactions. She found Sam's, or Cold Steel's, reaction to Tricity's power a bit comical, but prudently kept her amusement quelled. She simply shook her head at his 'romantic walks' comment. That boy seriously needed a solid girlfriend to settle him down a bit.
Calley's demonstration of ability she focused on a bit more closely than normal; she wanted to see if she could tell when his 'consciousness' passed back and forth between bodies. When he asked about inviting Katrina into the meeting, she turned to Tricity; that was her call to make. Neena wasn't sure what she thought of it.
The instant Luke walked in Neena mentally smacked herself; she was supposed to call him and let him know when the Headmistress had returned. Calley must have instead, thankfully, but still. She'd dropped the ball on that one.
Garrett spoke up next, a mixture of nervousness, resignation and determination coming out as he explained his mutation. It was a stark contrast to Raina's short and somewhat stiff explanation. The mermaid transformation was still a tender subject, it seemed. She was glad to see Streak's attempt to put his friend's mind at ease.
Neena smlied, turning to listen to the next mutation explanation. She'd wait a bit before explaining her own ability. They were fairly passive, and most of those gathered had an inkling, if not a full understanding anyway. Listening to others held more interest and entertainment. Sometimes she was just entirely too nosy for her own good, but at least here she had an excuse.
Her ears still rang with the first shot, when a hail of bullets began popping between the pulses. Roland and BNO were still above her, so the mystery shooter had to be the Homeowner. And the rain of fire was directed topside, meaning her fellow intruder was the target. Neena tightened her legs' grip, and pushed herself up to reach her free arm for her competitor's gun. She lifted up sharply with the arm around his neck, forcing a reflexive twist toward the machine gunfire. Darkness took over the world as she went infrared to find the shooter.
<"Gotcha,"> she thought silently and honed in on the third heat signature.
Since BNT still yanked mercilessly on her hair, she decided to take advantage of her position in an unusual way; she sunk her teeth into the side of the man's neck, vampire style. The guard yelled out and squeezed the trigger in reflexive pain. The wall exploded above the machine gun's wielder, forcing her to roll sideways. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Roland reappear on the other side of the stairs, seemingly unharmed. A small smile pulled at her lips.
The bullet rain resumed, this time aimed at Neena and BNT. It appeared the woman was not attached to her bodyguards. She actually felt several shots enter the man's body, even as she released her deathgrip on his throat. Unfortunately he still had a grip on her hair. She steeled herself for the pain and yanked her head back. Fire burned at her scalp, but it quickly faded when her body was forced to deal with another problem.
Unclouded by fear, her mind registered details quite clearly. She felt a line of pressure move up and across her body in the form of a raking bullet spray. The force of the hits were enough to send her sprawling onto her back. Instinctively she rolled with the hit, landing behind a couch. But while she thanked whoever made her suit for lining the entire torso with Kevlar, she really wished they'd also done the limbs. Twin bursts of heat ripped through opposite sides of her body, one under and behind her upper arm and the other along the inside of her thigh, sending waves of pain through her entire being. She hissed loudly and bit her tongue to keep from cursing aloud. One hand clamped tightly over her arm, and curled into to a ball to let the initial wave of nausea pass. She could feel a wet, sticky warmth tickling her leg as well.
<"Note to self: Next time invest in total Kevlar lining throughout the entire suit.">
It appeared the choice was 'down', as she watched Roland once more open the hidden exit, then jam a blade into the inner workings. She shook her head; he just didn't want to make things easy on her tonight.
" I do realize what I have done. best to bring them right to us now. We are already found out. Since my identity is properly hidden, I'd prefer you let me go first and keep them busy. "
Her eyes both snapped back to normal vision. "Now is not the time to pretend to be chivalrous!" she hissed at him as he jumped down and bolted down the hallway. Really, she had a black nylon mask in one of her pockets, opaque enough to satisfactorily conceal her features, if she so wished.
She jumped down and ran after him. She could see him on a collision course with a redheaded bodyguard at the top of the landing, near the railing overlooking the downstairs.
However, she could also something he might not be able to; Bodyguard Number Two standing beneath the floor. BNT was bringing a firearm to bear on the roof above him, and much too close to their feet for comfort.
Neena altered her trajectory, and took a flying slide, feet first, through the railings of the balcony. Her hand grabbed a rod, checking her fall and turning it into a swing. She landed on the first floor in a roll, and uncoiled like a spring to tackle the armed man.
Her ears rang and her teeth rattled as the gun went off, blasting a chuck out of the banister she'd been playing Tarzan on. The guard kicked out, connecting with her shoulder, and pulled away. She was fast and agile enough to get back behind him, and jumped onto his back. She wrapped one arm around his neck in a death grip, pressing against his windpipe as hard as she could. When he began thrashing, she locked her legs around his middle as well.
"Gah!!"[/b] She yelped as one of his flailing hands reached back and grabbed a fistful of hair, and yanked her head painfully sideways.[/color]
)