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.
As the two of them climbed into the cab of the truck Jacen had to finally admit to himself that he was changing The idea that had popped into his mind as something to do with Lori was something that he never would have even considered a few months before. "Well I guess I'll just have to take what I can get." He said with a quick grin as he started the car. Once the vehicle was running, instead of putting it into gear Jacen reached over and picked up his cell phone. Dialing a number quickly he waited for a few minutes until he go an answer.
"Hey Rob, it's Jacen. Remember that Guerilla investigation you were working on four or five months ago? Yeah. I found an unmarked advertisement here on a corkboard at the local coffee shop and the number looks awfully familiar. Can you give me the Guerilla number so I can make sure whether this is them trying to get back into the market or not?"
For the next few moments Jacen was silent as he listened to the detective apparently tapping away at some computer keys as he looked for the correct information. Finally he was relaying the number while Jacen was quckly scribbling them down on a spare napkin he had pulled out of his truck's console.
"It's close but the last number's a 2 instead of 7. Sorry to bug you about that Rob."
A few moments later Jacen was disconnecting the call and then immediately redialing as he put the truck in reverse and finally backed out of his space. A few minutes later he was merging into traffic as a voice came over the phone.
"Are you open for setting up a jump for this evening?" Jacen asked as he moved back and forth from the street in front of him, to his mirrors, to Lori's face, and then back to the street again. "Your are? Any chance I can get my girlfriend and myself on the list? Yeah, I know the procedure. No last names. It'll be Jacen and Lori. Perfect. We'll meet you over there in about two hours."
Disconnected the phone Jacen slipped it back into his pocket as a sly smile touched his lips. "Well, we've got a little bit of time to kill. I think we need to see about getting a change of clothes for each of us though."
"I'm afraid that I must confess to actually attending a theater and seeing Hamlet instead of reading it. I'm not the biggest fan of the arts but even I have to admit that Shakespeare wrote some very interesting lines." Jacen said with a slight smile before once again turning to his hot chocolate. Here he had been trying to impress the young woman beside him and instead found himself being more impressed by her. Most women if they knew Shakespear knew him because of Romeo & Juliet. Few people would actually pay attention to the tragic story of Hamlet.
"I'm afraid it truly is hearsay." Jacen replied after almost laughing into his hot chocolate, "I won't lie and say that I've never slept with woman but I can honestly say that I've never felt that kind of connection before. Sure there have been people that you enjoy seeing the morning after but none have completely claimed my attentions."
One had come close and if she continued to work it was possible that she might become the type of person that Jacen was speaking of but there was no way to be sure. The relationship between Jacen and Lori was still far to tenetive as they were just beginning to explore the possibility of something more than friends between the two of them.
"But what about for you? Has it happened with several guys or was there one magical man that stepped up and fulfilled your every need?" The question was asked just a little quiet and more seriously, though still in a friendly manner. Right now they were just two people enjoying some hot chocolate, a nice strolle, and a friendly chat.
To a man, the most innocent smiles delivered by a member of the opposite sex often contained hidden meaning that could be interpretted to mean most anything he wanted. Even though Lee had spoken about a boyfriend that little flash of a smile left a lingering question in the air as to whether the boyfriend was really enough for her.
"Oh, I don't know." Jacen said with a slight chuckle, "Food and drink can be pretty good but from what I've learned, most things that are worth being patient for are able to carry on a conversation and give you company when you're alone. Good people, such as your own beautiful self are the important things in this world. The rest is just extras."
Falling silent Jacen sipped at his drink once more, this time being far more cautious. Even though his taste was thrown off from its previous burn there was no denying just how good the hot chocolate tasted. Really it was amazing that people kind of outgrew this particular beverage. As children most everyone loved the taste of hot chocolate but as they matured and grew into adulthood most would switch to coffee. Sure coffee had the beauty of caffeine but why did supposedly intelligent adults give up something that tasted this good?
"To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;" Jacen quoted with a slight grin. He knew it wouldn't be expected for a man like himself to know anything about shakespeare but thanks to an overzealous girlfriend a year or two back he had been forced to endure some of the arts. At least it hadn't all been a total loss. After all, some of those plays actually had decents plots and even the occasional quote that was pretty good to. "For in that sleep of death what dreams may come."
"Sleeping is never just sleeping when you're sharing the moment with someone." Jacen observed after another sip of hot chocolate, "Even in sleep a couple can feel connected because subconsciously they know they're partner is right beside them. Or at least that's what I've heard."
Perhaps Jacen truly did miss seeing the ring on Lee's finger or perhaps his sunbconscious temporarily overroad his conscious mind because he really didn't want to see a ring on this attractive woman's finger. Whatever the case, for those brief few seconds the beautiful color, aroma, and taste of steaming hot chocolate became far more important than any trivial piece of jewelry that the woman might or might not be wearing.
"You just exercise enough so that you're not bouncing off the walls?" Jacen asked curiosly after taking a sip of the hot liquid and almost burning his tongue... no... scratch the almost part. "Damn!" He muttered under his breath, "Now I've completely ruined it for the rest of this cup."
"Well if you're still interested in running after we finish the hot chocolate, I'll be glad to volunteer as your running partner." Jacen offered with quick grin before his expression changed as he moved his tongue around in his mouth, trying to assess just how much damage had been done to his tastebuds. There wasn't any lasting pain so the damage couldn't be all that bad but it would still be enough to completely throw off the hot chocolate's flavor for the rest of the cup.
"I'd be willing to bet that by the time we finish running all you'll be ready for is a good night's sleep." Jacen finally continued after a few moments, the smile once again flashing to his lips, "Former Army Rangers aren't known for ever leaving a job half done."
"Hot chocolate it'll be then." Jacen said with a slight smile as the continued on their way toward the small stand, "I hear they use some really high quality chocolate for a little stand like this."
Finally the man could feel his breath evening out without his having to force it. Already his body was going into recovery mode as it worked to store extra oxygen in his blood and muscle tissue just on the off chance that he might push himself farther with the physical exertion. It was a normal body function but for someone that had spent most of his life in physical activities it was now a process that was finely tuned to get the maximum power and efficiency.
As Lee began to answer his question, Jacen missed the blush that was appearing in the shadows but he did catch the way her glance suddenly dropped. He honestly hadn't expected any type of serious answer to the question but even before she opened her mouth he could tell that whatever she said was probably going to make him wish he'd never asked the question.
"Who's Tarin?" Jacen asked himself though he refrained from voicing the question out loud. Obviously he must be a boyfriend that enjoyed the more physical side of things. Obviously Jacen couldn't blame him. Anyone that got a look at Lee would appreciate the same things in a relationship.
"Um... two hot chocolates please." Jacen finally broke the silence a few moments later as they arrived at the stand. Moments after handing over his money both he and Lee were holding steaming cups of the sweet liquid.
"So how long does it normally take you to run off that much energy?" Jacen asked conversationally, doing his best to ignore the act that would have given Lee so much energy in the first place, "An hour? A couple of hours?"
As Lee began to slow down, Jacen followed suit. He wasn't out to run the woman into the ground but he wanted to make sure that she wouldn't be beating him either. Lori was the only woman he had met that gave him stiff competition and he didn't even want her to win, much less someone he had just met!
"So... should I just buy you a hot chocolate instead then?" Jacen asked with a slight grin as he moved to walk beside the woman, "Since you're normally burning off energy and don't need coffee at this time of night of course. I can always try to catch you during the day sometime for that coffee."
Breathing in deeply, Jacen did his best to maintain a steadiness that would show he was an experienced runner. Even though his lungs were begging him to break into the fast breathing that so many people used, Jacen focused, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth as he did his best to maximize the amoung of oxygen flowing through his blood stream.
It was strange but this seemed to be how Jacen's life had been going over the past few months. He would meet up with a strange woman that turned out to be a mutant. Conversation would ensue and that would eventually lead to flirting. And there was absolutely nothing wrong with flirting. After all, he and Lori were just trying out the idea of a relationship. Neither of them were expecting the other not to date or hang out with others... right?
"So what got you so hyper tonight?" Jacen asked, launching into what he thought would be a safe topic but really wasn't, "You just close a big business deal or something?"
Helicopter Crash In Central Park Mutant Heroes Or Mutant Terrorists?
By Jackson Dewey
A little over a week ago in Central Park, tragedy struck as a helicopter carrying a pilot, co-pilot, and four passengers were brought to the ground by inclement weather. Investigators have reported that lightening struck the helicopter, frying the controls and making it impossible for them to make a controlled descent. The helicopter slammed into the ground and flame began to flicker along differents parts. However, just when all hope seemed lost, help arrived in the form of some very powerful mutants. One that seemed the most interested in saving the lives of innocent people actually bit through the door hinges in order to get inside. The injured were taken away to the hospital and by some miracle no one died, however the story doesn't end there.
There was more than just one mutant present at the site of the crash. A police officer that requested to keep their identity a secret reported that the officers on the scene also spoke with a young woman that claimed to be an air elemental. Though she claimed to have nothing to do with it it has come to this reporters attention via confidential informant that she was scene waving her arms in perfect time to the lightning that was lancing through the sky. Was it all a coincidence or could it be an act of mutant terrorism? I leave it for you the reader to decide.
Times square was crowded but that wasn't a surprise. Jacen couldn't remember any time when he'd been at the center of New York like this and seen it without some sort of crowds. Times Square was one of the few parts of New York City that truly didn't sleep. Lined with various shops and clubs that stayed open almost 24/7, things were always happening here.
The skies were just a touch overcast but it didn't look like rain would be coming down anytime soon. Instead it simply gave everything a grayish look that made it seem closer to dusk than the early morning that it actually was. Glancing up at of the clocks around Times Square, Jacen double checked that his watch was correct.
8:57
***
Murder, Mischief, & Mahem III was set for relief and gamers all across the world were gathering at their local video store just waiting for the doors to open so they could run in and buy the lastest version of this top selling gamers masterpiece. The original Murder, Mischief, & Mahem had been the first game to hit the streets that allowed the characters in game to take advantage of the mutant powers that were becoming so well known. Each version had provided new opportunities for crime, new places to battle, and new mutant powers. With this latest version the two most popular powers were finally being made available to the gamers. One was the ability of electric control that woudl allow them a chance to fry not only law enforcement officers but also their police cars and as well as various alarm systems. The other was an armor type power that could manifest itself over the skin and be formed into various weapons to increase the carnage that one character could produce.
Inside the doors of Games For Gamers, the employees stood at the ready. Two stood just inside the doors, watching the clock closely for that magic 9:00 to appear. At that moment they would unlock the doors and then dive for cover in order to keep from being trambled by the surge they knew would soon follow. Unfortunately for the gamers outside there was going to be a problem. Only a quarter of their opeening order for Murder, Mischief, & Mahem III had been shipped, meaning that Games For Gamers only had a little over 200 games in stock. Even a quarter of the order should have contained 250, but several of the employees had chosen to stash away multiple copies of the game so they could sell them on the street later at an overly inflated price. For now, the countdown continued as they waited for the time.
8:58
***
"'Scuse me." Jacen said to noone in particular as he began to slowly make his way through an extra thick crowd on the busy sidewalk, "Just trying to get through. 'Scuse me!"
A few people in the crowd glared at Jacen but for the most part they did their best to allow this particular man to get through. After all, he was making it quite clear that he was just trying to get through and apparently had no interest in the latest game.
8:59
***
Inside the store, the countdown had begun in ernest. The manager was watching the seconds tick down on his watch while occasionally wiping the sweat off of his brow. He knew that when the day was over at least some damage would have been done to his store but hopefully the profit from the games would outweigh the damage.
As Lee began to jog away, Jacen fell in stop with her. He started off just a little bit behind her but as they moved forward his longer strides began to close the distance. It was obvious that neither of them were having to over exert themselves in order to maintain this place but at the same time anyone watching closely would have seen the fine sheen of sweat reappearing on his forehead.
"I go running often enough but as for literally running into women and then asking them for coffee... you're the first." Jacen replied with a slight grin even as his mind continued to focus on keeping his breathing as even as possible.
Really, Jacen expected a quester other than that. He didn't know Lee so oviously he couldnt' judge her on experiences between the two of them, just on his experience with other women. At least it gave him an opportunity to pay her a compliment.
"But, I also don't normally see many attractive women such as yourself running at this time of night." He said with a slight twinkle in his eye, "What about you? Do you make a habbit of running into strange guys and then accepting their invitation to coffee?"
Jacen smiled down at Lori in obvious amusement as she quoted a certain famous Disney character. Apparently she had come to a decision that made both of them happy. He hadn't really been sure what she would decide since she had a stubborn streak that was a mile wide but thankfully her emotions had overcome her stubbornness.
"Oh, I don't know." Jacen said with a smile before leaning down and giving Lori one more slow, lingering kiss. "Do you really think the world's a lofty enough goal?" He asked when he drew back again and finally let Lori back down so that she was standing on her whole foot instead of just her toes, "I say we shoot for the stars and aim for the whole universe. Sure, earthy might be a beginning but why stop there?"
Finally allowing Lori to escape from his arms, he claimed hold of one of her hands and then headed back toward the truck. "Should I tell her about the hospital test?" The thought suddenly sprang to his mind out of nowhere. He had been so busy most of the day that he hadn't really had much chance to think about but now wasn't the time for reflection either. And really, until he knew exactly what was going on there was nothing to tell. Right?
"I think I might be able to come up with one more activity for us this evening." Jacen said with a grin, "But it will all depend on one thing. Trust me?"
As soon as Lee said yes, Jacen's mind was racing to figure out what coffee shop would be the best to go to while still being somewhat close to central park. There was a little place called "Insomniac's Anonymous" that he had heard of but that would deffinately require driving.
"There's a little stand a block or two that direction." Jacen finally recalled as he pointed in the direction that was actually opposite of his truck. If he remembered correctly it was almost like a sidewalk cart that sold only coffee and nothing else but at least they used a decent blend of beans and brewed it to the correct strength, "I can drive us there but it's actually close enough that we could jog over there if you still feel still like using up some energy."
Looking back over at Lee, Jacen just waited for her to decide. If she wanted to run then he promised himself he could handle whatever pace she might set but if she wanted a ride over there he wouldn't complain either. On the one hand he kind of hoped she'd go for the ride but on the other he knew that a single woman accepting a ride from a stranger was no really the best idea in most situation.
"I've heard stories about mutants that couldn't' control their powers." Jacen admitted with a slight nod, "I guess the most frustrating part is I don't even feel it. I can't tell that I'm doing anything or affecting anyone. It's like... like someone that has a million dollars in the bank but they don't know the account number or access codes. I know I have this ability but I have no clue how to access it in any way. It's just... just there."
Lee Brooks... well at least the name didn't set off any alarm bells. With his working on the police department there were definitely some mutants names that would immediately put him on high alert but Brooks was not one of them. It definitely wasn't a name from one of those mass murderer types so that meant that he could relax at least a little bit.
"You take people's energy because you don't have a choice." Jacen said quietly, his eyes meeting Lee's gaze as she peeked at him through her eyelashes. She did have nice eyes from what he could see. Very attractive. "It might be wrong of you to take the energy if you could actually control your power but since you struggled with your ability just like I struggle with mine there's no way I can judge you. We both try to fit in with a 'normal' life but even then we know that we're different. The ability is a part of who you are Lee."
Slowly and slightly regretfully the S.W.A.T. officer stood back to his feet and began to go through some light stretching exercises. As much as he just wanted to sit and keep talking he knew that going to long without some type of movement could result in his being very stiff on the way home.
"Uh... would you be interested in me buying you coffee or a bottled water or something?" Jacen ventured as he lifted his gaze back up and looked at the brown haired woman. He wasn't necessarily looking for a date, just someone he could talk with. Lori was out and about in the city somewhere and it would be really nice to have someone to talk to that knew what it was like to have an uncontrollable power. That was something that even his blond friend just couldn't understand.
For several moments Lori seemed lost as she searched for some kind of response. Out of nowhere she blurted out a few words that simply left him looking at her with raised eyebrow. That was the best she could do? With all of her mind working on the challenge the best she could do was comment about his breath? Then the laughter started. At first Jacen just watched but then he began to chuckle along with her. Ok... so her comments had been funny. A touch insulting maybe but still worth a good chuckle.
Finally the two were escorted outside by a couple of ushers. Off to the side of the entrance to the movie theater Jacen and Lori stood facing each other on the sidewalk. At some point Lori had grabbed his hand and for the moment she was refusing to let go.
"You were trying to brain me with the light pole?" Jacen asked, slightly surprised. Sure he had suspected at the time that she was out to get him but since that night he had never particularly thought about it. But since she brought it up...
She was starting to talk to much. She had admitted that she liked him and maybe even cared about him a little. That was more than enough for now which meant that now it was time to stop talking and start taking action. If she thought he was full of it and wanted her to leave then he would just have to prove her wrong!
Moving forward suddenly Jacen wrapped his arms around Lori's waist and lifted her up onto her tiptoes while he planted a passionate kiss on her lips. This was the time to prove that whatever the two of them were feeling was real and there were definitely times when words were over rated. Tightening his hold on Lori ever so slightly, Jacen deepend the kiss and continued to draw the blond into the emotional stimulation.
"You're right." Jacen murmured quietly a few moments later when their mouths finally separated, "I can't promise you forever. I can't even tell you that I love you. Yet. But a chance to explore is all I'm asking for. If you want someone that can offer you forever I'm fine with it but give us a chance to see what's going on."
Pulling his head back just a touch more, Jacen smiled somewhat lazily at the young woman and quirked up one eyebrow in a questioning manner. "So how about it? Are you up for finding out where this goes?"
As soon as Lori even suggested he was hurting her, Jacen moved his arms slightly to give her more room. He could be forceful and even demanding when need be but he wasn't out to hurt a woman. In fact the only time he'd even dream of hitting a woman was if it was to protect his own life or someone elses.
"How do you know you can't give me what I want?" Jacen asked quietly to Lori's statement. She wouldn't look at him. Was that a good sign or a bad sign? Did it mean she was embarassed that she wasn't being more forward with her feelings or did it mean she was upset because everything he had said was the truth? Why couldn't she just face him and say what she was thinking?! Damn it, why did everything have to be so hard? "I just want you to care about something. Even if that something isn't me at least care about something in life."
"I enjoyed today."
For several moments Jacen just stood there, looking at the blond as he tried to figure out what to do next. She had enjoyed today... great. Basically that meant she'd enjoyed sky diving and a movie but it didn't mean she'd necessarily enjoyed being with him. Why couldn't she skip this beating around the bush for once in her life and just be direct?
Lifting his right arm, Jacen cupped her face and slowly tilted her head up so that they were staring into each others eyes. "Lori, I enjoy being with you. I enjoy spending time with you no matter what we're doing because you're an interesting woman. I want to see where this might go and see whether anything else will develop but if you're not interested you need to say so right now." He said quietly, searching her expression for a sign of... something, "Your call. Stick around and see what a real relationship can be like or back off and go back to your own life."
And in that one statement Lori cut to the heart of the problem. She didn't care and he wanted her to care about something. Obviously he wasn't looking for her to throw herself at his feet and make some heart wrenching declaration but something... anything would have been better than what he was getting.
Moving quickly Jacen grabbed a firm hold of Lori's left bicep and steered her over to the edge of the hallway, away from where everyone else was walking. Pushing her back up against the wall Jacen placed a hand on either side of her waist to make sure she wasn't going anywhere and just stared into her eyes, the annoyance and possibly even a hint of anger quite obvious in his expression.
"If I wanted to get rid of you I wouldn't have let you spend the night at my house. I wouldn't have offered to take you sky diving and I would have asked you if you wanted to go to a movie. And the fact that you don't care is the whole problem!" He said forcefully but quietly enough that it wouldn't attract a whole lot of attention, "Just once I'd like to hear you say that you like spending time with me for something other than get your damn showers! I'm not asking for you to say we're going exclusive or anything. Hell, I'm not even asking you to promise not to f*ck any other guys but I'd like to hear that you enjoy spending time with me instead of just using me!"
It was a heated statement but Jacen wasn't going to let Lori walk away that easily. If she wanted out fine, whatever but she had to tell him to his face what she wanted... what she cared about and not just try to throw blame on his shoulders. "You look at me and all you can think of is that I must be using you for some reason because you know that's the only reason you're hanging out with me. If I didn't make it so you could shower and enjoy time in bed without electrocuting your partner you probably wouldn't ever come back!"
