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.
"Not getting anything huh." Jacen said with a slight chuckle as he carried the trash out and tossed it into one of the garbage receptacles. "You might want to rethink that statement. If you're thinking that I have to be out to get something, then you should just put down 'sex' in that column. Last time I was in a locker room it was pretty clear that for most guys that's all we want."
Not bothering to wait for a response he headed over for the men's room. Sure there was a slight line but the nice things about being a guy was that the line always moved really fast. In what seemed like no time he was back out in the hallway, waiting for Lori to finally make her way out of the throng of woman that were, as usual, crowding around the bathroom entrance.
"So what's the plan now?" Jacen asked casually as he fell into step beside Lori and they headed for the theater exit, "Keep hanging out with the guy that just wants you for sex or do you dump him and go find someone that is either more or less attached."
It was an interesting way to phrase the question since Jacen deffinately didn't fall into that category. Sure he enjoyed the physical side of their relationship but he was also having fun digging into the depths that were Lori. This woman was a whole lot more than an attractive body. She was smart and had interested and talents that not just everyone knew about. So then the question became, was she thinking the same thing about him or was she ready to toss him to the curb like a piece of trash?
His pants were cold and damp but it was worth it since Lori had taken the lead and made sure that they would be sitting close together. Maybe it meant nothing, but then again, maybe it meant that there was a chance for some sort of relationship to work out after all. A sly smile pulled at his lips as he watched Lori place a leg over one of his on the premise that it would help hold the bucket of popcorn in place. Of course it would... any normal adult would realize that they were just out to protect their salted with extra butter investment.
The start of the movie kept him from responding to her comment about vampires as everyone's voices died down amid shushes from various directions. It had been quite a while since Jacen had last been to a theater and he had definitely forgotten just how serious some people could be about their movies.
The hot dog had been practically inhaled and then Jacen had immediately turned his attention to the popcorn. While Lori seemed content to alternate between bites of hot dog and pickle, Jacen was more than ready to get into the buttery goodness that was currently acting like a chaperon that would keep them from getting to close. Hadn't Jacen heard about something like this from years ago? Back in history class or something like that. When families needed to have people of the opposite gender sleep in the same bed they would put up a board that split the bed in half and kept the man and woman from starting any hanky panky. Of course, if someone were truly determined they surely could have worked a way around the barrier but it was still an interesting piece of trivia.
***
Guns, explosions, fire, enhance strength, enhance speed, and at lest a few blatantly adult scenes that pushed the rating as far as allowed. Pretty much everything you found in a typical vampire movie was in this one. However, as interesting as the violence and romance combination may have been, Jacen was more interested in what was currently playing out off screen. After finishing his popcorn Jacen had moved the empty container down to the floor while he began to snacking on his candy bar. About half way through the movie he felt Lori beginning to snuggle up against him. Obviously there was only one thing to do in that situation, which meant that Jacen lifted his arm and laid it across the back of Lori's chair, gently gripping her shoulder as they both continued to watch the movie.
***
When the lights finally came back on to light the theater, Jacen pulled back his arm somewhat regretfully. He had been enjoying the casualness of the moment since it was something he knew Lori didn't do often but now it was over. Picking up the empty popcorn bucket Jacen tossed his various trash item into it and then stood to his feet while giving Lori a quick smile.
"I was gonna ask you earlier but the movie went ahead and started. How do you know vampires don't exist? After all... maybe my abilities are really because I'm a vampire." Jacen asked with a grin and a slight waggle of his eyebrows, "And if you think back I expect you'll remember that I've paid special attention to your sensitive neck. That's gotta mean something doesn't it?"
It was interesting to watch the woman's expression as she tried to come to grips with the idea of not having her power. For the first few minutes she still seemed very wary of the whole situation. Like this was some great cosmic joke that would soon be delivering the punch line. Then she shifted into a look of confusion. It amde sense that things would be confusing since she couldn't even remember a time in her life when she had been without her abilities.
Jacen could remember going through those exact same emotions back when he had first met Lori. First it had been pure shock at the very idea she could ever mistake him for a mutant. Then as she explained the situation and how his ability affected hers he had become confused. Hell, he was still confused if he wanted to be completely honest with himself. Maybe even more confused now and all because of that damn blood test! But this meeting was just more proof that he had to be a mutant. How else could he affect yet another woman so that she could enjoy a few minutes without her ability?
The smile and question showed that she was beginning to accept this minor miracle. She was accepting the thing that Jacen still found himself struggling with. On the one hand he was glad to be able to help some people but on the other hand he just wanted to live a normal life. Was that so hard to ask? Why had the cosmos decided that he should have something like this? How in the hell had he been the one chosen?
"I guess I'm doing it." Jacen replied with a slight shrug, "I don't feel or sense anything from it. But after having encountered three or four mutants who all had similar reactions to me, I'd say it's a pretty fair to conclude that I really am the cause."
The way his body was beginning to cool down Jacen knew he wouldn't really get back into running. A quick walk to the car would probably wrap up this workout when he and the woman parted. Which reminded him... he still didn't know her name. How in the world had he let that happen for so long? Obviously he was more distracted by the whole 'mutant' question more than he thought because any other time he never would have let this much time pass before he found out a beautiful woman's name.
"I'm afraid I don't know your name. I know what your ability is and apparently know a little bit about you but I've missed out on the name." Jacen said as his lips curved into a slight smile, "Can I ask you what it is?"
He was right. She was a mutant and that explained precisely why she had been acting so strangely since they ran into each other. Any regular human would have automatically denied the idea that they could be a mutant but this particular woman accepted the face that he knew she was a mutant without any shock at all.
Inwardly Jacen was wincing as she asked how he was affecting her because he honestly didn't know. His blood test from the hospital had come back negative for the X-Gene but that just wasn't possible. How in the world could he have an ability like this and not be a mutant? There was no other explanation that fit. He had to be a mutant!
"I'm a mutant like yourself." Jacen replied quietly, saying it out loud as much for her benefit as his own, "But apparently my only ability is a field that nullifies other mutant's powers. It doesn't seem to affect people without the X-Gene but I'm like the giant off button for people with powers. Get to close and you're just as normal as anyone else in the world."
She was beautiful. Now that they were on a bench with a nearby light illuminating things just a little better he could see it quite clearly. Sure she might not have been the blond bombshell that so many guys including himself seemed to be drawn to, but she was definitely attractive in her own right.
"I'm sorry about making you feel strange." Jacen apologized as he returned Lee's stare without any sign of flinching. He truly was sorry especially since he still couldn't fully understand what good this particular ability really was. Sure it meant he could get together with mutant women that no other man might be able to handle but beyond that what real use was it? It hadn't proven all that helpful in his fight against the cat and giant a few weeks before so how was he supposed to use this to his advantage? Whatever this might be. "Was that the reason we ran into each other? Because your powers turned off or something?"
A vampire movie? What was it with women and vampire movies? Jacen had really been expecting Lori to buck the trend and pick something completely off the wall and different but instead she had gone with the classic romance/action combination that seemed to excite so many othe women. Oh well, at least that meant that more than likely there would be plenty of action and drama for him to enjoy.
"They do the preview the thing." Jacen said with a nod of confirmatino while pulling money out of his wallet and slipping it through the slot in the glass window, "The one in six minutes would be great. Thanks."
Moments later the two of them were inside the theater and heading straight for the concession line. There were a few other people had the same idea of grabbing snacks before the movie but thanks to it being so close to the start time of a bunch of movies, the line had already cleared out pretty well.
The clock on the wall ticked slowly by and after about ten or twelve minutes Jacen and Lori were finally up to the counter. They were missing some of the previews but that didn't really matter. As long as they got to see the main event it would all be good.
"One hotdog, a large popcorn, a large coke or pepsi, and a jumbo snickers bar. Plus whatever the lady's having." Jacen ordered quickly, finishing with a slight nod to the attractive blond that was standing beside him.
***
The theater was already dark as Jacen and Lori slipped through the doors but thanks to the lights sets along the aisle ways they could still find their way around. The last of the previews were still playing through as some sort of huge robot looking thing apparently worked at destroying a city or something. He really couldn't be sure because he was paying a lot more attention to where they could get a good seat without accidently stumbling and spilling any of their precious food. One or two rows in front of the very back row was a large empty area that Jace made a beeline for. Soon he and his lady friend were seated with drinks in their holders and food in their laps.
"I didn't know you were a fan of vampires." Jacen leaned over and murmured quietly to Lori, "I'm just learning all kinds of stuff about you today."
Apparently the woman was a little more out of it than Jacen had first thought. Sure they had run into each other but he didn't think it had actually been a hard enough collision to injure her. What if he was wrong? What if she actually had a concussion or some other head injury?
"I asked if you were OK. Nothing broken or twisted?" Jacen repeated, stepping just a little closer to the woman so that he could try and see her a little better in the darkness. He couldn't see any blood but it was quite possible that such a sight would be lost in the darkness of her hair. "Does your head hurt?"
Something was up with this woman. She hadn't yet released his hand and she was staring at him like he had two heads or something. She must have had some type of head injury to be acting this way. There was really no other explanation. was there?
"I'm Jacen King. Do you need me to take you to the hospital? Why don't you come over here and sit down." He introduced before gently tugging at the hand that she still hadn't released. Walking slowly he led the woman over to a nearby park bench and then took a seat at one end of it while waving her to the other end.
The woman just had such a strange expression on her face that Jacen knew something was up. Then it hit him. Could she be a mutant? Was she experiencing his aura and that was the reason she was so out of it?
"Are you sure you're OK? I can call an ambulance or take you to the hospital if you need me to." Jacen said slowly, "Or would it be better if I called Xavier School?"
The running was going great and Jacen was even beginning to tire out his body enough that he was just starting to forget the whole situation with his blood results. Exercise not only helped him to keep his body in shape but it also helped to clear his mind. It was a cleansing process that had been drilled into him back during his time doing competitive swimming for the school as well as during his time in the military.
Then the great part of running suddenly stopped. Out of nowhere another runner suddenly appeared out of the shadows and ran into him going full tilt. Apparently with his being distracted by running, thinking, and listening to music he had missed the gray clad female.
Stumbling slightly, Jacen went down on one knee before catching his balance to keep from going down any farther. In the dim light he could barely make out the young woman he had just ran into but he did see her reaching up to remove ear buds of her own. Quickly following suit Jacen unplugged his ears and then just hung the chord around his shoulders to keep it from falling to the ground.
"I was distracted too so it was just as much my fault." Jacen replied with a smile as he did his best not to think about how tired he was. Slowly standing up Jacen offered a hand to the young woman to help her back to her feet. "I guess I'm just so used to having the park almost all to myself at this time of night that I wasn't even keeping an eye out."
As he went through the motions of helping Lee back to her feet his eyes began to focus on her just enough to make out a little bit more through the dim light. His eyes had already been adjusted to the dim lighting but with extra shadows from a tree she had been hidden until she began to move. Her rich brown hair had the slightest touch of a curl to it and framed her face beautiful and while her clothes at least partially hid her figure, there was no denying the beauty of the woman before him.
"Nerd?" Jacen asked with raised eyebrow, "I've got a say, no one has ever even suggested that I'm the slightest bit nerdy."
Seeing that Lori apparently wanted to enjoy the fresh air outside, Jacen went along with it and lowered his own window instead of turning on the air conditioning. It wasn't particularly a surprise that Lori didn't know what movies were playing since she had previously said that her power could affect the movie projectors. It also wasn't that surprising to him because he didn't particularly follow movies either. Hollywood had been in such a rut of making bad movies for so long that he couldn't remember the last movie that he'd been excited about going to see in theaters.
"I think I can handle not planning for the movie but I'm gonna make you pick the film." Jacen said with a grin as he drove along, enjoying the feel of the cool breeze moving through the cab of the truck, "After all, I don't want you ragging on me because I picked a mindless action flick or an overly emotional chick flick. Your pick and my turn to tease."
Pickles... Jacen just knew that he'd never understand women and their particular food choices. Sure pickles were OK, but only if they were being served with another food. No one was going to convince him that pickles on their own were the ultimate snack. Nope, if he was getting food at the concession it would most definitely consist of hot dog, popcorn, soda, and at least one good sized chocolate bar. What were days off for if not for pigging out on junk food?
***
AMC Empire 25 was one of the biggest movie theaters in New York City, boasting twenty-five different screens and a rotation of movies that would make most people's heads spin. They did their best to keep a balance of all types of moves so that anyone and everyone could come in and find a movie they wanted to watch.
"Come on Lori... you gotta make a choice now." Jacen said with a laugh as the two of them made their way through the line, "Pick the movie and then I'll buy you a giant pickle. Maybe even two if you want."
Jacen enjoyed being able to jog at night. It gave him an opportunity for the exercise his body craved without having to be around many people. No, once it got past 10 or 11 at night Central Park was pretty well deserted. Sure there were occasional groups of teenagers here adn there, hanging out, drinking alochol they had smuggled from home, or smoking weed they had pruchased on the streets. At night Central Park became the getaway spot of choice but as the police learned about it there were more and more patrols that would sweep through the park to pick up these wayward teens.
For tonight though, Jacen was not part of any of thsoe patrols. He was just a jogger out for his exercise. A pair of ear buds connected to the small radio that was strapped onto his bicep. A silver gray sleeveless shirt hung loosely over a pair of black jogging pants. White sneakers with reflectors specifically designed for night time activities completed the ensemble.
Slightly heavier than normal breathing and the dull sheen of wet fabric on Jacen's chest and back showed that he'd already been jogging for a little while. The dull beat of soft rock could be heard from his headphones even though his mind was a million miles away. A decision had to be made nwo that doubt had begun to enter Jacen's mind about exactly what he was. The testing had shown he wasn't a mutant but he had abilities that meant he had to be a mutant. Another test... he needed to get his blood tested by someplace that wouldn't report it to the world. Someplace he could be tested without even giving his name. Did such a place even exist?
The fact that Lori had enjoyed skydiving was a prize all its own. It meant that, at least in this area, the two of them had similar interests. Now if Jacen could find a few more areas where their interests intertwined they might even have enough to start building a relationship of some sort. After all, a real man never dated a woman just for her body. Sure he might hook up with one on account of her body but if he was really looking for a dating relationship he looked for a lot more than just a body. Similar interested and an intelligent mind were important too.
"See you back in the lobby." Jacen called as he headed into the men's changing room. In relatively short time he had changed back into his street clothes as well as returning the boots and jumpsuit to their appropriate locations. Going over to where a small sink and mirror were set in the wall, Jacen washed his face quickly in order to remove some of the sweat that had begun to form as well as giving him back that clean feeling that made a person so much more comfortable.
"Have fun Jacen?" Christine asked as he walked back out and made his way over to the counter.
"Always Christine." Jacen said with a quick laugh as he pulled out money including extra for a tip and handed it over to the brown haired woman, "And if her comment outside was indication I think that Lori and I might be showing up here again in the not so distance future."
After several minutes of idle chatting with Christine, Jacen's words were proven true by the words that erupted from Lori's mouth as soon as she exited the changing room. "Can we do it again?" The twinkle in her eye and the smile on her lips was catching and he found that he couldn't help but smile back at her.
"I guess we'll have to see about coming back on my next day off." Jacen said with obvious amusement as he walked Lori to the door while waving back to Christine, "See you next time Christine!"
***
"So, let's see..." Jacen said with a grin and climbed into his truck, lifting his hand as though it held an invisible clipboard that only he could see. "Skydiving... check. Do we head straight for the movies from here and munch on concession food or do we drive through a burger place on the way?"
Looking over at Lori, he raised an eyebrow questioningly even as he started up the truck and backed out of his parking space, "Also... what kind of movies do you like? Somehow I doubt you're a big fan of the normal chick-flick film."
It seemed as though Lori was beginning to slow down ever so slightly but since she was still following the same path that Jacen had already travelled he wasn't particularly worried about it. Besides, he did have the pressing matter of landing without any sort of injury.
The former military man's eyes narrowed as he watched the 'X' that he had been aiming for. The very center of the target was where he planned to plant his feet and then jog forward so that he didn't get knocked over by his parachute. Pulling one cord and then the other Jacen adjusted his trajectory and then at the last moment yanked both cords down so that his chute began to fold in on itself. As his feet touched the ground Jacen's legs were already pumping into a jog that carried him off of the target, clearing the area for the next person to land.
Going into a crouch Jacen swiftly pulled in his chute, stuffing it into the pack for temporary storage before looking back up into the sky to locate Lori. She should have landed by now but instead she was still in the air. Was she even moving? From this angle it was hard to tell. One moment Jacen thought that she might just be floating but then the next he was pretty sure that she was still drifting toward the landing site albeit extremely slowly.
Smiling slightly to himself Jacen stood up straight and crossed his arms over his chest as he waited for the blond to finally come in for a landing. He couldn't know for sure but he did suspect that she must be exercising some other side of her mutant abilities. Otherwise there would be no reason for her to be so far behind him in the landing. She had to be doing something to change her speed or else the winds were doing some really strange things.
"So was I right when I said that was an experience you would never forget?" Jacen asked with a grin once Lori's feet had finally touched down on the landing mat. Unlatching his own helmet he pulled it off and then jogged over to the young woman to help her collect her chute and then carry it over to the waiting truck that would return them to the hangar so they could change back into their street clothes. "Is this gonna be a one time deal for you or have I inspired an addict?"
The view from so high above the earth was completely different than what most people came to appreciate. Even those that flew in planes could never appreciate the freedom, excitement, and joy that combined with this perspective to give a skydiver this completely unique view of life and the world upon which they lived.
Craning his neck around, Jacen made sure to Lori was following him as he pulled at his cords and guided the shoot toward the target landing area. They had at least a good twenty or thirty minutes of flight time before the actual landing so he was going to enjoy every moment of it. At this height you really did feel like you could reach out and touch the clouds.
"I wonder what Lori's feeling right now." Jacen pondered to himself, "If I had Kealey's power I'd have some idea. Of course, to have a power like Kealey's I'd have to be a mutant which I am apparently not."
And there it was again. Jacen had successfully ignored the question since leaving the apartment by filling his mind with thoughts of how sexy his blond friend was and how good she would look in a jumpsuit but now that he was floating through the air with Lori behind him that pressing question could once again push to the forefront.
"But if I'm not a mutant then what am I? Humans can't affect mutants like this. Could they have gotten the test wrong? Could there have been a mistake in how the blood was handled?"
Pulling his right hand cord Jacen took his parachute into a slow circle, orbiting one area so that he could get a full view before once again heading off in the apropriate direction. None of the movements were to fast so it should have been easy for Lori to follow him but there was no guarantee. Glancing over his shoulder he doubled checked that she was still around as that one question repeated through his mind once again.
Jacen leaned back in one of the small jump seats that was provided for jumpers and smiled as he felt the plane begin to roll forward. The vibrations from the engine that ran through the whole plane were deffinately noticable but for now at least they worked more as a massaging sensation than an annoying one.
"Of course I'm ready." Jacen replied over the roar of the engine as Lori's hand touched his elbow, "I'm the one that's done this before. Remember?"
The flight to the jump zone was what took the longest. With a jump this high you were never released directly over the field where you wanted to land. Instead the jump master calcualted the how the windos would affect the jumpers and picked the correct point for the actual jump to take place so that prevailing winds would carry them to the landing location.
"When the chute opens you've got two cords to hold onto." Jacen reminded Lori as the plane drew closer to the jump zone, "That's how you steer. I'll take lead so do you best to follow. Sound good?"
Minutes later the side panel on the plane was thrown open and Jacen and Lori were ushered over to the door. The cold wind was rushing against any exposed skin but the adrenaline that was coursing through their bloodstream would easily overcome the temperature difference. Looking over at the jump master Jacen waited until finally the older looking gentleman gave him the thumbs up. Throwing himself out of the plane, Jacen could feel himself free falling for just a few seconds before his parachute began to open with a gentle jerk. The parachutes used at these altitudes were designed to open at a slightly slower speed, minimizing the jerk while also allowing the skydiver to fall farther and use up more distance before the chute opened completely.
"Yahooooo!" Jacen roared through his face mask, the delight and excitement obvious to anyone within hearing range.
The idea of jumping in tandem was much more appealing than the static line jump but Jacen was nothing if not a gentleman, which meant that it was most deffinately ladies choice.
"Alright then. Jacen you know where the men's equipment room is. Go get yourself ready and I'll take the lady to find herself some gear."
"See you later Lori." Jacen said with a quick wink at the blond before walking off down the hall and entering the second door on the left. Inside were at least ten or twelve different gray jumpsuits in varying adult sizes. Sorting through them Jacen found the suit that he normally wear and then set changing into the suit and pulling on the jump boots that were also in varrying sizes to accomodate different customers.
"Hey Kyle." Jacen greeted as he walked out into the main hangar to see about claiming a helmet.
"Jacen. You soloing today?" Asked a guy that looked barely old enough to be out of college but was really in his thirties.
"Nope. I brought a friend so we're gonna do a static line."
"I'll go get the plane warmed up."
***
Ten minutes later Jacen stood out on the runway beside the idling prop plane. His sunglasses were still firmly in place with the straps to his helmet securing them on his head even more firmly. With his parachute attached with all the right clips he was actually beginning to feel like he was back in the military again. Keeping his eyes on the building Jacen could feel a slight smile pulling at his lips as he just waited for Lori to walk out.
