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.
"And here I thought you didn't pay much attention to those romance novels." Jacen teased good naturedly as Kealey launched into her description of the woman that worked in the romance section, "And I would probably be shocked by how many guys think they can impress her by acting as if they read those books."
As Kealey began to talk about the different kinds of employees that worked at the library, Jacen was making the turn into the library parking lot. Pulling into the closest space he could find to the large stairs that lead up to the main entrance Jacen parked the vehicle and then left it idling while he turned in his seat slightly so he could better face his blond companion.
"You'd probably be just as impressed by the combination of people that make up the NYPD. Some are ex-military, some are former gang bangers that never really committed any serious crimes, some are from rich families, and others are from the dirt poor. Nobody's just a police officer either, just like nobody is just a librarian." Jacen said with a slight twinkle in his eye, "And that included you Miss Kealey so don't go selling yourself short. I'm sure any number of your friends would be glad to tell you the same thing."
Sometimes a lot could be said without using any actual words. Jacen could tell that Lily was so tired that it was probably bordering on the edge of exhaustion. She had been through a lot today and there was no way she'd had time to recharge especially being near him. It was a strange feeling, wanting to be near someone to protect them but knowing that your very presence might make them weaker than normal.
As the two of them sat in the cab, Jacen's gaze was locked on Lily's face. At his question a range of emotion had gone over her face but still she hadn't said anything. She nodded, trying to tell him that she was OK but finally her energy ran out. Slowly leaning over, she stretched out on the seat and used his leg as a pillow. Without thinking he reached over and gently stroked her blond hair as he lifted his gaze back up to the road they were traveling. There were going to be things to deal with once the police decided to try and contact him at his house but until then he was going to focus on taking care of this young woman.
"We're here bub. That'll be $13.50!" The taxi driver's words broke through his silent contemplation. Jacen honestly wasn't sure exactly how much time had just passed but they had made it back to his apartment and it appeared that Lily was asleep.
"Keep the change." Jacen said quietly as he handed the taxi driver a ten and a five before stepping out of the cab and then walking back around to the other side. Reaching in he carefully took Lily into his arms, cradling her gently as he turned and walked to his building.
The night air was cool and even though he was walking with a beautiful woman in his arms, Jacen could feel his head beginning to clear. "A car... I stole a car." The man thought to himself as he went into the building and then slowly climbed the stairs up to the appropriate floor. The worst part about all of it was that Jacen didn't feel bad because he'd stolen a car, he felt bad because he didn't feel bad. Really all he'd done was what was necessary to keep Lily and his secret safe.
As soon as they were in the apartment Jacen made a bee line for the bedroom. While still holding the petite woman in one strong arm he pulled back the sheets and then carefully laid her down. In her worn out condition it was the work of a moment to slip off her shoes and then removed the now blood stained scrubs. Carefully pulling the sheets back up Jacen covered the young woman completely and then walked over to the closet to select a new change of clothes. Since there was no way he could let her leave in scrubs that would mean a shopping trip. Moving quickly Jacen stripped, doing his best to ignore how tired and achy his body felt before he pulled on a fresh pair of jeans and a tight black t-shirt. As he pulled back on his socks and shoes he glanced over at the clock and stifled a groan. Where in the world would he find a women's clothing store that was open at 4:30 in the morning?
As Kealey related her outdoor memory it was all Jacen could do to not laugh or make some comment. It didn't take a genius to figure out that this particular woman had never personally felt the sort of emotions that she might have been leaching that day out in the woods. What must it have been like for her? Instead of just feeling one set of emotions like the actual participants were feeling she had been able to feel both sets of emotion.
"Religion and Philosophy." Jacen said, bouncing the subjects around in his head to try and get at least a basic feel for them, "I guess that would fit you pretty well with your background."
"But you should see the woman that actually works in the romance section."
"Oh?" Jacen responded with an obvious laugh this time, "Are you inferring that she doesn't look like she fits in with that section or are you saying that she looks like she should be on one of the covers?"
Jacen wasn't sure exactly how or why the conversation had taken this particular turn but he sure wasn't going to complain. Most women were either so shy about this kind of thing that all they could do was blush or they were so blatant about it that they almost made men blush. Kealey's innocence was refreshing and it made for a relaxed conversation without either of them feeling to uncomfortable.
With his adrenaline pumping it was an easy choice for him to ignore Lily's comment about Grand Larceny. He would think about the penalties he might face after they had dealt with the current situation.
"I guess I need to take lessons from you." Jacen retorted as the vehicle lept forward, peeling out of the parking garage, "You can instruct me on the best way to recharge you and then escape before anyone can identify us."
This was crazy! He was a law abiding citizen that had been an Army Ranger for years and then joined the NYPD. How in the world had he gotten dragged into vehicle theft? Part of the reason was because of the blond woman sitting beside him but another part was completely selfish. Jacen didn't want anyone knowing about his being a mutant. Not yet. That would change to many things in his life and right now he was to busy adjusting to himself to be able to adjust to everything around him changing as well.
"50th & Reno." Jacen confirmed without a moments hesitation as he turned in the correct direction. It was actually somewhat surprising on just how natural all of this felt. Not only was he able to manage driving a get away vehicle but he was also keeping a mental checklist of everywhere he had touched anything. A quick wipe down of the vehicle would destroy all prints and then there wouldn't be any evidence that he had even been in the car.
As the sirens finally fell silent, announcing the arrival of more police officer at the hospital, the two escapees were pulling their stolen Porsche into one of the few shadows parking spaces that seemed to be just out of sight of the convenience store cameras.
"Make sure you didn't leave blood on anything." Jacen instructed as he reached dug through his pockets looking for some type of cloth that he could use for a wipe down. Glancing outside the vehicle he saw an oily rag that had been thrown on the ground and he immediately opened the car door and snatched it up. "Tell me everywhere you touched." Jacen continued as he ran the rag over the steering wheel, door handle, shifter, seat belt, and instrument panel, "If we leave even a single fingerprint or drop of blood it'll be in the case file."
A few minutes later the pair was walking along the street, heading away from the 7-11 but back toward the hospital. Though it might have seemed odd to Jacen it made perfect sense. No police officer would expect their perp to head back in the direction of the scene of the crime. They almost always continue to flee away from the crime even after a vehicle dump. After about five minutes of walking Jacen was finally able to wave down a cab. As the man and woman slid across the somewhat sticky vinyl seats, Jacen provided his address and just that fast they were on the last leg of their getaway.
"You OK?" Jacen asked softly as he looked back over at Lily, his voice just loud enough for the young woman to hear over the sound of the sports talk radio station that their driver was listening to.
Jacen raised one eyebrow ever so slightly when Kealey made her comment about spending all day on top of a ladder. Obviously she was an attractive woman and though he had managed to keep from thinking anything more intimate about her thus far some thoughts still sprang unbidden to his mind. In the outfit she was wearing right then beingo n the ladder wouldn't provide much of a peep show but during the summer in a skirt or dress...
"Main branch it is then." Jacen said, her next comment quickly bringing him back to reality. Within a matter of moment he had pulled out of his parking place and merged in with the rest of traffic. Even though he'd been in the city for a few years now it still amazed him just how much traffic remained on the streets when the weather was this crappy.
"I actually don't drive in the main part of the city with this thing to often." He was glad of the subject change that would keep him of thinking about the attractive young woman that was now sitting beside him. Why was it that he had only just realized how much Kealey looked like Lily? Why did it have to happen now that they were alone instead of back in the crowded coffee shop?
"Convent... just remember she's from a convent." Jacen reminded himself mentally before returning to the subject of his truck. "I like to go out in the woods for hunting or just nature hikes so a truck like this is really a necessity. In weather like this it's handy too but during nice weather, I normally take the subway to work just like most everyone."
Even with the bad weather and somewhat heavy traffic Jacen knew that the drive to the library couldn't take more than ten or fifteen minutes and since they had left shortly after Kealey's alarm went off that should give her plenty of time to arrive, as long as she wasn't trying to cut time to close. "So what do you have to shelve the most often?" Jacen asked, knowing that it was a lame question but unable to come up with anything better right at the moment. Or at least, it was a lame question until, in a spark of brilliance, he changed it into just a touch of teasing. "The historical studies, mysteries, or those spicy romances that so many women seem to like?"
Jacen froze as Lily pulled away from him and walked off rather shakily. What in the world was she planning? Could he really let her do something that might mean innocent people getting hurt? Shouldn't he move forward in order to stop the woman before she went to far?
Sometimes not making a decision is just as good a decision as consciously deciding. As Jacen stood there, torn between his internal struggle he could only watch as the blond ripped away the metal doorway and then used it to shove the detectives to the ground. In the doorway there was no sparking electricity from where the automatic doors had been yanked out from their wires and the emergency lighting for the hospital had even come on as screams of fear filled the air.
"I can't be seen... they know my ID so if they have me on film escaping they'll have even more questions." Jacen realized as he took a single step toward Lily. Looking around quickly he scooped a baseball cap up off the floor from where someone had dropped it and then took off at a jog toward the entrance that Lily had opened up.
"Keep your face down and angled to the right!" Jacen said just loud enough for her to hear, "That'll avoid the cameras!" As they stepped outside he could already hear the sound of the police sirens in the distance. The trouble was going to be getting out without anyone noticing and a cab wouldn't really be the right decision. Glancing around quickly his eyes locked on the box of keys right next to the now empty vallet parking station. Speeding up his pace just a bit more he ran over and swiftly looked over the keys before his eyes locked on a set. "Porsche?" They needed a car to escape in and Jacen had always wanted to drive one of those things...
Throwing caution to the wind Jacen grabbed up the keys and then headed for the parking lot. Not only had the Porsche been a good choice because it was something Jacen had always wanted to drive, it was also easily identifiable in the parking lot! "I can't believe I'm doing this." He muttered as he vaulted into the Boxter S and immediately fired up the engine, "Lily... I don't know how we get in these situations."
"You're not making me go out of my way." Jacen said with a smile as he stood up and slipped on his jacket quickly. "I'm the one that offered so there are no problem." Grabbing up his book Jacen left both the ceramic plate and mug there on the table for the staff to clear away. He could have gotten another coffee in one of those cardboard to go cups but he had really already had plenty and there was no reason to have any more quite yet. If he actually got called to go out and work in this weather then he'd want a whole thermos of coffee but unless that call came he'd be just fine.
"And while I might have had a rude thought like that go through my brain when you first came over and sat down," He continued as he ushered the young woman toward the door and the inclement weather outside, "I really did enjoy our conversation. I'm actually kind of glad you walked over like that."
As soon as they stepped out into the cold Jacen began to rethink his decision about not grabbing a coffee to go. Just the time that it took for the two of them to walk over to his truck was long enough for the cold to begin seeping through his clothing again. "The engine should still be warm so at least I can get the heater going pretty quick." Jacen though as he unlocked the front passenger door on his royal blue Chevy Colorado and held it open so Kealey's could climb in. It might have seemed strange to have a crew cab truck like this in the city but as soon as someone realized that Jacen enjoyed the outdoors and the occasional hunting trip it would make plenty of sense. There was a gun rack in the back window of the truck but there wasn't a single gun in sight. Instead a recurve bow and a quiver of arrows hung there. From the dull sheen of the finish on the bow it was obvious that the equipment was well maintained.
As soon as the young woman was inside Jacen shut the door and then jogged around his vehicle to climb into the driver's seat. "It is miserable out today." He complained somewhat good naturedly as he stared the engine and turned on the heater, "I'd be willing to bet the library will be almost deserted. Now... which branch do you work at?"
"You get that beast thrown in jail, honey!" The nurse said as she turned her attention back over to Lily, the outrage obvious in her voice, "Men like that don't even deserve to be on this earth!"
Jacen did his best to maintain his serious expression even though a grin was trying to fight its way back to the surface. Somehow he had a very difficult time imagining Lily doing anything 'domestic' and it sure didn't seem like Bacchus was really her type. Of course, that brought out the question of what exactly was her type. Other than the fact that he could nullify her power and allow her to enjoy a shower and more intimate activities was there really anything about himself that would attract her?
"Good luck honey." The nurse offered again as the doors slid open on her floor and she stepped off. Moments later the two escapees were once again left alone.
"That was to close for comfort." Jacen murmured quietly as the elevator car began moving again, "We're about to arrive on the ground floor. From here it's a short walk through the lobby and out to the nearest taxi." Even in an escape as basic as this the former Ranger found himself examining every step of the way as if it were a military mission. The hostage rescue had been successful but now it was time to get to the extraction point. If they could get there without being spotted then things would go much more smoothly. If they were spotted then Jacen would actually have to face just how far he was willing to go in this situation.
*** (In The Emergency Room)
"Is our boy awake yet?" One of the detectives asked a nurse that was passing boy. It was obvious from his tone that he was getting tired of the baby sitting they'd been doing so far and he was much more interested in getting on with their case.
"You can't rush a man to wake back up." The nurse snapped back, obviously in a pissy mood. After having worked nine hours of a ten hours shift all she wanted to do was finish up the last of her work and go home for a nice long bath. Having to deal with impatient policemen was not part of her job description and she sure wasn't going to give them any sort of special treatment, "I"ll check on him in a minute!"
Apparently cowed the detectives turned their attention back to the TV as the nurse walked over to check on a couple of other patients while slowly making her way over to where Mr. King was resting. Aproximately five minutes later she stepped out of the area, a confused expression on her face. After having a quick conference with two other nurses she hurried back over to where the detectives were sitting.
"He's gone." She said bluntly, obviously bewildered by the situation, "But who slips out of an emergency room?"
"A person that's guilty of something." One of the men responded grimly as his parnter pulled out his radio and called up to the other officers that had been dispatched to the young woman's room.
"She's gone too, Murphy." He said grimly as he lowered the radio from near his lips and place it back on his belt, "They've either been abducted or their making a break for it."
"Get men to all the exits." Murphy said even as he was already breaking into a jog that would take him to the main entrance, "Jenkins, you and I get the front!"
*** (Back In The Elevator)
Even though the elevator was relatively fast, Jacen felt like it was crawlinga long. Mere seconds could be the difference between failure and success in a mission like this and being stuck inside a sealed room was never really a great idea. "Maybe we should have taken the stairs." He muttered in an annoyed voice only about fifteen seconds before the doors slid open.
Stepping out of the elevator Jacen turned to head for the exit doors when his eyes locked on two men that were hurrying ahead of them. Grabbing a hold of Lily's arm without the slightest hesitation Jacen quickly pulled her aside and shoved open a door into the 'family' bathroom. "We've got two detectives between us and the exit." He murmured quietly as he locked the door to give them a few moments of privacy, "Any ideas?"
"I'm afraid I can't tell you what happened in the MRI." Jacen said somewhat apologetically as he moved toward the door to take stock of where the nearest supply closet might be, "All I over heard was that you made the machine act kind of crazy so they rushed a blood sample through the X-Gene screening."
Peeking outside he was glad to see that the hallway was deserted. Looking back over at Lily just to make sure she would be OK he answered her last question. "I think I have some wire at my house and oh yeah... your eye." For a moment he stood there apparently stumped and then a slow grin spread over his face, "Actually I think I can even make that work. Just hang out here. I'll be right back."
Stepping back out into the hallway, Jacen carefully closed the room door behind him and then walked down the hall as non-chalantly as he could manage. Off at the end he could see several nurses hanging out by the nursing station but there wasn't anyone in this corridor at the moment. Finally, about sixty feet down the hallway Jacen spied the supply closet. "Bingo." He murmured to himself as he glanced back toward the nurse's station to make sure that he hadn't been spotted. The hall was still clear and so Jacen quickly slipped into the closet.
As was normal hospital protecol, the closet was stocked with all kinds of drugs, bandages, sheets, hospital gowns, and even a few spare sets of scrubs. "Blue... green... purple... and pink." Jacen muttered to himself as he sorted through the garments, "Should I? Most deffinately."
***
Less than ten minutes after he had left Jacen was slipping back into Lily's room. In his left hand he held a pair of brown crocs that someone had left in the storage closet and in the other hand was a pair of pepto-bismol pink scrubs. "One nurse's uniform for the lady." Jacen said with a cheshire cat grin on his face as he walked over and placed the clothing on the bed, "Since you haven't been leaving any clothes at my apartment I'll either have to take you to your place or run out and pick up some clothes for you after we get back to my place."
Turning around so that the blond woman could have at least a little privacy while she changed he made his way back over to the door, listening carefully for anyone that might intrude. He knew that it couldn't be to much longer before the nurse's were making their rounds again and he really didn't want to have to deal with someone walking in on the middle of the great escape. "How would I handle that?" He murmured quietly to himself, trying to decide just how far he would go to protect Lily and himself, "Could I really hurt an innocent person?"
***
In relatively short order Lily was dressed and immediately Jacen ushered her out into the hallway. Walking normally but with a purposeful stride his walk ate up the distance that would take them to the bank of elevators. So far everything had been going smoothly and for a brief moment he even though they might escape without having to use the cover story he had come up with but of course, that would have been to easy.
As the doors to the elevator slid open they revealed a nursing assistant with her pill cart, apparently on her way down to one of the other floors.
"What happened to your eye?" The woman gasped out without the slightest hesitation as Jacen and Lily stepped onto the elevator.
"Domestic dispute gone wrong." Jacen spoke up immediately as he whipped out his wallet and flashed his badge toward the stunned woman, "The clothes were collected as evidence and I'm taking her downtown for a formal statement now. Please... she's still in shock."
"Meditation? Deffinately not something I would have thought of but I'll give it a try." Jacen said with a slight grin, although the expression in his eyes was obviously doubtful. Even though he had received combat training while in the military they had never spent any time focusing on meditation side of the martial arts. Sure they had talked some about a person's mental state when in battle but in military training there was no way they were going to take thirty minutes or an hour a day in order to allow the men a chance to meditate. They were in the freakin' army for cryin' out loud!
Taking his coffee cup, Jacen drained the last of it and then set his empty cup back down on the table. "Thankfully I haven't actually gotten into a situation where I've had to face down another mutant but I'm sure it'll happen at some point. There are crazy mutants out there just like there are crazy people." He knew that it would happen eventually, especially since he was a part of S.W.A.T. Honestly, the only reason he hadn't faced down any of the mutants quite yes was the fact that his team had never been able to make it to the right location in time. His team had ben en-route to the incident where a giant and the bone girl that had slaughtered cops and reporters alike but by the time they had arrived all that had been left were blood, guts, and a burning building. Since his incident with a 'giant' back at the Hole In the Wall, Jacen felt that he had a pretty good idea where to find that particular cop killer but he couldn't be completely sure. There just wasn't enough evidence quite yet.
Right then Kealey's watch alarm went off and even as she looked at it, Jacen could see the hesitation in her eyes. In a crowded coffee shop like this stepping away from his field would have to be like getting punched in the face. Maybe if the environment wasn't so thick with people it wouldn't be such a shock to her system.
"How about I walk you to work?" Jacen offered, automatically reaching to the back of his chair and retrieving his leather jacket, "Or I can give you a lift in my truck. Your choice. That'll hopefully give you a chance to ease back into this emotion sensing thing when there aren't quite as many people around."
Kealey's offer came out of the blue and for a moment Jacen could only sit there stunned. This woman that he'd never met before was offering him a chance to try and learn to control whatever this ablity he had was? Lily hadn't even offered to do that yet. Of course, for Lily, Jacen's power gave her an opportunity to do so many things she didn't usually do that she probably had never even considered the idea of Jacen being able to control his ability.
"I, uh, I don't even know what I would be controlling." Jacen said slowly even though his eyes were already closing in concentration, "I don't feel anything different about you compared to anyone else here and I don't even realize I'm doing anything. It's like... it's like this thing is totally subconscious. It's even more subconscious than my heart beating. I mean, I can feel my heart beat even though I can't control it but this aura or field I have is something I don't even know about."
Falling silent Jacen did his best to feel something... anything that would give him a chance to gain some semblance of control but it just wasn't there. He could hear the noises all around the room and he could even heard Kealey's light breathing but he couldn't feel anything. There were smells in the air but nothing that triggered any special spark deep on the inside that he knew was just different.
"It's just not there. It's like it doesn't even exist." He finally spoke up, his eyes opening to look at Kealey once again. He didn't say it in a defeated manner but more matter-of-factly like that was just the way life was. Maybe some day he'd be able to sense something else but for now he knew that his ability was something he just couldn't control. "Thanks for offering though. I appreciate the thought."
He hadn't expected the first shock to wake her up though the fact that she still wasn't conscious after three was worrisome. "Come on Lily... don't give up on me." Jacen thought to himself as he applied the paddles a fourth time. Finally, ever so slowly, the one unswollen eye blinked open. He could feel his lips moving into a relieved smile as he slowly pulled the paddles away from her body and placed them back in their cradles on the crash cart.
"Welcome back beautiful." Jacen said with obvious affection and relief, though not necessarily love. Lily was becoming one of his best friends in this new mutant lifestyle and while he knew neither of them would probably ever be interested in settling down, there was still some sort of emotion between the two fo them.
"Oh a biphasic truncated waveform. Sexy." Even in a voice that sounded like it came from a woman that had chain smoked for the past fifty years, she still came across sexy. Obviously in both of their current conditions Jacen wasn't out to start anything now or in the near future, but he could still appreciate the beautiful, albeit slightly battered woman that was currently in front of him.
"How long?" She asked after learing her throat, this time sounding a little bit more like herself.
"Uh... a couple hours by now I think." Jacen said as he glanced over at the clock on the wall as he tried to figure out exaclty how long they'd really ben there. "I was out of it for a while so I can't really be sure but I know it's still the same day... I think."
Turning back around Jacen did his best to stifle a grin as Lily asked about the handcuffs. That wasn't a bad idea to file away for the future but it was quite clear that neither of them were in the mood or condition for anything like that at this point in time. "They're not mine." Jacen replied as he checked the handcuff to see if was standard police issue or whether it was the safety cuffs that were sometimes provided to hospitals. Though most people would miss the difference any professional would immediately see it. Police cuffs could only be opened with a key while hospital safety cuffs had a release button because, after all, not every doctor or nurse could be issued a handcuff key. "My guess is that after your antics in the MRI they handcuffed you because they knew you were a mutant. "
Moving his hands deftly over the cuffs, Jacen found the apropriate place and with a firm press, released Lily from her restraint. "Now let's see about getting you out of here." Glancing around the room quickly he had to pause as he realized that there were no clothes lying nearby for the woman to put on. "Uh... guess we gotta find you some clothes. Since speed is of the essence we better go with a nurses uniform for now." Glancing back over at Lily he raised an eyebrow questioningly, "That work for you?"
It seemed to take forever but finally a group of doctors walked out of the room, apparently leaving Lily alone. Turning, Jacen began to walk past the group as though he were heading down the hall just as yet one more person walked out.
"Damn! How many are in there?" Jacen wondered, doing his best not to appear interested in the room as he walked past this last doctor. "Do they always call in this many specialists on a mutant case?"
Quickly side stepping into the room, Jacen nudged the door closed silently and then walked over to the bed where you blond beauty was lying. She didn't exactly look peaceful in her current state of repose but then it was hard to describe exactly how she did look. Of course, none of that really mattered. All that mattered was helping the woman that had and still was helping him accept life as a mutant.
"I'd much rather be doing this while you're awake." Jacen murmured quietly as he carefully ran his hands under Lily's back and over her sides, making sure that the medics had dried her off completely before fastening her to the bed, "We don't want this charge draining off before it can do you some good."
While he didn't claim to be an expert in Lily's mutation he knew at least a little bit from what she had told him and what he'd observed. Water was her weakness and obviously it drained her of her energy. If he could get some energy back into her then she just might rejoin the land of the living. Glancing around the room quickly in order to find something that would work in this situation Jacen's gaze fell on a crash cart that was tucked away in the corner. He didn't think that crash carts were normally stored in every hospital room but he wasn't going to complain about the hospital keeping one in this particular room.
Moving as quickly as his injured body could handle, Jacen wheeled the cart over to Lily's bedside and then began to carefully look over the various dials and switches. Part of his training in the military had been as an assistant medic so he knew how to use these machines although it had been some time so he was just a little rusty.
"If this doesn't work I'll let you smack me with that power pole next time you want to." Jacen muttered as he flipped the switch that would start the machine charging and then turned around, pulling down Lily's gown so that he could get to bare skin. "And if it does work... you owe me." He continued to ramble as he squirted gel onto the two paddled and then rubbed them together as he turned back around to face the blonde beauty.
Something about Kealey's expression told Jacen that now was not the time to ask about her sister. That might be something that should never be discussed especially with a new aquaintance like this. There was really no reason to think that this would be anything more than a pleasant, one time conversation. New York was a big city and it was quite possible to meet someone once and then never bump into them again but who knew what the future might hold.
"Military is right. Army. I spent most of my time in Afghanistan and Iraq." He admitted with just a hint of pride. Since he'd never been to Ireland he had no reason to think about the fact that the military was more prevalent there than it was in the states. He just figured that she had made a lucky guess but that was no reason not to praise her for it. "Good observation."
As the young woman began to speak about living with her gift, Jacen did his best to imagine what it must be like. Living with your own emotions was bad enough but if you actually had to face what every person around you was feeling... it would be enough to drive most people mad. Sure there were people that wore their emotions on their sleeve and anyone could know what they were feeling at any time but most people were so good at wearing emotional masks that it would be extremely disconcerting to know what they were really feeling.
"I'm sure it would be hard." Jacen said quietly, his eyes comforting as he reached across the table to give one of Kealey's hands a quick reassuring squeeze, "But even when you say you don't deal very well I think that you're selling yourself short. Just in the little time we've had to talk you've proven yourself to be a well adjusted lady so obviously you've been able to over come it for the most part."
Apparently Kealey was ready to get back to a much lighter topic so, as her lips curved back up into a bright smile, she began her own rapid fire questioning. For a moment Jacen just chuckled as he tried to come up with the answers to all of the woman's questions. For a conversation that had started out a little on the curt side it had actually turned into something very pleasant.
"As far as I know I can't switch my ability off and on because I don't even know that I'm doing anything." Jacen said with a slight shrug as he leaned back in his chair, removing his hand from Kealey's and once again picking up his coffee cup, "Until another mutant asked me what in the world I was doing to them I didn't know there was anything different about me. None of my fellow police officer or my friend seemed to be any different when I was around so I guess they don't get affected by it but I don't know."
Unless Jacen was willing to admit a little more publicly that he was a mutant, there was really no way for him to test out his ability. Showing up at one of the mutant schools wasn't a good idea when his ability might be the cause of mass histeria or a riot of some type. Besides, there was no way he could ever learn to control something he couldn't even feel... was there?
The man's heart rate had finally evened out and his breathing was calm. As he lay in his emergency room bed he found that his tenuous link on consciousness had grown stronger and he was no longer drifting back and forth but instead was now able to focus on his surroundings. Even without bothering to open his eyes, Jacen could gather Intel about his current situation by listening carefully to what the various doctors and nurses were saying. While most of the conversation had to do with other patients and their various conditions, there were a couple of statements that were of some importance.
"Did you ever get an ID on our mysterious drop-offs?" One nurse had asked another as they stood near his bed looking over his vital signs
"I haven't heard about the woman's ID but he's Jacen King a police officer. But that's old news. Did you hear what they found when they tried to MRI the woman?"
"No. Tell me!"
"The MRI did something really weird so they rushed her blood work and, what do you know, she's a mutant."
"Really?"
"Yep. They put her in a private quarantined room and everything!"
"What about him?"
"I had no reason to rush his blood work so it's buried in the pile there somewhere. I wish I had stamped it with urgent though."
"A hottie like that couldn't be a mutant, could he?"
"I don't know... remember that ice manipulator?"
As the two women walked away Jacen missed out on the rest of their conversation but he had heard enough. Lily's secret was out in the open and that meant the longer they stayed in the hospital the more likely it was that his own secret would be made public. There were still officers nearby that were waiting for the poor man to 'regain consciousness' but if he worked it right then he just might be able to slip away without them knowing. It took a good twenty to thirty minutes but finally Jacen heard one of the nurses closing the curtain in order to give the 'poor unconscious' man some semblance of privacy. Immediately his eyes snapped wide open only to squint as they tried to adjust to the bright lights.
"Private room... just gotta find her and get her out of here. The longer we're in this situation the more awkward questions we might have to answer." He murmured to himself as he turned in the bed, allowing his legs to hang over the edge. Gritting his teeth against the pain he knew was coming he reached over and yanked out his IV followed moments later by the blood collection tube that had been left in his other arm. Digging in the small table next to the bed Jacen quickly found bandages and after taping up his arms so that the blood wouldn't be obvious he finally stood back up to his feet.
The wooziness was almost instantaneous and if Jacen hadn't been able to lean back against the hospital bed he would have collapsed to the ground. "To fast you idiot." He gritted out as he vainly tried to make the room stop spinning, "Still not back to 100%." After a few more minutes of recovery Jacen was finally able to take the time to pull on his jacket which was laying on the table by his be bed. After zipping it up to conceal the fact he didn't have a shirt he stepped over to the curtain and peaked outside. Doctors and nurses were rushing this way and that and off in the back corner two plain clothes policeman sat sipping at coffee while they idly watched one of the TVs that hung on the ceiling. He couldn't tell exactly what they were watching but it was obvious that the two men were enthralled.
"1... 2... 3..." Jacen softly counted to himself before stepping out through the curtain without opening it and walking purposefully down the aisle as though he were meant to be there. In all the confusion no one seemed to notice his appearance and rapid exit so in just a few moments he found himself on an elevator taking him up to the hospital's main floor.
"Police." Jacen said in as strong a voice as he could muster as he walked up to the information desk and flashed his badge, "You've got an unidentified female mutant that was dropped off at the emergency ward. What room is she in?"
***
A few minutes and a few quarters later Jacen stood easily on the correct floor, idly sipping at a vending machine coffee as he waited for a nurse or doctor to exit Lily's room. He was going to get in and help her but he couldn't do it with just everyone watching either. Right now it was a waiting game but he was up against the clock. It wouldn't be long before someone noticed he was absent from the emergency room and this was probably the first place they would check.
"Hurry up in there." Jacen muttered before taking another sip of the overly strong coffee, "Just leave her alone already!"
