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.
Jacen hid a grin as he took another swig of his beer. The reaction on both Tarin & Lee's faces were priceless and well worth his pretending ignorance for a few moments. Of course Kealey hadn't done any drinking while in Ireland. Last time Jacen had checked, which was never, he had been pretty sure that convents frowned on any sort of imbibing.
"Trust her, she's telling the truth." Jacen spoke up, deciding that he didn't want to embarass Kealey too much, "Like Kealey said, she grew up sheltered."
Reaching over, Jacen snagged her hand and gave it a quick squeeze before turning his attention back to Tarin. It was time to change the subject to something that wasn't focused on Kealey quite as much and give her a chance to recover. "I don't think I mentioned it to your wife, but she wasn't the first woman I bumped into at the park with special abilities. A few months ago I was jogging and came across this woman screaming bloddy murder with a knife pierced through her hand and this man faced her down."
It wasn't hard to pull a memory like that back to the forefront of his mind. He had been busy listening to music as he jogged but the scream had attracted his attention just as he came into the clearing. The look of pain on the woman's face was unforgettable but it kept morphing in his mind into the look of pleasure of hatred he had seen just a little bit later. "I reacted and knocked the man unconscious then helped the woman back to my truck so I could take her to a hospital. Out of nowhere she asked me about being a mutant and in no time her personality changed. She grabbed the bow and arrows from my back seat and threatened to shoot me. It took a few questions but I found out I'd been played. She's killed this guys friends and left only him alive then stuck the knife in her own hand so that I would thinks he was the one being attacked."
Lifting his beer, Jacen took a swig, trying to forget the look of glee on the woman's face after he had kicked her out of the truck and driven off to another entrance in order to try and help the man he had rendered unconscious only minutes before. "It was a good lesson I guess... not everything is as it appears. Just like Lee and Kealey are both a lot tougher than most people would give them credit for."
Grinning slightly Jacen glanced over at the women as a phrase propped into his mind that a friend back in his military days had always used. "Like they say... dynamite comes in small packages."
Jacen had just taken a sip of his coffee and was walking over to pull out some bacon and eggs when he heard Kealey approaching the campsite. Looking up he smiled as he pulled out the food from the cooler, "Morning yourself, beautiful. I slept great... I guess it must have been all the exercise we had yesterday. Putting the camp together, you know."
It was fun to tease Kealey and Jacen gave her a quick wink just to let her know he was teasing as he stood up and made his way back over to the fire. It was still amazing how Kealey could look good in pretty much any sort of clothing she might put on. Whether it was something fancy and glamerous for clubbing or something much more simple for going out in the woods, she was sexy as hell. How did women do that?
"And the agenda today is completely up to you. We can canoe around the lake, go fishing, go for a hike, or if you're feeling adventerous, we can hike up to this crystal clear pool I just happen to know about. It's perfect for swimming." Jacen said as he put some of the bacon in the skillet to begin frying while he cracked eggs and whipped them together to get them ready for cooking. He grin was playful as he watched Kealey pour herself some coffee. Of course by "swimming" he was referring to skinny dipping but since they'd talked about it before there was no question she'd be able to figure out the innuendo. Whatever they did, they were going to have fun.
The sound of bacon sizzling was something special and Jacen could already feel his stomach rumbling. There was just something about being outdoors that increased a persons appetite. Every time he turned around while out in the woods it seemed like he was ready to snack on some jerky or whip together another meal. Maybe it was just the fresh air and clean living, but whatever it was, Jacen enjoyed every minutes of it while he was away from the city. This was his refuge, his place to get away from it all, and now he was sharing it with Kealey.
"I hope you like bacon and scrambled eggs." Jacen spoke up as he used a fork to flip the bacon over so that it would cook evenly, "Like I said, I'm not a great cook but this is one of the things I can handle. Although I should have thought to pack something sweet too... oh, I know. If we go out hiking or hike to the pool, we can probably find some wild blackberry bushes. This should be the perfect time to get some ripe berries."
(OOC: I'm sorry it's so short. Apparently my brain is fried at the moment. I promise to do better next time. :-( )
IC: "I didn't recognize any other names on the list." Jacen said with a slight shake of his head as he finally pulled into the parking area of their hotel, "And there aren't death reports to go with every name. Maybe they're not all local. Either of you good with computers? Maybe we could find something with an internet search."
A few minutes later the three of them were out of the vehicle and heading up to the two rooms that Jacen had reserved for them. "So we have a game plan to begin with. Tarin can see if any of the spirits have information, Lee can ask the clerk about Lori, and I'll show that picture around some. Maybe someone can recognize Pulse and give me a direction to follow. Tonight, if Lee can't sleep, she can take a look at some of the other shredded documents."
It was a good plan and while on the one hand Jacen didn't want the three of them to separate he had to admit they would get a lot more done if they followed the 'divide & conquer' way of doing things.
"How about we see about asking some questions and then meet back here to have dinner and compare notes." Jacen said as he glanced at his watch to check the time, "Sound like a plan?"
The two seemed to be doing their best to taken in all the information that Jacen was providing and a quick glance in the rear view mirror showed Lee pouring over the contest of the package. Tarin was more focused on Jacen but that made sense. Without even realizing it the two were showing just how much of a team they really were. Assessing and gathering information together the pair could gain a better insight than if they had just been on their own. For a brief moment it made Jacen wish that he had a partner like that but he immediately tried to clear his mind of that idea. Lori was the type that could face this sort of situation but she had no interest in showing any sort of loyalty. Kealey had the loyalty but Jacen knew he could never put her in this type of danger.
"My friend has been out of contact since I received the package. And just so the two of you know, she's the woman that first introduced me to the fact I was a mutant as well as being my now ex-girlfriend." Jacen replied, giving the added information while making it clear with his tone of voice that he had no interest in discussing that part of the situation any further. There was no reason for Lee & Tarin to know about the potential cheating, actual cheating, or nasty breakup. Sure Tarin & Lee were proving that they were good friends by coming with him to take care of this situation but that didn't mean they were bosom buddies.
"I've only looked over that one reconstructed page of the shredded stuff." Jacen responded, indicating the taped and highlighted page that had obviously been reconstructed, "The names that are highlighted all coincide with one of the death investigation reports you have there. All supposedly died of natural causes but for some reason their children were important enough to make it on that list, along with my name under the heading 'Adapteds', whatever that means."
Jacen had studied everything in that packet until he basically had the information memorized. He didn't really understand it or know what it all meant but he had gathered two very important facts.
1) Lori was in trouble and needed his help. 2) This "Pulse" was apparently responsible for his parents deaths.
"We're booked at the same hotel where the note came from. I haven't had a chance to talk to the desk clerk and I actually thought that maybe Lee could handle that." Jacen added, as he brought back up the plan he had thought through over the past several hours, "If you could go to the desk clerk and ask if a girlfriend of yours is still at the hotel then maybe we might get lucky. Lori's blond, blue eyes, maybe 5'3" or 5"4, and athletic. That enough inform for you to work your magic Lee?"
The question about what to do next was definitely an interesting one. With it being night time there weren't very many choices but Jacen could still come up with a few that made him grin.
"Well..." He drawled out, his eyes shining mischievously as he purposely took his time responding to Kealey's excitement, "There's still s'mores or skinny dipping as a possibility but I wouldn't want to use up all the fun on our first night."
Rolling over, Jacen lifted up a hand to carefully cushion Kealey's head as he took over the position on top, now smiling down at the blond. "We could slip on down to the lake, leave our clothes on the bank, and then bathe each other in the moonlight. I be your skin would pretty much sparkle in that sort of light." He said with a grin before dropping his head to plant several kisses on her neck and throat, "But if we do to much, we'll run out of things to do over the next couple of days."
There was no question about what direction Jacen was heading and from the sound of Kealey's slightly increased breathing, she was OK with his decision. "Maybe we should go ahead and move into the tent... everything will still be here tomorrow." He murmured as hand moved up to slip under her shirt and caress the bare skin of her stomach while he began to nibble on her earlobe, "We... need... our rest."
(FADE TO BLACK)
***
Nature woke up early. In some ways it did so far quieter than the city but in some ways it was much more loud. The birds gentle chirping was the perfect noise to slowly pull someone from their slumber while the sounds of noisy squirrels chattering away at some other animal was more likely to jerk someone awake. Jacen had been slowly coming awake when the rat-a-tat-tat of a nearby woodpecker shocked him completely alert. Sitting up he was surprised to find that Kealey had already slipped out of the tent. Perhaps just for a pit stop or maybe for a quiet walk but either way it was definitely time for him to be up. After pulling on his boots, pants, and shirt, Jacen slipped out of the tent to see about getting the fire stoked back up.
About ten or fifteen minutes later the wire was going merrily and a small coffee pot sat on a stone at the edge of the fire. With the fire heating the stone it kept the instant coffee good and warm while giving even that a smokiness you could only find out in the woods.
"Kealey?" Jacen called, trying to attract the young woman's attention wherever she might be as he poured himself a cup of the now hot coffee, "You about ready for breakfast?"
"Thanks for coming you two." Jacen said with a nod and a half smile before walking over to open the car door and climb into the driver's seat. Lee seemed to think she'd be more comfortable talking while they drove and that was just fine by him. In a few minutes they were out of the airport parking lot and heading along the route that would take them to their hotel. Jacen had picked this particular establishment because it just happened to be where the paper Lori had written her note on had come from. Thankfully hotels always put their name, address, and phone number on their paper otherwise he might not have even known where to start looking.
"A friend of mine came down to Florida and apparently decided to look into my parents deaths." Jacen explained as they drove, "My parents died of natural causes my apparently she didn't think so. She sent me this package of information."
Jacen reached between the front seats and lifted a medium sized envelope with some shredded papers, a picture, a digital voice recorder, and a note written on hotel stationary. (OOC NOTE: Please reference Like A Hurricane for exact package contents.)
"I went to her place in New York and ran into some hired muscle that apparently were searching for what she sent me without knowing who she sent it to. They roughed me up a bit and that's where I got the bruising on my face." He continued with a slight motion toward the discoloring on his left cheekbone, "The note in there had the hotel's address so it gave me someplace to start looking."
Falling silence Jacen gave the couple a few minutes to process what he'd said as well as look over the information before finally speaking up again. "Now that you know what's going on, I'll understand if you want to pack up and leave. I don't know exactly what I'm getting into but I do know that Lori must be in trouble otherwise there'd be no reason for people to be ransacking her place."
The apartment was void of life. Bags had been packed, things had been put away, and a note had been left for one special woman. Jacen had tried to call Kealey at the library but the person he had actually talked to on the phone had been quite rude. She had told him in on short order that Kealey was busy helping patrons of their library and that he would have to call back on her lunch break. With the upcoming flight that wasn't going to happen so Jacen had been forced to simply leave a note.
~~Kealey, Something important has come up back in Florida involving my parent's deaths. I had to take the first flight to Tallahassee but I'll call you just as soon as I can. I'm gonna miss you more than you could ever know and I'll definitely be thinking about you.
Jacen~~
***
Some how, some way, Jacen had been fortunate enough to get a window seat but the beauty of the outside world was lost on him. This had been the only seat still available on the plane and thus he had been forced to book Lee and Tarin's tickets for the following morning. He would have almost eight hours of time to explore the city he had grown up in but he knew just where most of his time would be spent.
"It's been a long time... to long."
***
A small bouquet of wild flowers was placed carefully in the build in vase that stood on the grave marker, right between the two names.
Levi King & Roberta King Beloved Father & Mother
"I know it's been a while since I stopped by to see you." Jacen said quietly as he crouched in front of the grave site, "I'm in New York City now. Everything was going smoothly until I found out I'm different. I really wish you two were here right now. I could use your advice."
Lifting his gaze, Jacen scanned the cemetery, making sure he was completely alone as he continued to talk. "I can disable mutants. I don't know how or why I got this power but I have it. Then I fell in love with this wild girl that decided it was more fun to play the game than settle down. Honestly, my life's kind of messed up right now. I don't know what to do next. Once the other officers find out about my ability they'll brand me a freak and toss me out on the curb. Even with blood tests to back me up they won't believe I'm not a mutant."
Looking back down, Jacen reached out and gently brushed some stray grass and dirt off of the bronze marker. "And there's something strange about what happened to you two. I only found out about it now but I'm back here to find out what really happened. You two take care of each other. I love you."
Standing back up, Jacen turned and strode back across the grave yard. With every step his expression became firmer as he focused on leaving his emotions back at the grave site. Even though this might not be from the government, he was going out on an assignment... a mission, and there was no place for emotion. This was business that needed to be completed as quickly and quietly as possible.
***
Jacen stood outside the airport, leaned up against the car he had rented for his stay in Florida. The trunk was relatively empty except for the suitcase containing the weapons he had thought he might need. Along with the Glock that he had holstered on his back there was a beautiful UMP .45 with several extra clips of ammunition as well as a hunting knife. It had been the work of just a few minutes to stop by the NYPD fire arms supplier and pick up a personal item. Plenty of cops purchases their own personal weapons since the budget didn't allow them all to be armed the way they might be but this time the weapon was not going to be used for official business. This was personal whether Jacen wanted to admit it or not.
"Tarin! Lee!" Jacen yelled when he saw the couple walk out of the terminal with bags in hand, "Over here!"
The tangy bite from the extra mustard blended perfectly with the slightly acidic sharpness of the ketchup and greasiness of the hotdog as Jacen took his first bite. There was something special about the first hot dog of a camp out and this trip was no exception.
"You got a good point there." Jacen murmured through a mouthful of food as Kealey pointed out that anything would taste good after working to get camp set up. For a few moments there went about quietly eating and then it was on to answer Jacen's question about design school.
"That's great!" Jacen said with a grin after swallowing the latest bite of food he had taken, "Have you decided whether you're gonna do all fashions, just women's fashions, or just a section of women's fashion?" Jacen wasn't that knowledgeable about the whole fashion industry but he, like most americans had seen the occasional reality TV episode that gave a glimpse into the industry and knew that you could specialize in things like swimwear, under garments, or even dresses.
Looking back up into the sky, Jacen just looked at the stars we he listened to Kealey speak. Finishing off the last of his food he set his plate over near the fire ring without ever getting up. He had never thought about anything like what Kealey was saying but it did make sense. Out of the millions of stars, planets, and moons that were out in the universe surely there had to be intelligent life on one of them.
A few moments later, at Kealey invitation, Jacen moved from his log over to hers and slid down so that he was stretched out alongside the blond. Perching his hands comfortably on his stomach he just let his head lay against the rough bark and stare upward. "You'll never see anything like this in the city." He murmured quietly, "New York's beautiful in its own way but this... this is something else."
Thoughts of dessert had been temporarily forgotten as had thoughts about how messy and dirty their backs had to be getting. Staring up into the sky Jacen allowed himself to just be swept up into the beauty of the night. Off in the distance they could hear the peaceful hooting of an owl as it set off to begin its night time hunt. A slight breeze blew through the trees rustling the leaves but for the most part everything was still and peaceful.
"Gotta be the boyfriend. Grab him!" One of the men ordered the other two. It made sense that he was the boss since he did appear slightly more intelligent. Maybe not a lot, but slightly. Without a seconds though the two rushed Jacen. Obviously they were used to being able to overpower their foes with almost no struggle which could only mean they'd never faced ex-military before. Even as serious as the situation was, Jacen couldn't help but smile just a little.
Side stepping the first attacked, Jacen slammed his fist into the back of the man's nest before turning and swinging his leg up and around in a powerful roundhouse kick. The slight shock from the top of his shoe laces coming in contact with the other man's face was nothing compared to the pain he was dealing with. As the groaning mass collapsed to the ground Jacen turned back around to face his final victim. Instead of the fear he had expected the man's lips were curled up into a sneer. "Impressive... but is the girl really worth this sort of pain and effort?"
"Last time I checked, I was pain free." Jacen retorted before his mind registered the sound of movement behind him. Beofre he could even begin to turn, a powerful blow slammed into his kidneys followed by an even strong contact right between his shoulder blades. Apparently Jacen's first victim had a much harder head than he realized because the man had picked himself up and attacked from the rear without his realizing it.
"Heroes... when will people learn that all they get is pain?" The leader mused as he crossed his arms over his chest and watched the still conscious muscle lift up Jacen and hold him upright with both of his arms locked behind his back. "So tell me little man... when's your girlfriend getting back?"
"She's not my girlfriend." Jacen gritted through his teeth as he tried to come up with some sort of convincting lie, "We broke up weeks ago... I just came over to pick up the last of my stuff and return some of the crap she left at my house."
"And you expect me to believe that?"
Breathing was hard but it was slowly getting easier as Jacen just stared at the man. There was really no reason to try and convince the man like some frightened school boy but maybe his silence would speak louder than words. "If you find her... tell her Jacen said to leave me out of her business! I'm getting tired of being pulled into her issues. What are you, bookies? Does she owe you all money like she does everyone else in the world?" Well, silence might be over rated too. Sometimes rambling was a good way to distract people from what was going on.
The step forward and the punch came out of nowhere and Jacen could actually feel the inside of his cheek tear from his teeth scraping against it. Lifting his head back up, Jacen spit blood out on the ground as he looked at the leader that had just belted him. "I ask the question. When did you last see her?"
"A couple of weeks ago." Jacen muttered, his mind racing as he tried to think of some way out of this situation. These three guys weren't the best in the world but they were adequate for the job. He just needed some time and an opportunity to work with. "I caught her kissing someone... a stinking mutant. Big and red. Told her it was over and walked out."
"Makes sense boss. They said she might have mutie friends." The man behind him spoke up before suddenly moving his hands to adjust his grip. It was the opportunity Jacen had been waiting for and with a powerful tug he wrenched one of his arms free. Spinning quickly Jacen gave the man a powerful right cross in the jaw and then took off for his truck at a sprint. Jumping in he slammed the door shut and hit the locks just as the sound of a gun firing followed by the sound of something hitting the side of his truck could be heard.
"NOT AGAIN!" Jacen yelled in frustration as he threw the vehicle in drive and roared out of the trailer park, "I just got this thing out of the shop!"
Jacen didn't know how things had worked out this way but apparently Lori had gone searching for information about his past and had gotten in trouble. Now, she was once again dragging him into her world. "What the hell am I doing?" Jacen muttered as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number he never thought he'd be calling in this sort of situation. "Hey, Tarin? Yeah, it's Jacen. Listen... I need a favor. How would you and Lee like to take a trip to Florida?"
"Fire makes everything taste better." Jacen said with a grin, "Ask any man an they'll say that. Seriously though, something about the smoke adding to the flavor really does make most foods, especially meat, taste better."
Of course, that deffinately brought up the question of whether hot dogs really qualified as meat. A person assumed that hot dogs had actual meat in the ingredients but was there any way to be sure? Glancing down at his tubular shaped food item, Jacen raised an eyebrow as he continued to slowly turn it. Why was it he had brought hot dogs again? Maybe he should have splurged and brought some decent sausages. At least then you had a little better idea about the ingredients.
"Huh?" Jacen's voice had a confused tone as he glanced back up at Kealey, her question yanking him back from his own pondering. "Oh, buns and condiments and stuff are over in the cooler." He answered as his normal ready smile appeared back on his face, "The camp plates and silverware are sitting next to it so grab yourself one and then cover over to get some beans."
Looking back down at his hotdog Jacen realized he had been distracted for to long. What had moments before been a perfectly browned hot dog now had a long black streak on one side with a couple of black spot on another. Quickly pulling his fork away from the flame he examined the damage before quickly deciding that it wasn't to far gone. Besides, the charred bits would add flavor and texture.
In just a few minutes the two of them were settled down, sitting on the ground with some decent sized logs as back rests. The fire was slowly dieing down to glowing coals and embers which allowed the stars and moon above to shine with a brilliance you would never seen in the city. Instead of the hundreds of stars you could see shining through the city lights, out here int he wilderness you could see thousands or maybe even more. Out here it was almost impossible to find constelations because there were just so many stars but that didn't make it any less beautiful.
"When will you be able to see about getting into design school and everything?" Jacen asked quietly, somewhat awed by the beauty of the heavens even though he had seen it on previous occasions, "Somehow I think this could be some great inspiration for you right here."
Kealey and Lee were deffinately on different ends of the spectrum just like Kealey & Lori had been. In fact, Lori was pretty much from a spectrum all her own because she wasn't much like Lee either. That probably explained why Jacen had gone through such a difficult time deciding between them. Both had been attractive women but instead of goign with the girl he knew he could trust and that would give him of herself, he had made the stupid choice of excitement. "Note to self... always go with the girl you could take to meet your parents if you want a real relationship."
As Jacen was taking a sip of his beer he realized that Tarin & Lee were asking some very good questions. Obviously he knew that Kealey had been raised in a convent, her parents had died in a bombing, and the convent had eventually told her she needed to use her gift to better the world but he didn't know that much else about her past. How long ago was it that she had come to New York? Was she interested in ever going back to Ireland or did she want to make the U.S. her permanent home? Those were obviously very pertanent questions and he immediately felt more alert as he listened to whatever the young woman's answers might be.
"That's something I never thought to ask you." Jacen said, a slightly mischevous grin on his face since he already knew what Kealey's answer would be, "How was the beer in Ireland?" He doubted she'd really have an answer since he was pretty sure she hadn't done any drinking at the convent but hey, maybe he'd be surprised and find out that Kealey had a touch of a wild side to her.
Following right behind Kealey, Jacen had to laugh slightly at the blond's comment. She had remembered his saying that he couldn't cook and was reminding him of that fact. "I really can't cook but camping food I can handle. Bacons and eggs for breakfast, hot dogs and beans for dinner, and sandwich stuff during the day. Oh... and of course a sweet treat for dessert."
Jacen had known that he was going to introduce Kealey to the wonder of s'mores on this trip and he couldn't wait to see her reaction. If she had thought burgers and chicken parmegan were good then she would probably come close to having an orgasm from the flavour of a s'more. Hiding a grin he knew he couldn't wait to see her expression at the moment.
"If you're ever in the woods alone just listen for the sounds of ducks and water." Jacen pointed as they walked along, "It'll lead you back to the lake. Then you can just follow the shore until you recognize the area near our camp site."
***
The sun was finally setting behind the trees and the sky was filling with shades of purple, red, and orange as Kealey and Jacen made their way back into the camp. The fire had been left covered, smoldering gently so that it would catch anything nearby on fire and now Jacen uncovered it to make an area ready for cooking. After pulling out a couple of long cooking forks he speared some hot dogs to roast before placing a pot of beans next to the fire to begin warming.
"Here." He said with a grin, pulling Kealey over to the fire and handing he one of the cooking forks, "Hold your hot dog over and fire and slowly turn it so that it browns all over without burning. If you do get a couple of black spots don't worry about... it'll still taste good."
Settling down in the classic indian sitting position, Jacen held his hot dog of the fire. As it roasted he alternated between watching the food, looking at the beauty of the fading sunset, and watching every expression that popped upon Kealey's face.
Jacen had to smile as Kealey wrapped her arms around him in a hug. He had hoped the fact that they were away from everything and everyone would give her a chance to relax and really let her hair down and he was really pleased that things seemed to be working.
"I'm glad you like it Kealey. I was hoping you would. And as for fun, there are a couple of options." Jacen said as he glanced up to check the position of the sun as it began to move toward setting, "We've got probably another hour and a half or maybe two hours of daylight left. You'll be amazed by just how many stars you can see once the sun goes down. But for now we can head out on the lake for some fishing or exploring, we could go for a short hike, or I can buckle down and fix us some dinner if you happen to be hungry."
Looking back down at the blond, Jacen lifted a hand to run through her hair before leaning down to give her a lingering kiss on the lips. "Ladies choice. What'll it be?"
The sounds of birds in the trees were beginning to fade off as one by one they returned to their nest in order to get ready for the arrival of nightfall. An early waking owl hooted in annoyance at the sun before closing its eyes and searching for at least a little more sleep before its nightly hunt. Deer moved as silently as ghosts through the underbrush, heading for their night time shelter as the honking of geese came from overhead. It was a wonder world of nature, away from all of the convenience of modern life but also away from the cares of that modern world.
***
A couple of miles away from the pair, four men was struggling through the tangled brush. Their orange jumpsuits stood out brightly against the muted forest colors but none of them seemed to car. Two held large hunks of wood that could be used as clubs while the others had pistols tucked in their pockets that they had taken from some guards that would no longer be finding any use for them. The escape had been executed perfectly and now the run was going any better. Ignoring what many people thought was the easy path of following roads, these four had headed for the most desolate country they could find. Each of them had been studying specific survival information so that no one would become suspicious of their individual knoweldge but yet, combined, they would be more than enough to overcome whatever obstacles came their way. The taste of freedom in their mouths and the four knew that within a couple of weeks they would be able to find some little town where they could enjoy alcohol, women, and real food for the first time in a really long time.
"No, I'm not interested in a subscription to sport illustrated." Jacen said in an annoyed voice before suddenly yelling at the phone, "Not playboy either!" Slamming the phone back down he turned his attention back to the package he had received. How could Lori have gotten this sort of information? What sort of game was she trying to play?
Suddenly standing up to his feet, Jacen grabbed his keys and then headed out the door. There was no need or reason to change out of his sweaty joggy clothes since he wasn't trying to impress the blond in any way. He just wanted to know what the hell she was doing. After tossing the information on the passenger seat of his truck, Jacen drove away from his apartment and down the all to familiar road that led to Lori's trailer. In all to short of a time he was parked in front of the wreck that had previously belonged to the wild woman's father. Slamming the door behind him Jacen stalked up the dirt path to the two metal steps that led up to the front door.
"LORI!" Jacen yelled, firmly pounding his fist against the door, "Get out here! I want some answer and I want them now!"
For a few minutes everything was silent and then Jacen heard a slight scuffling from inside. Suddenly the front door flew open, slamming in him and sending him flying backward to land heavily and ungracefully on his back. "Lori, you b..." He growled as he scrambled back to his feat with his voice suddenly trailing off as he stared at three men in front of him. Each of them were clad in suits with obvious bulges under their jackets. They didn't look like professional assassins or anything, instead having the look of decent quality hired muscle.
"Ah hell," Jacen muttered as he dropped back a couple of steps and went into a defensive stance, "What did you get yourself into this time?"
Lake Lila is a 1,400 acre lake in North East New York. It is a part of the Adirondack Park and is approximately a 3 and a half or 4 hours drive away from New York City. It was one of the camp sights that Jacen had visited a few times in the past but now he was coming for a very special reason. He and Kealey were going camping for the weekend.
Everything had started out great. Jacen had gotten off work at right around lunch on Friday and then headed to make a few stops on his way to the apartment. First he had gone by a storage unit where he kept his canoe, then on to the grocery store to fill a cooler with ice as well as pick up some of the bare necessities. Eggs, bacon, baked beans, hot dogs, marshmallows, graham crackers, chocolate bars, extra-soft toilet paper, bottled water, water purification tablets, bug spray, and of course beef jerky.
Pulling into his parking space at the apartment, Jacen hopped up and began his exercise of jogging up and down the stairs. Within a few minutes a three-man tent, two sleeping bags, a couple of blankets, and two pillows were all safely stowed in the truck. Standing with his arms crossed over his chest, the ex-military man contemplated the amount of items he was packing and then turned to head back upstairs again. After a quick shower to be at least somewhat clean, Jacen pulled on fresh boxers, military camouflage pants, hiking boots, and a black t-shirt. Lifting a small bag that held a couple changes of clothes in it, Jacen laid a light jacket on top and then walked into the other room to grab Kealey's bags. The amount she had packed wasn't really all that surprising but Jacen still couldn't help but shake his head and grin as he carried the one backpack and one large suitcase down the stairs to his truck.
***
"Hey good looking." Jacen said through the rolled down window as Kealey came down the library steps to his truck, "How about you and I enjoy a weekend away from everything?"
***
After a long drive, short hike, and then long canoe paddle Jacen drove the canoe up onto the sandy bank with a few powerful strokes. Their camp ground for the weekend was on one of the private camp grounds at the edge of the lake. They had seen only two other vehicles back at the parking area which meant that they were almost completely alone in the vast wilderness. About an hour and a half after arriving the pair had successfully carried their gear away from the canoe and fifty yards up to their campsite. Jacen had set up the tent and then sent Kealey in to do any unpacking, organizing, or simply resting she might want to do. While she was there he started a fire and set about making sure there were hooks and line in the trees for storing their cooler of food safely off the ground.
"So what do you think Kealey?" Jacen asked with a grin the next time she emerged from the tent. He had purposely gone far enough away from the tent so that her power would be active, knowing that there wouldn't really be anyone around for her to sense. "Do you think you'll enjoy yourself?"
