Mutant Ascension [IC]

[Bycrest]

Maximus Astor
Noticeably annoyed with the mutants escaping and getting shot with electricity, Max was ready to kill the next person he saw. However, he managed to keep his temper in check long enough to go back in bar and tell his staff to try to clean up this mess and close the bar. While his customers were drunk, they weren't stupid enough to not know when they're in danger so most of them already left. He was going to spend the rest of his day chasing down those mutants responsible for trashing it, he'd aslo give those MISC guys a piece of his mind since they probably had something to do with all of this.

Leaving his crew to take care of the mess, Max flew off after everyone else. He followed the walls until they disappeared and searched from the sky, looking for anything unusual. Considering the crowd that was normally attracted when runaway mutants pop up, Max was sure that they would give away their location with some great display of destruction. While flying around, Max found what he was looking for; an attack helicopter hovering in downtown L.A., that meant the mutants were close by, and Max knew the perfect distraction to draw them out. Max flew about the helicopter, mentally thinking the idiot that made it stop and blew his flame breath at the helicopter's rotor blades, heating the metal and eventually causing them to melt. On one hand, this would make the helicopter fall from the sky and probably kill whoever was inside, but on the other, Max really didn't care.

[Clashus]

Holy, shish kebab. Ace gazed up at that dragon-man burning the helicopter, no-one should be having any fun without him. It seemed as if multiple things were going on, there was Dragon-Man, and the speedy car crew. The more he tried to focus on the helicopter the more, the sun got into his eyes. He found himself absorbing some of the UV rays to help him see, hopefully with the energy he could destabilize Dragon-Man and maybe just maybe, push the MISC guys out of the helicopter. Maybe. He closed his eyes, draining away at the nearby electricity. He placed his palms together behind his back, ready to hit Dragon-Man. Finally he was ready to become a man "Kamehameha!". It was a rush, all the energy gone from his hands, hopefully it hit the Dragon-Man and saved the helicopter. Hopefully, if the helicopter wasn't damaged he could keep it.

[Zjaum]

The motorcycles rose toward Tarmo. Within the magnetic field he'd constructed, the motorcycles began to accelerate towards him at an alarming rate. Tarmo shut himself down completely to try and avoid the massive flying objects. The magnetic field was dissipated, and Tarmo began to fall towards the ground. The back tire brushed up against the back of his foot, barely missing anything important. He spent a few seconds in uncontrollable freefall before reheating his fists, dragging him screaming to a stop on the top of a building, without the impact of such a free fall.

Tristan couldn't get a good shot of Tarmo and so restrained himself. He felt relief in abstaining from shooting him, as was contrary, apparently, to Keith's attitude. Now, however, he had a job to do. He shouted at the pilot to move forward, and the helicopter moved forward as fast as it could go. After only a few seconds, though, the pilot started noticing the helicopter blades glowing orange and quickly alerted his boss. Tristan looked out and immediately recognized the dragon man, who was considerably more annoying than when he was at the airport. He quite wanted to shoot him out of the sky, but he was moving too fast for the clunky helicopter turret. "Keep moving forward, but start flying lower. Prepare for landing on ground level."

The pilot looked back at Tristan like he was insane, but followed orders regardless. Tristan knew this to be a risky gamble, but he showed nothing but confidence. He was hired for jobs like this. The somewhat-melted metal of the rotors started resembling pinwheels with the melted steel, slowly curling inwards. The helicopter, despite the incredible skills of the pilot, started to pitch forward and dive. Everyone inside braced themselves for impact, each knowing full well that bracing for impact couldn't survive a drop from the sky. Tristan reached into his suit, pulling out a crucifix hanging around his neck, clasping it dearly. The body of the helicopter, however, slowed to a halt, making contact face first and tilting backward. Tristan looked behind him and saw the standing figure of Tarmo behind him on one of the buildings, clearly out of breath and overexerting himself. Tristan looked around him at the cars in the street next to the helicopter slowly begin to raise from the massive magnetic field that Tarmo generated. The magnetic field was dropped suddenly, since Tarmo clearly didn't have the strength left in him to drop it gently. The cars were all plopped onto the ground, and the helicopter's melted blades stopped whirring. The pilot spent a full minute in shock that he survived, but Tristan wasted no time in getting out. "We're about a block away from the mutants," stated Tristan. "If we hustle, we might be able to stop them."


Under Shauna's leadership, the teenagers and college students fetched the tire and began changing it. They were all panicked, but they knew that this would be the only way to escape the sniper. Nick muttered, "So this is what it must be like to be in a war zone." Nick was the most car-savvy, but even he would take a good fifteen minutes (under the best circumstances) getting the tire on. Shauna was there, though, and she seemed to be a good leader. He'd endure the fear.

Meanwhile, 12 noticed that the sniper and his winged friend weren't leaving the building, though they both were probably quite scared. More importantly, he was running out of energy fast. He stopped shaking the building and thought about solutions. "38!" he called. "Open up the street; I want to access the electric wiring underneath!"

38 stopped helping Shauna and company and moved over to 12. Having caught his breath in the car, he tore a massive hole through the asphalt, releasing a small amount of gases but, more importantly, exposing the wires beneath it. 12 dropped down, snapped the wires with the energy he had left, and began to recharge. Meanwhile, the traffic lights down the road went out, causing disruption amongst the motorists. Most people sat in place, however, under the risk that their car would be totaled if they made a made in tandem with a car going perpendicular.


Tarmo released the magnetic field that had saved the helicopter. He had given his friends ample warning. Further, he hadn't killed since he left the Soviet Union and, while this technically wasn't his fault, he would have felt guilt in letting them all die. That said, he was completely spent. With all the flying and magnetic fields and near-death experiences, he was surprised that he wasn't dead already. He slumped onto the cold flat roof. After a minute, a woman approached from below to see the cause of the commotion, only to find him still slumped. "Oh my gosh. Somebody down below, call an ambulance! There's a man up here who needs help!"

Tarmo's part to play was over for now, and he couldn't be any happier for the outcome.

[River Tree]

TJ nodded to Giovanni, quickly picking him up and flying upwards. She saw that it wasn't an earthquake shaking the building, but to be honest, the helicopter scared her more than anything else. She wasn't sure which direction to go, so she flew a few buildings away where they had a quick access point if they wanted to go back, as well as the fact that it was a block or so away from the fighting. TJ watched the helicopter anxiously, almost any flying weapon made her nervous. She always thought they were coming for her, even though she knew it was an irrational fear. She tried to focus on something to help calm her down , but the only thing coming to her mind was that she hadn't introduced herself to Giovanni. "My name is TJ, by the way." She said, crouched on the edge of the buildings roof as she watched the fight.

[The Last Magic]

Lynn watched all the commotion overhead and barely heard the call for an ambulance. "Oh, right." She said to no one in particular. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed 911, trembling slightly.
After briefly explaining the situation and where it was, she hung up and looked around. This was definitely not where she should be standing. Lynn jumped and morphed into a flying fish midair, gliding away to relative safety with a meager thirty second air time. She stopped in the shade of a building, sighing at not being able to take her umbrella. She thankfully still had everything else, or else her mother would've killed her for loosing that. That is, if she didn't die here first.

[Altito Asmoro]

TJ nodded to Giovanni, quickly picking him up and flying upwards. She saw that it wasn't an earthquake shaking the building, but to be honest, the helicopter scared her more than anything else. She wasn't sure which direction to go, so she flew a few buildings away where they had a quick access point if they wanted to go back, as well as the fact that it was a block or so away from the fighting. TJ watched the helicopter anxiously, almost any flying weapon made her nervous. She always thought they were coming for her, even though she knew it was an irrational fear. She tried to focus on something to help calm her down , but the only thing coming to her mind was that she hadn't introduced herself to Giovanni. "My name is TJ, by the way." She said, crouched on the edge of the buildings roof as she watched the fight.

Giovanni Serrano

Gio nodded back as she brought both of them far away from them, the mutants, and the helicopter. Sadly, there are few things he could do to the helicopter or the mutants. His mutant powers are fairly mundane and uncharacteristically normal for mutant. "Aw, mate, the helicopter's so far and we cannot do anything," he mentioned it sadly in the tone of his voice. He reloaded his rifle and checked the surroundings. "Well, at least we're safe for now, TJ," as he nodded to her mentioning of her own name.

"Let me call my valet and have him picked us up on the street and go somewhere safer. I have my own car and a driver. You want to join, TJ?"

[Clashus]

Nice. To Ace's eye it seemed as if someone else had saved the helicopter, at least they were safe. That had happened a while ago. The mutant-helicopter savior had then collapsed on a building, calls were made to 911. No-one noticed him slipping through gaps in the crowd slowly making his way towards The-Man-On-The-Building-Rooftop, he absorbed the electricity from the phones and used the energy to propel himself onto the rooftop. Hopefully, no-one recorded him, it would be a pain if the police identified him with his heists. The-Helicopter-Man was passed out on the building, not dead yet. Ace turned him over and began performing CPR. Hopefully, The-Man-On-The-Building-Rooftop could tell him what's going on.

[Zjaum]

Tarmo did not need CPR; while he was signficantly less powerful, self-starting his heart required very little relative energy, thank you very much. Tarmo was thus incredibly confused by Ace's attempt at CPR. He weakly pushed Ace off. "Thank, but can handle myself." He rolled over onto his front. The stranger meant well, however, and Tarmo didn't notice him before. Maybe he warped in or something? While still lying down face first, he mumbled, "What's your name?" Perhaps he used energy to suddenly appear? In that case, there was still one role left to play. "I need to protect the children. Can help? Do need energy?"

Before Ace had the chance to reply, the whir of a helicopter ambulance approached. From all the panic of the recent events, they were put on standby, sent into "battle" at a moment's notice. They were easily able to respond to the 911 call. The paramedics easily spotted Tarmo on the rooftop and set down. One of the paramedics piped up. "Hey, it's that guy from the news a few days ago! Gosh, I forget his name. All right, let's get this guy on the copter!"


12 watched as his two adversaries escaped out of sight before he could recharge. He grumbled, but found great respite in the boundless energy from Los Angeles's power supply. "38, can you lift me upwards? I want a better view so I could take them out."

"Um, 12, this is way further than you need to go. You don't seem like your normal self right now. Let's just leave."

"DO IT!"

"Okay, okay! Sheesh." 38 knew better than to argue with 12 at the moment. He summoned a spire of concrete and brought 12 up to the top of the building he once shook. 12 in turn looked around to see where the assailants had fled. He found nothing after a brief search and, frustrated, he called on 38 to bring him down. "Let's return to the freaking car and get out of here."

[Clashus]

Tarmo did not need CPR; while he was signficantly less powerful, self-starting his heart required very little relative energy, thank you very much. Tarmo was thus incredibly confused by Ace's attempt at CPR. He weakly pushed Ace off. "Thank, but can handle myself." He rolled over onto his front. The stranger meant well, however, and Tarmo didn't notice him before. Maybe he warped in or something? While still lying down face first, he mumbled, "What's your name?" Perhaps he used energy to suddenly appear? In that case, there was still one role left to play. "I need to protect the children. Can help? Do need energy?"

Talk about a heart of steel. Another thing baffled Ace, this man had talked about saving children, and while the English was broken his meaning was clear. Sorta.
"Hey, my name's Ace. And you know I can help with whatever you need, I guess I'm like a Energy-Transfer Mutant, I saw you doing some Mutant-stuff like me. Oh and who are the 'children'?"
Slowly, a medic copter descended towards them, thankfully they didn't have any guns. God knows what he could've done to them, his trigger finger was itching.

[NewLakotah]

Kw'eh T'soh Dai
Los Angeles
Back on the ground

The helicopter ride has been a bumpy one to say the least. Kw'eh had tried to take a shot against the Dragon-Mutant, but the helicopter went into its descent a bit too fast and it rocked to much to get a clear look. He would have to wait, for the time being, however, he was quickly making himself enemy number 1 to the MISC and to Kw'eh in particular. Even Tarmo had tried to potentially kill all of them on the helicopter, so he was dropping in the esteem of Kw'eh. He seemed to talk the talk, but he still questioned Tarmo's motives an intense desire to form a "Centre" for mutants. He wasn't sure what he was getting at, but he would keep an eye out for sure. For now, though he had more important issues to deal with.

For him, the crash hadn't shaken him that much, it was a bit sketchy, but it wasn't his first crash by any stretch. But, he was still nervous. Any crash was a potentially fatal one, only the luck and skill of the pilot and Tristan's quick thinking had saved them. Now, as Tristan had pointed out, they were only a block or so away. A quick run and they would be there. He couldn't see where Tarmo had landed, but he assumed it was close by. But, his focus was on the getaway car and the mutants there. He felt a strong rumble, and gave Tristan a sideways glance of alarm. Something was happening and chances are it wasn't good. He nods to Tristan and sprints off, in the direction of the rumble. As he ran he could see the streetlights go out, all of a sudden. Some mutant seemed to be messing with the electricity. He wasn't sure what the powers were of the mutants, besides Shauna, but he didn't feel that she would pose much of a threat, at least physically, to him, though she could try and mess with his mind and cause him to stand down or something. He would keep his distance for now.

He rounded the corner and looked on the scene in front of him. The car was there, sure, but also a giant hole in the middle of the road, with one mutant standing over. Probably the cause of the ruckus, and another seemed to be under the street. Shauna and another mutant were trying to replace the car's tire. They were getting close, close enough to where they could probably get free pretty soon. He kept moving, slower now, sticking to the side of the road, still trying to figure out what to do. He didn't have any powers to face them, and shooting them would either piss them off or get MISC and whoever else in serious trouble, and Tarmo would probably bear down on him. He ducks down behind one the cars parked along the side of the road for cover, then leans out. He decides to take the risky option. He would probably regret it, but it seemed like his only option at the moment.

He leans out and takes aim, focusing in on the front wheel of the car. He sights in and fires. several times, at the front wheel, then at front of the car, trying to hit the engine. He pops up after, looking at the mutants. His gun down, trying to appear unthreatening, but his finger was tight on the trigger, ready to swing it up at the first wrong move.

"Alright guys, funs over. Your gonna fucking kill someone, an innocent person, if you don't stop. God knows you probably already have. At what cost are you really willing to go here?" He yells out.

"Alright

[Anxiety Cafe]

Jacob had somehow hoped that this confrontation wouldn't turn into an all out war with the government, but it seemed as if God had different intentions. Just as the car pulled into the road he heard a couple of gunshots, distant but still loud. Definitely sniper shots, and he could hear the screech of the car tires on the road as it skidded to a stop. It crunched against the rail on the side of the road, and Jacob himself cringed at the sound, although he could barely see it.

He didn't have time to check it, however. One of the mutants walked out, towards a nearby building with the shooter. Jacob had to turn his head towards the oncoming sound of helicopter blades. With a sigh that seemed almost regretful, Tarmo began to rise in the air, his arms shaking and the hairs on the Jacob's arm standing up. "Handle the building!" Without a second thought Jacob started his run for it, trying to ignore the long and heated argument happening between Tristan and Tarmo. As Jacob reached the mutant, the seismic quake he had been emitting had temporarily stopped. Another one of the mutants ripped open the sidewalk, and the original one began to touch the wires, noticeably becoming more powerful as the electricity sparked beneath his fingers. He wanted nothing more than to scold them, to keep them from causing any more harm. They had already angered the MISC; they didn't need them to fully come after the school before it had even started. But doing so might make the mutants rethink their decision to come with them. He didn't know much about Shauna's powers, but could they last this long?

He walked towards the mutants and decided to just make sure they didn't do anything wrong. "I'm here to help guys. But please, don't kill anyone." As if using him as a distraction, the winged mutant and shooter flew away to another building. He saw the helicopter land safely on the ground in his periphery as Tarmo's body started falling. Things couldn't get any worse, it seemed to Jacob, but then he saw an unnamed mutant propel himself onto the rooftop to Tarmo. Tempted to go after them, he instead followed the mutants, apparently 12 and 38, as they started for the car again. While he was worried about the MISC bothering them again, he was glad no one had been killed.

As if to verify his worries, he heard more gunshots. The car was done for sure, and as the mutants inside started piling out, he realized he didn't know most of their powers. The mutants that they had rescued were too fatigued to help, and the others probably had little control over their abilities. "Shauna! Run, take them with you, hotwire a car or something. Try for a bigger bus. I'll handle this!" With that, he started for Keith, who stepped out from behind his car but still had his finger on the trigger.

"Alright guys, fun's over. You're gonna fucking kill someone, an innocent person, if you don't stop. God knows you probably already have. At what cost are you really willing to go here?" he yelled out.

In response, Jacob started screaming back "Do you understand what the MISC will do to these mutants? Have they told you how they got these mutants into custody in the first place, giving them numbers instead of names and confining them? God, I thought you of all people would understand. Isn't this why you've stayed hidden for so long, instead of flaunting your power and being proclaimed a god? We can't let the government take them back, have free reign with them. I don't want to hurt people, least of all you, but I'm not letting their lives be taken away from them more."

The Amalgam had watched, frozen from above at the scene unfolding below them. A scaly man had flown up and breathed fire at the hovering helicopter they had been following, a man floating with sparks coming out of him stopping it. They heard a rumble nearby, and watched in horror as one of the people had began to hold out their hands, shaking the building as his friend ripped open to the ground and gave him access to the city's veins. The ones atop the building had flown away as motorcycles careened towards the man in front of the helicopter. He landed on a rooftop as the helicopter desperately attempted to land safely on the ground. A woman transformed into a fish and glided away from the scene as another man propelled himself to the rooftop and helped the injured man as he was carried away by another helicopter.

The triplets had been frozen, unable to move out of shock and disunity. What they could do in such horror and violence? They decided to hover above the fish-girl, who seemed around their age and the most approachable. They hit the ground right behind her, holding up their hands so as not to startle her. In their form, they seemed like a young version of their father, but it was always dangerous when an unknown man came out of nowhere behind a girl.

"Hey," they spoke, somehow knowing what to say in unity. "We're trying to help, somehow. I figure we should hang around each other and help each other out if we can?" With that they split, introducing themselves individually and attempting to appear nonthreatening. Laura, however, walked straight up to her and stuck out her hand. "My brothers are too shy to say, but we shouldn't be alone during a crisis like this, especially not during what looks to be a war between mutants. You protect us, and we'll help you out. You up for it?"

[The Last Magic]

Lynn jumped as some people came up beside her. She stared at the outstretched hand. "Me?" she said in a surprisingly calm voice. "Protect you? I don't think that will work. I've never been in battle or anything of the sort." She didn't make a move to shake the hand, because she wasn't even sure if this was a good deal. "What- who are you?" Hey, if anything went wrong, she could come up with something. A sea snake and electric eel came to mind.

[Talchyon]

A deserted city road
Shauna Marks (aka "Lady Lang")

Kw'eh T'soh Dai
Los Angeles
Back on the ground

The helicopter ride has been a bumpy one to say the least. Kw'eh had tried to take a shot against the Dragon-Mutant, but the helicopter went into its descent a bit too fast and it rocked to much to get a clear look. He would have to wait, for the time being, however, he was quickly making himself enemy number 1 to the MISC and to Kw'eh in particular. Even Tarmo had tried to potentially kill all of them on the helicopter, so he was dropping in the esteem of Kw'eh. He seemed to talk the talk, but he still questioned Tarmo's motives an intense desire to form a "Centre" for mutants. He wasn't sure what he was getting at, but he would keep an eye out for sure. For now, though he had more important issues to deal with.

For him, the crash hadn't shaken him that much, it was a bit sketchy, but it wasn't his first crash by any stretch. But, he was still nervous. Any crash was a potentially fatal one, only the luck and skill of the pilot and Tristan's quick thinking had saved them. Now, as Tristan had pointed out, they were only a block or so away. A quick run and they would be there. He couldn't see where Tarmo had landed, but he assumed it was close by. But, his focus was on the getaway car and the mutants there. He felt a strong rumble, and gave Tristan a sideways glance of alarm. Something was happening and chances are it wasn't good. He nods to Tristan and sprints off, in the direction of the rumble. As he ran he could see the streetlights go out, all of a sudden. Some mutant seemed to be messing with the electricity. He wasn't sure what the powers were of the mutants, besides Shauna, but he didn't feel that she would pose much of a threat, at least physically, to him, though she could try and mess with his mind and cause him to stand down or something. He would keep his distance for now.

He rounded the corner and looked on the scene in front of him. The car was there, sure, but also a giant hole in the middle of the road, with one mutant standing over. Probably the cause of the ruckus, and another seemed to be under the street. Shauna and another mutant were trying to replace the car's tire. They were getting close, close enough to where they could probably get free pretty soon. He kept moving, slower now, sticking to the side of the road, still trying to figure out what to do. He didn't have any powers to face them, and shooting them would either piss them off or get MISC and whoever else in serious trouble, and Tarmo would probably bear down on him. He ducks down behind one the cars parked along the side of the road for cover, then leans out. He decides to take the risky option. He would probably regret it, but it seemed like his only option at the moment.

He leans out and takes aim, focusing in on the front wheel of the car. He sights in and fires. several times, at the front wheel, then at front of the car, trying to hit the engine. He pops up after, looking at the mutants. His gun down, trying to appear unthreatening, but his finger was tight on the trigger, ready to swing it up at the first wrong move.

"Alright guys, funs over. Your gonna fucking kill someone, an innocent person, if you don't stop. God knows you probably already have. At what cost are you really willing to go here?" He yells out.

"Alright

This close. The spare tire was on and three of the five lugnuts were in place and tight. She had been trying to get the fourth one on, and then awful exploding sounds and a rush of air near her. And she let out a shriek she wasn't expecting. Shauna gasped, and tried to get her breath. What appeared before her startled eyes was the front tire blown out, and fresh bullet holes in the front of her car! And she was still paying the loan back!

Fear mixed with righteous anger took hold of her, and she foolishly turned around, not even thinking that the armed gunman could be waiting to fire on the next thing that moved. But she couldn't help it. Her car! And maybe he hadn't been trying to hit the car. Maybe he had been trying to hit her!

What she expected to see was not what she saw. She expected some government agent with his gun drawn and talking into a radio mike to send in the cavalry. And instead? It was Keith. The first mutant besides herself that she had ever met. Keith had his gun drawn, and his finger was on the trigger. In a regular situation, Shauna would have been afraid. But with all the emotions of the day, plus the fact that her car was out of commission for who knows how long, at the hands of a man she thought was a friend? Righteous anger swallowed up any fear that was remaining.

She shouted at Keith. "You SHOT my car? I'm still paying for that!" She knew she could manipulate Keith's emotions - she'd done it before. Shauna wanted Keith to feel the absolute worst at what he had done, and that he owed her big-time.

Speaking again to Keith, she said, "Remember? You and I are not against each other, Keith! You need to put your gun down, and let us get out of here. Or help us get out of here." Again, word power full to the max - she wanted Keith to feel absolutely guilty and ashamed at destroying her car and keeping them from going. And again, like he owed her big time.

Meanwhile, whispering to the others who had gotten out of the car, but unable to whisper to the concrete shaper and power converter guy, Shauna whispered, "When he drops his gun - and he will - we're running. That way." She nodded her head in the general direction away from the landed helicopter. "Maybe look for a convenient place we can drop out of sight." And all the while, she was using her emotion-manipulating words to make them feel quite agreeable.

[NewLakotah]

Kw'eh T'soh Dai/Keith Dai
Los Angeles
Face-Off

Jacob, one of the mutants that he had fought side by side with, including with MISC, at the airport, turned back himself and yelled right back.

“Do you understand what the MISC will do to these mutants? Have they told you how they got these mutants into custody in the first place, giving them numbers instead of names and confining them? God, I thought you of all people would understand. Isn't this why you've stayed hidden for so long, instead of flaunting your power and being proclaimed a god? We can't let the government take them back, have free reign with them. I don't want to hurt people, least of all you, but I'm not letting their lives be taken away from them more." Jacob yelled at him. He had nerve, Kw’eh had to give him that.

“I’m not a god. I don’t have fucking powers like you! I just have this curse! Your friends here… they’ve killed people. That’s a criminal offense. You are harbouring killers. They have to be taken in and arrested, and obviously no police can handle that. If there is one thing that I do know, is that power corrupts, especially when its just fuckin’ given to them, and not earned.”

They didn’t seem to be backing down at all. Instead they seemed ready to pounce at a moment’s notice. He gripped the M4 tightly, prepared to go down fighting. He knew he stood zero chance against mutants, but he would give it his best shot at least. He was already filled with emotions of anger, fear and frustration, as Shauna turned around, a look of righteous fury on her face.

"You SHOT my car? I'm still paying for that!" She yelled at him. Oops. He didn’t know it was her car, a feeling of guilt shot through him.

"Remember? You and I are not against each other, Keith! You need to put your gun down, and let us get out of here. Or help us get out of here." She kept yelling.

“I’ll… pay it off, sorry, I didn’t know it was your car…. And tell that to Tarmo! He almost killed us not 5 minutes ago! Are you willing to kill, Shauna?” He yelled back, the feeling of guilt rising sharply through him, He grimaced. His finger drifting off of the trigger. He tried to remain focused in, but the guilt level in him was rising too fast, too much emotion and anger and guilt rising in him. He tosses the M4 down.
Guilt wasn’t the only emotion he was feeling. Other emotions, more primal, were boiling within him. Anger and fear. Mixed with the rising guilt, he gasping out, as if trying to fight off the emotions. As if at war with himself. Shauna’s mind trick and triggered something in his brain, something stored deep for the past 130 years. The surge of guilt from years of combat, people that he couldn’t save, people who had died so he could live, surged through him. Images of his family. It was incredibly long ago, but the surge of emotion triggering his memory, making it clearly vivid in his mind. The guilt pressing down on him hard. He could see their faces, his wife and daughter, ever so clearly, as if he had seen them only yesterday. The images of his guilt and their dead bodies sticking in his mind.

He drops down to one knee, the guilt emotions being overridden by the more pressing pure raw anger and fear that spread through him. He balls up his fist and slams it hard into the car next to him, leaving a huge dent in the side. The feeling of anger seemingly overriding the feelings of guilt now. He was a soldier, dammit! Stop thinking and just do! Complete the mission. His hand clutches the rosary around his neck, muttering softly to himself, “Ava Maria, Gratia Plena, Dominus tecum…”

He stops, his breathing more easy and relaxed. He stands back and pulls out a cigarette and lights it up. He glances up at the sky and makes the sign of the cross softly. He takes a few steps forward and smiles. In a second his reaches back and pulls his Colt .45 Peacemaker out and cocks back the hammer.

“I’ll call your bluff, Shauna. Are you willing to kill me? You can go wherever you want Shauna, I don’t care. So can you Jacob. Like you said, I have no fight with you. But I have a job to do, right now. I’m not going to kill them the 3 escapees, Lord knows I probably can’t. But I will try to stop them. No matter what. How far are you willing to take this?”

[Zjaum]

Tristan's first, and practically only, thought as he watched the scene was, Why the hell did I decide to give mutants guns? He was going to be stuck with hours of paperwork, and dozens of press conferences, and probably a government panel or two. He couldn't hide the bullet holes and massive concrete walls from making news. Sheesh. His instinct both forced him to pull out his pistol and restrained him from firing immediately. It wasn't pointed at anyone in particular, but it was a reasonable insurance.

He listened to the spat between Keith, Shauna, and Jacob. Always nice to have the old team back together again. After letting each individual speak their mind, Tristan spoke up. He didn't get paid to shy away from dangerous people, after all. He hoped and prayed that the psychic inhibitor finally worked this time. He stepped between the three of them, but not in the path of Keith's firearm. "All right, all of you. Keith, hold your fire or I will take that gun back. I know you all are logical people; I've worked with you before. I didn't expect you all to snap so easily, but I guess none of you have trained for this kind of thing before."

He turned to 38, who alongside 12 had timidly walked up to the group, hesitant to approach their former supervisor but encouraged by the new friends they'd made. This was the first time that he could actually see the young mutants' faces since Christmas Eve, let alone talk to them. Now was not the time for formal salutations, however, and Tristan addressed them like a schoolteacher. "You. 38. You killed someone, at that has consequences. The evidence of your involvement is legitimately everywhere, and if I let you go, the United States will probably never stop hunting you. All of you. Now, 12, you and 67 can go with your new friends if you'd like. [turning to Shauna] As much as I'd hate sending someone as powerful as 12 away, it's the best, and least, I can do. I have some requests as to how you should handle someone like 12 to prevent this further, but that's for another time. Tearing up a power line is much easier to cover, especially considering all the other destruction around here. Now, those are my terms. I have full authority to negotiate on this matter, but the people I report to want to see that we're actually doing something. Is that fair?"

38 looked around, stopping with 12. That brief moment of confidence and leadership was gone, and he returned to the timidity and hesitation that he previously had. 38 spoke. "So, what's jail like?"

Nick, noticing that the guns had stopped firing, had approached the tense conversation with the other mutants driving with him. He'd heard and agreed to Shauna's instructions, but it didn't seem like anyone would be lowering their guns anytime soon. When he overheard 38's question, he spoke up. "Prison is essentially where you're kept in a small room and detained for a certain number of years. Food and clothing are all provided."

"So, like the Resort?"

Tristan interrupted, much more blunt this time. "Considerably less cushy than the resort. Considering the level of security in the prison, you'd only be able to see your friends online."

"But I'd still see my friends?"

"Well, online, sure." Tristan knew that, for the conversation to be productive, 38 would have to want to go back. He didn't seem to be as rebellious as he was in the past, so this should be easier.

All the meanwhile, Tristan was on high alert. Knowing the capability of any of the people (not to mention the dragon and his friend, wherever the hell they were) around him to snap at any given moment, he knew that it was equally as likely that everyone walks home satisfied and that the circle of people around him would erupt into a fireball, in the middle of which he stood precariously. He relaxed his grip on the pistol but refused to lower it. He hoped to God that nothing happened, but his luck wasn't running high that day.

[Talchyon]

Kw'eh T'soh Dai/Keith Dai
Los Angeles
Face-Off

They didn’t seem to be backing down at all. Instead they seemed ready to pounce at a moment’s notice. He gripped the M4 tightly, prepared to go down fighting. He knew he stood zero chance against mutants, but he would give it his best shot at least. He was already filled with emotions of anger, fear and frustration, as Shauna turned around, a look of righteous fury on her face.

"You SHOT my car? I'm still paying for that!" She yelled at him. Oops. He didn’t know it was her car, a feeling of guilt shot through him.

"Remember? You and I are not against each other, Keith! You need to put your gun down, and let us get out of here. Or help us get out of here." She kept yelling.

“I’ll… pay it off, sorry, I didn’t know it was your car…. And tell that to Tarmo! He almost killed us not 5 minutes ago! Are you willing to kill, Shauna?” He yelled back, the feeling of guilt rising sharply through him, He grimaced. His finger drifting off of the trigger. He tried to remain focused in, but the guilt level in him was rising too fast, too much emotion and anger and guilt rising in him. He tosses the M4 down.
Guilt wasn’t the only emotion he was feeling. Other emotions, more primal, were boiling within him. Anger and fear. Mixed with the rising guilt, he gasping out, as if trying to fight off the emotions. As if at war with himself. Shauna’s mind trick and triggered something in his brain, something stored deep for the past 130 years. The surge of guilt from years of combat, people that he couldn’t save, people who had died so he could live, surged through him. Images of his family. It was incredibly long ago, but the surge of emotion triggering his memory, making it clearly vivid in his mind. The guilt pressing down on him hard. He could see their faces, his wife and daughter, ever so clearly, as if he had seen them only yesterday. The images of his guilt and their dead bodies sticking in his mind.

He drops down to one knee, the guilt emotions being overridden by the more pressing pure raw anger and fear that spread through him. He balls up his fist and slams it hard into the car next to him, leaving a huge dent in the side. The feeling of anger seemingly overriding the feelings of guilt now. He was a soldier, dammit! Stop thinking and just do! Complete the mission. His hand clutches the rosary around his neck, muttering softly to himself, “Ava Maria, Gratia Plena, Dominus tecum…”

What had she done? All Shauna wanted was for her... well, she thought Keith was a friend but friends usually don't draw guns at you and shoot your car. And yet she still liked him and respected him. It was complicated. But all she wanted was for Keith to just feel a little bad that he had damaged her car and just let them all go. That's why she thought making him feel guilty about it was a good move.

But she saw Keith's face writhe in inner agony and self-despising, with a vengeful conscience that was breathing nothing but accusation against him. Even as he tossed his weapon down, his face betrayed the torment inside. Shauna thought she was feeling just as horrible as Keith was. Whatever she had done with her words were destroying him! And it was painfully hard to watch. She was agonizing inside herself, as well, at what kind of a person she was to do this kind of thing to anyone! But words failed her. Tears came to her eyes, and she couldn't keep them out.

Keith... Please forgive me...

He stops, his breathing more easy and relaxed. He stands back and pulls out a cigarette and lights it up. He glances up at the sky and makes the sign of the cross softly. He takes a few steps forward and smiles. In a second his reaches back and pulls his Colt .45 Peacemaker out and cocks back the hammer.

“I’ll call your bluff, Shauna. Are you willing to kill me? You can go wherever you want Shauna, I don’t care. So can you Jacob. Like you said, I have no fight with you. But I have a job to do, right now. I’m not going to kill them the 3 escapees, Lord knows I probably can’t. But I will try to stop them. No matter what. How far are you willing to take this?”

And just as painfully as he bent down on one knee, with the whole weight of a conscience that was at least two tons, Shauna felt something inside her yield. It was too much. Yet Keith was standing. He made the sign of the cross, just as she thought she heard prayers in Latin. It opened up a new wound in her. He did that because of what she had done. Even though she had not meant to do it, it was still done the same as if she put every ounce of her will into it.

Keith drawing another gun, readied it and aimed it at her. And Shauna was distraught. She deserved what he was to do. She thought she was a good person, but her character had been tested and proved otherwise. And Keith thought she wanted to kill him?! No! She whimpered out, "Keith, I don't want to kill you at all. I didn't want to do this! I didn't know!" No emotion-causing words this time. Nothing but what anyone else could say. The last thing she wanted was to manipulate people to stop hating her if she deserved it.

Then he said she could go, and Jacob too, but the other three he was going to stop them, or die trying. She didn't want Keith's blood on her hands!! She didn't want to turn these 3 misunderstood laboratory rat mutants thrown back to the wolves, either! More tears flowed out, and Shauna didn't even try to dry them. What could she do? Watch her friend - "I guess Keith is a friend" - get killed? Maybe she would die in the process, too? Have more people like her kept in a vat and have everything personal about them taken away? She felt so cold, so alone, so heavy with accusations against her. And she couldn't answer. She just bent down sobbing, with her hands in her face.

He listened to the spat between Keith, Shauna, and Jacob. Always nice to have the old team back together again. After letting each individual speak their mind, Tristan spoke up. He didn't get paid to shy away from dangerous people, after all. He hoped and prayed that the psychic inhibitor finally worked this time. He stepped between the three of them, but not in the path of Keith's firearm. "All right, all of you. Keith, hold your fire or I will take that gun back. I know you all are logical people; I've worked with you before. I didn't expect you all to snap so easily, but I guess none of you have trained for this kind of thing before."

He turned to 38, who alongside 12 had timidly walked up to the group, hesitant to approach their former supervisor but encouraged by the new friends they'd made. This was the first time that he could actually see the young mutants' faces since Christmas Eve, let alone talk to them. Now was not the time for formal salutations, however, and Tristan addressed them like a schoolteacher. "You. 38. You killed someone, at that has consequences. The evidence of your involvement is legitimately everywhere, and if I let you go, the United States will probably never stop hunting you. All of you. Now, 12, you and 67 can go with your new friends if you'd like. [turning to Shauna] As much as I'd hate sending someone as powerful as 12 away, it's the best, and least, I can do. I have some requests as to how you should handle someone like 12 to prevent this further, but that's for another time. Tearing up a power line is much easier to cover, especially considering all the other destruction around here. Now, those are my terms. I have full authority to negotiate on this matter, but the people I report to want to see that we're actually doing something. Is that fair?"

38 looked around, stopping with 12. That brief moment of confidence and leadership was gone, and he returned to the timidity and hesitation that he previously had. 38 spoke. "So, what's jail like?"

Nick, noticing that the guns had stopped firing, had approached the tense conversation with the other mutants driving with him. He'd heard and agreed to Shauna's instructions, but it didn't seem like anyone would be lowering their guns anytime soon. When he overheard 38's question, he spoke up. "Prison is essentially where you're kept in a small room and detained for a certain number of years. Food and clothing are all provided."

"So, like the Resort?"

Tristan interrupted, much more blunt this time. "Considerably less cushy than the resort. Considering the level of security in the prison, you'd only be able to see your friends online."

"But I'd still see my friends?"

"Well, online, sure." Tristan knew that, for the conversation to be productive, 38 would have to want to go back. He didn't seem to be as rebellious as he was in the past, so this should be easier.

All the meanwhile, Tristan was on high alert. Knowing the capability of any of the people (not to mention the dragon and his friend, wherever the hell they were) around him to snap at any given moment, he knew that it was equally as likely that everyone walks home satisfied and that the circle of people around him would erupt into a fireball, in the middle of which he stood precariously. He relaxed his grip on the pistol but refused to lower it. He hoped to God that nothing happened, but his luck wasn't running high that day.

When her world was spinning out of control at the thought that she had almost destroyed a person - a friend? - from the inside without trying, all of a sudden, Mr. Tristan showed up in the middle. Trying to separate her and her group. Trying to make peace where peace had long been ripped to shreds. With an offer.

Through the clouds of guilt in her head, and all the thoughts running through her head and pulling at her, she half-heard the offer Tristan said. Something about one of the three escaped mutants going to prison for murder(?!), and the others being part of the Center. She could hardly believe her ears, at least, if the mental daze she was in let her hear Mr. Tristan correctly. Murder? No one had told her that this unknown lab rat mutant had committed murder. She had come in late to the conversation, and only caught the last bit of what Tarmo was saying on the phone when they had gone off after the mutants. No one had said anything about murder. They said here were three escapees, raised their whole lives as test subjects, robbed of their names, their hopes and their chances of doing anything fulfilling. But murder? And she was trying to help him? If Shauna was disoriented before, now she was staggering in her mind. What kind of person was she?

When Tristan gave the offer, though Shauna was in no condition to make decisions for herself let alone anyone else, she simply nodded. She'd take it. Hopefully the rest would too.

Hopefully Keith would forgive her...

[NewLakotah]

Kw'eh T'soh Dai/Keith Dai (Red Wolf)
Los Angeles


The tension level had risen right after Kw’eh speech. His apparent struggle and speech had apparently heavily affected Shauna who was in tears. He still had his gun in his hand, ready to fight at a moments notice. He had always liked Shauna. She had always seemed caring and a good type of person. He wasn’t sure about the rest of the group, and he was still battling through his emotions as Shauna cried out again through her tears.

"Keith, I don't want to kill you at all. I didn't want to do this! I didn't know!"

The words cut through his anger and guilt like a dagger, clearing his brain even more. He blinked. His gun was still at his side. The raw emotion from Shauna outweighing his own personal feelings. He felt he had stepped to far, gone too far with his threats. The 3 other mutants and Jacob were still there, but Kw’eh hardly even noticed them, he was too stunned into silence. He suddenly saw Tristan step in between them. Kw’eh kept his gun along his side still cocked and ready to go. He listened as he told Kw’eh off about his gun handling. Kw’eh shot him a death glare, before Tristan began spelling out his deal to the mutants. Only take in the murderer Mutant and let the other two be held by the mutants at the center.

Kw’eh waves his Peacemaker at Tristan. “I brought this one from home, this ain’t yours. You can take yours back.” He quips out, interrupting the silence as the two sides.

The Center Team seemed to generally agree to it, with Shauna seemingly still reeling, hardly able to answer. Kw’eh felt truly sorry for her. First he had shot her car, then pulled a gun out, sure he didn’t point it at her, or even want to kill her or anything, but, nonetheless it wasn’t exactly a friendly thing to do. As the tensions seemed to calm down, Kw’eh holstered his pistol and stood up straight. He glanced at Tristan and then back at Shauna. He moved over to her, slowly. Not sure exactly what to say to someone in this state. He wasn’t sure exactly what to say in general, he had shot up her car and well, had a slight mental breakdown, and then proceeded to pull out a second gun.

He puts his hand down on her shoulder and raises her up a bit, trying to smile softly. In his other hand he offers her a cigarette, he wasn’t sure that she smoked, probably unlikely, but he thought the offer and the nerve might be a good gesture at least. He notices that this hands were still shaky as hell, he hand with the cigarettes bruised and slightly bloody from slamming his fist into a car. He tries to hide it, and fails. His hand still noticeably rattling the cigarettes in the carton.

“Hey… I am sorry about the car. I was serious. I will pay for it. And… I… I wasn’t going to kill you. I mighta lost my head a bit, but… I mean it, I never wanted to kill you.” He says softly. Unsure exactly what response to expect, but he hoped at least to try and smooth things over between them.

[River Tree]

TJ nodded to Giovanni, quickly picking him up and flying upwards. She saw that it wasn't an earthquake shaking the building, but to be honest, the helicopter scared her more than anything else. She wasn't sure which direction to go, so she flew a few buildings away where they had a quick access point if they wanted to go back, as well as the fact that it was a block or so away from the fighting. TJ watched the helicopter anxiously, almost any flying weapon made her nervous. She always thought they were coming for her, even though she knew it was an irrational fear. She tried to focus on something to help calm her down , but the only thing coming to her mind was that she hadn't introduced herself to Giovanni. "My name is TJ, by the way." She said, crouched on the edge of the buildings roof as she watched the fight.

Giovanni Serrano

Gio nodded back as she brought both of them far away from them, the mutants, and the helicopter. Sadly, there are few things he could do to the helicopter or the mutants. His mutant powers are fairly mundane and uncharacteristically normal for mutant. "Aw, mate, the helicopter's so far and we cannot do anything," he mentioned it sadly in the tone of his voice. He reloaded his rifle and checked the surroundings. "Well, at least we're safe for now, TJ," as he nodded to her mentioning of her own name.

"Let me call my valet and have him picked us up on the street and go somewhere safer. I have my own car and a driver. You want to join, TJ?"

TJ nervously shook her head. "Thanks for the offer, but I can just take my car. I'd like to see how this plays out." She said, gesturing towards the group on the ground. She wasn't quite sure she trusted Gio enough to take a ride in his car, and she really was interested in how things would end. "I can take you to ground level if you'd like, but there are some things I'd like to do before leaving. Like getting my bag back from that agent. I was stupid to leave it. She leaned out to the point where gravity should have pulled her off the building, but held her wings out to catch the updrafts and keep her from falling.

[Bycrest]

Max was very annoyed by everyone trying to knock him out of the sky. Sure he attacked the helicopter that probably had some of their friends in it, but Max didn't know that. He avoided any attacks that came his way and broke off higher into the sky to wait things out. Max paid close attention to the falling helicopter as they managed to land safely and get out. Not really caring if they survived, Max landed on a nearby building to watch how things unfolded. Soon enough his patience was rewarded as the three mutants eventually showed up again. To Max's surprise however, there was no fighting between the mutants and MISC, it seemed like they were talking things out. Max couldn't stand the thought of those mutants getting away while his business was ruined and one of his favorite customers was killed, some kind of payback was necessary.

Throwing caution to the wind and having had enough time to fully develop into his dragonic form, Max dove straight in between both groups. He rose from the crater he formed in the ground, looking more like a demon from hell than man anymore. "I will not stand by and let the crime against me go unpunished. Someone is paying for the life of my patron and the damages to my bar, even if it has to be in blood." Max declared as he looked around at everyone present, his eyes locking on 38. If looks could kill, 38 would have been erased from existence right were he stood. He continued looking around and said to no one in particular, "So are we going to do this the easy way, or the hard way?"

[Altito Asmoro]

Giovanni Serrano

Gio nodded back as she brought both of them far away from them, the mutants, and the helicopter. Sadly, there are few things he could do to the helicopter or the mutants. His mutant powers are fairly mundane and uncharacteristically normal for mutant. "Aw, mate, the helicopter's so far and we cannot do anything," he mentioned it sadly in the tone of his voice. He reloaded his rifle and checked the surroundings. "Well, at least we're safe for now, TJ," as he nodded to her mentioning of her own name.

"Let me call my valet and have him picked us up on the street and go somewhere safer. I have my own car and a driver. You want to join, TJ?"

TJ nervously shook her head. "Thanks for the offer, but I can just take my car. I'd like to see how this plays out." She said, gesturing towards the group on the ground. She wasn't quite sure she trusted Gio enough to take a ride in his car, and she really was interested in how things would end. "I can take you to ground level if you'd like, but there are some things I'd like to do before leaving. Like getting my bag back from that agent. I was stupid to leave it. She leaned out to the point where gravity should have pulled her off the building, but held her wings out to catch the updrafts and keep her from falling.

Giovanni Serrano

Giovanni shrugged, "Alright, suit yourself, chao," as Giovanni went down from the building and into his car. Well, someone drove it for him. His butler and chauffeur. A fellow mutant, too. Illusion-type weapons, former street magician. Well, until he escaped from Canada since the Canadian government about to captured him for their own use. He's a bit traumatic about his mutation powers and never use it unless for self-defense. "Where to, Sir?" asked John to Giovanni. He was annoyed.

"Don't call me, Sir, John. I'm not your master or lord. Go to the location where that helicopter crashed-ish," as he put off his rifle to his side and picked a military-grade sniper rifle he brought on. "I have something to be solved with."

"And we'll stay in this car and act accordingly."

---

Suzuki Hashimoto

Meanwhile, Suzuki lied with the other agents, exhausted.

[Zjaum]

Tristan looked on as he watched the two friends break out in tears. He could handle bomb threats, psychos, and dragon-people, but crying was one of the few things he couldn't handle. He lowered his gun and stepped back into the circle, glad at least that the situation had deviated to the more peaceful route. While one of the college mutants in the back raised his hand to protest, he knew better than to interrupt the adults. He turned to the young mutants. "It's good to see you three again."

"I wish I could say the same," retorted 12, the last remnants of his rebellion making one final push. Tristan chose to ignore the comment and focused on the other folks in the circle. "Don't worry about paying for the car, Keith. With the millions of dollars of damage caused, I'm fairly certain that we... I... can fit Shauna's car in with all the expenses. Bureaucracy is an amazing thing."

Speaking of expenses and compensation, it was at this moment that the dragon-man plopped down into the middle of the group. Tristan's instinct kicked in again, and he lifted his pistol.

"I will not stand by and let the crime against me go unpunished. Someone is paying for the life of my patron and the damages to my bar, even if it has to be in blood." Max declared as he looked around at everyone present, his eyes locking on 38. If looks could kill, 38 would have been erased from existence right were he stood. He continued looking around and said to no one in particular, "So are we going to do this the easy way, or the hard way?"

38 had felt the humility of getting caught, but now the true weight of his crimes began to set in. He shuffled his shoes, uncomfortable with the gaze given by the bartender. "Look, I'm sorry-"

"The person responsible is going to jail," interrupted Tristan, calmly nodding to 38 to tell him that he would take charge. "I know you're upset, but justice is served. Brand new roads are a given, of course. I'm sorry for your loss, but I'm certain we can find new loyal customers. How about a government-sponsored advertisement campaign? I'm sure that that would work."

38 was hesitant at first to join Tristan. He looked around, finding no support from his friends but somehow a calmness that everything was settled. He slowly walked around the perimeter of the circle, avoiding the gaze of his plaintiff, to the side of Tristan. Somehow, even though he knew that Tristan didn't have any powers, he would protect him. Perhaps that did make him a father figure to him. 38 pondered at this new revelation, just distracted enough to separate himself from the situation for a moment.

Tristan lowered his pistol but maintained his stance, watching the other gentleman approach in a car, with a noticeably different rifle than the one he was lent. "Don't forget the damage you caused to our helicopter. We can let that slide, but don't push us. That helicopter is probably worth about as much as your bar." He turned on his radio. "All right, Sevenson, we're going to need to wrap things up. Get everyone back to the hotel." He turned back to the rest of the group. "I'm certain there're a lot of new faces here who would be just as interested in us as we are of them."


"Yessir," Sevenson responded. For the past few minutes, the MISC left behind were working hard to mollify the situation, calming patrons and the few terrified passers-by left in the area. Sevenson sent two helicopters in the air with the express purpose of collecting eyewitnesses and participants. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a couple, one hovering over the other. While they didn't act like eyewitnesses, at least one (probably both) of them was clearly a mutant. After sending out the helicopters, he walked over to the two. "Hello. My name is William Sevenson. I'm with the Mutant Intelligence and Security Corps. You didn't see what happened at the bar, perchance? At any rate, we'd love to have a word with the both of you back at our headquarters. I'm sure you have a lot of questions, and we're here to help." He finished with a smile.


One of the helicopters lowered next to TJ's rooftop. It was filled to the brim with eyewitnesses, with room for only one more. One of the agents shouted out from the helicopter after it made landing. "Hey, you're the mutant who helped with the problem, right? You did a lot of good today! I believe you left a bag with us!"

He tossed TJ's pack over to her. While she could fly, she probably wanted a break. "We'd like to have a word with you! Don't worry; you're not in trouble! Hop aboard?"


The paramedic, assuming that part of Ace's statement was directed at him, was satisfied with Ace's offer for help, but there wasn't much that an average Joe do in a situation like this, even if Joe was a mutant. "Thanks, but we can handle this. We're professionals."

One of the paramedics at the ambulance helicopter received a call. He picked it up. "Hello?... Who are you? How did you get this number?... Ah, I see. All right, I'll tell him." He hung up and turned to Ace. "There's a group of people who'd like to commend you for your efforts. If you're interested, we're authorized to take you there after we drop off this guy over here."

Tarmo had struggled to respond, but as he was loaded onto the helicopter, he spoke up. "Children... is young mutants passed by here... is okay, all is well, perhaps..." With that, Tarmo passed out. The paramedics were quick to resuscitate him before offering Ace a chance to ride inside the helicopter.

[Altito Asmoro]

Tristan lowered his pistol but maintained his stance, watching the other gentleman approach in a car, with a noticeably different rifle than the one he was lent. "Don't forget the damage you caused to our helicopter. We can let that slide, but don't push us. That helicopter is probably worth about as much as your bar." He turned on his radio. "All right, Sevenson, we're going to need to wrap things up. Get everyone back to the hotel." He turned back to the rest of the group. "I'm certain there're a lot of new faces here who would be just as interested in us as we are of them."

Giovanni Serrano

"I see that you've take the problems resolved very well, Agent Tristan," as he glanced around him. Well, time to make it short. "Well, then, I'm going to make this conversation brief. How do you think about me joining the MISC as well? I can provide the financial and connections aid. I'm sure that my mutations aren't quite compared to the rest of you, so I assume financial and connections are needed. My connections extend to the underworld and some....mutants that I know of as well."

"The Center is too dangerous to be kept free, I'd like to help. Anything."

[Anxiety Cafe]

To Jacob's surprise, Shauna didn't run. Well, actually, she ran towards Jacob and Keith, starting to scream at Keith about her car. After getting all his feelings out, Jacob realized the true reason he was helping the Center was because the government, no matter how good their intentions, almost always screwed things up. Not that they had much better judgement, but the Center could skip all the bureaucracy and politics, acting when needed and protecting mutants that needed help. And Keith, no matter how good his intentions, was working against that. Shauna was working her magic on him, and Jacob saw Keith stumble clutching at a necklace and praying. But his eyes flared and his resolve strengthened, and he stood in the path of their escape once again. Jacob was ready to shoot a bolt, even though he knew he probably wouldn't have the guts.

Tristan, seeming to come out of nowhere, entered the situation, stepping between the three and attempting to defuse it. He offered a deal, in which 38 would go to prison while the other two would go to the Center. To Jacob, it seemed more than fair, especially considering the mutants had been under government captivity. But Shauna began to sob, deep and from within, tears still at the corner of her eyes as she listened to Tristan's proposition. Before any of them could answer, however, dust clouded their vision. Jacob heard animalistic growling and a guttural yell. Definitely a threat, and coming from the dragon man, more dragon-like than Jacob had ever seen him. Wary of his presence and fearing for his life, Jacob took a step back, but tensed the muscles in his arm as he prepared to shoot a bolt.

Once again, Tristan saved the day convincing 38 to come with him and the rest of the Center's group to come with him. Jacob was reluctant, and found comfort in the fact that the other two mutants were as well. But they didn't have much of a choice without transportation or Tarmo, so he began to follow. As he did, he thought about everything that had happened. He felt bad for 38, and felt that the MISC should've honored their deal, but he also knew that taking life from someone has dire consequences. Conflicted, he wondered who had really been in the right. The Center had been attempting to protect mutants, but the government was protecting innocent civilians. He began to remember a report Tristan had shown them, at the beginning of their journey, from a professor: "These mutants aren't even human, by many definitions. We are dealing with, quite literally, a completely new animal. The sooner you understand that, congressman, the sooner we can focus on a solution." And he began to debate his own humanity.

Laura just blinked in surprise as the girl responded, saying "Protect you? I don't think that will work. I've never been in battle or anything of the sort." It definitely wasn't the answer she expected as she slowly put her hand down. "I'm Laura, and these are my brothers, Sebastian and Sean." They both gave sort of a half wave in response, before Sebastian started "We don't know you, and you don't know us, but with all that's going on I figure it's good to have some friends. Especially with all this chaos. What do you think?"

Before she had time to respond, however, Sean had realized something was distinctly off. It took him a while to put his finger on it, but he no longer heard the whir of helicopters, the distant echoes of voices, the screeches of cars. All he could hear was the background murmur of the crowd. The chaos had stopped, which meant at least one of the groups would come for the young mutants. As if to confirm this thought, they heard footsteps, and the triplets just glanced worriedly at each other before forming their Amalgam form, hovering over the other mutant. A voice yelled "Hello. My name is William Sevenson. I'm with the Mutant Intelligence and Security Corps. You didn't see what happened at the bar, perchance? At any rate, we'd love to have a word with the both of you back at our headquarters. I'm sure you have a lot of questions, and we're here to help."

The tripled could feel their own individual battles over what to do. "Are you with the government?" they responded, timidly. Out of everything that had happened, the government was probably the most trustworthy. The other mutant still hadn't responded and they decided it would be up to them to see what would happen. One thing they thought in unison, however, was that they had to stay in the Analgam until they could get back to the hotel. They had to protect their identity.

[The Last Magic]

Lynn jumped in surprise as the triplets became one person. Just when you think you've seen it all...
"Sorry, I have no idea what happened." she said, turning to the new entry. "and you didn't answer his question. Are you with the government?" If this was a government agent, maybe she would be better off going with them. If not, she likely couldn't trust them. Lynn decided to act like a normal human that had just been standing on the sidelines. Maybe she could even conjure up an excuse to watch him and the triplets from afar. "Erm, I'd love to talk with you, but I left my, um, umbrella back there, so..." She slowly backed away, but once she was a fair distance she hightailed it to where she had seen her umbrella last.
Picking it up, Lynn opened the umbrella. The sun felt much more pleasant with this. She began walking back towards Amalgam at a steady pace, slow enough to maybe catch some conversation.

[Talchyon]

The aftermath in the street
Shauna Marks (aka "Lady Lang")

Trying to concentrate on regulated breathing, Shauna still felt like a wreck inside. Causing her friend to reach his breaking point - and not meaning to do it - had done a number on her. And no doubt, the emergency fire sprinklers in her tear ducts hadn't helped her standing with others. Most likely, they saw her as weak. Which, all honestly, was exactly how she felt now. Weak and pathetic.

"Get a grip, Shauna. Don't let them see you as weak." She tried whispering the words to herself. But as it was, she was one of the few people that her words had no effect on. The words sounded hollow even on her quivering lips.

Kw'eh T'soh Dai/Keith Dai (Red Wolf)
Los Angeles

The tension level had risen right after Kw’eh speech. His apparent struggle and speech had apparently heavily affected Shauna who was in tears. He still had his gun in his hand, ready to fight at a moments notice. He had always liked Shauna. She had always seemed caring and a good type of person. He wasn’t sure about the rest of the group, and he was still battling through his emotions as Shauna cried out again through her tears.

"Keith, I don't want to kill you at all. I didn't want to do this! I didn't know!"

The words cut through his anger and guilt like a dagger, clearing his brain even more. He blinked. His gun was still at his side. The raw emotion from Shauna outweighing his own personal feelings. He felt he had stepped to far, gone too far with his threats. The 3 other mutants and Jacob were still there, but Kw’eh hardly even noticed them, he was too stunned into silence. He suddenly saw Tristan step in between them. Kw’eh kept his gun along his side still cocked and ready to go. He listened as he told Kw’eh off about his gun handling. Kw’eh shot him a death glare, before Tristan began spelling out his deal to the mutants. Only take in the murderer Mutant and let the other two be held by the mutants at the center.

Kw’eh waves his Peacemaker at Tristan. “I brought this one from home, this ain’t yours. You can take yours back.” He quips out, interrupting the silence as the two sides.

The Center Team seemed to generally agree to it, with Shauna seemingly still reeling, hardly able to answer. Kw’eh felt truly sorry for her. First he had shot her car, then pulled a gun out, sure he didn’t point it at her, or even want to kill her or anything, but, nonetheless it wasn’t exactly a friendly thing to do. As the tensions seemed to calm down, Kw’eh holstered his pistol and stood up straight. He glanced at Tristan and then back at Shauna. He moved over to her, slowly. Not sure exactly what to say to someone in this state. He wasn’t sure exactly what to say in general, he had shot up her car and well, had a slight mental breakdown, and then proceeded to pull out a second gun.

He puts his hand down on her shoulder and raises her up a bit, trying to smile softly. In his other hand he offers her a cigarette, he wasn’t sure that she smoked, probably unlikely, but he thought the offer and the nerve might be a good gesture at least. He notices that this hands were still shaky as hell, he hand with the cigarettes bruised and slightly bloody from slamming his fist into a car. He tries to hide it, and fails. His hand still noticeably rattling the cigarettes in the carton.

“Hey… I am sorry about the car. I was serious. I will pay for it. And… I… I wasn’t going to kill you. I mighta lost my head a bit, but… I mean it, I never wanted to kill you.” He says softly. Unsure exactly what response to expect, but he hoped at least to try and smooth things over between them.

All of a sudden, she felt someone touching her. Gently, well, as gentle as someone can be with rougher kinds of hands. Trying to comfort, and gently lift her bent over form. It felt... nice. Unexpected, but nice. She swallowed hard and tried to regain her composure. Looking up, she saw Keith. She didn't notice the cigarette in his hand, being offered. And her mind was overtaxed, so she didn't catch everything he said. But one thing came through clear. An apology. A heart-felt apology. She breathed out heavy. That went a long way. She started to smile at the kindness of the gesture. Trying to get the words out, but only in a broken way where she had to repeat some words, Shauna said,

"Keith, no I need to apologize to you. I didn't know it would do that. I wouldn't have done that if I... if I knew it was going to destroy you." She felt her eyes water. And tried to hold back any more of the waterworks. This time, it seemed she was doing better at it.

After Tristan's offer from the MISC, there were a bunch of other people saying things. Feeling a little disoriented and completely drained, Shauna didn't follow along with everything. It was all just background noise as far as she was concerned. However, there was one conversation she heard that broke through her depleted will, and forced her to listen.

Giovanni Serrano

"I see that you've take the problems resolved very well, Agent Tristan," as he glanced around him. Well, time to make it short. "Well, then, I'm going to make this conversation brief. How do you think about me joining the MISC as well? I can provide the financial and connections aid. I'm sure that my mutations aren't quite compared to the rest of you, so I assume financial and connections are needed. My connections extend to the underworld and some....mutants that I know of as well."

"The Center is too dangerous to be kept free, I'd like to help. Anything."

Turning to look at the man, whose eyes were wider than typical and whose dark, curly short hair hung back over his head, she frowned. Did she hear him right? Trying to take a few deep breaths, Shauna dared to say to the man, "Mister. These men" (meaning the three escaped mutants) "have been kept like laboratory rats for years in a secret government operation for being like you. A mutant. And when they get out, and the MISC agency promises that they can go with the Center, then MISC goes back on their word. Furthermore, all I was doing was driving my car. You guys were the ones who shot at us! Maybe you should get all the facts first." As she was talking, she wanted everyone who heard her - every agent, every mutant, even people who might be passing by innocently on the street, to start feeling disgusted at the actions of the MISC. She wanted MISC agents to feel so disgusted that they began to question their personal career choices. And she definitely wanted this wealthy, powerful person to not join forces with MISC.

Feeling a little better, she continued. "You think the Center is dangerous? The Center is the group that is looking out for you when everyone else in this society is turning against us."

She felt even more drained and exhausted then before. Her deep breathing continued, and she was fighting to hold back all her tears.