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After several weeks of thinking, considering, and investigating, the X-Men (and friend) gather to make their move on the strange situation developing in the Southern United States. The stories had seemed like something from a horror movie, specifically the myriad of unconscious bodies with various tubes hooked in their bodies, lining a white room.
Similar incidents in New York City lead to a single central theme: The hospital. And, while New Orleans possessed multiple hospitals, the remembrance of stairs meant it was one in particular that had been constructed with a bunker underneath it.
Before leaving, the lot had been debriefed: the mission is twofold. The primary purpose is rescue. With Kitty having escaped this particular facility weeks ago, she insisted others needed such rescue. They need to recover as many citizens as possible from whatever they are experiencing in the facility.
The second purpose is investigation. Understanding of what is being done (and how it's done) here is essential to long-term freedom, and protecting citizens.
Recovered blueprints for the building allowed the team to figure out the best route in through the emergency exit from the sub-basement, located down an alley from where the group arrives.
The distance beckoned unconventional travel. Speed and time are of the essence. Once a target had been found, they needed to arrive quickly. Fortunately, fast travel was on the menu today thanks to a new-found ally: Keith O'Neil. The rabbit hole would get them a block away from the New Orleans hospital was incredibly disorienting, but effective.
For those inexperienced with such modes of travel, nausea, disorientation, and general mayhem were on the menu, but so was a ridiculously quick route to New Orleans from the agreed location just outside Westchester.
When the heroes arrive, the Southern air, humid and hot, sticks to the heroes' skin like a pair of latex gloves on a particularly warm day. The arid air smells of garbage down the alley from where they first arrive, wafting happily thanks to the win heading towards them. The crowd slowly meanders towards their destination: a very ominous heavy metal door — the back entrance, and the path of least resistance.
*
Bobby arrives from RP Nexus.
*
Bobby has arrived.
*
Vorpal arrives from RP Nexus.
*
Vorpal has arrived.
*
Nancy arrives from RP Nexus.
*
Nancy has arrived.
*
Vorpal has partially disconnected.
*
Charles Xavier begins sweating almost immediately. These uniforms are rudimentary, heavy, and his only. He's going to need to sit and suffer. His brown hair is slicked at the sides where the perspiration is the thickest, and he takes a moment to make sure his gloves are strapped as the team emerges from the transporation hole.
"Robert, do take the lead. I will set up a mental link in all of us so that we might be better able to communicate. Everyone at the ready."
*
Rogue arrives from RP Nexus.
*
Rogue has arrived.
*
As an X-Man, it is not unusual at all for Piotr to be very quiet and businesslike, nearly to the point of being brusque, during the lead-up to a mission. This outing, however, has brought out an unusual tenseness in the Russian's expression. This mission, he considers personal.
As if his size didn't have him standing apart enough by itself, Colossus' uniform is visibly different from most of his comrades'; a lack of sleeves, for one, and where his allies' attire is most commonly blue and gold, his replaces the blue with a deep, muted shade of crimson.
Colossus sticks close to Kitty as the group falls in behind Bobby, still flesh and blood, though experience has demonstrated that can and will change at a moment's notice. He bends slightly at the waist to speak to Kitty quietly. "It will be fine," he whispers. "We are here."
*
"Sure thing, Prof." Bobby answers. He has a hand on the alley wall as he recovers from their mode of travel. "Next time we take the teleporting dog." he mutters. Wormhole cats are never going to be popular. As soon as he felt the temperature, he cooled the air immediately surrounding him so he's comfortable. THough it also means there's some fog coming from around him as hot humid air meets the cool zone. "Piotr, behind me." he says as he starts off. "Kitty next so you can direct us. Everyone be ready to scatter if necessary." He's not going to take any chances even though it seems unlikely anyone's going to open fire on them out of the blue.
*
Investigation, extraction, and a sensitive venue in a southern area? Cue entry of one redhead capable of manifesting a helpful drawl /and/ the capacity to speak French. It may not be that Creole and French patois deep in the delta, but Scarlett can get by. Supposing it becomes necessary, she might cover those bases.
She follows after Colossus, at any rate, rather comfortable vanishing behind the much larger target. Her uniform differs again from her peers, climbing all the way to her throat and adorned by a pair of heavy, dark gloves clasped all the way up her forearms. An occupational hazard, really, when expecting to encounter all sorts of troubled individuals. Not a sound comes from her verbally as she takes in her surroundings, glancing at the metal door and then around it for any other signs of defensive measures taken to prevent annoying young people from being on the proverbial lawn.
*
It was like the summers where she grew up. Muggy, hot - terrible. Nancy hated it here as well. The part time student, part time hero drums her fingers against the plastic of her gauntlet casings, her eyes closing as she was dumped out of the rabbit hole with nausea rolling through the very fiber of her being. Hair cut short, and face cut from a focused, grim stone upon her features.
Like the others, she was sweating as well. But she had it better, perhaps. She had given up the leather in her gloves for something that helped her conduct a little better - the plastic casings and wires still remained over her arms, but her fingertips were covered with a thin cloth glove instead, like a butler's glove. Likewise, her upper arms and elbows showed, her sleeveless blouse she wore was loose against her body, kept modest by a thick top worn beneath. Her pants were likewise flowy and light, different from the less conductive things she wore otherwise. Her boots, however, remained leather.
Clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth, she breathes out, her eyes glancing towards Bobby at his direction.
A sharp nod of her head. She would be ready. "What are we expecting here, anyways?" she asks, her voice a bit more clipped than usual - hands curling into fists.
*
Just a few weeks away from this place and the heat feels unbearable for Kitty. Her uniform normally feels comfortable enough as a second skin, but today, the moisture between her skin and her uniform seems to accumulate faster than normal. But then, her heart is already racing, and they haven't even made their entrance.
As per directions, she assumes third position. "I'll offer what I can." She easily falls into step with the others, her eyes scanning the area to acquire a vague sense of familiarity, and just as she can virtually hear her pulse with each of the thumps, Piotr speaks, earning him a somewhat forced, very weak (but still present) smile, "I know. We will do this."
As they approach, she stares at the door a few beats and her eyes squint. "I think… If I remember right it's alarmed. I think." Her teeth toy at her bottom lip.
*
Keith isn't part of the team, and so isn't clad in a uniform. This is good for him, because the sweltering heat suddenly has him feeling like a terrier in a sauna, considering the fact he's covered in fur. "Oh the humidity…" he mutters to himself with a certain sorrowfulness, "My fur's going to frizz and I'm going to look like a purple poodle."
Like Piotr, he's going sleeveless to keep himself from dying- black tank top, and sensible jeans are his only attire, because while leather pants are great for that 'road warrior' look on the motorcycle, walking around and *creaking* is sort of a hit against being stealthy, no matter if you're a cat or not.
"Hey, don't knock it, you get used to it. It's like having your personal roller-coaster," Keith quips and winks to Bobby, resting his croquet mallet on his shoulder. He felt it was an appropriate weapon to defend himself with, under the circumstances. Even if a small part of him died knowing that he couldn't get one that was flamingo-shaped.
He stands back and lets the team go in front- mainly because he was an outsider and he isn't familiar with how they interact, and he wouldn't want to get in the way. He also didn't want to admit it to anyone, but he was both nervous and scared, which doesn't show easily in his calm and cool demeanor… but the tail occasionally swishing might betray him.
*
« One cannot be sure, Nancy » Charles voice comes through loud and clear but rather than through the airwaves, it arrives to them all via their brainwaves. « Hopefully we come upon a group of victims and are able to release them with no significant issues. » Xavier closes his eyes and reaches out past the alarmed door and into the hospital, searching for minds that might give him a better idea on how to proceed.
*
«If they are anything like men from Central Park? Well-coordinated,» Colossus replies to Nancy, his words slightly stilted as they always are communicating this way. Thinking in English is difficult. «Some handguns. Some built to stun,» he notes, with a meaningful tip of his head towards her gauntlets. Electricity, then. Likely no problem for the two of them, but the others..?
Colossus casts a quick look further back to check on Keith. The feline gets a quick smile before he turns his attention towards the door, large arms crossing over his chest as he settles in to wait.
*
"What are we expecting? Mutant Nazis from outer space with death rays." Bobby answers. "I'll probably be pleasantly surprised to find whatever it is we run into less dangerous than that. Prof, can you see how many minds are waiting for us inside and where? Kitty, take care of the alarm. Once she says it's disabled Piotr, do your thing with the lock as quietly as possible."
*
Scarlett remains back, her expression vaguely distracted for a moment no doubt to the resonance of thoughts percolating through her thoughts. She toys with the end of her braid, coiling the tips around her fingertips, a slithering motion back and forth. "Mutant Nazis? You take us to the nicest places," her reply follows quickly upon Bobby's.
*
The mention of the men in Central Park causes goosebumps to form over Kitty's arms. «I think getting in is going to be easier than getting out.» Because, in an odd way, that is almost always true. A nod is given to Bobby's orders, and Kitty turns incorporeal. She slips into the machine, and shorts the alarm quickly. «We're good. Take it down.»
*
«I'll be grateful if we're both wrong, and we find the prisoners - and no one left to guard them,» Nancy 'says' into the aether. Vorpal - she had just met them, so she was lingering near the back of the group in his direction - for reasons twain - to give herself a little more time to react - and to get a better gauge of the area. Lips purse tighter - she recognizes Piotr's glance, and gives him an inclination of her head on her own.
Like him, she was waiting. Like him - she lets her eyes drift across the crowd proper.
*
«~Oh, wow, there's other people here with us!~»
The telepathic voice sounds a little like Keith's, but not entirely. It's especially puzzling when one that sounds closer to Keith cuts in,
«We talked about this already, this is serious stuff. No goofing around.»
«+Now that reminds me of how the Queen speaks…+»A third voice. This one is rather thoroughly strange.
«Cut it out.»
Keith looks somewhat uncomfortable, trying to return Piotr's smile. «People can hear you, for fu- for chrissakes!»
«~Ah, well, then, in that case- ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for tuning to Wonderland Radio… up next, here's my own personal rendition of 'Mack The Knif-'»
Something happens then, when Keith takes a deep breath and his hand tightens around the handle of the mallet.
There aren't any direct thoughts broadcasted, but there's a slight impression of three people arguing in close quarters, like a Football huddle. And then, there's silence until Keith's voice comes back.
«Won't happen again. So-» "-rry," he finishes speaking out the words.
He shifts around a little and there's a sight dent in his outer confidence, very aware that everybody probably thinks he's totally nuts.
He hoped he had a good chance to prove that, at least, his brand of crazy was the kind that was bad for people not on his side. Maybe.
*
Charles raises an eyebrow as one of his eyes shoots open, but he closes it quickly to reach out with his mind and begins to survey the territory. « Most of the security is on the second and third levels beneath the first floor. The lower levels are offices and some sort of …I do not know…below that. Just a moment. » Xavier tries to reach one of the wandering minds in the basement, one that seems to be dreaming, lulled. In his mind, sedated. He tries to find one of the people on the lowest floor, manipulate the receptors of the mind, and get them to open their eyes so he may see through them.
*
The alarm being dead means that Colossus has orders to follow and, more importantly, metal melting into existance over his skin. The cacophony erupting from Keith clearly has him surprised and a little puzzled, but with an odd smile, he shakes himself and focuses on his task.
Colossus steps forward and examines the door, his lips pursed. One massive fist closes around the most obvious lock and, with a sharp tug, it snaps free like a brittle twig. He gives the door a light, testing pull, and when it doesn't budge, he gives Charles an almost apologetic look before sending his hand quickly into the metal of the door, fingertips first like a diver parting the surface of the pool. The rest of the lock joins the first in a crumpled mess at his feet.
He pushes the door open slowly, quietly, and sticks his head inside for a look. « Entry seems clear, » he reports with an agreeing nod to Charles. He steps inside first, not wanting Bobby to be the one to pay for it if he's mistaken, but doesn't go far. Bobby's in the lead tonight, not him.
*
ROLL: Xavier +rolls 3d100 for a result of: 161 [89 1 71]
*
Colossus opens the door to a grey hallways with buzzing white lights that hum irritably over and over. A large elevator with metallic sits beside a long forboding staircase down. Inspection of the elevator yields one thing of interest, it is undoubtedly hospital issue, large enough for a gurney and a myriad of hospital staff, a reassurance that the team has, in fact, reached the correct building. The elevator's buttons will reveal much the same: there is only one way to get into the building from this point, down. Floors downward demonstrate that, in fact, there are three floors reachable from this place, calling ground level #4 according to the buttons on the machine.
*
Vorpal
*
Bobby can't help but stop everything and turn to look at Vorpal. He's seen and heard some crazy things at the Institute but that probably wins a prize. He listens to the Prof's report as he watches first Kitty then Piotr do their things. Then he follows the big Russian in and looks around. "Right then. Stairs it is. The question is, which floor first? Can you tell which is a bigger priority, Prof?"
*
Nancy gives Vorpal a long, long look at the wild thoughts in his head. She wasn't so crass as to speak what she was thinking out loud, or even think it along the pipeline of the connection, but Vorpal, perhaps, could sense the extra bit of disapproval from the woman. She offers him a smile, however, and reaches out a hand towards his shoulder - pausing as it draws near.
No doubt he could feel the static electricity in his fur, as that hand drew near, and she decided against reaching her hand out to him, instead returning it to her side.
A beat. "I could try to check them all relatively quickly, so long as… well…" the humid air had her nervous about sparking up too much. "… so long as I can draw the current from somewhere. And I don't see much around," she says, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth.
*
There's a pit developing in Xavier's stomach as he reaches the mind of one mutant and forces him to open his eyes. Luca Duran is raised from a dream, but as his eyes begin to look around the room, things are blurry. Security members, dressed in black and appearing as messy masses mill all about.
«The bottom floor, two floors down from here. Careful though, there could be security anywhere.»
Xavier, having hit a wall searching for a patient, turns his attention now towards finding as many security guards as he can. He begins prepping himself, mentally, to put them (as many as he can find and manipulate) to sleep once Bobby is ready to move.
*
"The bottom floor it is." Bobby agrees and starts down the stairs. "Kitty, flit ahead and scout please. Intangible. Nancy, do you think you could short out all the power in the place? We don't want any alarms though we can't rule out backup generators since it's supposedly a hospital."
*
Once the directions come, Colossus turns to offer Kitty one more reassuring smile. Then he's moving towards the stairs, stopping next to the doorway to wait until they hear back. He seems fully prepared to spend the evening as a human shield for his comrades, and small enclosed spaces actually make that job easier on him.
*
Scarlett — aka, Rogue — descends the stairs behind Colossus, taking care to assure no one wanders upon them by accident through a crossing hallway or emerging from a janitorial closet. Though this seems highly unlikely with the world's greatest telepath within spitting distance, you never know.
*
A click of her tongue against the roof of her mouth - Nancy's eyes move towards Bobby. "…sorta? It wouldn't last very long, but for a while, they wouldn't have power. If they're connected to the grid, I could possibly mess /that/ up, but we're talking about knocking out the power of a whole block. But as it is…"
Nancy brings her gloved hand to a socket as they pass, and with a flicker of the lights ahead, she draws out a lightning ~bolt~ of power from the lines.
The lights flicker, but remain on. And with another moment, she pulls the glove off, and leans down - to rest her palm against it. Hopefully, she would be able to draw enough power from just the hospital to kill the local power and keep it killed. Maybe not. If she Surged what she had back into the grid, well, that would probably blow the transformer at the power station, as she warned.
*
ROLL: Kitty +rolls 3d100 for a result of: 164 [43 87 34]
*
The elevator room actually has Kitty's breath hitching in her throat. Her jaw tightens. Her hands ball into two fists at her sides. And her skin pales. Nerves bubble under the surface, but focus manages to keep Sprite's expressions even. But a tiny chink in that armour surfaces with Piotr's unspoken reassurance, winning him one of thanks in return. «I'm on it.» She turns incorporeal, driving herself to invisibility and she scales the first set of stairs. «Armed goon. First landing.»
*
ROLL: Nancy +rolls 3d100 for a result of: 117 [28 70 19]
*
Keith gives himself a moment to feel thoroughly miserable once Bobby stares at him. This is good, because it gives him something to focus on rather than being nervous. When Kitty does her renconnaisance, however, he pipes up:
«I could take care of him…»
To demonstrate, he becomes invisible on the spot. If they gave him the go-ahead, he'd descend invisible and attempt to knock the man out from behind. Yes, with the mallet, because croquet is an underrated martial art.
However, it's more likely that they would decide to trust someone they already knew.
He also had to resist the impulse to ride down the elevator, invisible, and just stroll out into the lower levels. Although the idea makes his impulsive side cackle, he's more than certain that a 'malfunction' would cause someone to inspect the elevator and the shaft, just in case, and blow their cover.
*
« There are simply too many for me to attack at once, » Charles admits. «But I can try to assist with some of our adversaries as they approach. » As Kitty identifies a new target, Xavier's mind reaches to touch that security guard's mind. Xavier holds his fingers to the side of his head and attempts to conk his foe out, but holds as Keith seems to be making declaring his desire to be making a move.
*
ROLL: Nancy +rolls 1d100 for a result of: 26
*
Bobby nods to Keith. "Go for it." he tells the catman. Then he repeats the nod for Nancy. "Do it." Waiting for the results of those two actions, he looks to Xavier and considers what he's said. "Prof? Can you make half of them think the other half are an invading force? Let them take each other out. Better they do that than we risk ourselves unnecessarily."
*
Colossus first gives a nod to Rogue as she forms up on his back, then offers Keith a small, almost mischevious grin. « Be careful, » is all he says, waiting for the feline to lead the way into the stairwell. Once Keith has some lead time, he begins to follow, making sure to leave enough space to give Keith time to handle the guard before he (and those following him) would come into view.
Normally, Colossus might be taken aback by Bobby's suggestion, but these people… no. No objection whatsoever.
*
Be careful? « You mean that for the other guys? » A flicker of amusement lends distinctive colour to Scarlett's thoughts, though the interruption of white noise could speak to her attention shifting away. When Vorpal wanders off, she shifts into a more distinctively defensive posture and reaches to check the top two straps of her gloves. « I ought to have brought some tea for such a lovely picnic. »
*
Kitty continues on her long descension down the stairs. Her eyes linger on the railing as she silently moves down, down, down. But as she moves, something catches her ears. «Movement coming upwards. Lots of it. Five coming up your way».
*
The lights flicker out in the area. And Nancy was… the reason she wore the thick black underclothes was becoming a little more obvious. The static electricity alone was making her floofy pants and shirt kinda float away from her as electricity charges around her body. Bringing a hand to her gauntlet, she pulls on a lever, the wires inside it pulling away from her skin, and focusing much - but not all - of the sparks to accumulate around the wires - the area between the inside of her gauntlet and her arm looking like the inside of an electric minefield.
Breathing deeper, she slowly opens her eyes again, her eyes now electric blue.
"Fxztst!" she 'says', her whole body moving faster and faster now. It seemed almost like she was vibrating, but it was just her breathing, at a rate almost faster than the eye can see. She had to talk through the mental conduit, but even then, her thoughts were like an assault. Pressing. Anxious. Quick. «This'll only keep the lights down a minute or two. There's a backup generator, but… if I short it out, it could be… bad,» she thinks. Bobby gives her the go ahead.
"Hrefsfeeying!" she murmurs to herself. Those who were moving at the speed of thought would realize she said. 'here goes everything'. Returning her hands to the socket, she brings her palm back to it, looks towards Bobby, and…
Nancy opens the current to herself. And it thuds through her, striking her with a lightning bolt that ~cracks~ through the hospital like a clap, knocking her to one side, just a handful of steps, the current still arcing to her hand. She tries to take a step towards the wall, but another CLAP! knocks her straight into the opposite wall.
The electricity bounced all over her now. A thick electric aura that one could /feel/, even standing a handful of feet away from her. She says, one single line, even her telepathy sped up past the breaking point, <TooMUCH!>.
*
When given the go-ahead, Keith goes down. Being invisible, sneaking up onto the landing and into position isn't an issue- boy, is he glad that he ditched the leather pants. He would have been the Creaking Avenger, the Hidden Rustler: Who Knows What Evil Lurks In People's Closets?
Although his mallet does not go snicker-snack, the satisfying *thud* it makes is only surpassed by the one the guard makes when Keith creams him with the mallet.
He resists the urge to say something quippy in case anyone is listening in… and, as it turns out, his suspicions are correct.
«Took care of 'im, but this guy's wearing some sort of wire. Communications…» he tries to find a way to take it off so he can listen in.
«+You might want to point out the weapons+»
«~Oh, yeah, this guy is totally armed to the teeth, too!~»
«What they said.»
If he can get the listening device, he will try to hear and relay what they're saying.
That's when the lights go down. «Huh. Good thing I can see in the dark.»
*
« I can certainly try. » Xavier slows down and then even takes a knee. He holds all of his fingers, splayed against his head in an effort to concentrate on the extraordinary task that Bobby asks for.
He clears his mind using the Buddhist techniques he learned in Asia. With so much practice, the skill comes easy to him. The harder part is the minds of the security team. He reaches out to half of them, roughly, and implants the belief in their mind that they have dire enemies. Dire enemies who wish them immediate and unfettered harm, who all happen to be wearing the same outfit they are—the black security fatigues.
*
ROLL: Xavier +rolls 2d100 for a result of: 146 [82 64]
*
Five coming up? "Rogue. Colossus." Iceman says. "Take them out. Sprite. Go ahead of us and make sure the patients aren't harmed. Yell if you need help quickly. Vorpal, go with her. Good work, Surge. How long can you hold the charge and use it offensively? Prof? Did it work?"
*
ROLL: Piotr +rolls 2d100 for a result of: 105 [9 96]
*
ROLL: Piotr +rolls 3d100 for a result of: 194 [61 58 75]
*
ROLL: Kitty +rolls 1d100 for a result of: 93
*
ROLL: Kitty +rolls 1d100 for a result of: 43
*
Five incoming? No problem. Colossus nods crisply to Rogue and descends the stairs, stepping carefully over the one guard who has already been incapacitated. Even as intent on his task, he spares a concerned thought to the group: « Nancy? You are alright? »
It is a very warm, genuine thought that is in complete contrast to his actions. As he rounds the bend, he sees five guards — backing in his and Rogue's direction, their attention elsewhere. He holds a finger up to Scarlett before he creeps, creeps, creeps forward, just far enough to get reach on one isolated guard. He clocks his sharply over the back of the head and wraps his other arm around his chest in one motion to keep him from hitting the ground, then drags him quietly back the way he came.
*
ROLL: Rogue +rolls 3d100 for a result of: 158 [37 44 77]
*
Advantage: Colossus, taking up the hallway. He makes a wonderfully tempting target should anyone inadvertently turn around and present aggressive posturing. The redhead reads that urge to wait, and she remains positioned in the shadows while the Russian mutant wanders out. Counting off in her head to the strained attempt to hear his footfalls, she waits until his retreat with a present to make her own.
Advantage: Scarlett, not touching the ground. Her feet rest approximately an inch above the floor as she advances like a ghost through the dim, shifting twilight. The next guard in line has the misfortune to know the lightest of touches to his shoulder while a hand slips over his mouth, clamping down on any opportunity to shout. She lifts him from the ground and whisks him back a little quicker, not enough to betray snapping of fabric in the wind or such.
And his companions? They haven't seemed to notice they are a trio, instead of the Fab Four plus that roadie.
*
It was a world electric. It might take the world a couple more decades to catch up with how she felt at the moment, but right now… she breathed electric. She felt electric. She tasted electric.
She was electric. Every fiber of her being. And she was currently lighting up the area with her aura alone. It would probably give people a headache to watch her. She was kinda… blipping after the group, her hand at her head, the wires around her gauntlets melting. Not that many people could see that. «Yeahfineyeahfine» she says, casting the area around her in a brilliant shade of blue.
She was keeping her distance, electricity threatened to arc from her at those who stepped near. Vorpal best fear.
Another beat. «IcanattackBobby,» she says. What she couldn't do too well, however, was /see/. Everything was like… a slow motion blur around her.
*
«On it.» Kitty continues her long descent and a lurch in her stomach feels odd. Her palms sweat, and that sense of anxiety draws her forward. Something begins to feel wrong. She reaches the final step and looks on at the double metallic doors that lead to whatever is on the other side.
She takes a step towards the doors, and very carefully reaches forward. She couldn't phase through these walls when she'd tried to leave. A smirk tugs at her lips as her hand easily goes through it. There's an obvious note of triumph in the thought as she reflects back. «I'm in.»
«SHIT.»
Stepping into the room has the same effect as before. In seconds, she's solid.
"Did you hear that?" one of the security guards pivots from the end of the room. "Sector five — send more security to the basement. Now." Thank God the lights are out, otherwise she'd have been immediately spotted. She slides behind a tray of medical supplies — tubes, bags, medications, and she stills. «I'm seeable. I can't change it.»
*
ROLL: Vorpal +rolls 1d100 for a result of: 7
*
Vorpal hurries along, invisible, when Kitty lets out the call.
«Don't worry, Kitty, I'm right behind you!»
He bursts into the room with confidence. Clearly there was something here that was affecting mutant powers. The fact that Kitty's powers failed now, and that she said 'she couldn't get through' back when they first talked, suggested something of the sort. Keith has no idea how this would be in any way possible, but that wasn't any skin off his nose, right?
He reaches for the door and comes in. He has nothing to worry about. He can't possibly be affected the same way Kitty has. He's cool. He's magical, for crying out loud. He's-
"… totally screwed," he mutters when he suddenly notices that his purpleness is perfectly visible.
«What the f- I can't turn invisible either!»
He quickly ducks and stays close to the ground. Fortunately his night vision isn't affected, but that means he's out of Rabbit Holes and he's out of Illusions, for the time being… he tries to find the nearest hiding spot to regroup.
«We need a new plan… before we're spotted»
*
At Charles' beckoning, several of the security team's members begin to search out others they feel are coming to attack them. But immediately, Charles becomes extremely worried for Kitty. His first instinct is to tell Piotr to burst through, but this is Robert's mission and Robert will decide. Desperately he tries to read the minds of anyone in Kitty's vicinity.
*
Nancy says, "ooc XD"
*
ROLL: Nancy +rolls 1d100 for a result of: 15
*
Shit? Oh. Shit! Bobby thinks once he realizes Kitty's powers are somehow being suppressed. "Damn it. Something's suppressing powers down there and without any electricity. Means it's probably a mutant of some sort doing it." Which makes things interesting. One of the ones they came to save is turning their powers off. "Screw being quiet. Colossus, get down there and tear those doors off the hinges. Use them as frisbees but DON'T go in. Cover their retreat." he says as he starts running downstairs. "Prof, make them hear things behind them. It was a diversion, real threat is behind. Surge, Rogue, we're going to have company soon. Take them all out."
*
ROLL: Vorpal +rolls 1d2 for a result of: 2
*
Vorpal has reconnected.
*
ROLL: Piotr +rolls 3d100 for a result of: 137 [77 57 3]
*
It's unusual for visible distress to cross Colossus' face, but Scarlett is in position to see it, as brief as it is. As quickly as the worry appeared, the Russian pushes it aside and sets his jaw. « Stay out of sight, » he 'says' in a grim voice, and with a nod to acknowledge Bobby's orders, subtlety is abandoned.
Colossus marches forward and seizes two of the remaining three guards by the sides of their heads and brings them crashing together, hard but precise. He steps over thm even as they crumple to the ground, alive but well and truly unconscious, with the kind of purpose to his steps that suggests the third guy better move or he will be walking through him, and not the way Kitty or Keith would. He ignores the third man, trusting Rogue to handle him, and instead makes haste for the room their friends are stranded in.
« I am opening the doors. » After a heartbeat, there is a resounding CRASH as Colossus kicks the doors in with all of his might.
*
« Breathe. Breathe in and out, quietly. Do not let fear overwhelm you. » A wash of instruction from the bohemian mutant comes in a soft, clear mental voice.
« We are a team. No one will be left behind or exposed. » Scarlett's assurance comes with the metal cavalry of one tearing through the doors, knocking skulls together. She might seem the least likely of troubles, striding in his wake up to that last unfortunate man still standing. A tip of her head leaves her curling her finger in a come here motion, and if Mr. Guard complies, all the better for him. He gets the fantasy of a makeout session with a very pretty girl using her manners and a vibrant little smile to ease him along. Alternately he gets scruffed and carried up the stairs at a take-no-prisoners clip, hauled to where his feet are off the ground and he can kick all he likes, he's /still/ going in the broom closet.
And unlike in high school, this is no spin the bottle or truth-or-dare encounter. He gets a roll of duct tape used to silence and bind him with considerable efficiency, should anything of the sort be available. If not, well, rag and strip of her shirt it is.
*
Vorpal has partially disconnected.
*
ROLL: Nancy +rolls 1d3 for a result of: 2
*
ROLL: Piotr +rolls 1d2 for a result of: 2
*
Nancy was hanging back - or trying to. The blue corona of energy that surrounded her was lancing off as she passed light fixtures, sockets. So the guards might see a blue glow coming for one of them. She was… afraid of shocking them, at this point.
Stepping forward, out of the hall, she runs. In her mind's eye, she sees everyone moving in slow motion, and herself, in relatively normal speed. But still, she jogs, feeling her heart rev up to the point where it was going to bounce through her throat, it felt, at the movement.
And she still tries to keep her distance. As she steps around Rogue, and powers after Colossus, seeing the big man jog by her. Her mind - it was hard to focus, hard to keep her mind on here and now, as opposed to bouncing out into the aether. Flicking her eyes to one side of him, she reaches out her hand, and opens, in her mind's eye - a current between herself and him, and…
The lightning lances out towards the guard, and Nancy's speed knocks down a step or two. The problem was - the current didn't quite stick just with him. He was such a good conductor that Nancy cries out - and with a CLAP! a shock of lightning lances out from herself towards Piotr, striking the man.
*
Xavier has disconnected.
*
ROLL: Kitty +rolls 3d100 for a result of: 224 [29 95 100]
*
ROLL: Kitty +rolls 3d100 for a result of: 197 [88 41 68]
*
ROLL: Vorpal +rolls 3d100 for a result of: 152 [52 4 96]
*
The scene Colossus creates brings about the desired effect. Guards at the opposite side of the room clamour towards the door, opening fire with various weapons of different designs, all of which makes tinny clinks against Colossus' armour. One of the guards alerts the other, "Sector five is under attack. REPEAT: Sector five is under attack!"
A total of fifteen figures continue in their assault, but they aren't easily deterred, and don't seem likely to move into the hallway easily.
In the meantime, movement from the second floor has guards marching into the hall.
*
ROLL: Kitty +rolls 1d2 for a result of: 1
*
ROLL: Vorpal +rolls 1d2 for a result of: 1
*
Kitty claws at Vorpal's fur to pull the purple cat behind the medical tray where she is currently hiding. She tugs hard. As Colossus BREAKS DOWN THE DOOR, she takes a deep breath and pushes the tray of medical instruments hard towards the closest guard. «COME ON!» she reaches for Vorpal's hand and pulls him to the door. While Colossus draws fire, she's counting on the dark keeping them concealed, and she bolts fast, Vorpal in tow.
A bullet clips Kitty arm just as she reaches the threshold. The small cry that escapes from her lips is followed by nearly immediate invisibility and intangibility that extends to her very purple feline friend.
*
ROLL: Piotr +rolls 1d2 for a result of: 2
*
ROLL: Piotr +rolls 3d100 for a result of: 69 [42 15 12]
*
ROLL: Bobby +rolls 3d100 for a result of: 118 [45 11 62]
*
With the supercharged Nancy racing ahead of him, Bobby's left higher up the stairs to deal with the guards coming out the door between him and the others. Which is all right with him. Already iced up, he covers the stairs below him in a sheet of ice @emit With the supercharged Nancy racing ahead of him, Bobby's left higher up the stairs to deal with the guards coming out the door between him and the others. Which is all right with him. Already iced up, he covers the stairs below him in a sheet of ice with exactly the intended results: the guards, having only unexpectedly super slick ice to stand on, fail to do so and start falling down the stairs with assorted thuds, clunks, and cries of pain. "INCOMING!" he shouts and then plugs up the doorway with ice so no more guards can get out if there's more inside.
*
«Don't have to tell me twi-» Keith's thoughts are interrupted by an impact followed by searing pain. He lets go of Kitty as he nearsly falls, but he manages to cling to Kitty. «SHIT. I'm hit-»
Right leg. Fortunately Kitty's intangibility hits immediately after, making things easier for him, but clearly things have escalated and they're going to need help…
«Professor… Professor! I have an idea….»
A distraction is needed. Something big, something that could help. He communicates his idea to the Professor. The situation is perhaps risky enough that it seems like a good idea.
The cat allows the Professor in all the way- into the rather psychedelic, almost hallucinating nature of his shared psyche. The vociferous and surreal nature of his inner monologue is disclosed fully to Xavier- it's the psychic equivalent of acid… and that's what the Professor relays to as many security guards as he can.
"… here… goes nothing…" Keith says between clenched teeth, trying to ignore the pain.
It's not working. So maybe some of that leaks through, as well.
*
ROLL: Vorpal +rolls 3d100 for a result of: 205 [35 82 88]
*
ROLL: Vorpal +rolls 3d100 for a result of: 156 [59 48 49]
*
A seven foot tall bulletproof behemoth made of metal is intimidating enough on its own, but something funny happens when the bolt of lightning arcs to Colossus' body: rather than harm him, it almost seems to ripple and surge across his metallic skin, as if charging a conduit. Do not worry, Nancy. Colossus is fine.
The angry twist to his face when Kitty's voice cries out, however, suggests that the guards are about to be very much not fine.
With an infuriated snarl, Colossus takes a small step backwards away from the doors. Not far enough to give anyone room to pursue Kitty and Keith, though. He just needs room to extend his arms towards the group firing upon them without letting them pass through the doorway. The energy needs somewhere to go and with another loud CRACK, the bolt leaps from his outstretched arms and towards the men inside. Isn't it nice how they're all clustered together?
As soon as the bolt has left his hands, Colossus takes another step back to clear the doorway for Bobby. Ice is a much more effective door than he is. « Katya? Keith? Are you hurt? »
*
Guards slip down the stairs towards all of those at the bottom, piling into a giant pile of guards, almost like Bobby went bowling. The myriad of fellows plastered at the bottom of the stairs attempt to move back to standing positions.
Two of the three guards attempt to go for weapons, but it's not a particularly fast mode as they attempt to stand back to their feet.
*
Twisting her head around in the brief moment of time, Nancy turns to look towards Colossus as she 'feels' that connection with the man. It was easier there, with him. That metallic body drew the energy from her like a sponge, a bit - the power arcing towards him. With a gasp, she has to watch it in slow motion as it connects and…
Channels through him.
Nancy was a little faster, breathing heavier. Ducking low, she dashes past them both - moving to try to dash past both of them in the space of a few heartbeats, the woman still leaking energy like a little spark of danger.
*
A quiet groan emits from Kitty's lips as she turns tangible again, releasing Keith in the process. Her hand instinctively presses on the hot wound, and her flesh aches miserably from the feel. Being able to avoid injury means rarely having to incur it, and as such, it does hurt miserably. But focusing on a mission means focusing on the mission. «I'll be fine when we get out of here with those people». Her eyes refocus on the room, waiting for the room to clear out enough to save the people inside.
*
The guards on the second floor didn't stand a chance. Maybe it was the extra 'oomph' cause by the pain, or the fact that the Professor is… well, the Professor, but all of them are hit with a screaming, painful psychic blow comprised of psychedelic cacophony. Those who aren't knocked out on the spot will most likely curl up and scream incoherently because, to them, the walls are made of pain, and their snake-shoestrings are trying to strangle them. A couple of the guards on the third floor also fall under the spell, as well.
«It's working…» Vorpal broadcasts, kneeling on the floor near Kitty. «… we should hurry.»
*
Rogue has left.
*
ROLL: Bobby +rolls 1d100 for a result of: 19
*
Bobby trusts the others to take care of whatever guards are still conscious. They're only human, after all. Heading down the stairs, the ice disappears in front of him till he gets to the doorway to look inside. Being careful of any extra guards, he created a block of ice in the room and frowns. Then poking an arm in, it quickly de-ices and he pulls his arm back. "Interesting. Either there's backup power or whatever's doing it needs none. We need to secure the place so we can go in safely."
*
Now that Bobby has arrived and can cover the doorway, Colossus turns and takes three quick steps towards the guards struggling on his ice. Rather than shock them, he deals with them the old-fashioned way: punch, punch, punch. Thud, thud, thud.
With no remaining guards that pose an actual threat to be seen, Colossus turns back to the group, giving Kitty and Keith a very worried look. « We are secure, I think. I can go in and check? » He looks to Bobby for permission. His armor will fall, no doubt, but he is willing.
*
A handful of moments more. Nancy was playing overwatch in this case - trying to look everywhere at once, and mostly failing. Her teammates could /feel/ her presence, in the rising of the hairs on their skin (or fur as the case may be), but she seemed - not really willing to try to zap anyone else.
Mostly just… trying to keep it all in.
Her gauntlets were basically gone at this point - their grounding ability neutralized. So she was 'free', more or less. And she was afraid of losing control of what she had.
*
With things seemingly secured, Kitty stares at the ice inside the room and Bobby's hand de-icing as it enters. "We need to get those people out of there." She squints into the dark, still lingering behind a few beats. "I think it's cleared out."
Her eyebrows lift higher on her forehead, "If it's anything like when I woke up, they're going to be disoriented."
*
ROLL: Piotr +rolls 1d2 for a result of: 2
*
"Bring them over here…" Keith says, sitting on the ground. No, that doesn't make the pain any better. "I can open a Rabbit Hole and take them back. They're disoriented, a little extra nausa won't hurt them… we gotta move fast, though," the cat says.
He takes a deep breath, "I need to focus. Opening it a long ways takes some extra concentration…" which will be trickier since he has the burning pain from the bullet wound, and the good Professor mining his psyche for psychedelia to weaponize.
*
Bobby holds his hands out in front of them and forms a large shield made of ice which he then offers to Piotr. A club follows. "Sprite and Colossus check the place out. Vorpal, keep and eye on the floor above us. Surge and I will stay out here where our powers work. We can do things at range."
*
As plans are worked out, Colossus' eyes drift over to Nancy. He thinks a moment, pursing his lips, before he moves over to stand at her side — and drops to a knee. "Pardon," he murmurs by way of apology, reaching up to carefully clasp her shoulder in one hand. The other hand, he plunges into the cement floor, in hopes of grounding her.
From the look of them, and by the Russian's mildly frustrated grunt, it did not work. Gold star, he tried.
"Do not hold that too long if you do not have to," Colossus tells her as he rises back to his feet, clearly worried even as he takes his hand back and turns towards the room. He said he'd investigate, and so he moves to do so. As soon as he passes through the doorway, his armor vanishes. Hmp. "I see noone…"
*
A side glance is cast towards Colossus, and Kitty moves further into the room, following the large man. While the darkness makes it hard to see well, there no one except Colossus and Sprite moving amongst the floor. A dozen guards line the floor thanks to everyone's efforts.
More interestingly twelve people hooked to IVs with tubes in their noses remain wholly unconscious in the room. A large filing cabinet rests to one side of the room, and a series of instruments line the top of it.
Kitty strides to a young man, "Colossus, help me take them back to Vorpal. We'll get them moving. If we can't do things in here, we'll make sure to get them out there and home. Then we can really help them."
Even as she asks for the help, she's already pulling tubes out of a very limp woman and then attempting to fireman carry her to the door.
*
«I'll just… run home or something. I don't think I can… travel like this,» comes the voice over the link. «Burn it off where I can, and hitch a ride back - I'll just… fry everything like this,» she says. But the words, unspoken, but perhaps felt, were of trepidation.
Her gauntlets burnt, and with the grounding failing, she really only knew of one other way to handle her power when it went out of control like this. And it was a method that she was not proud of. The touch to her shoulder, then to the ground - no doubt Colossus could feel the energy surging through her - and him, but…
Nancy stands post, nearish Bobby, vibrating as she goes - hand lifted up to point towards the door.
*
"Sure thing, I'll …t-teach that floor to be watched by me…" Vorpal says, staying put. He's doing his best to put on a brave front- he's never been shot before.
He makes his best to get to a standing position and begins to focus. Westchester. Several blocks away. The designated drop off point.
He's not crying because of the pain. It's CONCENTRATION that's making his eyes water. Totally.
For a few moments, nothing happens, and then a Rabbit Hole erupts into existence, showing Westchester on the other side.
«…Gateway's open… gotta stay focused…»
*
Bobby tries to keep his eye on the team inside the room and Vorpal outside it. "You going to be able to hold that open a while? It's going to take a little to get them all unhooked and brought out. Maybe you should wait. And no, Surge. We aren't leaving anyone behind." To make moving them easier, he forms an ice chute on legs that leads from where the first of them is kept to just outside the room. Put unconscious person on blanket in chute and push. "Nancy, maybe you should go through first and warn them we're coming and need a medical team."
*
Colossus does not need to be told twice. He joins Kitty immediately and sets about carefully extricating people from their IVs and breathing tubes, casting a quick look towards the ice chute as it forms. Oh, good. That will speed this up a lot. « You are doing very well, Keith. Nearly done. »
*
ROLL: Vorpal +rolls 1d100 for a result of: 74
*
One by one, Sprite and Colossus drag the bodies to the ice chute. It's only with the last, a young man that the dead zone becomes further emitted beyond the space of the room. In fact, as he gets closer, the rabbit hole begins to flicker. Fortunately, because the rabbit hole had already been established, it doesn't collapse, but it does get increasingly harder to maintain the hole, and it's instability becomes more apparent.
*
«I need to keep it up… or it's going to be too hard the second time around…» Because the pain is getting to him. He clenches his fists and bites his lip. «Hurry up, the hole is getting hard to keep open….»
What was this thing that could interfere even with his magic? This was insane.
Then it dawns on him that he needs to find a place to get his wound taken care of, after this. He couldn't go to a regular hospital… a 'mutant' showing up with a bullet in his leg? Yeah, that would be great.
Maybe there was some two-bit operation in M-town who'd do it for him. He'd have to see to it after getting these people out.
After the last one is gone, he closes the hole and falls back onto a sitting position on the stairs, panting and taking a breather for a moment.
*
With the last of the unconscious bodies retrieved, the power dampener disappears. In fact, everyone finds themselves at full capacity. This meant that securing the second floor and all of its files was easy work. Quickly, the X-Team (and friend!) gathered whatever files they could, and ensured they had everything they could possibly need to consider exactly what had transpired at the facility, and why it happened.
Following retrieval of the files, through another rabbit hole, the team returned to Westchester to further investigate and seek out more information.