Toast of Awesomeness

IC: "Just to be in touch if you need anything else done. Thank you ma'am."He hung up just as he pulled his tie tight."So, that went well," said Mr. White, running a hand through his short dark hair as the limo entered the outskirts of D.C.Black nodded wordlessly, staring at his phone. White notices."Expecting a call?" He asked, eyebrows raising behind his sunglasses."It's been a while since I spoke with Alaric.""Ah, the man with all the answers. Just keep your head down and do what you're told. He'll get to you. He doesn't forget much, that one."Black nodded again, turning the phone over and over in his black, crystalline hands.

So I was wondering.... Should I make a profile for Mr. White? Since he'll be around for a while.

IC: As he put his suit back on in the quiet darkness of the limo, Black called Mrs. Khan again."It's done. They won't be an issue any longer, and I made sure word would spread."

IC: She replied after a few minutes.And after I went to all the trouble of changing this number- kidding. Thank you Alex. I appreciate it. Good to see you again.OOC: I found your use of the word snarkery more amusing than it warranted.

IC: "Wow."Brianne could have screamed, but didn't for Triston's sake. Instead she sat down on the closest bench.Well. What now?

No I told him haha.

So wait, by "took off" did Dallas run, too?

To be fair, I both warned you and alluded to it last game.

IC: "You seem awfully calm about this," said Brianne, a little annoyed.Of course. He won't be able to handle it so he's forcing himself not to believe it.

IC: As Alex said this, Triston made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a coo, and smiled widely up at Dallas.

IC: "Well, it did. He's nearly a year old now. If it wasn't you I would have told whoever else- he's yours. Look at him," she held him out a little.Well this isn't the reaction I expected.

IC: "He's not an illusion. You can hold him and I'll walk away, and he'll still be there. And I don't know, Dallas. Maybe my genes are even weaker than yours- I haven't met many other mutants that look like this. But trust me, he's real. And he's yours. You know I wouldn't lie about something like this."

IC: "His name is Triston." Brianne paused."Triston Green."

IC: "Fine. Your choice."She took a nervous breath."I didn't leave for just any reason. I left because I had just met you, and I didn't want to be abandoned again. I left because I care- cared about you, a lot, and I didn't want to screw up your life. I left..." Another deep breath.Suddenly a small bundle materialized in her arms, just as Triston began to stir from his nap. A tiny, light tan arm stretched up from the blanket."Because of him."Brianne held Triston tightly, protectively, and watched Dallas' reaction warily.

IC: "Funny."Brianne's tone indicated she didn't really think it was. At all."Now I get you must not like me very much, but please give me the benefit of the doubt here. What I need to tell you is better said in private."

IC: Ethan suddenly found a tiger leaping at his throat. It startled him enough to back him up, before disappearing. By then, Brianne was gone.

IC: Brianne rolled her eyes."Thank you, Alex. That won't be necessary."She turned back to Dallas."We need to talk. I'll be in the garden. I'd appreciate if you didn't bring her."She turned to leave, and began walking out of the cafeteria.She stopped, but didn't turn around."And I can see you've moved on, Dallas. But if you'd like to know why I left, I suggest you meet me in the garden. And before you say you don't care- trust me. You will."

IC: ****.Brianne dropped the guise, but kept her son invisible."Hello, Dallas," she said, her voice neutral.Great. Greeeeeaaaaat.

IC: Though tempted to make Ashley want to kill herself, Brianne refrained from such behavior, and instead held her invisible son a little tighter.There's no way he's with her. If he is... He's not ready for something like this. I don't want to ruin his life....No, she thought with finality. It's time he knew.When he kissed Ashley's head, however, she felt her stomach drop."Um," she stammered. "Texas, actually."****. Wait to go. Be more obvious, Bri.IC: Black stood over a cowering gangster in the midst of the partially destroyed farmhouse. A dozen burned, crushed, and eviscerated bodies lay around him, even including a frozen one, whose head was shattered into at least twenty chunks."No one infringes on Mrs. Khan's enterprises. You ought to have known better,," boomed his deep voice.The man whimpered, sure he was seeing his own death in front of him.However, Black's form began to dissolve into a thick black smoke as he spoke."Tell your new crew that, and make sure everyone knows. If I ever have to come to you again, you'll have it worse than any of your friends here."The smoke rushed out of the room, leaving the criminal alone with the grisly carnage that followed a visit from Mr. Black.

OOC: While I find it unlikely that she'd keep the same phone, I'll roll with it.IC: Although somewhat peeved by Ashley's interference, Brianne didn't show it.Just give it some time, Bri.

IC: As Dallas' hand touched Brianne's, she activated her telepathic ability. Nothing over the top- but Dallas would find himself with an unexplainable desire to get to know this girl. Hopefully it'd get them closer to a conversation."Uh, no, we haven't... I'm new."

IC: The frogs were annoying, but before Brianne could say anything...He was there.She caught her breath as he appeared. She had no idea about the alternate universe counterpart, but she was pretty sure she wasn't him. She stuck out her hand shyly."Oh, um, hi Dallas," she said. "I'm... Renee."Please shake it...

IC: "Okay, thank you. Um... You wouldn't happen to have seen Dallas recently, would you?" asked Brianne.

IC: "Oh... Um... I'm Renée," lied Brianne, a bit nervous. "Right... Um... Fire alarm... Where's the nearest exit?"She knew that, of course, but she needed to look like a new student.

IC: Brianne walked through the school invisibly, clutching the sleeping infant to her breast. Now where to find Dallas...She'd try the cafeteria.The girl wondered what she'd say to him.Oh hey Dal, missed you. Sorry I've been gone a year, but it turns out I was pregnant. Oh, and you have a son. Here he is!Nope, that wouldn't work. Brianne sighed and looked down at her baby. He looked so much like his father, even at only a few months old. He was most likely a mutant, but even so hasn't inherited her looks. That was something she was thankful for.She sighed again. Looks like she'd have to do this the hard way.She made herself visible, disguised as a small Hispanic girl, after checking that no one was there, but kept Triston invisible. No need for anyone to see him yet.She walked into the cafeteria, then stopped the first person she saw."Hello," she began. "I'm looking for Dallas Green?"OOC: That can be anyone at the institute. :PIC: The limo pulled to a stop behind on a dirt road, and two men exited."The farm's about a mile that way," gestured Mr. White.Black nodded, and his form shifted and dissolved as he entered a gaseous state, floating through the air. He reached the farm which had long ceased to be McLean, and floated into the barn.Inside was a bit of a suprise. Cars, guns, and several oblivious gang members. Only about six, though... The rest were doubtlessly elsewhere.He considered Khan's instructions. She wanted a message sent, not merely revenge.What better message than near complete annihilation?Only one of the gangsters noticed the dark figure materializing behind his comrades. His cry of alarm alerted his friends to the danger they were in, as did the oddly pumpkin-like sound of two obsidian hands caving one of their heads in.The black exterior swirled, becoming glossy and metallic. The criminals drew their weapons to fire, but Black's new steel form would be difficult to cause significant harm to. One of his hands stretched out impossibly far, wrapping one of the men's faces in a large silver hand that conveniently muffled his screams as the hand began to glow orange-hot and squeeze tighter around his head. Meanwhile, another criminal had drawn his weapon and began firing relentlessly at Black. The bullets ricocheted off of his metal form as he dropped the second dead guard, walking towards his assailant. The other three gangsters had taken refuge behind a car at the other end of the barn, and the firing one turned to run towards them.He never got there. Black's metallic form liquified to the sickly yellow-green of a strong acid as he washed over the fleeing criminal. The man screamed as his body was dissolved, but the liquid surrounding him distorted his screams to weird echoes.Black quickly returned to his obsidian form, reaching the cowering gangsters. One of his arms turned to yellow powder as his swung, the hand breaking apart and surrounding the gangsters, as well as entering the car's gas tank. Black then turned his forearm to white phosphorous, curling the rest of his body into a lead ball.The explosion was glorious, launching Black through the roof of the barn and destroying its structural integrity, causing it to collapse in a burning heap. He uncurled from his spherical shape and returned to his steel form, now a little smaller due to the loss of his arm. The lost mass would regenerate over time, and he merely shifted what remained around to function as a usable arm.Black turned towards the farmhouse, where he could hear cries of alarm at the sound of the gunshots and subsequent explosion, and readied himself for another fight. He'd leave one alive. Maybe two.Maybe not.