Marvel, Rebirth:

[25K Now!]

IC: Mikhail

 

"Reasonable precautions," noted the SHIELD agent. "However, what do you plan to do now that HYDRA is swarming the city?"

[Krayzikk]

IC:

"Depends on how far they get. I was here the last time they invaded. Streets were a mess." Tera slipped her hands into her pockets, staring at an indeterminate point opposite her. "I'd like to be able to hole up here, but if they get too far..."

[25K Now!]

IC: Mikhail

 

"Then I will simply have to protect you all," finished Mikhail simply.

[Snelly]

IC: Aella

 

"Trin you're suppose to hit me with a pillow not run away!" I grumbled.

Edited January 28, 2015 by Grochi Cat

[Krayzikk]

IC:

"I made a promise. If they force my hand, I will defend them myself."

[25K Now!]

IC: Mikhail

 

A smile flickered across the agent's face.

[Eyru]

 

 

Sorry about this bro.

 

For not inviting me? You better be. 

 

Rene LeBeau waltzed out from the shadow of a bulldozer, watching as his sister started to power up. "I can hear your thoughts, you idiot. Don't try hiding stuff from me."

 

He smiled. "Now get these things moving and let's go kick some ."

[Flex Lord Splash]

IC:

 

Here they come... this is not Weapon-X... this is not Weapon-X...

 

###### I really wish this was Weapon-X, I wouldn't care about anything if this was another one of their stupid missions. Kane thought, his sword put him at a disadvantage, even with his flame powers, no he needed a gun too. But that was something he'd have to take.

 

One of the Hydra soldiers came around the car. He was burly with a automatic rifle poised in his green-clad arms. He trained the rifle towards Kane and let it rip, except Kane had already exploded away from the car with an aura of flame trailing behind him from his sword as he covered it with flames. He slashed it at the Hydra Guard, his sword slashing into an enhanced Hydra combat knife that blocked the hit, sparks flying into the air as the soldier tried to swing his rifle around to pull the trigger.

 

Kane's other hand flew forward as flame burst from his flesh, hitting the rifle in the center and burning the soldier's hand. He yelled in shock and dropped the rifle, Kane pulled his sword away and the guard slammed his burning fist into Kane's cheek. His flesh was flame-resistant but still this dude hit hard. Kane grunted before slamming his flaming sword into the soldier's gut. The heat on the blade made it slide in like butter.

 

The soldier gasped as Kane wrenched it out, his eyes wide with pain through his mask as he knew his life was about to end. Kane lifted his other hand and let flame burst from his fingertips as it rushed into the Hydra mook's face.

 

Man I wish the rest of the Brotherhood was here right about now!

 

IC:

 

Bullets began to thud into Terrances special alloy suit. Each one felt like a tiny punch, knocked the wind out of Terrance but it didn't give. He grunted as his hands flew from his sides, long obsidian dreads flying into the air as shruiken twirled through the air like tiny missiles. Cutting into the chest of one of the armed Hydra-fake-civilians. The dude was wearing an orange and yellow hawaian shirt. How cliche. He even looked German. The soldier grunted as he leveled his MP5 and unloaded led.

 

Terance rolled to the right, dirt exploding around his body as he lunged forward, wrist-blades sliding out of sheaths in his wrist as he darted up to the Hydra guard, flashing the long blades across the Hydra soldier's stomach. He looked down in shock before blasting a round past the edge of Terrance's right ear, blowing a chunk of his flesh off. He grunted as he stabbed a wrist-blade up towards the soldier's chin.

Edited January 28, 2015 by Flex Likes Groot

[Snelly]

IC: Shiloh

 

Shiloh smiled. "Well, glad you could make it." 

 

Shiloh then increased her power, grimacing as more of her energy seeped into the various machines around the warehouse. They started to wake. She added more and more, the pain increasing with every one. She began to tremble, but she pressed on. 

 

"Just...a little more..." She let out a scream as she gave it one final burst. As if a switch had been turned on the machines around them looked around, largely in confusion. 

 

Shiloh collapsed onto the floor, gasping. She felt her nose, and found she had a nose bleed. 

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

Three guns. Enough ammo to fill the backseat. A big ###### knife.

 

In these, he knew God.

 

He traced the outline of his Camaro's trunk, fingers dancing along red paint, and brushed the rear badge lovingly. A holdover from his time in Weapon-X, the car had survived sieges, Vegas, Matt's death, John's death, two attacks on New York...and there were memories - teenage memories - on every inch of the bucket seats. Speeding tickets avoided. Kidnapping Alaric, dropping him off at Grand Central in the dead of night while the mutants were rounded up and flown to Canada as slaves. More than once he'd stepped into this car and turned the key, sure he would never step out again.

 

His first kiss had been Rebekah Fell, laughing in shotgun.

 

It shouldn't be me, thought Aleks, but he had a dying mother at home who needed the money, a handful of mutants who still looked up to him, and a backseat full of sins that he wanted to drown in Nazi blood. It has to be me. 

 

He closed the trunk down on its final payload. 343 thousand, USD. Enough for Katerina Belikova to live like the queen her son had always known she was. Just in case. Just like always. He'd danced this dance before.

 

He walked back up the steps of the courtyard (fondly brushing the banister with one hand) and stepped back inside the building, turned a left, manned the intercom in what was once Charles Xavier's office - and Beast's after his. He said a couple words, but for the rest of his life he'd never remember what they were. Only that they were accented in light, lilting Russian, and that the drawl crackled over the comm unit. It was his next speech that he remembered.

 

"I know that...we are not what we used to be. Any of us." He thought of Ashley, Matt's girl, downstairs in the med bay with four tranqs in her. Thought of Matt, bloating in the ground outside. "Many of us have friends who we wish could be here. Some of us may not believe we should be here. But we are all we have now. I'm sure many of you have checked your phones, or turned on the TV and saw what's going on in New York. Some of you may already be suiting up, or attempting to steal the Blackbird. I've fought with many of you for going on two years. By now, you all know me as...a mercenary, maybe. A teacher, if you're feeling generous. But I have never been a teammate. I promised Matty...I promised Summers once that he would never see me wear the X into battle. I kept my vow...that one, at least.

 

"But I know that many of you who are watching the news right now want vengeance for someone, or maybe lots of someones. I know there are a hundred Nazi ######s out there, with bullets and bombs and drones, that killed our friends in Las Vegas and in New York. And I know I will make them answer for every cut, scrape, blooddrop or tear they ever drew from me. X or no, I'm going to board that plane, slice through that no-fly-zone like it's butter, and remind those Nazi ######s what I can do."

 

His sigh cracked over the intercom like rotten ice.

 

"X-Men," he said wistfully, tasting the name. "We were X-Men once, and they beat us. If you'd like to see what we are now...meet me at the plane."

 

Aleksei hung up.

 

-Tyler

Edited January 28, 2015 by tylerlicious definicious

[Flex Lord Splash]

IC:

 

"X-Men," he said wistfully, tasting the name. "We were X-Men once, and they beat us. If you'd like to see what we are now...meet me at the plane." Christine felt her adrenaline pick up at these words. They had been beautiful, exactly what the school needed right now. They had been true. She knew any mutant teen with powers and a drive to protect the innocents would make their way to the Blackbird. Maybe the X-Men are finally coming back… Christine thought suddenly.

 

After so long it felt like a dream. It couldn’t be real. The X-Men had died. They had died after Vegas, they had burned. Now it seemed they were possibly rising from the ashes. Christine burst into her room before remembering what Aleks had told her to collect. She quickly grabbed a black backpack before grabbing in three of her and Aleks favorite guns, weapons he’d left in her room and strapping them on herself, one was a gun Aleks had given her once.

 

She then went to the closet, stripping down to essentials before pulling on a green and white hooded top with an X across the bust. She then grabbed a carton of ammo and poured it all into the back-pack. Soon the back-pack was stretched to its wits end with ammo; it looked like a giant inflated jelly bean of death, she even tossed in a single grenade she found under her bed. After that she grabbed a small black case, inside were several of Aleks knives. With all these items on her body now she turned and raced out of her room, before dashing down the hall and making her way to the Blackbird, which she knew would be docked in the basement.

 

IC:

 

“Ah… ah .” Johnathan cursed as he got to his feet after hearing the intercom message.

 

“I shouldn’t go girls, I know I shouldn’t.” John said as he chugged his beer before crushing it with a metal fist. He then grabbed two slices of pizza and wolfed them down.

 

 

“But I can’t sit here drinking and eating some pizza while letting things go to outside like it was another Phalanx invasion or something. Jules, watch Kristen. Make sure she’s alright.” He then turned and headed for the door.

 

“If anyone attacks this school… we need to make sure the kids are safe.”

 

IC:

 

Quinn heard Aleks message over the intercom. He glanced at Kitty and then sighed heavily.

 

“Sorry Kitty, I know I’m new here but I can fight. I’m going to go see what I can do. Quinn turned and then dashed down the hallway. He had to find that plane, he was sure he’d be able too.

[Blair the Cat]

IC:

 

Sierra gently touched the collar. It was strange how something could be so suffocating and yet comforting at the same time. "I assume that I will not be participating in whatever just happened."

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

A long time ago, a little team went to Philadelphia.

 

A little team went to save a little girl.

 

A little team got littler and littler.

 

Abbas, Ashlynn, John, Dallas, Julia, Alec, and Alex. A little team, a little luck, and a big goal. Their goal was never clear. Never set in stone, with a plan to get there. It was as grand as it was noble. "Do some good." They had done their best, more than their best, and maybe they'd done a little good. Rescuing the little girl. Rescuing Nicole, despite what she would go on to do, had saved lives. They had saved the civilians in the Savage Lands, stopped Weapon X, and quieted Las Vegas.

 

They'd lost along the way. Some of them had lost an awful lot.

 

He slipped on the coat, the golden cross as clear on his back as the day it had been made. It still fit, a testament to the skill of its maker. He slipped his sidearm into its holster at his right side, 

 

He turned down the hall, walking briskly towards the hangar. He had known this day would come again. So many months had been spent preparing for it, but he found it was familiar. Familiar and simple. People were in danger. His friends were in danger. He would protect them. He wouldn't let them lose anymore. 

 

Alexander Smith reached the hangar before anyone else, but he knew they would come. 

[Snelly]

IC: Katherine "Kitty" Pryde

 

Kitty shook her head. "Not this time anyway." As she was speaking they had reached Sierra's apartment. "After you get dressed let's go to the medical center."

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

"You know I gotta go," Dallas said softly.

 

"Nuh-uh...that's crazy talk."

 

"If I didn't go, I would hate myself forever." Dallas sat up in bed and ran his hand through the back of his hair, ruffling it up softly. "I'm an okay fighter, you've seen me. We're short John, Matt, Alaric, Shadow...they need who they can get. You know how many nights I've tossed and turned next to you 'bout who we could have saved, if someone had just been there to freeze time in Vegas?"

 

"I'll...I'll come with you."

 

"The ###### you will. You're tranquilized."

 

"It's only a flesh wound..."

 

"The fact that you just said the words 'it's only a flesh wound' like you're Sly Stallone is only proof that you really shouldn't be going," Dallas said, smiling sadly. This time, he ruffled Ashley's hair. 

 

"I'll be back for you in the morning. And by God, I'm going to bring you a bigass New Years cake. And it'll be shaped like a...like a Red Skull. And I'll cut you a bigass piece of that bigass cake, and I'll serve it to you. Right here in bed, no cutlery because we're not that highbrow. And when it's done, I'm gonna wipe all the icing off your nose and tell you that I love you...because I still kinda think I do."

 

"I think I do love you...too." Then her lips met his.

 

They kissed longer than Dallas had intended, so long that he thought he was going to start pulling his clothes off instead of go to save the world. Instead, one hand on the back of his neck and the other cupping Ashley's chin, he finally pulled away and smiled again.

 

He could feel his vital signs again. 

 

He saw the world  i n  p e r f e c t   h a r m o n y.

 

The world clicked for him, before him.

 

x m e n 

m

e

n

 

"Take care of yourself, babe," Dallas whispered, and he almost kissed her again; instead, he found himself scooting on his knees off of the bed and walking out of the med bay, right across the hall into the hangar. He reached the plane just after Aleks and Christine, just before Quinn, but he knew who he would find first before he even looked.

 

Hi.

 

Hi.

 

Hi.

 

"Y'know...shame about that jacket." He put his hands in his pockets, thumbs jutting outwards when his smile lit up. "How it's all pretty and well-made and everything, but all it does is bring out your neckbeard."

 

IC:

 

"Dad's not in the picture. Mom can take care of herself. And I got a big brother who's driving into the city like a goddamn moron. They're safe as they'll ever be." Lacey smiled faintly (sadly) and slicked her wet hair across her forehead. "Technically I guess that means I got a sister, too, but I like to pretend she's adopted."

 

She looked at Romulus and smiled again.

 

"Is this the part where I take your hand and bellow 'I am Spartacus!?"

 

"If you wish."

 

Lacey squeezed his hand (hard; in nervousness and in sheer manic glee) and raised it high above her own.

 

"LEGION!" she boomed, and was surprised to see two dozen men turn to look at her. Oh. Oh ######. OOOOOOOH CRAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAP.

 

"Uhh...I didn't know they listened to me."

 

-Tyler

Edited January 28, 2015 by tylerlicious definicious

[Havelock Vetinari]

IC (Saphine)

 

The Hellfire garage. Land of armored, yet stylish vehicles and a few technically illegal weapon stashes/tanks/whatever the ###### the Legion was hiding in restricted section. It was also home to quite the little collection of Goldpoint vehicles. Including two ex-soviet BMP’s that hadn’t killed something in far far too long. All dressed up in black and gold and guns and until now, nowhere to go. As her team boarded the duo, she traced her hand against the edge of the recently christened “Rampage Four: The Revengining”.

 

Momma’s here to make it all better. Don’t worry. You’ll be getting lots and lots of filthy kraut blood. That sound good? Hmmmmm?

 

She chose to talk the silence as a yes. With a wicked grin, she climbed aboard the good killcraft Rampage. As she settled into the armored mass of pure proletariat rage, one of her new best friends held up a hand. “We’ve got someone broadcasting. Military channels.”

 

She snatched the radio out of his hand. “I’ll be taking that.” She raised the radio to her mouth and started to speak. “We read you. This here is Saphine’s Guns n’guts nazi killing rampage...Bar & Grill. Whatcha need?”

 

OOC: Romulus speech will be coming up later. I need do it justice...and the rest of the night is booked.

Edited January 28, 2015 by Basilisk

[Flex Lord Splash]

IC:

 

Christine got to the plane after Aleks, Dallas and Alex. It was weird seeing the three of them together like that. Fellow X-Men, she slid to a stop next to the ramp before she climbed onto the plane.

 

“Ah got your knives Aleks.” She smiled before setting the backpack down.

 

“And a ###### of ammo just like you asked for.”

 

Quinn had been running down the basement hallway when he’d spotted Christine making a right and ducking into a massive hanger. He dashed inside, staring at awe at the giant metal room and the sleek black-blue jet that sat within. He could see Dallas heading up the ramp, the guy he’d met earlier who had been taken advantage of by Nicole.

 

He raced up the ramp before running inside the plane before he stopped to breathe hard. “I’m coming.” He said before he found a seat. "So this is the X-Men."
 

 

Johnathan popped a mint into his mouth as he headed for the hanger. He didn’t want to have bad breath after-all. Not when he’d be claw deep in enemies. He pulled out his desert eagle and flicked the safety off before tucking it back away. He knew most likely the other Ultimates wouldn’t go.

 

It didn’t matter; he was sort of a lone wolf now anyway. Not sure how these normal X-Men would react to him but he figured they needed at least one claw slashing-heals factor mutant on this suicide mission.

 

He sniffed the air, smelling the scent of the other Cali. He didn’t know this Cali very much but knew he was quite different from the Cali he knew. He approached the Blackbird before climbing in and slinking into a seat without saying anything, his arms crossing.

 

OOC:

 

Somewhere... in the afterlife (Flex's Dead Characters void of deadness)

 

"Wow they are really going for it," Ashlynn smiled. "The X-Men are coming back."

 

"They better give them some ###### for us." John grinned as he remembered his times fighting alongside them. "The X-Men are back, I've been waiting for this."

 

"Not like you're actually alive John... you know you can't do anything right? You know that this isn't actually happening and its all in one of the other characters heads?"

 

"Shut up Matt, you know you're happy to get to see Aleks in action again, and I don't mean with Christine."

 

"I wish the Dragonballs were real so we could be wished back, Heaven is so cloudy and... boring. No footballs."

 

"Just cause you're blonde doesn't mean you're a Super Saiyan Matt."
 

Edited January 28, 2015 by Flex Likes Groot

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

"This is my concession to body armor," Dallas sulked, following Bekah and pantomiming throwing another chocolate chip down her top. He pulled at the wine colored sweater he'd thrown around his neck, figure eight scarf style, and swayed his hips teasingly at the former Weapon with a reckless laugh. "Think Red Skull will count my tats?"

 

Rebekah stared at him blankly, but that was just how she laughed.

 

Score.

 

They boarded the Blackbird and Dallas knocked on the metal roof twice, looking around for an open seat. When he found one, he sat down and wiggled into it until he got comfortable - only to look down and see John Howlett staring up at him wordlessly.

 

"Oh." Slowly, tongue pressed up against the side of his mouth, Dallas reached over and pulled both of John's hands around his waist, to a stop at his belt buckle, and mimicked the click of a seat belt with his teeth. "Heyyy sailor."

 

-Tyler

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

IC: After knowing that Dallas was being taken care of by those closest to him, Alec had retired to his own room to relax in front of his TV. Boy had that been a mistake...there didn't seem to be anything but re-runs of Two and a Half Men on. The news had interrupted it, thank whatever gods were listening, though it bore no cheery message. Chaos and bloodshed, in a city still trying to recover from the last time this happened. That was just like kicking a man when he was down. Except, a whole city full of men, and women, and children, and they were all down and all being kicked and this metaphor sort of got away from him. 

But the fact remained that there was simply no part of this situation that he could tolerate. There was murder, there was tyranny, there was bullying and those all made Alec's hackles raise. The mutants at the mansion had gone through some trying times in the past few years, heck, in the past year alone. They had been battered and bruised, and some of them buried, but so long as Alec was around he refused to consider them broken. He was an X-Man, ######. Got the logo on the costume and everything. And if he wasn't going to go out and defend those who could not defend themselves, who found themselves the victim of some lunatic's century's-old ideals and prejudices, then how could he keep taking himself seriously. He grabbed his outfit, not worn for so many months, added a couple extra rips just for style's sake, then suited up and headed down to the hangar as Aleks came out over the intercom 

 

"I know that...we are not what we used to be. Any of us. Many of us have friends who we wish could be here. Some of us may not believe we should be here. But we are all we have now."

 

Alec thought From Russia With Guns had a fine sentiment, but thought he missed a valuable point. The mutants were also the only thing the civilians had right now. There'd been no sign of the New Avengers, no grand gesture from SHIELD, no showing of the police or army. Whether they appreciated it or not, the X-Men were now all that stood between HYDRA and the people.

 

I'm sure many of you have checked your phones, or turned on the TV and saw what's going on in New York. Some of you may already be suiting up, or attempting to steal the Blackbird."

 

Got that right, Alec thought to himself. It took a mere touch for the hangar doors to open for him, and another to get the Blackbird to lower its boarding ramp so he could get inside.

 

"I've fought with many of you for going on two years. By now, you all know me as...a mercenary, maybe. A teacher, if you're feeling generous. But I have never been a teammate. I promised Matty...I promised Summers once that he would never see me wear the X into battle. I kept my vow...that one, at least."

 

Huh. Alec could honestly say he'd never noticed that. Aleks was just another member of the team, whether he was adorned with the X or wasn't. You could say he wore the X not on his uniform, but on his heart. Well, you could if you were a kid's cartoon from the eighties. And Alec was a kids cartoon from the nineties, thank you very much. 

His thoughts wavered from this line of thought as he checked on the Blackbird, looking over the instruments from one of the cockpit chairs. Fuel levels, hull integrity, status of weaponry, foils in alignment...

 

"But I know that many of you who are watching the news right now want vengeance for someone, or maybe lots of someones. I know there are a hundred Nazi ######s out there, with bullets and bombs and drones, that killed our friends in Las Vegas and in New York. And I know I will make them answer for every cut, scrape, blooddrop or tear they ever drew from me. X or no, I'm going to board that plane, slice through that no-fly-zone like it's butter, and remind those Nazi ######s what I can do."

 

It was quite impressive Aleks had gotten to censor his swearing like that. Either it was a feature of the system to block out cruder language out of some misguided attempt to protect the younger students, or the Russian's nifty trigger finger came in useful on the language bleeper as well as guns. Still, it looked like Alec was going to have company on the Blackbird. He'd have to get some coffee on. 

As other people began to assemble (no wait, that was the Avengers' thing. Perhaps the X-Men could X-ssemble?) Alec lowered the boarding ramp for them too. It was quite heartening for him to see the likes of his Parallel Universe Twin, two flavours of Dallas and...uh...that new guy....whatshisface...Did he even have a uniform yet? Well it was the thought that counted. And rather him than yet another John Howlett, this one supposedly even more violent and unreliable than the one from their own universe. Perhaps they could just throw him at a few robots or something...

 

"Alright, all aboard the Kickarse X-press," He really hoped they could hear the pun in that, he really really did, "Exits are to the rear of the plane, meals will be served only if we can get Christine in the stewardess uniform, and we don't have anyone to punch your tickets because we're saving the punching for HYDRA. Please hold all questions until the end of the ride, keep arms and legs inside the vehicle, etcetera, etcetera."

 

And speaking of keeping arms inside the vehicle...Alec pressed his to the Blackbird's dashboard, the plates of his robotic limb shifting and separating into ever smaller components as he merged with the jet's tech. Who better as a pilot than someone who simply had to think it instructions?

Edited January 28, 2015 by I Am Ultron Six

[Blair the Cat]

IC:

 

Sierra was already almost finished getting dressed when she registered the last thing Kitty said. "The medical center? Why?" she questioned, pulling a black cut-off jacket on over the tank top she was already wearing. Done.

[AuRon the champion]

Ic:

 

"What if I wear the stewardess uniform?" Kristen whispered to Dallas from the seat behind him.

 

-

 

Elsewhere in New York, Trinity turned a 180, and tried to smack Aella in the face with her pillow.

Edited January 28, 2015 by Landes'Rehn

[Eyru]

IC (Rene LeBeau)
 
Rene neutralized his sister's kinetic energy the moment she dropped: instead of collapsing, she drifted gently down, and he caught her before she could fall over, as machines whirred to life around them.
 
"You okay, hotshot? Got some blood there."
 
 
 
* * *
 
 
IC (Rachel Thomas)
 
The counselor hadn't even had time to clean the blood out of her office. When the familiar voice came over the intercom, she allowed herself one heavy sigh, then straightened her back, pressed the bridge of her glasses into her nose, and calmly marched to the hangar.
 
She'd never expected this to be an easy job, or even a normal one, but the reality of working at the Institute had surpassed even her wildest dreams. Every day was a new crisis; every student was a basket case; half the teachers were just students who'd happened to grow up and decided not to leave. But worst of all: in a world where they weren't welcome, these young mutants were desperate to find a place to belong, and that drove them to do crazy things.
 
Like try to be heroes.
 
They were just teenagers, for goodness' sake! How could you allow them to march into a war zone? This wasn't right: they were going to go to war and some of them might die, and then what would she do? Offer extra grief counselling on top of what she already offered? Walk children through more nightmares where they relived the blood and pain and death over and over again?
 
She was nearly there.
 
I still dream about you, Mark, she thought. Every night.
 
At first, she had been afraid she'd forget his face, but she needn't have worried. She saw him every time she closed her eyes, as real and tangible as he'd been twenty years ago. Every night she walked through that last day one more time, and every morning she awoke and for that brief moment the dream mixed with reality and he was still alive and then the weight of the whole world came crashing down like the whole ocean and she remembered. He was gone.
 
I won't send them to their deaths. I can't.
 
I can't.
 
And if they left and died (and some of them would die) then the survivors would live with the guilt for the rest of their lives. They would dream of their fallen friends every night; they would wake up crying and screaming and nothing she could do would be able to fix it. How could she be expected to do that – to condemn children to that fate?
 
She was inside; she watched someone scamper up the ramp into the Blackbird.
 
But she didn't have to do anything.
 
Did she?
 
These teenagers had been given powers that most people could only have in their daydreams. Some people said God, others the devil, but Rachel knew better. The X-gene was a product of evolutionary processes. Mutations. The sort of thing that happened in nature all the time. She wouldn't fool herself into thinking they'd been given these powers for a purpose, but if they believed it, then that was all they had.
 
The world had ostracized them already, and now they had the chance to prove their worth, to show everyone that they weren't just mutants – they were heroes. People worth hanging around. People you could look up to.
 
Isn't that what he would've wanted?
 
She closed her eyes and saw his face again. His hair, always messy. His easy smile. His eyes.
 
Her footsteps slowed.
 
He would've wanted the world to see them for who they were. Not as a freaks, or sub-humans, or even super-humans. Just people, people with hopes and dreams and lives, and, like everyone, the ability to choose. And if they wanted to choose to save the world, then wasn't that worth something?
 
She changed course.
 
A control room sat off to one side of the hangar, where the controls for opening the bay doors could be found, as well as communications hardware. Once inside, she began switching the equipment on before pulling on a headset. The screens blinked to life, automatically establishing a connection with the Blackbird.
 
She pressed a key.
 
“Students and faculty aboard the Blackbird,” she said. Inside the aircraft, her voice crackled out of a speaker on the dashboard.
 
“Students and faculty aboard the Blackbird. This is Dr Rachel Thomas. I know we haven't always seen eye to eye, and I'm sorry for that. But I believe my time with you... has been well spent. You have shown me great things, incredible things. I only wish the rest of the world knew how selfless, how incredible you all are. And this is your chance to show them.”
 
She flipped a switch. Across the hangar, the bay doors began to open, revealing the earth and sky beyond.
 
“So go. Show them what you can do.”
 
She smiled, though no one could see.
 
“And good luck, X-men.”
 
 
* * *
 
 
IC
 
beep 
 
beep 
 
beep
 
Honestly, he wished they'd just shut that ###### machine off. It wasn't like he needed it: he just needed a good long sunbath.
 
It'd taken awhile to get the bullets out. At least, that's what the doctor had told him. He'd spent fourteen hours in surgery, and they'd almost lost him twice. If it hadn't been for those bright lights in the theater, he just might've given up the ghost.
 
But he'd made it. Against all odds. He wasn't sure exactly how, or why, but here he was, lying in a hospital bed, wearing a hospital gown, watching the hospital TV and listening to that freaking hospital machine go beep beep beep...
 
He sighed and turned the volume on the TV up, keeping an ear out for the telltale footsteps of nurses on the prowl. He'd already been scolded for being too loud. He flipped rhythmically from channel to channel before hitting the news, which was so full of sirens and lights he immediately set the remote down and gave it his full attention.
The anchor was clearly upset, as was the live reporter. The cameraman panned up onto what should've been the Times Square ball, only instead it was a face.
 
A particular face.
 
A red face.
 
He paled: he'd been there last time; he knew what was going to happen. Something was going down in New York, and it wasn't gonna be pretty. Not with Red Skull's face was sitting in the middle of the city, big as a house.
 
He'd been there for the last one; he sure as ###### wasn't gonna miss this one.
 
Pulling his sheets off, he swung his legs out of bed. The effort left him sweating: he hadn't moved on his own for awhile. If he could just get to the window...
 
"Three things, Skull,” he muttered through clenched teeth. “My name's Cody ######ing Jackson, that's my city, and your ###### is going down.”

[Flex Lord Splash]

OOC: Its funny cause when not a lycan this John is actually the opposite, less-violent and crazy then the other one turned out to be.

Wait guys we can’t leave without Nero, I think he’s coming right? Please tell me Nero’s coming.

IC:

 

On his way to the Blackbird Johnathan had slipped into one of the forsaken X-Men locker-rooms. He’d found a sleek black X-Suit that looked to have been one of the other John’s backups and thrown it on, the X now covering his chest (Think X1-X3 Wolvie costume).

Now that he was in the Blackbird and Dallas had pulled his arms around his waist as a makeshift seatbelt John couldn’t help but laugh.

 

“I’ve gone from werewolf to seatbelt; I guess that’s a step up, right?”

 

“Man, you guys get costumes? That’s so cool, why don’t I get one?” Quinn asked.

 

“No time kid.”

 

“Don’t even tempt me Alec, you know Ah'd wear the HeII out of that stewardess costume.” Christine smiled, as she placed her backpack full of ammo down in the seat next to her.

 

“Oh, hey Kristen.” John grunted, still not happy she’d stolen 100 bucks.

 

Quinn glanced around at the other teens present. He then a double take, glancing from Dallas, to someone that looked... just like Dallas. The Dallas he'd met had dirty blonde hair, while this Dallas had black hair and some tattoos, but other then that they looked almost identical.

 

"Hey Dallas... you have a twin?" Quinn asked.

Edited January 28, 2015 by Flex Likes Groot

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

"He's a dick," the two Dallases said in unison.

 

-Tyler

[Flex Lord Splash]

IC:

 

Quinn laughed, "At least you guys feel the same way about each other."

[AuRon the champion]

Ic:

 

"John. Sis. Dal. Other Dallas. Random kid. How're you all doing?" Kristen said, tryin to sound somewhat positive.

[Silvan Haven]

John Harken- SHIELD Helicarrier.

 

IC: Harken flexed his new mechanical arm once more. The slight whir of servos could be heard by anybody who happened to be nearby in the busy hanger. Mechanics ran between fighters and Quinjets, making sure that they were all ready for deployment. Harken himself was near one particular Quinjet, ready extra ammunition and making sure that it held everything that his team might need.

 

It seemed that New York was under attack.

 

Again.

 

Sigh.

 

Harken would have thought that the Red Skull would have gone after some place closer to home. Some place like Berlin perhaps. But no, it seemed that professional psychopath  had some form of target fixation on New York.  Whatever the case he and his team had their orders.

 

Raising one had to his ar, Harken activated his comm and spoke.

 

"Harken to Strike Team, orders have come through. We are to act as an advanced scout and assault force against Hydra in the most recent attack on New York. I have a Quinjet waiting in the main hanger that will be ready by the time you all get here."

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

A Hydra soldier brings his weapon to bear, taking aim at fleeing civilians. Identical scenes play out across the square, perhaps beyond. Resistance begins to appear, but still the bullets fly. The soldier grins, starts to pull the trigger-

 

I fire first. Controlled burst, three shots. He goes down. His buddy’s noticed me now, though. Apparently Hydra’s got a few intelligent people because this one doesn’t keep doing his thing. He pivots, takes aim at my center mass. Can’t have that. The booster on my left boot activates, sending me shooting towards my left… And closer to my foe. The bullets spray where I was standing but a moment ago, but I’m already surging forward and placing him in my sights.

 

These acrobatics used to be an absolute to deal with. Such a combination of forces, just staying on my feet was a pain in the . Aiming a gun? Forget it. I’ve gotten better, though, and let’s be honest.

 

He’s three feet away now.

I couldn’t miss if I tried.

 

The shock doesn’t have time to register before a blast of concussive force sends him flying back, and a single burst of rifle fire signals to exit, stage left. Other people’ve shown up now; I see a guy in a combat suit- with dreads!- taking out one of their undercover mooks. Seriously, though, dreads? That can’t be good in a fight. My Little Powered Armor was still blasting away at the New Year’s Ball, which is still a bad idea. Archangels are comin’ on down, which is really a mixed bag for me, because the help’s great and all, but they’ll probably try to arrest me. I’ll have to have an exit plan.

 

Not now, though. Now I need to focus on the-

 

“We read you. This here is Saphine’s Guns n’guts nazi killing rampage...Bar & Grill. Whatcha need?”

 

-girl who just answered on military channels?

 

I don’t have to do anything to talk back, benefits of the comm being built right into the visor, but it still takes me a second to reply. Partly because I’m ducking behind cover while bullets strafe my position. Y’know, the usual stuff.

 

“ of a bar and grill to be broadcasting on military channels.” The quip flew easily, punctuated by a brief burst of gunfire as I poked by head up to keep them from getting too cozy. “Don’t suppose that bar serves up reinforcements, ‘cause we’ve got Detroit Batman, Megaman, and an operative having a really bad day taking potshots at, oh, I dunno, the entire Third Reich.”

 

IC: (Alex, Blackbird)

 

“Just means I’ve still got a neck.” The technopath quipped as they boarded the Blackbird. He took a seat in the main cabin, fastening his harness securely about his chest. His eyes lit up, almost visibly,as he tapped into the plane’s systems and started running pre-flight checks. He could perceive Alec doing much the same, but it never hurt to have a second set of… ‘Eyes’.

 

All systems were running normally, he could tell almost instantly. A year’s worth of getting to know the old equipment was paying off. Engines, guidance systems, Alex button… All systems green.

 

“We gonna make a plan, or wing it like usual?”

 

IC: (Rebekah [ultimate], Blackbird)

 

In the seat to Dallas’ right, Rebekah was doing her hair.

 

She gathered her long hair and pushed it behind her shoulders, securing it into a pony tail with the hair tie in her opposite hand. In the present circumstances, the priority seemed oddly out of place. Its cause, however, was perfectly logical; she couldn’t have it getting in her face. Vision was important.

 

The air around her began to glow violet, accompanied by her eyes turning into beacons of scarlet and purple. A kevlar vest appeared around her torso, accompanied by a military-grade headset in her ear. Two .45 caliber pistols materialized at her waist, each holstered on one side. A combat knife appeared, unseen, at the small of her back while an American M16 with an underslung grenade launcher appeared, propped up against her seat. Flashes of light accompanied the arrival of various munitions and tools, each taking a place somewhere on her person.

 

As the light show slowed, she glanced at the people around her.

 

“Is anyone in need of a comm unit?”

IC: (Tera, Apartment)

“... What’s funny?”

[Advent Child]

IC: There was a sudden kerfuffle of wheezing, rubber sliding against floor ("Too much traction! Not enough traction! Please don't tip! Nonononononono!") and assorted bursts of profanity just before a metallic clang.

 

A moment of silence.

 

"Woo-hoo!"

 

Triumph.

 

Nero breathed a sigh of relief, before resuming his tired wheezing as he wheeled the rest of the way into the blackbird, scanning the assembled peoples with excited, proud, and just a little bit relieved eyes.

 

"I made it! Please don't leave me."

[sunflower]

IC: Jesika (Ult.)

 

"I did just pay rent," The girl pointed out, "And I think I've moved enough for one lifetime."

 

"What do you say, Batboy, wanna do something fun."

[Hanako Herupa]

IC: (Sakuya Harada)

 

I had been on my way back to my room, feeling happy for Dallas and Ashley while at the same time desperately swallowing this other feeling threatening to well up inside of me. And then I heard it, a talk over the intercom, the PA system and in that moment, those feelings became small. So I ran back to my room, sitting on top of my dresser sat a sword in a sheath, it had been one of my father's sword. A gift to me, really the only thing I had to remember him by. He was a criminal at one point, the kind of which the X-Men, and other superheroes would have to hit again and again. And somewhere along the way, he decided to get better, and he met my mother, but as it turned out, he couldn't be there, and I raged throughout my youth about it. Now I was seventeen years old, I don't think my father probably wanted this life for me. Mother told me as much, told me how much he wanted to be home, but he couldn't, and then it became permanent, so there was no chance of seeing him again. That made me bitter, and so I had difficulty here, I became isolated and then I lashed out, and people gave me a wide berth, but then I realized what that came with. Being alone, having no one to call your friend, even among a school of people like you. And now there was New York, and people were hurting, and some ######## was going to cause more trouble, was going to kill people and ruin more lives. Daughters and sons growing up without their fathers. Families that would be broken, and well if I knew anything, I wasn't going to let that happen if I could help.

 

"Wish me luck Dad," I whispered, and grabbed the sheathed sword. I rushed off towards the hanger.

 

-----------------------

 

I ran up onto the deck of the Blackbird. Seeing that quite a bit of student and staff were already aboard. But from here on we weren't just students, we weren't just staff, we weren't teenagers, we were X-Men. I managed to recognize two guys, Quinn and Dallas, and some other guy that looked suspiciously similar to him, but I ignored it.

 

"Hey there Dallas, we gonna kick some Nazi ### together?" I smirked. 

[Snelly]

IC: Katherine "Kitty" Pryde

 

"Don't you want to see how Ashley is doing? She should be awake by now." 

 

IC: Aella

 

I squealed as the pillow hit me dead on, I fell over onto the floor, though I was grinning. 

 

IC: Shiloh

 

Shiloh forced a grin as she looked at her brother, despite the pain she felt. "Well I feel like absolute ...but I'll live." Hopefully. It would kind of suck if she died, she reckoned. 

 

IC: Jeffery Pryde

 

A wild Jeff appeared on the Blackbird. "You sure you want to do this Gabe?" 

[Eyru]

IC

 

"Not a chance you're gonna die on my watch," Rene replied as he scooped his sister up, pausing only to flick a lock of golden hair out of his eyes. "You're the good twin."

 

All around them, newly-sentient machines watched them expectantly.

 

"So. Where are we going?"

[Flex Lord Splash]

IC:

 

“My name’s Quinn,” he said after Kristen spoke.

 

“John,” he said simply to Quinn, introducing himself while still acting as Showstopper’s seat-belt.

 

“I thought the plan was to take out as many Hydra as we can.” Johnathan shrugged at Alex's words.

 

“And protect the civilians.” Christine added.

 

Johnathan looked up as Nero wheeled himself into the Blackbird. He remembered him, the other lycan. They’d been infected by the same man.

 

He wondered if Nero still had his curse, it was most likely that he did.

 

Quinn smiled at Sakuya. “Hi, I didn’t catch your name, I think we may be the only two newbie X-Men here.”

 

IC:

 

“Harken,” Jennifer spoke over a com-link. “I jumped the gun a bit; I’m already in the field. Used my personal vehicle to get here, I’ll rendezvous with you once you arrive, safe flying, McCoy out.” She then swept the nearby buildings looking for Hydra snipers. It wasn’t long before she found one, sniper-rifle pointed out of the window as he turned his sights on a civilian.

 

Jennifer squeezed the trigger of her high powered rifle, unleashing some rounds towards him. She missed, the rounds exploding into the window around him, the sniper ducking. Jennifer ducked as well. She knew the sniper would be ready to pick her off the next time she put her head up. So she did the next best thing, threw up the backpack she’d carried her gun in. A bullet slammed through the backpack, Jennifer burst from cover before pulling the trigger again, this time she caught the sniper in his neck.

[Snelly]

IC: Shiloh

 

"To kick HYDRA's of course." The machines didn't know what HYDRA was but some of them cheered anyway.

[Eyru]

IC

 

"Have I ever mentioned you're my favourite sister?"

[Snelly]

IC: Shiloh 

 

"I never would have guessed."

[Constructelf]

IC: Tokiomi

Orders are in.

 

Tokiomi quickly grabbed his things before making a mad dash to the armory.

 

lET's gO.

 

Some time later...

 

Tokiomi arrived at the hanger with pretty much the same equipment as he had taken to the HYDRA base, but with CS gas and smoke grenades instead of explosives.

[Eyru]

IC

 

"Me neither. Usually you're just a pain."

 

#livingontheedge

[Snelly]

IC: Shiloh

 

"Hmm yes but would it be any fun if I wasn't?"