11823/Milk Cartons: The Rescue of Becky Jamison

Milk Cartons: The Rescue of Becky Jamison
Date of Scene:	23 July 2020
Location:	Hell's Kitchen
Synopsis:	Cloak and Dagger enlist the X-Men to take down another child smuggling ring. They /finally/ kidnap an A-Lister. Tandy stared into the abyss and blinked.
Cast of Characters:	Dagger, Cloak, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Beast
Tinyplot:	Milk Cartons

---

Dagger has posed:
    Luke 15:4: "What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?"

The Holy Ghost Church.

Night has fell upon New York City, coating the proud city in a blanket of dark, swallowed by the sounds of cars and crowds as they make their way through the neon signed streets of Hell's Kitchen. The church stands lonely and forgotten, black inside save a flicker of light that passes by the windows at times. No one pays attention to this old relic of religion anymore. Those who used to serve have passed on, leaving it behind in the hands of Cloak and Dagger who now use it as a refuge from cold and a base of operations to plan their next moves.

Tandy had just put on her bright white jumpsuit with the cross cut out down along the chest, as well as a pair of black boots. She pulls her hair free of a band and gives it a few shakes before her blue eyes glance through the shadows in seek of her partner.

"They'll be here soon, Ty. All of our hard work will soon come to an end tonight if we are lucky. If the intel is good, not only will we save the children, but we'll be one step closer to finding out this Madame is in Singapore. Since we foiled the last few attempts, they are sending in an executive to oversee this job."

Grabbing a leather jacket, she slings it over her body, tucking in a number of medical supplies into the inside pockets. "We need that one alive."

Cloak has posed:
"They should be easy to pick out." Comes a voice from the alter. Cloak is a mass of shadow who's outline is lit only by the fitful, greasy light of a dying oil candle atop the wooden surface. He's looking up at the heavy ross hanging above, silent and ominous in the dark. Tonight, it is a vengeful god who looks down on the church. "They always are. Those confident in who and what they are don't hide."

He turns to look towards Dagger, his eyes casting back the light of the candles. "Let's hope these ones are more competent than the last. We cannot afford to let them slip through our hands again. At least this time, if one of those strange suited men appear, we know what they can do."

Nightcrawler has posed:
    There is the soft BAMF of air rapidly displaced, the smell of brimstone as Nightcrawler surveys the scene in front of the church. His iridescent eyes narrow, lips pursed as he raps one hand around a wrought iron grate, then swings himself down, drawing to a quiet crouch on the steps of the church.

    There is the soft tap of the leatherbound tip of one of his swords's sheath against the ground, dark hair swept back before he stands, tail sweeping behind him as he comes to the door of the church, giving a quiet knock.

Colossus has posed:
    "Just open the door, tovarisch. It is a church." Piotr says in a quiet but deep and gruff voice as he walks up behind the man that might be the closest thing to a brother he has in this world. Piotr strides towards the door to reach over Kurt's head and open it. His lips show the slightest of smiles as he slides his shoulder forward to gesture. "After you. Charm and grace before youth, da?" Even as he does that, his nose wrinkles ever-so-slightly due to the brimstone that hangs for a moment in the air.

    The big man tugs on one of his gloves in the doorway. As Piotr Rasputin looks around the church. He tugs the gloves a little more tight, splaying his fingers and then curling them inwards tightening the gloves. The Russian seems to admire the fit, but is actually making sure he has prepared himself. Everyone has rituals; he likes to fiddle with his gloves. "Privyet? Hello?"

Beast has posed:
From out of the darkness around the church Beast approaches stealthily. He might not be trained for ninja type antics, but the blue furball is incredibly dexterous and moves with inhuman ease as he climbs nimbly over the fence to catch up to Nightcrawler and Colossus.

As he enters the building proper Hank stands up to his full height and utilizes all of his senses to try to detect who else might be present. For now he remains quiet, letting Piotr do the talking.

Dagger has posed:
As the doors open to let in the light from the street, they are met with a brighter glow that radiates from the angel herself, Dagger. She holds her hands out before her, stretching them out as the light pulses from her hands to lead the path of the trio of X-Men into their safe haven. As she recognizes them, a smile appears along her face.

"Hey, Pete, Kurt! I see you brought a new face." Her eyes settle upon Beast, taking in his bestial features with a raise of her brows upwards. "You must be .. The Beast, that I was told about. It's nice to meet you. I am Dagger and this is my partner, Cloak."

As she glances over her shoulder towards the man of shadows, she gives him a warm smile before she clears her throat and folds her arms across her chest. "Kurt has been on one of our missions before so he knows what to expect. This Madame employs local gangs to go into Mutant Town and round up children or young adults. They then ship them across the ocean to Singapore where we have learned they are experimenting on them, trying to extract mutant DNA to replicate powers and create super soldiers. While that .. may be above our paygrade, we are at least trying to do our part on the street here."

"This Madame has contacted Hammer Head, one of the gang leaders in New York and now she is working with him. There is millions on the line now so the security has been upgraded. Cloak and I have tracked them to yet another warehouse in the industrial district. They have about eight armed guards outside the building using military grade weapons. Cloak will teleport us to the roof where we will have a vantage point. If we are quick, we can take the guard out on the roof and make our way in. Any questions so far?"

Cloak has posed:
Tyrone Johnson turns his shrouded head to regard the trio of mutants that enter the church. While he is passingly familiar with one and doesn't stare at Kurt too long, the others are not afforded the same benefit of his unnerving eye contact. There at the heart of the church, the man stands with all the unbothered and subtle arrogance of an apex predator in his territory. He said it himself: Those confident in who and what they are don't hide.

"Know that on one of our prior missions, there were... creatures. They looked like men in suits, but they were decidedly not that. Even getting near them was enough to nullify abilities." His voice is low and quiet but it carries through the church like the tones of the organ once did, reverberating in bass tones from the unpolished wooden pews and smog-shadowed stained glass. "There is a risk they may be present."

Nightcrawler has posed:
    "It is not only the House of God, but is also the home, possibly, of the two within, and it is rude to walk into someone's home, ja?" Kurt replies with a slight smile, following Colossus in.

    "Miss Tandy, brilliant as usual." he compliments the blonde, and gives an equally kindly smile to Tyrone and a bow of his head in respect "Tyrone, it is good to see you."

    No, really, it is. Much better than feeling watched.

    Kurt's tail curls a little , his lips set grimly.

    "I had read something to that effect, yes." he measures his words carefully. "Who is running interfearance this round?"

Colossus has posed:
    The banter is light in return. "You have a point." Piotr admits as he follows after Kurt. As they come to a stop, the big man slowly crosses his arms over his chest, Piotr listens to the briefing. He gives a half smile to Tandy and a little nod of his head. He gives another nod to Tyrone. Otherwise, Piotr is paying attention to briefing. He doesn't wilt under Tyrone's gaze, though later he will admit it was unnerving. His attention is mostly on the words spoken. Piotr nods at what Kurt says as his left hand slides upwards to run his thumb along his jaw and chin. He considers, working his jaw side to side once. "Have we countermeasures for this nullification other than playing keep away? That is not a game I am good at."

    It's not easy weighing about a quarter ton and being over seven feet tall.

Beast has posed:
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance," Hank replies to the glowing young woman with a polite bow and a friendly smile. "I only wish it were under better circumstances."

As they're given the low down on what they may be dealing with he nods his head, "Those suited creatures may be quite the threat to us if they were to get close before we're prepared. Do you know the range of their abilities?"

Beast will look over at Colossus and chuckle, "My initial thought for dealing with them is just to throw heavy objects at them from afar. Not the most scientific solution, but we've done stranger things in the past."

Dagger has posed:
"I can try and deal with them, for I have the ranged attacks." Dagger says as she gives a nod of her head as she holds out her hand. Between her fingers a trio of light blades form, glowing brightly like hot stars. "I do not know what their range is, but when Cloak teleported upon them, he lost his powers and the darkness was ripped away from him. Another vigilante who joined us was powerless against them. We were able to defeat them by the efforts of The Punisher who happened to track us down and fire a couple of rounds into them. They are cyborgs and appear to be very strong. Thus I do not feel the need to hold back against them."

"But throwing large heavy things at them is also a strategy." Her lips curve upwards into a brief smile before she turns and starts towards Cloak. She gives a flick of her hand to extinguish the light. "Come, X-Men. Step into the folds of Cloak's shadows and we will be on our way. Make sure to hold on to me or else you will fall victim to the darkest nightmares and sins that your soul holds within your heart. Only my light will protect you." As she steps forward, she half disappears into Cloak's body, turning around to face the rest as she holds a hand out to them.

"Let's go kick some butt."

Cloak has posed:
"Ranged is the way to go, just remember they react faster than humans do." Cloak remarks as he steps down from the alter, his namesake cloak billowing out behind him. "If you do fall by the wayside in the darkness, you have my assurance I'll release you. Our enemies will not be that fortunate." While one arm is reserved for Dagger and wrapped around her, the other is stretched out to extend the folds of the cloak. Within, there is nothing. There is no man under that cloak and the only faint impression of his arm is nothing but congealed shadow. Under the fabric, it's nothing but darkness so deep and encompassing that even Dagger's light seems to die within the depths.

Nightcrawler has posed:
    Kurt's nose wrinkles, somewhat because of the subject matter, and he straightens up. "Well. Luckily they cannot rob me of my devilish good looks." he jokes, but he reaches for Tandy's hand, and then reaches for Piotr's.

    "We *will* see this ended."

Colossus has posed:
    Piotr's laughter is a full-throated, short bark of laughter. "Da." He agrees with the esteemed doctor giving his chin a drop in a quick nod of agreement. "It is not without its charms." Piotr agrees. "Will be like darts." He agrees with another nod.

    Pulling in a long breath, Piotr's massive chest rises, his large lungs filling with air. He slowly exhales and steps towards Tandy. He reaches over towards her shoulder to settle his large hand there. If he has thoughts about darkness, he keeps them to himself. He simply nods at Tandy and gives her what he hopes is a reassuring nod. Meanwhile, the errant thought bubbles to the top of his mind as he wonders if others find Illyana this creepy. It changes his features to something thoughtful as he gently tightens his fingers. He merely nods at Kurt's words.

Beast has posed:
Heading towards Dagger to place a hand upon her so that he won't be trapped in Cloak's darkness, Hank nods to the pair of superheroes and flashes a smile, "Kicking butt is what we do."

He braces himself to enter the dark, taking a deep breath, "Well, one of many things we do, but perhaps it's what we're best known for." Beast nods his head once more, "I do believe that we're ready when you are."

Dagger has posed:
As she extends her light around the trio of X-Men, they can feel the warmth that radiates from within her. Like a hot, loving furnace of pure light. The type of holy light that one would bask in if they were to enter through the gates of Heaven. As the darkness swallows them, she takes in a deep breath, then feels the rush as the large folds of cloak wrap about them. It may only last a few moments, but there is definitely something monsterous that can be felt from within the dark. Like a starved, hungry dog stalking the outer edges of the light, eagerly waiting to feast upon those who may be led astray.

As the world snaps back into place, the folds open once more to reveal the top of the roof of the warehouse they are to storm within. A pair of gunmen who are positioned turn around in surprise as they find the five heroes emerging out of thin air. As she steps forward, a trio of blades ar flung thrugh the air at impossible velocities, striking one in the chest as he flies backwards to the ground, shaking as if he's been tazed.

So much for the element of complete surprise! The second gunman wastes no time as he fires upon them, bullets screaming through the air.

Cloak has posed:
"Good, that you can fight, because I'm *starved*." Which is probably pretty unnerving to hear in the embrace of a man who has been confirmed to eat souls and has a questionable morality about it. But then he's enveloped the lot of them and there's no escape. The darkness is a cold place, the type of cold so intense that it would burn if it wasn't for Dagger's light. There's the impression of something nearby that's maybe human, whimpering and crying in the dark, and an animalistic growling so deep it can barely be heard but still seems to be there at the low register of Cloak's voice.

Then light! Even the night is bright compared to that place. Cloak stretches out his arms like a landing vulture, releasing the warband back into the world. While they adjust back to the physical world, Cloak is stepping forward to shield them. Bullets fly at where his body should be amongst the open cloak, but they hit nothing and never come out the other side.

Nightcrawler has posed:
    Kurt comes flying out of the darkness, and into the night, bounding, tucking, rolling to the back of the man who opens fire, springing back up to a crouch before he brings his leg out, sweeping him with a back leg blow as he narrows his eyes.

    "Well, and we didn't even remember to bring a cake, how rude. Horrible guests." he comments, his tail drawn out behind him as he brings his gaze up to the other X-Men. "They'll surely know we're here."

Colossus has posed:
    They arrive in a fight. This is not the first time for that. Piotr reacts on instinct. He pivots and with a flash of white light goes from big to massive and shiny. His form is replaced by approximately 600 pounds of living metal. As he pivots, he places all of his weight on one foot, presenting his back to the attackers to protect the others with his nigh invulnerable form.
    There is a crunch. The roof creaks once, and Colossus' foot goes through a rotten portion of the decrepit warehouse's roof. First one leg, then as the weight shifts to the other other food, his entire form. There is a crunch and splinters of material arc upwards to shower the others as the rooftop swallows Colossus.

    "Oh sh--"

    There is a tremendous crash below as Colossus demonstrates his other mutant ability. He cannot fly, but he lands like a champion. Concrete cracks and craters as he drops below.

Beast has posed:
Upon exiting Cloak's darkness, Beast finds himself nearly whispering the words, "Oh my stars..." As intense as the experience was, however, he's quickly able to adjust to the needs of the mission. As he recovers his wits and finds one of his new acquaintances covering them from the barrage of bullets, Hank looks around quickly to try to get a idea of where the rest of the potential threats are at, inhaling deeply through his nostrils for the scent of anything out of the ordinary.

"Kurt is correct, we'll need to be fast. Peter, excellent idea! They'll never expect us to go through the roof." He follows Colossus down the hole he made, eager to free the kidnapped people and stop those who would make them victims.

Dagger has posed:
The team of Cloak and Dagger move together as if they were a couple in the midst of a beautiful dance. Light blades fly to one target, he steps in front of the other. It's almost as if they are in perfect synch with each other. As she spins another blade about in her hands, Dagger moves in on the second gunman once Kurt knocks him off his feet. Her glowing blade strikes him in the chest, causing him to scream out as his eyes give a bright flash before he slumps to the side. "You made deals with the dark, now feel the wrath of my light. You never should have messed with our children."

Dagger's voice is cold as she makes her way towards the hole that Colossus tactically made in the roof. "Enjoy your meal, Cloak." As she follows suit behind Beast after their temporary teammate, they will find the interior of the warehouse lit up with bright flourescent lights.

There is obvious confusion as the large metal Russian hit the ground. There are several gang members wearing leather vests with gold Eagles stitched on the back, looking to be moving large shipping containers towards the back where a semi truck waits with the engine rumbling.

Near the truck is a pair of men wearing sharp business suits with dark shades over their eyes. Their heads are shaved bald and their skin is a pasty, ghostly white. One of them lets out a loud sigh and a shake of his head as he turnsn to the other. "And you said that tonight would go smoothly and quiet, brother." "Well, at least we will have something to play with now, hmm?"

A face pokes out of the driver's side of the truck, a woman in her thirties and of Asian background. "Hurry up you fools! Get the crates on the truck, now! We don't got time for this. Finish them!" The Raid Boss.

Cloak has posed:
A light always casts a shadow. You cannot know the light save for the contrast of darkness. They move like two halves of the same soul. It's beautiful and it is very, very deadly. One fallen man and then two and enveloped in his darkness with nothing to shield them from the horror. The shadowman growls like an unsatisfied tiger given too meager of a meal.

He vanishes from where is crouched on the roof and appears within moments behind Dagger as he forms out of her shadow. "That's them. The null men." He voices as he spies the pair. "Keep your distance." Then he's gone again. It seems he'll leave the bosses to the X-Men, and instead sweeps down among the gangsters moving the crates. The chaos is immediate as the monster is unleashed among their masses. Bullets fly, there's screaming and swearing. Some are cut short as they are silenced in a whisper rush of fabric.

Nightcrawler has posed:
    The hole opens in the roof, and as Colossus falls, and Hank follows, Kurt is close behind.

    His eyes take in the situation. He draws one sword, as he listens to the growl of CLoak, and the righteous anger of Dagger.

    ""Truck, Suits, try not to hurt the gangers too much!" he calls out, and with the whiff of brimstone, the dark mutant goes to teleport over the truck, hanging upside-down from a lamp.

    "Pardon me, Frauline, do you happen to have the proper training for this vehicle?" he swings, upside-down, giving a fangy grin as his tail wraps around the light's cord. "LIscence and registration, if you please!"

Colossus has posed:
    Covered in fragments of roof, concrete dust and other debris, Colossus lifts himself to his full height. As he stands a heavy chunk of concrete is in his right hand. Colossus holds out his left arm to offer Hank a safe position to springboard from if he so chooses.The metal russian's right arm whips back and then forwards propelling the bowling ball sized chunk of concrete at a remarkable velocity forwards in an under-arm throw, much like a bowling ball.

    Colossus does not aim at the bald men. He wants to. He told Tandy, though, that the efforts had to be directed at what motivates the foes. The concrete rockets forwards leaving a soft trail of pebbles and dust in its wake to explode on impact with the grill of the truck's grill and radiator, embedding itself within the vehicle, and crippling it with a crunch of metal and the stink of the engine fluids leaking and pooling on the floor.
    "You should go. There is no profit to be had here." His voice is low and direct. His words are considered and calm. This is just another fight in a life full of them; Colossus has been doing this since he was a teenager.

Beast has posed:
More teamwork with Colossus? How could Beast say 'no'? The bouncing blue ball of scientific genius lands on his friends arm, then launches off of it in the direction of the scary bald men. Not to get too close, mind, but so that he can do a flip through the air, grab a couple of the gang members and attempt to hurl them, one in each hand, at the dangerous cyborgs.

"Listen to the big metal man, folks. If you leave no more of you need to get hurt," Even as he speaks Hank does not stop moving, relying on his superhuman agility to keep himself from successfully being targeted by all the guys with guns.

Dagger has posed:
The screams from the gunmen are cut off in waves as Cloak descends upon them like a starved animal. He and Dagger move together, in and out of the dark as bullets ricochet off metal walls and concrete floors. A pair gets swallowed up by the darkness, followed by another brought down by a wave of light that cuts through him from Dagger's blades. The pair move swiftly through the warehouse floors, trying to disrupt the flow of battle so that the X-Men can handle the bigger threats.

As Beast rockets off Colossus's arm, he grabs a pair of gunmen from behind who were focused on the angel and demon of dark and light. They make a surprised noise, bullets rattling in all directions for a moment as they are whipped towards the pair of Bob's. They collide into one, knocking him down as his back hits the ground, leaving behind a large crack in the concrete. There is a loud pop and a fizzle as a few sparks crackle about his neck joints.

"That tingled. We should eliminate them."

As he rises upwards, one of his arms starts to form into what appears some type of canon. There is a brrr of energy, followed by a sharp blast of laser that fires out of it back towards the blue bouncing X-Man and the Metal man. Zap! That will definitely sting if it connects.

The Rock that Piotr threw smashes through the semi, causing the engine to stutter and shut down with an angry mechanical whine. As the Asian woman behind the steering wheel frantically works the clutch, she lets out a shriek of surprise as Kurt teleports in front of the windshield, dangling upside down. He can see her scrambling for her seatbelt, and the revolver on the passenger seat.

Nightcrawler has posed:
    Cloak goes OM NOM NOM in the scariest way possible.
    Kurt, on the other hand, sees the woman go for her gun. His eyes narrow, and while he is not as bouncy as his blue furred friend, the fuzzy blue elf teleports into the cab of the truck, his tail going for the gun to try and disarm the lady.

    "I *did* ask for your liscence and registration ma'am! Is it because I'm blue?" he inquires, incredulously, crouching on the passenger side of the truck and gives a bright grin towards the lady.

    "Do not make me ask a third time; the others are a little less polite than I am!"

Colossus has posed:
    "Argh!" The problem with nigh invulnerability is the 'nigh' part. Colossus just made a spectacle of himself. Hefting another chunk of debris, Colossus is preparing to chuck it at a cyborg when a blast catches him in the chest. Colossus' feet are lifted up off the ground and he tumbles backwards. Sparks skitter and shower as he bounces across the floor. His chunk of concrete goes off into a wall, cracking them both.

    Colossus slides to a stop with a horrible grinding of metal on concrete.His uniform smolders. His right hand presses to the floor and the big man rises. His jaw settles and Colossus lurches to his feet.
    "Come here." Colossus challenges the bobs. "I have kiss for you." The metallic man lifts his right hand up and leaves a kiss on his knuckles.

Beast has posed:
Diving to the side in an attempt to avoid the cyborg's blast, Beast exclaims, "That's a neat trick!" Even then he's looking for something else to toss their way. "I'm going to have so much fun dismantling you guys!" Hank zigs and zags to avoid getting caught in blast like his buddy, but with the floor torn up there's now some more projectiles to go around. Grabbing up a piece of the floor from where Piotr'd lifted a bit he chucks it at a bob.

Dagger has posed:
"Fuck you, mutie freak." The woman snarls towards Nightcrawler as she shoves her shoulder up against the door, looking to peel out of it quickly. "Bob! Do something!"

The other cyborg gives a nod towards the woman, then turns towards the truck and lifts up his own arm as it forms in a canon. Unfortunately for Kurt, he gets to experience the laser attack as well! It rockets straight into the cabin of the semi, most likely to blow it apart with the mutant inside unless he's quick enough!

"Coming, darling." The other Bob sneers to Piotr as he starts forward towards them, giving a crank of his neck as he brushes debris off his chest. As he lifts his canon up to aim once more at the pair of Beast and Colossus, he gets struck in the head from a blade of light. He staggers to the side, then whips his head over towards Dagger. "You again. I'll take great pleasure in tearing your arms off -- " WHACK! He gets struck hard from the next piece of concrete that Beast fastball specials towards him, his head snapping to the side and sparking as he takes a stumble, then hits the ground. There is a flicker of light within his eyes before he grows still. Decommissioned!

Cloak has posed:
The last of the gangsters disappears, the golden eagle emblem on his jacket the last visible bit of color before he is swept up in darkness.

Standing atop one of the crates with a dark scowl, Cloak bellows out towards the truck. "You are ALONE. It's over. Yield and face justice." He makes it sound heroic, which in Cloak's voice is just something terrifying, like Godzilla telling you to sit down and shut up. His eyes, though? There's no victorious gleam. There's just hunger, a deep and unsatisfiable hunger born of hatred and rage.

Maybe he doesn't want her to give up so easily.

Nightcrawler has posed:
    "You'll have to buy me a drink first!" Kurt replies curtly, before he gives a growl, looping his tail about the gun and slinging it against its length, and was about to venture after the woman when the laser cuts through the cab of the truck. His eyes go wide, and there is a sharp BAMF Sound as he goes.

    And with an ugly cry, Kurt draws down the side of the truck, looking to make sure that no crates that were loaded up contained... live cargo.

Colossus has posed:
    That is almost disappointing. Almost. Piotr would like to get his hands on one of these guys. They took Becki. Still, Piotr is Russian and intensely practical. As Hank and Tandy take down the one, he reaches down to grab a handy piece of debris and comes u with about 18 inches of mangled and bent pipe. Colossus flexes a little, pulling the pipe straight by bowing his chest and holding the pipe in both hands. Once it is straight he simply takes a step forward and whips it end over end at the remaining cyborg, hoping to take him unaware with the object. "Nyet! Over here. I am mutie freak that you seek to brawl with. I still have kiss." Inwardly fuming over the blast at Kurt and secretly terrified one of the children was injured, Colossus stalks forward after throwing the pipe, seeking to draw the cyborg towards him. "Come on!" Metal rings on metal as Colossus smashes his left fist to his armored pectoral muscle, trying to goad and taunt the remaining 'Bob'.

Beast has posed:
As the bobs seem handled and the gangsters have been... devoured, Beast moves on to see about checking out the contents of the crates, "Colossus, looks like you've got this! I'm going to check out the shipping containers." Then he calls out, "Nightcrawler, are you okay? Do you need help?"

When it comes to the crates Hank will simply lift off the top of them, looking for the missing children.

Dagger has posed:
The semi is engulfed in flames at the cabin. The back of the truck? There are screams of fear from one of the crates. The slamming of fists upon metal can be heard, shouts for help echoing from within. The other crate that wasn't loaded just yet is also calling out for help. Now that the ringing of gunshots and explosions are over, they can clearly hear the children that are captured.

The woman is running for the last Bob, being that he is the sole ally that she has left on the battlefield. As the metal rod clanks him across the head, his eyes glow from blue to red. "One moment, Malaya. I have to teach this gentleman a lesson." With that, he starts charging for Piotr like a bull in a China shop. Once he hits that twenty foot radius, he will turn from steel to flesh. If Hank is still standing next to him, he'll suddenly find himself a lot less furry and more normal.

"Watch out!" Dagger calls out as she whips a blade from her hand, sending it slicing through the woman's legs as she takes a tumble to the ground with a loud scream. "Cloak, help Kurt out! Get the kids!"

Cloak has posed:
Tyrone Johnson doesn't need to confirm, he just does. The shadowman is gone in a plume of shadow and is there with a chill rush of air next to Kurt. "I'll open and watch our backs. You get them out. They don't need to see the Dark, they've seen enough." He says it with a deathly aura of seriousness, the kind that sounds like he's taking all of this very personally. One by one he moves among the crates, peeling back lids with quick efficiency to reveal their contents.

Nightcrawler has posed:
    Kurt lets out a very rare curseword, under his breath, and he's already straining to open one of the lids -- but when Tyrone appears, Kurt gives him a worn smile. "Thank you, I could not agree with you more in this moment my friend." he states, and he drops down.

    His eyes light up in the dimness, and he holds out his hands. "Allo! My name is Nightcrawler, and we will see you out. Everyone, hold hands, ja? Like a school game" he states, and grasping for hands with his arms outstretched (and giving one sound of indignation when someone grabs his tail), he takes a deep breath -- and there's a massive bamf of the first group of children disappearing.

    They reappear on a building rooftop next door (one hopefully far more sturdy than the last one!) -- even though it takes a lot of out of him to teleport this many, he knows there's at least one more group left -- but this group had to come first. They were the most in danger!

Colossus has posed:
    "Beast, help Nightcrawler!" Colossus shifts to Piotr, his powers being negated. The big man is still big, but no longer massive. Rather than square up, he hesitates, sidesteps, and lashes out to attempt to grab the cyborg's wrist. Piotr Rasputin then drops, pulling on the arm, kicking up with both legs and attempting to launch the cyborg up and over past him, trying to use the cyborg's mass and speed to his detriment. As he tries, Piotr gives a loud, inarticulate grunt. He's going to feel that move in the morning; that cyborg is heavy. He can feel the start of a separation in his shoulder and some strain in through the knees. The toss is aimed at the pile of debris Piotr created when he fell through the roof.

Beast has posed:
"Oh my!" Beast exclaims as the cyborg runs towards him and Piotr. But Colossus say he's got this and Hank trusts his teammate. He instantly starts bouncing to the side to avoid getting too close to the power negating creature, instead making his way towards the crates. Between his claws and inhuman strength he'll attempt to lift the lids off the first crate, the one that's outside of the truck. With the lid in his hand he'll turn towards the remaining Bob and hurl the flattish object like a Frisbee, aiming to dismantle this villain like the last.

"Hello children, my name is Hank. We're here to get you back home," says McCoy, post throw, to the contents of the crate.

Dagger has posed:
Hank and Kurt are met by dozens of eyes glowing in the darkness in the back of the crate. They're scared, trembling and battered. Obviously their captors were rough with them and none too gentle. They look to be traumatized. Becki Jamison though, recognizes the X-Men as she is a student at the school, bursting into tears. "It's okay, guys. Those are the X-Men. They're here to save us."

With Kurt taking the first group of kids out, and Hank handling the second, Bob and Piotr are going at it like a pair of wrestles on Wrestle Mania.

Piotr grabs the Bob and he finds him to be /heavy/. He's a robot after all. A real life Terminator. But, the Russian bear is no slouch! As he flips Bob over, he lands with a crunch of metal, then rises upwards with a gleam of red eyes. "Is that all you got?"

He starts forward, reaching out to grab Piotr by the arm. There is a loud 'crunch' as his hands tighten around him. Before he can yank the Russian's arm off, he gets struck along the side by Hank's impromptu frisbee. There is a loud sickening rip of circuits and sparks as the body crumples to the ground, hanging loosely off Pete's body.

With a heavy breath, Dagger makes her way to the woman who is crawling along the ground, planting a foot on her back and shoving her back down. There's a blaze of light in her hands as she forms a sword between her fists. "How /dare/ you! How dare you hurt children. You are the poison that this city cries out from. You do not deserve your light. You do not even deserve to breathe." She pulls the blade back in her hands, her eyes full of rage and emotion, her body trembling.

The woman stares up at the angel of light, her eyes widening as a gasp catches in her throat. "D.. Don't! Please don't kill me!"

Cloak has posed:
Among the kids who huddle, some muttering with fear and others mute with fear and stress, one coltishly tall teen girl with tea-colored skin and wild umber stands there on wobbly legs and spies Dagger pinning the driver. A few fitful sparks of lavender-blue electricity spit from balled fists. While her powers and body may be dulled, the girl's sunken eyes are fierce even if there's tears threatening the corners and she bellows in a hoarse, shaking voice, "G-good! Go, get her! Lucky I couldn't do it mys---" And she's gone in a puff of brimstone as her group is foisted away. Probably for the best.

Cloak watches her with something other than anger briefly showing in his eyes. It's recognition, sadness. Its loss. They say when you stare into the abyss it looks back, and sometimes it punches you in the gut. But he can punch back. With a growl beginning in his chest, he disappears and reappears in front of Dagger and the woman. "Death is too good for someone like you. You don't deserve that escape. Living with the guilt and knowledge of your sins, feeling that burn in your soul every remaining day that you have... *that* is your crime."

Nightcrawler has posed:
    For the best, yes.

    As the children are cleared away, younger first, then older -- with the loudmouth one disappearing as Kurt gives a disapproving "Ach, language!" as the girl is taken in a puff of air --

    And feeling exhausted, he teleports back, unsteady and he makes sure there are non left that need to be evacuated.

    "... Are you all right, Hank? Pete?" he questions softly, staying back from Tandy and Tyrone at just this moment.

Colossus has posed:
    That will be a bruise. As Piotr slides to his feet the sharp-eyed might notice a gingerness to the knees. Bob was stupid heavy. Piotr rotates his right shoulder, visibly wincing. "Spasiba, tovarisch. That got a little too close for comfort." Piotr gives Beast a grave, thankful nod. He only allows a brief look at Beast before turning to make sure the cyborg is down. Not seeing any signs of threat after a moment, Piotr finally turns He makes his way over towards Tandy. "Murder is not what you are about. You are here to help the children, not to murder her." Piotr attempts to slide a hand to her shoulder and gently squeeze. "You are staring into Abyss. It is staring back. Does it see a monster? Or does it see a monster hunter?"

    Drawing in a breath, Piotr releases it. "Make the right decision." He seeks out Cloak with his eyes. "Choose to be better. It is a hard choice."

    Piotr looks to Kurt and Hank. He seems to think they have a better grasp on this moment than he ever could. "Tell them." He urges his friends.

Beast has posed:
"I'm alright, Kurt. Never been better," McCoy replies to Nightcrawler.

"I didn't want you getting all the glory, my friend," Hank says to Colossus with a return nod. "Remind me to never pick a fight with you."

While he's initially captivated by the idea of studying the robotic threats, there's the more pressing matter of Dagger about to sword someone, but Cloak and Piotr seem to have it handled. Then he seems to recall something else of importance, "We need her alive to find out more information about the people smuggling ring."

Nightcrawler has posed:
    Looking to Colossus, Nightcrawler gives a nod, and steps forward.

    He reaches out, and his gloved, two-fingered hand rests just so very lightly against Tandy's. There is a soft sound of him trying to find his voice in his tired state, and he speaks in a quiet voice:

    "God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed;" he quotes quietly, his accented voice both reverant and worried, before his fingers slip beneath her hands, coming dangerously close to that sword made of light, and he goes to lift her hands up.

     "Tandy, we need her to tell us where the others are."

Dagger has posed:
The heat from Dagger's sword burns as bright as a dying star. It casts such a glow throughout the dark warehouse, showering with sparks as she drags the tip along the concrete. Tears streak down her eyes with emotion welling into her voice as she stares down at the woman who stares back into her own abyss. The touch from Peter upon her shoulder causes her to stiffen for a moment before she lets out a loud, angry snuff. She hears Hank's words next, then Kurt's as she feels his touch along her hand.

There is a slow blink from the eyes of the angel of light and the sword flickers away, finally. She reaches up with her free hand to wipe at her face. Jerking her chin upwards, she stares down at the woman defiantly, then sends a hard kick right into her ribs, causing her to cry out. "You're right. You need her." She says as she glances over to the trio of X-Men. "We don't. Take her. Get what you need from her. Take the children."

She lets out a choked noise in her throat as she looks up at Pete for a moment, then starts for Cloak. "We will drop the gang members off at the police once Cloak finishes feasting on their light. Let them live an hour of their worst nightmare for now." She clears her throat, stepping forward halfway into the inky dark that is his cape.

"Thank you, X-Men, once again. Thank you for saving the children .. and saving me tonight."

"C'mon, Ty. Let's go home."

Nightcrawler has posed:
    Kurt stands a moment more, and then topples back a bit into a crouch, looking both exhausted and relieved.

    "... well. That could have gone much worse, ja?" he questions -- and puts his foot on the woman's back, his two toes curling against her. "Stay down a moment until they are gone, if you please. We will have some questions of our own, and I would very much like for you to answer them.

Cloak has posed:
For all the core of the focus was paid on Dagger's outward conflict, little was directed towards Cloak. The man's anger is cold. His eyes, shielded under the heavy overhang of the cloak is wears, are fixed on the fallen woman with a singular intent so pure and primal that its like trying to look into the black eye of a great white. It's the stare of a hunter who knows his prey is wounded and where to find it and has all of the patience in the world to finish to job. She may very well be left looking over her shoulder for him the rest of her life.

As Tandy speaks to him, Cloak's chin slowly raises and turns those alien and predatory eyes onto her. Wordlessly he nods once and steps around the prone woman and towards his counterpart. He regards the X-Men for a moment and spares neither a thanks nor a farewell before he wraps Dagger in his cloak and the two are gone.

At least the X-Men know where to find them now.

Colossus has posed:
    Releasing a breath, Piotr allows his hand to slide off Tandy's shoulder. "The right thing is rarely the easy thing. You should both be proud." Piotr watches the other two mutants for a moment, then forces himself to square his shoulders. He draws in another breath and Piotr rotates his shoulder again.

    "Da, tovarisch. I am proud of them. She mentioned? issues with their abilities. Serious ones. We need to make certain we help them. It is also the right thing to do." He tilts his head to watch the pair for a moment, then he looks to Hank. "Thank you again, tovarisch. That could have gone very badly for me." Piotr looms over the woman and just settle his mouth into a hard thin line.

Beast has posed:
Running a hand over the darker hair on his head, Beast looks at the people assembled in the warehouse. "Thank you for this, Dagger, Cloak." He watches the remaining criminal closely, "Keep an eye on this one, please. I'm going to collect those mechanical menaces so we can work on disabling their ability to nullify our powers." And he heads to do just that, scooping up one under each arm.

Hank is rather quiet after that, left contemplative, perhaps, by Tandy's near homicide. That being said, he is definitely inspecting the robotic remains. When Piotr speaks to him McCoy seems to snap out of it and returns a grin to his big, metallic, brother, "It was our good teamwork that took care of these things. I can't wait to get Jeremy and Kitty to dig into their software while I figure out the mechanics that make them tick."