12611/The Cure: Assault on Mutant Town!

The Cure: Assault on Mutant Town!
Date of Scene:	04 January 2021
Location:	Bushwick (Mutant Town), Brooklyn
Synopsis:	The Xmen intercept an attack on mutant protestors by DAMT.
Cast of Characters:	Pixie, Cyclops, Phantasm (Drago), Wolverine, Phoenix, Archangel, Nightingale, Tesla, Magik

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Pixie has posed:
It's early afternoon in Mutant Town, a town known for its high crime rate even on the best of days. Today however, with all the rumours and reports of mutant attacks, that anxiety has been amped right up.

Rumours spread like wildfire and hundreds of mutants had marched down to City Hall, demanding change, demanding protection, demanding respect!

Some protests are peaceful. This one is getting pretty rowdy. Dangerous even. People are yelling, fighting with police, breaking down windows, looting. As the sun starts to set, casting an eerie violet glow over Mutant Town, things can only get worse from here..

Cyclops has posed:
Having gathered the team, Cyclops and the rest of the X-Men have taken point on a rooftop that overlooks a majority of the protest. He has Archangel and Nightengale in the air to keep eyes in the sky and to report back anything out of the ordinary, or any visuals of known enemies. Wolverine and Phoenix are with him for the moment. As he crouches down a bit, he squints his eyes from behind his visor, dressed in his blue and gold uniform.

"Let's just stay frosty, team. Wings one and wings two, don't be shy about chatter if you see anything at all. You see something, Phoenix will investigate telepathically to determine threat level. If we find something that needs resolving, it's why we brought Wolverine along."

He continues to sweep the crowds, quietly clearing his throat as he glances to the two adults on the roof with him. "These things never go clean. Expect the worst."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Well, it has turned out to be a bit more eventful than what Nick was planning. Let's be honest, he misses a LOT of stuff and with the things going on in his life he hasn't been faithfully watching the news. So that's what led to him deciding today would be a perfect time to get breakfast over at Fred's Diner. (Away from the counter of course. Those flare-ups are a nightmare.)

It turned out to be a not quite so perfect time. And well, fast forward a bit and he is now in his raven form. Observing. He's not lifting a wing to stop the property damage but he is keeping note where the fights are occurring. Nothing that merits intervention yet, fortunately. It hasn't gotten to that point. And honestly he's not sure what he should be doing. He just, has a feeling he should stick around.

Wolverine has posed:
The streets of Mutant Town maybe be riddled with crime and covered with protestors, but the rooftops of Mutant Town are actually pretty nice. Well, quiet, anyways, the buildings aren't exactly up to code...

"They're gonna need to replace that door..."

Wolverine points over his shoulder with his thumb, at the hole where a door used to be a few seconds ago. The one that leads down into the ramshackle apartment building where he was keeping watch until recently.

"... barely kicked the damn thing. Probably made in America."

In his last remaining clean uniform, an old brown and mustard-colored one with especially dramatic face fins, the Canucklehead leans over the edge of the roof to scope out the action below.

"'Resolving', eh? Is that what we're callin' what I do these days? And they say you aren't a poet."

Phoenix has posed:
For as much as she would love to be anywhere else, Jean Grey is here. For all the fear and anger make the air acrid and choking to her, she can't walk away. These are her people, this is her future, and the future for the kids she looks over. So she stands with her arms folded around herself like they were a shield and watches the beginning of what's going to be a long night start to fall.

She's in her black uniform for the tactical advantage with only the gold lining of her cropped jacket giving it any color while warding off some of the cold. She pulls it closer as she remarks, "It usually does. This has been getting worse, and it's going to come to a head. At this point, 'resolving' may be the only thing we can do. We just need them to show their faces."

Archangel has posed:
Flying high over the crowd with Nightingale as his wingman, or woman as the case may be, Archangel responds calmly into the built in communications of his blue and white colored team suit.

"So far nothing to call out, other than a unruly mob that doesn't help much. When are people going to realize that this kind of thing rarely solves anything and more often sets the cause back further...but then again it isn't like other ways seem to work any better. Maybe I am just getting jaded in my old age."

Warren banks and dives to make another pass, closer now to the crowd that his shadow casts the outline of his winged form over the unruly crowd.

Nightingale has posed:
     "Someone wise once told me expecting things to go clean and normal is a rookie mistake. We've all of us been on enough trips to know that's never the case."

     Shannon smiles a bit to herself as she flies in rough formation alongside Warren, keeping an eye on the rioting below. She's taken a cue from Miss Grey and opted for her black bodysuit and boots, with night starting to fall. As always, she has her little brown bag tied to her belt. This time sees an addition of what looks like a holster strapped to her right forearm, but -not- the sort required for firearms. It appears more like a collapsible metal staff has taken its place there.

     "Looks like the clinic's going to be busy if this keeps up, it's getting a little messy down there." She herself maintains a slightly higher altitude, to offer a broader view and letting Warren skim closer to the ground.

Tesla has posed:
Tesla has a way of hearing about big things happening as pertains to mutants, if his recent interruption of the evening news is any indication. He was among those to confirm to the masses that the 'Cure' had been weaponized for use by a government cell, and now, the young man beholds the fruits of his labor as mutantkind rises up. In Tesla's mind, his teacher would doubtless be proud of him.

Tesla is in the air but has not, at the moment, done anything to further rile the crowds into violence. They seem to be handling that decision for themselves quite nicely. In the interim, he manipulates his earpiece throughout the range of radio frequencies. No doubt, he's looking for the police. Even less doubt, a black operations response.

Ah, but then, he's not the only one taken to the heights. Magneto has instructed Tesla well in the faces of Xavier's servants, and expectedly enough for him, he sights them in the air and upon a rooftop. The elegantly dressed young man, evidently present today in his mentor's place, opts to descend to the edge of the rooftop with cape draped elegantly over his right arm as if to keep it away from any dirt underfoot. Maybe he picked up on the team's broadcasts.

"An unruly mob? They, at least, have the courage to openly call out for justice knowing what might be brought to bear to against them," says Tesla as his boots settle upon roof's edge. "Pardon, what /will/ be used against them. Much as I admire their bravery and spirit, they're fielding themselves as the perfect opportunity for the powers that be to showcase the weaponized 'Cure' I displayed on television. I intend to do everything I can, of course, but it's inevitable that many of them will have their lives destroyed before this gathering is dispersed."

Tesla looks down and out, over the protest, as he whispers with a faint sense of anger in his rasp, "And the government will call it /justice/. All that they did with the good doctor's work, suddenly justified."

Magik has posed:
    This is starting to become a habit. Illyana doesn't usually go out of her way to get involved in political situations. Probably the best part of Limbo is that the politics are so straightforward. But she was asked to help and she /does/ feel obligations to help sometimes.
    A portal closes on one rooftop and then opens onto a rooftop as Illyana arrives to join the rest of the X-Men, "It looks like it is only a matter of time now before something happens." She goes up to the very edge of the building and peers down to watch the people in the streets, the angry energy below almost palpaple at this point.

Pixie has posed:
Pixie arrives in her own way, fluttering down on the rooftop to join the others. She is dressed in her black x-uniform dress, with the gold trim and boots. She looks rather ruffled as she glances around. "It's a jungle down there, no major injuries yet but the mob is getting bigger, getting out of control. The police are getting overwhelmed...What should we do?" she glances to Cyclops, awaiting his orders.

Tesla is given a surprised look. "Heey, isn't he the guy who attacked and kidnapped those DAMT members? " still she won't make a move until Cyke figures out how to handle this..

And as if things weren't hectic enough, it seems that this little riot has attracted the attention of others. As darkness rapidly descends on the town, the sound of four large black helicopters break through the sky overhead, their blinding searchlights cutting through the darkness.

As they land well spaced out on the streets below, forcing several protestors to retreat, a megaphone can be heard addressing the mutant protestors. "Surrender, Mutants, or face the consequences!"

Several dozens of people dressed in black outfits complete with helmets, Kevlar vests and Neutro-x darts in addition to regular guns, spill out of the copters. From the largest copter step out what look to be four cyborgs, heavily armed and ready to inflict violence if there is resistance. For now they survey the scene, ready to step in only if there is heavy resistance.

Cyclops has posed:
"Ignore him." Cyclops says in regards to Tesla as he gives a frown on his face. "Unless he does anything right now, we're not going to create a situation. But we need to keep our eyes out for Magneto. If he sent his stooge, he may not be far behind."

Giving a visible frown, he tilts his head upwards to the copters overhead, then glances to Logan. "That is what I meant by resolving things."

    hrough Jean's psychic link, he speaks to the entire team. << Those are the Reavers and it looks like they got some new friends. Cybernetic humans who are intent on getting rid of mutants. Angel, you and Nightengale keep away from those copters. I'll need you to dip in and out and rescue anyone they may injure. >>

<< Magik, teleport Logan down to the ground level and engage the Reavers. Do /not/ hold back. They will do everything in their power to kill you. Extend the invitation back to them. >>

With a glance to Pixie and Phoenix, he gives a firm nod of his head. << We're going to put the copters down. Phoenix, try and find who is in command and see if you can manipulate them into reversing orders or standing down. Let's confuse their ranks. >>

With that, he reaches up to tap the side of his visor, lasering a blast of red optics into the sky towards one of the copters, looking to take one of the blades out.

"Hey, Tesla! You want to help for a change? We could use it!"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
As the bird observes, the view of figures flying above the crowd does not escape his notice. Granted there are several. It IS Mutant Town after all. But one winged blonde that flies into his sight he does recognize.

Head turning, Phantasm also sees where Pixie is joining the the team on the rooftop. Okay so there are two people he recognizes that aren't participating in the protests below. Always good to see a friendly face. A wing lifts, waving over to Pixie before the thrum of the helicopter blades draw his attention once more to the sky. "Well...this can't be good."

As he watches one of Pixie's friends shoot something at the copter, his head tilts. "Ok now it's definitely not going to be good..."

Wolverine has posed:
"Thought I smelled lady perfume..."

Wolverine takes a few sniffs of the air, as if for dramatic effect, as the cape-wearing man opts to descend near them on the rooftop. Waving his hand a few times in front of his face, as if to banish the scent, he reaches into one of the small pouches on his very wide belt and pulls out a half-finished cigar.

While he's busy getting it lit, he keeps his ears pricked, and turns his attention back down to the crowd below. Soon, the click of an old metal lighter can be heard, and his nostrils are filled with the pungent fumes of a slightly stale, partially-smoked Cohiba.

"Fancy Dan here has a point though. I oughta be down there at the front, 'stead a skulkin' 'round up here lissenin' to politics. Or... hello..."

As the helicopters descend, what's visible of Logan's stubbly face bears the look of someone who is once again disappointed, but not surprised. He clenches the cigar tightly in his teeth, and looks over at the young woman who's giving him a lift to the frontlines.

"Hope you've been practicing yer aim, Magik. 'Cause I'm gonna need a Drop Bear Special!"

Phoenix has posed:
"Or, your master could have actually worked with us to reverse engineer this so we'd be better prepared to fight them *before* antagonizing them more." Jean says with a furious scowl towards Tesla as the magnetic mini-minion arrives. "So instead, he sends you to be his sacrificial lamb instead of risking himself." She says sourly but without even a bit of surprise to be heard.

And then the orders are on the table and she's turning back to business. Dropping low to try and provide as small a target as possible, the redhead states simple, << On it. >>

And she stretches out her telepathic powers, focusing first on the line of soldiers coming out of the copters. It's like following a trail. Soldiers know their orders and they know who they're coming from. She tries to follow that line back. She hunts for shifts of their mental focus as they look towards commanders that may be on the field so that she can identify them and point them out as targets.

Archangel has posed:
The orders coming across from Cyclops cause Warren to grit his teeth, and the aggravation in his voice lets his displeasure about being regulated to what he sees as the sidelines known as Warren replies a gruff single word.

"Understood."

Archangel banks again, diverting himself from the helicopters and gaining more altitude to have a better view of the crowd.

Nightingale has posed:
     "Oh, ballocks... Nightingale here. I don't like the look of the weapons those men in black are carrying. You don't suppose they're Cure darts, do you?"

     She veers out of the way of the incoming helicopters and their black-clad payload, getting some distance between her and the backwash from those rotors, while still trying to keep an eye on things below. "Copy that, will not engage. Search and rescue only."

Tesla has posed:
Tesla is outwardly amused as he turns his attention back upon the rooftop, Jean and Scott in particular seeming to capture his notice. "The sacrificial lamb, you say? What an ironic comment, coming from the leader of the good Professor's flock," he says as he sweeps a gloved hand outward to indicate the X-Men. "Where is Charles, by the way? Surely, if Magneto sending his apprentice is an insult, he wouldn't be hiding back in the comfort of his school? We haven't seen each other in so very long."

Ah, but Scott surprises him as he takes the outstretched hand and rests it against his own chest. "Me? What could I, the /vile/ intruder who has done nothing more than reveal the truth to the masses, do to help you? To help them, for that matter? Today, I might aid some of them in escaping a 'cure' to evolution. Not all, though, and certainly not every mutant in the world rising up. Either our kind chooses to bring their full power against these genocidal madmen, or they will be crushed. Shot with the darts, then made bearers of a mark some of us take so very personally."

Tesla lowers his right sleeve for a moment to reveal the barcode tattooed upon his wrist, in the same place as his teacher's Holocaust era tattoo. They seem more and more alike by the moment. When Cyclops begins to train his visor upon one of the helicopters, however, he seems impressed enough to tone down the theatrics a touch. "Ah, good. The Professor did teach you some sense after all. There comes a point when we must choose a side, and your weapon in the right direction."

Tesla begins to step off of the ledge. "If you're asking for my help, consider it granted. Just don't complain after the fact about the measures I take to protect the innocent," he says over his shoulder. Magneto's apprentice rises into the air before he can fall, magnetic field about his body distorted to bring him aloft. Will his first target be the hellcopters, or the ground forces?

Magik has posed:
    "Time to go?", Illyana asks as she turns to Wolverine and takes a few steps back from the ledge. "You don't have to worry about my aim. I don't plan to miss anything." The SoulSword bursts to life in her hand as her arm sheaths itself in shimmering metal. "You way want to put out your cigar first though. It looks busy." And with that, she takes a few steps closer to Wolverine and with a gesture, a portal forms at their feet, rising up around them until it's completely engulfed them and disappears in a blink, the return trip signaled by another portal opening right on top of where the Reavers are gathered.

Pixie has posed:
Pixie nods to Cyclops, though uncertain what she can do without getting up close and personal. For now, she bides her time, waiting for an opening..When Cyclops blasts one of the blades on the first helicopter, it veers and wheezes, trying to stay aloft but the broken blade sends it swinging wildly, crashing into a nearby wall before falling to the ground in a damaged heap.

Fortunately it wasn't a long drop and the soldiers inside are shaken but not killed or seriously injured. They spill out, and start shooting darts at any mutants who haven't already fled. The other three cooters are doing much the same, releasing dozens of soldiers in black who cut through the mutant protestors, shooting dozens of mutants with their cure darts.

For those that are hit, they fall to the ground and scream for a moment, seizure he as their bodies are violently stripped of the mutant gene, reducing them to nothing more than mere humans.

Pixie frowns, hoping over the army, fluttering g her wings to unleash a wave of pixie dust on a large group of soldiers. Unfortunately she didn't expect them to be covered head to toe, even wearing masks that cleverly filter out the hallucinogenic dust. She is so surprised that she doesn't notice or dodge the cure darts that are aimed at her, shooting her out of the sky. She screams as she crashes to the ground, shuddering as her hair fades to ginger, her wings wilting to nothingness, and lays still..

It seems the police are having an easier time of arresting and detaining the more violent protestors now, but Jean will sense there are two commanders, both on the largest helicopter, but they are standing back, biding their time as they bark out orders on the radio.

The four Reavers however, do not stand back, not once Wolverine and Magick arrive. One of them, a massive cyborg who looks painfully strong, yells and charges at Wolverine, attempting to pummel him into the ground. Another, sporting some sort of electrical charge, sends out electric bolts towards Magick.

Tesla does not go unnoticed either. Four operatives I. black are already climbing the building he and the remaining Xmen are standing on, and while that's happening the last two Reavers are already speeding up the building, more easily than the peacekeepers. One is lightning quick, reaching the rooftop first, attempting to knock Tesla off his feet. The other sports a giant plasma gun, similar in power to Cyclops' laser blasts and he aims this at Cyke, attempting to blast him to bits.

Pixie has posed:
Everywhere there is chaos. But the fire is slowly dying down. Those who were not hit are retreating but there have been a lot of mutants attacked nonetheless and in the cruellest way possible. Phoenix's next more forceful physic suggestion hits its mark, and suddenly all the soldiers are retreating, actually fleeing back to what choppers remain. They managed to detain some notable mutants although Tesla has escaped their grasp it seems.

Wolverine manages to totally Slaughter the big muscular cyborg. Violently.While Cyclops gets the upper hand on beamguy, blasting him off his feet and sending him flying off the roof. Those who were not directly attacked continue to retreat, filing into the choppers and quickly leaving the scene.

All the same, it seems the damage was done, and while the Xmen managed to minimize the damage, it is nonetheless quite apparent.

Cyclops has posed:
<< We're getting out of here. Magik! Do it. >>

Once the targets on the roof is down, Scott takes a moment to catch his breath. He reaches out to grab Jean by the hand, squeezing it tightly for a moment before he lets her go.

There is a flash of light as the teleporting Russian opens several portals with strikes of her sword, swallowing the X-Men up, as well as a wolf by accident! Tesla on the other hand? He gets left behind. Manners make the man after all.

Where will they end up? Back at Xavier's in the X-Men's base, the War Room.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
He's angry!

Grr.

He's fighting!

Grr.

But he hasn't killed anyone.

Grr?

Despite what's going on. All in the all, the wolf has been pretty well controled. Granted each dart he sees hitting him have stuck in and it looks like he's covered in multiple dart piercing as he thrashes about.

As the soldiers run off, the Wolf's tail wags, and so do the darts sticking out of his body. As the portal snatches him up, the wolf lets out a yelp of surprise as that was not of his own doing.

The head tilts, looking to the odd surroundings. The phantasm has accidentally been in one of the dorm rooms of the school before but never any of the other locations. So, he has no idea where he is. The wolf looks around, and upon spotting Megan, walks over to check on her.

Phoenix has posed:
Another mind crackles and fizzes through Jean's link, and that seems about as much as she can take. The sound of her scream is frustration and rage boiling over as she wheels around on her feet to look towards the retreating operatives. It's only Scott's hand that stills her from charging but even then she's already at arm's length.

As the portals open, however, Jean doesn't go. "I'll be back." She tears herself away and charges for the edge of the roof and doesn't even pause when she leaps right off of it. But she is Jean Grey, and she does not fall. Instead she takes to the air and she turns up towards the clouds and is soon out of sight.

Wolverine has posed:
The soldiers, and their superiors, must have thought that the sudden loss of powers would make most of the mutants helpless nearly instantaneously. And for most of the mutants at the protest, that's pretty accurate. But they apparently didn't plan well enough for an unpowered mutant who's just as dangerous without his powers, and even angrier now that he's bleeding all over the place.

Turning around, the completely feral Wolverine leaps into the soldiers, tearing at them much more easily than he did the Big Guy, but every bit as mindlessly. To defend themselves, they fire off round after round of Cure Darts, realizing all too late that they would have much better luck with a regular handgun.

But not all of them will end up in steaming pieces on the ground, as the berserker is yanked from the battlefield while still in the throes of madness.

When he looks around, confused by his surroundings, it looks for a moment as if he's about to charge the nearest X-Man and rip out a few organs.

And maybe that's what he's trying to do as he stumbles forward, claws still out, blood pouring out of the holes where they exit his hands.

Suddenly wobbly, he falls to one knee, and then slumps forward, collapsing onto the ground with all the obvious signs of shock.

All over the new rug, too.

Archangel has posed:
One moment the high-flying Archangel is high above the crowd over Mutant Town, the next he is in the confines of the War Room. Outspread wings taking up much of the available space are quickly retracted, folding in tightly across the blonde mutant's back as he looks around for Shannon and Pixie with a stream of words that sound like they should come more from Logan than someone labeling themselves as an Angel.

"It'll be ok." he says as he takes a knee next to the fallen mutants, "We will get Hank on this. Have you back to normal in no time."

He turns his eyes to Scott and Jea..He looks around the room.

"Where is Jean? Did we leave her behind?!," Warren shouts accusingly. "Did they get her?!

Cyclops has posed:
Once they step through, Scott gives a glance around as well, looking for Jean. He furrows his brows, then presses his lips into a thin line.

"She's.. fine. She is just resolving one last thing. Right now we need to focus on Logan, Megan and Shannon." He scoops Megan up into his arms. "Warren, get Shannon. Logan, geezus, you got a billion of those things sticking out of you. We need to get you all to the medbay." There is worry in his voice, though he tries to maintain his confident leader stature.

At the sight of the wolf, he pauses for a moment, then tilts his head to the side. ".. Andrea, is that you?" It's not Rahne. She's bright red.

Nightingale has posed:
     "I'll be fine. Just worry about Pixie and Logan."

     Shannon frowns, looking down at her hands, then at Logan. A few very colorful metaphors come from her as well as, for once, she can do little to help, but rummage in her little brown bag and start checking over the fallen, assessing their injuries. "I'd really strongly suggest we put a call in to Josh, ASAP."

     Healers make the worst patients, and it seems this is the case as well. Powers or no, she can't ignore her teammates when they are hurt, possibly far worse than she is.

     However, with Warren given orders to get her to the medbay, she doesn't put up a fight for once. "Please, help them," is all she says.

Archangel has posed:
Tossing back the little cowl that covers his head, Warren sighs as he look to Scott, "She went off on her own again...didn't she?"

The winged mutant shakes his head, moving to go and help Logan while he looks to Shannon, "If you are good to walk, can you get Pixie on your own? I'll see if I can't get the old man myself."

Warren kneels down next to the bloodied ex-mutant and tries to pick the short man with the metal-laced bones up into a fireman's carry in order to get him to the medbay. "We need to put this pincushion on a diet...he's heavy.."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Feeling like someone was looking at him, the greyish wolf glances up from beside Megan, shaking his head. Darts flopping about. "No." That is most decidedly not a female voice. But, it could sound possibly familiar to those who have heard it before. Although, context is severely lacking.

He shifts back into raven form. Darts piling up on the floor as he does so. He glances down, tugging out another dart before chucking it on the floor. "Not sure how I got here..." He looks between the Megan, Shannon, and Logan. "...What was in those darts?"

Cyclops has posed:
"It's called Neuro-X. It's an anti-mutant cure. If you got shot up with it and didn't lose your powers, it means you're not a mutant." Scott says with a frown on his face. He shifts Megan's weight in his arms, then clears his throat. "Magik, if you please.."

It seems that a new portal is opening behind the raven, revealing what appears to be somewhere in downtown. "Sorry about that, but at least we got you out of the fight. Feel free to head home." He says before he starts for the med-bay. "You doing okay, Logan?" He asks as he heads down the hall to put the child away, followed by a phone call to Josh.

"Shannon, I still want you in the medbay to be looked at by Josh and Hank. Even if you can make it on your own. I'm.. I'm sorry this happened to you."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Phantasm looks over to the portal and then to Magik. He shakes his head, "That's alright, I'll use my own." With a hop into the air, he pops out of sight.

Nightingale has posed:
     Though Shannon nods to Warren and moves to pick up Pixie, it seems Mr. Summers has beaten her to it. So she simply offers him a smile, reaching out to briefly touch his shoulder.

     "It'll be okay. Just gives me a chance to thank you for all those times you insisted on training de-powered. I owe you one. Besides," she adds, following everyone down to the medbay.

     "I'd rather share the risk with my friends and family. It's worth it."