12698/The Cure: Message of Hope

The Cure: Message of Hope
Date of Scene:	31 January 2021
Location:	Bushwick (Mutant Town), Brooklyn
Synopsis:	Various mutants and heroes show up at starlight clinic to hear Dr Brightman's message of an antidote. Xmen stop an attempted assassination.
Cast of Characters:	Pixie, Nightingale, Captain Marvel (Danvers), Red, Superboy, Magik, Cyclops, Phoenix, Warpath
Tinyplot:	Mutant Cure

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Pixie has posed:
Mutant town has had higher spirits than usual these days, in spite of the attack several weeks ago. A few guest appearances by prominent figures must have certainly factored into this, and crime has been at an all time low. However there were still a few problems that needed to be resolved, and there were still thousands of depowered mutants searching for answers.

Those answers were sought at the newly opened Starlight clinic, a clinic that was timely raised and funded by two prominent mutants themselves, and this afternoon, it seems to be the focus of a lot of attention, both good and bad.

While security guards do their best to hold back the noisy and nosy crowds alike, the source of activity soon becomes apparent as the elderly but homely figure of Dr Brightman with his bright white shock of hair and lightly bearded face, thin body dressed in a white lab coat makes his way to the front doors of the clinic, only to be stopped by a flock of news reporters.

"Dr Brightman, is it true you've created an antidote for the cure? Is it true you were responsible for the so called cure yourself? Dr Brightman! Can you really be trusted after everything that happened!?"

Megan is also here, lurking in the background, watching the line up of depowered mutants nervously and biting her lip..

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon was one of many depowered mutants there at the clinic that day. Her lot was similar to many who had been struck during the incident that robbed many of the choice to simply -be- what they are, and take pride in their differences. Few times had she felt the loss of her wings so keenly as when she stood near the clinic, watching over the events unfolding there on the steps. Certainly, those were fair questions to be asking, and hopefully there would be answers forthcoming.

     "Maybe he can, maybe he can't," she says, finally speaking up. She couldn't remain silent, not when Dr. Brightman was willing to put himself out there like this. "But someone's got to reach out first and give him that chance."

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
Captain Marvel stood close to the security detail. The Avenger's asssistance had been requested throughout, and for this event, she had arrived to help ensure it would be a safe gathering.

Looking around attentively, Captain Marvel listened but was not otherwise involved with the conversation as it needed to be conducted by those who better understood the gravity of the situation. She scanned the gathered crowed looking for any signs of trouble before they might get out of hand.

Red has posed:
Alice wasn't there to congratulate Dr Brightman. She wasn't there to yell at him either. Or for the fact to guard or end him. No, she was there because she knew the people his work hurt, and she wanted to see if he'd come clean... and only if he tried to do one like Trask, trying to evade responsibility, she was ready to try and stop him so he could serve time. At least... that's how it presented in her head.

"And nobody is helped if this becomes a mob. Only the purifiers would have more fuel..."

Superboy has posed:
Conner is not even a mutant. Would that 'Cure' take away his telekinetic powers? Probably not. No, he is here because Megan is here and she has been going through a bad time lately. Skipping classes, but it is for a... kind of doctor appointment or something.

"Take it easy, Megs," he offers, smiling. "You will have your wings back soon. If not today, within a week for sure."

Magik has posed:
    This is definitely becoming a habit. Every time there's something that happens with the "cure", Illyana seems to be on hand lately. Just to help out. She's not normally this helpful. But then, maybe she's trying to prove something. To herself if not anyone else. As the doctor arrives, Illyana watches from the edge of the crowds. There are other people who need to be closer to the center of this. She's just waiting to see if things are going to go as bad as she expects.

    As bad as they almost always do.

Cyclops has posed:
Settled on a rooftop a few buildings down from the crowds is Cyclops and Phoenix, the power couple of the X-Men. Dressed in his blue and gold tactical uniform, the Field Leader is on site to ensure that this goes smoothly and no innocents are hurt. As he monitors from above, he clears his throat, tapping the communicator built into the 'X' on his belt.

"Magik, this is Cyclops. Keep your eyes peeled and be prepared to be on evac duty if something goes sideways. Phoenix and I are stationed at your six and we can provide cover fire if need be. So far, none of these rallies or crowds have gone easy."

He gives a glance to Jean and nods his head, then holds a pair of fingers up to his visor as he sweeps his gaze on a swivel to keep a lookout.

Phoenix has posed:
Jean Grey is in her more sober black gear, for all there's no toning down the copper of her hair. She's down on one knee to use the edge of the roof as cover and keeping to a low profile as she watches over the gathering crowd.

"Let's hope this doesn't go like last time." Jean mutters quietly aside to Scott. "But when does anything go easy? If they do show, and there's even a chance we can end this... we may need to take it. This dam isn't going to hold."

Her eyes settle momentarily on the Doctor and her brows crease, but her expressions - though severe - remain largely obscure in their feeling.

Pixie has posed:
Dr Brightman looks tired but determined to get his message across. And so he patiently listens and waits for the reporters to ask their questions before answering. "Those are all very valid questions. And I am happy to answer all of them.." he clears his throat, adjusting his tie, checking his notes before he continues

"My quest for a mutant cure began more than a decade ago, when my own daughter was afflicted with a mutation that had negative consequence of withering everything they touched. Since then, I worked diligently with my friend Dr Henry McCoy in order to create a so-called Mutant cure. I thought I was doing the 'right thing' by giving mutants everywhere the opportunity to reverse some very deleterious genes. or so I thought. After allowing my new cure on the market, it seemed that DAMT chose to abuse my cure, using it to forcefully depower mutants against their will. This was not what we had hoped for. The mutant cure was a voluntary cure, not something to be force on people. Mutants were allowed to freely choose either way.."

There is more chatter as people interrupt, asking more questions. A few angry mutants yell and shake their fists at him. He smiles at Captain Marvel, grateful for her protection. "Please.Let me continue..The cure, while effective in small doses, requires continuous treatment. But side effects are minimal and harmless. When used in large doses as employed by DAMT, it...It can be rather..Deadly.."

This last part causes another angry cry from the depowered mutants, pressing against the barricades, shaking their fists angrily at him. "This is your fault! YOU did this to us!"

Megan keeps a safe distance away, across the street as she watches, keeping eye contact with Shannon, Alice, Conner and Illy. Who knows how this may turn out but either way, knowing there might be an antidote is important. "Careful everyone..Conner, Illy, thanks for coming. Please stay close.."

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon just let out a heavy sigh. She was just a little too close to the barricades for comfort. If Mr. Summers could see her now, he would probably not be too happy at all. Nor would Miss Grey. But she couldn't stand idly by. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she shakes her head. This was going to get really ugly really fast. A quick glance around revealed several escape routes between buildings, up fire escapes, and across rooftops.

     Just like the parkour courses back home.

     Depowered or not, those, she was still capable of. Escape would still be possible--and very possibly necessary. But she would have to move quickly.

     But there was more to stand up for. There was hope over hatred. There was a dream that must be given a chance to live. Once again, she cannot remain silent.

     "Give the man a chance to speak!" she finally calls out, glancing briefly at Dr. Brightman himself, before starting to inch her way towards the nearest route of escape.

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
Captain Marvel listened as the supposed conference was beginning. It doesn't sound very good and the crowd clearly was not receiving it with much of the spirit it seemed to have been intended. Remaining alert, she continued to scan the crowd, glancing to keep an eye on the Doctor's location and the various X-Men she knew. They had just as much invested in this gathering as anyone. She, herself, was there to try and offer support and, hopefully, a bit of extra authority to encourage calm over chaos. Guess time would have to tell how it all worked out in the end.

Superboy has posed:
Conner expected this go smoothly. After all it was all good news, right. But noooo... it is Mutant Town and like in Gotham, almost nothing goes right here. "Why are they complaining now? It is not as if Brightman wanted his invention weaponized. C'mon, it is like blaming Einstein for nukes."

But logic rarely applies in these cases. "I think you better port out of the crowd, love," he mutters to Megan. I see Captain Marvel there, but if there is a lynching attempt, she might get overwhelmed, I see a fair number of mutants that still obviously have powers."

Magik has posed:
    Illyana doesn't answer Megan or Scott's comments. Neither really needs an answer. Instead, she's watching the crowd and the doctor. But mostly the crowd. This has gotten uglier than she was expecting, faster than she expected. And while most of the last few times there's been a situation like this, it involved robotic killers, this time it's almost looking like the problems are going to come out of the people who've been victimized by this whole thing. It's sad. But Illyana is almost resigned to the idea that any second now, something is going to happen and everything is going to go completley out of control.

Cyclops has posed:
"Jean, I'm sure I'm asking for a tall order, but can you scan the crowd to let me know if any of these guys down here have any pre-emptive plans to attack the Doctor or the crowd? There is always at least one wolf in a hen house."

Scott continues to watch patiently, eyeing a few mutants in particular that he feels are getting a bit too rowdy down below in the crowd, then moves his focus onwards to another cluster.

Phoenix has posed:
"It's less the question of who, as to how many." Jean says in a weary tone before she settles into a more comfortable position. Easier to do these things when your leg isn't falling asleep. As her fingers come to rest as her temples to help focus her powers, Jean's mind reaches down and across the crowd.

Fear is abundant. Sadness. Desperation. Hope. Relief. The spectrum of emotions is on display, but it's the keen, bitter sense of conscious will to harm that she focuses for.

"The crowd is... waiting. Scared. Hoping for.. hop-- there!" She hisses aside to Scott as her head turns to look with closed eyes towards a nearby roof. "I'm picking up something there. Several people."

Cyclops has posed:
Giving a glance to Jean, Cyclops whips his attention over towards the rooftop that she points out.

"Magik, we got enemies on the roof nearby. Phoenix and I are going to engage. Be ready to crowd control, I have a feeling that this is about to get real messy, real fast."

With that, he gives a nod to his teammate, then starts making his move as he will leap one rooftop to the next, knowing that Jean will be at his side.

Warpath has posed:
Arriving late, mostly because he wasn't aware of the party, Jimmy sees several X types present and slows the truck he is driving by. His gaze narrows as he notes things going on. What better way to make things worse? Someone over grown and prone to the occasional snap.

He parks the truck and secures his back scabbard before slipping a heavy black leather jacket over it. Approaching quietly, he studies the scene and starts to plot. He notes the presence of all his allies and the nastiness that is there as well. It will take a moment to be able to engage unless he runs due to forced hand.

Pixie has posed:
There are indeed about three people on a nearby rooftop, unaware of Scott's approach as one of them readies his sniper rifle, the others clearly armed and waiting..The mutants below are scared more than angry or hateful. Captain Marvel's presence helps a lot. She's a prominent figure Afterall.

"Listen, I have an antidote to help you get your powers back, Dr McCoy is also a mutant and an Xmen, he tested the antidote on himself, you ca; trust him, and the Xmen and Avengers! We are all working to make this right so please.." many of the crowd relax at that and are backing away already.

Megan had turned her com off knowing Scott would be difficult about her coming here without her mutant powers, even though she still had her fae powers. "You may be right, Shan stay close, if it gets violent, we will port out. But give them a minute.."

Nightingale has posed:
     By now, Shannon's path away from the barricades took her in Megan's general direction. She disliked retreat as much as the next person, but in the vernacular of days gone by, when the Magic 8-Ball was king, 'Outlook not so good'. She, too, spotted Captain Marvel's presence in the sky, and grimaced slightly. If things were bad enough that she had been called in, then this could not bode well.

     She was also willing to lay odds that at least one or two of the X-men were present, and chances were fairly high those would be Mr. Summers and Miss Grey. Merde. There was bound to be a lecture when she got home.

     "Not going to argue with you on this one, Pixie. But when it calms down, I'll be back."

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
Captain Marvel was not on the communications with the X-Men, but she didn't need to be to see things were indeed starting to get out of hand. She stood a little taller as she tensed, moving back to stand closer to the Doctor. Her gaze moved non-stop around the aggitated crowd. Some were trying to stay calm, but the anxious and angry and hurt appeared to be feeding off of each other's emotions, powers or not. Even a 'mundane' crowd turned riotous was deadly. It was starting to look like a truly happy outcome of this gathering was not likely to happen.

Superboy has posed:
"Hey Shannon, I hadn't seen you," and Conner winces when he sees the lack of wings, but says nothing. "Looks like things are calming down, though," he observes. "Maybe we can get the antidote without much fuss, although we might be here waiting for hours."

He shrugs. Conner doesn't tire easily and the winter cold is barely noticed. He can wait. "I wonder if I could help, but I am not good with speeches, or famous enough to stop a riot just by being there."

Magik has posed:
    That didn't take long. Of course as things start to break loose, Illyana still can't actually /see/ what's going on. She's not on a rooftop and she doesn't have the angle she'd need in order to see who's doing what. Of course, she /could/ be up there in an instance. But she was asked to be ready to evacuate people from what's shaping up to be turning into a panic and could turn very easily into a riot. Taking a quick look around, she checks to make sure the people she's actually concerned with are okay, before her eyes turn on the crowd, looking for that place where the crowd is ready to erupt.

Phoenix has posed:
She's always behind him, and even there to give him a little nudge over a wide jump or two. For Scott's own clarity of mind, Jean may neglect to tell them that she picked up some other familiar minds down there. They knew the risks, and if at this point that lot weren't capable of watching over themselves, then what good was any of the training? At least they were together-ish.

Jean, meanwhile, reaches out her telekinetic power to the sniper rifle being prepared. It'd be a shame if a few of those critical internal screws were snapped, damage invisible to the outside but crippling it on the inside. She's an X-Man, after all, and weapons training is part of the deal. It may not be the easiest thing on the fly, but delicate work is her speciality.

Cyclops has posed:
While Jean looks to disrupt the weapon, Scott is going to disrupt the shooter. As he leaps over one last roof with support of his teammate, he lands in a tuck and roll, then rises up to his feet. A wide red beam zaps forth from his visor as he opens the ruby quartz wide, striking the man on the side of his head hard enough to knock him unconscious.

"Magik, shooters on the roof with long scopes. You're in charge down there. They may have foot soldiers."

As his visor sizzles from the release of his powers, he clears his throat loudly at the two remaining shooters. "I'd suggest you drop your weapons and stand down. We all know how this is going to go and it won't end well for you if you continue to persist. Weapons down. Hands up. /Now/. I won't ask twice."

Warpath has posed:
Though he has several things he wants to do, Warpath notes two non powered mutants and he sighs. New plan. Better keep an eye on the trouble twins. He does note the sniper and does what is difficult, counting on someone else to take care of it. He nods when the care is taken.

Pixie has posed:
The depowered mutants are definitely calming down below, and some of them even turn a wide eyed wonde towards Captain Marvel at this point, admiring her stoic stance. "Heey are you really Captain Marvel? Can I have your autograph?" some of the younger ones seem especially excited as they focus on her.

At least the rest are less aggressive now and most of them calmly wait in line while only a few grumble under their breath and retreat.

"Thank you for listening. I know it won't be easy! but I assure you my medical team s here to help you. And..Thank you, Captain Marvel, for your assistance. It was an honour to meet you."" he's already directing his medical assistants to step inside while he stays behind to answer more questions..

Megan shivers a bit, moving closer to Conner and nods, "It might take a while, I suppose we could come back tomorrow if we have to wait too long? But I'm glad to see things have calmed down.." she nods to Shannon, unaware if what's going on topside..

Fortunately, the sniper's gun seems to mysteriously jam and he swears colourfully as he fusses with it..Long enough for Cyke to zap him and knock him out. His allies step up, pointing their guns at him, but they're cautious, seeing what happened to their friend...Well one is anyway, surrendering his gun, lifting up his hands. The other snarls, aiming his gun, trying for a quick shot.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon just turns and gives Megan one of 'those' looks. "If things have calmed down, then I'm willing to wait it out. Look... I know this hasn't been easy on you, either. We both know it feels like having a huge part of you cut off. It sucks. Bad." She motions towards the clinic briefly. "If things have settled, it's a chance I'm willing to take. This isn't a stranger or a devil. It's someone Dr. McCoy respects and trusts. And that counts for a lot. It's not a deal with a devil."

     The flash of red out of the corner of her eye catches her attention, and she curses softly, if rather colorfully. "Even if we have to wait it out at a distance...."

Superboy has posed:
"Hmm, something is going on," states Conner. "Did you hear that?" He looks at the rooftop where Scott just zapped the shooters. He has heard those sounds before. "Energy blasts; it is one of your teachers, Megs."

He hesitates a few seconds; then decides they need to know what is going on. "Be right back," he murmurs, flying up to rooftop level so he can see... well, mostly disarmed thugs. And some X-Men doing sneaky protection stuff. Whew. Just in case he climbs higher into the air to see if there are more suspicious individuals in the rooftops.

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
Captain Marvel remains near the Doctor. Just because the tension seems to have eased, it doesn't mean that it can't wind up again in an instant. She nods to those asking her questions, offering a polite smile, "I am. Sorry, I'm actually here to help keep things calm. Maybe a little later, okay?" Another smile then she steps back to return to watching the crowd as was her requested role to play. She comments to the Doctor, "You're welcome Doctor. The Avengers are always ready to help when we can." She offers him a nod, then a suggestion, "Maybe it would be a good time to wrap this up. Take the work into the clinic.."

Magik has posed:
    Illyana mentally rolls her eyes eyes at Scott's comment about her being in charge. Being in charge of a situation that, while the crowd seems to be calming down, just a moment ago seemed about to turn into a riot isn't really much of an honor. She mumbles something to herself that sounds a little like 'lucky me'. But things do seem to be shaping up. With the people being distracted by the noises coming from the rooftops and the crowd seeming to ease up, the situation itself seems to be easing up too. Though Illyana is still keeping an eye on the crowd. No point in letting this easy situation get away from them at the last minute.

Cyclops has posed:
"At least your friend has some smarts. You really want to do this?" Cyclops asks the man with the gun pointing at him as he keeps his fingers on the trigger of his visor. It's like a Western standoff without the tumbleweed rolling by in the background.

<< All yours, love. >>

She can take him down with a lot less effort and most likely without any casualities.

Phoenix has posed:
With the sniper down and the other yielding, Jean reaches out one hand to hold their weapons in the pink glow of a telekinetic bubble. The other hand comes up to face the attempting shooter. It's a slow motion moment, where Jean's thoughts are racing faster than her hands can move. Only instead of his gun, she focuses on his mind. A quick mental command to shut down his conscious thought, and it'd be nighty-night unless he's been prepped for such things.

She doesn't need to warn Scott, at least. They're in one another's head. Her alarm is as much his own, and it serves as an effective warning with them shoulder to shoulder. Besides, he seems as aware of it in the moment as she is.

Warpath has posed:
The steady walk makes Warpath arrive behind Shannon and he mutters softly,"Can't leave you alone for a minute can I shik'isn?" His gaze moves towards Pixie as well and nods her way. The others seems to have the worst of this under control so for now he opts to watch the twins and make sure they manage to get out of the potential drama with their heads connected.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn sighs and nods to Shannon, "You're right, we waited too long.." she pouts, "I miss my wings too..Maybe it'll be okay now..?" but her warning has her glancing skywards, gasping, realize just how powerless she is. Oh, she could port but..Looks like Conner's got that covered. "R-right..Be careful.." though with his nigh invulnerability, she really doesn't need to say that twice. Still Megan watches him anxiously a# well as the rest of the action skywards.

Dr Brightman is also aware of the action above and nods to Captain Marvel, "Wise advice, thank you again for your assistance, Captain Marvel.." and he hurries indoors, not wanting to be an easy target..So e mutants in the line glance around anxiously too but many feel safe knowing Captain Marvel is here, and..Is that Warpath too? Hard to blend in when you're that big at any rate..Some watch him in wonder and awe as well, "Hey guys, an Xman!"

Meanwhile, as the last thug glares at Cyclops, refusing to surrender, it seems Jean makes the choice for him. A second later, he falls unconscious to the ground, joining his sniper friend..

Nightingale has posed:
     In the hopes that the message is received, Shannon closes her eyes for a moment and focuses on thoughts of gratitude, relief, and hope, keeping Jean and Scott in the forefront of her mind. She might be no telepath, but she knows enough of Jean's gifts to throw out a message in a bottle, and know it's likely to reach its intended recipient. If it's meant to be, it will be.

     Shannon cracks a small smile, with her eyes still closed. "Who said you were turning your back on me, shik'isn?" she replies. "If there's a sliver of hope that Dr. McCoy's and Dr. Brightman's work is bearing fruit, is that a chance we should ignore?" Finally, she does open her eyes, keeping her head on a swivel--the action above, the clinic itself, and the general area all come under scrutiny. Aside, to Warpath, Megan, and Conner, she murmurs, "What do you think? Coast clear, or not quite yet?"

Superboy has posed:
Looks like the only shooters have already been handled by the X-Men, so Conner comes back down. Maybe drawing more attention that he would like. But in Mutant Town people able to fly is not that uncommon. "Looks like there were a bunch of killers up there," he comments to Megan and Shannon. "But they got stopped. They didn't look like mutants either. So, maybe an anti-mutant group. But killing the doctor won't stop the antidote's distribution now. I guess they were just terrorists."

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
Captain Marvel nods to the Doctor and lets the medical team move inside. She lingers near the entrance, watching as as the crowd appears to calm down further. Lingering as she promised, once it is clear the danger has passed, she keeps her word and talks to some of the younger mutants in the crowd. Even signing autographs. If it helps keep things calm? A cramped writing hand is a small price to pay.

Magik has posed:
    With the doctor disappearing inside and the crowd's attitude turned much less hostile, Illyana finally relaxes a little. Checking one more time, the people she figured she might need to keep safe are still safe and with the crowd now no-longer hostile, she visibly relaxes. So this whole thing was mostly a false alarm? She doesn't remember the last time anything like that happened. But it was bound to happen eventually. And it's not like that was really a bad thing.

Cyclops has posed:
"Threats are down. Three snipers on the roof. Phoenix says that there is no other threats that she can find in the crowd. Just stay frosty just in case."

Scott's voice comes through on the X-Men communicators as he floats over to the other roof from Jean's powers, then goes about dismantling the weapons. He gives a squint at the last gunner on the roof who didn't get knocked out, then glances over to Jean.

"Take what you can out of his head, then put him to sleep. We need to find out who sent them and where they're hiding at. There is always more."

Warpath has posed:
     Oh look. People. Just what he doesn't want. Warpath's attention moves towards those that are pointing him out of a crowd. It isn't that he is mean really or even that he glares at them. It's just that his neutral expression is...severe. What is man's resting bitch face? He has it.

Protective. Shannon and Megan just happens to be the center of that notion at the moment. He maintains a peripheral watch on the others of course.

Phoenix has posed:
"Alright, just behave and I promise this wouln't hurt a bit." Jean says to the gunman as she approaches. The weapons are in Scott's hands now, though she still gives a quick looking over of the gunman for likely knives. Only once she's fairly confident that there's no further weapons will she step in front of him and, barring a fight, put her hands to either side of his temples to start quieting him to sleep while she goes through his thoughts.

Pixie has posed:
The last gunner's eyes widen as Jean scans his mind before putting him to sleep. It seems that they acted of their own volition, just a bunch of angry and confused ex-mutants who felt wronged by Dr Brightman's work who chose to take the law into their own hands. Being gangsters who were suddenly left powerless, this was their way of getting back at the world. Once his mind is scanned! he falls asleep and collapses to join his friends. Jean can sense no more threats and whatever anger had started below has now dispersed.

Some of the younger mutants are more than happy to have their autographs signed by both Captain Marvel and some approach Warpath too, begging for his autograph. The general atmosphere has become more lighthearted and hopeful s people wait patiently outside to get the antidote..

It seems Dr Brightman's message of hope finally got through to them..But where is Beast?

Nightingale has posed:
     With the worst of the situation calmed down, Shannon just looks between Megan, Conner, and finally to Warpath. The look on her face is one that has rarely been seen on her. It's the look of pure weariness. "I've got to go in, shik'isn," she finally says, with a light sigh. "Someone has to give him the chance to prove himself."

     With a wan smile, she turns towards the clinic, joining the depowered mutants seeking the return of the choice which had been taken from them.

Warpath has posed:
     He takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly and he starts to follow after Shannon. She's not going it alone, though he does stop to sign a few of the autograph seekers requests. Afterwards if they still want it, he will sign a few more. For now little sister needs to be looked after."