View source for 690/X-Men - Kings of the Savannah

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/05/31
|Location=Africa
|Synopsis=X-Men Travel to Africa For a Mission
|Cast of Characters=117, 47, 128, 16, 95, 323, 114
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:117|Tatum (117)}} has posed:'''<br>The distress call came by way of a small child, her psionic ability awakening upon witnessing a number of the people of her village, her father among them, killed while she and the rest of her village were forced to watch. Enhanced with the power of Cerebro, Professor Xavier heard the call and sent his X-Men to deal with the matter. <br><br>Even as fast as the Blackbird is capable of, the flight from Westchester County to the heart of Africa is a long one. There has been plenty of time to prepare during the flight, using the information that Charles was able to glean from the child, as well as the other villagers. In their terrified state, he makes sure the team knows that the information may not be entirely accurate. <br><br>It would seem that a small band of mutants have decided to make themselves kings of the savannah, starting with this small village. Any who tried to resist were put to death as an example to the rest that compliance was the only answer they would accept. There is a psychic block stopping him from getting into the minds of the mutant band due to the distance, however he knows that there is 8 of them, that the one doing the killing does so by aging anyone she touches till they wither and die, that another has four arms, and a third has super speed. <br><br>"Good luck, X-Men."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:47|Jean Grey (47)}} has posed:'''<br>"How are we dividing this up?"<br><br>Strapped into the cabin, Phoenix's eyes are shut and her voice has the distant, distracted quality that tends to come with focused telepathy. Thanks to some combination of Cerebro and the terrible cosmic force fused to her soul, she's still in contact with Charles, providing a second mind to sift through his findings for useful tactical information.<br><br>"Assuming they don't just have a machine of some kind, obviously-- I'm //guessing// they've got a psi with 'em, so that's obviously gonna be me, unless someone's got a real clever idea up their sleeve. The speedster's not-- great for us; I know we've got four to five unknowns, but we're gonna want to think about how we're handling that now, I feel like."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:128|Polaris (128)}} has posed:'''<br>Scrambling to get her gear, Lorna is in her greens. She has her headpiece and a pile of metal tossed into her cape. Settling in on the blackbird, she glances about as she slides her headpiece on to keep back her hair and starts shaping the metal she brought along into bracelets she stacks up her wrists.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Extactly Red! Any word on the power sets we're facing? I mean, if it's that gorilla guy with the pheromones? We really should pack gas masks. That guy is the worst." She's at least chipper for the quick scramble out to battle mutants in Africa. "Oh, Is Storm meeting us there?" She adds and smiles at Jean with a wink before glancing about.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:16|Rogue (16)}} has posed:'''<br>Rogue is seated in the back passenger compartment of the Blackbird, well in-fact, she's laying down on her back on one of the bneches with the straps off and her feet up on the bench. She's got her phone in her black gloved hands, and is wearing a standard X-Men uniform she pulled out of the locker rooms, its just a standard black leather zipsuit with some fancy bells and whistles here.<br><br>Rogue could hear the older ones talking, but she was more just focusing on relaxing and not being freaked out about such a long flight.... she'd never left North America before, though, so the thought of going to Africa was pretty intimidating to the 18 year old.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:117|Tatum (117)}} has posed:'''<br>Tatum is, like Rogue, laying down on one of the back benches. Unlike Rogue, however, Tatum is fast asleep. It's a long ride and there is no point in getting there exhausted. She trusts that the senior team will tell her what they want her to do.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Hank (95)}} has posed:'''<br>Hank is playing Spock, as he usually does, sitting at the sensors terminal and looking over the readings from both cerebro and other sources of almost arcanely technological origin. The blue furry scientist has doffed his havard tweed for the tight leather-pants that ride halfway up his torso though he doesn't wear a shirt, of course, opting instead for only an open x-man jacket. Instead of his spectacles he wears perscription sports goggles with a few hidden goodies built in.<br><br>"I can confirm the presence of psuchic energy, though of course jean is much more ssenstive. Beyond that... I have very little. A speedster of some sort and a quadra-armed mutant capable of personal size manipulation.. maybe." he looks exhasperated by the lack of info and turns to the group. "Of course Jean should handle the psyhic. Perhaps with Lorna or Cyclops as backup. Psychics tend to get more efficient the close one gets and those three are our best distance.. The rest of us can deal with the more physically enhanced mutants.." looks to Scott for confirmation, since he is the better tactician... Then a worried look at Tatum but says nothing.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:323|Cable (323)}} has posed:'''<br>Cable intercepted the same distress call, having installed a little backdoor of his own during a recent visit to the mansion. Hacking into Xavier's is impossible, but it's helpful when people from different timelines happen to use the same security codes.<br><br>Cable isn't part of the X-men, so he doesn't show up and try to hitch a ride on their plane. But when they arrive, they'll find a heavily-armed cyborg awaiting them, ready for battle and prepared to lend a helping hand. Whether they want it or not.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:114|Scott Summers (114)}} has posed:'''<br>"Unless we can telepathically block our approach, physically there is a wooded area to the side of the village with a ravine, river winding through. Likely their water source so should allow easy access into the village," Scott says from his seat. He's been reviewing information the entire time, adding the bits and pieces. He nods a Hank's suggestion. "For the speedster, I think Tatum is our best bet. If she can catch him in her field, he'll be forced to slow down enough for us to get a shot." Literally, probably only a shot before he passes out of range again. "Whoever gets the chance should take it as soon as he's visible."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:117|Tatum (117)}} has posed:'''<br>Flying over the plains of Africa, the team gets to the location in the cover of night. While the cloaking device is able to mask its approach of the X-Men's jet to those that are not looking for it, Cable knows what to look for when it comes to the Blackbird and is able to be waiting for it where it lands. <br><br>At this distance, Jean is able to communicate with the child directly. It would seem the psychic that is blocking the thoughts of his group is only blocking the minds of his group. She has told her more of the party in the group. One is able to steal the faces of the other villagers and yet another is able to take the shape of the animals of the savannah. That leaves only one unknown mutant.<br><br>The Blackbird lands on the other side of the river from the village, giving enough distance to not give away it's approach and yet close enough to easily get to the village.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:47|Jean Grey (47)}} has posed:'''<br>"Ideally," Phoenix adds without looking up, "that'd be Rogue-- depending on who else is with 'em, there's a //pretty good chance// that a super-fast, super-strong, super-tough girl'd be able to clear the deck. The gorilla person with four arms and size-changing powers'd be an okay second choice, I guess."<br><br>Her eyes open just enough to peer towards Scott's chair.<br><br>"I'll do what I can to cloak our approach telepathically. Might give me a chance to see what exactly they've got going for 'em, astrally-- wait-- "<br><br>"....."<br><br>"....."<br><br>Phoenix's mouth remains slightly ajar for a good two minutes upon being guided to the child's psyche by the Professor.<br><br>"-- two shapeshifters," she then blurts, snapping her eyes open. "Shit," she adds in a quieter voice before bringing the volume back up: "One does people; one does animals. Which means... shit." She rubs her forehead for a moment.<br><br>"The psychic needs to go down ASAP." This is murmured as much for her own benefit as the team's, before she adds, "Everyone needs to keep their eyes and ears open-- and be //careful//."<br><br>True to her word, when the Blackbird is a few minutes out, she commences trying to cloak the team's astral presence while letting the plane's stealth system handle the rest. The occasional pink spark leaps from her eyes as the Blackbird lands and she moves to disembark.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:128|Polaris (128)}} has posed:'''<br>"Sooo, stay on Jean and cover her while she handles the other psychic? Done. Just think how easy we'll be to spot teaming up together." Lorna smiles and checks over her gear one last time. She rolls to her feet as the plane lands to make sure Rogue and Tatum are up and ready to move out. "Don't worry Jean. You handle the head stuff, we'll cover down on the rest. The size changer with all the arms might need to go down fast. Are we allowed to use destructive force?" She asks, pausing when she thinks of it.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:16|Rogue (16)}} has posed:'''<br>Rogue is up, she HAD been watching The Lion King on her phone, but when she felt the plane slowing/descending and they were talking up front about stuff that vaguely sounded like mission briefings, Rogue rolled over onto her put and placed her phone into an alcove/pocket built into the side of the jet's passenger area.<br><br>Rogue went to stand up and she grinned at the sleepy Tatum, then reached up to grab hold of a handle hanging from the ceiling. "Are we there yet?" She asked ahead to the 'adults' and cast them a litlte smile.<br><br>"Ya'll just let me know where ya need me and who ya need me t'drain... Can't say I'm excited about more random weirdo's thoughts rollin' around upstairs, but maybe one'a you psychic-types can help hide'em somewhere."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:117|Tatum (117)}} has posed:'''<br>Tatum wakes up and stretches when the Blackbird lands. Her out suit is as black and as skin tight as pretty much everything else she owns, however with high lacing combat boots that hold the sheaths to her retracing batons, and no sleeves but gauntlets on her wrists instead. <br><br>She cracks her neck and looks to Scott. "Try to catch the speeder. Gotcha. Gonna try to keep out of the way so I don't accidently de-power anyone. Field will be up to the usual 10 feet around me unless I need to grab someone specific or fill the area." She pulls her hair up into a high ponytail and gives Hank a wink. "Don't worry, Hank. Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam!" she tells him with a playful smirk. Perhaps telling him that today is a good day to die in Klingon isn't a good way to put his mind at ease.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Hank (95)}} has posed:'''<br>Hank 's brows furrow and he gives Scott a strange look.. Not hostile but definately not very appreciative either. It's not a /secret/ secret that he and the new home-ec teacher are in some sort of relationship but this /is/ the first time He has been in the field with her so.. yeah.. he's a bit unhappy that she could get hurt. <br><br>But.. they are X-men.. and that comes with the job no matter how much he dislikes the idea of her, or anyone, getting hurt.<br><br>When they are almost landing he unstraps himself and edges towards the exit/entry platform and gears up, hooking various small devices on his belt as well as a bracer-looking thing with a screen.. and tosses everyone their earbuds. He looks over at Tatum as se wakes up and tosses her an earbud as well.. and sort of smiles as she speaks in Klingon (probably blushing under his fur as well... but then frowns at Jean as she updates them. "Shapeshifters... I so dislile metamorphs. I mean, it's not a prejudice. It's experience." he gripes as he tests his gear then preps the platform to lower when they land. <br><br>He then looks to everyone, especially lorna and tatum. "These people have been terrorized enough, lorna. And not just by these mutants. Warlords, climate change, famine, and all the other niceties of living in this region. We don't need to destroy what little these poor souls have unless we can COMPLETELY help it. Even when we save them we will need to deal with the aftermath and if we destroy their village and they tell the local government, ineffective as it is, that /foreign/ mutants were fighting with the local ones that could cause them, and us, more trouble in the future. We are not here /legally/, despite our moral personal beliefs." he reminds her, and everyone else. He looks to scott. "I can cover a lot of ground quite fast. The flyers can provide aerial recon and cover until we get there, yes? So.." he presses a button and teh ramp lowers. "Your orders, Scott."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:323|Cable (323)}} has posed:'''<br>Cable checks his weapons quickly as he sees the Blackbird descending, perched in a jeep near the edge of the airstrip. Jean's psi-cloak works very well, if not for the fact that Cable was both expecting it and knows the psychic 'taste' of her power - even if she wouldn't necessarily recognize his face, but for the ghost of his father in the line of his jaw.<br><br>His plans for taking out the psychic on the other side involve a high-powered rifle and a telescopic scope. The X-men might not approve of murder, but Cable's never needed anyone's permission to solve a problem. When faced with an obstacle, he prefers to use Occam's Razor and that usually ends up spilling a bit of blood.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:114|Scott Summers (114)}} has posed:'''<br>As everyone gathers, Scott looks them all over one last time, expression impossible to read with the tight jaw and the visor hiding his eyes. He too is waring the black uniform he prefers, the visor he wears black as well. "Flyers hit the air as soon as the door opens. Get us some recon but don't put yourselves into direct line-of-sight until we're within range. We are going in half blind here but remember the layout, stick together, work as a team." <br><br>He pushes a button that opens the door, allowing them all to depart. "Be safe and come back home."<br><br>He leads the way off, only to find the cyborg nearby sitting on a jeep. For a moment, he thought it might be one of the bad guys but no, he remembers the man vaguely. There is no discussion, he just nods, sure that they have another member of their team for this venture.<br><br>He leads the way quickly and quietly toward the village itself.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:117|Tatum (117)}} has posed:'''<br>The fliers take to the air, using the cover of night and Phoenix's own psychic block to keep them out of sight and mind of the mutant band that has taken over the village. It would seem that a throne has been made and is sitting in the middle of the village by a large bonfire. A man sits on the throne, another to his right. The villagers that are not coming to bring the new `King` food are either dancing around the fire to entertain him and his band or cowering in fear on the opposite side of the fire.<br><br>Beast, travelling through the sparse forest and ravine quickly, hears the sound of a growl and then a roar as he is pounced on from above by a lion. It would seem he found the shape-shifter as lions don't climb trees.<br><br>The roar of the cat is heard in the village and alerts the others to the presence of intruders. The one on the throne stands and waves his hand to two others, one with four arms and a short stalky woman with a mean looking countenance. One of the dancers, beautiful and young, stops to look at the 'King', resuming her dance when he shakes his head.<br><br>The rest of the team, on foot, also hear the roar of the lion in the ravine.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:47|Jean Grey (47)}} has posed:'''<br>"Hank's right," Phoenix says with a nod towards Lorna. It's followed by a brisk grasp to squeeze the green-haired mutant's hand as she says, "We've done this plenty," with a small smile. "I //know/ you've got my back."<br><br>Her powers allow her to fly, but she sprints down the ramp in search of cover instead of taking to the air-- only to skid to a halt shortly after hitting the ground and locking onto the cyborg in the jeep. With the rather large gun.<br><br>Who Scott seems to not only also be aware of, but basically fine with.<br><br>Her hand falls from the space between her right temple and shoulder, her lungs fill, and then she's off towards the trees, intent on stalking towards the village as stealthily as she can in her bright green and gold outfit.<br><br>At least its long, gold sash remains wrapped snugly around her hips.<br><br>It also helps that she doesn't mean to sneak very far, because she's feeling around for the presence of a hostile psychic the whole way, and means to stop when - if - contact is made.<br><br>The roar halts her for a second time, snapping her attention towards the ravine and interrupting her focus for a second before she sucks in a breath, lowers her head, and gets back to doing what she's been doing since before she could drive.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:128|Polaris (128)}} has posed:'''<br>"She wears green just for me." Lorna tells no one and trots down the ramp past Cable before pushing into the air. "Oooh, he's interesting, someone fill me in on that later?" She wonders over the comms. She glides, airborne and watching Jean from the sky as she moves in stealth. Seeing the throne she rolls her eyes a little, the Princess having some opinion on the matter clearly. "Ok green, if Cyke can avoid wrecking the place you can too." She murmurs, giving herself a little pep talk and scanning for metal weapons that could harm her friends.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:16|Rogue (16)}} has posed:'''<br>Rogue took to the skies -inside- of the Blackbird. She was already flying before the ramp was even down in the back and she shot out of the back of the jet plane with a WHOOSH of air in her wake.<br><br>"Crocadile Dundeeguy, twelve o'clock. Looks chill." Rogue said into her commlink as she flew up into the night time sky with her black hooded-cape fluttering quietly in the winds.<br><br>Rogue circled high up into the sky, watching down below at the group with the bonfire party. "Got a Burnin' Man celebration goin' on here." She said further. "Completely with a scantily clad dancin' girl. I didn't know this was gonna be a party, ya'll. Four armed guy... Looks like someone important in his own Throne too."<br><br>Rogue continued to circle high up in the air, waiting for additional orders. "Looks like the jig is up, looks like they movin' in the Blackbird's direction."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:117|Tatum (117)}} has posed:'''<br>Deadzone strides out of the Blackbird, stopping in her tracks when she sees Cable. She rolls her eyes and shakes her head, smiling at him. "Come on. You can keep my fine, yet sadly very squishy ass safe," she tells him as she goes to follow Beast at a much more human normal running speed. <br><br>"Hey Cyclops? If this guy is using guns, does that mean I'm allowed to too?" she asks in the comms, pretty sure the answer will be no. <br><br>The roar of the lion from the ravine causes Deadzone to look about to see where Hank is. Seems he's not the only one who worries.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Hank (95)}} has posed:'''<br>Hank readjusts his goggles as Everyone disperses to Scot's orders, nodding to his old friend as Cyclops exits just after the flyers, then gently grabs Tatum by the arm as she passes.. His paw slowly turning back to a large human hand at the contact. "You be careful. if you need me, call." he says, softly, then quickly releases her arm and then quickly exits BEFORE her, not seeing Cable nor his jeep since he exited the OPPOSITE direction, loping off at high speed in something between the stride of a lion and planet-of-the-apes knuckle-running, dissapearing into the savannah like he was meant to be there. <br><br>And that means he was FAST and it isn't long until he finds himself in the sparse forest, pushing between the trunks of the strange, sometimes almost alien, species of trees that inhabit this part of africa. "Kigelia africana.. the sausage tree." he mumbles as he slides past one. "Ficus thonningii.. the Strangle Fig.." he seems to catalog each different species as he passes them. "Euphorbia candelabrum... Phoenix reclinata.. heh.. Pheonix.." he is almost too preoccupied to notice teh lion DROP from the freakin tree.. almost.. because you can't miss a lion for /long/. <br><br>With a yelp he dodges the massive animal, for it is truly as large as he is.. larger maybe.. But as it is a standard lion form it only has co much dexterity. He is the bst of feline and simian and feline and twists in a way most cats WISH they could. As the lion hits the ground where only a moment Hank was standing, Hank grabs a trunk and swings himself around the tree and launches himself UPWARDS as the Lion claws at him, scratching deep furrows the bark. Hank pulls himself onto a branch, staring as the Lion changes into.. a larger than life cheetah.. and cheetahs DO climb trees. "Well thats not good.." he says and taps his earbud. "My friends.. I believe I have encountered one of the shapeshifters. This one appear to have local species adaptive abilities.." he jumps up another branch higher. "Wait.. what scantily clad dancing girl? And who is interesting. Burning Man?" he asks, confused as the cheetah swipes at him again, and he jumps higher to a new branch.. and then the cheetah becomes a black giant leopard. "Oh come on.. why does everyone get the fun stuff and I get stuck with the animals. I'm not Doctor Doolitle, you know.. Oh hey! Can't make up your mind, Kitten. Let me help you."<br><br> Hank literally steps OFF the branch and lets gravity take hold.. Which seems to surprise the shapeshifter, wondering why anyone would jump OUT of a tree.. Until Hanks large feet take him right between the eyes and knocks the cat OFF the tree.. they were about thirty feet up and leopards are too big to drop as gracefully as a housecat. There is a loud THUMP, followed by a lesser thumb as Hank lands and tries to pin the cat to the ground. "GOT YOU, YOU FELINE MENACE!" he cries triumphantly.. until it melts in his grip and reforms into a GIANT snake... Already wrapped around Hank.<br><br>"So not fair.. I wanted the dancing girl.."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:323|Cable (323)}} has posed:'''<br>Cable slaps the load into his weapon with a loud click and keeps pace with the others in his Jeep, heading in. He keeps his own mind open, following the same psychic sense as Jean, trying to track down the mental threat.<br><br>Which isn't to say he isn't prepared for the physical. The grenade launcher he has locked and loaded in the back seat would probably attest to that. He smirks at Tatum's remark, kicking into gear as he puts gun to shoulder and starts scanning for viable targets.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:114|Scott Summers (114)}} has posed:'''<br>"No, you can't use a gun," Cyclops responds automatically to the request. "Bad enough he has one."<br><br>As the sound of the roar fills the night, Cyclops hesitates the briefest of moments then continues on the path to the village, setting a fast pace. The element of surprise is gone with all the noise. As for Beast, he trusts in his friend to be able to deal with the threat. If he couldn't, he'd call for help. Only then the word comes from Rogue that they have incoming. "Split up. Cable and Polaris, head for the ravine. If Beast is going to have more company, someone needs to cover his back. Phoenix, Rogue, Deadzone, with me. We're going for the village itself."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:117|Tatum (117)}} has posed:'''<br>Into the forest, the two that the King sent stop. They look into the darkness, trying to find the threat that was heard from within. The sounds of roars and fighting come from the treetops as well as the underbrush, the fight between Beast and the animal morpher never staying on one plane for long. <br><br>The large man with the four arms growls and beats at his chest and then pounds at the ground. Each time his fists pound upon the ground, it seems like he grows another foot taller. He then looks down at the woman beside him, now miniscule in comparison to the hulking 12 foot tall giant. She braces herself and then nods her head to him. The giant then seems to punch the woman with all his might! But rather then knock her back, there is a loud *thud* as the kinetic force of the blow is absorbed. The woman smiles and cracks her knuckles, pointing to deeper into the woods.<br><br>Meanwhile, in the village, a woman comes out of one of the huts, holding a blanket around herself when the roar is heard. But perhaps more importantly, in Rogue's opinion, is the man with the white eyes standing the the right of the King who suddenly looks up at her and points.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:47|Jean Grey (47)}} has posed:'''<br>The violence rising from the ravine begs for, but does not receive Phoenix's attention as she picks out a sturdy-looking tree and braces a hand against it. Hank will be fine, she reminds herself; it isn't as if he'd get overzealous and quippy and find himself in a compromised position against an opponent who is capable of providing him with both a physical and mental challenge, right?<br><br>... right?<br><br>Either way, there's no more stealth, which means that the psychic needs to be pin-pointed and dealt with-- //now//.<br><br>Which means that the cloak around Phoenix falls away, unleashing a burst of warmth and fury as burning wings stretch across the astral plane.<br><br><span style="color:xterm14">&#123;&#123;</span><span style="color:xterm6">Show yourself,</span><span style="color:xterm14">&#125;&#125;</span> she succinctly commands, hoping to draw the psychic's attention entirely to her so as to keep them isolated from the rest of the fight. <span style="color:xterm14">&#123;&#123;</span><span style="color:xterm6">//Now.//</span><span style="color:xterm14">&#125;&#125;</span><br><br>Subtle as it is, Cable's presence goes unnoticed; right now, she's much too interested in drawing the hostile mind out to worry about the man trying to turn it into mist.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:128|Polaris (128)}} has posed:'''<br>Up up and away! Polaris peels back from covering Jean to hit the ravine. She speeds to aid Beast, looking about for Cable. "Is that dude on comms?" She asks and looks to the twelve foot man. "Dibs!" She calls out and spreads her arms wide, metal from all the bracelets she put on spreading into broad balls which she fires at the giant. "I hate the kinetic types."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:16|Rogue (16)}} has posed:'''<br>Rogue circled high above and she kept a close watch on the party down by the bonfire. She hadn't heard what was going on with Hank, she just assumed that Lion Roars were-common-place things in African ambience soundscapes.<br><br>When the man with the silver eyes pointed up at her, Rogue quietly said "Uh oh." into the comms. "Ah think my secret drone cove'ah has been spoiled." She then turned to the southeast in her flight and moved toward where she could see Cyclops and the others.<br><br>"Rejoining on Team Lead." Rogue said into the comms then, cape fluttering behind her as she flew like an arrow out of a crossbow down toward her team-mates in the distance.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:117|Tatum (117)}} has posed:'''<br>"I never get to use the guns," Deadzone mutters into the comms as she races with the others to get to the village. While with the group, she keeps her aura on her like a second skin, but once at the side of the village, she pulls away from the others and holds out her arms to let her field go. She doesn't actually need the physical actions to work her power, but it does seem to make it easier. "Looking for someone speedy, but no one is standing out as being a second coming of the Flash."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Hank (95)}} has posed:'''<br>Hank squirms in the giant snakes grasp.. Is it called a grasp when they have no arms.. or hands.. Whatever. He squirms, trying to break free, and is finding it difficult despite his enhanced strength. When the snake's large head comes around and looks him straight in the eye, Hank STOPS squirming and stares right back. <br><br>"So.. Uhm.. Greetings and Solicitations?" he says by way of (strained) hello and offers as disarming a grin as he can. "You know.. there is no need to fight. We're both civilized twenty-first century mutants, after all. I am sure we could come to a mutually beneficial concordance.."<br><br>The snake hisses, an amused sound, and the coils start to tighten even more around Hank and he gasps. "Oh come /on/. I don't want to hurt you!" he rasps, and the snake somehow looks even MORE amused and.. it's mouth opens.. it's jaw unhinging.<br><br>"No. No No No. There is no way you are going to Thusla Doom me to death like I am some big blue cream-filled twinkie, you anfractuous anaconda.." The snake seems to take offense at that and suddenly it flares out a previously hidden hood.<br><br>"Oh.. sorry.. Uhm.. Cobra.. I meant to say Cobra.. My bad.. Damnit.. where is it?!?" he flails and is trying to pat down his belt for something.. Then he finds what he is looking for and grins.. "So, you want something to eat do you?!? Well how about dessert and a show?" he asks as he uses his claws to knock a capsule off his belt and he catches it with a prehensile foot, all while singing.. Van halen?<br><br>~Now summertime's here babe, need somethin' to keep you cool~<br>~Ah now summertime's here babe, need somethin' to keep you cool~<br>~Better look out now though, Hanks's got somethin' for you~<br>~Tell ya what it is...~<br><br>And with that Hank uses his toes to flick the capsule into snakes mouth and it snaps it's jaws shut. There is a low *WHOOMPH* and some kind of mist espcapes it's lipless mouth.. and it's scales turns a faint glossy blue and it's coils loosen, releasing Hank as it falls to the ground and it's form shrinks and melts, becoming that of an unconcious naked man, his mouth dusted with.. frost?<br><br>Hank lands in half crouch and he grins. "I'm your /ice cream man/. You take on the form of a reptile you gain reptillian coldblooded physiology. Then you add a CO2 cartridge, which is under pressure it releases it's heat energy as the molecules become more tightly packed which mean /cold/ when it is finally released from pressure. So what happens when you induce a rapid negative temperature change to a reptile, causing an instantaneous torpor response? Can you say /Ultimate Brain Freeze/?.. Because science, /Bitch/!"<br><br>And with that he turns on a heel and starts again towards the village, tapping his earbud again. "Sorry, I was a bit wrapped up. I'm on my way, guys."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:114|Scott Summers (114)}} has posed:'''<br>As they reach the edge of the village, Cyclops has his hand on the side of his visor. It isn't necessary, as he has the button on his glove. It's more a habit. He stands to the side of Deadzone, making sure he is clear of her power bubble while looking to the mutants in the center of the village. Everything is taken in, his spatial awareness spreading to give him the data that will be key in the fight. He knows the location of everyone in the village. The good and the bad. The number of people dancing and cowering puts a damper on combat tactics because they need to get those people to safety. But to do so, they need to get rid of the handful of mutants still there. He has no doubt Phoenix is working on the psychic. That leaves the others to them. At least one metamorph which could be anyone in the village. Great. <br><br>"We need to separate them from the civilians. Let's see if we can draw them out and give the people a chance to escape." He isn't going to ask someone else to play bait however. Instead, he motions for the others to stay where they are and moves toward the village center, making himself obvious. <br><br>"Don't make this harder on yourselves," he calls out. "Give it up and no one else has to get hurt." <br><br>Since he's pretty sure Beast already hurt someone.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:117|Tatum (117)}} has posed:'''<br>Upon being called out by the Phoenix, the dark man with the milk white eyes turns his gaze from Rogue to her. He smiles, clearly quite pleased with the presence of someone so potent and likely an actual challenge to him. Phoenix finds herself transported. Not actually, as she is still hovering in midair, but in her mind. The perfect life. Pure, unadulterated happiness and contentment. It seems so real. The feeling of joy, of being exactly where she always hoped she would be.<br><br>Polaris' barrage of metals balls bounce off the chest of the giant, tearing at his shirt. He roars angrily at Polaris and starts to run towards her to smack the little green bug out of the air to slap her down to the ground. Meanwhile, the small woman starts racing towards Hank, barrelling through the woods like it's not even there.<br><br>Finally, in the center of the village, the villagers rise and begin screaming, trying to flee. One of the villagers, a old woman holding a spoon runs to Cyclops, speaking a language he doesn't understand. She reaches for him, still talking, trying to get closer. The two women, the beautiful dancer by the fire and the one still holding a blanket around her naked form, start to approach the main group. Folding the blanket around herself, the one that had emerged from the hut holds out her hands, sparks firing intimidatingly. The King stands up from his throne, smiling to Scott. He holds out his arms as if in welcome. When he speaks, his english is thick with his accent. "No no, come. We beat you, we show the world the Kabila la Giza is not to be triffled with."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:47|Jean Grey (47)}} has posed:'''<br>"... much for your help, Marvel Woman," the Man of Steel says to the redhead hovering beside him. "Psimon's Fearsome Five Hundred had us on the ropes. If you hadn't answered your communicator when you did-- well, I shudder to think what would've become of St. Louis..."<br>"Oh, it's nothing," Jean says, distracted and squinting aside from the wreckage of the gateway arch to stare at nothing at all. "Office hours were slow at the Institute... things are quiet X-side; SHIELD and the Avengers... both fine..."<br><br>"We couldn't have done it without you," the Blue Boyscout assures. "Honestly, we-- "<br><br>"I know where this is going, and I just //can't//-- not now that the Professor's stepped down and left... me... to... oh."<br><br>Green eyes lock onto milky white ones peering from the windows of a perfectly intact storefront near the Five Hundred's zone of carnage.<br><br>A brisk glance towards alien, who - despite continuing to make his pitch - is getting progressively quiet until no sound comes from his lips. Jean's nose wrinkles as she lingers on him for a beat, and then after a low, groaning sigh, she returns her attention below.<br><br>"You're-- pouring it on //thick//," she hisses, "but this is-- creative-- tempting-- "<br><br>Following another, shuddering sigh, she's face to face with the dark man, burning wings filling the storefront-- "-- fake-- "<br><br>-- stretching until the walls are consumed-- and growing broader still, threatening to take the adjacent buildings-- the block-- the man-- everything with them.<br><br>"-- impure. Who are you? Name yourself."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:128|Polaris (128)}} has posed:'''<br>"Oh, you want to throw down?" Polaris growls as the four armed man charges her. She crosses her arms over her chest as magnetic energy crackles over her skin. The now white eyed mutant digs deep to draw the nearest heavy metal near her fast and hard-apologies to Cable's jeep. She reaches out and turns, slingshoting the car around her and at the four armed giant.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:16|Rogue (16)}} has posed:'''<br>Rogue had not engaged in any combat as of yet, she was still flying and watching the situation unfold. She wasn't exactly the most field-tested member of the team and the majority of her combative experience were memories stolen from Carol Danvers. She'd had some pretty major scuffles in her life, such as that one WITH Carol Danvers... but never on a cohesive team that was supposed to work together like the X-Men.<br><br>Rogue formed up over Scott's shoulder and waited for any orders that might tell her where she should focus her own punch-pounding assistance, whilst listening to the comm chatter and watching.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:117|Tatum (117)}} has posed:'''<br>Okay, so we have a man standing by his throne, another man behind him that is staring at Phoenix, two clear enemies approaching and a sobbing elderly woman with a spoon trying to cling onto Scott and tell him something. She'll let Scott deal with the sobbing lady, Deadzone starts to stride towards the woman with the lightning coming from her fingertips, pulling out her batons and snapping them into readiness. "Hey there, Sparky. Ready to play?" she asks before she starts to swing.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Hank (95)}} has posed:'''<br>The /unconcious/ animorph laying in the bush far behind him, hank has decided to take a page from his attacker's handbook and stays in branches of the trees rather tahn on the ground. He swings from one branch to the next with a sailent grace that would make tarzan green with envy, using the tree's natural flexing to fling him further then he could naturally. Being that it is night he can still see almost perfectly, what with his catslit eyes, and being that he is a 'natural' midnight blue wearing /black/ he knows that he is hard to be seen!<br><br>Thats when he hears the sound of someone running through the underbrush below. Damnit it, he's so close to the village. He catches a branch and pull himself tight to the trunk within it's fooliage, hugging the tree silently.. waiting..<br><br>"So... Which one are you...?" he asks to himself, surreptitiously tapping his wrist come, accessing the sensors on the blackbird and displaying them in his goggles. Sensors in the x-men's suits have been collecting data for a little while now, comparing them to what teh data they already had such as energy signatures and the like. The animporh tagged and crossed out on his HUD. The one fighting Jean is the Psychic.. labeled and tagged. Four-Arm guy vs Polaris.. tagged... That cuts down the numbers.. but doesn't help him narrow it down wquite yet.. The readings he gets from the approaching mutant are anomalous at best. Some sort of field around them.. he isn't sure what it does. For all he knows it could fry him.. or he could bounce off.. or maybe it couold make his hair fall out...<br><br>So.. no touching them yet.. at least until he figures it out.. Oh, they are almost right under him.. If only he had something heavey to drop... wait a sec..<br><br>He checks the tree he is in, and a grin broadens on his face. "Kigelia Africana.." he whispers and quietly searches the branch for something.. something... Ooooh, there it is.. "Also known as.. The Sausage Tree!"<br><br>No foolin. 'Sausage Trees' are spread through the region.. They produce upto /one meter long/ succulent, poisonous fruits that drop from the tree and release seeds as the pulp rots. There is a dry bush joke that the worst place to camp is under a Sausage tree .. if the /5 kg/ fruits don't crush you, then the elephants will as they come to collect the fruits.<br><br>So when the woman passes underneath he cuts stem of one of those fruits with a nail. "Hope you enjoy my Sausage.." he whispers, then blinks.. "That sounded better in my head..."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:114|Scott Summers (114)}} has posed:'''<br>Scott is not comfortable with the woman approaching so closely and he doesn't want her touching him but at the same time, he's keeping his eye on the known threats. This woman could be one of the unknowns. He wishes he spoke the language or had someone here to translate but instead he is stuck trying to decide the best option here. He never looks away from teh self proclaimed King. There is apparently no standing down, no avoiding the conflict. Why can't anyone do things the easy way? Just an 'oh sorry, we'll go away and turn ourselves in to the authorities'. But no. It's always 'we will kill you'. <br><br>He needs to rethink his career choices.<br><br>His voice is lower as he speaks. "Take them down hard and fast," he says by way of orders as he sidesteps the old woman and lets loose an optic beam aimed for the center of the King's chest. It's strong enough to fracture bones but as is his way, he doesn't go for a kill.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:117|Tatum (117)}} has posed:'''<br>The village is now in a flurry of activity. The villagers are running about to try and get away from the mayhem that is about to start, just greatful for the distraction to get away from this madness. One of the few that isn`t running is a small girl, no older then about 7. She stands where she is, people running passed her and ignoring her completely. She watches on the mayhem sadly.<br><br>The psychic with the milky eyes is in Jean`s head. The two just stare at each other, trapped in their own minds. "I am the Dreamer. I am the Dream. Do not fight it. You know it is what you want. Let the Dream become your reality."<br><br>Cable's jeep soars through the air, breaking the limbs of trees as it flies passed them at a blurring speed. The giant has just enough time to turn to look at what is making the noise, right before he is made to kiss the bumper of the military vehicle. He is sent flying and lands a football feild away with the jeep on top of him. The giant struggles, trying to get the jeep off of him, slowly shrinking down to his normal size before passing out.<br><br>The lightning thrower looks dismayed as her sparks go out and has to fight with Deadzone hand to hand, something that she isn't used to having to do.<br><br>Underneath the Sausage Tree, the short squat woman stumbles when the 'sausage' falls on her head. She growls as she looks up and then punches the tree. The shaking of the tree is phenomenal, a crack splitting it up from the trunk.<br><br>As for Scott, his beam misses. The King is suddenly just gone. However, that does leave the psychic behind him right in the path, sending the man flying into a nearby hut. The old woman, face distorts angrily and she goes to stab Cyclops with her spoon, which hurts far more then it should. And... is that blood? Lastly, the dancer smiles and starts running in with the crowd of other villagers to hide her retreat.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:47|Jean Grey (47)}} has posed:'''<br>AFRICA<br><br>A fat red droplet falls from Phoenix's nostril and the scarlet splotch spreading across the tree she's leaning against grows that much deeper. Her eyes - locked in the vague direction of the village - neither move nor blink.<br><br>ELSEWHERE<br><br>"I want a lot of things, The Dreamer."<br><br>About half of downtown St. Louis has been replaced with a crater occupied by Phoenix, the Dreamer, and burning rubble; mercifully, her wings are no longer growing, having returned to a more appropriately proportioned span between breaths.<br><br>"Like, right now:"<br><br>The ground lurches, then splits, allowing burnt out husks throughout the crater to tumble into newly hungry maws. One crack opens between the dueling psychics, but rather than pull anything down, it opens just wide enough to let a wheel ringed with hand-sized pegs sliced up into coloured sections rise into view.<br><br>"I want to know what makes you tick. What it is that draws a man who claims to be of the Dream to make himself into a nightmare-- power?"<br><br>Phoenix doesn't move an inch, but the wheel begins to spin: slow, then blindingly fast, and then it begins to slow--<br><br>"Boredom? Greed?"<br><br>-- before finally coming to a halt on a black slice with 'CHILDHOOD' printed in white text.<br><br>"Trauma?"<br><br>With that whispered word, she takes the opposite tack: rather than contentment, Phoenix tries to rifle through the Dreamer's memories in search of something deep, dark, and hidden to paint over their surroundings. All the while, the lights and sirens festooning the wheel flicker and blare.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:128|Polaris (128)}} has posed:'''<br>Breathing, Polaris looks towards Beast. She braces her hands on her legs a moment. "You good over there big Blue?" She calls out and shakes out her arms. "Say yes. I'm worried about the village. Not enough boom sounds." She adds, not exactly sure where Beast is in the ravine.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:16|Rogue (16)}} has posed:'''<br>Rogue departed from Scott's side around the time that he optic-blasted at the that dude's chest. She shot over the 'battlefield' at high speed and was intending to monitor the fleeing villagers to help make sure they reached safety... but she was also trying to watch over them and make sure none of them trampled...<br><br>Rogue zipped down and snatched the 7 year old up off the ground and out of harms way. "Gotcha, sugah." She said to the little kid who looked up at her with a terribly concerned and confused face. But after a moment of flying the kid was starting to smile and hold their little hands out, shouting 'Superman!' which made Rogue frown, but she'd roll with it for now.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:117|Tatum (117)}} has posed:'''<br>Without her power, 'Sparky' really isn't ready for this fight. She is wearing nothing but a sheet around her and trying to dodge some madwoman with metal batons that she keeps insisting on hitting the depowered mutant in places that really, really hurt! <br><br>The fight doesn't last too much longer as Deadzone nails 'Sparky' in the kidneys and then spins behind her, using a baton and the crook of her elbow to cut off the air supply to her opponent's brain. "Night night," she tells her foe as she starts to pass out.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Hank (95)}} has posed:'''<br>Hank whoas as the woman strikes the tree, the force transfering through the trunk and pretty much dislodging him when it cracks and shatters. The blue furry scientist falls, but easily reaches out and grabs the branch of another treem it's bough bending and slowing him until he daintily drops to his feet... and keeps the bent branch behind him, it's tip under his heel.<br><br>"Oh, Hey Lorna! I guess I /am/ on the dge of the village? Sorry, my back is to you while I face down this little woman who apparently can shatter entire hardwood shrubberies.. Give me a moment!" he calls out over his shoulder then looks at his new potential attacker. "So.. my guess is...." his readings are going wild. The moment his sausage hit her field (that sounds so wrong) the newtons cming off her INCREASED. Like she literally absorbed the force from it's drop. "You absorb kinetic energy that strikes you and.. what.. redirect it?" he asks as the angry little woman starts slowly walking towards him.<br><br>"Which seems to present a quandry since my mother taught me not to hit a woman... So that means you can't defeat me! I won't hit you, ergo, you will have nothing to power you to strike me! So why not call it a day?" he asks, and she grins a bit malicously at him. "AAaaaaand, you don't understand anytging I am saying, do you... Which is fine.. because it's all been a distraction anyways."<br><br>You see, the great thing about having prehensile feet with opposable thumb-like big toes is not just that you can eat with them, or paint pictures, or play nintendo against yourself with two controllers... It's that when somone is NOT paying attention they can't see you /tieing/ the vines from the bent brqnch behind you together into a /noose/ just behind you. Which Hank has been DOING.<br><br>And when she lifts her foot for another step closer, Hank flicks the noose with the foot NOT standing on the bent and TREMENDOUSLY PACKED WITH POTENTIAL ELASTIC ENERGY branch. She steps right in the noose, which causes her to stop and stare at it.. Then at Hank with a quizzical look.<br><br>"You absorb impacts.. which is just a very sudden /push/.. And what is the opposite of a push? Well like my dad says when he is out shooting clay pigeons..." He side steps... getting off a bent branch that took his entire 402lbs (He's not fat, he's big boned!) and a modicum of super strength to /keep/ it bent.<br><br>"PULL!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:114|Scott Summers (114)}} has posed:'''<br>The blade goes right between his ribs as his optic blast hits the wrong target. Well, at least it hit one of the bad guys. No huts destroyed, no villagers blasted across the savannah. His right hand comes up to where the knife entered, trying to cover the wound.<br><br>His attention turns to the woman who stabbed him and, though Hank's Momma taught him not to hit a woman, Scott's apparently skipped that lesson as he punches her squarely in the face. He doesn't know if she's one of the bad mutants, a villager who thinks he's one of the bad guys or Mrs. Claus. All he knows is that hurt and he's going to need stitches. She goes down like a puppet with the strings cut.<br><br>Mentally, he is already blasthing himself for being stupid, for making a mistake. He turns back, trying to find the woman who had been by the fire and spotting her fleeing with some of the villagers. To close to others to get a clean shot, he runs that direction.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:117|Tatum (117)}} has posed:'''<br>Villagers run off into the savannah, hidden by the tall grasses and the darkness of night. They want nothing to do with this place right now and are just thinking about their own survival as the people who have stolen powers from the Gods fight amongst themselves. <br><br>Phoenix is just about to have The Dreamer right where she wants him when suddenly his mind is just gone and she is free to see the world around her once again. The milky eyed mutant lays unconcious against the ruined wall of a hut, having just been blasted by Cyclops. <br><br>Lorna watches as a short, fat woman sails through the air, screaming obsenities as she then dangles from a tree, flailing helplessly as she punches at the air below her.<br><br>The small girl in Rogue's arms is all smiles, her hands reaching to touch her face and laugh over the differences of their skin. Their minds connect when she touches Marie, and Rogue realizes she understands Swahili before the girl takes her hand away. "I am sorry. No touch the lady Superman," the girl tells her, having learned from Rogue's mind how dangerous that would be.<br><br>Hanging in the air, the kinetic manipulator says some very unkind things in Swahili to Hank. Nope, that is just not lady-like at all.<br><br>Deadzone looks around, trying to find the King. "Where did he go?" she asks just as a blur of movement slows down 10 feet away from her. The sudden change in momentum causes him to trip and fall, skidding on the dusty ground. Tate puts her boot on his chest, yelling to the others. "Found him!"<br><br>Cyclops is hot on the tail of the dancing woman. Seeing she is being chased, she grabs one of the villagers and spins around, holding a hand to the young man's face. "Go! Leave or I kill him."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:47|Jean Grey (47)}} has posed:'''<br>Red hair flies wildly as Phoenix recoils out of the astral confrontation, then falls as it wishes about her head and face once she recovers herself enough to lurch forward and let the tree support her weight while she takes a few deep breaths.<br><br>And tries not to remember the way her heart raced when Superman looked upon her with admiration.<br><br>Once those breaths are taken, she echoes in the X-Men's heads:<br><br><span style="color:xterm14">&#123;&#123;</span><span style="color:xterm6">Link is online-- I'm going aerial! What're your statuses?!</span><span style="color:xterm14">&#125;&#125;</span><br><br>And then fire rushes up from the wilderness without leaving a trace as Phoenix takes flight to survey the battle, briskly wiping blood from her nose on the way up.<br><br>Four armed man, jeep: good. Woman swinging from her ankles: also good. People unconscious next to Deadzone: great. Unconscious asshole, hut: wonderful.<br><br>Woman holding a villager hostage: target. Green eyes narrow, and--<br><br><span style="color:xterm14">&#123;&#123;</span><span style="color:xterm6">So, the thing about your telepath,</span><span style="color:xterm14">&#125;&#125;</span> she hears between her ears as burning talons try to seize her will, <span style="color:xterm14">&#123;&#123;</span><span style="color:xterm6">is that he's gone. Which means that I think you want to stop what you're doing put your hands up-- don't you?</span><span style="color:xterm14">&#125;&#125;</span><br> <br>

:'''{{#var:128|Polaris (128)}} has posed:'''<br>"Beast, you are a beautiful mind!" Lorna calls out and feels ahead. "Ooooh, trouble, race you to the village!" She calls which isn't a fair fight, she flits into the air and touches down near the throne looking at the hostage situation. Rather than be saucy, she holds steady drawing deep from the energy of the Earth to juice her up.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:16|Rogue (16)}} has posed:'''<br>Rogue had pulled her head back when the child touched her face, afraid that the kid would pass out in her arms... but she did not...<br><br>A few moments later and Rogue had touched down in the ravine with the child, setting her down in front of her and placing her gloved hands onto the kids shoulders as she crouched there in front of her. What Rogue had 'gleamed' from the kid had shocked her.<br><br>She could hear the comm in her ear, and Jean inside her mind, but this was important.<br><br>"Hide." She told the child outloud. "Find the best place an' hide. Ah'll come'n get you afte'ah, okay?" Rogue told the small kid.<br><br>Standing up then, Rogue looked back toward the fight.<br><br>&#123;&#123;These pricks are just out for powe'ah. I just met the little girl who called us here... They're terrorists, we should dump'em all in the nearest Hippo lake.&#125;&#125;<br><br>Rogue was speaking telepathically, which might surprise the others.<br><br>The southern belle took to flight again, looking down to see the little kid running to hide.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:117|Tatum (117)}} has posed:'''<br>Deadzone is as surprised as anyone that the speed demon was so easily taken down. That should *not* have happened. She rolls him over onto his stomach, throws one of his arms in a bent arm bar and then sits on him with a thumb pressed in under his jaw. Whenever he moves, she just puts more pressure on his arm and the underside of his lymph node, causing lots of pain but no actual damage. Upon hearing Rogue's voice in her head, she looks up skyward. "Is anyone else hearing that or is it just wishful thinking on my part?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Hank (95)}} has posed:'''<br>Hank smiles and salutes the swearing and swinging swahili speaking mutant. "Hang around. The authorities will be here soon enough." he says, then looks up as Polaris flies over. "What do you expect?!? That I am just eyecandy?" he asks. It's funny how, as reserved as Hank can be at school, once in the field he becoems more.. self confident. "HEY.. WAIT! NO FAIR! I CAN'T FLY!" he cries and in a moment his /second/ mutant take down is left behind as he lopes towards the center of the village at high speed. On his goggles Hud, and overhearing all the coms chatter (and telepathic chatter) so he can see where everyone is and their health.. it's like an overview map from Doom. "Tatum.. Are you okay? Scratch that, you're fine.. Thank god,. Quick, you need to get to Scott, he's ging after the last one.. Damnit..." he can spot, through the huts, That Scottis facing down the woma.. who has taken a hostage... "No time... Sorry.." At his speed he is pretty much like a 400 pound cheetah as her circles around the core of the village until he is almost directly behind the woman who is facub down cyclops. He literlly runs UP the back of a hut and LANCHES himself into the darkness.. arching in the air to try and take the woman down from behind in a way he hopes she can't detect him...<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:114|Scott Summers (114)}} has posed:'''<br>"Not on my watch," Scott says as he prepares to release an optic blast. His spatial awareness picks up Hank a moment before he does though and he holds fire, not wanting to endanger his friend and teammate in the process. He never takes his eyes off the woman, not giving her the opportunity to see a flick of his eyes to give away the surprise attack. <br><br>He is not aware that Jean is also dealing with the woman in her own special way.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:117|Tatum (117)}} has posed:'''<br>All of the ... what did he call them? Kabila la Giza? Are down but the one very scantily dressed woman. She glares angrily at Scott but then starts to raise both hands to release her hostage. Just as her hostage runs off, she is bowled over by Beast. The two roll around in the dirt and grass, the woman hissing with anger. "I take you wit me!" she screams.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:47|Jean Grey (47)}} has posed:'''<br>After wincing at the impact - which was seen and vaguely felt - Phoenix watches the the two shapes below roll across the ground. Broadly speaking, she trusts Hank's ground game to be up to the task of subduing some cowardly supervillain-- only the person with the withering touch is still, as far as she knows, unaccounted for, along with the metamorph.<br><br>One way or another, it could potentially be a //very// short bout-- and she'd rather tilt the odds towards her friend and colleague.<br><span style="color:xterm14">&#123;&#123;</span><span style="color:xterm6">Hey,</span><span style="color:xterm14">&#125;&#125;</span> the woman hears as the Phoenix's wings spread across her mind's eye.<br><br><span style="color:xterm14">&#123;&#123;</span><span style="color:xterm6">You know I'm still here, right?</span><span style="color:xterm14">&#125;&#125;</span><br><br>Though voiced calmly, the question is punctuated by a series of explosions throughout the woman's pain receptors.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:128|Polaris (128)}} has posed:'''<br>"This broad....she isn't like, combustible is she?" Lorna wonders finally looking up and crackling with energy again. It gathers at her hands as she gets ready to toss up a forcefield should she need to. It feels good to wield so much energy, downside, her hair is going to be eighties perm huge for a week after tonight.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:117|Tatum (117)}} has posed:'''<br>Tatum looks around the village, seeing four in the immediate vicinity. She knows that there is one more but trusts her team. She grows her aura to make sure all the enemy mutants are wrapped up in her nullification like a thick, heavy wool blanket. Seeing Beast launching over a hut, she smiles. He's got this. That's her man. She's so proud of him. He's getting all the twinkies tonight<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Hank (95)}} has posed:'''<br>Hank completely trusts Scott. Completely. But part of him could never allow his friend to take a shot at someone, no matter how good he is, if there was a even a WEE chance he could hurt a hostage. Scott would never live with himself if he did accidently hit an innocent. Thats why Hank attacked how he did.. He would either grab the hostage and give Scott the shot.. or take down the hostage taker herself, hold her, an Scott can take the shot...<br><br>He rolls into the woman with quite a bit of force, throwin up dust and grass as they roll for a dozen feet.. until he is on his back, her astride his torso while he grasps her by the wrists. "You're in no position to take me /anywhere/, toots. At least not in any way my /girlfriend/ over there would approve of." he growls, holding her as she flails in his grasp. "Scott! Jean!.. I Got herrrrAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"<br><br>The scream that flows from his mouth is.. utteraly gutteral.. painful.. cutting through the night. He arches his back, flailing like he is holding a power conduit.. But..<br><br>But it is /Hank/ who is the power conduit. Sparks and light roll through his fur, off his body, in waves.. being drawn /into/ the once dancing woman who rides his spasming body.. unwiling to relinquish Hank and the power and vitality she is literally drinking from him even though she is probably in as much pain as hank is because of jean's mindgames.. But that means she needs to feed MORE to overcome the pain... The tips of his fur, standing on end, starts to change their shade.. dark blue lightening slighlty.. losing color.. turning grey.. slowly sucking color, /Life/, from the tips towards the roots..<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:114|Scott Summers (114)}} has posed:'''<br>As the pair rolled, Cyclops waited. Hesitated. Needing to be sure the shot was clear before he took it or else he might hit Hank. <br><br>Until that scream.<br><br>There is no pause, no hesitation. A pulse of ruby light flashes the distance to the woman atop Hank. The concussive force is higher than Scott will generally use. Especially since he is aiming directly for the woman's head, not caring the level of damage he is going to do. Not caring that it could possibly even kill her. Right now, it's about Hank and keeping him alive.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:117|Tatum (117)}} has posed:'''<br>Cyclops' beam hits true, blasting the life draining witch off of his team-mate. She rolls onto the ground nearby, not dead but certainly not concious. The witch off of Hank, some of the life returns to him, but he is left with a touch of grey at his temples. Well, Reed Richard rocks the look? Maybe the two together can make it a trend for all super geniuses? <br><br>The Tribe of Darkness, as Rogue tells you while she is still fluent in Swahili, is gathered up for the authorities, Deadzone staying close to all of them and keeping them contained. <br><br>The animal shifter; unconcious, naked, with frost all over his mouth. <br>The four armed giant; regular person sized and nursing a headache. <br>The kinetic manipulator is bound up in vines, glaring at Hank every chance she gets. <br>The mutant with the shocking touch; still has a sheet wrapped around her for modesty and is passed out. <br>The metamorph; no longer looking like an old woman with a spoon. Yep, that spoon was a knife, now covered in Scott's blood. Also out cold. <br>The psychic; out cold and likely going to be nursing some serious bruises and broken bones. <br>And finally the king and queen of the Savannah, neither looking at all pleased and arguing amonst themselves, each blaming the other for their downfall, until they both decide to settle that it was all the psychic's fault, since he is in no shape to defend himself. <br><br>Tatum keeps Hank close by her while they wait for the local authorities to arrive. When she thinks no one is looking, Tatum 'accidently' kicks the 'Queen' in the face, knocking her out cold again. She looks to Scott, trying to look innocent. "I had a leg cramp!" she insists. <br><br>The little girl comes out of hiding from the ravine, smiling brightly at all of them. She doesn't speak a word of english, but she doesn't need to. Her telepathy is enough for you to all understand how grateful she is. In fact, the villagers return, all thanking the team and bowing in gratitude.<br> <br>
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