9581/A Royal Coronation Birthday

From United Heroes MUSH
Jump to navigation Jump to search
A Royal Coronation Birthday
Date of Scene: 14 October 2019
Location: Hammer Bay, Genosha
Synopsis: Lorna's birthday party and coronation ends with Magneto's nightmares coming to life and wrecking everything.
Cast of Characters: Polaris, Shadowcat, Rage, Lex Luthor, Nightingale, Quicksilver, Pixie, Psylocke, Power Girl, Magneto, Cannonball, Icarus, Samuel Morgan, Triage, Cypher




Polaris has posed:
The royal plaza outside of the palace in Hammer Bay was decorated in a multitude of flowers, banners, streamers, and impossibly placed glowing lights all about. The sun was low in the tropical, blue sky, and mutants were gathered in Magda plaza en masse. The crowds were clearly excited, happy, and talkative. Music drifted from various temporary tents that had been erected, fried foods from every nationality were passed from hand to hand. The air felt like it was a festival, and everyone had taken the time to come out and enjoy the festivities.

The royal parade had wound through the crowds, speeches from on high had been made and within the formal throne room, had been the formal ceremony. The youngest daughter of Magneto made her vows to Genosha and the country as a whole. In turn, the King himself had placed the heir apparent crown upon her head and named her the royal heir and Princess of Genosha. Fireworks blasted from all over the palace, and the ceremony was streamed live to those partying away outside the royal palace.

It was quite the production, speeches were made from the balcony, and crowds cheered. From within the royal palace, everything changed rapidly from strictly formal, to a more relaxed atmosphere. Tables piled high with food and drinks were wheeled out, and music played from various mutant artists. Guests were invited from all over, even those that may or may not be particularly close to the royals were welcome.

Lorna herself sat on a tiny throne the mimicry of her father's larger, more stately one set back and higher on a platform in the throne room, which had been turned into a gloriously decorated ball room. A more simple decorated coronet rested carefully on her head than the one she'd worn for the formal ceremony, and she'd changed into more relaxed, though still formal, ball gown of a multitude of silks. All of various hues of green, a flowing skirt, and off the shoulders sleeves.

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty Pryde had arrived in Genosha early, giving her some time to go track down one of the island's inhabitants to spend some quality time with. And now the pair have arrived at the festivities together.

Kitty is wearing a deep blue dress that hugs to her waist and leaves her shoulders bare. The skirt is loose and short enough to be cool in the tropical environment. A string of pearls is about her neck, and pearl earrings. She usually doesn't dress up this much, but it is a special occasion after all.

Escorting Kitty is an older man. He has dark hair and a moustache and is wearing a black suit with a deep blue tie. Kitty enters on his arm, though the man looks old enough to be her father. She has already dropped a gift off with the attendants, who have added it to the rest of the gifts that Lorna is receiving.

The pair look around the room as if trying to spot a few people they recognize. When Kitty makes eye contact with Lorna on her throne, Lorna is given a bright, dazzling smile. Kitty looks away to glance about again. "Let's see who we can find," she says to her escort.

Rage has posed:
Having arrived early in Genosha to set up her show, Andrea has been putting on the concert of a lifetime on the main stage for the citizens of Genosha. There's fireworks, smoke bombs, flashing lights and pounding music. Tonight is a night of bangers and raucous upbeat music from her catalogue as well as several singles that was requested from the new royalty.

Dressed in a shimmering outfit that is designed to razzle dazzle, the global popstar has multiple colors in her hair, and colorful makeup on that shimmers and glitters. Her choreography is on point, her vocals are stunning, and her backup dancers are on fire.

As she finishes the last song to a shower of sparklers and a long ranging high note that completes her song, she lifts a hand to wave to the roaring crowd, blowing out a kiss.

"Happy birthday, Lorna! Thank you everyone." And with that, she is whisked back to re-dress and put on her 'party' outfit to mingle with the rest of the guests.

Lex Luthor has posed:
Anyone traveling to Genosha can easily see the heavy LexCorp presence. LexCorp industrial subsidiaries are particularly represented on Genosha, though LexTech has a couple facilities being constructed on the outskirts near the bay. They're one of the larger employers on the island currently... so seeing Lex Luthor among the crowd should come as no surprise. The Man of Tomorrow has been fairly mutant-inclusive with his corporate agenda openly.

Currently doing the rounds with various LexCorp employees, Lex was easily spotted with his impeccably tailored formal tuxedo for the event, the charisma of the CEO oozing from him as he went... though he was discussing business with a local LexCorp construction foreman. "Our timetable has actually been fairly pessimistic. I had accounted for a number of variables with it... but the sites here are well enough along that I feel confident that we can start phase two in about a year."

Lex, it seems, is handling business as well as the celebration.

Nightingale has posed:
     An event like this is overwhelming at the best of times. But it was for someone Shannon had hoped one day to perhaps call a friend. The days before had meant holing herself up in her dorm room making a present, and she has wrapped it in emerald-hued tissue paper, and tied it with a bit of gold silk ribbon. She herself was clad in an elegant but fun halter-neck dress, with a small keyhole accent in the otherwise modest neckline. It's a deep wine color, fitted but not immodestly so, and sports an a-line knee length skirt. She's got on a pair of plain, wine-colored flats, and has her hair swept up on the left side by a comb bedecked with faux freshwater pearls. However, she's foregone fashion in favor of practicality, keeping her worn, brown, rune-bedecked leather bag in lieu of a purse.

     For now, she's milling about with the rest, holding back, uncertain where one is to leave their gifts, or if she will be able to offer it to Lorna herself. She smiles faintly at those nearest her, inclining her head, and keeping her wings tucked in close behind her.

Quicksilver has posed:
Prince Pietro Maximoff had arrived in Genosha a few days early so he could spend time with his family and of course, the Heir to the throne, Lorna Dane. Pietro was dressed in the classic princely garb. He's dressed in all white with a few golden accents here and there. He approaches Lorna specifically, bowing lightly with a mischievous smirk. "Hey sister."

Though with Pietro? One Karen Starr around his arm. "Enjoying the party scene so far?" Pietro looks almost uncomfortable with it, but visibly relaxes when it looks like its not exactly so stiff an affair, this place.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn was always gung go for a fun party and she'd already decided Lorna was pretty cool after watching her total a sentinel first hand. Dressed in a lime green cocktail dress with a corset top, short frilly skirt and lacy pink trimmings, she's totally at home in the tropics, evanescent pink Wings fluttering excitedly as she watches Andrea's performance, whistling and cheering excitedly. "Wooo, Andrea, you're the best!"

Polaris has posed:
Lorna accepted the gift from an attendant that was passed to her, opening it up and flashing a polite smile at the person before her that had gifted it. She murmured an equally polite thank you to the Councilman, and passed the gift onto the attendant beside her. Her gaze swung away, scanning the crowd, and offering a wave as Andrea wished her happy birthday and the audience likewise mimicked the birthday wishes. Her focus caught Kitty's arrival and her smile warmed, before her focus shifted to Pietro as he approached and she leaned forward with a grin.

"Oh! This is the girlfriend that you were talking about the other night? How lovely, thank you for coming. I'm sorry this is a rather.. erm.. more formal thing. I hope you're at least enjoying yourselves? Enjoying the food and drinks? They look pretty good." She mused.

Psylocke has posed:
Betsy only just arrived that afternoon, shortly before the start of the festivities. She had spent the day roaming, enjoying the ceremonies, food and company of the Genoshan people. They truly were wonderful and seemed happy. Though they may have had their problems in the past, as a group, she had to admit the country was doing amazingly well with their current leadership.

As the events shifted more to party from ceremony, she joined the others in the main room. She would mill through the crowd, visiting here and there, allowing selfies for the few people that recognized her from her modelling. She was dressed in a simple black mermaid style dress, form fitting and strapless. Her lavender hair was left loose. A large silver bracelet and small dangle earrings in silver where her only accessories.

She made sure to give a bright smile and wave to Lorna, while sending a private telepathic, *Happy birthday. You look stunning this evening.*

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon politely applauds Andrea's performance, a ghost of a smile on her face. The surroundings were equally as fascinating to her as anything else; it was a place she thought she'd never get to see. So her attention is divided, every corner offering a new sight, a new sound that draws her attention. She keeps a firm grip on her leather bag, and her birthday present, wandering about among the people present at the gathering.

Power Girl has posed:
Karen Starr, rather than the heroine 'Power Girl' was here. A 'plus one' to be certain, but the blonde had her hair pinned up and her form was wrapped in a dark blue backless dress of her own. Hardly royalty herself, but at least the Kryptonian woman had managed something appropriately formal for the occasion!

Her own introduction? It had been brief, polite and perhaps even a little nervous. Monsters and aliens she was fine with, but Royalty? She was out of her depth!

"Karen," she offers with a smile and a bow of her head. "It's a pleasure to meet you." No titles, no names, she wasn't sure what she was meant to call Lorna!

Magneto has posed:
     The event had been magnificent, something a long time coming for the now Heir Apparent of Genosha. The King, Magneto, could not be more proud of his daughter. Of course, Magneto had been sitting on his throne, clad in the most formal of attires, an all white military dress suit complimented with various medals and a blood red sash, the most opulent of his crowns had been worn for the occasion. His silver-white hair has been styled to compliment.

  King Erik had been seated at his throne, accepting the greetings of visitors. "Yes, I couldn't be more proud of her. She has done so much for our country." He's always been honest when it came to his opinion of Lorna and her assistance around the tropical nation.

Quicksilver has posed:
Pietro smiles at Lorna. "This is her." He gestures to Karen, who seems to be quite beautifully dressed herself as she meets Lorna. "Lorna's made herself quite the young woman too. I'm proud of what she's been doing for Genosha." He looks across from Lorna to Magneto, his father. Looking to Karen. "And, Karen...this is my father."

He takes a breath.

"King Erik, this is my date and girlfriend, Karen Starr."

Rage has posed:
Once she finishes dressing backstage, Andrea steps out in a beautiful black dress designed by mutant stylist Adrianna Belatore from Milan. There is dark green patterns stitched into the fabric coated with emeralds. The dress itself hangs off one shoulder, leaving it bare to reveal a few light scars.

As she looks to meet up with her friends and classmates, the popstarlet gives a smile to both Megan and Shannon. "Hey guys." She says, sipping on a water and waving herself off to cool down. Her cheeks are red and her hair is pulled back behind her into a messy bun. She has new makeup on and it looks rather fierce. "I think I'm gonna lose my voice after that." She rasps out in jest. "Lucky you, huh? You enjoying the celebration?"

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn peers around, seeing some familiar faces in the crowd. Spying a Shannon, she smiles and waves, stepping over to join her. "Heeey Shannon! How's it going? Isn't this great? I haven't been to a serious party in forever! And Andrea's singing to Boot! that last song was sooo lush, dontcha think?." she beams as Andrea joins them, running to hug her if allowed. "Woow Andrea you were amazing!,"

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon considers approaching Lorna directly with her gift, but she hesitates, pale blue eyes dancing between her, and her father. She'd only ever seen him once, from afar, in the midst of battle. A battle that haunted her still. She offers a faint smile to both father and daughter, but her attention is drawn away by Andrea as she approaches.

"Tea helps with a sore throat sometimes. Maybe that could help your voice? You did a wonderful job, as always."

She inclines her head briefly to Megan, and for the briefest of moments, there's a faint twinkle to her eyes. "Hello there, Megan. No more sneezes, I hope?"

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty Pryde and her escort make her way over to those she spots from the school. "Hey everyone," Kitty says with a warm smile. "Andrea you were fantastic. Have missed not getting to hear you perform the last few months," Kitty tells her.

"Shannon, Megan, how are you both doing?" Kitty asks. She motions to the older man. "This is my father, Carmine Pryde. Dad, you recognize Andrea of course. And this is Shannon, and this is Megan. Both are students," she says.

Carmine Pryde smiles to the ladies. "It's wonderful you're able to make it all the way out here for Princess Lorna's birthday," he says. "And very nice to get to meet you. Not getting to meet Kitty's friends is one of the prices I've paid, moving out here to Genosha," he says.

Magneto has posed:
     A brief moment, where Erik's deep blue eyes meet Shannon's passes, of course it was positive, he smiles, as he has done many times this night.

  His attention is drawn, however to Karen and Pietro. The Prince gets a wide smile from his father, the King. "Miss Starr, I am pleased to meet you." He comments.

Rage has posed:
"Thank you!" Andrea says to Kitty, Megan and Shannon at the compliments. "I went all out for this. Been working with my team for a month straight. I've never worked harder for a concert." She takes another sip, giving a nod of her head to Shannon in regards to the tea. "When we get home, I'll bathe in it."

Giving a smile to Carmine, she lifts a hand upwards and waves. "Good evening, sir. It's nice to meet you." She leans in and hugs Megan tightly, then holds a phone up to take a selfie of the pair of them, then drags Shannon in for one as well. Click-Click. "Sending these to Jay. I wish he was here."

Polaris has posed:
Lorna flashed Karen a grin, "Thank you for coming," and nodded toward the young woman, accepting another gift as an attendant passed it along to her. She opened it after reading the tag, the name coming from someone she barely knew. She opened it with a vague sort of distracted manner, setting it aside with the others as Pietro and Karen turned toward her father behind her on the platform. She turned her focus back to the ballroom at large, sighing softly.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn has her own glittery pink gift ready for Lorna, although she is distracted at the moment. "Hey Shannon, you okay? You seem a little..Off? Heey why don't we go pay our respects to Lorna together? I've got a gift for her too!" even if she probably doesn't remember Pixie from several weeks ago. As she approaches, Megan smiles to Kitty and nods, "Hiii Kitty, Mister Pride. Nice to meet you, are you enjoying the party? It's pretty awesome!" she arches a brow at Andrea, posing for the selfie with a grin, "Awwe, Jay couldn't make it? He doesn't seem like a party person.. And no, didn't get a chance to see Triage about this cold of mine." she sniffles a bit but no sneezes yet.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon ruffles her wings slightly, inclining her head towards Kitty's father. "A pleasure to meet you, sir. One can certainly understand why you chose to live here, and trust me, you're not alone in missing family." She keeps her smile light and pleasant. "But you do what you can." She's openly startled when she's yanked in for the selfie, squirming, her wings extending as if to try to take to the air. "Warn a girl next time, will ya?" She manages a smile for the camera, and resigns herself to the situation for the moment. A brief glance is shot over towards Lorna and her father, with a sheepish little grin and a shrug, as if to say, 'now what?'. She's lucky to be able to keep a hold of her bag and the present!

Shaking her head towards Megan, she wriggles free, stepping back. "You go first. It's alright."

Psylocke has posed:
Continuing her circuit of the room, Betsy spied the people from Xavier's. She gave them a brief wave and a nod also but didn't interrupt their partying. She found herself in a small circle of people chatting about the most recent showing in Milan, though she hadn't even been there herself.

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty Pryde sees the wave from Betsy. She flashes a warm smile back to the woman, and gives her temple a little tap to draw Betsy's attention to her thoughts before sending, <Hello Betsy, glad you were able to make it out here. How is everything going? Got to bring my father,> she says, glancing towards Carmine Pryde as she thinks it.

Kitty looks back to the students. "It's always tough coming up for a gift for royalty, isn't it?" Kitty asks with a chuckle. Kitty nods to Shannon and her bag. "Shall we go over and wish her congratulations and a happy birthday?" Kitty offers. If that seems amenable to the rest she'll start walking over towards Lorna.

Rage has posed:
"Yeah, Jay isn't really a party animal. But it's cool that you two came along though." Andrea says to her two friends as she follows after Lorna with a smile on her face.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn giggles, tugging on Shannon's hand. "It's okaaay, let's go together! I think Lorna seems pretty cool even if I don't really know her, but I hope she likes her gift!" she nods to Kitty, encouraged by her words. "Alright, let's do this then!," drawing a deep breath, she approaches Lorna, although probably will be stopped by her body guards or something. "Ummm excuse me, I have a gift for Miss Lorna.. she holds out the glittery present. Even Megan can feel shy when approaching royalty.

Quicksilver has posed:
Pietro gives a nod to Magneto at the kind greeting to Karen before he looks at her himself. "So, want to dance? Or maybe get something to drink? I could interrogate Lorna on what the best food is here..." He teases her ever so softly. He notices others, like Megan Gwynn and Andrea, but right now his attention is almost fully on both Lorna and Karen.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon shakes her head to Kitty as well, taking a couple steps back. "It's alright. You go ahead. I'll wait." She holds back in the crowd, content to observe the proceedings for the moment, preferring to offer her gift on her own. She returns Magneto's smile, still sizing him up in an entirely different sort of situation, not quite sure what to make of him. But, it was good to see Lorna happy. It really was. That alone widened her smile.

But, as Megan tried to push the issue, when she had said no, she shakes her head and pulls back, tugging her hand free. "Please, I'm happy to wait."

Psylocke has posed:
A tinkling of her phone gets Betsy's attention. She glances at it then slips it back into her clutch purse. *Pardon my sudden departure. My brother needs me.* she sends to Kitty before finding a nice shadow and simply disappearing.

Power Girl has posed:
Magneto himself, the incognito heroine bows her head and offers a smile. "Thank you for having me here," she greets, "Genosha is very beautiful."

Sure enough though they moved away and Karen let out a little sigh of relief, looking to Pietro and giving a little chuckle. "Well...I think I did okay. Didn't offend any monarchs, right?" She was grinning, even as her super-human senses drifted over discussions and movement subconciously. She could hear the others, but she wasn't really processing it. Trying to keep track of that much could drive you mad!

Back to Pietro, the blonde nods her head. "A drink would be good," she nods lightly and her lips quirk into a smile, "the dancing bit? Well...we'll see. I'm not exactly an expert hand a the whole 'ball' and 'galla' thing."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie and his brother appear at the entry point with the tell tale flash of pink from one of Blink's Portals. Both men are dressed in nice suits. Sam is carrying a box the looks like it could hold a basketball. it is wrapped in green paper original yes, but Lorna does seem to like the color. He looks over to Jay and says "Welcome to Genosha little brother." He will lead him in to the party proper.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna flashed Kitty a smile as her friend led the way through the crowd of the party toward the thrones. She sat up straighter in her metal throne, "Kitty!" She didn't rise from the throne, knowing that if she did people would suddenly move. Eyes were trained on her from all about, guards, attendants and various other party guests. She was meant to be easily accessible to the public such as it was, to greet and host and be polite. Her gaze fell to the Xavier attendees that trailed after Kitty, and she reached out with both hands to accept the offered sparkly gift. "Thank you," She murmured, despite knowing she'd broken protocol by taking the gift directly, she did so regardless.

She was just about ready to open the gift when the lights went out and a chorus of surprised sounds broke out in the room at the same time powers sparked to life as the guards took up defensive positions throughout the room.

"It's alright, everyone just stay calm." Lorna raised her voice, standing up as the lights flickered back on. And in the very center of the room stood someone straight from Magneto's worst, darkest, memories and nightmares.

A Nazi SS officer, in full regalia stood there. Hat hiding his features in shadow as he grinned an evil smile, all white, impossibly pointed teeth and started to clap. "Bravo Max, bravo. What a wonderful party for your youngest spawn. It's a lovely way to say goodbye to everything you know and love. A swan song, if you will." The lights flickered and went out for a heart beat.. and the man was gone.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon frowns deeply at this display, slipping between the mysterious Nazi, and Magneto. Snapping her wings outwards to their full span, as if to shield Lorna and Magneto, she holds her ground. She might not know either very well, but this was a slap in the face of someone Cannonball had spoken of with respect, and that was enough for her.

Just as quick as that... he was gone. A soft string of oaths in a few varied languages escape her under her breath, and she glances around. "Is everyone alright?"

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty Pryde nodded understandingly to Shannon. "Ok," she agrees to her before heading over to where Lorna sits. "Happy Birthday, and congratulations," Kitty managed to get out before the lights dimmed. Kitty glances about, not too concerned about anything, until they come back on and she sees the man in the Nazi uniform.

Carmine Pryde gives a gasp, while his daughter's hands clench at the sight of the man. "Not a very funny joke," the Jewish girl mutters under her breath, before considering it might not be a joke. Someone acting that way in front of Magneto could be suicidal.

Kitty wasn't likely to do anything but be watchful, and the lights go out and and the man disappears before anything does happen then.

Icarus has posed:
A text message came through from Jay to Andrea. 'Looks like you are having fun!'

A moment later, he was stepping through the portal, adjusting his tuxedo. They'd had it made last minute, since his other suit was old and wasn't designed for his wings. This one was, allowing the red wings to be folded neatly behind him, fully exposed. "You sure this is a good idea? I mean, me meeting royalty even though I know you are on good terms with their King. Or were."

Then the lights went out. And came back on with the Nazi in the middle of the room. He frowned a bit then the lights flickered and the man was gone. "I get the feeling this ain't part of the floor show."

Rage has posed:
Stepping in front of Megan quickly in a defensive manner, Andrea throws her fists up, feeling her arms quickly goosebump as a low rumble echoes in her throat. Her eyes stare at the mysterious man as they gleam in the dark. She holds her breath, prepared to spring if necessary, then sighs out between her lips once the lights come back on. She gives a quick glance about to check the welfare of her friends, then pulls her phone out to send Jay a text in return. 'Yeah, sort of. I see you showed up. Look up.'

Lifting a hand to try and catch his attention, she keeps her lips pressed in a pensive line as she sniffs the air a few times, glancing about.

Quicksilver has posed:
"Drinks it is then."

Pietro was starting to lead Karen that way when the lights suddenly went off. "Stay calm, everyone! Stay calm." Then the lights come on aaaand look who it is: Its the fucking Nazis. Pietro narrows his eyes at the man. "Do you mind, assclown, we're trying to actually have a good day."

Pietro looks like he's ready to take this guy out at mach 3. His eyes narrowed, but then again...he probably won't have to do anything. Magneto isn't known for being kind to intruders....

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn frowns as mysterious guy appears and lights go out. Even though he is gone in a flash, Megan stays on alert, hovering protectively in front of Polaris, scanning the area, "What's going on? Just a prank or..?" is he still here?

Magneto has posed:
     The man in the SS uniform makes Magneto rise quickly and grasp nearby metal, forks and knives do nicely. "What is the meaning of this?!" His voice rings out with an authoritative boom.

  And all of a sudden the lights return and he is gone. The King lowers the utensils he had a magnetic hold of, stepping to Lorna's side. "Are you alright?" He asks, taking note of those who stepped in front of the Princess. "It is fine. For now." Seems the King has more on his mind. He excused himself back to the throne, several of the Royal Guard spoke to him in hushed tones, Magneto was ready for battle at any time.

Power Girl has posed:
As jokes go, this would be a pretty tasteless one. Sudden loss of light was one thing, but an appearing and disappearing Nazi is more than a little concerning. Not least of all for the fact he'd managed to appear and disappear in a room with a lot of mutants and a Kryptonian.

Karen steps back, not exactly keen to be showing her identity when there are others willing to move first with just as much effectiveness...but there was still a furrowed frown at the display.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Late! Late!! Absolutely intolerably, unconscionably late! Bean knows with every fiber of his being that he has kept royalty waiting, and has to exert all of his willpower to go through with this. It had taken time to just work out if he even /could/ attend, and then there was the matter of proper dress... It wouldn't do to show up dressed like a pauper to such an important event.

    And so, Sam-Bean arrives in a flash of teleportation, dressed in a tuxedo. His dress shoes shine like pools of ink, his trousers have a perfect crease sharp enough to shave with. The cummerbund, shirt and jacket are arranged just so, exposing just enough cuff. The bow tie is geometrically perfect, a kerchief displays proudly and correctly out of his breast pocket. He walks with confidence, nodding to those who catch his eye, until he has an opportunity to approach Mag-

    The lights go out. An actual, proper Nazi appears. Bean's hands curl into fists. Bull. Red flag.

    The lights return.

    Tension drains as Bean takes a deep breath and continues his progress, catching Magneto's eyes and bowing formally to the Monarch of Genosha, as is fit and proper. Then, and only then, will he mingle. Because there is protocol to be observed, dammit.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna shivered as people moved protectively about her and she stared aghast at the horror that appeared and vanished. She continued to stare in the direction the Nazi had been in, and she continued to do so, as if she were in some kind of shock or the other. She was breathing in short, panicked bursts, her green eyed gaze darting about to her father as he asked if she was alright and she swallowed the lump in the back of her throat.

It had been the same that she and Pietro and Wanda had dealt with months ago.. only now they'd //seen// the thing that had caused it all. At least, whatever or whoever it was seemed to match. She nodded, and glanced back at those around her. "It's the same. The thing with the lights.. It happened before." She mumbled weakly.

Which is when ominous laughter pealed through the room all about, dark loud as rumbling thunder. Before it too vanished into nothingness.

Nightingale has posed:
     Forget about decorum, the first concern was to make certain those closest to her were alright. Shannon clutches her brown leather bag just a little bit tighter, tucking her wings in behind her as soon as it's apparent that the Nazi is well and truly gone. She looks first to Magneto and Lorna, eyeing them critically to see how they are faring.

     That booming voice... it sent a few shivers down her spine, and she was immensely glad she was not the target! Dispensing for the moment with titles and formality, she just asks simply, "Are you both alright?" Kitty, Andrea, Megan, and those closest are graced with an equally searching look, the young mutant on high alert, tense and ready to spring into action if need be. "What about all of you? Everyone okay?" So far, it didn't seem as if anyone was hurt, but the night was still young....

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie had moved Lorna's gift to one hand, and yes the young man had been ready to chuck it at the nazi. Sam had kicked in his field and lifted up a foot or so off the ground. The young man lands back to the ground as the man is gone. his eyes scan the room taking in everyone, brow raising a bit upon seeing Karen, but he continues scanning the room. He will motion Jay and Sam to follow him, moving to get into line to see the heir. He keeps his eyes open scanning, if he catches Magneto's eye he will nod to the man.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn shivers at the laughter and other creepy noises but holds her ground, clenching her fists. "Everyone seems alright but, I don't think the danger has passed.." glancing at Lorna she blinks, "Your highness? Have you experienced this before?" she peers around, focusing on Kitty as her direct superior, not having  spied a Sam yet. "Kitty? What should we do?"

Magneto has posed:
     Samuel's now received a nod from the monarch as he conversed with the Genoshan Royal Guard. Shannon's approach had been intercepted from one or two of the guard, but they are quickly waved off from Magneto himself. "Yes, I am fine. Though whomever thought it was a good idea to do this on my daughter's big day...will see very soon that it was not."

  Magneto's eyes did indeed catch glimpse of Sam Guthrie, the young man garnering a swift nod from the monarch.

Quicksilver has posed:
Pietro stared forward as he hears ominous laughter. "Okay, I've run out of patience." Pietro cracks his neck and takes a step forward, looking around to see if there was anybody else in Nazi regalia, or just the clear fan of crappy bram stoker horror films. His eyes narrow. How was he doing this? Is he a ghost or something?

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty Pryde reaches over to Megan, hand gentle on her shoulder as she says, "For now, let's just keep our eyes open. The person might be gone entirely." Kitty is scanning the crowd though, obviously looking for anyone that might be the one responsible. "We're ok Shannon, I don't think anyone was harmed," Kitty says. "But let's stay near to Lorna and Erik in case they need us," she suggests.

Kitty's gaze goes from face to face. Paying less attention to the faces than to the eyes, hoping to spot in them the hatred that she was able to see from the man. "If this is that crazy bitch, Mystique's idea of a joke," Kitty grumbles, quietly enough that probably only those that are the closest to her will pick it up. Or that have super hearing.

Rage has posed:
"I'm good." Andrea says as she sniffs the air a few more times. "I could shift and use my heightened senses but I'm wearing a ten thousand dollar dress and I'd hate to tear it apart." She says as she continues to wheel about, holding her fists upwards as she squints her eyes to stare through the distances. "Maybe a telepath was able to get something off him, determine if it's an illusion or real."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    When in doubt, follow the leader and follow orders. And there is much doubt at the moment. But with Sam having clearly indicated that he should follow, Bean falls in like a good soldier. By now, however, his every sense is straining, to pick up anything anomalous, figuring that with everything he knows about Genosha, they are unlikely to have invited an SS officer to so important an event. And that means there's danger here.... and all danger can be fought.

    Even as he joins the line, Bean is making a mental map of the area he can see, noting bolt holes, sight lines, shadows, dead spots... in the back of his mind, he's already thinking of this room as a battlefield. Still, he was acknowledged by a monarch! Score one for the Bean.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon bows to Magneto, offering a bit of a smile. "She's fortunate to have a father who cares as much as you do. A very kind soul, herself." At Kitty's suggestion, she stays close, keeping an eye on the guards as well as Lorna, Magneto, and the contingent from Xavier's.

But nobody said it had to be on the ground.

With strong downsweeps of her wings, she takes to the air, as high as the ceiling will allow, to keep a better eye on the guests below, and watch for any further interruptions to the proceedings. She was immensely glad she had kept modesty in mind with this dress--inside, as well as out!

Icarus has posed:
Jay followed his brother. He's keeping an eye but unlike many in the room, he's never trained for this. The worst he's dealt with were bears in the woods back home sometimes. And that one time he went with Sam to save a friend of his but that was a long time ago.

Course, there was that incident a few months ago. That hadn't worked out so well for him. The creepy laughter had him on edge after the original incident. He rustled his wings behind him, slightly agitated, then forced the down even as he saw Shannon take to the air.

He had nothing in his hands to give for a gift though he did have an idea, since Sam had brought a box. He wasn't sure if it would be appropriate though. He glanced back to the Xavier's group, giving a nod, then focused on the monarchs they were approaching.

Magneto has posed:
     Magneto conferred with the Royal Guard. "No sign of anyone, sir." One comments to Magneto. "Very well, everyone be on high alert." The guests that were allowed this close to Magneto and the Royal Family were vetted at least, it was not an easy thing to crash this party.

  "Everyone, please. Everything is well under control." He commented, trying to reassure the crowd. "Thank you, young lady." He bade Shannon, before the guards had given him space. Once that happened and Shannon was up in the air, he sat back down, encouraging others to continue to have fun, if they could.

Rage has posed:
Dropping her fists, Andrea forces herself to relax, even if the wolf in her chest is rumbling away and nagging at the back of her mind. She spills out a breath, then starts for the pair of Guthrie's as she lofts up a smile. "Jay! You made it." She calls out to the red winged teenager as she lifts up a smile to him. "You look great. I love your suit." She forces the nervous energy out of her force, once more becoming the professional when out in public. No nerves here!

Triage has posed:
In the process of filing past security into the room, Chris had become separate from his colleagues and friends from the school. After the brief appearance of the Nazi soldier, Chris, like most in the room, shifts for a better view. When he spots familiar faces toward the front of the room, he begins to weave slowly through the crowd toward them. When he sees Shannon soaring to the ceiling, he nods to her. Clutching his own black leather satchel, he continues to move toward the group in case he, too, should be of service.

Polaris has posed:
Sharpened senses, magnetic powers, and magic had all failed before to track where this thing had come from when it had left haunting messages some months prior. Now they did nothing either. It was as if the haunting laughter came from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It slowly faded and the lights flickered once more, but nothing seemingly appeared, at least not at first.

Lorna looked about nervously, edging toward the tiny throne a step down from her father's wrapping her arms around her middle as she glanced at the various members of the X-men that were present and exhaled a nervous breath. She sat back down as her father did so, still paler than usual and looking shaken.

She waved forward an attendant, and they passed her another gift at seeming random. She checked the tag, but found no name, and her eyebrows furrowed sharply as she peeled back the wrapping paper and shrieked, dropping the box as it became quickly apparent that the box (which had been in the previously vetted presents) was not a gift at all. But rather a macabre spectacle of blood and gore. Parts of mutants had been shoved into the cardboard box that was now leaking blood and fluids all over the floor where it had fallen to the floor.

Well and truly distraught now, Lorna was left staring in horror and shuddering as she pressed her hands against her mouth and made to try to flee from the room, looking as if she was about to be sick.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon smiles faintly, glancing down towards the ground. "Shannon, your Majesty. Or Nightingale, if you prefer." But then.. the sight of the box and its macabre contents has her going pale, and clenching her fists. A few soft oaths escape her, her brows furrowing as she hovers in the air.

How could anybody so sick and twisted, as to do something like this?

She tries to catch Chris' eye, and nods towards Lorna. Time to talk later. There were more pressing concerns.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie at Lorna's shock Sam's gift is dropped. He will call out "Icarus listen to Rage." He is jetting towards Lona even before he knows what is in the box. He scoops her up, moving her from the throne, and box. Sam holds her close to make sure his shield is around her. Expecting if it is a bomb it would be directed mostly at Lorna, and he plans on protecting her, hovering and looking a bit surprised there was no boom.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Nerves rise as Bean gets closer to the front of the line. Amid the opulence, the grandeur, the gift in his coat pocket seems like such an insignificant thing. Yes, he'd spent days on it, but it was still limited, diminished, a product of the best he had available and the best he could do. It cannot compete with great gifts of state.

    But it seems it can compete with whatever gift Lorna has just been given. He notices the contents. Notices her reaction.

    He suddenly has an idea what is being intended.

    Divide et impera. The classic stratagem.

    In a flash, he picks the cheap bluetooth headset out of his other pocket and slips it into his ear, pairing it up with his phone, and his phone with the others on the 'priority' call list. Soon enough his voice can be heard over the phones of the Xavier's in attendance. "We're being watched. Suspect they intend to divide the party and pick off targets of opportunity. Stay close, stay in contact with someone." Yup, he's on high alert now...

Rage has posed:
The sharp nose of Andrea gives a few sniffs and the scent of blood hits her nostrils moments after Lorna opens the package. At the sight of the gore, she steps forward and closer to Jay, reaching out to take him by the hand and pulls him close. She gives a nod of her head to Cannonball. "Yes, sir." She says, now quickly dropping her celebrity persona and shifting into 'good soldier'. "Jay, just stick with me and keep your head on a swivel. Fly up five feet straight upwards so that you can get an aerial view over the heads of the other guests, but don't go too high that you become a target." She reaches up, taking her earrings out. "I just know I'm gonna fuck this dress up."

Icarus has posed:
Jay is smiling as Andrea approaches. "I was hoping to surprise you but seems there are too many surprises going on right now. For what it's worth, you look amazing."

And the room is filled with the sound of Lorna screaming and suddenly Sam was blasting away from his side and yelling orders. Seemed Andrea was in charge of the new guy at school. At least for the moment. He frowned as his wings half unfurled, prepared to take to the air if he needed to.

Then his phone went off and he pulled it out, looking at it then at Samuel. "How'd you even get my number? Nevermind. I don't wanna know."

As Andrea took his hand, he focused back on her then gave a nod. Strong downsweeps of his wings took him up the five feet she had instructed then plied the air to keep him at that level.

Magneto has posed:
     Magneto watched from behind Lorna's throne, as she ran away, he got up and inspected the box, staring at it, not horrified, but it was very serious.

  Magneto's shoes clapped on the platform to follow Lorna as she ran, this was stuff he'd seen before, in real life and in his nightmares. He could at least be there for his daughter as she was forced to experience this as well.

Triage has posed:
Radios are not the only effective means of communication. When Shannon rises far from the floor and Chris sees her nod toward Lorna, he does not need more to understand her intention. He nods in return and begins to move more quickly and purposefully, pardoning himself on his way toward the heart of this place. He clutches the strap of his satchel more tightly. When Sam swoops toward the throne to assist Lorna, Chris raises a hand just high enough to signal that he is heading forward. Even while he moves, he continues to track Sam.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon hears her phone going off in her little brown bag, and takes out her own bluetooth headset and slips it on. "Nightingale here, Techno. Eyes in the sky, flying high. Copy that, keep your head on a swivel and keep your ears on." Not the most ideal setup, but at least it was functional. And oh, was she ever glad for a plan with unlimited talk time on her phone! "Sound off, who else has their ears on?"

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty is keeping an eye out, still studying the crowd, when Lorna shrieks at the contents of the box. Kitty whirls and looks around for signs of danger. "Dad, maybe you should head back home? I'll come by after?" she says to her father.

Carmine Pryde nods to his daughter and slowly makes his way out of the room. Kitty's eyes follow him, a little worried about not being with him, but figuring the palace seems like the most dangerous area at the moment.

Kitty turns back, looking for the best way to help. Seeing Andrea obviously wanting to transform, Kitty goes over to her. "I'll hold your dress, phased to cover you. Go ahead and change then and you won't ruin it," Kitty offers.

If that works for Andrea, Kitty gently takes hold of the garment, holding it up. To anyone observing there'd be nothing to see, just the dress hanging there, as opaque as ever. Unless Andrea moved enough a part of her passed through the dress.

Polaris has posed:
Nothing happened further, no explosions, or shots fired. It was quiet save for the mass of party guests that were quickly clearing out of the throne room in horror at the gore and screams that had followed. The Genoshan guards were quick to move and covered the exits, checking and double checking the guests. But not an alarm stirred or was broken, nothing tripped. And Lorna was left shaking and pale, looking like she was barely holding on from having a complete break down in the middle of floor. Even as people surrounded her in a protective circle and her father stepped down from the royal platform toward her too. Lorna felt tears spring to her eyes as she looked at her father, her hand still clamped over her lips as she stood there shaking.

The typically composed, brave, and headstrong Princess was no where to be seen, the sight of the SS officer seemed to have frightened her to her bones and she hadn't recovered. The lights flickered again, and the booming voice echoed through the hall once more.


"You can't fight your nightmares, your memories. You can't fight yourself, Max. I found you in the Ghetto when you tried to smuggle food. I found you in the camps when you were captured. And I chased you through the woods when you tried to run. I will always find you Max. I will always be here to finish the job, to finish off you and everyone you hold close." The voice echoed down the hall and all about, and the lights flickered again, as the voice faded out of existence.

Rage has posed:
Giving a nod of her head, Andrea waits for Kitty to grab ahold of her dress, then steps forward when she feels the tingle of the fabric phasing. As she steps free, she's in a tight pair of spandex workout shorts and a matching sports bra beneath it. "Thanks, Kitty."

From there, the young popstarlet New Mutant takes on the painful task of LOUD bones snapping and cracking as her body jolts, wracks, and then juts upwards into a large eight foot horror monster with thick black fur and razor sharp curved claws.

TMZ would have a field day with this.

Once she completes the change, she lets out a loud rumbling in her throat, then /sniffs/ the air heavily as her ears prick upwards like tiny radars. She brings in all the sharp, wild senses of the wolf to her. She's now a tracker.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn gasps in horror at the sight of Lorna's horrific gift, dropping her own gift in total shock. "That's..." too horrible for words. Heart pounding rapidly as she tries to keep calm, Megan's eyes narrow, peering about, lifting off her feet to hover around the periphery, looking for anything out of place. ..

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Rolling shoulders, Bean joins the protective cordon, roaming on the periphery, checking angles, keeping an eye everywhere, including up. This is the worst part of any ambush... the knowledge that you're going to be attacked, but can't yet tell from where. Nothing to do but wait for the other shoe to drop, using every sense at your disposal.

    Those lights shouldn't be flickering...

    "Bullshit!" he finally calls out, out loud, all emotion erased from his face. "Your past doesn't define you. What makes a person is their actions, their aspirations and the things they stand for. You stand for evil, you enjoy suffering and you try to anchor yourself to the suffering of others, all to justify the semi-intellectual bullshit manifesto of a creed of pure hatred. I know your kind, and I'm not afraid of you!"

    Now his voice gets louder, angrier. "I got away from people like you. And here I stand, against you, between you and those you would hurt. Bring it, because I. Will. Not. Move!"

Icarus has posed:
"Is it just me or is this thing not only an ass but a coward by not showing itself? Anyone can be a troll, hiding behind anonymity." Jay is more talking to talk but hopes the thing can hear him. Whatever it is.

He glances down as Andrea transforms, his first time seeing this form. Unlike she seemed to have feared, it didn't horrify him. In fact, it was pretty impressive.

Triage has posed:
Like many others, Chris reaches into a pocket and presses a small Bluetooth earpiece into his ear. He presses the button to wake it. While he waits for the beep, he scans the area, looking for Bean and waiting for Bean to look in his direction. Throughout the process, Chris continues to move closer to the eye of this storm. He hears the sharp cracking of bone and glances toward the sound in time to witness the end of Andrea's transformation. Seeing Kitty near the enormous wolf, he nods. Still, he advances toward the dais. "Triage here," he reports.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie keeps Lorna held close, hovering just off the ground with her. "Your safe Lorna, none can hurt you while Ah have you." He tells her, and looks over towards Magneto, and says "Ah will keep her safe sir." he knows Lorna can take care of self, but she is off her game in shock right now. He will scan the room, and seeing the phones come out he will bring his own bluetooth to his ear with the arm not around Lorna, and asks "Techno, can you tell how they are controlling the lights, is that vocal coming over electronic means?

Magneto has posed:
     Magneto's teeth gritted as he heard that speech, and that voice again. Pieces of metal from all around the hall started to levitate and point outward.

  Right before the voice fades, the king turned sharply and sent the metal flying out, crashing windows and the decor of the room. The very hall the party was gathered in shook with the magnetic energy, and even electronics start to falter in the release of this power.

  A haunting growl echoed in the hall, but it was from the King himself. "ICH bin es, was du willst, Hitzig! Stell dich mir, du Feigling!" That same booming and commanding voice echoes through he hall with the fervor of a thousand angry warriors.

  He ripped off his coat, leaving himself in his white dress shirt and slacks, the crown he wore was removed and floated nearby. Replaced all of a sudden with the helmet that was his signature, he controlled more metal to craft it on the fly, turning that metal into liquid and forming around his head as it hardened.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon can't help a grim smile of pride as she hears Techno's tirade against the tyranny of terror that had been imposed upon everyone in the room. Yes! The same thing she'd tried to tell him had -finally- gotten through to him! Her own voice rings out next, challenging the coward who could only whisper from the shadows.

"/None/ of us will move. So you want to try that again, coward? Do you have the courage to show yourself?"

Another voice sounds in her headset, and she glances around the room, scanning everyone below quickly. "I read you, Triage. Hope we won't be needed."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn shivers as she hears Magneto's voice booming around the area, having never witnessed his anger first hand. She listens in on conversation in the headset, nodding to Samuel and hovering near him and Lorna, "Shall I teleport her to safety?" she offers, although right now she may feel safer amongst allies.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "That's a negative, Cannonball. If it was electronic, I'd have shut it down by now. Suspect it's illusionary. Power output has been stable the entire time." Bean reports, keeping his voice level. The magnetic pulse suddenly all around? Unexpected.

    It's like Bean has been punched hard, reeling back for a moment as his connection with the devices around resets, trying to seek those that might have been damaged. It is, in short, unpleasant. Nosebleed time unpleasant. But it doesn't stop him from staying on the cordon. There's a hole in his jacket where, a few moments before, a chromed metal ring had been seated in a delicately folded origami flower. Flung away in the heat of Magneto's fury. Ah well...

    "Schau dir mal. Da sind manch und manch der mit uns stehen. Also kommt dann, lösen wir es wie Männer!"

Polaris has posed:
There was no scent to trace, nothing above the scents of blood, fear, and iron that covered the room. The hall had cleared out of guests by this time, and so no one besides those combatants, and guards remained. "We've got nothing on the scanners, sir! Nothing has tripped our alarms. We're trying to get a lock using the telepaths, but we're having a hard time pin-pointing anything for sure." A guardsman called out.

The lights flickered again and instantly, in the center of the room returned the image of the polished Nazi officer, standing unruffled and upright in Magneto's shadow. Just behind the enraged ruler. He tsked, and there was once more that too wide grin, filled with impossibly sharp teeth. "Come now Max, it's rude to speak like that in front of your guests."

Lorna was still frozen in shock, staring at the nightmare that had ruined her coronation and birthday party, marred the memories that had been so pleasant and new. At least where she was concerned, her own magnetic bubble was unaffected by her father's rage. Her own polarity the opposite, and the metal directly around her remained untouched and undisturbed. And Sam's by extension.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon hovers right above Magneto and Lorna, high enough to be just out of the way but close enough that, if one is immediately below her, they can feel the wind from the beating of her wings. Her German isn't perfect, but she thinks through a translation and looks right at the Nazi officer, her voice deadly low and quiet. "Sie haben keinen Platz zum Reden, Feigling."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie mutters as he does not speak German. and as the Nazi appears again he starts looking around the room, he lets the others center on the Nazi's the man continues to scan around. The appearing and disappearing man maybe a distraction, and if not Sam trusts the others to handle it. If it is, he wants to find what they are being distracted from.

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty Pryde takes Andrea's dress, carefully folding it over an arm and moving over to one of the attendants. "Put that aside for Miss Jackson, would you?" she asks them. Kitty moves back over, going to stand by the younger students as they are looking around for any signs of trouble.

And then trouble returns. Kitty moves towards the man, though slowly to not get in the way of any of the guards. Close enough to be able to help, but realizing they will be trained to deal with things like this.

Magneto has posed:
     Magneto turned sharply again, his hands spread open on either side of himself.

  What metal was stuck in the walls and the floor were extracted, and in a split second, shaped into spears, all sent towards the SS officer in front of him. A thousand slivers of metal sent in that direction, ready to turn Hitzig into a pincushion. The immense power of Magneto's anger all focused at one man. "Stirb, Schwein!"

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    There are times when Bean is immensely proud of his team mates. This is one of those times. He notices Cannonball scan for threats when the officer re-appears, and does the same, quartering and re-scanning every part of the room. He's by now utterly convinced that this apparition isn't here. It's of course not easy to tell, considering Hitzig isn't wearing any obvious technology on him that he might be able to pinpoint, but call it paranoia. "If you still have ears on, keep an eye away from the obvious target. Whatever's going to happen is going to happen soon."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn keeps on point, hovering just above and in front of Samuel and Lorna, scanning the other side of the room as Shannon covers the whole their side. Suddenly the Nazi appears near Magneto and she spins around to watch him but it looks like Magneto's got this covered. Instead Megan continues to scan the area for additional signs of trouble, scratching her head at all the unfamiliar German being thrown around. She nods to Bean and does just that, scanning every nook and cranny for a blitz attack. "Area seems clear otherwise.." she murmurs into her comm, trying to figure out why a lone soldier would pop in with taunts. "Feels like a trap though.."

Cypher has posed:
A quiet voice from the back of the room speaks up. "Siehst du? Alle Faschisten sind Sadisten. Sie sind den ganzen Weg gekommen und haben sich die Mühe gemacht, eine Geburtstagsfeier zu ruinieren?" Doug was late -- he's a busy man. It's a long flight. He sets down a plastic case at the far door of the room, and steps to the side, out of the doorway and away from any flechettes.

"I'm sorry I'm late." He rubs his chin, studying the intruder, taking in his pattern, the sum totality of him. "Kinder verspotten, nicht erwachsene Männer."

Nightingale has posed:
     "Copy that, Techno. Someone keep a bead on things up front here." Nodding once to those below her, Nightingale begins a slow circuit around the room, clockwise, checking every corner, every nook and cranny, and keeping an eye on the shadows. Triage was closer to the eye of the storm, he'd be able to help if things went pear-shaped. For now, observation was the watchword.

Rage has posed:
Being that she doesn't speak German, or even English in this form, Rage narrows her eyes at the Nazi that appears from behind Magneto. She lurches forward, jaws gaping as she takes in a deep breath of the air, ears twisting forward. ~He has no scent. He is not real! Illusion!~ She howls out in her feral tongue as her war form continues forward a few more paces. Doug may be able to translate for her to the rest of the team. Surely he can speak Werewolf.

Polaris has posed:
The shocking thing perhaps was the amount of blood that burst from the Nazi as Magneto more or less impaled the officer upon half a ton of metal and scraps. The the man however, only stood there laughing, part of his body in a tangled mess of limbs and bones and gore. He laughed, and laughed, but it wasn't coming from the damaged mouth. It was coming from all around them.

Slowly, tiny little red slithers of some kid stretched and knit the man back together, his arm replaced by a long red whip like vine covered in spikes. And his eyes seemed to glow with a hellish, ruddy light.

"I am part of you Max, you can no more destroy me than you can your memories or your nightmares. So long as you live, I will be here, haunting you." He laughed again, and with a horrible crunching noise, broke into a thousand tiny pieces and disintegrated to the floor. The lights flickered on and off once more... and he was gone.

Triage has posed:
Finally close enough to avoid tech that might betray them, Chris calls to Sam a simple question. "Any injuries?" He glances around the area once. He steps forward, tosses his satchel to the floor, and crouches into a stance for martial combat. When the spears begin to hit, drawing great quantities of blood, Chris focuses on the apparition, straining to see any trace of actual life in the image.

Nightingale has posed:
     "uneheliches Kind der Hölle..." Shannon mutters, though her headset was on and transmitting. Her eyes widen at the sight of the Nazi disintegrating, and the truly hellish red light from those eyes. Just who or what was that thing? She rejoins the group at the area near the thrones, hovering protectively in the air. "Everyone okay?"

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Focus. If that thing is an illusion, whoever is projecting the illusion is still around." Bean counsels, eyes everywhere now. And his next callout is out loud, for the benefit of his team mates and the royal guard.

    "Target remains! Check your sectors."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie keeps Lorna safe. He maybe wrong but he thinks she maybe the real target. For now the young man keeps watch silent and stoic, looking for issues and watching how his students are doing.

Magneto has posed:
     Max, the name he shed after Auschwitz was haunting him yet again. "Stay in hell where you belong, human stain." He said to the ghoulish figure.

  Once the SS officer had disappeared, Magneto's visage covered in blood, turning the silver helmet a blood red color, dripping on his face, his blue eyes pierced from under the cover.

  "Cannonball, take the princess back to the mansion. The Royal Palace is not safe. And I will not rest until it is." He commands, even without meaning to. The long spears of metal rise from their sticking points, resting stacked next to the throne. The blood that drenched Magneto was gone, but yet it still made its mark on him.

Nightingale has posed:
     With the danger apparently past, the young winged mutant comes to rest on the ground near Lorna, backwinging to a somewhat graceful landing. She smiles warmly to her, pulling the green-wrapped package from her brown leather bag and placing it nearby. Perhaps it would lift her spirits later.

     She turns next to Magneto himself, taking a single step in his direction. "Your Majesty... you're not injured, are you?" Her voice bears notes of concern, and she cants her head as she looks at him with a searching gaze, checking for any outward signs of harm.

Cypher has posed:
"Whatever that thing is, it is here -- somewhere." Doug says, "In the palace." He walks up and looks down at the gory present, and then up. "It's some kind of phantom, moving in and out of being 'real' as we would experience it. Like a poltergeist, or some kind of spectre."

He crosses his arms. "Evacuate the palace. There are too many people here, too much information to process, I'm having a hard time picking up on the pattern in order to find it. It's like trying to pick up on a tone through the noise of a nest of angry bees." Then he gives Lorna an apologetic look. "I brought you a present." He says, pointing to the case. "...It's a kugel from New York City. Refrigerated case... it was a long flight."

"You didn't tell me your brother grew wings, Sam."

Polaris has posed:
With the seemingly 'final' vanishing of the Nazi, at least for now anyways, Lorna shifted in Sam's grip. Under her father's words her shock and trembling seemed to finally break and she tried to struggle from the protective grip holding her back safe from all the chaos. "Father, father, no. Please." She was still pale, still not thinking clearly. Her fear had made her freeze in shock and horror, but she continued to shiver as if she'd run a mile.

If she managed to free herself at all, she'd rush over to her father's side, trying to reach out a hand toward him. If not, she'd simply stretch out her powers to thread through his own. Either way, it was clear that she desperately wanted her father, and needed assurances that he was alright. Even if she clearly wasn't mentally so either.

Shaken, her gaze swung toward Doug as he mentioned his gift to her and she released a strangled laugh. "Thank you Doug."

Rage has posed:
Once the danger appears to be gone, Rage makes her way back over to her dress and shifts down with the loud snapping of bones. With some help, she steps back into her Bellatore masterpiece, then wiggles her feet once more into her heels. She ties her hair up and behind her again with a soft sigh, looking rather annoyed and frustrated.

"Jay?" She calls out, looking for the red winged mutant as her eyes glance about.

Triage has posed:
"We should check the box," Chris urges. "It might offer clues." For the moment, however, his attention, like Shannon's, is on Magneto and Lorna. "Your majesty, your highness, if anyone here suffered injuries, including yourselves, we should help them."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie will not let her go, but Sam does move close to Magneto, and says "We are heading back to the mansion, but he is ok. He will tell her "Take a moment and we are heading back." He will telll her. He keeps the shield up, and extends it over Magneto for a moment to give the two a moment, hand on both shoulders, but trying to give them a moment.

Icarus has posed:
As instructed by the one he was told to listen to, Jay lands. He had remained airborne at the same level for the entire episode. Not that it had mattered. He had seen nothing that would help.

His landing was easy, feet touching the floor and wings still spread behind him. He landed right beside Andrea, a wing starting to go around her then pausing and fluttering back behind him to fold with the other one. "You okay?"

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    There are orders, and Bean will follow them. Reunion or not, people relaxing or not, Bean remains alert and on guard, a rubber-gripped cylinder in his hand, although the baton is still folded. Anyone trying to get to the royals is going to have to go through him, and he's already mentally planning the route back, accessing maps of the area through his cheap phone without even once glancing at the screen.

    It had to be Nazis...

Magneto has posed:
     Magneto rolled his sleeves, just above his elbows. He stepped with conviction and brings the crown back to him, resting on his helmet, which is removed and floating next to him. "I am unharmed." He commented plainly to Shannon, a little too early for smiling though.

  Lorna is grabbed as she runs towards him, holding her as a father would a child who just had a nightmare. But it was no nightmare of hers. It was one of his.

  "I am fine...do not worry. I...have dealt with this kind of horror." He said softly, of course, there was much of Magneto's life that even his own children didn't know about, his life as a nazi hunter had only been mentioned in passing, and none of his life in the camp as a Sonderkommando. "This night, Liebchen, go back to the mansion and rest. You can come back tomorrow, but please do not stay here tonight." If anything happened to her...he would let it out on the world.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna wrapped her arms around her father as he held her, tightly holding onto him as if afraid to let go. Her father for all his faults and flaws, had always made the tough calls when it came to his youngest' safety. He had given up the chance to know her, to raise her for over twenty years of her life. Now, at a time that was meant to be a celebration, where he claimed her as his heir for the world to see.. His nightmares of losing everything he'd built and loved, once more returned to the forefront of their lives.

She didn't care about the splattered stains of blood that came off onto her dress as a result, she didn't even think of it. Rather she simply held onto her father seeking comfort, even as the shakes from her heart stopping fear were slow to subside. Never in her wildest nightmares would she have imagined a Nazi officer from her father's past crashing her birthday and ruining everything.

"I don't want you to have to face this alone." She mumbled, but pulled back none the less to turn her gaze up to her father, she squared her jaw, trying to not let her voice catch in pitch. Now wasn't the time to express her fears on her father facing whatever this thing was. Though Doug's assessment sounded right.

"Please promise me you won't send the guards away, that you'll let them help you and I'll go back." She murmured, glancing back to Sam at her side.

Rage has posed:
As she steps towards Icarus, Andrea gives a nod of her head. "I am fine, yes. Just not happy with the current situation. Just couldn't have one night where we could be normal and happy." She sighs as she rubs at her shoulder, then reaches out to take him by the hand. "You can put your wing around me." She assures him softly. "If you want to. Are you okay?"

Looking over towards the rest of her friends and classmates, she gauges their emotions, then looks back to the red winged teenager.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn frowns, having completed her scan and lands next to Shannon, peering at the others curiously. "What the heck was that, a taunt or a warning? What was the point? Geez.." she grits her teeth in frustration at this compelling puzzle, but is at least relieved no one is hurt.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Given his marching orders, Bean trots off at the double to secure the route back, eyes scanning every shadow and interrogating every innocent seeming unknown object that comes even close to projected route. Emotions can come later. Now there's the job.

    By the smaller throne, dinged and scuffed, a handmade chrome signet ring lays forgotten...

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon shrugs as she looks towards Megan, glancing around the room, assessing each teammate for any visual sign of injury. She almost held her breath as she did so, knowing that she'd not be able to breathe easy until she saw everyone was in one piece. "I don't know, Megan. Let's just check everyone over... and try not to sneeze, okay?" She smiles faintly at the other girl, but then looks where Bean is going off to. Then she looks to the box of body parts, doing her best not to flinch; however, her color pales as she confronts the sight directly. "Perhaps these could be investigated further, and then given proper rest?"

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks to the group, and says "Ok guys and gals, we heading back to Xaviers, volunters for who wants to help. We will have the mansion on alert, and I want Blink ready with communication so we can get back and forth as needed, but full scans on arrival at the mansion. He looks to Magneto, and says "No one threatens our friends." He seems to at least right now count Magneto as such.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn cringes at the sight of bloody body parts and what not, nodding wordlessly to Shannon and taking a step away from her and the others as she feels another sneeze coming. "Like I said, Sam. If you need some teleporting, I'm still happy to help, and to investigate this tooo.." as long as she doesn't have to handle icky body parts. Phew.

Magneto has posed:
     Magneto nodded to Lorna. "They will be with me the entire night. They will want to know who is threatening me too." He was right, the Royal Guard were comprised of Magneto's most faithful acolytes, the ones who were Magneto's elite. All of them would lay their lives on the line for him and the royal family.

  "Whoever is doing this wants to unhinge me." In all regards, he was a man who was extremely powerful, but he had a great mind, he just needed to stay focused on this incident. "Have the organs checked, I will want to notify their next of kin, personally." He offered, looking to the rest of the gathered mutants. "I assume the young ones are yours?" Sam had mentioned to Magneto that he was teaching some youth at Xavier's.

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty returns from having checked some of the surrounding rooms for signs of anything out of the ordinary, slipping quietly through a wall and returning. She moves over to the group, shaking her head and frowning. She's wearing pearls today rather than her Star of David necklace. Her hand keeps straying to the beautiful jewelry, searching for the pendant that isn't there.

Kitty walks over to Magneto, giving him a nod. "Erik. I'll let Charles know. I'm sure he'll want to help if he's able," she offers quietly.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "We're clear at the moment. No threats." Bean's voice sounds just like it did at the start of this crisis, not a hint of emotion or stress. His bowtie hasn't even been knocked out of its perfect alignment...

Cypher has posed:
"...And I was really looking forward to getting a slice of that kugel." Doug says, before he straightens up. "This is what happens when you're late -- you don't get any cake."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon steps back a little, seeing the matter of the box was well in hand. Her brows quirk and there's a faint smile curling her lips upwards, as she looks over at the monarch and his youngest. "We've really got to stop meeting like this, your Majesty. Perhaps one day under better circumstances?" Rejoining Cannonball and the others from Xavier's, she glances around at them all. At least none of their number had come to harm. She wished she could say the same for those whose remains were part of the grisly contents of that box.

Triage has posed:
Chris steps forward and bows to Magneto. "Thank you, your majesty," he answers with a glance to the box and its gristly contents. "I'll see to them personally, and with assistance from your government in tracking the DNA, we should have a full list for you soon." He might not have been able to help with the threat, but this might be useful in the long term. He straightens and steps aside to retrieve his satchel. He quickly unpacks most of its contents, and then gathers the evidence carefully, packing each item into a sterile plastic bag. Finally, he loads the bags into his satchel.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie nods to Magneto, and says "Yea, they are my students, and luckily aint had to ground many of them." He says with a smile. He will look to the man "Anything else you need er.. he remembers where they are "Your Majesty?"

Icarus has posed:
As everyone starts to scatter, Jay steps closer to Andrea. "Can I see you home?" He wraps a wing partway around her as he had started to do a moment ago. "I want you close so you can protect me if anything attacks."

Rage has posed:
Giving him an amused look, Andrea steps in closer so that she can let his wing wrap about her. "You are being a goof." She laughs as she rolls her eyes upwards. "But yes, you can see me home. Thank you." She says as she makes her way to the glowing portal that opens up that will lead them back home to the mansion.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    When the portal appears, Bean stands guard as people go through. He already promised himself to be the last one through, only after everyone else is safe. Then he can do something about that nosebleed... and maybe have a few aspirin.

Cypher has posed:
Doug facepalms. "With all due respect, sir. I'm not going to call you 'Majesty', but I am going to help you put a stop to... whatever this is. If this... thing is going to play stupid reality tricks, then I'm exactly the Mutant you need right now." Figures. Doug's in a tropical paradise, and he's refusing to even think about a vacation.

Magneto has posed:
     Magneto nodded to Shannon. "I believe we met in the midst of a battle last time." He offered, plainly, his body was still surging with adrenaline.

  Only some of them? You haven't caught them then. But they seem a decent lot." Magneto offers, but then again, Sam and his cohorts were quite the hellraisers as kids.

  He looks to the rest of the group. "No, Cannonball, I think we have enough of a hurdle ahead of us. Best to rest while we can."

  Magneto takes his helmet and crown, and walks to his throne, catching a glimpse of something at the smaller one. He reaches out, levitating it in front of him, a ring, glinted in the light.

Triage has posed:
Remembering Megan's reaction to the box and its contents, Chris carefully positions his satchel so that she will not see it while the group prepares to step through the portal. While he waits, he inclines his head to Megan. "Any advice for a first-timer?" he asks, gesturing to the portal.

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty Pryde moves over to the portal, rimmed in purple swirling energies. She pauses by Samuel and looks over at him. "It never seems easy," she tells him, patting the younger man on the shoulder briefly. "Everyone ready?" she asks. Kitty pulls out her phone and sends off a text. It doesn't take long for her to get a reply. "Dad got back home safely," she says, before putting the phone away.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods slowly. "Only from afar." She pauses, smiling a little bit. "Thank you for giving that young man rest. It was... hard, closing his eyes." She stays back a few moments longer, towards the rear of the group, to ensure they all got out safely first, and no further help was needed.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie nods, and will lead those that are heading home and makes sure Lorna is safe, and secure. He will do a double check seeing who is staying who is home and all such goo.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Bean nods to Kitty, in understanding, and stays rigidly on guard as people file through the portal. He catches Magneto finding his ring from the corners of his eyes, but continues his vigil rather than make comment. It was just a thing, after all...

Magneto has posed:
     Magneto looks over the ring, only assuming it was collateral damage from his rage. "Beautiful." He comments, the signet was indeed gorgeous, the Genoshan crest and the Xavier's symbol.

  He floated the ring to rest on the arm of Lorna's throne, it was obvious it was a present meant for her. Those who chose to stay, are allowed, given room and board in the palace, under royal guard protection for peace of mind of course.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon sighs a little bit, wishing for the moment she could stay. It was a beautiful place, one she wished she could explore and get to know better. She takes one more look about, then back to Cannonball.

She had her orders, same as the rest. Maybe one day she'd be back. Maybe.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    With everyone else through the portal, Bean gives one last formal bow to Magneto. "Your Highness." Then, as protocol demands, he steps /backwards/ through the portal, never turning his back on the monarch.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn bows respectfully to Lorna and Magneto before making sure everyone else is through the portal. "Your majesties, it was a pleasure and honour to meet you both. Hopefully we can meet again under better circumstances."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie will come back to check on things. He made sure everyone was safe and sound, and now wants to see what has been found. He comes looking for Doug.

Cypher has posed:
Doug is standing in the midst of the carnage, with his arms crossed, expression inquisitive. He is... looking around. Watching. And now that nobody is around, he allows his shoulders to slump and takes a moment to look profoundly tired.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie will walk over to Doug and put a hand on his friend's shoulder, and says "So, you able to make heads or tails of it? And Sorry did not tell ya about Jay, he was hiding his wings for a while, and then well there was some uproar back home, and things were bad for him for a while. Ma sent him up here, he was not to hapy about it.

Cypher has posed:
It's a testimony to how tired Doug is that Sam was actually able to startle him. He jumps, and abruptly straightens his shoulders, shedding fatigue like a blanket. "Oh, huh?" He laughs, and rubs the backc of his neck, "Well, I wasn't upset, I was more just curious."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie will reach for a chair and pulls it over to straddle it. "Well at least Ah didn't Ah thought Ah was going to when we got here." He looks to his friend and says "You know all this finishes we should hit the beaches out here a bit."

Cypher has posed:
Doug sighs, and says, "No time, Sam. I can't let this thing run around Genosha, whatever it is -- but then I have to get back to New York and get back to work." He shakes his head.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie says, "As I said when we get finished here. And your going to have to take a break soon or you aint going to be any use to anyone man. If you continue to grind yourself down you will grind yourself away."

Cypher has posed:
Doug rounds on Sam, and then he moves to hold a finger up in the taller man's face. "You're not my nanny, Sam." He says. "I *choose* to be working, because there's a lot to do. I don't *want* to take a break."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks to him, and says "No, Ah aint your nanny, but Ah am your friend and Ah lost you once, and Ah will be damned if Ah let you work yourself till Ah loose ya again." He tells the other man. "Your gonna give yaself an ulcer or worse if you don't take a break. Doug Berto made the company so lots of people could work together and get things done, not so you work 20 hours a day and try to do it all alone.

Cypher has posed:
Doug sets his jaw. "You know what I think about when I'm not working?" He says, before he holds up his black and gold hand at Sam. "This! Do you know how SCARED I was of this when I was a kid? That I was going to lose my HUMANITY? And now I'm worried it's going to happen to me one piece at a TIME. I don't WANT to stop and think about it, Sam, so *butt out*!"

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks to the other and says "Not going to but out cause that arm aint you loosing your humanity Doug. He looks to the man, and says "What is humanity? It is interacting with people, caring for folk. Being with your friends, and those who care for you. and those who you care for. " He looks to the other and says "And on top of that Doug, alien or not, are you going to try to tell me Lock had less humanity to him, than anyone else?"

Cypher has posed:
"Oh, you did NOT just go there." Doug says. "You think I don't think about him every day? You think I don't MISS him?" He gestures, with his left hand, outward, "But where is he, Sam? He's not here, is he? He's out there somewhere, and he's probably moved on and forgotten all about me." He glowers. "I'm doing all this BECAUSE I care about all of you. Because if I'm going to become some... *thing*, I'm going to try to leave all of you a better world, first."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks to the other and says "Ok I believe your doing it caue you care for us, but Ah call hogwash on you ever not being you Doug. " He looks to him, and says "Dougles Ramsey, your humanity brought you out of being the mindless slave to an evil enchantress. Your humanity put others well being beyond your own. Ah never clamed you did not miss him, hell Ah miss him, and even more than Berto or me, Lock's your brother Ah know this. You think maybe he is out there cause he feel guilty for you being like him? Hell Doug, you want to know the real reason Ah think Lock aint around Doug?

Cypher has posed:
Doug sets his jaw and says, "Step *real* carefully, Guthrie." He curls his hands into fists, and stares, eyes steely.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks to the man, and says "Cause he is scared. Doug. Lock has always been scared of his father, and his peoples way. " He looks to him, and says "Ah honestly think he is scared if he is around you, he will turn into the Magnus and you into the Warlock." He looks to him, and says "He loves you just like the rest of us do Doug. Tell me this knowing Lock if that thought is even the barest thought in his head, would he not hide to protect the person he cares about most in this world?

Cypher has posed:
Doug is silent, stony-faced.

Then he punches Sam in the face. He doesn't telegraph it, but he does use his left hand, not his techno-organic right one, which is much harder.

"He wouldn't hide from me." He stands there. "...He wouldn't--"

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie takes it, stepping back with the impact of it. He reaches up and rubs his chin, and says "Unless he thought it was to protect you." He looks to Doug, and says "Ah am all for helping you find him and showing him your you Doug. Your heart and your mind are what makes you Doug, and human, techno organic, talking animal, or even if you somehow got turned into data inside Mojo's Machinery you will always be Doug. You can punch me and hit me all you want, but your my friend and come hell or high water Ah would never give up on you." He looks to the other man dead in the eye and says "Ah aint giving up ever on any of my family, and that includes you, lock, Illyana... You all worry about loosing your humanity, well here is a hint those who loose their humanity don't worry about it.

Cypher has posed:
Doug holds up his finger again, and opens his mouth, as if to say something, and then he closes it with a snap. "...You all treat me like I'm Saint Doug." he says, "I really hate it. I *really* hate it. You all have this--unshakable belief that I'm some sort of *being of light*--" He sets his jaw. "I'm stuck trying to live up to the memory of a dead kid. Don't any of you remember the *bad* things about me?"

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks to him, and says "Doug, Ramsey, Ah do not think your a saint, Ah think your my friend, my brother, and someone Ah would trust to have my back in any situation. Yea, Ah remember you drinking, Ah remember you playing cards. Ah remember you being jealous of Bird Brain cause of the attention Rahne was showing him. Can you make mistakes yea, can Ah make mistakes yea. It happens we all make them, and we try to fix them. " He looks to Doug, and says "And yea, you spread all the information about the gang and yea, some of them may have hurt or even killed one another over it, You did not pull the trigger, and to be bluntly honest with you, Ah aint sure Ah would think anything less of you if ya had."

Cypher has posed:
Doug looks away, a distasteful look crossing his face. "Figured that out, huh?" He says. Then he pinches the bridge of his nose. "Whenever I stop moving, whenever I stop working, there I am. And I think I might be my own worst enemy."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks to the man and says "You did not make any choices for them, you could not control their actions. If they chose to do something that is on them not you. Your a good man, and my friend. He will step in and hug the other man.

Cypher has posed:
Doug lets his arms drop, before he returns the embrace. "I'm a mess, Sam." He says, "I'm a total mess."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie says, "We will see through this like everything Doug, as a family, together we can do anything.. he just hold his friend being there for him for as long as he needs it."