Numb Souls

April 21, 2015:

CADMUS attacks the X-Manse perimeter.

Surrounding Areas of the X-Mansion

Characters

NPCs: Jerusalem, Seoul, The Wall, Deadshot, Random Stormwatch Guards, Jussie, The Monstrosity

Mentions:

Mood Music: [*\# None.]


Fade In…

*THWOCK, THWOCK*

A pack of Newport 100's were packed against the palm of the womans hand, the plasti-film that keeps the cigarettes contained and fresh ripped open and tossed to the side, allowing the wind to carry it forth.

"You see it now, don't you, boys?"

"Yeah, we see it." Says Seoul. "Son of a bitch. How'd they do that."
"One guess." Says Jerusalem, taking a perch upon the rooftop from afar, crouching down as he points towards the mansion?

AN HOUR EARLIER:

"Well. My bags are packed." Jean says to herself, glancing in through her closet to look at the row of clothes that were still inside. She wasn't the materialistic sort, but she had enough to not do laundry for at least a month, mostly in various colors of red, green, black and blue. There was white here and ther? whatever!

But the night was still young, the moon high in the sky, jogging suit donned and red hair tied back into a ponytail..

Front door peeled open, feet beating the pavement..

"Alright boys. You know what to do. Call it out." Waller mutters, cigarette sinched in between her lips as she shoves her hands into her leather bomber jacket. With one foot pressed against the ledge of the high rise, she draws out a small pair of binoculars and prepares to watch.

"Countdown in three.." Seoul starts.
"Hey, mutherfucker, it's my turn."
"Bitch, you did this last time!"
"Fuck you, I get to press the button!"

Jerusalem snatches the small device from Seoul's hand, pressing it without a count. Waller remains silent, a tiny smirk playing upon her lips as she draws the binoculars down to glance up towards the sky.

FRIENDLY SKIES:

A small missile streaks across the sky like a fiery demon; headed straight towards the path the lone woman runs?

KRAKA-BOOM!

Bits and pieces of rubble fly, leaving a newly filled crater where the woman once stood. A lone shoe falls from the sky, nearly melted at the bottom, rocking left and right until it stills itself, smoke drawing from the soles where a foot would have been.

"Send out the alert." Waller commands into the comm that she wears, finger pressed against her ear as she continues to speak with a sneer. "If that bitch is inside, draw her out."

Xavier Institute:

Random cell phones begin to light a-life, images of Jean Grey, shown jogging.. focused. That was until a bright flash appears and the shoe, a lone Nike rocks a-flame. The video is played over and over again.. until a single message scrawls across the screen.

"Sincerely, The Wall."

*

Grading papers. There were plenty of papers to grade, if Scott Summers is to go on a vacation, however short it may be. He's busy going through the stack when his cell phone buzzes on the desk. With a sigh, he rubs the little space between his eyes where the glasses meet, then reaches for the phone to pick it up.

For the next few moments, he simply stares at the phone, watching as the video plays over, and over, and over.

Jean?

The tears begin to well up beneath the glasses, trapped inside and threatening to fog everything up.

JEAN.

One hand, still resting upon the papers, begins to squeeze. The papers crumple, so many good works and so many long hours wasted as the fingers crumple and destroy. His face grows redder by the moment, until he leans forward, both hands upon the desk in fists, and cries out so loud that the entire floor can hear him scream.

"JEEEAANNN!!!"

Moments later, Scott is storming through the mansion, delivering curt orders to any of the teachers he can pass. "Lock down the grounds. Send all the children to their safe zones." Out comes his phone, a command keyed into it. One of the younger X-trainees is instructed to gather his uniform and his tactical visor, and bring it to the underground train station beneath the Insitute.

"What is it, Scott?" asks one of the teachers.

"JUST DO AS I SAY!"

- - - -

Not long thereafter, Cyclops comes walking out of the front doors, wearing a uniform of black and red. A new design, this time with his hood withdrawn so that the wind can blow his hair. His boots fall upon the cement with purposeful vigor, but most frightening may be the murderous frown upon his face. The cell phone from his desk is raised, and a text message is delivered in response.

'Show yourself.'

He waits there upon the front lawn for a moment or two, before turning his face to the horizon and screaming out, "SHOW YOURSELF!!!"

*

Inside the mansion Rose is finishing a braid that keeps her hair in a viking style moahwk, the many ends hanging down her bared spine, the sports bra the only cover across her torso, but at her waist the body suit is hanging lamely, ready to go to work, and it is evident by the arsenal laid across her bed.

Swords, two FN- Five Seven Pistols, HK, throwing daggers upon thigh straps, that small pistol she always kept ever since her days as a 'handler' in another place, another world…

That is when he ba lights up. All of them, one after the other. Pay as you go cell phones bearing generic ringtones to:

Rack city bitch, rack-rack city..

This is my rifle…

// Cemetery GATES! //

That single frigid eye drops to her phones in tandem with the bionic eye enwrapped in the custom fitted mask that covets half of her face in darkness. Slowly she lowers and one by one swipes, flips, and presses the screens to life….

"Fuck." «FUCK!»

rose has no love loss for Jean (maybe some, but don't push it), but she is sending out the mental alarm, opening her mind to all with a harsh sweep of wind gusting at those constantly sealed gates. Like a soldier Rose is gearing up and with a fistful of cell phones she is heading out of the mansion, that room vacant as she had been packing her things….

Standing at the front door Rose finishes zipping up the suit and reaches back drawing he swords, that body suit shining along sides where scaille maille presses to protect vitals, reinforcement to protect joints. not even looking to Scott Rose speaks lowly. "They know me as Rose Wilson. Ravager. I'm sorry…" For this, and for what must be done.

*

Nate has no cellphone, so he misses the call, but he feels something wrong through the telepathic networks. He was at Salem Center, shopping for furniture, talking to the shopkeeper of a second hand store. Suddenly, he has gone very pale, causing some alarm from the shop owner.

A brief mental chat with Rose, and he runs out, taking off a second later. Xavier is going to have to tweak some memories later. But Nate will be at the school gates in twenty seconds.

*

"Ooo-hoo-hoo-hoo! That got their goat!" Seoul laughed out. Ever heard of the 'Sizzle'? Seoul broke down into a fit of laughter that crackles in the air, keeping his perch behind the ledge of the rooftop as Jersusalem looks on with mild interest.

Smoke plumes from her nose like a bull, her fingers still pressed to her ear as she reaches out to give Seoul a good strike upon the arm, stepping away from the rooftop proper with her back to the smouldering scene from afar.

"Say that again? Roger that. What's the ETA? NOW?" Gloved fingers squeeze hard as she lifts one shoulder in a slight shrug.

"Eyes on the prize." Jerusalem points out.
"He's crying, that muther.. oh. Well I can't tell but I bet you he's crying!" Seoul crackles out, clapping and jumping in his stead, his hands soon reaching for the zipper of his own leather jacket until Waller reaches out with a hand that draws him to a still.

"Not yet."

Waller turns to resume her perch upon the rooftop, one gloved hand reaching down to press hard upon Jerusalem's shoulder. "Grab your longbow and take her out."

She touches upon the comms again as she listens, a slight smirk drawing upon her face. "He's in position? Patch him through."

"Mordecai Shaw. You're up."

Her gaze falls upon Seoul now, a slight nod of her head given. "Move the team into position. Meet me at extraction point ETA thirty minutes. Armor up."

Near the gates of the school..

A faint red oval glow appears..
In the form of two eyes..

Four hands of a green scaled monster draws down upon the gates with a heavy grasp that agonizes the metals into bending. A low, dull roar draws out, teeth gnashing through the bars as those hands push through to make room for the Monstrosity that is Mordecai. It's been a long time since he's been in a fight; the space he creates allows him to fit through as well as several other members of CADMUS, armed to the teeth and nails with assault rifles and vests.

"Oooh, this gonna be good.." Seoul cracks up, as Jerusalem finally stands to grab his sniper rifle. "Shut up and get the fuck off my perch." Jeru cracks, unlatching the case that remains upon the ground.

*

Rose's words fall upon a numb soul, but they are heard. Cyclops stands still, chest rising and falling slowly. When Mordecai Shaw appears, he doesn't do a thing. "Wait," he advises Rose, not wanting to fill the air with carnage until he knows just what they're dealing with. He takes a step closer, hands still at his sides, one clutching the cell phone tightly, until the other members appear.

The phone clatters to the pavement.

"Stay behind me."

Suddenly, Cyclops reaches up and rips the visor from his face, eyes wide open. The ferocity that springs forth from his eyes is powerful enough to obliterate a normal man, even one wearing the most sophisticated body armor. Brilliantly colored, red death spews out in all directions before him, pulverizing the gates and ripping the trees right from their centuries old, earthen roots. The sound is deafening, but through it all, a rage-filled scream can be heard, pumped forth by veins filled out against a stricken neck.

The carnage lasts a full five seconds, but under such concussive ferocity, few could stand. The visor gets thrown back onto his face, shutting off the beams of red death that dug up grass and fell birds from the sky; and leaving Cyclops standing there with his chest heaving in angered grief.

*

The red concussive beam of light actually shocks the three standing upon the roof, all three of them standing there.. mouths wide open, Waller's cigarette soon drawing out of her mouth with a sinch of her fingers as she places her finger to the comm in her ear.

"I saw it. Right. CAPTURE BOTH! I WANT ALL FEET ON THE GROUND RIGHT NOW!"

Just then, a helicopter flies over-head.. many lines dropping down into the wooded area before the wooden fence..

"Find Dr. Shaw! BRING HIM IN!"

-REDACTED LOCATION-:

Jussie types quickly upon the screen as she pinpoints Mordecai's location, her own mouth drawing wide in shock.

"W..w..waller.. I.. I think he's in the Atlantic.."

*

Deadshot's deployed in the grounds already, in part because he's a sneaky son of a bitch who does that sort of thing and in part because he's, as usual, Waller's back-up plan. Whether he ends up executing X-Men or black ops who see too much, his job is to put bullets in heads.

He finishes his cigarette, grinding it out beneath his boot, before flicking down the faceplate on his armor and ratcheting his autos into gear. Five round bursts, should be plenty, especially since Floyd Lawton's one of the few men in the world who can deplay automatic weapons fire with total accuracy.

He starts to whistle a little Sergio Leone as he heads towards the mansion…

*

Lunair is fond of doing things like sleeping at odd hours, studying, taking Pinchbro for walks, doing botany stuff, LUNAIR STUFF(TM) and what have you. Which means she's a little short when everything goes down. She scrambles out and down like a puppy skittering across a tile floor at full tilt. She even augments her skittering with a bit of rocket boot power, which makes it almost sort of comical despite her desperately scrambling to find Scott and the others.

Fortunately, GIANT MOTHER TRUCKING ASS EYEBEAMS IN RED are pretty easy to see even from a distance and it acts as a guide. After all, even if he fires a wide beam, there will be a cone shape because his eyes are not on the side of his head (no not even if Land or Liefield draw him, gosh). Once she manages to get to - Rose? And Scott? Huff. "Ohgosh I'm so sorry-" What's going on exactly…? She's likely picked up on a bit, but there's destruction abounding. Carefully, Lunair might gently set a hand on Scott's shoulder. That's what you do, right?

*

Rose was not one for listening, but Scott thankfully moved fast because she set two feet towards the stairs and that bean omitted, incinerating a vast range and left nothing. For a moment Rose just stood there, blinking, casting a sidelong glance to Cyclops, her own chest rising and falling with a deep breath, but it could be heard now…

"She will not stop.."

*Whrr-Whhrr-Whrrr*

Almost silent, but if you know what you are listening to, you know the sound of near stealth mode choppers.

"You only pissed her off more."

That is when Rose slowly moves out and down the steps, the swords she had drawn now flashing as she flicks them back into a circle to land neatly and slide into her sheaths. From the tac belt at her waist a small injector is drawn, slammed into her thigh and with a hiss released to pump her full of adrenaline. Looking back at Lunair Rose shakes her head, almost a hint of sorrow within, but there and gone. "Gear up. Do what you do, Lunair."

Standing there in the middle of the courtyard she waits between the gates and the manse. "Come on bitch!"

*

Nate sees the flash of red from the distance and grins ferally. Someone has royally pissed off Cyclops, alright. And he is not the only one. Seeing a helicopter dropping lines, Nate aims from it. He is flying at near super-sonic speeds, protected by a telekinetic forcefield.

The impact tears off the chopper's tail, and sends it down in an uncontrolled dive. Away from the mansion grounds, though.

A couple seconds later, Nate lands heavily at Rose's side. "Rose," he looks deeply unhappy. "Is them, right? The Stormwatch bastards that put a bomb in your head."

*

-REDACTED LOCATION-:

"Waller, do we let them fly?"

SALEM CENTER:

"No. We don't need another Tower incident. Leave the school intact, there are children inside."

-REDACTED LOCATION-:
"Yes Ma'am. Floyd is on the ground. What are your orders."

SALEM CENTER:

"Patch me through." Waller waits for a moment until she speaks, her gaze heavy upon the area of where the school is. "Floyd. DO. NOT. SHOOT. TO. KILL. If I have to repeat, I'm blowing your fucking head off your shoulders. Recon, GET ME WHOEVER LET LOOSE THAT RED LIGHT! And bring that bitch Wilson too."

"Right on." Seoul says, finally unzipping his jacket, with each ounce of flesh revealed beneath, darkness whittles against his form as his skin turns a solid black. "ARMORED UP!" His eyes glow a faint white as rows of razor sharp teeth are seen, clacking and chittering as he draws back with a slight run and off of the roof, soaring through the sky.

"That crazy sonuvabitch.." Jerusalem mutters, standing to his full height and shoves the longbow into Waller's direction. She takes the rifle, propping her foot against the ledge, her eye through the scope so that she could watch the scene unfold.

A red light surrounds Jerusalem, and with a crackling pow.. he was off the roof in a flash, teleporting through the air, hands soon wrapping around Seoul as he unleashes a series of teleports that sound like mechanical discharges until they were put on the front lines.

*SKIIIRRZZ*

Jerusalem was gone, and only Seoul was left, still cackling mad.. there was no witty words of reprisal or banter, he was already dashing into the fray.

The helicopter that was so close to the manse immediately falls due to Nate's efforts, those within are dead.. maybe one or two injured, but that is the price that they have chosen to pay.

Meanwhile.. the crater where Jean once stood begins to move, a few rocks falling from the pile that was created.. the whirring, discharge noise soon standing nearby.. Jerusalem watching the pile intently.

"Holy fucking shit. That bitch is still alive.."

*

"Then it will make her reckless." Scott has had his outburst. The anger at having witnessed his love murdered so cruelly, paired with the destructive and vengeful outburst, has earned the eerie effect of drawing his malice down into a cold, dark place deep within his soul; a place he's worked more than a decade to hide from. To never see, witness, or embrace.

Perhaps that was a mistake.

Lunair and Nate's arrival embolden Cyclops just so. A quick, deep breath is drawn through his nose, and with a flick of his fingers, the tactical visor is linked up to his finger triggers. "Nate, go high. Keep your 'eyes' peeled for surprises." The part about taking out enemies goes unspoken. "Lunair, you're on heavy fire. Make it hard for them to see and approach. Rose, I'll cover you." He's going to let Rose take the lead on this one, since she knows Stormwatch better than any of them.

The orders were given without Scott turning his head to look at his teammates. His voice adopts a controlled, feral snarl. "Give them hell."

The sudden appearance and disappearance of Jerusalem has Scott grimacing. Fingers press to palm, unleashing a quickened, rapid fire patter of optic blasts aimed toward Seoul's feet, and he advances at Rose's side should she do so, covering her.

*

Deadshot snorts into his helmet, "Why did you even bring me out here, then?" he says derisively, "It's like calling in Axl Rose and then having him play drums. That's a music reference, by the way, Wall, it's something humans enjoy now and then."

"Fine, fine, I'll stick to kneecaps and elbows," he says, ratcheting his weapons and then swearing under his breath as Jerusalem starts to do his thing, "Subtle, buddy. Subtle."

*

"Someone put a bomb in Rose's head?!" Holy crap! "That's awful! Well, they can just go die." Lunair is a little more murderous than she lets on. Or she's just bad at expressing outrage and watches a little too much anime. Hard to say, really. She looks to Cyclops, and nods. "Okie dokey." She will do her best to cover them, likely as her body is the most frail.

Granted, she's a normal person durable but let's see how well most teenage girls handle special ops. She tries not to wince at Rose's needle. There's a sympathy for the other girl, even if Lunair shows it about as well as Bieber demonstrates musical talent. For her part, armor immediately covers her body and she looks like she got yanked out of Mass Effect or something. Jerusalem and company's actions, from what she can see, are confused. Lunair doesn't seem to think less of Scott for letting loose after what he saw.

Nevertheless, she's on cover duty. And to that end, she's actually pretty good. She's got some rockets, some fire works, a few smoke flares, and the area will light up, making choosing a target difficult for those not among her allies. She seems to favor an artistic approach, perhaps. She's getting better with her powers, at least. She does remember to pull herself a laser cannon, too. Pew!

*

The smoking cloud in the backdrop is seen just before Nate's arrival, a slow lowering of her chin confirms his question. "Yes." And as she had said to Scott before he unleashed a red lazer of hell upon the entry team she did to Nate as well. "I'm sorry." Say it now, it covers so many bases, but from start to finish she gets it over with and reaches back to unsheath those swords, and when Scott tells her he has her back she takes him for his word.

Ravager knows what the X-Men stand for is not anything she could ever uphold. This is what she was made to do and when the bodies start to fill the courtyard, she is already in motion, heading for the first to enter the courtyard, swinging at the armored agent with a deadly precision, though when her sweep goes low for the folow through of her second blade the pistol from her holster is drawn. Spinning from one to the next she sweeps the blade low along her arm and aims the pistol up from beneath his chin, blowing a spray of visceral and volcanic red out the back and across the lawn.

A deadly dance she will be picking pieces of John Doe's from her treads after, that white eye comes to a faint glow within the black offset. "Heat." Now scanning the cover for more, others that may be laying low and stealth. This may noy be the Stormwatch she came from, but she knows this woman will press to get what she wants, and any means is already there. Frequencies in that bionic eye begin to scan, where video and voice relay can be had she seeksto find the frequency that is plugged and kick that fucking door down as well.

"So… I am guessing you did not think I could make friends in higher places?" That voice is chipper despite the melee going on, goading at Waller, hoping to push her /harder/.

*

Perhaps Nate should have been more careful when hitting the helicopter, he glances at the rising smoke column from the crash site for a second. Then again, they attacked Jean and might have killed her.

But no. They didn't. He can feel the redheads mind coming back to consciousness. Relief washes over him and almost makes him miss Scott's words. « Jean is alive. She might be hurt, but I feel her mind » he sends to the other. Then flies up, scanning for more helicopters. He is also a large, shiny target, so he protects himself telekinesis.

*

"For fun." Waller answers evenly, hitching her shoulder so she could hold the sniper rifle the easiest. She wasn't going to shoot, she just needed to see. She scope dialed, fiddled with, until she could come into view of the melee below.

With those presently on scene, she makes note of all the faces, the gifts, the skill they possess and lets out a very, low whistle. "Floyd. I hope I don't have to say this twice." There was a tiny bit of affection for the man, but if he was shot and downed, she was going to blow his head sky high.

The rubble continues to tumble and roll.. dropping rocks upon the ground as Jerusalem takes a step back. "Waller.. Waller.. that bitch you blew up is still alive! I repeat, STILL AL—-"

*BOOM*

Rubble and debris fan out the area, knocking Jerusalem back and off his feet, in midair, he charges a teleport, his body nothing but a blur as he lands to the left, and then to the right at a stagger. His hand reaches out to touch the ground as he looks up?

The fight was on, with Rose first into the fray, Seoul had a good aim and run to head towards Scott. He knew of Rose's prowess, but he hadn't seen it up close, but it was something to be missed as he goes after the one who took out Monstrosity with one fell swoop.

"Hey! Crybaby!" He calls out, his fingers fanning out as razor sharp claws jut forth, coming at the man with a low crouch, his body strafing left and right as he begins to slice through the air as soon as he comes within arms reach of the man.

Cover? Lunair may have it, but it was soon about to be taken away. A group of armed men begin to fire from her back, aiming a deadly assault of bullets that surely bounce and ping off of her armor.

Waller watches this all with cool disposition, her brows furrowing as she hears the feedback over her comms.

-REDACTED LOCATION-:

"Ma'am, we've been hacked!"

SALEM CENTER:

As the voice plays through, Waller couldn't help but smirk. "And what lesson of that have we learned, Rose Wilson? Friends are nothing but fodder for your sorrow. You are going to learn that lesson well, if you do not surrender." The scope of the rifle is soon jutted up as Nate takes to the sky, her teeth at a solid grit as she directs her attention towards the masses upon the ground.

"Deadshot, aim high! Bravo 6, heavy fire on the man in the sky! Crank it up!"

A helicopter rounds the school, a low whirring soon heard as it begins to fire armor piercers towards Nate. Don't draw attention, and you won't get any.

*

The moment Ravager moves, Cyclops stays at her side, giving her enough room to work. He hangs back just so, so that he can watch her in his peripheral. Every person that earns a chance to attack Rose with something resembling a ranged weapon earns a strong, deadly-level optic blast to the chest. Scott's aim is damned near as accurate as anyone's; all he has to do is look.

A brief moment allows him to trigger the heat sensors on his visor. The device is programmed to filter out things like explosions, filtering down to outline human bodies and flashing with the discharge of guns. This is what aids his attempts at covering Ravager, through the smoke and fire of Armory's onslaught.

Nate's voice is like a beacon of hope. There's no time to feel shame for his rage; though that may come later, right now he has a job to do. He's not going to let them take Ravager without a fight, but the malice has already taken its toll. Cyclops isn't pulling back, he's shooting to kill.

Seoul comes damn close to mauling Cyclops. "Gah!" He spins about, and a pair of impossibly well-aimed red beams lash out at Seoul's hands. Let's see how well he fights with crushed bones.

"Back down," he warns.

*

Deadshot tracks on Waller's command, the scope on his rifle popping out the side as he raises it to the sky, tracing Nate's position in the sky. The rifle's steel-jacketed ammo would punch through your average tank but, of course, he's not supposed to shoot to kill. From what he's seeing, he guesses the flying guy probably wouldn't be that vulnerable to it anyway.

Which is why Floyd flicks it onto full auto, firing in excess of 120 rounds per minute. Sure, it might bounce off his shield, but it's going to be loud, flashy, frightening and annoying as fuck. And really, if you can't kill somebody, you've got to have your fun somehow.

*

"Never." That one word is ground out between teeth. "Neither will they. You knocked on the wrong door." And right now the path is paved, cover had with Scott's optic blasts as she cleaves forward, the blades a pirouetting flash with a spin that lands her with both of them pinning an armored man by his shoulders as he takes aim for Lunair, a booted foot on the CADMUS soldier's chest, aiding in the bubbling cough of blood, she nicked a lung.

When Seoul goes for Scott her eyes peer up between the strangs of white, both FN's brought up and aimed for the back of the teleporter's head, laying down on the trigger just as Scott makes his own demand. Rose would not give the option.

Crushing forward in her lean upon the soldier she hisses out. "Tell then to leave here…"

*Cough*

"Pull them back…" *crack* goes the ribs beneath her boot. "Now."

Distraction comes at the sudden heat omission from Deadshots rifle, the hea infrared coming to a flaming glow in periphery, giving her his location. «Nate! To your south east, 100 yards!» Deadshot's armor eluded where the heat of his weapon could not.

*

Lunair is quietly doing her best to help. She's worried about Ravager and Cyclops (and Jean). She is glad Nate is doing his things and it's hard not to wish she had cool brain powers sometimes. Lunair is nothing if a good distraction. Pew! She'll do her best to keep the smoke and mayhem going, although she's summarily distracted by the gunmen from behind. "Gah, hey!" It does ping off her armor, but concussive force doesn't just go away and she'll stagger a bit, more annoyed and bruised than actually hurt.

But she's going to - wait. Whoa. Rose is scarily badass. She'll take pot shots, but her main duty is keeping the battlefield well, confusing. She pauses to take pot shots at the gunmen behind her, before returning to her task. Gunmen or not, Lunair can just regenerate her armor and keep on. "Ow ow ow. You guys are rude. THank you!" She makes sure to thank Ravager, at least. A firework leveled at the nearest group of combatants. Annoying and loud.

*

Nate sees the second helicopter coming. Over the school buildings, not less. He can't exactly shot it down there. He flies to meet it, though, taking fire from the heavy machine guns armor-piercing rounds. He is not wearing armor, but his telekinetic shield is created from his mind, and linked to his mind. That hurts. Fortunately he is a small, fast-moving target, most rounds miss.

Deadshot 'non-lethal' shots do not miss, though. At firing 120 rounds per minute of tank-buster rounds you need to be Deadshot to make them non-lethal! Nate would have likely been horribly maimed by them if he wasn't shielded.

"Sonofabitch!" He curses loudly. Diving right and trying to put the helicopter on the way of the line of fire. Actually, he slams on the helicopter and grabs it, sinking his fingers on the armored side; then pushing it away from the school. « Watch out for that sniper, Rose. That accuracy is not normal. I'm going to put these idiots down somewhere out of the grounds »

*

There was only a laugh. A final call for Waller in her conversation with Rose. She considered that discussion done. Her hand lifts to smack against her ear as she focuses in, still spying the scene, rifle aimed high, dropped low, many bodies littering the ground like sheep as Waller grits her teeth.

Two billion more where that came from. OO-RAH!

But first:

"Awe.. almost had you!" Seoul cries out, taking a leap forward to swipe yet again until his hand is blasted to kingdom come. He cries out in pain, his body turning, the protective skin-armor that coated him drawing back to reveal blood. which is soon recoated again thanks to his will to fight. "Nope!" He squeals out, the sizzle from his lips drawing down again as he advances, the two pops to his head jerking his body forward harshly with a faceplant to the ground.

But he keeps moving, hands pressed against the ground; his hips swing, legs fan out with the attempt to sweep Scott off of his feet, his appendages brought around to form a crouch which soon elects a cross slash in the form of an X towards where ever he can get. Rose isn't ignored.. no. His head was set on fire as the .. quite literal body armor tries to mend and heal.

He was exposed.

Rose makes quirk work of her foes, and for the man upon the ground, he squirms and hollars out, his gloved hands attempting to grab a boot of the woman to lessen the pain to his ribs.

"Waller! Wa.. l.." He was sputtering blood..

And from afar, eyes roll into the back of Waller's head from annoyance. "Weak."

The rubble begins to form a bubble around the now rising Jean, this was no Phoenix from the ashes, this was someone who was purely fed up and down upon the ground. She crawls herself out, coughing from the inhalation of smoke, pulling herself from the wreckage only to be captured by the thick of her red hair.

She was thrown out of her prison, her body rolling upon the ground as she comes to a stop, a heavy cough upon her lips with eyes squeezed shut. The footfalls of the man heard behind her as she tries to crawl away, followed by a laugh from the man as he issues a hard kick to her side that sends her flying..

He teleports, again and again, keeping her body within the air as he lands kick.. after punch.. after punch..

The fireworks blasted at the group of men who fired upon Lunair causes them to shriek and fall back onto the ground, their bodies too rolling against the grass, attempting regroup and recoup so their assault.. can fail. Cause they were running. That shit was weird, yo!

The helicopter that Nate grabs begins to stall, the body of it tilting sideways as he grabs ahold. Inside, the pilot is at a panic; for the alarms that go off within begin to sound out as he tries to grip the clutch to bring the chopper to a heel.

"Fuck!" The pilot screams out. "He's got us! He's got us!"

Waller grits her teeth in irritation, ripping the com out of her ear to toss it over the side of the building. A phone is soon produced and flipped open, a number pressed and held to her ear as she waits for it to pick up.

"New York Harbor. Twenty minutes." Phone was soon snapped shut, and Waller herself? She disappears from the rooftops to head down below. Time to get out of dodge.

*

Seeing that Ravager has Seoul under, shall we say, 'control', Cyclops breaks for a moment to take stock of the situation. Nate has been pitted against the unknown threat that is Deadshot; Lunair is handling hers well. "Where is the other one?" he asks, wondering where Jerusalem has gone. "Lunair! Cover Ravager!"

Its time for a change of plans.

Jean is still alive. And not projecting.

Rolling out of the way, Cyclops moves into the thickest of smoke clouds formed by Lunair, taking advantage of the cover it offers to scan the area. He's something of a strategic genius, and fortunately, the children inside have all been moved to their underground safe rooms. It only takes a few moments for him to spot the erratic movements of one heat signature as it beats on the other.

"Got you, you son of a bitch."

Cyclops takes off at a full force run, boots kicking up root and dirt as he makes for the side of the mansion, near the wooded part.

*

Deadshot starts to draw back to meet at Waller's designated rendesvous point but, since he's going to leave, he decides to have a little fun on his way out. He flicks his scope back to the Mansion itself and, methodically and with a bit of terrifying speed, shoots out every single window in the place with a well placed bullet right in the middle.

That includes classrooms and the like, because Deadshot's a bastard who doesn't really care if there might be a bit of collateral death that he can't see. It might irritate Waller if she finds out, but it's not like he can't talk his way out of it. Anyway, it's not like he can be replaced.

He's Deadshot, god dammit.

*

It's a virtual slaughter out here. Lunair would almost feel kind of sorry for them, except she totally doesn't because they want to blow Rose up, tried to kill off Jean and who knows what else. Not to mention taunting poor Cyclops. A smoke flare is tossed out to give Cyclops a good bit of cover. "Okay!" Lunair nods as Scott tells her to look after Ravager. Lunair's attention shifts, and she tries not to giggle as the soldiers scamper. "Waaaaaaarrriors, come out and plaaaaaaaay~" Fireworks and flares are going to make their ears and eyes ring, as they run.

Pause. "This is why I'm banned from combat dialogue." Nevermind. Lunair is going to watch Rose and keep anyone from intruding on Ravager's fight. Be it laser or general distraction, there's a healthy 'no bothering Ravager' zone.

*

The swords are ripped from the CADMUS soldiers shoulders savagely, the pistols rolled down and back to wrist holsters to free up her hands, the soldier forgotten instead to lunge at Seoul, her boot caught by the soldier who was trying to wrest her off his chest of cracking ribs and a bleeding lung, sending her forward and into an almost sprawl if it was not for that adrenaline…

Her leg kicks up here she is supposed to faceplant, landing her on her knee instead, swords that would have fallen from her grip now are released. The exposed opening od Seoul's armor are used to launch both of those blades through just as the guns snap back into palms and she covers Lunair as well, unconcious motions to mow down everything that moved, everything that threatened…

glass shatters from the windows behind… The school, the heat from each unloaded round in Deadshot's rifle seen and dropping one pistol to the ground she plucks a frag grenade from her belt, pulling the pin between teeth and launching it in his direction.

Two more words into the comm, heard or not. "Fuck you."

*

Nate drags the helicopter all the way to the outskirts of Salem Center, and mind-blasts everyone inside into unconscious before leaving it at the side of the road to New York. Took him a couple minutes, which means he is too late to catch Deadshot or the other attackers. Rose was very throughout. "Everyone here okay? Hey, where is Scott?" He looks for his telepathically. And Jean too, now he is not likely to be shoot if he is distracted.

*

Say what anyone will about Waller; she doesn't mess with the children. As soon as she rounds the corner at an even pace, a small child stands there, looking up towards her curiously.

"What are you doing out of bed, young one?"
"I don't.. I heard a noise." The young girl stammers out.

"Go back inside. There's nothing for you to see here."

Waller waits until the young lady enters back into the house, then breaks off into a slight jog, the rifle swung over her shoulder, turning into the dark alley to escape. She's only human after all.

From the distance, Scott could see the flash of red as the intensity of the teleports pick up? then suddenly stops.

The flares and fireworks that Lunair draws out causes the men to scramble. They still had open skin, their helmets weren't protecting their faces, some were actually burned and upon the ground screaming, even backing away at Lunair's warcry, because..

It's weird, yo!

"Deadshot.. ET.. Oh." Waller discarded the coms. If he makes it, so be it. If not, the same.

"FALL BACK! FALL BACK!" Some of the men cry, all scrambling and attempting to run. Herald all of your dead, for there is no point in returning.

The guard that wrestled with Rose for that moment cries out as the swords are unstuck from his body, curling into a ball as his hand reaches out for the white haired demon.. "I SEEK ASYLUM! I SEEK ASYLUM!"

Would there be pity there? Possibly not. For the way she does away with Seoul was tantamount of her regard to CADMUS as a whole, swords thrown into the open point of the back of Seoul's head causes him to stop in his advance towards Scott's direction.

He was dead. Body dropped to the ground with a loud *THUD* that causes swords to eject the same way they came.

There was silence in that area.. and a sudden flash of red as a hand from the darkness reaches out to grip the visor and tear it asunder..

Jean lay, not broken, for there was a small glimpse of life and mental activity that allowed her to narrowly shield herself from the kicks and blows that would soon produce bruises. Yet Jerusalem was gone again.. which gives her enough time to push herself to her feet, her hair a dance against the wind as her upper body remains slump, yet feet instinctively drags towards freedom.

The helicopter that did house the soldiers was landed safely. Everyone inside was quiet, not a peep was heard, not even from a mouse.

But within those seconds, Jerusalem teleports again, both hands striking out to give Scott a shove at the back. It was time to play cat and mouse.

*

When he feels the visor moving, Scott gasps. The mansion was in plain view! He clamps his eyes shut tightly, then feels the shove from behind. He was fighting blind.

Fortunately, he's prepared for this.

"I hope you know who you're fucking with."

Cyclops spreads legs out, leaning upon one then the other, before lifting his hands into a martial stance. The teleports make noise, and those noises attract his attention.

The moment they begin, he spins and feints an attack, before adjusting his motions to anticipate the next. He's sure to take a few blows, but in time, he'll learn the pattern. Everyone has a pattern, even Kurt Wagner, and they've trained for hours. Days, even, under this exact scenario.

Eventually, Cyclops' blows start to hit, and they are brutal. A jab to the neck, a kick to a pressure point on the upper thigh. He's gonna take town Jerusalem surgically if he has to, and he's a patient fighter.

*

Deadshot's already withdrawing fromt he area, putting some distance between himself and the rest of the conflagration. He didn't get to kill anyone, which is disappointing, but he at least riddle a few things with bullets, so it's not a day totally wasted. He can already tell Waller's going to be in a foul temper about the whole thing, but he's not the one who fucked anything up, so it's no skin off his nose. Personally, he's looking forward to a bottle of Jack, a pack of Red Apples and a trip to the Juicy Lucy Lounge on Highway 80. Good burgers and pole dancing? What more can a socipathic assassin ask for?

*

Lunair is nothing, if diligent. Sort of like the world's best armed puppy. Lunair's eyes widen as Ravager is nearly tripped. Her breath catches for a moment, and it's too close for her to shoot the soldier. But she can stun him, running a firework along the ground just behind his head and away from Ravager. No one likes the team killer guy, and Lunair is not going ot be that guy. She doesn't even flinch as the grenade gets chucked.

She will assist Ravager, though she's careful not to intrude on righteous vengeance. No one likes that. Watch, do her best to react. Wave at Nate.

*

Rose was perceptive enough to know what Nate did, what he undertook, and despite it all he did not launch that chopper into the ocean while flaming for effect. When the man asks for sanctuary, mercy, or whatever it was Ravager's swords are drawn from Seoul's head and the bloodied tip is levelled before his face. Drip drip dropping the dead mans blood across his helmets visor.

The moment though, had interlude when Nate approaches and her eyes quickly scan over him, inspecting for wounds. Everyone was retreating now and it showed in the shuddering of sinew beneath the body duit that she was resisting the urge to hunt them, track them, and finish them off before they could get to safety.

Looking back at Lunair, Rose upnods her, the thanks evident there but when Nate asks about Scott Rose only blinks and spinsher blade to catch the keen tip in her hand, using the handle to knock the whimpering man the fuck out.

"I don't know." A curious glance to Lunair then.

*

Nate is not injured, just headachy, as usual when he uses his powers extensively. He offers Luna a brief smile and Rose a longer glance, checking to see if she is hurt herself. "I am going to find Cyclops," he mentions. "Round up the survivors and make sure they are disarmed, alright? If the grounds are secure, we will give them medical attention in a few moments. Maybe one of them will have some useful intel." He flies off, to help Scott with the teleporter.

*

As predicted; Jerusalem teleports, the sounds are like discharged bangs from a mechanical weapon which was too easy to pinpoint his location. From the left. To the right. Fire red signals bouncing all around Scott as they land hits, are dodged, and soon.. met with utter failure. Jerusalem was taken apart, the jab to the neck has him choking but he presses on like a good soldier, the catch to the knee has him stumbling even through the teleport.

He doesn't give up. Never gives up.

Jean's zombie like stagger is met with a final lift of her eyes, seeing the visor gone.. watching the fight. Her hand slowly lifting as fingers begin to curl?

Lunair's shot to the soldier proved true; he was stunned into submission, still curled and weeping like a baby, begging with an outstretched hand to try to grasp at Rose again, his words a full on beg. He'd be a janitor; he could clean toilets real good and looked mighty fine as a cabana boy in a speedo. He'd do anything to live, there were real tears there.

Tears!

But they wouldn't fall due to being knocked out by the blunt side of the sword that Rose held.

There were still a few cries in the distance, soldiers holding their faces as they still, drag bodies of their brothers and clear out from the lawn. At least there was no clean up this time.

The sprinkler systems soon turn on, wetting the crew that stands upon the middle of the lawn, a few of the lingering soldiers groaning and moaning because of their luck..

Meanwhile, one manages to round itself around the mansion, his rifle raised, ready to shoot and fire until he seizes up. His body is soon lifted into the air, almost spread eagle, the weapon dropped to the ground with a loud clang.. Jerusalem himself using that noisy distraction as a mean to strike hard and fast towards Scott, hoping -this- one would fell him with one good punch.

*

Instead, Jerusalem finds a vicious kick to the knee, hard enough to shatter bone. The next strike comes to the back, Cyclops twirling about the man as his hand lands with an open palm. More force. Enough to knock the wind out of someone.

When Scott finishes the motion, he lands spread eagle in front of a choking, gagging Jerusalem. The sounds tell him exactly where the foe's mouth is. Where his chin is.

For a moment, Scott considers killing the man. The malice at witnessing Jean's supposed death lies deep, unpolished and not addressed. But Jean was alive. He didn't need to kill anyone else on her behalf.

His arm swings back, and a vicious uppercut sends Jerusalem's head cracking backward.

Welcome to dreamland.

When the others find him, Scott is still standing over the snoozing teleporter, eyes clinched shut, chest heaving. Yet his head moves to and fro, as if looking for someone. "Jean?"

Quiet. At least, at first.

"Jean!"

*

Lunair beams under her visor at Rose and nodsnods. While Lunair is somewhat murderous, she doesn't really just slaughter people when they're down. That's what the industry calls 'a dick move'. She smiles back beneath her visor at Nate, and nods. "He ran off towards the trees," Lunair offers, pointing. "I can watch Mr. Knocked out here. This feels important," Lunair remarks to Rose. In other words, she understands. "I hope Miss Jean is okay."

*

By the time Nate arrived Scott had the man down, pausing and knowing well enough to leave Jean and Scott to their oment he went back to ensure the school was safe, the windowns shot out held no casualties and the lawn is free of bodily debris.

When Lunair offers to stay behind Rose gives her an incredulous look, a brow perked and then head sahekn with a sigh. "Luna. Bodies are portable when they ain't putting up a fight." ravager states plainly, grabbing the unconcious soldier by his stabbed arm and dragging him with to go inspect the scene of Scott, Jean, and the teleporter.

*

That little stall from Jean was enough for Jerusalem to have his leg broken, the bone bending backwards as he lets out a shriek, the charge of the teleport warping just enough to be heard and..

Darkness.

The soldier that was held up within mid-air falls to the ground, her mental prying allowing her to shut him down and off, unconscious.. hands free. Even though the urge to kill was great, she refrained. It would have taken too much from multitudes of sleepless nights.

He calls to her, and she shuffles forward, her hand reaching out for his as she brings it up towards her face, "I'm here.. it's okay.." She was tired, so much for that nightly jog.

Lunair would get an eyefill from watching Mr. Knocked-Out. Is it possible for someone to cry in their sleep? Lunair finds out. (He does.) He even cries as Rose grabs him. Bodily reaction.

"If I kill him, would you still love me in the morning?" It was an honest question really, Jean was considering it, tempted to do it, she even lifted a hand in wait of the answer. But she leans against him now, burying her face within his chest, that hand soon dropping to join in the tight hug that she gives him.

And per usual, there was always an asshole kid of the bunch. The one that doesn't listen, who has to be the storyteller to relay information. The little tyke (possibly 6) was watching at the highest window, an arm slipped around his shoulders as he's dragged away from the window by a teacher.

"Wait! Wait! I want to see! That was so coooooooooooolll??"

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