A Kick in the Teeth

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A BATTLE IN PHOENIX

Yesterday, Professor Charles Xavier was contacted by a journalist operating in Phoenix, Arizona. She introduced herself as Hayley Adeyemi and explained that, according to her sources, a contaminated batch of Kick had made it to the streets and was causing chaos throughout the city. The drug, which typically produces a mental high in anyone that takes it and amplifies the powers of any mutants that take it, has been a problem in the area for years now, but this is different. This batch seems to amplify powers to an uncontrollable degree and to have hallucinogenic properties, leading to disastrous outcomes. There have been at least two incidents of mutants lashing out in volatile and unpredictable ways and both are now in custody. While she's tried to get interviews with the mutants in question, she's currently being denied access and the authorities have been openly hostile with her. She's also attempted to get the word out in the local mutant communities, but has been met with skepticism and distrust. So, instead, she's reached out to the X-Men. With this information, Charles began making plans to send the Blue Team to investigate.

Unfortunately, before this could happen, the situation escalated.

On Sunday afternoon, Charles receives another call from Hayley Adeyemi. This one is frantic and telling him of a situation unfolding in downtown Phoenix. A young woman seems to have taken the drug and is now causing catastrophic damage in the form of violent storms. Devastating winds. Torrential rain. Lightning that strikes anything that tries to get close to her and thunder that seems to shake the very earth. Someone needs to intervene or people are going to be killed. Charles agrees to send the Blue Team out and with Illyana Rasputin on hand, they're able to arrive in a matter of minutes. Fighting their way through the storm to reach the woman and get civilians out of harm's way, the team is just beginning to turn the tides and subdue the out of control mutant when a unit of sentinels descends from the sky.

Apparently, Hayley wasn't the only one making calls.

Immediately, the machines close in on her, their booming robotic voices ordering her to halt and stand down. Seemingly directed to neutralize and detain only the threat, they ignore the X-Men. Unfortunately, they're soon caught in one of the woman's electrical storms and begin to malfunction. The sentinels are no longer acting with restraint, turning on the X-Men as well as nearby civilians. Some attempt to detain. Some attempt to kill. In the midst of all this, the mutant they'd come to help is shot clean through, her powers getting even more out of control as she bleeds out. It's absolute chaos.

As the fight continues, several civilians and members of the team are detained by the sentinels and pulled into containment cells in their chests before they take to the sky and depart the fight to take them into custody. Kurt Wagner puts in the call for backup from Gold Team. Together, the X-Men are able to bring down the rampaging sentinels, but it's a bittersweet victory. The mutant woman they'd come to help succumbs to her injuries. The city is wrecked. Some of their own are in custody at best or missing at worst. And, already, the media is starting to swarm.

It's going to be a long day.

Use the form below to determine your character's role in the mission!

NOTE: For Gold Team, skip the Initial Strategy question, since they are not there for that part of the encounter. Additionally, Gold Team arrives after the departure of the sentinels that are capturing targets and there for cannot be captured. (But in future missions...)

<b>CHARACTER:</b> Character's name. <b>INITIAL STRATEGY:</b> What were your character's aims during the initial conflict with the mutant high on Kick? Were they trying to reach and calm down/restrain her? Were they trying to help evacuate the area? <b>SENTINEL STRATEGY:</b> What were your character's aims during the showdown with the malfunctioning sentinels? Were they trying to fight, protect the locals/the city, or just get the heck out of the way? <b>OUTCOME:</b> How did the confrontation work out for them? Did they take down a sentinel with impressive efficiency? Were they hurt? Were they captured and taken away? <b>MISC:</b> Anything else?

THE AFTERMATH

There's nothing else they can do for the unfortunate woman now, so the team reluctantly splits up to do what they can...

Paige Guthrie, Remy Lebeau, Warren Worthington, and [Character 1] remain downtown to help however they can. They clear debris, aid first responders, search for the missing and the dead, and the like. They also have to play nice with the media, who quickly arrive on the scene to capture the aftermath and try to get an interview from the heroes of the hour. Or the mutant menaces, depending on which station you're talking to.

Jono Starsmore, Laura Kinney, Kitty Pryde, and [Character 2] investigate the source of the contaminated Kick. After finding out the woman's identity (her name was Mona Elswick), they're able to find where she lived and investigate her home. There, they find contacts (who all swear up and down that she wasn't a mutant) and are eventually pointed to a two-bit drug dealer who insists he got the Kick dirt cheap from a 'guy in a real nice suit', but swears he doesn't know anything more than that. For now, it's a dead end.

Kurt Wagner, Sam Guthrie, Anna Marie LeBeau, and Scott Summers track the sentinels that fled the fight. For better or worse, the sentinels do keep to protocol and bring those they captured to the nearest Mutant Detention Center (in isolated Komatke, Arizona), where mutants are detained following capture by sentinels or other authorities.

Anyone that was captured has since been collared (preventing them from using their powers) and is waiting in a cell while the situation is sorted out. Anyone that was not registered ahead of this event is undergoing interrogation (with trained agents, including a telepath) and an assessment of their powers. Congratulations, now you're registered! But at least your teammates are here to bail you out.

A BATTLE IN PHOENIX ⮾ THE AFTERMATH ⮾ OOC

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A BATTLE IN PHOENIX

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THE AFTERMATH

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THE AFTERMATH: Emma & Warren

[wingspanned warren worthington iii 🪽 angel]

Warren has not stopped pacing since they settled down in this empty office space. When he was still with the X-Men, it was briefly used as the Pokémon Club meeting room. Seems as though that trend has moved on. Or maybe it just moved rooms. He doesn't keep up with Pokémon.

"He owes me a favor," Warren says, "and he's respectable. He'll push you, but we both know you can handle it. It won't look like a complete fluff piece."

THE AFTERMATH: Kitty & Paige

[shake_it_off Paige Guthrie 🌻 Husk]

The fight is over. It feels like it only ended seconds ago, but really it's probably been about ten minutes. They need to start figuring out what to do. How to get everyone who was taken back. How to start cleaning up this mess. And Paige needs to not look at the deceased mutant nearby. She turns and scrubs a hand across her face, out of tiredness and to start peeling away her current adamantium skin. And as her eyes come back into focus she notices Kitty, who isn't looking particularly well - it could be the situation or an injury, but regardless she should go check on her. Paige moves to her side, only partially shed, a strange harlequin of textures.

"You doin' alright, Ms. Shadowcat?"

THE AFTERMATH: Jono & Paige

[shake_it_off Paige Guthrie 🌻 Husk]

Even though the mission had ended with far less loss of life than it could have, it's hard to feel terribly good about the outcome. Paige had been rather quiet on the ride back to the Institute, but she knows it's better if she doesn't just hole up alone when she's feeling like this. So she's dragged Jono with her to the kitchen so she could make a cup of coffee, and then had dragged him to her favorite reading room (northeast corner, best windows, quietest, perfect temperature), only to find a student already inside. There's room for more than one person, but even when in the best of moods she finds the presence of someone else there off-putting.

So she's dragged Jono to another common hangout spot, her room, and by the time they get there her coffee is, at least, a reasonable temperature to drink. She hesitates by the door, as though debating on whether to close it, before she finally does with a loud sigh. All that dragging around, and she really hasn't said much of anything.

"How're you feeling about... all that?"

THE AFTERMATH: Manny & Kurt

[blauerdamon kurt wagner ⚔️ nightcrawler]

Kurt is standing outside a door. He's been there for a few seconds, hesitating. Manny had been quiet since they picked him up, and then immediately went to his room. It's not hard to guess why. Maybe he still wants to be left alone, but Kurt ended up here anyway.

Now he has to knock, because Manny's somewhere inside probably rolling his eyes at Kurt's mix of indecision and concern (with a dash of embarrassment for flavor). At least it's probably more palatable than how he was feeling earlier.

So he knocks. "Manuel?"

THE AFTERMATH: Illyana & Sam

[allhell magik 🖤 illyana rasputin]

It's been a long, bad day and Illyana is not in the mood to be cooped up in any sense of the word. She's also hungry, and while she supposes there's probably food in the kitchen, her claustrophobia is telling her to get out of the mansion. As she heads down the main staircase, she spots one of the X-Men who rescued her earlier.

"Hey," she says to get his attention. "If I wanted the best hamburger in the world, where would I find it?" (Her tone is more like she's giving him a pop quiz than posing a riddle.)

THE AFTERMATH: Illyana & Emma in Detention

[frost_queen Emma Frost ♕ White Queen]

For a short time, Illyana and Emma are separated from Manny for pat downs and processing, even though Emma had tried to make it very clear that none of them are shy and, honestly, Manny shouldn't be alone. But it had fallen on deaf ears, and so now she sits with the other woman, dressed in a tacky jumpsuit as they wait to be moved to proper cells. They're being monitored, she's sure, but she doesn't care if they hear her complaining.

She tugs at the collar on her neck, mindful with her nails, as she grimaces.

"Always nice to see good deeds punished, hm? And now we'll have to deal with what I'm sure will be a two-bit telepath. Insult to injury, really."

THE AFTERMATH: Rogue & Jono

[morestars morestars]

When Rogue comes to check in with Jono, as she had with the other members of the team, she finds him none the worse for wear. He's drenched from the fading storm, but that was unavoidable for all of them. His bandages are torn and his psionic energy is flaring from the gaping hole in his chest, but that's normal for him. She can see some bruising and some scrapes, with blood or hints of energy seeping out, but nothing beyond that. He's just taking in the damage around them in silence.

When some civilians appear in the doorway of a nearby building, checking to see if the danger has actually passed, he turns abruptly away and shoves his hands into the pockets of his battered jacket. They'll be looking for reassurance, probably, but not from someone like him. Let Warren handle all that.

Seeing Rogue, he stops, eyebrows raising.

«...seems like the last of them, yeah? Fuckers finally down for the count.»

THE AFTERMATH:Leaders' Meeting

[glovedup rogue]

Hours later is enough time to let everyone get patched up as they need, and for the leaders of the two teams to make their rounds and give pep talks, be a listening ear. It's well into the evening when Rogue takes a final moment to text Kurt and Remy, asks to talk in the kitchen, and then flies into town to pick up a pizza. Way faster than normal delivery, and even if she's not particularly hungry yet, feels right to remind her family to keep their strength up. Rogue jets through the kitchen window where the boys are waiting, and drops the box unceremoniously on the table.

"All of ours came back. We saved damn near everyone we could." She begins this official meeting in the most optimistic way she can, which isn't very. "What's next?"

THE AFTERMATH: Sam & Paige

[shake_it_off Paige Guthrie 🌻 Husk]

It's fairly late when Paige texts Sam 'Sibling debrief at bench swing in 10?', but she figures he'll be awake and is pleased when she gets a response. She's out there within 3 minutes herself, wrapped in a thin blanket and with a box of Cheez-its, appreciating the quiet of the garden and the gentle swing of the bench as she waits for her brother. She should be studying, probably, but she's still feeling a little out of sorts and figures she should check in with Sam anyways.

THE AFTERMATH: Rogue & Sam

[hits_different sam guthrie 💥 cannonball]

"Race you, Boss." Sam offers as he pulls his goggles onto his forehead. One of the set's eyes is smashed in, collateral damage from a Sentinel hit he'd just barely edged away from, but at least they're just fashion accessory.

A cool fashion accessory.

He stifles a sigh.

THE AFTERMATH: Bobby & Warren

[wingspanned warren worthington iii 🪽 angel]

The sun is briefly blocked as Warren sweeps over the destruction, wings spread wide. He has a split second to survey the ground, note his target, and dive down. He tilts his wings up just as he's about to land, letting the air catch him so he can land gracefully on his feet, right in front of Bobby Drake. His landing kicks up dust and ruffles the hair of everyone around them, but he walks decisively towards Bobby, not paying much mind to the small audience.

Warren perhaps underestimated the situation when he didn't change into his supersuit. The tattered remains of his business suit are all but falling off his torso, and he's not sure where his left shoe ended up.

"I take my eyes off you for one minute."

THE AFTERMATH: Illyana & Manuel in Detention

[empata Manuel de la Rocha (Empath)]

This part of the detention center is all holding cells, small and packed tightly together and separated only by metal bars. Clearly, the prisoners aren't mean to be kept here for long. Just long enough to be assessed and either released or relocated to a more permanent location.

When Illyana is brought in after being processed and separated from Emma, Manuel is already there. Dressed in the same orange jumpsuit that she is, he sits on the floor with his back pressed against the wall and his eyes closed. He's pulling in slow, deliberate breaths and letting them out, attempting to quell a mounting sense of panic. The last time he was collared was on Genosha and, while he doesn't actually remember it, there's enough of the experience still burned into his subconscious to leave him paralyzed with fear. His head aches. He feels nauseous. It's difficult to catch his breath.

When the cell next to him is opened, though, and one of the two guards accompanying Illyana shoves her roughly inside, he opens his eyes and looks over. Seeing her, and not seeing Emma, is a reminder that he has to get himself together.

"...Are you all right?" he manages finally once they're alone, though there's a trembling quality in his voice that he immediately despises.

THE AFTERMATH: Rogue & Gambit

[blindcut remy lebeau 🃏 gambit]

As soon as Gambit is sure it's all quiet after the fight, he crosses the battlefield to Rogue and offers her a hand to help her jump down from the smoldering pile of Sentinel remains she's standing on.

THE AFTERMATH: Paige & Remy

[blindcut remy lebeau 🃏 gambit]

"What a mess," Gambit announces with a long low whistle as the team rounds another corner to reveal yet another block of structural damage. This is by far the worst incident he's had to attend as the co-leader of Gold Team thus far, but unlike some of the other X-Men he's never minded being on camera or playing PR spin for the team. He's grateful for this moment of solitude with Paige anyway, in the wake of everyone else leaving on their various tasks.

"Remember how quiet it was when we thought they were all dead?" he asks her as he picks his way down the street, like he hadn't be hang-wringing about it the entire time Blue Team had been gone.

THE AFTERMATH: Remy & Laura

[wildlike laura kinney (wolverine)]

Upon returning from their investigation into Mona Elswick, Laura goes looking for someone in charge. Somehow, this is Gambit. She emerges soundlessly from the shadows and throws a completely shattered smartphone at him.

"Need a new phone."

THE AFTERMATH: Scott & Emma

[frost_queen Emma Frost ♕ White Queen]

Emma's uniform had been enough of a mess that she hadn't gotten it back - instead they'd given her a plain white t-shirt she's tied into a knot at the hem, plus a pair of grey sweatpants that are a little too big and look particularly ridiculous with her white heeled boots peeking out the bottom. But for once she doesn't have the energy to be annoyed by this. She's just glad to be uncuffed and uncollared and stepping out in the lobby of the detention center.

It's an added relief to see the friendly faces of their teammates as well. Particularly Scott, who she immediately makes her way towards, mind reaching out to his. They've had some tension since learning the true meaning of their marks, but all that is easily forgotten right now. She's maybe even feeling a little emotional at seeing him.

"Hi, darling. I hope you didn't have to wait too long."

THE AFTERMATH: Rogue & Kurt

[blauerdamon kurt wagner ⚔️ nightcrawler]

Processing. And it's taking too long. They're sitting in a cold metal room with some scant chairs that serves as a waiting room as Xavier's money is being transferred to the detention center. Somewhere deeper inside, Emma, Manny and Illyana are (ideally) being given back their belongings and will walk through those steel doors any minute.

Kurt would love to pace around, show off his teleporting, hassle the receptionist... but he has to be calm. For Scott. He's going to be the level one for his brother. Show him that this is all under control.

"Does it frustrate you, too, that between the two of us we could have had them out an hour ago?" He asks Rogue, too quiet for anyone else to hear. Except maybe some listening devices, but he's not worried about scaring them.

THE AFTERMATH: Kitty & Scott

[seeingred scott summers ⊗ cyclops]

Scott is in his room, picking up a change of clothes and some toiletries. Really, with the amount of time he spends at Emma's, he should just leave an overnight bag in her room, but doing that feels permanent in a way he's uncomfortable with. (Not fair of him to act like he's planning to be around long-term.)

The events of the day are still vivid in his head, somehow worse than anything he'd imagined, even after years of anticipation of the Sentinels. Katherine Pryde brought back warnings when they were still kids, and he feels barely prepared for the threat. And if he feels this way...

He goes to the wall that that separates his room from his neighbor's, and knocks on it. "Kitty? Are you in there?"

THE AFTERMATH: Kurt & Scott

[blauerdamon kurt wagner ⚔️ nightcrawler]

Kurt teleports next to Scott with no warning, and just starts talking. "Confirmed. Emma, Manny and Illyana."

The air is filled with dust from collapsed buildings and fires, so thick it almost overwhelms Kurt's plume of smoke. He's breathing heavily, mind still processing what he just said. He saw some of it as it happened, heard other parts, and teleported himself as far as he could to watch the sentinels take off. The victim is dead. His teammates captured. He feels cold as the wind hits his wet fur.

THE AFTERMATH: Emma & Kitty (next morning)

[passingthru KITTY PRYDE]

Kitty hasn’t been avoiding the former kidnapped members of their team exactly, since they returned. Only she hasn’t sought any of them out, because she has no idea what to say. Her brain feels foggy and a thing to be wrangled in the first place, and coming up with words that seem apologetic enough without inviting sympathy for herself feels really hard. And there’s been the business of investigating the Kick, and the fact that once she finished debriefing with Scott last night, she’d effectively passed out form exhaustion and head injury, therefore accidentally honoring her promise to Paige.

But in the light of day, it can’t be avoided any longer, because she really is worried. She’s been forbidden to work by the infirmary, anyway (no screens allowed). So after a morning of bopping morosely around her room, she gets two cups of coffee from the kitchen and phases right through the door of Emma’s office, only remembering half through that she’d formerly promised to knock for privacy’s sake.

“You better be working with clothes on.” She says belatedly as a greeting.

OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

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VOLUNTEER

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Comment to take a volunteer spot and determine your character's activities after the battle! There are currently three slots available for each, but I'll add more if needed once the different groups start to fill out.