HEAVY IS THE HEAD: Part One, SINISTER LEGACY Fallout

[astonishing_xmods]

WHO: The Students and Faculty of the Xavier Institute
WHAT: Charity work in District X, but things are getting bad again
WHERE: District X
WHEN: Thanksgiving Weekend
WARNING(S): Violence, language, etc

So this was Christmas, and War was Not Over. The soup lines, this time, were alongside official Vaccine Centers, cures to the Legacy Virus being handed out alongside plates of hot food for the needy. Once more, winter was bleak in the world of mutants living in forced squalor. Attitudes were not particularly bright. People were no longer dying in the streets from illness, but were conditions really any better? War with Genosha was imminent. The National Guard was already standing post around the community, enforcing curfews, treating the area now more than ever like an internment community. Xavier's students were allowed to move around freely, but only with special ID badges that marked them as such. It was the same all over the country.

This wasn't Mutant Registration... it somehow felt worse. And it didn't help that the Mutant Liberation Front was still very active in the area, and many of them entirely blamed the X-Men for Renko's apparent 'death'. There were antagonistic forces around them, and desperate faces looking at them for some kind of hope. And if they couldn't get it there...

There were whispers, a lot of them, about fleeing to Genosha. About joining the MLF and working alongside Genosha for 'true' mutant liberation. About kickstarting this war on local soil. And really...

... was there anything the X-Men could do to stop it? Should they stop it?

Comments

now in the right place

[jolie_aile]

[Whatever hopes Flandre had for an uneventful (if tense) day dropped out of her chest the moment she heard the voices.

And if the Guard were shooting, this wasn’t another MLF riot attempt.

She didn’t need to glance at Marisa to double check to see if she heard it too; the crowds around them were already reacting, recoiling out of neat lines. It didn’t stop the taller mutant from doing so anyway before she left her position, trying to put as much space between innocent people and herself before she needed to use her powers.

They were not conducive to reducing collateral damage.]

[thenewbrotherhood]

[And in all honesty, neither were his. If this fight went on for long, there wouldn't be much left of the battlefield. Even so, they had their orders, and Avalanche planned to execute them to the utmost. The rumbling could pop ears, it was so intense, and soon enough entire sections of the road were in fissures, rocks jetting out and heading right towards X-Force. Their leader may not have been there, but he could still take out their powerhouse.]

[stardustreverie]

[If anything, Marisa had scowled and pulled her jacket off to let her move around freely...even if it left her with a bit of a concern later on. The idea of keeping the innocents safe was more important right now. The idea of getting warm all over again was a something that could be addressed later.

Those rocks were a concern though and without thinking twice, Marisa holds out her hands and after a moment, fires a large laser to take out the ones heading their way.]

Yo, That isn't very nice ya know!

[jolie_aile]

There's civilians here!

[Flandre found it hard enough to stay standing without stumbling, once the ground started to crack and crumble. Of course getting close wouldn't be easy.

But she knew well enough by now to duck when she heard the sound of Marisa's lasers crackling behind her.

When the way was clear, the taller mutant straightened again and began advancing, bouncing off of her toes into the air where she'd have less to worry about, footing-wise. At least until she landed.

Did he need to be connected to the earth to do that? She'd heard stories about Toph doing something like this, and vaguely remembered that she was always on the ground.

So maybe. Maybe not. Time to find out, regardless.

Flandre took advantage of the brief moment to let her vision blur, extending her hand--and crushing a point connected to the asphalt under Avalanche's feet. It was a small crater--but let him deal with his footing slipping out from underneath him. She certainly was.]

[thenewbrotherhood]

Civilians that need to be inspired to take up arms against their oppressors.

[Avalanche didn't even break a sweat from the laser, or the crater. He hopped to the side, sending another vibration into the earth even while midair, disproving Flandre's theory. This one was enough to shatter windows in nearby buildings and start to topple structures around them.]

[stardustreverie]

[Marisa had hoped that was true as well, as she was stumbling and trying to get her footing. If anything, she's scowling and throwing out stars to try and throw him off.]

They way you want them ta be inspired is only gon' ta get them hurt!

[jolie_aile]

[Well, that didn’t work. The sound of shattering glass and groaning concrete and support beams pulled her lips back from her fangs in a silent, grimacing snarl.]

You're just another bully. Nothing more.

[They needed to stop him sooner rather than later. With her footing unsteady as it was, she couldn't use her power to knock his mask off. Not without risking decapitating Avalanche entirely. If she could just get closer, Flandre could do that with her physical claws--and a number of other things besides.

The younger Scarlet leaped for whatever ground looked most solid, using it to spring at Avalanche while Marisa's stars acted as a distraction.]

[thenewbrotherhood]

[Avalanche wasn't like the others, really. He wasn't a 'reformed' thug that had been shown mercy by Magneto. He was a soldier. An Acolyte. And his movements suggested he'd underwent a lot more training than the others, dodging expertly past the stars and using a heavy vibrating punch to deflect the incoming Flandre.]

[stardustreverie]

[If anything. someone not taking the stars seriously was a annoyance. But that's when she starts letting them explode, little bit of light escaping each as a warning to Flandre that she was about to do something potentially stupid.

it wasn't to be right away, not with how close they were. But for now, warning could get her idea across?]

[jolie_aile]

[The blow sent Flandre hurtling straight back down to the ground, something cracking unpleasantly in her shoulder. Cracks spiderwebbed out from the surface she'd landed on back-first, wings flickering momentarily.

She saw the light from the stars, but there wasn't terribly much she could do about it right this second. Breathing was more important.]

[thenewbrotherhood]

[It was like a grenade going off. A bunch of little tiny ones. He tried to fend off the shockwaves with vibrations of his own, but he was definitely rattled. Still, he had enough wherewithal to counter, and aiming his vibrations downward, he caused another localized quake, shattering more of the ground beneath Marisa and Flandre.]

[stardustreverie]

[That scowl deepens at what had happened to Flandre and was wiped away quickly when she ended up falling to the round from the quake.]

DAMNIT! Now!

[She's closing her eyes tightly as she lets the stars closest to him explode in a bright light. She's hoping to throw him off enough for a heavy hit could be dealt.]

[jolie_aile]

[Flandre wheezed air back into her lungs--and rolled away from the epicenter of the shaking earth, keeping low--and pinching her eyes shut when Marisa shouted.

She even covered her face with an arm, but the stars still burned purplish afterimages into her vision.

But it was safe to stand, for a second, so Flandre coiled like a spring and launched herself at the last place she saw Avalanche.]

[thenewbrotherhood]

[The starburst had definitely blinded him to the point where he never saw Flandre coming. He barely had time to throw up some vibrations in order to lessen her impact, and it still planted him firmly into the concrete below.]

[stardustreverie]

[Marisa gets up at this point, still fairly unhappy with this guy. It's cold on the ground alright? She tossed out a few stars, to serve as mini mines for the time being and moves to be a bit closer before she starts focusing on her hands, pulling out the hakkero. Time to pull out a bit of a heavier hit when she could pull enough warmth in.

She might not have enough to do a full version of a laser she was known to use..but it was worth a shot.]

[jolie_aile]

[The blow still shook half the breath out of her lungs and aggravated whatever was hurting her shoulder into an insensate numbness, but Flandre connected this time.

And this was a far more preferable range, in her opinion.

First she was going to smack off that stupid helmet, swiping at it with the claws of the arm that still felt like working.]

[thenewbrotherhood]

[The claws leave a mark in the helmet, but it doesn't budge otherwise, well secured to his head. From the feel of it, the helmet was vibranium... no wonder he could handle his own massive frequency blasts. Speaking of, knowing the Magus was prepping another shot, Avalanche let out a shout, trying to force Flandre off of him with a massive blast of sound.]

[stardustreverie]

[Right now, Marisa's kinda a sitting duck as she's working through the cold air and the fact her body and powers are starting to affect her negatively. More reason why she hasn't said that much lately.

But not going to stop here. Because this guy was still standing and fighting. Not going to stop...]

[jolie_aile]

[Her claws stopped dead before they could dislodge the helmet, and the blast is sound caught her full in the face. Both of Flandre's ears popped, sounds distorted, and it felt like a physical blow knocked her backwards.

Her claws scrabbled and flailed as she was bowled over, grasping at his shoulder or arm or anything she could reach, determined to drag something with her and buy Marisa more time.]

[thenewbrotherhood]

[Flandre would get another vibra-enhanced punch for her efforts, this time aimed at her jaw. It had been in a long time since he'd been in such a drastic close-quarters situation, and he tried to recall his own training. And he could tell she was trying to keep him pinned so the other one could blast him... time was of the essence. He started to increase the intensity of his vibrations, hoping to delay the Magus's work with an earthquake.]

[stardustreverie]

[Crap, Her concentration was faltering as Marisa struggled to stay upright. That glow in her hand flickers for a moment was she pulls away from it to get her footing and balance back. She's stumbling but at the moment, she's done. Can't even try to charge up more so she's going to fire it quickly. It's shaky and in the right direction..She can only hope her aim is true.]

[jolie_aile]

[Flandre shouted, an inarticulate pained sound that tried to be a roar. But her jaw had broken and two of her sharp teeth flew out of her mouth, making any actually fearsome noise difficult.

She reeled back, her wing snapping around to clothesline the side of Avalanche's head with the metal bar as she fell back.

But when she heard that distinctive sound behind her, Flandre didn't correct herself or check her fall. She hit the dirt instead and hoped she was sufficiently out of the way.]

[thenewbrotherhood]

[Seeing the Magus trip up and the vampire girl hit the ground, Avalanche was pretty sure he'd won. But then he also heard that sound.

Shit.

There wasn't much but to take the beam, the blast sending him rocketing and smashing into a nearby building. He wouldn't be getting up, but any investigation to see if he was still there would turn up nothing. Vanisher had collected him for the retreat.]

[stardustreverie]

[It takes a moment but she does head that way, because better to double check.]

Hey, Ya alright Reine?

[Keeping to code names for the moment because if the jerk was still there..But obviously there was no need. She's shivering hard and heads to Flandre, holding out a hand to help her up.]

I think this means we're safe for now..let's get outta here.

[jolie_aile]

[Flandre's first impulse was to scramble to her feet immediately after the sound faded; her distorted hearing was starting to recover, whatever was wrong with her shoulder was dissipating-

-but she was still streaming blood out of her mouth. Great.

And talking was hard, and her teeth didn't line up right, and--someone was offering a hand to her. Marisa, specifically.

Flandre reached back without hesitation, partially frowning and mostly grimacing at how cold Marisa's hand was (and how much frowning hurt).]

Cold.

[The sound was slurred and clipped, and she winced as she said it.]