The Ashes of the Phoenix [OPEN]

[thethirdspecies]

WHO: John Sublime, "No Girl", the U-Men, and their unfortunate target... The Insitute
WHAT: Sublime's U-Men attack the school. They're aiming for the sublevels. Stop them at all costs!
WHERE: Throughout campus
WHEN: Past midnight, Wednesday-Thursday
WARNING(S): Gonna get violent.


The time was now. The media attention over his followers actions was too much. And after all, Xavier's little henchmen in London had figured it out. He was sure of it. There was no more time to bide. No more room for hesitation. It was act now, or the revolution would end in a prison cell, festering away in the disgusting care of this unclean world. Sublime couldn't stomach it. Couldn't fathom it. And whatever god help those who stood in the way of him and his dream of Homo Perfectus.

"All units are in place," Sublime whispered, peering out over the immaculate green, covered in moonlight, staring a drilling, piercing hole into the mansion. "Martha... it's your turn now," another whisper, as the floating apparatus before him, holding a strange glowing orb, began to shine even more brightly.

Just like that, the security systems failed. And just like that, Charles Xavier gasped and sent out a short, psychic burst to all X-Men, perhaps to everyone in the school, before he was overwhelmed and silenced, collapsing from his bed to the floor, stunned into sleep by a psychic force even he was not prepared for.

"This is it, Martha... our dream... U-Men! Bring me the Ashes of the Phoenix!" And like that, dozens of the men from the blurred video that Glamour and Spy had managed to obtain swarmed the ground, organic and mechanical, using a plethora of stolen mutant powers, attacked.


[[ This is it! Our first major action post, and in X-Men tradition, it's a direct attack on campus. Feel free to start your own threads. The U-Men will be NPC'd by the mods. Their ultimate goal is the filed away genetic samples of Jean Grey in the sublevels. They must be stopped, before someone uses them to integrate Jean's powers into a U-Man. ]]

Comments

[denialism]

Well, that showed him! That does totally work. And it hurts a lot. What a strong, stupid kid. But Adachi doesn't allow Jack to perceive that. He can take a lot of punches, so he maintains his concentration and his the perception that he isn't where he actually is, and he creates another version of himself, standing a few paces to the right of Jack, still laughing. It's a pretty cheap distraction tactic, but Adachi's a pretty cheap guy. He's got more up his sleeve, but he's lazy and would rather try something simple.

"Wow, kid," says the fake Adachi. "You just don't learn, do you?"

[the_prodigal_son]

He freezes, and refuses to look at the next Adachi. No, he is not over there. He was right here, he's sure of it... Jack ignores him and throws another punch, which from Adachi's end will be getting slammed into the wall. Well, Jack's logic is that he's going to do the opposite of what Adachi wants, and Adachi clearly wants him to stop doing this. Even if... he has no idea he's succeeding in his original plan.

[denialism]

Ah well, if he dies, he dies. He guesses it won't be so bad. This shitty life he never even asked for will just be over... It's not like anyone gives a shit about him anyway.

Of course, Adachi's power isn't entirely controlled. It's like being in his subconscious. Isn't that a nice idea? That's why it's so damn creepy all the time, a light dawning and the usual green haze rising up to fill the air. Small, twisted structures begin to appear. There's a woman standing in the distance, pale and indistinct.

Closer to hand, a form coalesces near Jack, weapon drawn.

"Oh, that guy," the fake Adachi sighs, seemingly more bored than anything else, putting his hands in his pockets as he waits to die. "I don't know why he keeps showing up."

[the_prodigal_son]

...Well Adachi might make it out alive after all. Because as soon as Jack sees that form, he releases the apparently non-existent real Adachi and backs up as far as he can. It takes him until now to realize he really didn't think this through. He's still just as terrified of this man and his powers as he was the first time they met. "Wait- make him go away.I don't-" He doesn't want to get hurt, he just wants to hurt others. Damnit... This is not how things went in his head.

[denialism]

So, he's not going to die? He's not going to die. He's not sure if he should be relieved or not, because it might have been a mercy, since he's in an incredible amount of pain. The stupid kid! Hassling him for no reason. He said he was sorry! He's been beaten before, but not by some kind of super killing machine, or whatever the kid is. Adachi collapses, then shamelessly crawls away.

As he does so, the fake Adachi continues to look bored and takes his time replying. "Look, like I said, this is a mini-dimension. Sometimes stuff happens in it. That's the way dimensions work." Adachi is not the best at explaining science, but the kid's so dumb, even if he could, it's not like Jack would understand it. The figure stands where it is, not moving. Sometimes Adachi gets the feeling that it's helping him out. But he's not interested in anyone helping him.

"So anyway, maybe I can make it go away, maybe I can't. But why should I do anything for you? You hit me when I was trying to round up the kids to help. Just doing my job! I don't like reporting you kids, but I'm gonna have to report you for this..."

[the_prodigal_son]

Jack shivers and shakes his head quickly, "Don't get me stuck in here again! You deserved getting beat up, I don't care what you're doing! And Ms. Hodunk said it was fine." He might be twisting Moxxi's words just a smudge.

On the other hand, the talk of dimensions brings a quote to Jack's mind. I could explain the science that makes what you're doing impossible, but that would be like playing Mozart for a tree frog. His father told him that, in reference to getting close enough to kill him. But he succeeded there. Surely he can figure out some way to succeed here... that calms him down a little.

[denialism]

"Uh, you can't ask some random teacher for permission, she's not in charge of anything. Wait, she's not even a teacher, is she?" That's that weird chick who was talking about handcuffs. He thinks. He's seen her around. She stands out. Only this kid would believe something that freak said. "And no, beating people up is against the rules, period."

He sighs, deeply. "Look, this is all a big misunderstanding, kid. I don't like you and you don't like me, but I don't want to have a damn thing to do with you, you know. I don't give a crap."

[the_prodigal_son]

"She said it was worth breaking the rules if you need it." It's clear how great an influence she is. Then again, Jack is used to being told things like this. Leaving people alone and letting things lie is far more alien to his programming.

"Look- I don't care!" he snaps, his tone falling somewhere between annoyed and anxious, "If you want this over so badly let me go and take a fucking beating like an adult!"

The trouble with Jack understanding the reason for being stuck in dead air is that he's never really considered that other people attack him out of self-defense. Self-defense is something he does, because people want to kill him. He has yet to stop and think that other people don't like being beaten up or killed any more than he does. At least, not for anyone he considers a threat.

[denialism]

"Um, that—" Okay, no, he's not going to complain about that weirdo in front of the stupid kid. "She's not in charge of anything, and you're still going to get in trouble, dumbass." Adachi is more of a live and let live kind of guy. If he's not getting something out of it, he's not interested. Okay, well, he'll get spiteful if he's denied something he wants, but that is not at all the case here!

"Hey, big surprise, but I don't actually want to get the shit beat out of me. Nobody does. Except some people, but let's not talk about them." Oh my god, this is the worst, some psycho kid has fixated on him! Maybe the Professor will transfer him so he doesn't have to die. He doesn't want to work at this shitty school anyway, so dying for it would be a pain.

"It's not my fault you can't take a joke." Dumbass.

Meanwhile, the dark red figure stands solemn and still, gazing at them. It's even creeping Adachi out a little, from what he can see of it while secretly curled up in terrible pain, but he's ignoring it.