1108/Genosha Expedition I

Genosha Expedition I
Date of Scene:	11 April 2020
Location:	Hammer Bay
Synopsis:	The X-Men travel to Genosha to establish a safehouse and meet an unfriendly welcome committee led by their old enemy, Unus the Untouchable
Cast of Characters:	Scott Summers, Warren Worthington, Clarice Ferguson, Tabitha Smith, Kurt Wagner, Lorna Dane, James Proudstar, Illyana Rasputina

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Scott Summers has posed:
Scott's original plan involved taking the Blackbird with the X-Men team and all the supplies they could fit into the jet. All those charity events means Genosha is getting some needed materials. Better tha Blackbird, instead of getting there by ship, taking weeks, well...

Totally unnecessary since two the world's most powerful teleporters signed up for the expedition. Instead the supplies are neatly pilled up in the school garage and Scott does not get to pilot anything, or seeing Genosha at all. Maybe next week.

As it is, Illyana will be doing the porting. Why? Maybe someone bribed her with chocolate. Maybe she is not as bad as they say. Or maybe she is celebrating she is no longer a mere 'trainee' but has been promoted to the main team.

"The main refugee camp is here," points out Scott, signaling a red dot on the display of the holoprojetor. They are taking the device too, because it has uploaded all the maps the X-Men had from old Genosha plus some Lorna gave them later. "But there are likely smaller places all over the island. Some will be trying to pick the pieces, or looking for dear belongings. Or just still shellshocked. Protect the survivors is a priority, although I assume Lorna will be gathering her own team from the native survivors. Once that is ongoing, we move onto the secondary objectives. Any question?"

Warren Worthington has posed:
Warren has a new suit, one he had comissioned a little while back but since this is his first official mission back with the gang it was time to show it off. Despite being new, it's very similar to the old one he had that he wore at a recent Danger Room training sesh in color scheme and general appearance. But here he is now, joining with his comrades-in-mutations with his new suit on, one hand trailing over the material in appreciation of the work of one Janet Van Dyne.

When Scott begins to outline 'The Plan', he walks over and takes one look at the display and tilts his head to the side, taking it all in as Scott talks. "I can scout the entire island and radio in the positions of all the survivors I see if you'd like." He says once Scott asks if there are any questions. "Um, I think one of my phones can give some pretty accurate GPS positions for our extraction specialists, if that works."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
With Illyana doing the porting, Clarice is on standby. True, the Magenta mutant knows Genosha as well as Lorna and can teleport anywhere on the island with pinpoint accuracy, but she's accepted that Scott's going to trust the one that he's worked with more. So, slipped into her royal guardsman clothes, she remains near Lorna, serving in her primary role as the Queen's bodyguard as she glances at the supplies though she looks confused for a moment.

In a sotto voice, she asks Lorna. "I thought the main refugee camps were Wakanda and Latveria. When did this one appear?" her concern that they didn't get everyone off the island has her brows knitting, especially considering the lack of basic services.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Not a member of the main team, but Tabby was most recently living in Genosha, and was there when things popped off.

It should be noted that she DID NOT blow up Genosha. Scout's honor.

But she's turned up for the trip back, wearing her usual clothes instead of any kind of uniform like the rest. Her blonde hair is up in a ponytail, her sunglasses on, and her hands shoved into the pockets of her coat as she lingers and listens. Or "listens" to the plans.

Kurt Wagner has posed:
Listening intently to the mission briefing, Kurt nods his head slowly as the details are laid out for them, filing away the goals and finishing packing what he needs for the mission, storing it in a compact backpack. In short order he has joined the others, ready to be ported across continents in mere moments.

"I shall focus on the ground's eye view then," the fuzzy elf offers up without hesitation. He might not be able to get them where they're going, but his much more limited teleportation will serve him well when they hit the ground, letting him move about quickly to find those that need assistance and get into places that otherwise might be somewhat difficult.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Returning to Genosha was always difficult for the green haired woman, her mental stability after being pulled from the wreckage of the capital city had been poor to say the least. PTSD mixed with her already all over the place mental state was a bad mixture. Still, she tried her best to handle things, particularly as she had been named heir to the throne.. such as it was, with Magneto's apparent death.

"There are no refugee camps in Latveria. They've just been sending us supplies. The ones that remain in Hammer Bay... aren't exactly the friendliest to people. Or the most mentally sound. They're the stubborn ones that refuse to leave Genosha. I've had a few tense moments here and there with some of them. We just need to remember to be cautious and careful with them. They went through the worst Genocide in history.. and aren't exactly the same for it." She pursed her lips together briefly." She exhaled a breath, crossing her arms.

She wore her uniform, such as it was. A dark green bodysuit plated over with metal alloys and the alike. A pair of thick steel toed boots, and a metal headpiece that was vaguely in the shape of her father's helmet in profile though not in construction nor color.

"Don't engage with the survivors if they lash out. Please understand that they're not in the right state of mind necessarily."

James Proudstar has posed:
"I'm good." James Proudstar replies on the topic of questions. He's even quieter than usual today, but seems quite ready to play human forklift when it comes to getting some of these supplies where they need to go. Not that there aren't others here that could accomplish the same through different means. It's something to keep him occupied, maybe do a little good. All things considered he feels like that's about the best that can be asked for right now. Still, he stands near Tabitha, and as the questions or lack thereof go around, he leans over and murmurs something quietly to her.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
The act of opening a portal to Genosha -- unlike Blink's -- has two side effects worth noting before they end up on the ground. The first is how Illyana goes from street casual clothing that would give Piotr a potential nosebleed to combat ready status in about the space of half a second. Pulling apart the veil of reality to another spot will undoubtedly lead to a transformation, black leather and dark chrome spinning around her in the space of an eye. The usual headdress, her answer to Lorna's coronet, sweeps back from her temples like barbed midnight, forked rather like the frame on her sword. Speaking of, that brilliant mystic artifact? No where in sight. Instead, they have a Scott and a Jimmy to fling at things, and explosive force with all the rest.

"We could put down multiple payloads here, here, here," suggests the demon queen on said projector's map. "Simultaneously. Good to stop one group from seizing all the supplies and coalescing in a group. We do the drops, they have to divide their focus." And the second? Well. They'll get there when there get there, which happens to be outlined around the Russian in a fine blue-white disk that defines 'personal space' exceptionally clearly. She isn't standing on the floor, as it happens, like everyone else. Rather she is standing on absolutely gorgeous black marble striated by veins of opal.

Scott Summers has posed:
Scott nods at Angel. "But even to your eyes scouting the whole island alone will take a while, Angel," replies Scott. "It is nearly the size of Jamaica, so nearly four thousand square miles. Moreover, the area west of Hammer Bay is not flat, but hilly country, hard to scout from the sky. But work with Lorna from the air, you have more experience in those tasks." Kurt can move very quickly on ground, and climb pretty much any surface, so he gets a nod at his suggestion. The ruins of towns will also be pretty treacherous terrain for most, but not for Nightcrawler.

Lorna is technically in charge, but Scott is relying on Warren and Kurt to deal with most trouble, as they are the veterans. That is a given.

As Lorna mentioned, many refugees went to Wakanda or the coast of Africa, but some stubbornly refused to leave Genosha. Some are maybe crazy. Some are just tough. Scott hopes they will listen to Lorna. But just in case, well, sending a big team of mutant warriors.

"We will keep the com channels open. Report every three hours," adds the tall man. "Every two days we will send more supplies and we can send or retrieve people. I will send the Blackbird if teleportation is not possible. Good luck!"

With those words, Scott steps back, letting the Russian sorceress stepping disks of light carry the X-Men and allies away.

To Genosha. It was early in the morning in New York, but here is mid-afternoon. The sharp spring day is replaced by a warm tropical sea breeze that brings also the stench of burning and unburied corpses. While the drab walls of the school garage are replaced by the blasted landscape of the ruined city of Hammer Bay, the once proud towers reduced to rubble, a monstrous, but dead Sentinel looming over the ruins.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
That second side effect... For those never given the chance to follow through Illyana's portals, the experience is bracing. Refreshing, like have the mass of your body constituted down to its base atoms and smeared across the face of the cosmos in roughly twelve different axes. Imagine being flung upwards and skewed wildly apart, swandiving into the ground and the sky in choreographed synchronization. The dazzling whirlwind provides a rather frightening skew of images flying past -- soaring brass towers, a harrowing parade of jagged gateways guarding a mountain pass with too many jaggedy bits to be good, black marbled cliffs crashing away into an open lava lake where serpentine horrors ply the waves and burn-crisp corpses seem to frolic and dance in a macabre vision of violence. The perfect floor, the serene columns enclosing a space open to the sky and filled with the chiming of a silvery bell. Reconstitution through the harrowing vertigo happens a moment later, but it probably feels like worse. They land in that nymphaeum of the damned, and the next step brings them to Genosha. So much nicer in the Indian Ocean. So much more humid than Limbo.

James Proudstar has posed:
Whatever quiet words passed between Tabitha and James leaves James with a bit of a wry grin and a shake of his head. He moves over to one of the pallets of material, one that's strong enough or packed sturdily enough to withstand his next tactic, which is effectively swinging a wide cargo strap around it, pulling both ends tight, and then hoisting it against his back. Short of perhaps hoisting it straight overhead its about the only way to get the whole thing at once.

"I'll see if I can find any unaccounted for survivors once I drop this off." He knows the chances are slim, this far out, but he also knows that sometimes in disasters like these small miracles do happen. Either way, trying not to give up all hope.

He's had a fair bit of recent experience dropping through Limbo portals, so he's prepared for the experience.

He emerges from the portal with his very oversized pallet-backpack, and almost immediately grimaces. As bad as the sensory experience is for regular folks, one might imagine how much fine detail he's getting on the horror with his enhanced senses.

Warren Worthington has posed:
Warren gives Lorna a quick smile as he hears her speak, one that's meant to be reassuring, but with her being so informative and such he focuses his attention back on the display to listen to both her and Illy's comments. When Scott gives his instructions he nods, but before looking at Lorna once again he looks over at Kurt and reaches out and puts a hand on his shoulder. "Good luck to you, my friend. I'll try to keep a position so I can swoop on over should you need any back-up." Another nod and then he's stepping close to Lorna to await the portal opening.

"You got this." He says to the Queen of Genosha with a firm nod. Then the portal opens. Taking in a breath, Warren gives a little shrug. "YOLO."

He hops through and whew, what an experience that is. When he comes to the other side, he's half hopping, half staggering off to one side while flexing his wings. "Hot damn, Jimmy. That is some -SHIT- right there."

Another couple of seconds of getting himself past the Illyana Portal Experience 2020, and then he's taking a little jog before hopping into the air, wings extending and flapping as he takes to the air, not to go anywhere, but to circle and await the others.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
The whisper gets a whisper back, and more whispers. Because Tabby is practically a child and totally passes notes in class, too. But when things begin to move from lingering and listening to plans to actually moving forward for business. Then she focuses.

As she moves through the portal she blows a large pink bubble, popping it before pulling her hands out of her pockets finally. She's not trying to carry anything with her but herself, sometimes not being super strong or capable of floating things around has its benefits. On the other side she gives her hands a shake, like she's shaking off the experience of the hell they just went through before she wipes her hands off on her jacket. Or maybe it's just being back that has her palms sweaty.

Kurt Wagner has posed:
Definitely not a garden spot, not anymore. But if everything was going to go smoothly with the evacuation and resettlement, they probably wouldn't need to go on a mission like this. And if they can help even one individual still on the island then it is worth it to rough it for a few days or weeks. Giving his supplies one last look over, he slings that backpack over one shoulder, eyeing the teleportation display of Illyana with a certain professional interest. His own is considerably different afterall.

"Understood. We will avoid confrontation with anyone who is not interested in our assistance," he agrees as they emerge from that portal, the changing in weather almost immediately discernable. Of course, choosing to avoid such confrontations may prove to be easier said then done. Not that Kurt is concerned. That's pretty easy for him. "I shall leave the camp to others and head out into the city to see what I can find. Mmmmm, east I think, to start unless you think it is likely that I will have more luck elsewhere?" he asks, those glinting eyes flicking back and forth between Scott and Lorna.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna inclined her head to Scott as he spoke, "It'll take time, this isn't a one and done sort of mission. We'll have to be careful for ourselves and others. Scott is right though, the island is a lot bigger than a quick fly over. It's why I've chosen to focus on cleaning up Hammer Bay and not Carrion Cove until later. Thank you all again for volunteering for this." She offered, and followed the group through Illyana's portal to Genosha.

The world reoriented about her, and used to travel via portals already, she regained her balance and focus fairly quickly. It helped as well that she had the magnetic poles to recenter herself mentally as well.

A sharp inhale and exhale followed as her stomach settled and she stepped through to Genosha's ruined landscape.

"Focus on Hammer Bay first and foremost and the area around it. We can branch out after we've secured a base."

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
Hoisting up a respectably large pallet herself, hopefully one with ample handholds, Illyana is among the last to leave Limbo. Can't trust someone running around behind her back there, giving the excitable rose-goblins or ember-fiends reason to mass in boundless curiosity for a newcomer. Everyone will be so much happier if a thorn-covered mass vaguely resembling a crossbreed of a fennec, a rose bush, and an ocelot doesn't decide that Tabby is now its new best friend-food bringer.

See, just a pretty girl in a totally risque pair of black leather pants and a suitably cropped top. "I should have tried a saree," she murmurs. "Oh well." Bygones are bygones, even as she drags along her addition for the benefit of the suffering masses. Of course, the trailing blue-white foxfire closing off Limbo from would-be refugees forms a subtle glitter in the air. Someone -could- try to sneak in there behind her back...

Maybe it's better for the lot of them that does not happen.

Scott Summers has posed:
Warren spots them first, but they are not hiding. The refugee camp harbors maybe a couple hundred Genoshans. Some are obviously mutants. Most could be humans, but it is unlikely many are. Very few humans survived the attack. Those Sentinels did not respect Trask's original programming, they spared no one.

The X-Men are also spotted quickly. A few dozen survivors move towards them. Most slowly, some quickly. They move in silence, grim. Many of them look injured, bandaged, clothes ragged. A child of many eight spots Lorna, and there is a happy cry, which is hushed down by the matronly woman at his side.

The first to arrive is a tall blonde young man with wild blonde har, he is wearing ripped jeans and a sleeveless shirt. "Well, look. It is the useless X-Men and... you!" He points at Lorna. "You have the gall to return. Wait I tell the boss!"

The 'boss' comes next. He is also tall, although of dark hair. His outfit is clean and looks new. And not young, he must be mid-forties. He is still a pretty strong man, with broad shoulders and the powerful arms of a former professional weight-lifter. When he speaks English, he does it with a faint Italian accent. "I can see them myself, Purge!" He yells. "Go away! We don't want you here anymore. Magneto failed us. You don't deserve to be here!"

Some of the older X-Men will recognize him right away. Unus. The Untouchable. Indestructible mutant. Former petty criminal and part time Brotherhood member.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
A pet rose-goblin might be fun, though! But then Tabby would forget to feed it, and who knows what might happen at that point in time. Chaos. Note to self: Get pet rose-goblin.

"Tried a sorry?" Tabby wonders, shooting the question towards Illy, who she clearly misunderstands with the saree comment. But then the refugees make it known that they aren't welcome. A flicker of a smirk crosses her lips before she starts forward, pushing her sunglasses up some, "Don't be such a hater. You can't hold her responsible for what the old man did."

James Proudstar has posed:
Warpath sets the large pallet he has hoisted on his back down, a puff of dust and ash being unsettled by its' arrival. Dropping the cargo strap along with it, he's silent when Unus makes his presence known...not that Jimmy knows him beyond what he read in old files of the X-Men's foes. Either way, Jimmy's not much of a negotiator, though at least for the moment he bites off any sardonic rejoinder that springs to mind. Probably wouldn't help. That said, he does shift a bit, subtly, into a stance that's ready to move, and to fight...though he keeps his hands down so as not to be threatening.

Warren Worthington has posed:
Floating up above the ground, in a position where someone can't just grab him, Warren watches the band of survivors come towards the group. "Incoming!" He calls down, even though the group is likely visible to others, he still feels the need to offer the warning.

Folding his arms as the young blonde man comes up and calls the X-Men useless, he watches as Unus comes up and starts running his mouth. He lets out a sigh and moves a little closer to the rest of the group in case something, anything happens. He also looks like he's ready to make a comment of some sort, but is withholding it in favor of letting others speak first.

Kurt Wagner has posed:
The plan would appear to be set them. Raising that strange, inhuman hand he flips a salute to the others as they start towards the refugee camp, pausing only long enough to pull out an electronic copy of the Hammer Bay map, giving it a quick once over to make sure that it is all synched up with what was on display during the briefing. The notes already present there are reviewed for any sightings of scattered survivors and then he turns away, disappearing between one step and the next with that tell-tale little *Bamf* that always seems to mark his departure, the lingering scent of sulfur lingering in the air behind him.

In the distance he can hear those raised voices and if the words aren't discernable, the tone certainly is. Anger. Resentment. So unfortunate. Confident that the others will be able to deal with it he begins to scamper down side streets, angling away from the where the bulk of the refugees are to found, scampering over the ruins of buildings with ease though giving a small shake of his head each time he comes across those little reminders that thie was once a thriving, vibrant city. Instead of a tomb.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna smiled at the child, bending lower to the young mutant's level and stretching out a hand toward them. She'd become used to being tackled by children at various camps. Though there rarely were any children left here in Genosha. The gaggle of orphans at the Wakandan camp followed her around everywhere, and she had been happy to let them.

But as the matron hushed them, she frowned, rising to her feet again and frowning faintly as she looked between each of the survivors that approached. She blinked, her lips parting as she took a step back and exhaled a breath.

She flinched, and seemed to struggle with what exactly to say. Then her anger spiked.

"My father died for this island. He fought for Genosha more than once!"

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
Cue death, destruction wrought in steel and crumbling concrete where lives have been reduced to ashes. Rubble, a monument for the master of magnetism and his grandiose dreams, hardly brings much of a response from Illyana. Her unyielding gaze meets the group rushing up behind the first, 'useless X-Men' being an epithet like water rolling off that black swan back. Her head tilts slightly as she saunters back from Lorna, giving herself a proper spot where she can watch without being totally in the way of trouble and spitfire if it comes to that. Always look like the least scary one.

Nature has given that sweet hunter's smile to mask the horror behind it, so she falls in next to Tabby. Just a step to the side, a step forward, hardly anything. "We come to bring you food, medical supplies, da? Red Cross has not made it so far. This way, you and everyone else will be able to make a better go of it."

Scott Summers has posed:
"He promised us safety! He said our children would be safe here!" Yells Unus. "Do this looks safe?" He gestures to the ruins. "Where is my daughter?! Why are you alive and Amelia is not?!"

The refugee camp behind has some pre-fab buildings and a metal barricade protecting it. Solar panels over the buildings means they do have power, at least during the day. Tents and small shanty houses surround the larger buildings. The Red Cross might not be here (mostly because the UN is being painful slow about dealing with the island proper) but Lorna and others have brought help.

No gratitude.

<<YOUR FAULT YOUR FAULT YOUR FAULT>> The telepathic attack comes without warning and hits Lorna like an invisible sledge hammer. Her mental arguments to counter Unus words are washed over by a torrent of raw guilt, pain and hate. Not a fancy telepathic strike, this is very basic, but it is also very strong.

And every electronic device the X-Men carry, including their communicators, switches off.

"Yeah, get our of here," says a blonde, handsome teen, grabbing a stone and throwing it at Jimmy.

"You can do better than that, Kev," says the taller blonde called Purge. "Lets kick these losers out of Genosha."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna already had festering issues of self loathing and guilt regarding what had happened on Genosha. Already suffered and beat herself up mentally from the horrors she'd survived when others had not. Her mental shielding was basic, trained over years, but also fragile given her recent trauma. It didn't take much to knock her to her knees, her hands going to her temples to clasp at her head as she screamed. Her powers were connected to her mind, a literal tie to the magnetic fields that ran through her brain at all times. She was literally bipolar to the fields, and they influenced her as surely as she did them.

The mental attack did more than break her mental defenses and cause her pain.. It meant her powers lashed out violently without her control. A visceral reaction based on instinct meant to halt whatever was causing her pain. Whatever metal was around her would be drawn in rapidly, electromagnetic bursts come out of her in waves would doubtlessly fry any electronics not protected against it.

And she screamed.. And screamed. Sobbing as she curled inward under the mental attack.

Kurt Wagner has posed:
Certainly there are signs here and there of people still out in the fringes of the city. More like nests then anything else, but clusters of broken furniture, of blankets that are a little too regular just to be the remains still scattered about of fallen buildings. Of homes shattered. But for the moment at least they appear to be deserted, no hint of movement in those shadows, no signs that they are close by as he peers through that darkness, lit up for him like it was daylight. Well, it was always too much to hope for that he was going to find any of those poor souls in the first few minutes of being out here.

It is the lack of comms that gives him the first hint that something has gone sideways. Reporting in, he gets no reply, only static and he gives a little shake of his head. "This might be a new record," he mutters, the only thing he says before he vanishes from those ruins with that little *Bamf* sound, reappearing out on the street. But he has hardly appeared in that inky cloud of smoke before he's gone again, teleporting back in the direction of the refugee camp.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
The minute the rock is thrown has Tabby's right hand lighting up as she starts to summon up something to throw right back. But before anything can come of her response to rocks being thrown things go south fast. The communicator going off causes her to start cursing as she grabs it from her ear, ripping it out, "Son of a bi.."

Then Lorna loses it and her anger flares up in response to everything happening, "SHUT UP!"

Warren Worthington has posed:
It's not the actions of the crowd that gives Warren immediate concern, it's the fact that the communicators have shut off. "Shit." He mutters to himself, tapping it a few times to get it to work. He eyes the crowd for a quick second, frowning as the kid throws the rock at Jimmy, which is relatively harmless all things considered, but it's Lorna's crying out that really grabs his attention. "Lorna!" A flash of anger swells up in his chest and he turns Unus and points at him as he flutters his wings and lands in a spot in front of Lorna.

"Listen, -Anus-, do you really want to vent out your frustrations on her? Or do you losers want to maybe help us find out who did this so we can work out our frustrations on those douchebags? Come on. All of you. Lay off this. Take the supplies we are here to deliver to help feed, clothe and provide shelter for you and your families."

James Proudstar has posed:
"Never can go easy, can it?" Warpath lets the stone hit him, watching it bounce off harmlessly and tumble away. He shares a glance with Illyana and Tabitha, though it's difficult to tell what exactly the shared joke might be.

Except then Lorna's screaming, and electromagnetic bursts are flying everywhere and Jimmy's communicator just went flying over towards Lorna (not that it likely works anymore anyway) and things are just really not going well. As tempting as certain thoughts might be right now, he moves from his position, shaking his head more in annoyance than anger, and moves to interpose himself between the group and Lorna.
"HEY!" He bellows, directing a glare at the primary instigators in turn, "We didn't come here looking for a fight, but the only people you're really gonna hurt if you keep this up is yourselves."

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
"Congratulations, you made her cry." Illyana gestures briefly to Lorna as the woman starts to buckle under a telepathic attack. Her own disposition is nonplussed, though she crosses her arms over her chest. "Why your daughter? Her father? Why the 528,580 residents of Havershaw Heights?" A mere teenager Illyana may seem, but there is an awful weight of knowing -- of standing among the Genoshan dead entrapped -- as the mask cracks back a little. "Six more dead on the pile doesn't bring them back. Calm down, we can help you."

And then comes the twist of the knife, the shadows moving beneath the frozen surface as she glides in closer to Warren, a black hole in motion. If any of that rugged mass of broken metal or wires come near, she arbitrarily flicks her wrist to fling them away with force. "Or do you want to make fifty more Amelias? A hundred? That won't bring her back." Beat. "But I can."

If Kurt's in sight, any hint of her favourite fuzzy blue elf appearing, she mutters in hard-edged German, not perfect, but hopefully clear: <<Get her out!>>

Scott Summers has posed:
"Yes, I can but..." replies the kid called 'Kev'. But Purge grins and interrupts him. "Go, go, Freakshow. I got your back!"

The kid frowns, glares at Jimmy (biggest target) and starts running towards him. In each step, he changes. Grows, shifts, huge batwings grow from his back, tearing his t-shirt. Two more arms grow from his torso, his face twists, becoming monstrous, the flesh becomes red and leathery. Most of Limbo demons are not that monstrous.

Nine feet tall, a ton of muscle, four armed Freakshow comes for Proudstar, half-running and half-flying, roaring like a bull and any sanity gone from his eyes.

Purge himself runs towards Lorna, or rather to intercept Warren. He is very quick and agile, impossibly so, easily dodging fragments of iron and steel dancing around Polaris screaming form.

Unus, on the other hand, stays stunned for a few seconds. Looking vaguely confused. He tries to say something, but then growls and follows the other two. Fortunately Unus the Untouchable is not terribly dangerous in a fight. He does punch like a heavyweight boxer, but that is not very intimidating in the world of alpha class mutants. His main ability is that it is almost impossible to harm him.

James Proudstar has posed:
Well, there goes any hope of talking them down. Warpath doesn't really know how strong or durable Freakshow is. But he can tell he's at the very least bulkier and probably less inclined towards restraint, and those extra limbs are going to make wrestling a serious pain. So when you can't be sure you're going to win on brute force, try to win on technique.
He braces himself, and just as Freakshow starts to close, he leaps, twisting in the air, and trying to land on the now-monstrous' thing's back, the better to try to wrap an arm around his neck and get him in a chokehold. Hopefully he's still gotta breathe, right?

Kurt Wagner has posed:
He does get around pretty fast when he needs to. And the lack of comms suggests that he definitely needs to now. Little inky clouds of smoke appear each time he reappears and in mere moments he has traversed several miles of the city to arrive at the refugee camp. Where, apparently, that convinction to avoid engaging the loclas has been brought to a rather forceful end. Not sure of just what has happened, he never the less catches Illyana's request, dipping his head in her direction. It's a good one, especially with everything Lorna's been through.

Again that *Bamf* sounds and he disappears, reemerging crouching beside the fallen green haired mutant. With Warren intercepting the incoming rush, it gives him all the time that he needs to insure that the fallen woman is taken to safety. "Lets get you somewhere a little less exciting," he murmurs, hands and tail gathering Lorna close so they can beat a hasty retreat.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
"Shit..." It's not exactly the most UNHAPPY of words. Maybe Tabby wanted there to be a fight after all, or maybe, just maybe...she's happy that the fight back isn't going to be all just her blowing things up and everyone being pissed at her for it later.

The bombs that she forms are about the size of baseballs, and she winds up and throws them in Purge's direction, aiming for him. "Pick on someone your own size!"

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
A boy deciding to turn into a terrifying monster is just the sort of person to get a shrug from Illyana. "My grandmother has one of those." A deadpan quip could be absolutely honest on that part, difficult to decipher the truth between the two. Well, she tried peace. Everyone is always going on about playing nice and no killing, some magical rule that works in theory better than in fact. She walks step by step for James, and calls out, "Throw him into the air!"

An impish smirk isn't on her face as she holds out her hand and there come the twin blades in all their glory: a pretty, somewhat archaic saber and the holy shard of the Soulsword. "Time to unleash hell if the war is on, da?"

Warren Worthington has posed:
Warren watches Purge come for him and/or Lorna, and with Lorna on the ground, he let his wings come up and he clenches his fists and bends his legs a little. Then he goes into motion, one wing shooting forward to try and punch at Purge, followed by his other wing, then he'll jump into the air and spin, each wing making another attack until he lands on his feet. His actions mostly meant to keep Purge from reaching Lorna.

Out of the corner of one eye he sees that Kurt has appeared at Lorna's side. Satisfied that Lorna is getting help, and now that Boom-Boom has joined the fight against Purge, Warren uses his wings and mobility to try and keep Purge and Unus, if Unus is coming at them with Purge, occupied for Illy and Boom-Boom to do the heavy lifting.

Scott Summers has posed:
Warpath is far more agile and quick than Freakshow, so he easily outmaneuver the kid and grabs him from behind. Unfortunately, he has also misunderstood the teen powerset. Freakshow is not a mutant that transform into a monster, he is a metamorph able to alter his size in incredible ways. He pretty much turns himself around, the neck gyrating 180 degrees, the arms bending and shifting in impossible ways, the hips turning around completely. Then he just dissolves under James grip into a gross purple liquid and reforms quickly, grabbing the huge Native American warrior with a monstrous arm and slamming him against the ground, hard. Then tossing him away as if he was a doll.

Strong too, but fortunately not at Warpath level. That was more gross than painful for James. Definitely 'tossing him up' like Illyana requested is going to be quite the challenge!

Closer to Lorna, Purge gets a wing on his face, but he barely winces. The second one he blocks with a forearm. It is like hitting a brick wall, Purge is definitely stronger and tougher than he looks. In fact Warren can do little but slow him down, but that means Kurt is faster, and Lorna vanishes when Purge is mere inches from grabbing her.

"What the hell?" He glares at Warren. "I am going to tear your wings off, and..." glowing ball? He uh? Then BOOOM. Purge goes flying, but he twists his body in mid-air, landing on his feet with a dexterity that would have made Beast proud, he shakes his head. A bit stunned, but clearly still able to fight.

That leaves Unus, who is trying to tackle Warren down before the winged hero can fly out of his reach.

Warren Worthington has posed:
If only there was time to sit and admire Boom-Boom's handiwork with that punkass Purge, but alas, Unus is trying to get hold of him, and Warren has no desire to be held down by a big sweaty dude. Especially not this big sweaty dude.

"Come on, Anus, is that all you've got?" Warren asks, flapping up into the air and circling the mutant a moment before pushing himself forward and then diving to the ground a little ways away, "Why'd you guys have to be such dicks man? Lorna is doing a lot to help you people out and this is what she gets on her return?" He shakes his head and flaps up into the air once Unus looks his way, trying to keep ahead and away of Unus and using his mouth and teasing to let the others deal with the other threats until they can all come together for this big lug.

James Proudstar has posed:
"Whoulmpf!" Says the Warpath as he lands a couple dozen meters away, a bit dusty and a bit...kinda grossed out by what just happened. Still, this does offer up a conundrum as to how to deal with Freakshow. He leaps back to his feet with surprising speed and grace for someone of his size. This time as Freakshow closes, James waits to leap, and when he does, it's accompanied by an uppercut aimed to catch the "monster" right under the jaw. Looking to see if this is an adaptability thing or a conscious thing.

Shoryuken?

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
Dashing on the run, Illyana makes a point of not standing still. The speeds she can reach with two blades is fairly extensive, though the sabre ends up sheathed at her back while she wields the Soulsword like an extension of herself -- largely because it is. While Jimmy is tossed aside by Freakshow, she adjusts her path to take advantage of that opening, appearing to deke in towards the metamorphic mutant as though he might swivel her way. Close, but not -too- close, a zigzagging dash plays at the lioness going after a bigger target and waiting for the others to close in. It's only to buy time.

Enough to give Tabitha time to make it rain. As soon as those glowing orbs are in motion, tossed in any kind of stream, blue-white light opens up in a portal---

And another---
    and another---
        ---and another---
            ---with Illyana hopping into another---

You get the point, as they break the heavens all over the impromptu battlefield where Freakshow and Purge dance. A spectacle thoroughly deserves to hear /BOOM!/ by System of a Down echoing in the background to coordinate with the explosive rush coming from all directions, but do what you can.

Kurt Wagner has posed:
As he *Bamfs* away with the fallen mutant woman, Kurt and Lorna emerge back at their entry point. And while he might be concerned about the rest of the team, they are in far better position to take care of themselves then Lorna is at the moment. Besides, they're dealing with other mutants here. Just because they stepped out doesn't mean that the angry refugees don't have a means of following them. He can hardly leave her on her own under the circumstances.

Peering around, he keeps all his senses peeled for any sign of trouble following them, more then prepared to disappear again at the first sign of trouble. He can keep that up all day afterall.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna was in so very much pain mentally, all she could do was curl up and clutch at her head as she sobbed on the ground. Mental attacks were a weakness to the magnokinetic even before she'd suffered through the trauma of Genosha.. And it all played into her existing guilt and self-loathing over what had happened in Genosha.

Kurt found her that way, and she didn't do much even as he teleported away.

As they reappeared she whimpered, closing her eyes as she caught her breath for a second, two. Her head pounding from the mental attack as she sucked in air as if she hadn't been able to catch her breath before.

"Kurt--" She broke off as the telepathic attack slammed back into her, and she went back to clutching her head and going rigid in pain. The telepath had located her again within seconds it would seem.

Scott Summers has posed:
Usually Unus would be smart enough not to take Warren taunts, at least not for long. His powerset is purely defensive and not good against a flier. But today he is not thinking straight. He chases after the winged man, picking up a large metal pole from the rubble to give himself some extra reach. "Come here you rich boy! Bird freak! Gonna kill you!"

Freakshow turns when Illyana comes with two blades, trying to slap or kick the young woman away. Misses. Misses. Well, he grows another two feet and produces another arm to try again. No? Then a tentacle sweeps for Illyana. Good idea, but too late, now it is raining bombs.

The giant mutant staggers, crying in pain as the bombs hit him. Leaving himself open for James' super-uppercut. Freakshow gets hit so hard he jumps a yard into the air, and then slams down the ground with a very satisfying -thud-. He lies there moaning in pain and shrinking.

Meanwhile Purge jumps, dodges, avoids. That wild-looking guy is really good. Hank would be hard-pressed to dodge so many bomblets. And he is still coming, along the way grabbing a two ton wreck of a flying car and using it as an improvised club to sweep at James and Illyana position. "Leave the kid alone!" He yells.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
The little bombs hurt, the medium ones hurt more. But it is the larger ones that really manage to do a whole lot of damage.

After throwing the bombs through the portals for Illy and the bombrain, she turns her attention towards Purge. This time she summons up the largest of the bombs she's made before, or felt comfortable making in the past. It's about the size of a basket ball, and she lifts it up over her head before she flings it in Purge's direction.

Warren Worthington has posed:
"Yes. I am going to come to you as you threaten to try to make sweet, passionate love to me with Colossus' massive schlong." Warren shakes his head, "Going to have to hard pass on that friend." He says this as he moves a little farther up into the air to try and avoid the reach of the big metal pole. But an idea comes to his mind, and so he flies in the direction of Jimmy, Illy and Boom-Boom while still trying to get Unus after him.

As he nears Illy he calls out, "Yo, can I get a bass drop on the big lug behind me so he drops out of the sky?" No one said it was a -good- idea, but Unus' defensive prowess calls for unique solutions.

Kurt Wagner has posed:
Well that answers that. He was hoping that they would have a little more time at the very least, but he can hear the pain in Lorna's voice, making it oh so obvious that she is still very much under attack. But something unseen at that, Kurt's gaze sweeping over their surroundings looking for the source and finding nothing. More's the pity. So it looks like running it is going to have to be and hopefully the rest of the team can deal with whomever is assualting her.

"You have my deepest apologies. This is likely to get a little uncomfortable. If it gets too much please let me know," the fuzzy blue elf says apologetically, his hold on Lorna tightening once more as he prepares to teleport away once more. That might buy them a few more seconds at least, forcing her assailant to hunt her down once more. But teleporting someone in rapid succession tends to be very unpleasant for the invidual in question. Indeed, if he knew where her assailant was a dozen or so quick ports would likely render the individual unconscious. Instead, he'll have to subject her to it. Again, there is that brief pop and release of sulfur smell as they disappear, emerging back out onto one of the beaches that line the destroyed city. The sun, the sound of surf, at another time it would be very releaxing. Not so much at the moment. "We'll try to wait 30 seconds before we port again. Hopefully that will ease the toll it takes on your system," he offers up again with a note of apology in his voice.

James Proudstar has posed:
James is just barely back on the ground when Purge comes a-clobbering, so there's -just- enough time to shift his position to place himself in front of Illyana and lean into the oncoming strike, hoping the car will mostly smash itself against him and leave Illyana unscathed. Not that she can't take care of herself in a variety of ways, but like a certain other big bruiser that hangs around this team, he got a lot of training in "take the hits the smaller folks can't" so it's kind of an instinct at this point. Plus an Illy not worrying about avoiding a late-model Subaru is an Illy that can do something mean to people that kinda are asking for it.

"Oh, you get mad when someone tries to finish the fight you started?" Jimmy manages to call out amidst the smashing of automobiles.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
Yes, that is something Illyana absolutely -can- do, while Tabitha makes the world bright and Jimmy eclipses her from getting hurt. She can wait on flinging down a spell, though she rises again to run. That way, not this, another game of catch-as-catch-can. Purge is on the way and that calls for some... creativity. The slight tilt of her head throws the wave of her white-blonde hair through her face, blocking the incandescent magnesium flare of her eyes. The same energy arcs in a wild crescent around Unus, distorting like the bow shock around the space shuttle or Carol Danvers on atmospheric re-entry. Ripples of space and time spread in a wave intending to consume the man.

Next exit, a thousand feet airborne, which gives Warren roughly 8 seconds until impact for the man condemned to meet Heaven. But not before he sees the nearest thing to Hell, the in-between dimension summoned up. The X-Men know what that transit feels like, and that's with Illyana generally tolerating, even welcoming their presence. Imagine a cat who wants to play with her food. She might even be -piqued.-

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna couldn't very well articulate an answer for Kurt under the mental attack she was suffering. She could do little more than grit her teeth and clutch at her head in pain as she struggled against the mental onslaught. Her frame was seized in pain, and she could do little more than whimper as they teleported again. She felt the world roil around her, and while she was used to the smooth portals Clarice or Illyana made... Kurt's methods were a bit rougher.

But as they teleported a second time, Lorna was able to catch her breath again. Her head pounding with the after effects as she went limp as the attack stopped momentarily. Her eyes screwing shut as the world around her blurred. Everything hurt, even if she hadn't been physically touched. "I'm gonna be sick." She got out.

But she didn't get a full thirty seconds... Though the pause was longer than before. She was getting exhausted, and this time, she didn't scream as she seized up and groaned. Her hands lurching to her head as she curled inward again. It was less like a sledgehammer, more of just a hammer on her skull. And no longer was Lorna quite so unprepared for the attack. Her powers were no longer lashing out wildly, and she was just struggling to breathe around her choked sobs.

Scott Summers has posed:
Purge follows the smashing car with a fast kick aimed at James head, and then a blur of punches Warpath might find hard to parry. He feels as quick and maybe as strong as the large apache, and possibly even more agile.

He is vaguely aware of Tabitha's presence and her bombs, but like Unus he is not thinking straight today. When the blonde delivers the big one, he sees is a bit too late. He runs, and he is fast, just not quick enough. BOOOOOOOM. There is a nice crater, and a flying Purge that lands half a mile away, face first. Unconscious. Wait, James was there too!

Unus chases Warren, looking up. He should have looked down. Illyana's portal catches him and... it is a long fall. It won't hurt him, but he is sure out of it for a bit.

That leaves Kurt and Lorna. Lorna can feel the attacking telepath getting weaker with each jump. Finding her and mounting the attack again from scratch must be difficult for whoever is after her. By the fifth jump or so, there are no more attacks.

Kurt Wagner has posed:
Of course he has no way of being certain, but certainly all the evidence would suggest that she is under a psychic assault. The crippling pain with no apparent source, the fact that she grips at her head, all of it suggests that there is a telepath out there that has it in for her. Short of the individual revealing themselves, they don't really have a way to deal with that. So continuing to run, no matter how uncomfortable would appear to be their only option.

"Again, you have my apologies. With luck this will all be over shortly," he offers as soothingly as he can, though he does grimace as it becomes clear that they are not going to get the full thirty seconds he offered her. "Do what you need to Lorna, especially if it makes you feel better. I'm told doing this on an empty stomach helps a little," he admits, giving her as much time to recover as he can. "It will be our secret," he notes gravely. Because no one can look dignified when emptying the contents of their stomach. And then they are off again.

While he had been trying to stay in the general vicinity of the refugee camp, he changes tacts now that they are clear of the city proper. From the beach he can see a good way down the coast and he takes advantage of that, maxing out those jumps at least as he carries them further and further from the city -- but presumably further and further from those psychic assaults. Indeed, the intensity seems to begin to trail off though be the end of it Hammer Bay is no longer in view. He waits, thirty seconds, forty-five even sixty and when she does not seem to react anymore he lets out a long, slow breath. "I fear that we will have something of a walk back," he says apologetically. But he suspects that right now at least Lorna probably prefers that to to the alternative.

Warren Worthington has posed:
Warren gives Illy a quick, "Thanks!" and let's Unus get a nice, brief introduction to Illy's Fun Zone and then a Magik Death Drop. "BOOM-BOOM!" He points to the plummeting Unus. "If the rest of them are out of it, you want to send him on a nice trip so he leaves us alone for a while?"

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna couldn't quite manage a dignified response. Not between whimpers and pained inhales of breath as her head pounded. She quite frankly, had never had to deal with an assault quite so bad before, even in training Jean hadn't ever gone for the kill so to speak. And Lorna was quickly, too exhausted to do much more against anything.

Thankfully, after the fifth jump so so.. she wasn't counting. Counting meant //thinking// and that //hurt//. She was left to vomit up the contents of her stomach there on the sandy beach side. She collapsed as the assaults stopped, and simply closed her eyes, inhaling shallowly. The world and everything spinning about her. The combination of the teleporting and mental attack was not a fun one.

Walking was going to //suck//.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
James can handle it. He's a big boy. And if not, Tabby'll just have to make it up to him later when his ears stop ringing and his head isn't killing him. Assuming he'll let her within five feet of him after exploding a bomb in his face.

At Warren's call her attention shifts up, then her eyes target Unus as he comes crashing down from the sky. It's not the best angle, and she runs towards where he's going to be landing so that she can throw another one of the larger basketball sized balls at him. Or rather, where she hopes he'll be by the time the bomb arrives. Got to lead them right.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
Magik, they name her, and magic there is. Purge's efforts to show up Warpath in a game of Twister may win him a point or two until Tabitha tries to blow him and her tire-swing buddy at the same time. Debts accrued and owed come tumbling down as the Witch Queen of Limbo rips thin air into incandescent shreds. The backlash of the explosion pours into her native realm, the secondary portal opened like a flower behind it and behind the Apache absorbing the shockwave that probably slams him right back into it. Two for one bargain, except she has to dump one of them with a terminus that doesn't leave anyone exploding.

Or painful. Fortunately, there is a camp nearby full of nice sheets, crates, and other semi-breakable objects that hopefully absorb the worst of it. She selects the furthest spot from anything looking inhabited for him to come down at, giving him a glancing angle upwards so that the impact will hopefully chip at any risk of actually being harmed. And then he can dramatically land on his feet, arms out, and shout, "JAZZ HANDS!" in defiance of someone being a jerk.

Okay, so there might be some scorch marks, but those are dignified and suitable. The Soulsword is already keening softly in her hand, lifted like the radiant beacon it is, not used nearly enough. "I said I would be nice," she reminds it. "This is nice."

Kurt Wagner has posed:
With any luck the situation back at the camp should very nearly be dealt with. Hopefully that means that Warren or Illyana will be by before too long and they can be spared that hike back into the city. Not that it would particularly bother Kurt, but he hasn't spent the last several minutes having his brain melted into a fine oooze of pain. If nothing else they appear to be safe enough out here for the time being -- one more reason not to try and rush her back to her feet and onto the ruined city.

Hopefully the rest of the mission goes a little more smoothly then this. It would be unfortunate if their reception is the same from everyone they come across. Not that Kurt can blame them for their anger and fear. Their world has been turned upside down afterall and they've suffered an incalculable tragedy. It would just be nice if they were trying to take it out on people trying to help them. He will turn the other cheek. But it is hard sometimes.

James Proudstar has posed:
Warpath absorbs some of the strikes from Purge, grunting in pain at a few shots to more sensitive areas. He blocks a few more, and he waits a few moments, waiting for an opening. Then it comes. He lashes out with that speed that's so surprising for someone of his size, briefly seizing Purge's shoulders and bringing his own head forward to crack his forehead across the bridge of Purge's nose, pretty close to as forcefully as he can muster. And with the man hopefully stunned, he releases him and pulls back just as that bomb drops right in-between them.

Whoops! Well, the teamwork was great up to a point! *BOOM* goes the time-bomb, backwards flies the Jimmy, only to land in an abandoned room, though he's not really at his feet, having still taken a face full of time bomb.

But he's not out, either, groaning just a bit as he pushes himself back to his feet, ears ringing, vision blurry, but alive...still standing. In a couple seconds.

Scott Summers has posed:
Unus crashes with the grace of a cannonball in a forcefield. Leaving a nice Unus-shaped hole on the debris. Absolutely no harm to him, yet he stands up slowly, holding his head as if confused.

Boom-Boom's bomb does absolutely nothing against a forcefield that can take punches from Hulk. But the noise makes him wince. "What the hell happened? Where am I... oh, right." He walks out of the hole and glares at the explosive-tossing blonde. "Tell your boss I need to talk to him."

Because there must be a 'boss' somewhere, right?

Warren Worthington has posed:
It seems that the baddies are either out for the count or ready to actually have a conversation that doesn't devolve into dumb and meaningless threats and insults. Warren lets those on the ground get things situated, but with the disappearance of Nightcrawler and Lorna, he goes up into the air and presses on his communicator. "Test, test, 1... 2... 3..." He awaits an answer, any answer just to confirm that comms are back on line.

There's some static on his end and then Kurt's voice comes through the comm's. Wheeling around in the sky, he heads on over to where they are located, checking up on them and such. After a minute or two of that, he gently flies Lorna and Kurt back to the others, landing near the rest of the team and gently setting both down.

Letting out a breath, he takes a side to let Lorna and the others deal with Unus however they seemed fit.

Scott Summers has posed:
Unus is still a jerk. But at least he is no longer abusive or aggressive. In fact, he seems haunted and sad. Weird to see in a villain with his career like this, but he was never a Joker-like psychopath. Just a greedy crook with super-powers.

Purge is also a jerk, and walks away when he recovers.

Freakshow is nicer, totally intimidated by the X-Men, too. He apologizes fifteen times the first minute after he wakes up.

All of them have the same headache Lorna is suffering. Because they have also been hit by a telepathic whammy. The guilty part is a kid called Hack. Who can 'hack' technology and also minds. Not a very original name, no.

They lead the group to Hack, who is in the infirmary section of the camp. Bandaged head to toes and apparently missing an arm and a leg. Also, drugged to the gills. Apparently when he has a nightmare, weird things happen.

Maybe the X-Men could ship him to a place better suited to handle badly injured powerful telepaths. Please.