View source for 1492/A Sinister Plot: A Broken Crown

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2020/05/03
|Location=Spooky Sinister Lab, Unknown Location
|Synopsis=TW: GORE VIOLENCE NUDITY TORTURE - Sinister begins his experiments, and is not above taking what he wants from his patients.
|Cast of Characters=182,719,959,434,707,502
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:182|Emma Frost (182)}} has posed:'''<br>It's been quiet for a couple of hours. Everyone has been locked into their cells. Nothing has moved. Sinister has been sitting at his 'desk', occasionally shifting to look at one of the other screens as he input data.<br><br>He ignores any yelling, swearing, or pleading directed his way. In fact, it's as if his patients don't even exist.<br><br>So when one of the lab doors creak open, and 17 steps in, that's something new. Something new in a place like this can be good, but it's usually bad.<br><br>"Ah. Please set up for this afternoon, 17," Sinister says idly over his shoulder. He pulls up a vial of blood, shaking it and looking at it before sliding it into a machine that begins shaking it slightly. "I believe we should start the next phase of our experiment." It's his experiment. But the good doctor is nothing is not polite to his assistant.<br><br>17 nods curtly, rolling a pair of hospital beds from the periphery towards the center of the operating theatre. He checks the restraints on them both, tugging them left and right. He hangs a trio of IV bags on each bed, two clear, one the glowing blue liquid from previously.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:719|Julian Keller (719)}} has posed:'''<br>Julian Keller sits on his thin cot, arms around his knees, drumming his fingers against one another. He hears the arrival of Sinister and 17, feeling a quick flutter of fear in his belly and then trying to fight it down. Nothing he can do. Nothing he can do.<br><br>He flexes his mind one more time, trying to make his TK work, trying to get past the barrier of the collar, all to no avail, finally slumping back where he sits and thumping his head lightly against the wall.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:959|Jennifer Stavros (959)}} has posed:'''<br>For her part, Jennifer Stavros is being her usual drama queen self. When Sinister ignored her screaming, her wailing, her profanity and her cajoling, she went on to 'Roulette, Star of Stage and Screen' mode. Now she stands at the bars of her cell, hanging her wrists out the door and pressing her face between the bars as she sings, "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen". Sadly, she doesn't know all the words, so it's basically 'Nobody knows the trouble I've seen, nobody knows the sorrow' over and over again until somebody whose opinion she cares about tells her to stop.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:434|Henry McCoy (434)}} has posed:'''<br>The normal looking man that was the Beast is pacing - eyes constantly darting to Essex and his assistant. He's clearly looking to make an attempted attack - should the opportunity present itself.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:182|Emma Frost (182)}} has posed:'''<br>Emma Frost sits on her bed, wrapped in her blanket. The appearance of 17-- Scott-- has her breath hitch some. He's still under Sinister's influence. Despite Hank's warning otherwise, her mind begins wandering down the worst case scenarios... and the thought of Alex coming for her only to be killed by his own brother in front of her flashes in her mind. That's not helpful thinking. She curls up in a tighter ball.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:707|Danielle Moonstar (707)}} has posed:'''<br>There's been a lot of sleeping for Dani. She fought with the collar at first, trying to remove it. Then she tried forcing her powers to work beyond it, to no avail. There's no fear in her. At least none she's allowed to manifest. It's the one thing she could almost call a benefit: she can control the fear. <br><br>Unfortunately, without fear, Mirage is left with hopelessness and despair. So she sleeps. Or at least she tries to. Right now, she's lying on her side on the bed in her cell, curled up under her blanket, staring out into the lab. That means she sees '17' appear. The betrayal she felt when remembering some of her capture flares up again and passes across her features.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:502|Gabby Kinney (502)}} has posed:'''<br>Gabby Kinney was... Well. She wasn't doing much of anything really. She'd done SOME things, like see just how water proof that barrier blocking their cells were by flooding her toilet letting it run with the floater pressed down. It just resulted in a wet floor. That was okay, though; she was on her bed with feet crossed bundled up under her blanket currently. At the very least she's made a slippery surface for anyone that might try to come and get her.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:182|Emma Frost (182)}} has posed:'''<br>"It's ready, Doctor." 17 steps back, folding his arms behind his back. He gazes at the cells in turn, eyes hidden behind the visor. Still, with the straight line his mouth makes, it's not a pleasant look on his face.<br><br>"Excellent. Thank you, 17. If you would please, pull 8 out for me and get him situated." Sinister rises to his feet, absently brushing off the front of his lab coat, and hums to himself as he busies himself with the items on his surgeon's tray.<br><br>17 nods, and moves across the room, pausing at Julian's cell. "Up," he commands, as he punches buttons on the outside to lower the force field. "It's easier for you if I don't have to drag you out, 8."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:719|Julian Keller (719)}} has posed:'''<br>Julian Keller glances up sharply, shrinking back against the wall. He does want to fight, although he knows about how well it will go if he does. Maybe if he 'cooperates', it won't be so bad. "My name's Julian Keller. If you have to give me a number, it should be at least a 9, if not a ten. Your ranking system's abysmal," he says, putting on his most haughty expression.<br><br>"I have no interest in fighting you. I'd just get your spittle all over me and I can only imagine where Sinister has had you putting your mouth," he says, marching forward and trying to shove past a bit, only to get grabbed by the arm and guided. If he can, he'll make quick eye contact with Gabby. Just in case.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:959|Jennifer Stavros (959)}} has posed:'''<br>Jennifer Stavros says, "Nobody knows the trouble I've seen!" Jenny sings at the top of her lungs, an edge suggesting irritation, anger, certainly not fear -- not from Jenny Stavros. "Nobody knows the sorrow! Fuck both these guys, right in the ear! Nobody knows but Jesus!" She rattles the forcefield of her cell to the beat of the song as best she's able."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:707|Danielle Moonstar (707)}} has posed:'''<br>As Jenny's singing continues on, Dani groans and grabs the thin, nigh-useless pillow to put over her head. "Please stop," she pleads, though not all that loudly. Maybe she doesn't want to draw Sinister's attention. "Don't help him torture us." She does finally sit up when Julian's cell is approached, watching with a frown.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:182|Emma Frost (182)}} has posed:'''<br>Emma sits up, watching Julian be escorted from his cell with morbid curiosity and no small amount of interest. This wasn't the way it went the other night. Julian isn't fighting like that girl did. Maybe that will mean things won't go as poorly for him.<br><br>Maybe.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:502|Gabby Kinney (502)}} has posed:'''<br>The selection of 'subject' for tonight has Gabby sliding off the edge of her bed to her feet with a quick tug of her blanket around herself. The thin fabric is gathered up in the crook of her elbows to ensure it doesn't drag on the damp floor as she moves to the front of her cell. When Julian glances her way she nods toward him a single time with a mouthed 'good luck' offered over. Her hand lifts to brush against the forcefield as she is obviously torn on what to do with a stricken expression.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:434|Henry McCoy (434)}} has posed:'''<br>Hank keeps pacing, fists balled. He watches, forces himself to watch. The time will come when Sinister and his flunky will have to pay for their crimes.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:182|Emma Frost (182)}} has posed:'''<br>"Keller." 17 smirks, slightly manhandling Julian towards one of the two operating beds. "Do as you're told, and it'll be easier on you. The doctor only wants to help you, 8."<br><br>Sinister smiles at Julian as he passes. &lt;&lt;Don't even think of trying heroics, Mr. Keller. I can read your mind, after all. It's a barren wasteland for one, and entirely too obvious.&gt;&gt;<br><br>17 gestures to the bed, patting it. "Hop up. The restraints are for your own good, so don't fight them."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:959|Jennifer Stavros (959)}} has posed:'''<br>"You clearly don't understand the fine art of annoying people until they do what you want," Jenny says, glancing toward Dani's cell, but she stops singing. For the moment, anyway. She'll come up with another eventually. Truthfully, she has no idea what to do in this situation. Her powers aren't exactly offensive to begin with, and now she hasn't got them. "How about a rousing chorus of 'Never Gonna Give You Up'? A collective Rickroll to give him a bad day? When I get out of here I am SO getting Harley to show me how to use a comically oversize mallet."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:719|Julian Keller (719)}} has posed:'''<br>Julian Keller rolls his eyes, "Yes, yes, you are almighty and powerful Oz, we got it. Of course, you had to restrain all our powers first, so..."<br><br>17 restrains him properly, Julian's face showing irritation to cover his fear, getting only more arrogant in his behavior as he feels insecure, "Yeah, I'm sure he wants to help me. He really helped that girl the other day, she was helped soooooo much, I'm sure she's super grateful that you fucked her up for life. You'll get a Christmas card from her for sure."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:182|Emma Frost (182)}} has posed:'''<br>"Now now, Julian." Sinister isn't using his patient number for the moment. "I do want to help you. Do you know why you're so special, Mr. Keller? What makes you so much more than the average mere human?" He sits down on the stool, rolling over beside Julian's operating bed. He doesn't wait for an answer. "Your X-gene. They are a thing of absolute beauty. Perfection. They are glorious, and the reason I have brought you here today."<br><br>He cocks his head. "Speaking of perfection. 17, number 6 as well."<br><br>17 moves again, but this time...<br><br>...to Emma's cell. He taps a couple of buttons. "Up, 6."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:182|Emma Frost (182)}} has posed:'''<br>Emma freezes. "No. Nonono. I won't." She crushes herself as far back onto her bed as she can, as far from the cell door as possible. She strains with her powers, scrabbling for even the smallest amount of telepathic control to force Scott away from her door. Despair sinks in as, like for the past several days, she finds nothing.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:502|Gabby Kinney (502)}} has posed:'''<br>"Two at once? Now that's greedy. And bad science. You can't possibly monitor them both at once," Gabby calls out. If she were someone older, and with a degree, he might care but she had a feeling he wouldn't. It was just something she was trying to do to help. Much as she could. Julian was tough, or at least put on a good front of it at the moment. Emma though? Emma... she wasn't so sure about.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:719|Julian Keller (719)}} has posed:'''<br>Julian Keller snorts, "And here I thought it was my high cheekbones and my bank account," he says. "Were you just a nerd that got picked on? Did you get too many swirlies from guys like me and you ended up obsessed with genetics and with the complexion of a fucking fish?"<br><br>As Emma is selected, he frowns, "Leave her alone, fuckwad, it's my turn. I'm not good at sharing!" he shouts a bit.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:959|Jennifer Stavros (959)}} has posed:'''<br>Jenny decides the better part of valor is being part of the crowd for the moment. "Yo! Seventeen! Next chance I get, I'm gonna put a broken PVC pipe through your one eye! Yeah, like that chick in Final Destination! You're gonna get it, dick!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:182|Emma Frost (182)}} has posed:'''<br>17 sighs, annoyance clear. He steps into Emma's cell, and bodily grabs her, swinging her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He ignores her struggling against him--it's largely futile. He's halfway across the room with her when her struggles knock the visor from his face.<br><br>17 snorts, ignoring the lack for long enough to drop her on the other operating bed and strap her restraints on. He picks his visor off the floor, dusting it off slightly before returning it over his blue eyes.<br><br>"Well, that was charming, Miss Frost. And utterly pointless." Sinister regards her. "You fought, and yet here you are."<br><br>He rolls his stool back, standing to regard both of his patients for the afternoon. He smiles darkly at Julian's outburst, but ignores it entirely. "As I was saying. The X-Gene is a beautiful thing, entirely unique in its own way. There is a simple beauty in how it passes down, generation after generation; and of late, so many more of them, blooming like flowers in the spring. Ahhh." He smiles, a predator among sheep. "You all have one. But you see, the one you were born with is not the final, complete form of it. No."<br><br>He turns around, his back to them both. If he is addressing anyone, it is the closest thing to a peer he has there, in Hank. "You see, with enough adrenaline... with enough pressure, stress... the x-gene itself mutates into a more complete form." He snaps his fingers. "17, take samples, please. I prefer a fresh comparison."<br><br>17 reaches for a phlebotomy kit, and starts with Julian, placing a line in his arm and beginning to draw a vial of blood.<br><br>"Yes, I do wish to help you, my children. I wish you to be... the very, very //best// you can be."<br><br>"So. I will //help// you achieve the perfection you are meant for. All of you."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:707|Danielle Moonstar (707)}} has posed:'''<br>By now, Dani is sitting upright on her bed with the blanket wrapped around her. She's silent and staring at this point. She's one of those who seems to opt for, well, shutting down on herself in a situation like this. She's not loud, she's not threatening: she's just watching. <br><br>That's not to say she wouldn't fight given half a chance.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:434|Henry McCoy (434)}} has posed:'''<br>There is no mistaking the thudding sound of Hank's fist against the forcefield, repeatedly. Growling in utter rage, the normally calm doctor gave up the pretense of control. Raining blows against the invisible barricade, there is only hatred and fury in his eyes. "I will kill you, Essex!" The big man roars. He glances around the cell, grabbing the bed and slamming it against the forcefield to no avail.<br><br>Fur or not, he is a well-muscled linebacker, and he is pissed.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:719|Julian Keller (719)}} has posed:'''<br>Julian Keller closes his eyes, "No thanks, I've got all the perfection I need for now. I'll put mine in my queue, but I'm not ready for it yet. Maybe next year. Justing by the way you look, I'm guessing we have different ideas of perfection anyway. Hard pass, Ziggy Stardump."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:182|Emma Frost (182)}} has posed:'''<br>17 moves to Emma once he has two vials of Julian's blood, and pulls two from her as well. He lays the vials on a nearby tray.<br><br>"Thank you, 17. Stand by in the event I need your further assistance." The good doctor dismisses 'Scott'.<br><br>He looks to Julian with amusement. "I see. So, as a true gentleman, you are saying... ladies first?" He cocks his head, considering. "I agree, Mr. Keller." Sinister rests a hand on Emma's head, petting her hair for a few moments. "I could have chosen either of your sisters," he mentions idly. "But your version of the Frost gene is by far the most perfect. A diamond in the rough. I am thrilled to see what your evolution may be."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:502|Gabby Kinney (502)}} has posed:'''<br>"Stop it! Leave her alone you ... You..." Gabby bangs her fist against the barrier as well and though she's angry, anxious, fearful... She hasn't lost her wits as much as Dr. McCoy. It's when the visor is knocked off the number 17 that she rails again, slamming her fist once more. "You CLONE. I knew it!" She didn't know much about Scott, but she knew he couldn't take his stupid sunglasses off without issues. "I knew it, I knew it! That means you couldn't get the real one to do your dirty work, you had to make imperfect copies! I know that those are like!" Hey, she was one.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:959|Jennifer Stavros (959)}} has posed:'''<br>"Okay," Jenny mutters to herself. "I'm gonna have to poke out one eye, then I can stab him in his one eye."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:182|Emma Frost (182)}} has posed:'''<br>Emma shudders at Essex's touch, trying to pull away as best she can while restrained. "You..." she licks her lips, trying to reason out an argument. "You said earlier I was perfect. If... if that's true, then I don't need this. You don't need to do... whatever..." her eyes flick up to the glowing blue liquid, the same stuff that killed the other girl. The mention of her sisters panics her a bit-- how does he know about any of them? Her or the others?! But she attempts to remain calm.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:182|Emma Frost (182)}} has posed:'''<br>Essex chuckles. "Even you, Miss Frost, as not nearly as perfect as you could be. The Frost gene is but a candle to the forest fire that is the Grey gene-- and even that is only slightly less beautiful as the Summers gene." He pats her head again. "But I have faith in your resiliance, even if you do not. You recognize superior genes, after all--" he turns away, one of the machines moving seemingly of its own accord towards him and Emma. "--as you have been taken in by the younger." He pauses, considering. "Though not the youngest..." and he leaves that alone. "Even with Alex's inferior copy of the Summers gene, you are drawn. I approve of your taste."<br><br>He now works at the machine brought to him. "17, her gown will present a problem for this. Remove it." He continues to tweak the settings.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:719|Julian Keller (719)}} has posed:'''<br>Julian Keller breathes heavily and pulls at his restraints, uselessly of course, "You're just a fucking perv getting your rocks off, you're no scientist. Just a pathetic jack-off artist getting his kinks from rubber gloves and medical bondage. Somebody saw Rocky Horror too many times, but you're no Frankenfurter. You're not even a Riff-raff!" he says.<br><br>He may have snuck out to a few midnight showings back in Cali. Sue him.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:182|Emma Frost (182)}} has posed:'''<br>Emma lets out a indignant shriek and a "HOW DARE YOU!" as her hospital gown is split up the center. Her arms pull against the restraints as she moves to cover herself, futilely.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:182|Emma Frost (182)}} has posed:'''<br>"Excellent," Sinister moves over, a handful of electrodes on cords, a veritable squid of promised pain, in hand. He begins placing them all over, despite Emma's protests. "Don't worry," he assures her. "All you have to do to make it stop is tell me." He pauses. "With your mind, of course. A simple 'stop' and it will all end. I promise. You have the power to break the fetters I have placed on you. Show me that power, and you will be free."<br><br>With that, and the last of the electrodes placed, some in particularly sensitive areas, he reaches over and flips the switch.<br><br>Emma's first shriek of pain is quickly cut short as the hum of the power rises. Instead, she convulses. Her eyes are wide, she's obviously still conscious, even if unable to fight back at all. Sinister hums to himself, continuing to idly tweak the machine.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:707|Danielle Moonstar (707)}} has posed:'''<br>The funny thing about seeing and knowing the things people fear most is that you have to adapt to them yourself. You see the worst. And so many people that Dani has come across have been through terrible things. Witnessing it first-hand is horrifying. Knowing it'll come for her eventually is, as well. But she's able to just... shove it down, down somewhere deep inside. <br><br>Maybe her hope is that if she doesn't react, she'll be left be. Maybe if she doesn't scream, cry, shout, flail... she can escape or find that opening to fight. Her hands tighten at the edge of the blanket as she sits there on her bed. Emma's shriek doesn't help and Dani just curls in on herself some.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:719|Julian Keller (719)}} has posed:'''<br>Julian Keller thrashes a bit against his restraints, "Stop it, you fucking ass!" he says. He doesn't have much mobility but he does have enough to move his neck, smacking his head back against the board, "She can't fucking do it, you literally turned her powers off, you dumb fuck!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:182|Emma Frost (182)}} has posed:'''<br>Essex glances over his shoulder to Julian. "If this bothers you so much, you can always reach over here with your abilities, Mr. Keller, and stop it. I won't interfere. Just a small reach... the tiniest... smidge... of telekinetic power, and flip this switch. Right. Here." He moves aside and taps the switch in Julian's eyeline. "Show me that your gene wasn't a mere fluke. Show me that your line, that you are //worthy//."<br><br>He twists a knob, and Emma lets out a sob of despair, continuing to convulse on the bed, her head cracking once against the metal 'headboard' of railing at the top. <br><br>Sinister smiles at Julian. "You want to be the hero, don't you, Julian," he purrs. "You can be. Just make it stop. You can save her. I see it in your mind-- you've had that fantasy more than once. Well, it's not some fool at a nightclub, or a thug on the street. This is real danger, Julian. Real. Danger. You can be the hero. Her hero. No one can take that from you."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:719|Julian Keller (719)}} has posed:'''<br>Julian Keller stares at Sinister with wrathful anger. He's being taunted so directly, his own fears and insecurities in play. Yeah, he does want to be a hero. Maybe not for all the best reasons, maybe sometimes because he wants attention, because he wants people to like him and think he's great. To impress others. To show his bastard of a father that he's not a worthless freak, a disgrace to be smuggled to the other coast and hidden away from his friends.<br><br>So he closes his eyes and he pushes. He pushes his mind as hard as he can. He's never been very good at control. His power's always been tied to his emotions, lashing out in his rages, shattering mirrors or windows. Ruining his father's collectibles and antiques. A lifetime of being ignored and abused, dismissed and belittled, has created a well of rage deep within Julian, a well of rage bound to his mutant abilities, making them two sides of the same coin. And it is that well from which Julian taps, flows, finds the first taste of his ability he's had in days, his skin flush with it, his teeth clenched hard enough to grind.<br><br>His power builds within, lapping at the dam placed upon it like waves, buffeted by the limits placed upon him by the collar and the machine. His nose starts to bleed suddenly, a spurt of gore that runs red across his lip and down his chin, spattering his gown. So, too, do his eyes run red, bloody tears streaking down his cheeks.<br><br>And his eyes snap open and they're glowing, glowing green, and the machine crumples a bit as he wraps his mind around it, the shocking device bending to the sheer force of will overriding the collar around his neck and he flings it into the wall with a crash, sending plugs and sparks flying as he cries out.<br><br>"FUCK. YOU." with his most arrogant snarl.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:502|Gabby Kinney (502)}} has posed:'''<br>Gabby Kinney leans up onto her toes trying to get a better look. Not of what was being done to Emma... That was disturbing enough. But of the setup that he had arranged so that it would be in Julian's view. Her lips purse into a tight, thin line. He knew then of Julian's crush on Emma. Even SHE knew that. Still, it was yet another way to try to pit them against one another in numerous ways. Her mind searches for ways to encourage or urge them to be strong.<br><br>And she doesn't have the least idea what to say until Julian reacts with such a strong surge of power.<br><br>"Julian!" Her voice raises over the din, and she calls out, "GET HIM!" With the utmost pride and confidence in her boyfriend. Hope. And anger at the situation they were in, but for the moment her cheer almost sounds bloodthirsty. "SQUISH HIS ASS!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:182|Emma Frost (182)}} has posed:'''<br>Emma sinks back onto the bed, sobbing quietly. She's stopped convulsing. But beyond a couple of shoulder shakes from her sobs, she doesn't move. Her fingers twitch with the afterimage of the electricity, even as it's not longer flowing into her body.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:182|Emma Frost (182)}} has posed:'''<br>Essex's mouth breaks into a wide smile. "WELL DONE, JULIAN," he praises the young man. He glides over beside Hellion, tapping fingers along the collar, setting it to a higher level. "I didn't think you could break through level one so quickly, but I am //impressed//." Oh, of course. He was testing Julian after all, wasn't he.<br><br>"Now, we will try for level two. I have the utmost faith you can do it." He sweeps away, ignoring the crushed remains of the electrocution machine. "But first." He picks up a scalpel. "17, if you would remove those electrodes from Miss Frost? And another vial from Mr. Keller. We'll need to compare it."<br><br>17 attaches a vial to the line in Julian's arm, and while it fills he snaps the electrodes off, tossing them aside like garbage. Once that's done, and the vial is full, he offers it to Essex.<br><br>Essex slides the vial into the machine, peering at the contents and ignoring his patients for a few moments, toying with the scalpel as he does.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:719|Julian Keller (719)}} has posed:'''<br>Julian Keller tries to do just that, attempting to shove his mind forward, to crush Sinister's head like an egg, only to feel the buffering on the collar kick in and his poewr get clamped down again, leaving him crying out in frustration, 'NO DAMMIT,' he cries as his eyes dim back to normal. He rattles himself in the confines of his chair, likely bruising and scraping himself. His face is smeared with blood as he grits his teeth.<br><br>"I'm going to kill you," he snarls at Essex, "I got loose for a second there. I'm going to do it again. And next time I'm going straight for you and your waifu there."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:707|Danielle Moonstar (707)}} has posed:'''<br>"Level one?" Danielle's reverie -- really, her shell -- is broken as this tidbit sinks in. She lifts a hand to her own collar, looking... well, distraught. Moreso, at least. "How many levels does it have?" She knows she's unlikely to get an answer; the question is posed largely to herself as she bites down on her lower lip.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:182|Emma Frost (182)}} has posed:'''<br>"Alas. It's the same," Essex murmurs to himself. "It hasn't evolved yet. Pity. I see we will need to press further, then."<br><br>He turns in a snap, his lab coat whipping behind him. "I see what motivates you, Mr. Keller. Allow me to continue to do so, and perhaps urge my other patient to at least //try// to push past her blocks, hmm?" A spin of the scalpel. "But even if not... I do need to harvest some raw material."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:182|Emma Frost (182)}} has posed:'''<br>Emma breathes, watching the spinning blade in silent terror. She manages to croak out, "...raw.... material?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:502|Gabby Kinney (502)}} has posed:'''<br>"Don't you FUCKING DARE you cock sucker mother fucker son of a bitch troglodite!"<br><br>The sudden burst of outrage at hearing the term 'raw material' doesn't come from some of the angriest in the cells. It's from the youngest. Gabby lets loose with a string of oaths that she had until now either never uttered, or never said out loud. She was of Wolverine's line. The anger was there. The rage. Right now she was grinding her teeth together to the point the tension in her jaw as making it near impossible for her to OPEN her mouth again without relaxing first.<br><br>Anger. Rage. That red haze of those who could easily murder and had the know-how to do so. It all springs to the surface as she watches and listens to a situation that brought up some old memories. Unpleasant ones as they talked of using her deceased sisters for 'extra materials.' Just another item. Another resource to use and abuse. There were so many they hadn't even had a chance to properly say goodbye to after they'd died so suddenly.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:719|Julian Keller (719)}} has posed:'''<br>Julian Keller aches, his head throbbing in the wake of his outburst, feeling the broken blood vessels in his eyes and nose. He's slumped a bit, trying to gather himself again, "God dammit, god dammit," he mutters, beating himself up for not taking better advantage of that moment of power, just a useless gesture really, playing right into Sinister's hands and now it's just going to get worse.<br><br>"Just leave us alone, you dick," he says, bubbling a bit of blood at his lips.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:182|Emma Frost (182)}} has posed:'''<br>Sinister pats Emma on the head again. It's a creepy, almost paternal gesture. "Now, I must warn you, this will hurt a little. But I need you to think of all the 100,000 children I can make with your contribution to science."<br><br>He tilts his head consideringly. "I will be kind enough to leave the other, of course, intact." He frowns down at her. "Though, first..."<br><br>The scalpel slices down through her left bicep, blood spurting across the floor. "Now, where is that damnedable thing?" he prods around, making the hole bigger, even as Emma screams from the gash.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:719|Julian Keller (719)}} has posed:'''<br>Julian Keller turns his face away as Emma is sliced open, gritting his teeth as he tries to escape the sight even as he keeps trying to rouse his power again, "Please, god, stop it!" he cries, almost nauseous and lightheaded in the moment, trying to wriggle a hand free of the restraints...<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:182|Emma Frost (182)}} has posed:'''<br>Sinister ahas. "This." He pulls out a small, plastic and metal rod from her arm. "It's a pity you feel you need this-- after all, ideally you would be combining your X-Gene with other superior ones." He crushes it and flicks it aside.<br><br>"Now, for the real contribution." He draws the scalpel across her abdomen, a spreader telekinetically moving to his hand. He sets it, leaving her stomach open and leaking blood.<br><br>"Ah yes," he slips his hand into her guts. "This may be painful."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:182|Emma Frost (182)}} has posed:'''<br>Emma's cries of pain suddenly stop.<br><br>A wave of telepathic rage sweeps over everyone in the room, mixed with pain, mixed with command.<br><br>&lt;&lt;YOU WILL NOT.&gt;&gt;<br><br>Another command, one that sounds almost reflexive, almost like one she is used to demanding. &lt;&lt;KNEEL BEFORE THE QUEEN.&gt;&gt;<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:434|Henry McCoy (434)}} has posed:'''<br>Even in his rage - the furious rage that has been ruling over Henry's entire being - he drops to one knee. Snarling and roaring, he keeps his eyes focused on the procedure, using it to fuel his anger.<br><br>Animalistic or not, the command must be obeyed.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:502|Gabby Kinney (502)}} has posed:'''<br>In spite of her own rage... Or perhaps mingling with it? The sheer force of the command that rocks against her mind causes her to cry out wordlessly before she slams down to her knees. Her forehead leans against the forcefield while she takes several deep, quick breaths squeezing her eyes shut tight. Her lips move uttering out quietly, "Emma, Emma, Emma," as she tries to focus her own thoughts with tears starting to stream down her cheeks. The silent plea she can't voice is simply 'stop him' but she knows ... does she know? It might be futile.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:707|Danielle Moonstar (707)}} has posed:'''<br>One thing that was more training than powers was Dani's psychic shields. Sure, her powers helped, but a lot of it is training, practice. It means she feels Emma's command, but it doesn't push her to kneel. It does draw her attention, it does send a ripple of discomfort down her spine because she -feels- she should be much more able to resist. Dani doesn't kneel, but she does sit up straighter, she does become more alert; like a bowstring drawn taut.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:182|Emma Frost (182)}} has posed:'''<br>It may be some evidence of how strong the command is, that 17 hits one knee instantly, his head bowed, knuckles on the floor like a knight of old. <br><br>And moreso, that even Essex is taken aback, and almost falters, before bursting into laughter.<br><br>"Glorious! Ah, //that// is what I wanted from you, child. Command, demand-- almost as strong as //her//. Yes, indeed!" His hand slides out of Emma's abdomen, bloody, and moves to the collar at her throat, turning it up. "One more time, Emma. With //feeling//."<br><br>His hand slides back inside her guts and after a moment, rips out small, whitish-pink organ from within. He holds it aloft, even as Emma screams in the worst agony she's ever felt. "There we go. Raw material, as I said." He drops the organ into a waiting tray.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:719|Julian Keller (719)}} has posed:'''<br>Julian Keller can't give into Emma's command, locked in as he is, but he opens his eyes to see the horror unfuldong, closer than any of the others as Sinister's hand slips into Emma's guts, slopping around like he's reaching for something at the bottom of a box of cereal, trying to find the secret toy surprise.<br><br>Julian can't identify what it is that's pulled out, but he rages again, ripping harder and harder. His wrist has begun to bleed where he pulls at the restraints and his power trains to push out through his hands, trying to reach out, his eyes starting to flare a bit more, sputtering as he begins pushing at the limits again and he just opens his mouth in an anguished howl of rage.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:182|Emma Frost (182)}} has posed:'''<br>"Are you //trying// to stop me, Julian?" Essex says mockingly. "With your //hands//? You have POWERS. USE them."<br><br>"17!" Sinister snaps his fingers. "The bonesaw. Remove Mr. Keller's distractions."<br><br>17 staggers to his feet, shaking off the telepathic command from Emma. He nods, moving towards the surgeons cart, picking up the bone saw, and then moving to Julian. His face holds no expression. He grabs Julian's left forearm, and draws the blade across at the wrist, bearing down. And draw, and push, sawing, sawing, blood dripping, oozing to the floor, ignoring the protests, the screams and cries.<br><br>Rip.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rip.<br><br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rip.<br><br>Thud. A disembodied hand falls to the floor in a torrent of blood.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:434|Henry McCoy (434)}} has posed:'''<br>Hank's not an MD, but he knows exactly what that organ was. Again - he launches himself at the forcefield, renewed. Unfortunately for him, all it serves to do is flatten his nose in a gout of blood and knock him out cold.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:707|Danielle Moonstar (707)}} has posed:'''<br>You've seen worse, Dani. You've seen worse. You've seen the worst fears of people who have been put through this sort of thing before. And worse, besides. You've seen loss. You've seen shame. You've seen horrors. Her hands curl into fists, gathering up the blanket in them. <br><br>It doesn't really matter at this point, though. Before, it was something she could push into the background. Something she could detatch herself from, same as when her empathic powers pick up on things in others. But seeing it first-hand? Knowing it'll come for the rest of them eventually? That's different and she lets out a strangled sob finally, burying her face in her arms.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:719|Julian Keller (719)}} has posed:'''<br>Julian Keller can't even process what's just happened to him. His hand is gone, leaving a spurting remnant at his wrist. It frees him from that restraint, yes, but he can do little more than thrash mindlessly, making a gory mess as he's overwhelmed in agony. His mouth stretches open in a titanic, violent scream of agony, his back arching as muscle spasms go through his body, eyes wide and staring at 17 even as the saw begins to descend towards his other wrist...<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:502|Gabby Kinney (502)}} has posed:'''<br>Gabby Kinney digs her fingernails into the palms of her hands so hard that it leaves marks. Perhaps even draws blood--She doesn't bother to look. The sheer utter frustration and anger and inability to do ANYTHING. Her powers weren't external. She couldn't mind blast anyone, or shoot laser beams, or turn things into kinetic bombs, or even turn to metal to barrel through everything. She could heal. Damn near anything. But just for herself and she couldn't even control it. It just *happened* automatically as her body tried to keep itself alive. She didn't even have all the powers and abilities her genetic donors did. Even if she had a secondary mutation... What good would it be in this instance?<br><br>As Julian screams from his hands being removed she claps her hands over her ears. It wasn't that she didn't want to hear, it was that she didn't have any idea what to do or how to do it and she was just... absolutely frustrated and helpless. Again.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:182|Emma Frost (182)}} has posed:'''<br>Even as Emma lays there, blood oozing from her abdomen, losing consciousness, 17 moves to Julian's right arm, sawing away, despite the splatter as Julian flails with his other, freed, handless arm. <br><br>RIP.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;RIP.<br><br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;RIP.<br><br>The bonesaw snicker-snacks back and forth, more blood oozing, spurting, covering the white tile in rivulets of gore. <br><br>Emma's dazed eyes look over at Julian, a spurt of his blood scattering across her pale face, growing paler by the moment. Where the organ had been ripped out, there had been no clamping, no suction, no tying down the rip. A slight blue tinge comes to her lips, even as the rip in her abdomen leaks faster, blood dripping off her bed and spattering on the floor in a slow mockery of the gushing coming from Julian's stumps.<br><br>Sinister doesn't seem to care. He likely notices, of course. But he turns back to his computer, beginning to make notes.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:182|Emma Frost (182)}} has posed:'''<br>A second hand drops to the floor, heavily, bouncing and landing near the first, spraying more lifeblood across the room.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:959|Jennifer Stavros (959)}} has posed:'''<br>In her cell, Jennifer is staring, pale. One hand goes to her throat, and she, for once, cannot find anything at all to say.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:719|Julian Keller (719)}} has posed:'''<br>Julian Keller cannot stop screaming, his body convulsing in the aftermath of this brutalization. He lifts both arms, staring in horror at the ruined ends of his arms. His gown is drenched against his torso, a sopping rag without good for much anymore. He can't seem to stop looking, his mouth wide open as he turns to stare at 17.<br><br>"I...told you...mother...fuckers..." he says. And then there's another surge from within him, the mind-shattering agony of having his hands sawed off at the wrist feeding so directly into his power that it explodes out of him once again, although this time in an entirely new way.<br><br>Once, he would have potentially manifested pure pyrokinesis, but this trauma has warped his secondary mutation, shaped it, concentrated it. At the ends of his bloody stumps, green psychikinetic energy pours and then bursts into flame, taking the shape of his missing hands, radiation heat potent enough to melt through the nearby IV bag.<br><br>He swipes at his legs for a moment, sizzling away the bonds holding his legs in place as he leaps forward and spears himself into 17, driving the assistant to the floor. Any attempt to protest is muffled as Julian lays one of those burning hands across 17's face, searing away flesh, making it slough off the bone of the clone's jaw as he shoves in, melting his way through cheek and nose, fingers closing to grasp at the cooking meat within. And even as he does, his other hand rabbit bunches, burning a hole in 17's side until he plunges through his ribs, shattering them around his blazing fist, the blows coming hard and fast.<br><br>And through it all Julian screams, screams and screams, his voice cracking and raw as blood keeps pouring out of his ruined arms and into the burning hands, turning to steam and burning up right along with the flesh of his attacker.<br><br>Finally, the shock, the loss, it's all too much and Julian's body fails him, shutting down. The hands wink out of existence and he collapses in a heap atop the dead body of 17, the latter's head little more than a hollowed out bowl of burning meat.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:182|Emma Frost (182)}} has posed:'''<br>Sinister observes the brutal end of his clone assistant with detachment. "Finally." He lifts Julian's unconscious form with his telekinesis, floating the limp form over to him, with a wave of the hand the bloody hospital gown flies off and into a corner. Sinister reaches forward and sets Julian's collar to maximum. "As I had hoped. A manifestation of a mutation OF a mutation. Excellent work, 17," he addresses the corpse. "Your service was exemplary."<br><br>He walks beside the floating, naked, handless Julian towards his cell, opening it and dropping Julian's form on the bed. "I'll need to have Meredith see to cleaning and redressing you," he says, more to himself, as he leaves, resetting the force field. <br><br>He looks to Emma, who has already slipped into a blood-loss unconsciousness. "Ah, yes." There is some more sick, and bloody work as he rifles around inside her, quite likely tying up loose ends, so to speak. A few stitches, and Emma's bloody form gets the same treatment as Julian, returned to her bed uncaringly. "A pity I didn't get more from you. Ah well." He shut the force field to her cell. He glides to the tray with the organ, picking it up, and then he leaves through one of the doors, leaving the operating room covered in blood and gore and the cooling corpse of 17, the bright lights overhead sparing no sight.<br> <br>
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