1984/A Sinister Plot: The Left Hand Holds All The Cards: Team Three

A Sinister Plot: The Left Hand Holds All The Cards: Team Three
Date of Scene:	06 June 2020
Location:	Abandoned Hospital -- Upstate New York
Synopsis:	Clones are discovered, Heroic X-Men commit property damage in the name of good, and Mr. Sinister proves he darn well can't share.
Cast of Characters:	Illyana Rasputina, Piotr Rasputin, Rahne Sinclair, Kitty Pryde, Fabian Cortez

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Illyana Rasputina has posed:
The rural, abandoned hospital still seems to be in pretty good shape from the outside, if not with some overgrown vegetation crawling up the side of the building and beginning to break through the concrete in the parking lot. The building is four stories tall, though schematics from before it closed indicates an extensive basement storage and facilities area as well. It's a large hospital as well, and likely that contributed to the costs of maintenance being too high for it to stay open. Abandoned places always seem to get snatched up like there is some villain market for evil lairs.

The Blackbird had been landed outside of what Scott and Jean had estimated Sinister's range of scans might be, and the teams had largely moved in on foot before parting ways to reach their objectives. For the team led by Piotr Rasputin, this was their chance to get their friends and allies back. Unlike the other two teams, however, when they split off Colossus's team had made use of his sister's magical portals to bring them into the lower reaches of the hospital's basement.

They had expected darkness, perhaps, beyond the eerie light of Illyana's rip in the fabric of reality. But instead, what stretches out before them in the harsh unnatural blue-white light of dozens of small bulbs hanging from the low concrete ceiling above are white and stainless steel tubes with glassed-over fronts, all laying on their backs in neat lines. Dozens. More than dozens. The large, open concrete basement is chilly, despite the number of powered equipment within. Lines of cables, tied in bunches, crisscross the floor between the tubes.

The schematic said this should have been a small room, perhaps an office. It seems that many of the basement's walls had been knocked down to turn much of it into a single large room for whatever this purpose might be.

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr had been assigned the third team and had looked over the schematics and, to be honest, was a little worried about dropping a full team in a tiny office. Well, at least it was not a tiny office. The downside: it clearly is being used for /something/. He has already taken on his metallic form, just in case there was a welcoming party, which appears to be absent.

"Definitely not up to building code," Piotr mutters under his breath and gives Illyana a nod of thanks for the entry. He drops into a defensive stance and says to Kitty, "Got any idea of what's going on in here?" The large Russian then looks to Rahne, "Smell anything off or familiar?" Piotr takes a breath and begins scanning the area again to see if he can spot any threats.

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
    Teleporting was never Rahne's favorite mode of transportation. It isn't that she couldn't handle it. No....it just went against her morals...her sensibilities....to travel from one dimension to another. To recognize multiple dimensions is to recognize that there are multiple worlds...and perhaps multiple deities. And...that just isn't proper thinking for a Christian. Especially one with Rahne's upbringing.

    So, Rahne arrives in the usual manner for her. Eyes closed. Arms crossed, holding herself. Once a partially lupine paw touches cold hard floor, then those green eyes of the werewolf open. A flicker of a nod is given to Piotr, as the 7 foot tall wolfen hybrid takes a tentative step, her head swaying as she breathes in through that nose of hers. "Ah....got lots 'ere. It...seems all ovah. Multiples, mebbe? Ah can't really explain it much mahself." There is a pause, as Rahne just lifts her head up. "There's too many tae pick out. All overlappin' tae othah."

    That head raising....there is another reason for that. With Rahne in her hybrid form...she....she might be able to reach out with her mind. That empathic link that she shares with Dani. It...it is a long shot, but yet another thing that might help get the team an idea on where to go.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde is in a ready position as the teleportation disc drops them into the room. Lockheed is perched on her shoulder, ready to take flight. "Well, at least it isn't alien pods with face suckers in them," she says. "Though feel like we're in Fallout 4's opening," she says as she eyes the tube-like enclosures.

Kitty eyes the room for signs of any danger before moving slowly towards the nearest. "Could be cold storage. Given whose place this is, you can guess what sort of things might be inside," she says. She moves over nearer, eyeing the tube, the cables running into it, and checking for what controls it might have, whether on it, or remotely.

She moves to the front of the one she's looking at, and uses the arm of her suit to see if she can clear any frost from it to see inside, or if it's on the inside of the glass.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
Ever had that moment of "I don't like this?" Walking straight through Limbo into a forgotten corner of New York's failing health system, circa 1979, counts as that. Leaving behind the soul-twisting swandive between the dimensions, Strike Team: Goose steps out into a place that smells slightly antiseptic and mildewy at the same time. A pervasive hum buzzes overhead, the kind of sustained harmonics that make old metal fillings ring against the teeth. Nothing moves under the unforgiving, intense light except their shadows, larger than life and grandiose in the lasting stillness.

Illyana emerges from the portal last, the Soulsword already in hand in the event a nasty beam or a giggling Sinister facsimile sits hunched over his desk, working furiously on his journal of evil. From the curl of her lip, it might be relatively disappointing this is not the case.

There is no desk, at least not immediately visible. The basement might have other hidey holes. She toes at a cable, the perfect tripping hazard. "Watch out for these." Unnecessary to say but spoken anyway. Far be it from her to just bring the blade down without letting Kitty do her work.

"With that thinking, we rescue all dogs?" she asks, idly, responding to the Fallout reference. Yes, she's played it. Of course she has. Dystopian futures and Russians go together like liquor and fire.

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr nods to Rahne, "Understandable." He gives a frown and cautiously moves about. He spots a cable milliseconds before stepping, thanks to Illy's warning and he gives her a quick thumbsup. Kitty also gets a nod, "Da, but what is he storing? Perhaps we will find out, but no matter what, we are not going to like it, I think." A frown may as well be welded on his face at this point, nothing is good about htis mission. Illy's commentary gets a snort, "Da, Dogmeat is best companion." He too has played it.

He gives a call over the comms and gets a response, "Sounds like trouble up top. And he has cloned Scott and Jean, fantastic."

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
    The confused expression on Rahne's face would have been priceless, if it wasn't for the situation the team finds itself in presently. "Wha? Rescue all dogs? Ah don't smell anythin' close tae dog around 'ere."

    Guess who is seven foot, furry, and hasn't played Fallout?

    Rahne herself doesn't look in the pods. No, she might not have played Fallout, but she has seen enough movies where you learn that one must never look into the creepy looking tubes. "Ye think it's wise lookin' in there? We're supposed tae find the others." Still, as Kitty identifies one as a potential Roberto clone, the werewolf does take a moment to do a quick check with the scent. "Aye...tis the same scent. No wonder mah nose is all messed up."

    The tall Scot falters...her step a bit stumbling. A glance to the floor reveals nothing that could have tripped her. "Ah dunno if it's all the chemicals or what....but Ah just got a quick dizzy spell. Might wanna be careful." Not that anyone else has her sense of smell right now...

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde scrubs at the frost on the window and studies the contents. "Clone. It looks like it's Roberto, but not fully formed yet," she says, her shoulders tense and her voice tight as the contents turn out to be about what she'd suspected. Worried.

The young woman moves to the next tube, and the next, clearing the frost from each. She names others of the kidnapped. Some are Marauders she knows and names. Others she isn't sure.

After looking at over a dozen of them, she turns back to the others. "Some of these are definitely not formed fully. Others... might be living people already," she says, the girl's face revealing how troubled the latter group are to her. "These may take some time to sort out which are which," she says with a frown. "Some may not be functioning even if fully grown. Illyana, how difficult to alert someone like Moira and relocate them?" she asks, though turning and doing a mental count. "If she can even take all of them." Kitty quickly does the power calculations in her head.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
Reaching out a steadying hand to Piotr is not a wise idea, considering the combined efforts of Illyana, Rahne, and Kitty would not keep him from tumbling in a metallic heap. Avoiding the immense noise and clarion of an ossium avalanche counts as a point to ST: Goose.

From his vantage, the neat, organized rows of tubes stretch quite aways, longer than simply two or three experiments on the go. One by one, two by two, the rank and file stretch away.

The blonde Russian lifts those slightly glowing eyes to Kitty, the energies for a stepping disk never too far. It merely gives her an unearthly quality, vaguely extenuating the wrongness. Perhaps taking stock, her answer isn't forthcoming quickly. "Not difficult," she replies. "But should we? That is not Berto. He did not agree to donate his body to them. Would you want six Katherines running around, harvested by force? It may be best they never leave."

A shiver runs through the air, settling into the foundations. The building creaks under the amassed weight of sins and years, wood groaning a little.

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr looks in the pods and winces, he gives a quick call over the comms and looks to the others, "I got Hank, Scott, Jean, and so forth." He breathes deeply and takes a few moments to think and weigh Kitty and Illyana's concerns, "Evacuate them, if we can." His tone is somber, "If they are living, then they are due the protection. I cannot take the risk that they are not like the other ones. For the time being they are in stasis, it seems, so that gives us time, and I don't see Sinister wanting his toys broken." Then the comm comes in from Kurt, "And we all know why not to let them out, now."

When Rahne falters, Piotr strides over, "Are you all right?" He then looks around to see if anyone else is in here.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
Both Rahne and Piotr feel the ground wobble as he starts walking towards the distressed Scotswoman. Instants later the same wave reaches Kitty and Illyana, causing the tables to hum a little. More dust tumbles down from the concrete ceiling to the concrete floors, and the lights might sway if they were not so expertly mounted. Perhaps not up to building code, but satisfying for anyone who ever had to mount any kind of illumination in a difficult space such as this. Still, a flicker-flash comes where one of the bulbs loses its perfect seating. The current restores itself again. It might even be lost.

The concrete is too thick for sounds to permeate from above, so whatever equipment might be hurled, they stand in a weird state of peace.

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
    A paw waves off Piotr, as Rahne regains her balance. "Ah'm fine." There is a glance cast over to the Russian, as Rahne takes a moment to pick up what Piotr just said. "Wait...Ah mean, really. Are they real? Do they have a soul? They...they are abominations. A slight against God 'imself. 'e didn't create them."

    But then...there is a moment of realization. And Rahne's face just drops, as do her shoulders, as she realizes what she is doing. She is judging....assuming she is better than others. Better than Him. "Yer....yer right. We gotta take them out if livin'. We 'ave no right tae be judgin' their existance."

    Then...the ground shakes. And...the earth quakes, ever so slightly. The room feels off...slightly twisted, as if the axis was tilted just slightly to the right. It is felt not only by Rahne, but the others with her as well. That feeling of slight nausea...of proportions not exactly set to true. "Did...didja feel that?"

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty turns towards Rahne as she is affected by the place, but stops herself as Rahne waves off help. She does reach out a hand to one of the tubes, steadying her own self, and also perhaps seeing how safe the tubs are from being dislodged should the building tremble further.

A shake of Kitty's head sends her ponytail swaying behind her as Illyana's suggestion is made. "I wouldn't, but if they are functional, living people, it wouldn't be my call to end them," she says, looking to Piotr to nod at his decision. "I'll get on the horn with Moira and see if she can take them, get her preparing to plug them in. How long do you think it'll take to move them to her?" Kitty asks. "Or barring that, any other ideas of where they can be stored?"

If there aren't any objections to that, Kitty moves to the side, calling over the comms to the Blackbird to relay her signal to Moira McTaggart's lab.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
Rahne's convictions might not be Illyana's often, but the blonde sorceress nods. She says no more, shifting her position of the Soulsword at a downward slant against her body to avoid anyone assuming she might just start canning on the spot. Canning and jarring, an ugly sentiment. The first beginnings of a frown show as she reaches out for the table, her palm striking hard on it with a noisy bang, and the compensating force causes her to sway. She doesn't quite go down to her knees, but it's a close call. "Da," the only word she can get out, is a sharpened draw of Russian steel between clenched teeth. <<That bitch.>>

Maybe for the better certain epithets aren't translated by everyone because three or four things happen at once.

A glittering beam forms at the far end of the concrete-entombed basement. The fell blue-white sheen of the missile isn't much different than the bulbs above, except it doesn't move at the speed of light. It certainly moves at high velocity and impact, though, striking right for Kitty's turned back as she prepares to patch into the Blackbird.

A wave of popping explosions begins in a delirious pulse somewhere midway into the storage farm, halving the available light in the enclosed space. Shards of glass shower down onto the tables and the concrete floor, blasted outwards in rings. Then comes the shaking, the pre-emptive seismic tremors building up in spiked sine waves unfamiliar to anyone from LA, as this is no strike-slip fault like the San Andreas. Children of Alaska, Indonesia, Japan, they would know it: the violent subduction tremors, the explosive elastic rebound of continents.

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Tremors. This does not please Piotr. He takes a moment to stabilize, which takes a bit, given his size. He nods and shakes his head as the room is jostled, save the tubes. The large Russian nods as the decision seems to be made, though the lights popping and a sudden bolt of energy flying through the air catches his attention.

Piotr has no time to think, only to react and so goes with his instincts, jumping forward, taking the energy bolt in the chest, causing him to fall to the ground, unbothered by the broken glass, but the bolt is a different matter. There is now signs of disintegration on his chest where it burned right through his suit and Piotr mumbles Russian profanity under his breath.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
For those listening at home, your playlist of the moment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE6ZkyBLees | F.E.A.R. 2 OST #13 - Hospital Suspense

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
    Chaos ensues as a sizable tremor rattles through the basement. And, with half of the light source taken out, it pitches the basement into shadow. A dark room, in an abandoned hospital. The perfect setup for some gross, unspeakable thing to leap out from the shadows and attack our daring adventurers. All that is needed is for one (or all) of the clone pods to open for some half-form twisted hunk of flesh to emerge, with dark wings and twisted resolve....to attack.

    And, as if on cue, a pod does open. But....no twisted freak of nature. No...a shapely female leg emerges, stretching languidly to the ceiling, as a positively sultry voice escapes from the opening...a slightly breathy tone, pitched low...and most certainly feminine.

    "My, my, are you lot ever the noisy ones. What's a girl got to do to get some beauty sleep around here?"

    That leg curls down, the high-heeled clad foot finding purchase to the floor. Another finely turned leg slips out, the other foot reaching the floor, as manicured nails reach up and over, grasping the edges of the pod to pull whoever was within to her feet. And...as the person stands, it is apparent to most that this...this was the woman sighted with Julian what seems ages ago. Bright green hair. Voluptuous body. A definite beauty. Emerging from a tube that was only three more down from Kitty herself.

    Those green eyes shift, as an almost playful pout crosses over similarly hued lips. "Oh, only four of you? And only one man for me? Why, I do believe I should be insulted. Though....from what I see now, he does look a little worse for wear, yes?" A short laugh escapes from the female. "Well, don't feel bad, loves. We have a doctor here that will fix you all right up. You just wait right here." A pause...then a sly grin. "Oh...you might want to sit down, too. Can't be too careful with all those tremors. Could fall right over."

    With that, a pulsing wave of nausea eminates from Vertigo. Waves upon waves....a purposeful attack meant to disorient. All too quickly it becomes clear...the slight dizzyness was just her playing with the others.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty doesn't put a hand to her ear like they do in the movies to show the audience that they are on a comms system. But the funny thing is she sometimes feels an urge to do the needless gesture anyway.

Shadowcat has no idea the blast of energy is coming for her. Lockheed sees it, flapping hard and grabbing to her shoulder, but he would have failed to get her out of the way in time were it not for the towering Russian using himself as a metallic human shield.

Kitty whirls about, quickly registering what happened. "Colossus," she says with worry, moving to his side and leaning down to phase them both against future shots while he is recovering from the shot. "You totally earned it being my treat at Katz's next time," she says, using the little quip to hide her worry as she tries to check out the blast site. "You ok?" she asks with concern as she looks down the room to try to spot where the fire came from.

Lockheed flies forward, darting behind tubes and weaving in and out as he moves forward to get a better look at what they face. Then one of the tubes slides open and the green-haired woman steps out. Kitty sits up straighter, "She was on Genosha, that's-" is all she gets out before the wave of nausea hits her. Kitty's lunch comes up, thankfully while she's facing away from Piotr. She loses contact with him, leaving him unphased again as she falls not just to the floor, but through it, disappearing from sight.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
What they face is a seductive green-haired snake who impressed bartenders and struck down the new and improved Hellion. Darkness clings to the windowless pit buried into the bosom of a glacier-scoured landscape, filling the room, but not entirely. What bulbs still manage to benefit from the electrical current running through them strive valiantly, but those in the further corner beyond the shockwave start overheating, threatening to explode and bring down more glass. A modest hazard for those in uniform.

Until the glass rises, jittering and jerking around into a curtain that might not even be visible until seen up close. Lockheed probably has his own challenges trying to fly when the gyroscopic instincts go topsy-turvy, but add to that waving shards that suddenly build into a whirlwind going counter to the spin of the disorienting field. They rotate within one another, then another gyration churns up the floating, razor-edged particles on an angle to the ecliptic. The effect is running through a pair of bladed food processors shifting and altering paths, assuring bombardment from different directions.

Stealing the show from Vertigo probably isn't the wisest idea, but the flashbang pops of a bulb or a pod losing electricity adds another sick ozone hue to the atmosphere. Then the shaking really begins in earnest, probably firm enough to be felt upstairs, temblors intending to keep the fallen /off/ their feet and possibly buried under however many tonnes of concrete and rock. A nice, tidy slab ready to be sealed up, just for the X-Men. There might be myriad other scents for Rahne to pick up, some familiar, and some not, but the only person to -see- is Vertigo herself.

Light winks out where Illyana was, the floor opening up for her to drop into a blossoming portal that swallows her up. With it goes the Soulsword, taking that additional source of illumination. Cowardly retreat or overcome with jealousy at the green-haired woman's beauty? You decide.

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr is a tad wobbly as the diziness is hits him, having to take a few moments to process what's going on, "Oh, that's her." He wobbles a little to his feet, still in visible pain and nods to Kitty, "I'll be fine, will be a bit sore for a few days. But for Katz', I'll make a note of that." The large Russian eventually finds his footing and shakes his head a little to try and snap out of it to minimal avail, but what he can do si call out on comms and then says, "Keep your heads up, those bolts don't tickle." Trying to keep some humor, it seems.
    he sudden whirlwind of glass catches his attention, as does the popping sounds and bright lights from the bulb destruction keeps Piotr a little dazed as it mixed with his dizziness, but he tries to stumble over to where Vertigo is and says, "I do not appreciate this at all." He then tries to swing, hoping to disrupt this issue for the time being.

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
    Oh, that mock pout of Vertigo deepens as her attention focuses on Piotr. "Oh, you don't appreciate your welcoming party? Why, you hurt me!" She holds her hands out, together by the wrists, towards the Russian. "What are you going to do? Take me to jail? Punish me?" That pout breaks into a sly grin. "Oh, but I like being punished. Especially by tall men like..."

    But that phrase doesn't complete as Piotr takes a swing at the emerald bombshell. "Hey!" Indignation rings out in her voice as Vertigo dodges, the punch off-course due to her machinations. "What kind of gentleman are you!? Don't you know it's impolite to hit a lady!"

    There is a growl from behind Piotr, as a furry form manages to find footing. "Ye ain't no lady." The werewolf retaliates with a leap of her own, only for the glass veil to form upon her, knocking Rahne off kilter and drawing blood. But....that was closer to Vertigo than she would like, causing the green-clad one to take a step or two back...away from both Piotr and Rahne.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Once below ground Kitty finds the vertigo fading. She's well practiced in gauging how far she needs to travel underground in a moment like this, though she's less sure than normal due to the dissipating dizziness. Still, Kitty moves forward until she judges she'll be behind Vertigo, and then starts to rise slowly.

She wants to let out a breath of relief as she nears the flooring and doesn't feel the vertigo, but saves her breath, having to hold it while underground. The Marauder's power must be at least somewhat directional.

Kitty rises above ground silently, appropriate for the Shadowcat she took as her moniker. Once above ground she moves the short distance with quiet quickness, still phased. "I hope some girl-on-girl violence isn't impolite," she says, giving Vertigo just enough time to turn as Kitty launches in a jump kick, phased to pass through the whirling glass, but unphasing her leg to deliver the kick.

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
    The sneak attack catches Vertigo off-guard. It was almost as if the Piotr/Rahne combo was meant as a distraction to lure her into a false sense of security. The kick catches her square in the back, sending the Marauder flying forward and to the ground. It also has the added effect of breaking the wave of nausea as she tumbles to the floor, freeing Piotr and Rahne from their dizzy spell.

    With Kitty mostly phased, the sudden lancing of ruby light does little to actually harm her...but it certainly tips off the presence of another...a familiar form hiding behind a pod rising to his feet...a hand to the side of his head in the darkness.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
The jittering of the ground continues, and it becomes extremely difficult to stand once the cylinders crash to the ground. Several of the steel tubes lining the room shift and slide off their tables. Clones spill out as the doors jar open, or maybe just an arm or leg spills out with boneless inelegance. Staring, blank eyes of Alex Summers peer blindly at his counterparts in battle. Is there to be no rescue for him, too, as he takes the first pitiful gasps of dusty air?



With Vertigo tumbling over, an opening gives the X-Men a chance to strike while she's down. Or someone else to strike them. Glass striking steel creates an odd melody, cacophonous and glistening in anticipation of hurt. These are no beautiful saturnine rings, but a blender waiting to cut into human flesh. When a ruby-tinted energy burst strikes the shards, they turn almost immediately into red-hot slag. A sudden shift in the currents blasts the suspended molten globules indiscriminately flying at Kitty, Rahne, and Piotr. The splattering stream sizzles on the concrete where it doesn't strike flesh, fur or uniforms.

The larger target steadied on his feet is too good to avoid. Another an exquisitely bright, long javelin comes streaking from the back of the lab to slam into Piotr, and this time the energy harpoon connects square in the torso. Force ribbons outward from the impact point, and it sizzles.

"Dodge /that/," calls out a feminine voice, mocking and sweetly toned, though it has a source of 'over there' beyond a sea of pods.

More pods hit the ground. Shaking builds to a flashpoint as seismic tremors pass through the hospital. The ground begins to heave and jar in sickening waves, the walls forming spiderwebbed cracks.

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr blinks as his hit lands, guessing he was lucky enough. The whirling glass does not plague him too much, though the occasional jab at the tender spot where he got smote earlier causes him to wince. Kitty's attack though liberates him from the nausea, and he takes a breath as he stops stumbling and regains his footing. A ruby bolt shoots out and Piotr snarls, "Be careful everyone." But this is cut short as he is struck, again, by an energy harpoon, like before the vest absorbed some, but not nearly enough as more of his metallic flesh disintegrates, causing him to roar out in pain as he is thrown down. "We need to get him out of this fight," he gestures from where the harpoon came.

The awakening of the clones causes Piotr to sigh through the pain, "Protect the clones that are not hostile," he feels where the harpoon hit and rises to his feet, hindered by the tremors. <<Sister, we may need to flee, be ready in case we must.>> Piotr nods to the walls and makes his way towards the source, "Secure Vertigo," is the only other command he gives at the moment.

Fabian Cortez has posed:
Sinister's 'voice' is heard in the heads of all those on the grounds. <<I do apologize for the inconvience, I'm afraid... but I cannot possibly allow my work to fall into the hands of those who cannot grasp it.>>

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
    Secure Vertigo. Right....easier said than done.

    Still, Rahne 'secures' Vertigo in the quickest way she knows how. A meaty right cross to the jaw, hard enough to knock out the annoyance, if not to kill. That should make Piotr happy....eventually. But, at least it takes out of the dizzyness issue.

    Rahne doesn't even bother to report it over the comms. Instead, she turns to attempt to barrel down the room, to whatever the source of the infernal shaking is. A hot bath of molten glass changes her mind quickly, as a rather distinct lupine yelp sounds out in the room...the distinct scent of burning hair filling Rahne's nostrils. That split second...the pause as Rahne burns, is enough for Scott....no. not Scott....a Scott...to fire another round of concussive beams, this time directly at the werewolf. They catch her on the left shoulder, spinning her around and sending her reeling.

    In the darkness, another voice calls out. Male. "We are prepared to die here. Are you?"

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
"No!" An enraged cry erupts from the among the pods. The earth quakes harder, violent, shuddering.

"No, he can't leave us-- John!" It's a woman with an American accent, dark hair flying around her face as she gets up from her knees. One of the steel cylinders rests on the ground and she knocks it away with a powerful swat of her arm, sending it spiralling wildly towards the entrance. Anything to break open space. "John, it's time to get out. Come on! Please!"

Her hands are brought together with convulsive force that tears cracks in the concrete floor. Spreading waves of from her as the epicenter fling back anything in her path, and pieces of the ceiling crash down in cascades of dust and loose wiring. It almost pitches her forward, blood on her lips, but looks around wildly in case John follows. The building isn't going to withstand this. Maybe it was Sinister's plan, but it doesn't sound like it.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Phasing is great for avoiding many of the hurts a super hero takes. But when you need to kick someone you just can't stay fully phased. The melted glass splatters across Shadowcat's leg, resulting in a cry of pain as the graceful landing from the kick turns into a tumble to the ground to roll behind a tube and get out of the line of fiery melted glass.

"Lockheed, it's not Scott. Get him!" she calls. The little dragon takes wing, the agile flyer weaving erratically to avoid a red energy blast that shoots toward him. Lockheed is still too far away to use his fiery breath, but he sends out a cloud of smoke between the X-men and the clone, taking away not-Scott's ability to aim at them directly.

Shadowcat looks up from behind the tube. "Self-destruct? Can we get to it in time, or are we retreating?" she asks in the comms towards the entire team. "And we got some activity down here might take down the whole building even if not."

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
The scouring glass whirlwind in the darkness ends, pieces falling to the ground. For a brief moment those with sharper sight might see a pair in the back left corner of the ruined basement. A huge man, easily the size of Piotr, seizes Jean Grey from her secure spot in the back of the basement. Harpoon; Piotr surely recognizes him, Rahne too.

The stunned redhead shakes her head, dazed. Harpoon wraps his arm around her small waist and hauls her up in his arms, almost cradling her body. In the best fashion of escapes, he makes a charging run for the hallway, careless of chunks of the ceiling falling in.

"Jean" has enough of her wits about her to throw a telekinetic shield around them, holding up her shaking hand. Anger and contempt curls her pristine features, but bailing means leaving Piotr and Kitty and Rahne to die buried here with their peers. The pair might make it out, but Arclight isn't aiding them at all.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
A burst of silver-blue fire radiates as Illyana manifests again in the crumbling, shaking concrete bunker. Basement, bunker, pod farm: call it what you will. Her portal closes like a lotus and puts her to the back of the chamber, and the comms fade in just in time for her to hear Kurt.

Don't ask what took her so long, but she wipes her mouth with her fist and swivels, back to the wall and Soulsword up, ready to intercept trouble. Yuck, dust. Dirt. Bile. That's inconvenient.

"/Get out/," she hisses, shaking out her dusty hair. Whipping her hand out, she forms another portal immediately in front of Rahne.

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr sees Harpoon take Jean away and he breathes a sigh of relief, no more force harpoons, he hopes. Lockheed's smokescreen gets a nod of approval from the large Russian, who then scans the field for other threats, but the comms chatter and Illy's arrival gets a deep breath and a split decision from Piotr, "If our friends are saved, we need to go, save what you can."

Piotr makes his way back to where Illyana has made a portal for them and he says in his native tongue, <<Thank you, Illyana.>>

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
    "Philippa!" A figure emerges around the corner. Tall, certainly over 6 feet tall, almost as much metal as he is man. The cyborg rushes out, guns blazing. Well....at least one gun. A rather advanced affair that looks almost a part of him. The other hand...is free as he rushes over to the dark haired woman. "They are leaving us.....cowards. Come. Let's go..." The voice seems oddly calm, with the timbre betraying it to be the voice claiming lack of fear of the great beyond. Perhaps Philippa's pleas swayed him. Nevertheless, he uses the gun in his hand to lay down a suppression fire, not really attempting to aim, while he gathers up the two of them to attempt to leave.

    But...it is soon apparent that the technopath doesn't *have* to aim. As the rounds fire, they take a fraction of a second to reorientate...and then head to their targets, being the X-Men in the room. Pieces of the walls and ceiling tumble off, making the path for the rounds tricky, picking off the ammunition...but it is only a matter of time before the tracker rounds make their way through.

    A sizable piece of concrete from a nearby pillar shakes itself free, the concussions from Philippa sending it careening into the smokescreen caused by Lockheed. Judging from the groan and a thump from within, it would be a good bet that the evil Scott clone just was hit by friendly fire.

    As the portal shimmers into existence before Rahne, she turns and...instead of jumping into the portal herself...snags the unconscience Vertigo, snagging her by the collar and tossing her in. Then, she turns and goes after Piotr. "Get in! It's all comin' down!"

    It soon becomes apparent that Rahne isn't going anywhere until she saves as many as she can.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty calls out to Lockheed, "Let's get out of here." She moves towards some of the large metal tubes as the weapons fire starts coming through the smoke. Shadowcat doesn't let it slow her, phasing and moving over to check on the state of a clone. This one doesn't appear very viable, one of the Marauders perhaps but so ill-formed that she's not quite sure which, or if she's even seen him before.

She gets to the next tube, the cover only partially off of it. "This is the end, isn't it?" a male voice asks from inside. "No, not yet," Kitty says, reaching through the metal cylinder. When her hands come back, she's pulling with her a man whose body looks to be made of crystal. Kitty pulls Prism's arm over her shoulder and leads him him towards the portal. More gunfire breaks out but she keeps them phased, the bullets passing through until the pair have disappeared through.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
Maybe Arclight gets out with the cyborg shooting at everyone and everything. She is willing to blow past the X-Men, flinging a blast of seismic energy at the ceiling again. The two of them have an advance start, and Harpoon and "Jean" are already vaulting up the stairs to whatever remains of the main floor of the hospital.

"Hurry up! Get us out!" Jean has never been that shrill. Her voice is high with fear and anger, scratching on a chalkboard. "You useless lout, look out!"

This could turn out well for them or terribly, since the whole building shakes. Chunks of buckling wooden beams and plaster rain down, easily deflected by telekinetic shielding. Wiring and debris shower from the holes opening up in the ceiling as the building skews, heaving back and forth.

With gunfire strafing towards her, Illyana ducks behind the steel pods, meaning she drops into a crouch behind the tables. Further chunks crash down around her and she flings one off when it lands on her shoulders. Shining silver armour pours over her, a spiked rainbow ribboning down her arm, enclosing her throat, pooling down to her feet. <<The sky is falling, Piotr.>> Ironic as the Russian tones are, she gives a bitter laugh.

She doesn't make a a point of scurrying after the departing Marauders. The pods scattered around her give many optional targets, but she barely gives them a second look. Not while Kitty pulls off a crystalline figure from its would-be coffin, hauling Prism away to the safety of the silver-limned hole in reality. As much safety as can be found, seeing churned sand and blood-red desert landscapes scoured by wind more than water on the other side. Refuge, such as they can find it, in Limbo.

A distant expression settles over her face as Piotr advances and Rahne reaches for him. Kitty's portal shuts. Another opens under her brother and her dear friend with a dubious finality, hurtling them backwards into freedom, fresh air, hope by way of Limbo. She raises the Soulsword again, straight and purposeful.

It's not a salute, but a farewell.

Silver embers close on the fissure, hurtling them to Limbo and through it. Perhaps long enough for them to see a fleeting, brilliant arc of the blade coming down on someone. Something. Does it count as a person?

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr is in pain. He snarls as they are working to get out of there, but he gives his sister a solemn nod as he sees Rahne reach, but instead a portal appears and sends him spiraling elsewhere. It is not a good day, as he is brought to his destination. At least it is summer break. Last thing he wants is to deal with students.

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
    First there was a floor. Then, there wasn't. Anger flashes in Rahne's mind as she starts to fall. She was supposed to be the martyr, damn it! She is the cursed one....she was supposed to be the one that goes down saving all. But...then, just before the portal engulfs Rahne to send her to Limbo and beyond, she senses it.

    She senses Dani.

    That small familiar touch. It is faint...but it is there. Dani is alive. And...as Rahne falls into Limbo, anger at Illyana for taking her away is replaced with another emotion.

    Hope.

    They were successful. That's all Rahne knows now. And so....soon will start the healing.

    For everyone.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty and Prism make it through the disc, a hot gust of air sending her hair flying as they emerge in the demonic land. Kitty feels her stomach clench. Her own connection to the dimension, something she's never understood fully. A little space inside of her that she keeps suppressed most of the time, but never feeling so strong as while she's here.

Prism's clone looks around, blinking. "I don't feel very good," he says. Kitty lets him sink to his knees. "You try to kill me and I'm going to shatter you, capiche?" The crystalline man gives a wave of his hand and Kitty turns to Lockheed, who circles down to land on her shoulder. "Thanks for the cover," she tells the little dragon, patting his head gently.

"So we made it. They got them back," she says, letting out a breath of relief. "Back to somewhere we can figure out what to do with these two," she says, eyeing Vertigo's unconscious form. Kitty frowns slightly, looking towards where the teleportal had been. Thinking about the lives of those left in the crumbling, self-destructing building. Another score they'd have to settle with Mr. Sinister one day.