2064/Down to Mutant Town

Down to Mutant Town
Date of Scene:	11 June 2020
Location:	Bushwick <Mutant Town>
Synopsis:	Bobby and Lorna go to Mutant Town to start investigating the tensions there. They run into Scott.
Cast of Characters:	Lorna Dane, Bobby Drake, Scott Summers

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Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna had been told that tensions in Mutant Town were bad to say the least. It wasn't something she could exactly see to when the various X-men had been taken and missing.. but now that everyone was accounted for, she felt it was well past time that she take a trip into the City. Of course, that didn't stop the fact that Purifiers were active again, or that she was a publically known mutant either. So she'd asked Bobby to come out with her to try to gauge what things were like in Mutant Town.

Her hair was tucked up under a black wide-brimmed hat, and she wore a simply pair of blue jeans and a T-shirt. Hoping at least to blend in a bit and not immediately get stopped: be it for good or ill..

Her gaze swept over the trash littered sidewalks, the summer temperature making the trash that was heaped on the corners for the garbage collectors to take away smell even worse than usual. She grimaced, and shoved her hands into her pockets.

Bobby Drake has posed:
As a known mutant, Bobby can sometimes be recognized as well, but it's much less likely. He blends easily when not in ice form, isn't a widely known face, and he has that college kid look that just kind of fits in a crowd easily enough wherever he goes. He's got on a pair of jeans, a plain white t-shirt, and a pair of comfortable running shoes, sunglasses over his eyes in the summer sun.

The smell is something else, and Bobby tries not to talk too much as they pass the garbage because, frankly, talking requires breathing and he opts to avoid that until they are a little further down the sidewalk. "Wow, that's ripe," he coughs a little bit. He hasn't been out to Mutant Town in a while, not with everything going on at Xavier's and in Genosha, so it's the first time that he's been out here since probably late winter.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna nodded, her gaze sweeping over the sidewalk as she sped up her pace to try to get away from that particularly strong smelling pile of trash. "Yeah. A bit." She exhaled, her lips twisting as she kept moving. She wasn't going to clap her hands over her nose, she could walk away from it.. other people that lived here? Not so much.

"Thanks for coming out with me. Clarice kept mentioning how bad things were supposed to be getting down here.. but I don't see anything at first glance that wasn't here before. It sucks.. but I'm also not seeing much in terms of new tensions either.." She murmured, pitching her voice low as they walked.

Bobby Drake has posed:
"Just because there aren't people stabbing each other in the street at noon doesn't mean that it isn't worse than it has been," Bobby says as they walk along, staying alert as they make their way down the street. His attention shifts from the road ahead of them, to down the alleys as they pass, to flicking up to the windows that overlook the street. "Sometimes the calm is just the wire being drawn tight before it snaps," he observes, not taking anything for granted at the moment. "There's got to be some reason for the concern." Then he looks over at her and grins, "You know me, always up for an adventure."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna inclined her head, "Hard to say with just a walk through." She murmured, her lips pursed together as she stepped around bits of shattered glass on the sidewalk. "But there was already a Sentinel attack here. I saw the news reports. One of the ones from Genosha." She exhaled a breath, as they came to the end of the sidewalk and waited for traffic to stop before crossing.

Her gaze swinging back and forth a few times to be certain it was clear. "Of course the rebuilding of the places hit around here has been just as slow as those in Genosha.." She muttered, mostly under her breath.

Bobby Drake has posed:
"A walk-through is a start, though," Bobby says as they maneuver around the shattered glass. He glances through what can be seen through the boarded up portion of the window. The interior of the shop looks trashed. His attention flickers back to the street then as they make hteir way toward traffic, pausing there and watching the cars go by. "Wish I could say that I was shocked by that.. but I'm not."

Scott Summers has posed:
But the X-Men do have business in Mutant Town. Scott, for instance, does check with certain social organizations and projects on a weekly basis. Truth is the last couple weeks he did not. Although he was in touch through videoconferences and chat groups.

(Yes, Scott uses those. You are not safe).

And he is supposed not to come alone to New York. His own rules. But he did today. But no one saw him to pick his bike. The one everyone keeps 'stealing'.

He is a Summers, though, so of course he pretty much stumbles on Lorna and Bobby as he leaves one of the rundown tenements of the area. Fate hates him. "Ah, good afternoon," he greets. Jeans and a t-shirt, he could almost be disguised. But for the glasses. It is always the glasses.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna glanced sidelong at the ruined husk of the building and she shook her head, looking back to Bobby as he pointed out that a walk through the rundown portion of the city was at least.. a start. "Well lets see, we have Stryker starting up again... and Senator Kelly running for office." She couldn't help but partly blame herself for those occurrences, but she also knew that hate would exist with or without her.

Which is when the pair walk directly into one Scott Summers. She paused, her shoes scuffing on the cracked sidewalk as she blinked in surprise. "Scott?" She glanced around him and back, lofting a green eyebrow upward in a pointed way. She'd followed the rules about the buddy system. Her lips twitched faintly as she noted no one else with him. "My what an example you're setting for the kids." She teased.

Bobby Drake has posed:
"Yeah," Bobby says, "I more meant.. to finding out what's going on around here and helping out. Stryker and Kelly.." he trails off and just shakes his head. "I'm more scared that there's enough people out there who will legitimately think Kelly is a good idea." But then there's Scott right in front of them and Bobby can't help but chuckle at Lorna's comment, and so he follows it up with. "Man, Scott, I'm young and impressionable. You're totally setting the wrong example for me. I might start breaking rules left and right!" He's very clearly kidding, not that he hasn't come into the city on his own a few times as well, but he's not going to bring that up right /now/. His grin is all mischief.

Scott Summers has posed:
Scott grimaces. "I am sure currently the kids are not daring going alone to the bathroom," he notes. "Except Ellie, who was in Manhattan alone yesterday. You should try to talk with her, Lorna."

But that is not an excuse, really. "I know people here, I am mostly safe. No one followed me here. I triple checked."

To Bobby, he deadpans. "I can't remember when was the last time you did what I told you to do. Was it 2016?"

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna snorted a laugh at Bobby's commentary, and even more so at Scott's response. She shook her head, trying and failing to repress a smile. "Was that the time when Bobby promised to stop filling your shoes with snow when you were asleep or after?" She teased, and in regards to Ellie a sigh pulled from her.

"I've tried, Scott. Honestly, I have. That kid is gonna end up doing something rash and it's gonna get her into serious hot water." She pursed her lips together, her smile failing. "I had to talk her out of trying to assasinate Stryker the other day. And I'm not sure that it stuck." It had to be a lot for Lorna of all people to worry about rask actions and behavior, particularly given her track record.

Bobby Drake has posed:
Bobby chuckles at Scott and Lorna and says, "Oh come on. I was what? Twelve?" Then he smirks a little at Scott, "2016? That recent? Man, I thought I'd stopped way longer than that." Though talk of Ellie pulls him back a little bit more into the present as he listens to Scott and Lorna. "What do you think the likelihood of her actually trying is?" he asks as he slides his hands into his pockets, rocking a little bit onto his toes then back onto his heels.

Scott Summers has posed:
To be honest, Scott is actually more worried about those would-be killers that actually have a slight chance to get to Stryker, or at least kill a lot of people trying to get to Stryker (and it would be televised). Ellie has potential, but she needs a lot of training. Lorna, on the other hand...

"The chances of someone doing something dumb are high," admits Scott. "In fact I am pretty sure it will happen. If not by someone from Xaviers, then some powerful but clueless mutant from Mutant Town, or some vengeance-driven ex-Brotherhood member. Hell, I bet Stryker has a chart with names and percentages about who is going to flip over next and several speeches ready to deliver depending who goes next."

Yes. Scott also has the chart.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna started to walk, rather than just linger on the street corner, and she nodded her head to continue her walkthrough the ramshackle streets. "She's angry, and she's hurt. She survived the Mutate Bonding process on Genosha.. and then again she survived the genocide there." She blinked repeatedly, trying to put into words her own complicated emotions as well as her thoughts on Ellie together.

"And now there's a man stating that everything that happened to her was just and right.." She glanced back at Bobby and Scott. Scott's words earned a twist of her lips.

"I explained to her that killing Stryker won't stop his hate, nor will it stop his followers from carrying out his message." She pushed her hair back from her face, pausing to consider the nearby streetlight, and a sticker that had been stuck to its side. A 'Vote for Kelly!' message was on it, and she reached up to peel it off, pausing as she did so.

Bobby Drake has posed:
While they talk, Bobby keeps an eye on the neighborhood around them -- watching the traffic as cars roll by on the street, the people who are in the windows or who walk by going from one place to another. He studies the tenement buildings nearby, and the empty storefront that they stand in front of, taking it all in. At least at this point on the street the smell of trash in the sun isn't quite so bad. "I've got some real mixed feelings on all of that," Bobby admits.

When Lorna starts walking again, he follows along. "Killing him outright won't stop his hate and will likely martyr him to his cause, just causing his followers to retaliate on those who are least able to defend themselves. It'll just get way more ugly way faster. It's gotta happen some other way."

Scott Summers has posed:
Scott was actually going the other direction, but since he is here, he will hang out with the pair and... what are they doing here anyway. Will have to ask.

"Almost every mutant alive has solid reasons to be angry. Some have made a living of being angry," like oh, Magneto? "Which is normal, and it can be fine as long as anger is not controlling us, blinding us. And with teenagers, well, most of them can't control themselves much."

He snorts at the sticker. Kelly is not getting many votes here, someone put the sticker there to annoy the residents.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna nodded at Bobby, crumpling the sticker in her hands, even if the whole thing didn't come off cleanly.. she'd gotten most of it off. She glanced around, trying to figure out if the person responsible was still around or not. But she didn't spot anyone plopping down more.. so, she shrugged and tossed it into a nearby trash can that was nearly overflowing already.

"Yeah, that's what I tried to tell Ellie. Among other things. I think I bungled it though." She exhaled a breath, and as Scott trailed along, she felt a smile twitch at the corners of her lips.

"Scott, you sound like you're trying to be Jedi." She teased, and continued onward.

"Clarice said that things down here were getting //tense// to say the least. So I figured I'd come down and do a walkthrough at the very least. Given everything that was going on though, I haven't had a chance until now."

Bobby Drake has posed:
"More tense than usual," Bobby adds in addition to what Lorna mentions about Clarice. "We weren't real sure how tense or where or what exactly that meant so -- boots on the ground to take a scouting look around ourselves seemed like a good idea -- get a feel for what's actually going on around here right now. Considering we've all been wrapped up with a lot lately." He gives a little half-grin at the Jedi comment but for once doesn't add his own. "Guess you'd know a little more than us since you've been out here. You see anything particularly worse than usual on your visit?" No more ribbing about that visit being alone, though.

Scott Summers has posed:
"We should start patrolling Mutant Town again," comments Scott. "They have their own version of a neighborhood watch, and the cops at the precinct are actually decent people, just underfunded and undermined form above. But there are also many gangs and organized crime."

The Purifiers could easily cause a massacre here. But that would be rash and easily backfire. So, Scott doubts Stryker would do it. He wants mutants to be seen as dangerous and monstrous, not victims.

"I have not noticed an increasing on the stress levels," admits Scott. "But it is my first visit in weeks. I was busy."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna nodded, her gaze sweeping over the usual crowds that moved about their business, either on the street corners, side alleys, or kids just standing around on a stoop. Nothing at first glance caught her attention, and she kept walking. "With what groups?" She murmured to Scott.

"I still need help with Genosha, and a number of our people are not up for the task of walking, much less patrolling, Scott." She pursed her lips together as she exhaled a breath and stepped over a half crushed soda can.

"We all have been busy..."

Bobby Drake has posed:
"We're just going to have to ask Clarice what she was talking about," Bobby says as they continue to walk along. Yes, there are some shouting matches that are going on here and there, but nothing that one wouldn't see between non-mutants on any other street in New York City. There's the occasional blare of a horn, the occasional crash as something falls or gets knocked over -- but there don't appear to be people walking the streets lighting things on fire. There doesn't appear to be rampant violence. "There's too much going on for all of us to be able to cover all of it all the time. We're going to have to do what we can where we can, and split our time a bit between all of it."

Scott Summers has posed:
Right. The X-Men can't be in Genosha and Mutant Town and still keep the school running. Not enough of them. But maybe having a couple people coming every afternoon would work. If only to gauge the mood and speak to a few allies.

Scott shakes his head. "I'll ask for volunteers. I bet some folks are tired of being confined already. That might be enough to defuse whatever is boiling now."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna exhaled a breath, shoving her hands into her pockets. "I'll talk to her." She offered in regards to Clarice and finding out what the purple haired woman meant. Of course.. it was possible Blink just meant in general.. but better safe than sorry. It wasn't as if Blink was limited in movement.

"That's about all we can do I guess." She sighed heavily, "I mean what else can we do? We're reactive by nature. It's hard to be proactive against people like Stryker.."

Bobby Drake has posed:
"There's not much we can do proactively. I mean, other than try to undermine the whole platform of mutants as a threat to society by showcasing how mutants benefit society and help people, but that's like.. a PR thing.. and I'm a mathematician not a PR person. Plus, I think people are too pissed off and tired to want to try to prove themselves to just be people when they shouldn't have to be," Bobby says with a shake of his head. "Best we can do is to deny them what they want and keep on denying them."

Scott Summers has posed:
"We can investigate," replies Scott, pausing on his walk. "We could expose his crimes, destroy his illegal weaponry, track down who is financing his Purifiers. Al Capone went to jail for tax evasion, and Stryker is moving a good deal of money in illegal operations."

Unfortunately, that kind of operation is not part of the X-Men training, but now they have Bishop, who was a policeman. And plenty telepaths. They can also look for a good private eye or three, right? Maybe even mercenaries. The idea of unleashing Deadpool on Stryker almost makes him smile.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna shrugged once, "Not much I can do with that. I'm a heavy hitter, and I'm far too well known to be on any kind of secretive investigation team." She sighed heavily, pushing her hair back under her hat as it threatened to slip free. She glanced around again, finding nothing obvious. They would need to sit down and talk to people. Stake out and listen and watch and spend more time than any of them had.

"That also hopes that the system in place will actually convict him on that Scott.." She pursed her lips, "And if Senator Kelly wants that as a base.." She shook her head and sighed.

"Here's hoping Lex Luthor polls well."

Bobby Drake has posed:
Bobby Drake listens to Scott as he outlines some possibilities and grimaces a little. "Definitely not my areas of expertise. Though I'm sure we've got folks who are interested in that kind of investigation work," Bobby says as they continue their slow walk through the neighborhood. He nods in Lorna's direction and says. "Here's hoping that not everything is so corrupt that they wouldn't convict him even if he were caught. Because if it is -- we're in even more trouble."

Scott Summers has posed:
Scott shakes his head. "The system works. It is not perfect, but it is also part of our responsibility as American citizens to work at improving it. Stryker's expensive lawyers might have kept him out of jail once. They won't save him forever."

And if the persecutors need a little help, then maybe the X-Men can lend a hand. Scott is good at making plans. "I should get back to the school. Don't get in trouble, you two," he remarks, heading back for his bike.