Archive Mutants & Masterminds: Future Imperfect - Chapter 2.1: Scouting Las Vegas

[SalmonMax]

Outside the military vehicle, Juno stared bleakly at her father's name, nestled just above her own. Missing. What did that mean? She thought about it, then decided that this list was probably made from some kind of civilian shelter. People would come in, and get checked off this 'missing' list. That or they'd find and identify bodies and check them off.

So all this list meant was that her dad hadn't been checked into a shelter yet...or his body hadn't been ID'ed yet.

In short, it didn't mean much.

After a second Juno looked back at the Stryker. There was a definite temptation to run. She wasn't sure if that woman was Ronnie, though the clothes seemed to suggest it. If she was, it was a hell of an act. Or maybe Ronnie was the act. Either way, she was holding out on them, bigtime. So the question was...did Ronnie turn herself in to help Juno? Or did she turn herself in for reasons of her own, and would be doublecrossing her by handing her in to the authorities?

But she hasn't seen what I can do.

That, more than anything, was what kept Juno there. She was pretty sure she could get away if things turned sour. Even if Ronnie turned out to be a traitor.

Of course, that begged the question; what if she wasn't a traitor? She still obviously connections. Would she want them to join the government? What DID she want?

After waffling a moment longer, Juno made up her mind and started punching the names of her various friends and gangmates to see who was where. If anywhere.

[Stargaizer]

Kevin absent-mindedly replied as he finished organizing their newly aquired supplies. "Everything we need. I should have everything I need to treat everybody back at the school and still have some left over." Usually Kevin was the one protecting the stores from looters; but this was different. This was a war-zone. So long as you didn't take personal possesions from houses, or loot banks, merchandise was fare game. But only what you needed to take; more would only weigh you down... unless it was something that the enemy needed.

Kevin's mind drifted back to his time in the service, to the world wars, and to his first face-to-face confrontation with 'Dr. Z.'

Then it struck him; he needed to contact his contacts with the Brittish Military and find out if they knew anything about what was going on, and if they had any new info on Dr. Z. He still had a few strings he could pull and some favors that he could call in; if anybody knew anything then he should be able to find it.

"I need a land line, I need to make a call. You seen a phone around here?" He asked Adrian as he started searching the apartment for a phone. He'd check his 'voicemail' first (actually an account set up by the British government for important messages. It was the only sure-fire way go get ahold of him... eventually). After that, he'd call his contacts and see what he could figure out.

Of course all of that was dependant upon finding a land-line or other operable phone.

[z-May Allman]

"Captain Hicks, I am NSA," Nana said when they were alone in the Stryker. She quickly briefed him on the information that Ronnie had learned on the ship. "I'd like to coordinate further action with you; I know of a group of Mutants who will be very willing to work against the aliens. Can I have your cooperation? And what can you tell me about what has happened?"

[Joani]

Juno

The names were quickly sorted by the PDA's searching filter. That thing was really handy. She had never seen anything like it but it must've been Military Hi-Tech. In a matter of seconds she had them all listed - Missing.

The message blinked at her - Missing.

If she tried to look at it from a positive side they weren't listed under Dead... yet. So either she had to find their bodies or where the hell would they hide?

Nana

"I had my money on the CIA. I guess I'm not good at this kind of stuff.", he shrugged and smiled rather cute.

"N S A - I guess you guys know more about what is going on than us? Ok, sitrep: On December 24th short after the riot at the MIC broke out the US had been attacked by huge Machines. Robot like things with advanced technology. Their weapons easily pierce through our tanks armour. In very short time communication collapsed nationwide. No TV, no Radio, no Phone - nada. Currently under siege are the cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Boston, Washington, New Orleans and New York. Or to make it short - wherever a large MIC is present."

He waited for a moment to see how Nana was taking this. He guessed that she was rather good at absorbing reports like this so he continued.

"So far we don't know who the attackers are. Fact is, they are taking out the MICs, kidnap and kill Mutants and pretty much ignore us most of the time. It's not like we can do a lot anyway. EMPs seem to be the only effective weapons we got - but those are scarce and require a huge amount of energy to be effective. EMPs affect our systems, too. That's the major problem and why we just used it once or twice. Since time is running out I suggest we hop into the next Jeep and you keep me updated on the road. Just tell me where we need to go."

Then he suddenly realized what she just said. "Aliens?"

[z-May Allman]

Nana nodded. "Let's roll," she said, her tone brisk. Her mind was working over how the hell they were going to manage this. An idea came to her, and she said, "But instead of coordinating with me, let me go get my Mutant contact. She has first hand information. We're not that far from where I was meeting her. Let Juno and I get her, while you gather information and supplies you'll need for coordination with us. Is that acceptable?"

[Joani]

Captain Hicks put on that pensative look on his face again. He raised an eyebrow at her and nodded slowly. "Hey Ms. Selk. I got orders to cooperate with you - just like the General said. Even if it means stretching things. We're both trying to fight off the enemy here. If you say this is the only way doing it, I'm your guest."

He waved an MP over to him and used his shortband Radio "This is Capt. Hicks. I need an Humvee ASAP."

He turned back to her. "So tell me about your friend? And what about Ms Reyes?"

[z-May Allman]

"We'll bring Ms. Reyes with us," she said, "and I think that Ms. Violet, the contact, has a few other friends." She patted Hicks arm lightly. "You'll be in fine company, Mr. Hicks. Let me and Ms. Reyes collect them all - I'll be back in thirty minutes."

She didn't really wait for an answer as she stepped out. "Juno, dear? Ready to go? I think I got us a ride..."

[SalmonMax]

Juno's jaw clenched at the call from 'Nana,' and she pocketed the PDA to turn and glare at her.

"A ride to where?" she asked. "Sesame Street? I've got nothing. Dad's missing. All my people are missing. Better than dead, but I've got no leads from here."

"What's the ride anyway?"

[z-May Allman]

Nana jerked her chin at the approaching Hummer. The H3 came to a roaring stop as Hicks bounced out of the Stryker. "Ready?" he asked.

"We are," Nana said patiently. "We'll be back to pick you up." She needed to get away from Hicks to make the change to Ronnie. Convincing Hicks to accept Ronnie would far easier than convincing Travis to accept Nana. The older woman rubbed her forehead, then took the driver's seat.

After Juno was in, Nana put it in gear. She made sure all the radios were off before she spoke. "I suppose you have questions for me," she said softly. "We can talk freely, now. I'll answer every question I can."

[SalmonMax]

"Alright," Juno said tightly. "Lets start with 'who are you?' Then we can go to, 'How did you free us from those pods when you should have been in one too?' And that just leaves us with, 'What the fucking FUCK is going on?!' I've heard everything from Nazi doctors to aliens now, and none of it makes any sense!"

[z-May Allman]

Nana was quiet for a long moment. "I am trusting you with a lot here, Juno," she said. "But you've been very patient with me so far, so I think it's fair that I tell you more than I would.

"My name is really Nana Selk, but I'm not always her," Nana said softly. She really hated to do this, but didn't see much way around it, without flat-out lying, something she despised. "I won't go into details, largely because it's very complicated and we have more vital issues to cover. Let me say only that Ronnie and I are deeply and intimately connected to one another.

"I wasn't in a pod because my unique mutant signature wasn't detected by the machines." Nana looked grim as she added, "And you should all be grateful for that. Otherwise, we'd all be living batteries right now." The motherly woman shuddered before down-shifting and creeping around some debris. She handled the large vehicle easily, expertly navigating the road block. "I can be difficult to get a read on, at times, and that saved all of us."

She turned a corner, dodging several cars parked in the street. "You are right about both the aliens and the Nazis," she added. "The aliens are working with the Nazis, or maybe using them - I'm not sure. It was more Ronnie's thing." She paused. "She'll be here in a moment. Can I answer any more questions?"

[SalmonMax]

Juno was quiet now, her anger expended for the moment in her fit of pique. She watched Nana suspiciously, then said "Just one."

"What do you want with us?"

[z-May Allman]

"With you?" Nana said, frowning. "I think you have the wrong idea. We want to survive this, and of course Ronnie is concerned about her friend. She likes you, too. Sees a bit of herself there, I suspect. So mostly, all we 'want' from you is for you to make it through this."

Nana glanced at her, her dark eyes both comforting and chilling. "We are the same, after all."

[SalmonMax]

Robots don't seem to think so, Juno thought, but didn't say.

"Wanting us to make it through this could mean a lot of things," Juno pointed out. "I mean more...in real talk. What are you going to ask us to do?"

[z-May Allman]

Nana shivered and slammed on the brakes; her body shivered and shifted. Ronnie sat in the seat, growling in another language as she adjusted the remnants of the dress and Adrian's suddenly-tight shirt. "Pain in the fucking ass," Ronnie growled, and then turned to Juno.

"Look. This is all pretty fucking awful. What I'm going to ask of you is what you already seem to be wanting to do," she said. "I'm asking you all to fight and maybe die so that all be free and safe. And it isn't for just mutants anymore. It's for all people on this shithole, including your father and your friends.

"But I can't make you fight. It's your choice," Ronnie finished, starting the car rolling. "Oh, and I want you to keep my secret, even if you won't fight."

[SalmonMax]

Juno's mouth split in a giant, shit-eating grin and she leaned back in her seat with a self-satisfied shoulder wriggle.

"I knew it. I totally made you. But yeah, alright, I won't tell anyone." She glanced at Ronnie and adds, "I won't even tell them you work for the government."

"As for fighting, of course I'm going to fight." She looked back forward as the Hummer picked up speed. "So are we getting recruited then? Is that what all that was about?"

[z-May Allman]

"Recruited? For my government? Are you even eighteen?" Ronnie asked, raising an eyebrow. "I'm only interested in surviving this, getting Trav out alive, and keeping my promise to you. Oh, and rescue that Sly dude. He's got to live, too."

Yes, he does. Lena added smugly.

"What that - by which I refer to the thing with Hicks - was about was saving your ass and getting us some much needed help." She pulled into an apartment building and parked in the lot, not bothering to claim an actual space. "We're here. Hope the others are. I am dying for some smokes and some decent clothes."

She lead the way up, opened the door and called out, "Yo, Kid, General? You here?"

[Adrian Moss]

The door opens and Adrian waves them in, looking past them to the vehicle. Once inside, he asks them,

"How did you to get away, Juno? Ronnie, what did you say, or do to those guys? We didn't hear any fighting, or I'd have come back."

He was full of questions, but his face was a mask of concern ... and something else.

[z-May Allman]

"I called in a favor," Ronnie said easily, moving to her closet - the one she shared with six people. Sliding open the doors, she grabbed a duffel back and stuffed several things inside. "And don't ask what or of who, cause I ain't saying. Get what you need; you have five minutes. Then we're swinging back to pick up the help we need to kick this shit in the pants."

Taking one set of pants and a shirt, she hurried into her bathroom and changed, sighing with relief. As she came out, she snagged a leather jacket and some boots from the floor and yanked them on. She then went to the bedroom and grabbed the pillows and blankets off her bed, rolling them up into a thick, fabric burrito. The last things she snagged were a box of cigars off her nightstand and her lighter.

"I'm ready," she announced. "How about you guys? Need anything else?"

[SalmonMax]

"Yeah, got anything my size?" Juno asks, indicating her tank top and cargo pants...now kind of crusty with dried slime.

To Adrian she just said, "We had those guys eating out of our hands. It's cool. Check it out, I even got one of these."

She produces the PDA Hicks let her borrow and hands it to Adrian.

"Pretty nice, huh? Be right back, lemme just look through the closet here."

(OOC - I'm fine with glossing over the details of Juno's Quest For Clothes and moving forward. )

[Joani]

Originally Posted By: Stargaizer

"I need a land line, I need to make a call. You seen a phone around here?" He asked Adrian as he started searching the apartment for a phone. He'd check his 'voicemail' first (actually an account set up by the British government for important messages. It was the only sure-fire way go get ahold of him... eventually). After that, he'd call his contacts and see what he could figure out.

Of course all of that was dependant upon finding a land-line or other operable phone.

--

Unfortunately every phone they found on the way to Ronnie’s apartment including hers was dead. He had never experienced anything like this before but they were cutoff from the outside world for now.

Then Ronnie and Juno came back and seemed to be having a plan. Whatever Ronnie did to get them out of that situation it turned to an advantage. Once they had packed their stuff the 4 mutants went downstairs to get back into the waiting H3 Hummer. The vehicle was high-tech military issue and Ronnie drove it with deadly precision back towards Nellis Airforcebase. At the entrance Captain Hicks was already waiting for them and simply jumped on the Hummer while Ronnie slowed it down to minimum speed.

Captain Hicks introduced himself briefly and decided to ask questions later. This day was already top on his list for most unusual encounters of his live. He lid on another cigarette and offered it to anyone interested in having a fag.

The Hummer made it’s way to the School when a new day was already dawning.

(ooc: Juno, Ronnie, Kevin and Adrian recovered half of the QPs they normally would if they had some sleep. 6 hours have passed - this thread continues again in: Chapter 2: Resistance )