Mutants & Masterminds: The Indigo Children - [First Phase: Alpha Segment] Test: N-01

[jameson (ST)]

Friday, April 30th, 2010

Times Square buzzed and bustled with activity. The decay and rot that pervaded the Big Apple were not evident here. Not evident but in spots and in people still present. The city did everything to keep this and other tourist locales as free of the gangs and scum and the ruin and waste of the city. Here in the beating heart of New York people still flocked by the thousands on a daily basis. Cafés and restaurants and museums and theaters all huddled together to ward off the darkness, and to an extent it worked.

The crowds of people overflowed the sidewalks and into the streets. Here the streets too looked like New York of days gone by, bumper to bumper traffic, and a taxicab for every two other vehicles. Times Square was one of the places that one could be sure to be safe even at night. Friday early evening was the busiest time as people came through the Square from the restaurants and headed to the plays on Broadway. Filed from early shows to late dinners, or merely segued from club to club. The core of the Big Apple; Times Square.

[Telluris]

Through the Brownian motion of the crowds three particles moved in tandem.

All things considered, Rob felt fairly relaxed. Sure, spooky guys with guns and black helicopters were still out there somewhere, but the likelihood of them swooping down on Times Square on a Friday evening were low, to say the least.

Well, unless they're hitting the clubs. Even humorless Delta Force rejects have to get their groove on sometime. Rob thought to himself wryly. "Sergeant! Did I see you tuck a folded bill into that dancer's g-string?" "Sir, yes sir" "Dammit soldier, straighten that note out! You're shaming our beloved President Lincoln!" Just in case he was wrong, Rob had a bandana covering his hair and his goggles tucked into the pocket of his leather coat. If he did have to bust some Magneto-moves here, he didn't want his face plastered all over Youtube.

Two of the trio already had bags in their hands. Rob was laden down with toiletries, textbooks, and near-enough a complete replacement wardrobe and then some to take the place of all the belongings he had simply left behind at his old place. The two of them were currently browsing in a gadget outlet store, checking out the latest in voice-activated hardware or bio-secured laptop computers.

Isaac, on the other hand, was bored out of his mind. The teeming crowds and bright lights were an endless cacophony, and the eon or two that his companions had spent in Borders had brought him to the point of questioning why the hell he'd let himself be talked into leaving his friends behind and coming for an evening out with the other two. Right now, he was staring out of the large-paned windows of the shiny plastic store and considering talking some of the ubiquitous pigeons into crapping on the glass. Or possibly on Rob. There had better be some good food and a lot of beer at the end of this torture...

[Tharra of the Katjaa]

Jordan and Jaime strolled through Times Square together, each with a bag from the Virgin MegaStore full of the purchases they had made. Jordan had picked up several magazines and DVDs, Jaime had gotten a couple of books and a CD. After a brief stop in the bathroom of a diner, she also ended up with a new jacket that she had seen and Jordan had carefully copied for her. In their other hand each had some of the chocolate from the Hershey store.

Izzy was still grounded, and while Jordan would have like to go out with Nico, after last weekend's fiasco, she had decided to spend it with Jaime. If Jaime had had other plans, she didn't complain about having a girl's night out with her sister. Well, not much. She hadn't been able to convince Jordan to go out as someone closer to her age and less damnably gorgeous. Though considering how it went last week, I shouldn't complain.

All in all, Jordan was enjoying herself - thoughts of Men in Black were far away, except for a heightening of her auditory senses to give her warning, though it mostly just let her hear more comments about her appearance. Jordan smirk as she took a languorous bite of chocolate. The things people will say when they think you can't hear. The sisters were bickering good-naturally about where they wanted to go next before heading for dinner, than a movie.

"Jaime, let's try a few more clothing stores, okay? I'm trying to find the place Nico got his suit, then I want to study some stuff for the website - the guys certainly have their ideas of what they want to see. If you see something you like, well, I can make you a copy." Jordan snorted, but her eyes sparkled.

"You and clothes! You're worst than any girl I know!"

"That's cause I can be any girl you know. And any girl you don't know. And any guy."

"Gah! You're impossible! C'mon! You got all that computer stuff for you're website, you can at least get me a new laptop to replace the antique I have. Look! We're even standing right in front of an electronics store. That wins due to proximity." Jaime whirled in triumph, pointing at the store, then froze, mouth opening in surprise at who she saw standing on the other side.

Jaime gave him a wave, mouthing a, 'Hi!' Jordan turned, relenting to her sister's desire, then arched a brow at the sight of Isaac, giving him a surprised smile. Even dressed casually in snug jeans and a button down shirt, dark auburn hair loose and artfully wild, Jordan possessed a stunning, glamorous beauty, while maintaining an aura of sassy, girl-next-door approachability.

[z-Isaac Ward]

Boredom was inevitable for Isaac in this situation. He had little interest in shopping, and had come along mostly because Tess had asked him to do so. But he’d rather be home with the pack, figuring out which of the dogs would be staying with her permanently. Right now, he felt a little naked without them; he missed having at least one of them around. But since he didn’t need an assistance dog, he’d left them at home. He was starting to regret that now.

Isaac was bored, but more than that, he was uncomfortable. Rob and Tess were treating him better than anyone else ever had before, but he wasn’t able to enjoy it. He kept wondering when they were going to demand something of him, something beyond the work he’d agreed to do for Tess. She kept trying to spend money on him and he was starting to wonder why she was trying to work up a tab on him. He knew she had connections, so that meant she was important to someone. It also meant she might have learned how to smile all sweet and say nice words while she fitted your neck for a collar. Regardless of her true intentions, it was starting to bug Isaac – a lot.

He stared at the computers, half-minding Rob and Tess’ conversation, while he mulled over his ‘problem’. Thankfully, a distraction arrived in the form of Jaime and Jordan. He raised his hand in a subdued wave, giving them an easy smile. In the days since Jordan had met him, he’d healed up completely. The heavy bruises and swelling were gone, and that pained hunch to his shoulders had faded. For a moment, he wondered if he was ‘supposed’ to go talk to them; then he mentally shrugged and decided he’d rather do that than stand here and watch Rob and Tess shop. “See someone I’m gonna talk to,” he muttered to Tess before walking over to the girls.

“Jaime, Jordan,” he said briefly, giving Jaime a smile. Jordan got her own smile, though smaller and without a hint of the lust she usually saw in men’s eyes. “You guys been ok?” It might have seemed an odd statement, but given the circumstances under which they met, it was understandable.

[z012]

Tess was enjoying herself immensely. It had been years since she'd had anyone resembling a real friend around (college buddies tended to either be after her for a chance to "score" Shreveson's daughter, who was rumored to be a slut anyways, or were persuaded to break off the friendship if her father objected to them for some reason); and by the time she'd asserted some measure of independence from Branden she was living alone on an island. So, having people to shop for and with was a welcome reprieve from her isolation; that at least one of them was a fellow Indigo made her all the more willing to indulge in her petty cash.

She gave Isaac a moment of space to go meet with the two young women that had caught his eye, but curiosity and measure of protectiveness had her keeping a fairly close watch on the trio. She pulled Rob over close enough to speak softly to him, "How about dinner next? I'm a bit tired and my stomach is informing me that is well past time for something to eat. Think we should invite Isaac's friends along? The woman is quite stunning; I think he'd rather watch her than peruse the latest iPads." The last was said teasingly and with a chuckle.

[Tharra of the Katjaa]

Jaime was glad to see Isaac again and almost rushed over to give him a hug before deciding that was too childish. Instead, she slouched with teenaged insouciance and gave him a nod in greeting, but a bright smile spread across her face. After the alcohol left her system, she had begun to realize just how much danger she and Izzy could have been in if Isaac hadn't shown up and turned out to be a decent guy. Isaac had made an impression on the teen girl.

"Hey, Isaac. Didn't expect to see you here," Jaime said, trying to maintain a certain cool, and failing. "I'm doing fine, just shackled to the parental unit." She arrogantly nodded at her sister over a shoulder then leaned closer to Isaac, speaking in a stage whisper, "Jordan is such a girl, needed someone to go shopping with."

Jordan smirked down at her sister, but her voice was fond, if a touch wry. "Jordan also wanted to keep an eye on her sister - who also is doing her own shopping, that someone else is paying for - while the man she wanted to go out with is unavailable."

She stretched out a hand and gave Isaac a handshake as firm as any man's, as well as a pleasant smile. She kept the surprise from his lack of interest from her face though. Maybe he's gay? But my gaydar is pretty keen and it doesn't feel right. Besides, even gay men showed more interest, in her clothes if nothing else. "Hello, Isaac, it's nice to see you again. I meant to call you about how everything was going, but you know how it goes, right?" Jordan offered him a rueful grin. "But yes, we're doing quite well... after someone dealt with her first hangover."

Jaime's face went scarlet, and while she protested that, 'it hadn't been that bad and that she was here to get a new laptop and what was he doing here,' Jordan turned her attention from Isaac to the woman who had been talking about them, her smile teasing and mysterious, though that might have just been the shape of her mouth. With vibrant turquoise eyes and a slight tilt to her head, she gave the slender woman a quick once-over, high society written in her bearing and bones, then the man at her side, cute college material if she was any judge. Then she gave Tess a wink and turned back to Isaac.

"We're about to go for dinner, after this last purchase. Would you care to join us, Isaac? Your friends too, if they like." Jordan offered. Jaime shut her mouth, cocking her head to the side, waiting for his reply, obviously eager to him to accept.

[Telluris]

Originally Posted By: Mordred

She pulled Rob over close enough to speak softly to him, "How about dinner next? I'm a bit tired and my stomach is informing me that is well past time for something to eat. Think we should invite Isaac's friends along? The woman is quite stunning; I think he'd rather watch her than peruse the latest iPads." The last was said teasingly and with a chuckle.

Rob grinned back at Tess and nodded before stepping forwards to hover at the periphery of the conversation, studying the girl and the young woman beside Isaac. Whoa-mama. So... where did Isaac meet the hottie? And why is hottie junior making goo-goo eyes at him? Isaac's got some hidden depths.

Originally Posted By: Tiresias

"We're about to go for dinner, after this last purchase. Would you care to join us, Isaac? Your friends too, if they like." Jordan offered

"Hey, that sounds great. We were just thinking it was about time to get something to eat." Rob replied, deadpan as he offered the stunning woman his hand in greeting. "I'm Rob, and this is Tess, by the way." He smiled charmingly at Jordan, the interest in his eyes as they took her in before coming back up to meet her gaze more of the sort she was used to receiving from men, though more gallant than most - a curious mixture of shyness and confidence.

[z-Isaac Ward]

Isaac settled back on his heels and watched the humans easily interact. Had he been more human himself, he might have envied the ease with which they did their social dancing. Instead, he just watched with empty eyes. When Tess glanced at him, he decided she was seeking his approval and he grunted, "Dinner's fine."

"Who are your friends?" Tess prompted when it became apparently that Isaac wasn't going to make them on his own.

"This is Jordan and her sister Jaime," Isaac said, indicating which was which with a wave of his hand.

After some back and forth, Tess suggested Le Marais. Since she also stated unequivocally that she was paying, everyone more or less agreed to go. Isaac was content once she said that the place had meat. Everyone made the purchases they were going to make, and then they headed for food.

Le Marais was an upscale restaurant that specialized in French cuisine, but also had steaks and some kosher foods. Despite the elevated prices, the interior was casual, and all of the patrons were wearing everyday clothing. The group that had just walked in didn't stand out at all.

The waiter seated them at a table for six, took their drink orders and left them alone.

[z012]

Tess settled into the table with an audible sigh of relief; shopping was fun but this had been a bit of a marathon for her, especially with everything Rob needed to pick up. She smiled at Jordan and Jaime, "It's nice to meet you both. I don't get into Manhattan as much as maybe I should anymore, so meeting some new friendly faces is always welcome."

Her light English accent and the elegant-but-casual setting made the dinner feel a little surreal, like a clip out of some spy movie or something. She picked up the menus, the others following suit; Le Marais was the kind of restaurant that didn't put the prices on the menu. You could either afford it or you couldn't and you knew that walking in. "Have you eaten here before? They have wonderful steaks, or if you vegetarian they have marsala marinara pasta dish that simply amazing," she grinned at the other two girls, utterly sincere in her wish to share what she enjoyed. "And of course, the chocolate bazaar dessert is a must."

She motioned over to a recessed area of the floor, tucked out of the way but easily accessible, that seemed at bit out of place at first glance. Buffet tables layered with elegant burgundy and black colored table cloths hosted a number of silver dishes, some suspended over little blue flames, others nestled in larger silver dished brimming with ice. Platters held berries and delicate slices of cake, petit-fours, and any number of other delicacies that went well with the warm pots of every kind of melted chocolate once could imagine. Chocolate bazaar, indeed.

[Tharra of the Katjaa]

Originally Posted By: Rob and Issac

"I'm Rob, and this is Tess, by the way."
"This is Jordan and her sister Jaime,"

"Pleased to meet you both," Jordan replied in her sensual contralto, only a hint of New York in her voice, offering both Rob and Tess her hand and another smile. Her back arched slightly, subtly emphasizing her remarkable, precisely crafted curves. Perhaps, she had been more annoyed by Isaac's lack of response than she had been willing to admit. Besides, she found Rob's boyish charm and Tess' understated elegance attractive in their own right. "Le Marais will be more than fine. Thank-you, Tess."

Jaime tried to maintain a teenaged aloofness, offering just a nod, but after a quick glance from her sister, she offered her hand, muttering her greetings and thanks. Bumping into Isaac was okay, but she had just wanted to spend the day with her sister then head home to play with the new laptop clutched in her arms.

Jordan slid gracefully behind the table and crossed her long legs, Jaime plopping down on a seat next to Isaac. Sitting across from Tess in the classy-yet-casual environment, Jordan was carefully listening to Tess's voice - there were a variety of British accents, each hard to fake authentically, with a fine line between sounding sophisticated and sounding like a snobby bitch - when she suddenly realized who she was, Contessa Elizabeta Romano, the illegitimate daughter of Brendan Shreveson.

Only a quick flutter at the corner of a turquoise eye betrayed Jordan's insight as she concealed a slowly mounting concern. Lately, it seems everywhere I go, Shreveson is somehow involved. At least, as far as they're aware, the woman I was is dead. If only I knew why they wanted me dead... I won't bring anything up unless she does. Jordan curved her lips in understanding as Tess mentioned her isolation.

"I understand. Since taking care of my sister after our mother passed away, I haven't been able to go out as much as I used too, either, not that I regret it of course. Just miss it sometimes." Jordan glanced around the restaurant once more, including the area Tess had motioned to, then grinned back. Jaime looked too, suddenly wishing she'd taken fewer bites of the chocolate from the Hershey store.

"I've been here once before, some time back," Jordan admitted with an airy wave, not admitting she'd been sixteen at the time and passing herself off as ten years older. "And I quite agree with you - chocolate is a sin that is every woman's prerogative, the more sinful, the better. I don't remember the Chocolate Bazaar being that extensive, however."

The waiter returned with their drinks, Jordan taking a sip of her glass of Merlot. Handing him her menu, she ordered the Tournedos Le Marais with a side of sautéed mushrooms in softly murmured French.

Jaime felt out of place and underdressed, despite how at ease everyone else seemed to be. She'd never been in a restaurant where the menus were in French, nor had any prices on them. She order the first thing she recognized, the Chicken Salad, then hid behind sips of her water. She turned to the only other person who seemed to understand what she was feeling.

"So, Isaac, were you able to find another place for Ghandi and Raucous and all the other animals," Jaime asked.

[z-Isaac Ward]

Isaac's eyes were glazing over faster than a corpse's eyes in the sun. The longer the discussion rambled on about chocolate or food, the more distant he looked. He actually started a little when the waiter appeared at the table.

When it was his turn to order, he glanced at the menu and said, "You got one in American?"

"No, we don't," the waiter said with just the faintest touch of disdain to his voice, "but we do have them in English. Pardon."

Had Isaac cared about such things, he might have worried that he was embarrassing Tess. As Isaac didn't care about these kind of niceties, he just nodded when the waiter brought him another menu that he could read. When the waiter got back to him, Isaac said, "I want one of these steak things, rare."

"Steak Tartare is served raw, sir," the waiter said.

"No shit? This is my new favorite place to eat," Isaac said, grinning as he handed back the menu.

Jaime's question brought his attention back to the table. "Yeah, we have a place to stay," he said, nodding and taking a sip of the water he'd ordered. "Tess is lettin' the Pack stay at her place while I do some work for her."

[z012]

Tess tried to suppress a snort of amusement at how uncomfortable Isaac was making their waiter. She could do prim and proper (and most of the time did), but she was enjoying herself too much today and having dinner with a group of people that weren't handpicked by her father or sporting various styles of police or intelligence ID's under their driver's licenses.

"I'll let Marie know that you like raw meat then, Isaac. I can't usually handle anything more adventurous than the occasional sushi night, so I'm sure she'll enjoy the variety." She glanced up at the touchy waiter and smiled coolly, ordering the Filet de Saumon Roti for dinner and an appetizer of the duck and veal spread for the table. The waiter nodded and gathered her menu with the others he'd taken, turning to wait for Rob's order.

She smiled at Jordan, her eyes taking the details of the attractive woman without seeming to judge or hold opinion on them. Tess didn't leer at her like most men and a good number of women did, and she wasn't blank like Isaac was. She....evaluated in a friendly but still distant manner even as she spoke warmly to her. "Isaac is doing me a great favor by helping me pick out some dogs to keep with me on the island, and to train them. I've never had companions like that before, so I'm entirely out of my depth. I was told that Isaac was wonderful with animals, especially dogs, and from what I've seen of his pack I think 'wonderful' was a gross understatement."

"What about you?" She quirked an inquisitive brow at Jordan, "How did you an Isaac come across each other?"

[Telluris]

Realising that the waiter was, well, waiting on him Rob tore his eyes away from Jordan and studied his menu, feeling like a bit of an idiot.

Okay, so lady-company isn't usually on my radar, even less than guy-company usually is. There's no need to make the waiter think he's gonna need a bib for the dude wearing the bandana on his head.

"Uh, I'll go for the beef medallions in the mustard sauce." He said after ten seconds of concentration before handing the menu back to the waiter with a smile that was equal parts diffident and polite. "Sorry about the waiting." Funny, isn't that what they're supposed to say if the service turns out to be crappy? Rob grinned a little sheepishly. "Um, I mean that I'm sorry for making you wait-" he trailed off, acutely aware that he was at an actual restaurant table with actual people, making an actual tit of himself.

"Okay, shutting up now." he muttered as the waiter moved on with a smile reserved only for the most mentally deficient of guests. Taking inordinate interest in the silverware and letting the meal move on around him, Rob listened as Tess and Jordan conversed.

[Tharra of the Katjaa]

Jordan chuckled under her breath at Isaac's confrontation with the waiter then returned Tess' pleasantly appraising look with one much same, though hers wasn't as distant. Her smile deepened as she become aware of Rob's distracted ordering and the reason for it.

Jordan was intrigued by the young woman who owned her own islands, not only for her lifestyle and who she was related to, but for her, her mannerisms, turns of phrase, the small details people responded to that made her a unique individual. Jordan, being who and what she was, couldn't help but study people.

"Hmmm, I think meeting Isaac was simply a matter of fortunate and unfortunate circumstances colliding, Tess," Jordan said after another sip of her wine, turning a wry grin on her sister. Jaime pretended not to notice. "Jaime and a friend went to a party they shouldn't have while I was on a date. When the police came to break the rave up, Jaime and Isabelle found themselves alone, wandering around in a bad part of town. Luckily for both of us, Isaac found them before someone else could. I'll always be grateful for that."

"Me too." Jaime snapped her mouth shut - she hadn't meant to say anything.

Jordan nodded at her sister, laying a hand on her shoulder, than reached pass her to give Isaac's battered hand a squeeze in thanks. "When I finally got to Isaac's... place, I found him holding off several... ruffians by himself. I was able to come from behind and offer a little aid to subdue them. And that's how we met. Not how I could have wished, but better than the alternative." She tilted her head and glanced at Isaac inquiringly. "Maybe we should get a dog. If you would be willing to help us pick one out and help with training it, Isaac."

"Really?" Jaime whispered excitedly, damning herself for showing too much interest. But damn it! She'd always wanted a dog - there had been a time when Jordan had wanted one just as bad.

"Maybe..." Jordan demurred, but her lips quirked at her sister's interest. Maybe taking care of a pet will help keep her out of trouble.

Jordan contemplated the dark Merlot swirling in her glass, then turned a heavy-lidded gaze on the young man paying undue interest in the silverware. "Forgive us, Rob, we've been hogging the conversation. What do you do, and how did you meet Tess?"

[Telluris]

"Well..." Rob picked up his own wine glass and took a sip, visibly attempting to relax (and, to be fair, mostly succeeding). "Unfortunately for my ego, it wasn't saving her from a bad part of town. Kind of the reverse, actually." He shot Tess a grin, then turned to Jordan and elaborated... a little.

"I'm at NYU at the moment: Physics major. I kinda needed a job that doesn't cut into my study time while letting me pay the bills, and got really lucky." He shrugged, a slight smile playing around his lips as he twirled the glass's stem between his fingers idly. "I work for Tess, running errands, gophering, and playing Alfred. That kind of thing. Tell the truth, I'm a lousy butler, but she puts up with me." He grinned, then added "For some reason best known to her."

[z012]

Tess grinned at Rob's self-depreciation. "I like a good sense of humor," she teased.

To Jordan and Jaime she said, "Maybe you could come visit the island while Isaac is helping me train my dogs. It could give you some time with the animals, to see if you really want to care for one and what all it would entail. Maybe even make a couple of new friends." Whether she meant human or animal was left to their interpretation.

The waiter returned to the table with the bread service and the appetizer Tess had ordered, and for a moment the table descended into the silence of eating as everyone took their preference of bread (and spread for the more adventurous).

[Tharra of the Katjaa]

Jaime took one look at the spread and quickly looked away after snagging a piece of bread to nibble on. Jordan gave her sister a mildly teasing grin and smeared a generous amount of the duck and veal spread on her own piece of bread, savoring the taste before answering, enhancing her taste buds to pick out the individual components. "Mmm, very nice."

Jordan took a languid sip of her wine then gave Tess a faint smile, hearing the double meaning in her words. "That's too kind. We have a cat that condescends to let us live in the house. I think a dog would need more attention." She turned a considering gaze on her younger sister before turning her attention back to the slender, elegant young woman. "Perhaps another time. Tonight, we were planning on seeing a movie-"

"Nightmare on Elm Street?!" Jaime snorted. "Please! I'd rather see Isaac's friends than another remake of a piece of crap."

Jordan's eyes narrowed at her sister's comment. "Nightmare on Elm Street is a classic, Wes Craven. Johnny Depp was in the original you know."

[z-Isaac Ward]

Isaac nodded at the conversation about the dogs, giving his silent assent to helping Jaime find and train a dog. He didn't really have anything to add to the conversation right now, so he remained silent. Instead, he watched the interactions between the animals who were so good at being human. Having a member of his pack there had removed much of his tension and left him feeling a little better. Less... lost.

[jameson (ST)]

"How much longer Simmons?"

"I'm not sure sir, the prototype is charging. Soon I think," the man replied from where he was kneeling by the device. Both men were dressed in black fatigues, combat boots, flak vests, and head masks with goggles. There was no outward difference in their appearance. "There's no guarantee this will even work, the radius-"

The other man cut him off, "The brass wants this kid now, and we need something to level the playing field, or better yet, give us the upper hand."

"Yes, sir," Simmons nodded and returned to inspecting the controller for the device. "Eighty seven percent sir, should only be a few more minutes."

The Sergeant nodded and flicked on the radio, "Wash, Tex, Church, we're about ready here. You all in position, eyes on the square." A round of "Yes, sir" came from the other three agents stationed around Times Square with full optical packages.

"Sarge, any idea of what to expect?" Tex asked over the comm link.

The sergeant grunted, "Hopefully nothing. If that's the case we corner and capture like normal. Otherwise we hope we're up to snuff." Nervous silence descended over the link as the device charged the final few percent.

*****

Inside the restaurant the entrees had just been brought out. For Isaac and Jamie it was a welcome reprieve, for the others it meant a chance to dine on some delectable fare. Isaac took one look at the rather spare steal tartare and wondered where the rest of it was. The plates were settled on the table and the waiter vanished after being assured that everything was as it should be.

Rob reached for his fork and knife when a stabbing pain went through his head and his silverware rattled away from his hands. Tess cried out at the same moment as all the phones in the building rang and the speakers that until now had been piping soft music into the dining area suddenly squawked and then blew out into a noisy crackle. Simultaneously Jordan and Isaac also felt the pain, though for them it was through their bodies, their skin, bones, everything hurt. As the pain wracked Jordan she felt her mental discipline slipping and her form started to change reflexively trying to find a state, a configuration, that would lessen the pain. At the table only Jamie was apparently unaffected.

OOC: +1 HP to all

[Tharra of the Katjaa]

The tall, ravishing woman barely had time to wince as her hyper-acute hearing was assaulted by the squealing of overloaded speakers when she felt her body twisting out of her control. The pain was too much - worst than being shot in the chest, the agony sustaining rather than sudden - she couldn't focus enough to direct it. She whimpered as her biology went wild, Jaime looking on horror, a hand to her mouth. The only time she could remember Jordan looking so terrified was when their father had caught him shifting for the first time and had nearly beaten him to death.

They had been talking about school as they ate dinner, so Jordan's body subconsciously took that as direction. She grew younger, matching her sister's age and losing half a foot of height in the process, even as her bustline expanded considerably, straining the confines of her silk shirt, which was itself altering. Half of it slide down her leg, altering her jeans into similar silk even as the other half mutated into stone-washed denim, giving her a bisected bodysuit of denim and silk. She pounded at the table, feeling her habitual strength fading, her hair lengthening and changing colour to an unnatural flaming red.

"Jordan! What are you doing?!" Jaime screamed as she looked at the oversexed appearance Jordan had often worn in high school (when she was a girl, anyway). She noticed the frantic panic of the rest of the table. "What's wrong with all you?!"

Jordan flopped over leaning against her sister, grasping at her weakly. "Don't... don't know - can't - God, it hurts! - can't stop," Jordan cried, tears falling from huge eyes of a too intense green, her voice an incongruous deep baritone. With all her senses fluctuating in intensity, it was impossible for her to even attempt to reassemble her fractured thoughts. "Help meeeee!"

Jaime looked up at the despair in Jordan's voice and gasped again. For a moment, topping that exaggerated figure, it had been her brother's face, a face she hadn't seen since he was thirteen, young and handsome and once upon a time, familiar, then it was changing again. She bent over and got an arm under Jordan's shoulder, swallowing a convulsive heave as she felt muscle and bone slithering and bulging under her skin, which was now an amber hue, visible through gaping rents in her bodysuit that was being mottled with vermilion leather.

"Please! Someone help me! We have to get him - her! - her to the bathroom or something," Jaime pleaded, "She can't be seen this way." But looking around the table, she didn't know who'd be able to help her. Jordan's floor length hair was growing streaks of pink and purple and black. Jordan shook as she (if she was still even a she) began to change again, muscles rippling eerily, scars marring her face, a face she had never worn before, currently androgynous with eyes gold and cat-like...

[z-Isaac Ward]

Isaac stared at the food before him. “Hey, guy.” The waiter turned at the call, even as disbelief that he’d just been called ‘guy’. “This isn’t raw meat,” Isaac accused, stabbing at the green stuff with his fork.

“No, that is the flavor of your meal,” the waiter said. He was mostly successful at hiding the tic that was developing.

“Yeah, if I wanted that, I would have ordered it,” Isaac said with disgust. “If you guys can’t do simple raw meat, then scrap all this shit off the real food and make me a hamburger. You do know what that is, don’t ya?”

“Yes. I am familiar with a hamburger.” The word sounded like he’d dredged it from the depths of his soul. “As you wish.” He scooped up Isaac’s plate and left.

“Man, you’d think a nice joint like this could do raw meat right,” Isaac said, shaking his head sadly. He glanced at the others, waiting for him. “You guys go ahead. Shouldn’t take them too long to fry it up.” Isaac leaned back in his chair and started to wait, with a surprising amount of patience for someone of his stereotype.

The next instant, it felt like his body was on fire. With an inhuman snarl, Isaac surged to his feet, knocking his chair over backwards. His first thought was to the safety of the pack and he looked to Jaime. “Jordan, get-” He broke off as he watched Jordan flow through her transformations. He looked to Tess, still clasping her head, and Robert, whose silverware was still doing a little dance.

At Jaime’s plea, another wave of pain shook him, and it took a moment for Isaac to re-gather himself. “We’re leaving,” he snapped, pulling Jaime’s jacket off her chair and dropping it over Jordan’s head to give her some cover. It wouldn’t do much; people were already staring at them in shock. “Jaime, you have to help Jordan walk. Tess, Robert, you have to get to your feet. Come on, we’re under attack, and we have to move, now. Everyone up and through the kitchen – move it!”

"Isaac, please help me," Jaime begged. "I can't carry her!"

"I have to be able to fight when they come," he told her in a low, intense voice. "You can help her. You can. Come on, get under her shoulder and get her going."

[z012]

Tess staggered to her feet, her head spinning from pain and a million bits of chaotic information stinging through her mind like a live wire direct from the power plant. She gripped the table to keep from falling over, managing to grimace out a, "Isaac...get them...home. Rob...Rob will know...what to do."

She looked up at him, her brow pinched in pain and worry as she pushed back from the table and started to stagger towards the kitchen. "Get them safe. Rob, help...Jordan...if you can. Jaime, help me...I'm lighter. Leave me if...if I fall behind...too much."

The phones crackled around them in a cacophony, most emitting static or ear-splitting tones, but some giving off intelligable sounds, "...need to get out of here..." "...all of us?..." "...call Father...oh god, my head hurts..." "...can't black out now...."

[Telluris]

The pain was intense, but worse than that was the sense of disorientation. Rob's innate connection to the magnetic fields around him was being... warped somehow, leaving him with intense nausea in addition to the splitting headache. It was like a migraine on steroids. That, plus the silverware doing the EM-Shuffle ™, was a good sign that things had just gotten screwed up.

Originally Posted By: Isaac

Tess, Robert, you have to get to your feet. Come on, we’re under attack, and we have to move, now.

"No shit." Rob muttered as he placed on hand under Tess's elbow to help her rise. A fork suddenly decided to zip across the room, shattering a light fixture and showering sparks and glass over a small area. A couple of shocked screams rose above the hubbub. Rob glanced up, squinting through his pain, and caught a glimpse of Jordan's shifting form as Isaac threw Jaime's jacket over her head. What the hell? Later. Questions later. But she's an Indigo too. LATER!

"C'mon, Miss Romano. We'll get outta here, take in a show, send out for pizza..." Rob's mouth clicked into overdrive as his nervousness sought an outlet. "Knowing my luck, though, it'll probably be delivered by men in black fatigues. Speaking of which, let's NOT go out through the kitchens, Isaac. These guys hate public places, but back alleys behind restaurants are like catnip for them." He pointed towards the front door. "We should stay with the crowd, man."

[Tharra of the Katjaa]

Jaime gritted her teeth, whispering fiercely, "I can do it, I can do it," and managed to get her unstable sister to her feet, despite Jordan's greater height and shifting mass, and just how gross it was to feel her body moving like that. Please, Jordy, don't 'Hulk' out or something. Guiding Jordan away from the table, Jaime grabbed Jordan's purse and slung it over her free shoulder, didn't even try to get the rest of their bags, then glared at Rob and Tess with terrified panic and sheer stubbornness. "I got her, he's my sister and I'm not letting every see Jordan like this. We... we should do what Isaac says and leave through the back."

Jordan clung desperately to the jacket, seeking any cover she could, and trying not to be a burden on her sister, but it was hard. She couldn't form a coherent thought to design a form for herself, instead, her body ran rampant under her every impulse. She felt herself beginning to bulk up, even taller and quickly pleaded with herself to grow smaller.

In an eerily fluid transformation, not spastic and jumbled like her current ones, Jaime suddenly found herself supporting her twin. Jordan didn't seem aware of it as her head lolled to side. Even simply walking was difficult, the proportions felt all wrong, she hadn't designed them this time. She struggled awkwardly into the jacket and yanked up the hood. "Baaaack! Get me outta of here." Her voice was a slightly off kilter imitation of Jaime's, her breaths coming in gasps. "I think I might - I might believe in the Men in Black now."

Jaime's mouth dropped open in shock as she looked at her doppelganger, who even then, was beginning to shift again, changing into alternate versions of her, with (mostly) appropriate clothing. Ugh! Goth-me looks like a complete skank and Boy-me is... sorta cute. Double-ugh! She screwed her face up in determination. This was one time she could help her and she wouldn't let her down.

"Lead the way, Isaac," Jaime said, still scared, refusing to let it deter her. "I got Jordan now, as long as she doesn't turn into the Hulk."

[z-Isaac Ward]

“They’re already attacking us in public. Do what you want,” Isaac said intently to Rob, already circling the table to head to the kitchen. “But I have a plan.”

Glancing back only to be sure that Jaime was still following with Jordan, Isaac bee-lined for the kitchen. People were already trying to call the police or the news, or whoever rich people thought should ‘Do Something About This’. He didn't notice that they weren't having much success with their phones.

Isaac ignored them and burst through the swinging doors, his face hard. “You can’t-” a garcon attempted to start, his hands out, but Isaac didn’t pause. He punched the man in the gut, doubling him over, then caught him by the back of the neck. Isaac hauled him more or less upright as he scanned the kitchen.

“No, I’m sure I can,” Isaac replied. The rest of the staff was frozen in shock as he snagged a towel off a counter and laid a corner of it on the open grill. It caught fire instantly, and Isaac tossed the whole thing into the frying vat. As it went up with a whoosh, the staff moved, fleeing deeper into the building with a collective scream. “There’s our crowd, keep up with them!” Isaac shoved his own wheezing garcon into motion, then started for the door as a fire alarm began to shrill. “Hide in the chaos,” he told Jaime, “and don’t stop for anything. Get to your car.”

“We don’t have one here!” Jaime said as they followed the fleeing kitchen staff.

“Then get a taxi and get the fuck out of here if you get the chance,” Isaac ordered. At the back door, he paused and looked up and down the alley before heading after the still-running staff. “Go! Run!”

[z012]

Tess grabbed Rob's arm, more for support than anything else, "We are not splitting up!"

She lurched forward, Rob's arm still held as firmly as she could to drag him along with her, and followed the other three into the kitchen just in time to see the grease vat begin it's pyrotechnics. "C'mon, we've got to keep up with them!"

She pushed herself, hard enough that she knew she'd be paying for it later, but managed to catch up with the three of them enough to hiss through the sound of the chaos, "Head to Port Morris. I can get us somewhere safe from there. Trust me!"

[jameson (ST)]

The alley was short and fed into a side street on the corner of Bedlam and Chaos. Throughout Times Square people were either falling rapidly into panic or were fully within its not so tender grasp. Jamie skidded to a halt and faltered under Jordan's weight as he shifted from looking like Jamie during her cheerleader wanna be phase to a growing green wall of muscle. "Jamie not call Hulk Hulk!" Jordan ground out sounding like a mentally challenged Neanderthal.

"Oh god, oh god ... P-Pe-Peter Parker!" Jamie stammered out as the hulk's weight bore her down. Within seconds the green skinned form was shedding mass and muscle as Jordan's form thinned out into a scrawny man with horn rimmed glasses and tousled brown hair. "Oh, that's much better," she said.

Behind them Rob threw in, "Hey, at least you didn't say a villain's name like-"

Tess slapped his hand over Rob's mouth as Jordan snarked back, "I'm having quite enough trouble thank you. We need to ... get ... out of ... here..." Jordan's thought died in her now male throat. The alley emptied out almost on the Square itself, and amid the rushing crowds, which were headed in any direction that wasn't behind them, was a tableau that would be hard pressed to be explained by anything but an Indigo.

Four men in black fatigues, white letters proclaiming them as S.W.A.T., were closing in under heavy fire, on a being sheathed in flames that guttered from a smoldering of naked flesh to the concrete and asphalt melting heat of a solar inferno. The young man was down on one knee, supporting himself with his right hand even as he warded off the alleged S.W.A.T. members with bursts of flame ranging from a candle to a cord of plasma.

The crowd was flowing largely away from the burning man and the S.W.A.T. team but pockets of what could only be other Indigo's loosing control were throwing additional sources of panic into the mix. Jordan and Jamie caught a young woman who's clothes looked tattered and ripped partially transform into what could only be a werewolf before flowing back to human flesh. Isaac caught sight of a man their age who simply disappeared in mid-step. Tess looked up and saw that the giant video screens were giving her an endless tunnel; she was broadcasting her own vision to the screens! Among them only Robert was watching the burning man and the false S.W.A.T. team. Velcro patches could not fool him, the lack of classic riot gear combined with the very distinctive headgear identified these four as the same kind of men that he'd run into last Sunday.

[Telluris]

"Shit! It's those guys! The ones that jumped me." Rob swore as he pointed at the false S.W.A.T. team with a scowl. "Okay, good news is that they're not after us." he said by way of unnecessary summation. "Bad news is that they're after others like us." He looked from Tess to Jordan at that, then cocked an eyebrow at Isaac as if unsure about the big man. "Options are: run and hide, or help En Flambe there."

The young man glanced around, squinting against the pain. "This feedback... it's their doing. Bank on it. Logically, I'd say it's some kind of broadcasted energy. Maybe a subharmonic that screws with our control - Hell if I know. But unless they have an Indigo doing it, it's a machine... shit!" He leaned against the alley wall, one arm still around Tess as another wave of pain hit him. Across the alleyway, the side of a solid steel dumpster crumpled like tissue paper, accompanied by a horrendous metallic screech. Rob gritted his teeth and spoke through them, drawing in deep breaths.

"We... need to find out how they're doing this. Try to... work out a counter. Or else it's our ass next guys."

[z-Isaac Ward]

"Let's get the fuck out of here," Isaac snarled. "I agree that we need to get these fucks, but not now, not when they're using this damned thing against us. Find them and hit them later! How can you guys fight like this, anyway?" He looked at Tess, who had her eyes closed and was struggling to control herself, and back to the dumpster that Rob had just mangled. "I'm going to be the only one who can do shit, and I'm great at fighting, but not against four guys with guns."

He glanced at the chaos again and said, "Let's get out of here and come back to meet them on our terms." He put a hand on Jaime's shoulder, prepared to steer her and Jordan away from the mess.

[z012]

Tess gritted her teeth, eyes still tightly shut to keep from advertising their location to everyone in Times Square. "Damnit! This isn't how....damnit!"

Neither Rob nor Isaac had never heard Tess so much as utter a harsh word, let alone actually cuss. "Damnit," she said again, more softly and with a resigned sigh. "Isaac...is right. We have to get...ourselves somewhere where...we're in control. Get to the boards...get everyone safe we can...damnit!" She clung blindly to Rob, but her words were for Isaac, "Get us to the....the north end of the...island. I can get us...safe from there."

In the square, horns blared and cars turned themselves on and off, several ramming into storefronts or light poles without the usual requirement of a driver. Store alarms screeched endlessly into the chaos and Tess whimpered as the distressed machines demanded she do something about it.

[Tharra of the Katjaa]

Jaime looked up at Isaac on one shoulder, then at her sister - currently brother - on the other, chewing her lip worriedly. Jordan was still doing his Peter Parker impression, but his features were still subtly changing, as were his clothes, giving him the appearance of having been drawn by a variety of artists. His eyes and jaw were tight with pain and frustration as he looked upon the chaos of Time Square. "We... we should go, Jordy," Jaime said, letting herself be steered by Isaac.

Jordan glared at the false S.W.A.T team, angry and afraid. He had never felt anything like this before. Rarely, he shifted spontaneously, the equivalent of a random muscle spasm, but he had never had this constant lack of control - it was one of his greatest fears. He wanted nothing more than to kick the crap out of these guys, this like the triplets in black, but he had no clue what he was even capable of. His senses weren't fluctuating as badly anymore, but he didn't know how strong or fast he was, or how resistant he was. Their firearms reminded him of a terrible night years ago. He might be as much a danger to himself and anyone around him as to anyone else. He couldn't take the risk with Jaime here.

He nodded down at his sister. "You're right, Jaime, Tess. We're - I'm - useless like this - I don't... Isaac, lead on," Jordan capitulated, looking and sounding like a facsimile of Tobey Maguire. "Try to help anyone we pass to at least them get out the square, give them a chance."

[Telluris]

Rob shook his head, hating the logic but not being able to argue with it. He couldn't control the random pulses of magnetic energy that were rippling out from him as though he were drunk and flailing around with another set of arms. It was hard to think through the spasms of pain - if only the interference would stop long enough for him to focus...

Wait a sec. The MiB's weren't here for them. They seemed to be concentrating on the flaming guy. They had come here with a definite focus - hell, they might not even be aware of him, Tess and Jordan.

"Wait! Guys, for real, wait!" Rob said urgently above the sounds of chaos in the Square. "They're not after us. We should hunker down here and wait for them to finish up... and when they turn their doohickey off we can do something other than run like whipped mutts. If we go running now, we might get spotted, and I know these guys already have my face." He looked around at the others soberly.

"We should stay put and hide here in the alley. Stick our heads out and we stand a higher chance of getting tased or whatever."

[z-Isaac Ward]

Isaac hesitated, an unusual action for him. His animal instinct screamed at him to run and save Jaime, but the human side of him knew when to listen to the animal - and when to listen to the man.

"Alright, here's how we play it," he said urgently. "Jaime, no matter what, you are going to stay out of it. If I get hurt, you stay here. If Jordan gets hurt, your ass stays wherever I told you to plant it.

"I don't know what Rob and Tess can do, not really, but Jordan and I are going to go toe-to-toe with 'em. That'll give you guys time to pick them off while we're distracting them. Everyone, search through the garbage, find something to hide your features, except for Jordan. Jordan, you are watching the fight. When it's done, before they can regroup and recover, we'll attack."

He looked at Tess. "If you get a chance, can you keep that machine off?" It was a long shot that her powers would be so handy, but sometimes, you got lucky. "Anyone got anything else to add?" He was already turning to the nearest dumpster and flipping back the lid, hoping for something that he could use to hide his face.

It was smarter to run, but Isaac wanted these guys, too. He wanted to learn how to combat them and take away their toys. He wanted to be safe from them. Sometimes, you had to take safety back by putting your teeth in someone's throat.

[Tharra of the Katjaa]

Jordan pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers, his heart beating rapidly. As much as he didn't want to be shot again, he didn't want to leave these guys behind to come after them another day either. He slipped out of his jacket - black now - and handed it to his sister. "Here, Jaime, take the coat, zip it up and keep the hood up. Stay low and keep your eyes sharp." Oh, God! I hope this doesn't go horribly, horribly wrong.

Jordan edged back to the end of the alley, looking at a scene from a comic-book. He quickly pulled back and tossed off the glasses on his face, they were extremely annoying and far from stylish - and why that would matter at a time like this was beyond him - then peeked again. He was afraid - he didn't feel particularly strong or agile like Spider-man and Spidey-sense was a write-off - but stubbornly refused to show it, didn't want to scare Jaime anymore than she already was.

I better get something better than nerdy Peter Parker when me and Isaac try to pin these guys. Black Cat - the super-serum one - would suit me fine or Captain America. Can't do DareDevil or Batman, they're too skilled to copy. Might be able to pull a lesser Flash. I'd even settle for a Hulk at this point, Green, Grey, Red, or She... Dammit! I didn't even realize how many comics I've read. This is Pete's fault.

"I will, I'll be careful," Jaime said, nodding seriously. She stepped deeper into the alley and crouched low. Surreptitiously, she searched the ground for rocks or pieces of brick suitable for throwing and filled the pockets of the jacket that fell to her knees. She pitched in softball, her arm was okay. And Jordy and Isaac are both still being affected by whatever-it-is. If I can distract the MiBs for a second, it might be enough to help them.

[jameson (ST)]

Originally Posted By: Tiresias

I better get something better than nerdy Peter Parker when me and Isaac try to pin these guys. Black Cat - the super-serum one - would suit me fine or Captain America. Can't do DareDevil or Batman, they're too skilled to copy. Might be able to pull a lesser Flash. I'd even settle for a Hulk at this point, Green, Grey, Red, or She... Dammit! I didn't even realize how many comics I've read. This is Pete's fault.

As they crouched there hoping for a lucky break Jordan's thoughts ran wild, for a second her form shifted to a shapely catsuit clad minx with white hair but before the shape could even solidify the black catsuit became a scaled leotard in patriotic colors, which flowed into a pure red suit with tiny horns that blinded Jordan even as her senses were turned to eleven. That lasted barely a second before she took on an appearance that might have been yet another of the so-called Men In Black save the black cape and the cowled helmet with bat's ears perched atop. Black body armor became red and yellow anti-friction weave before the clothing split altogether as a parade of hulking forms flashed about finally settling on a shapely green She-Hulk clad in the not entirely modest outfit that an adolescent male would drool over.

And then Jordan was Pete. As ordinary as a seventeen year old boy would be.

The others fought off their own pain, the surprise of the cavalcade of forms that finally settled on such an ordinary one providing only the barest alleviation of their own agony. Isaac simply gritted his teeth and allowed the pain to fuel his anger. This situation was a cluster-fuck and it reminded him of last Saturday's whole mess. Art, that stupid fuck, getting him head bashed in, seemed to have been as out of control a situation as Isaac could have thought of. Now he looked around him at the dozens of others who had strange and not entirely human gifts. He watched as some of them fled and some were overcome with the pain or their abilities run amok.

Behind Isaac, Tess was the only one of their small group to miss Jordan's mutations entirely as she had her eyes closed. All around her machines did seemingly whatever they wanted, or perversely whatever it was that her brain was randomly telling them to do. Radios and cells phones occasionally chattered with the thoughts of her mind while TVs showed darkness now that her eyes were closed. Tess gritted her teeth as she suddenly tapped into the hundreds of cameras in the square as was overloaded from seeing the chaos in a kaleidoscope of images from every vantage one could imagine.

Rob, of all of them, had the most to fear from the situation. The last time he'd felt so helpless while using his powers he'd killed. The last time he'd seen those black clad warriors they'd tried to beat him into submission and disappear him. Surrounded by buildings whose primary support was not wood but steel girders, or steel rebar reinforced concrete Rob quailed in deeper fear of what the loss of control over his own powers could mean. He knew from practice that his strength was considerable and he suspected that if he didn't fight with every ounce of his power to suppress them, and possibly even then regardless of his efforts, he could cause hundreds or thousands of injuries and deaths.

"Unnngg." Rob groaned as he fought against the powers that had been gifted to them as they sought to run havoc. All around them small objects danced, or were pushed or pulled in random directions. As the second ticked by, as Rob noted on his plastic watch, one specially purchased for its lack of metals, the feeling like pressure built up behind his eyes, inside his skull, his chest, until his whole body felt like it was reverberating, pulsing like a the magnetic field induced by an AC electrode. Finally he couldn't hold it back, the power began to lash out. A nearby car flipped onto its roof as though tossed by a petulant child. A manhole cover lifted out of the street and flew directly toward Rob narrowly missing him before slamming into a building with the power of a cannon. Concrete shrapnel showered the five of them and one piece cut Rob's arm, a barest flesh wound but the sudden panic as he had ducked the missile and then the shock of the pain broke his concentration and all of his power poured forth like a tidal wave.

True darkness descended on New York City for the first time in a great many years. The energy he'd been holding back exploded from him in a wave of electromagnetics that shut down or destroyed anything with a circuit within miles. The lights went out in New York and the darkness came down like a slap. As it did the pain vanished, disappearing as quickly as it had come. Freed from the pain Tess, Jordan, and especially Rob felt the sudden fatigue of their overtaxed abilities. Isaac simply smiled and waited for his eyes to adjust to to the starlight filtering down from above.

OOC: +1 HP to Jordan, Tess, & Rob. Jordan, Tess, & Rob are Fatigued (Fatigued characters cannot move all out or charge and suffer a –2 penalty to effective Strength and Dexterity and a –1 penalty on attack and defense.) +1 HP to Tess since most machinery has been disabled by Rob's EMP.

[Telluris]

As the lights went out, as shocked screams and shouts could be heard in the darkness beyond the alley mouth only to fall silent again swiftly as mankind's instinctual caution of the dark asserted itself, as knots of people huddled together in the gloom, the three women and one man in the alley with Rob were privy to a heartfelt, quiet utterance:

"Well, fuck."

Despite having control of his powers back, Rob experienced a sinking feeling as he let his eyes adjust to the darkened street ahead of him. That had been a big pulse. Very big. Certainly bigger than anything he'd pulled off in practice. Well, good news is that the doohickey is off. Bad news is that if I hit any ICU's, or even Pacemakers, I'm a murderer again. Fucking wonderful. Brown eyes narrowed as he made out the forms of the faux-SWAT guys. This is their fault. Bastards. For what they are about to receive, may the Lord make them truly fucking sorry.

"Okay." Rob snatched the bandanna from his head and tied it around the lower half of his face. "Let's hit these guys hard." He waited for Isaac to step away from the dumpster before gesturing, silently lifting the ton of metal and trash into the air between them and the SWAT-wannabes where it hung as though weightless. He nodded at Jordan, Tess, and lastly at Isaac.

"Give the word, big guy. Artillery's ready."

[z012]

Tess pushed off the wall, slowly blinking her eyes open. She reached out, feeling the holes in the city that usually hummed like an electronic symphony in the back of her mind. It's so quiet.

Here and there, though, machines still spoke to her. They were old and rusty, their voices in her head like gravel and lounge singers; she reached out to the nearest, coaxing the '86 silver Oldsmobile Sierra into life. The engine revved on the street, the only sound outside of frightened human voices, and headlights illuminated the street across from the the alley. She revved the engine again, the gravel and growl of it menacing the "S.W.A.T." team for attention.

"Rob, Isaac, see if you can get them from behind. We should see if we can take one of them alive to find out who the hell they're working for." Her voice was clipped, strained. "If not, I'll run the bastards over."

[Tharra of the Katjaa]

Jordan slumped in relief and exhaustion as the tide of darkness washed over Manhattan, taking his pain with it. He gritted his teeth in fury, wanted nothing more then turning himself into the biggest, meanest Hulk he could - male or female, whichever would scare them more - and go out there and stomped the 'S.W.A.T.' team flat. Then reason asserted itself as he realized that was a perfect way to get everyone focusing on him. He looked down at himself, realizing who he looked like, surprised and pleased that his thoughts didn't make him instinctively shift. The lack of control over something that had always been a deliberate choice (baring the rare incident) was terrifying.

Okay, let's not go big and obvious, something more disarming, innocuous. Sorry Pete, you might be pretty innocuous, but I don't want your face associated with this and besides, no offense, but I can do better. He didn't have a mirror to check his changes, so he choose an appearance that he had used recently and altered it somewhat. His form dwindled drastically, curves blossoming into that of a five foot tall, platinum blond co-ed with an improbable figure stretching a v-necked shirt that stated, 'I Heart My Geek'.

Then he youthened his form to about his sister's, curtailing the overt sexuality for a cute, sassy innocence, face apple-cheeked and cute with huge blue eyes, set off by the thin-framed glasses perched on his button nose. His figure become something more typical of a freshman, if a blessed one and eye-catching.

The outer shell done, Jordan focused on the interior mechanics. A pressure built up below his ribs as his adrenal glands swelled, pumping adrenaline through his veins, burning away his fatigue, his whole body prickling as his nervous system grew more responsive. He straightened his slender shoulders looking up at everyone else. Everything settled into sharp focus as his crystal blue eyes drank in the UV light of the stars that New York City rarely saw.

"I'm ready," the new Jordan said nodding back at Rob, her voice a high soprano, her whole body fidgeting with hyperactivity. She mussed her hair some, making sure she looked as disarrayed as anyone else panicking in the black-out. She glanced at Tess. "I think I can get up to them without much trouble, either by looking harmless or with sheer speed if nece-"

Her mouth dropped open - for a moment looking even more innocent than she had designed herself to be - then tightened into a stubborn pout as she inferred what Tess had said. "I'm all for teaching these guys a lesson, but I'm not killing anyone," she said resolutely. Her current voice didn't do resolute as well as she would have liked.

Jaime sidled up behind her reformed sister, hand in her pocket, tight around a rock. She wasn't inclined towards killing either, but after the Rave and now this, she was beginning to question why. I rather like this Jordan, she thought incongruously, noticing that she was actually taller than her sister. It helped that this Jordan also didn't have the almost impossible gorgeousness and spectacular figure she usually did. God! Goons going after Jordan and people like her and I'm still being petty.

Click to reveal..

Spending a Hero Point: Negating Fatigue.

Full-Round Action: Shifting.

Now 5' tall, nice figure, very eye catching for an apparent 15 year old (Attractive 1, Distracting Looks 3), wearing a v-neck shirt (which says, "I Heart My Geek"), tight jeans, and Sketchers. Pale blond hair, huge blue eyes, cute, lively face. Hardly ever still.

[z-Isaac Ward]

Isaac looked at the floating dumpster, then at Rob. He listened as Tess and Jordan spoke before adding softly, “Jordan, you’re not going to have to kill anyone.” He didn’t add that the others would take care of that for him… her… whatever.

“Rob, can that dumpster hold a bit more weight?”

“Yes, but-” The why that Rob was about to vocalize was answered when Isaac leapt onto the back of the dumpster. He grabbed the top and braced his feet on the sides, then hunkered down so that the bulk of the container was between him and the armed assholes.

“Thanks for the ride,” Isaac said to Rob, his gray eyes glinting in the blackness of the alley. He was little more than a shadow, clinging to the black hulk of the dumpster, which made him all the more menacing. There was something very not-human about him as he waited for Rob to sweep him into combat on the back of the artillery. Then he shattered it by doing something very human – he looked at Jaime and said, “You stay out of it.” It felt like something a father would say but it turned his hulking form into the familiar again. “Let’s go, if we’re going.”

[jameson (ST)]

Jordan's eyes quickly adjusted to the sudden darkness. The square had fallen nearly still as soon as the lights went out. Jordan could see people huddled together, families mostly though some looked like random clumps of strangers brought together in fear and darkness. The Men in Black were still as well though only for a moment before the apparent leader tried his radio only to find it dead, its circuits wafting out the ozone smell of burnt electronics.

That smell was everywhere. Times Square was top to bottom full of electronic equipment rivaled only by some of the plazas in Tokyo in terms of video screens and the like. Most of them were fried, some components no doubt survived but the circuitry was damaged, the electrical impulse from the EMP was simply more than the delicate devices could handle.

Almost immediately small pocket flashlights and LED key lights popped on, anything that was basic enough or robust enough to have survived was now used to push back the night, even if only a little. The Men in Black flicked on tiny flashlights that were clipped onto the rails of their weapons, mostly shotguns. The Tasers lay on the ground, broken, and those not carrying a shotgun or riot gun had batons.

Nearby and older model car suddenly rumbled to life and pulled out of its spot. The earlier chaos had cleared the roads in a messy way but there was still room for the big Olds to maneuver. Its headlights flicked on and cast out cones of brilliant light. People fled, or cried out, or both. Palpable nervous tension filled the air.

The groan of metal came out of the alley behind them at almost the same time as a dumpster, laden down with filth that smelled indescribable, rose into the air and sailed over head. Putrid liquid dripped from the unwelded corners and a spot where rust had worked through the metal. Isaac, after a moments conference, leaped onto the object and crouched down, on hand on the metal hinge as his boots sought purchase on the ridges plastic lid.

The car's engine and lights dismissed any possibility of surprise. The four black hats turned toward the vehicle and cast hands up to shield their eyes from the direct light. "Sunuvabitch," growled one of them even as another ordered, the authority in voice clear, "Take out those lights and fall back. Fall back now. Regroup at waypoint sigma."

Click to reveal.. (notes)

Tess is using extra effort to affect the car, we communicated via PM. HP expended to remove the fatigue cost.

Click to reveal.. (Order of Battle)

Jordan - 33

MiB #3 - 25

Isaac - 23

MiB #2 - 21

Tess - 16

MiB #4, Rob - 15

Mib #1 - 10

(09:20:53) (Jameson): Tess (+1)

(09:20:56) ChatBot: (Jameson) rolls 1d20 and gets 15. = 16

(09:21:17) (Jameson): Jordan (+18)

(09:21:21) ChatBot: (Jameson) rolls 1d20 and gets 15. = 33

(09:21:42) (Jameson): Rob (+3)

(09:21:44) ChatBot: (Jameson) rolls 1d20 and gets 12. = 15

(09:22:13) (Jameson): Isaac (+11)

(09:22:15) ChatBot: (Jameson) rolls 1d20 and gets 12. = 23

(09:24:03) (Jameson): MiB #s 1-4 (in order) (+7)

(09:24:12) ChatBot: (Jameson) rolls 4d20 and gets 3,14,18,8. = 10, 21, 25, 15

Round 1

Jordan is up next, you have 48hrs.