[hr][hr][center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/FKJKRczH/the-gifted-591b350cc9ba7.png[/img][hr][img]https://i.postimg.cc/pdwQ7PHw/giphy.gif[/img][/center][hr][hr][center][@Nallore][@FantasyChic][@BlueSky44][@Achronum][@Trainerblue192][@KazAlkemi][@Framing A Moose][/center][hr][center][h3][color=f7941d][b]Washington D.C.: September 9th, 2020 - 7:20 PM[/b][/color][/h3][/center][hr][hr][center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/WpKJC0mt/image.png[/img][/center][hr][color=f7941d][b][i]The Penthouse - Hellfire Club Headquarters...[/i][/b][/color]

	Emma Frost stared at Jinx for a moment, a bit surprised at his outburst over Reeva simply leaving for a dinner reservation. [color=E0F6FD]"Jinx, sweetheart, that is not a good look on you,"[/color] she said constructively. Part of her duties as Hellfire Club leadership meant that she needed to mentor and teach. While she lacked competent mentors, that was not the case for these individuals here - they had her. Who else better to teach them? It was a subtler approach than Anastasia's direct scolding but in Emma's experience, the delicate touch often proved far more effective. 

	At Requiem's offer of a drink, Emma raised her own glass. She was already set. [color=E0F6FD]"I have my suspicions as to who would have done this, but nothing substantive. When you rise to a prominent position as us in the Inner Circle have, you acquire... [i]history[/i] with various players. I do not wish to bias your investigation, and as for resources, please do let me know how I can be of assistance."[/color] She took a calculated sip from her drink, before the glass remained suspended in front of her. [color=E0F6FD]"I know as much as you three do on this matter - but since Sebastian is unavailable this evening, I do not mind. It has been a while since I got to expose a traitor in our midst."[/color]

[color=f7941d][b][i]Outside the Hellfire Club Headquarters...[/i][/b][/color]
 
	[color=935DB8]"Huh, haven't heard that before. Unfortunately Invisible Woman was already taken - but I like Veil. It's similar to my birth name,"[/color] Veil explained. She rarely went by Valery these days, finding that the name she chose for herself had more meaning than the one her parents gave to her. She liked that it described her powers, while allowing her to retain something of her childhood in Canada - it merged her two worlds, mutant and human. 

	[color=FAFD95]"I thought you were on my side?"[/color] Havok muttered, irritated with Sapphire. He didn't like these new people at all. They had a princess and a jester with them - and just the day before, Spark Plug had nearly died on a mission. Two days ago, Veil and Sapphire were captured. He was a perfectionist at heart, though most didn't realize it, and Glimpse and Tome were unknown variables that he couldn't control. [color=FAFD95]"I can blast plasma,"[/color] he then told Tome, a bit reluctantly. 

	It wasn't long until they arrived at the Shaw Industries building - which just so happened to double as the Headquarters for the Hellfire Club. The top dozen floors were private, listed on the company directory as being Dr. Shaw's residence. 

	[color=935DB8]"Okay guys, I'm cloaking us now - you'll still be able to see each other, but well... You'll see,"[/color] Veil said, before making their little group invisible except for Glimpse. Everyone would still be able to see each other, but they looked more like faint ghosts, just hardly in focus. At least it would keep any of Shaw's people from seeing them, so it would be worth it. Glimpse wouldn't be able to see them, though. [color=935DB8]"Lead on,"[/color] Veil told the rich mutant. 

	They could either go in through the main entryway, requiring them to pass a biometric scan to enter the elevator and take it up to the penthouse - or they could go around the back to the garage and use Shaw's private elevator, though it would require a passcode to be inputted and a fingerprint scan taken. [hr][center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/tgt3H7qw/image.png[/img][/center][hr][hider=Battle Map][img]https://i.postimg.cc/g21D2vkP/morlocks.png[/img][/hider]
[color=f7941d][b][i]The Morlock Tunnels...[/i][/b][/color]

	The [url=https://media.giphy.com/media/JLbxPVuEDjNqo/giphy.gif]sentinel[/url] was more advanced than the ones that O.M.E.N. had used to attack Xavier's Institute in June. Made out of secondary adamantium, also called adamantium steel, this weapon of death is more durable than the ones who came before it. It is better able to adapt to various mutant powers, analyzing attack patterns on the fly and identifying humans, mutants, and inhumans within seconds. Its power source allows the sentinel to operate for twenty four hours before needing to be recharged - and if that was not enough to make this mutant killing machine fearsome, perhaps the fact that [i]the sentinel was not alone[/i] would be enough. 

	[color=199046]"Ouch, that's gotta hurt like a bitch,"[/color] Ward commented, stepping forward with a gas mask on. There were nine other Purifiers with him, standing behind the Sentinel, all wearing gas masks and clutching what looked like heavily modified rifles. It would be plainly obvious to the brothers that these were military grade weapons - how had they gotten them? The Purifiers were essentially a largely disorganized hate group... so how did they get a sentinel and those guns? 

	[color=DBA1DE]"J-J-Jackie, your boyfriend sucks!"[/color] Casper complained. His voice was trembling and he felt like the walls were closing in all around them. Sure, he had run into the tunnels without thinking much about it, but the Purifiers and the sentinel were cutting off the primary exit to the surface. He could have sworn the air was growing thinner and he moved backwards slightly, taking greedy breaths in an attempt to get as much into his lungs as possible. 

	[i]"...I totally forgot you were claustrophobic,"[/i] Ben commented. [i]"Look, you guys can't lead them back to the Morlock tunnels - it'll be a massacre! You need to either stop them here or find a way to get rid of them."[/i]

	Casper nodded slightly, his hands shaking and his eyes were almost comically wide. [color=DBA1DE]"Th-the only other exit is through..."[/color] he didn't finish the sentence. Ben realized what he meant - in order to lose the Purifiers, they had to run through the Morlocks main hideout. And with the sentinel, they didn't even really have the time to sit here and talk. The sentinel fired off another energy blast, hitting Casper in the chest and it sent him flying back behind his brother, hitting up against the wall hard. All he knew was that his head felt very warm and sticky and the world was spinning all around him. 

	The sentinel then shot Jack again, hitting him in the shoulder. He wasn't lucky - this time, it was a third degree burn. These ones are the most painful and take the longest to heal, penetrating the layers of the skin and doing severe damage. [color=DBA1DE]"Jackie..."[/color] Casper mumbled, losing consciousness rapidly. 

	[color=199046]"I gotta tell ya - Schmidt really delivered!"[/color] Ward boasted, his men chuckling in agreement. [color=199046]"Now let's go find the nest and get rid of these monsters before they can hurt anyone else."[/color]

[color=f7941d][b][i]The Morlock Hideout...[/i][/b][/color]

	Not too far away from the brothers, the various Morlocks were going about their business. Sunshine was uncharacteristically quiet, sipping water and contemplating what Jack had told her. She didn't know if she was ready to take a brand - sure, she knew logically that it was a good choice, but the thought of searing an M into her flesh? She just anticipated the pain and it was clouding her judgment. Blink at the very least was understanding, despite not having to go through that process herself, as she had a visible mutation. 

	[i]"Purifiers! They're in the tunnels - with a sentinel!!!!"[/i] Grimlock screamed into everyone's mind. 

	Erg instantly grabbed his gun, holding the red hot poker in his other hand. While he had intended to brand Sunshine's face with it, he could double up and use it as a weapon against any Purifiers that managed to get their way. [color=0C6598]"Everyone, stay calm. We have prepared for this,"[/color] Erg reminded them. [color=0C6598]"Blink, evacuate the children, sick, and elderly. Everyone who can, prepare for a fight."[/color]

	[i]"There's ten of them,"[/i] Grimlock added, as Blink opened up a portal and a bunch of the Morlocks started to panic, rushing towards it. The Mutant Massacre that happened in New York at the hands of Sinister's agents was fresh in their memory. One of the Morlocks, Membraine, hurried over to Erg while Grimlock was evacuated with the rest of the children. 

	[color=D48FFF]"Kid, get through the portal!"[/color] Blink ordered Sunshine. People were still trying to get through as best as they could. Most Morlocks didn't have offensive powers. If the Purifiers got in here, they'd be sitting ducks. 

	Sunshine shook her head. [color=#DAF7A6]"I want this to be my home... I'm not gonna let some assholes take it away from me - from us, I mean,"[/color] she said, conjuring up two little green balls of disease in her hands. She ran over to Erg and the other mutants who had decided to fight, her heart beating nervously. [color=#DAF7A6]"What's the plan? You do have a plan, right?"[/color] Sunshine asked, doing her best to not accidentally make one of the Morlocks sick. 

	There was a fiery feeling in her stomach. Just as she had found someplace safe, the Purifiers were going to take it away from her - [i]again[/i]. She wasn't going to let them do that, however. She didn't care what she had to do. She didn't care if she had to kill them. It was for a just cause - defending her fellow Mutant brothers and sisters. Of course, there was a certain amount of hatred motivating her actions. They had taken so much from her, it would be nice to make them bleed and hurt for it. 

	[color=0C6598]"We go into the tunnels. Keep them from finding the entrance at all costs,"[/color] Erg instructed, before leading his strike force out. [hr][center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/5yqyXQGW/image.png[/img][/center][hr][hider=Battle Map - make sure to list your coordinates each time!][img]https://i.postimg.cc/fLmwmX0X/Gifted.png[/img][/hider]
	[color=B0B4B0]"No killing,"[/color] Colossus responded to Spark Plug, as she asked what the rules were on using their powers. [color=B0B4B0]"Rule number one of being X-Men, er, hero."[/color] His movements were careful and constrained, allowing him to keep his balance despite the ice that Leighton had created on the ground. Negasonic wasn't being very helpful, still just leaning up against one of the walls and texting. At least she wasn't looking up and making snarky comments, but she wasn't offering any advice. 

	Since this was a training exercise, Colossus was not lunging at them to attack them. Unfortunately, only Leighton had actually made an attempt against him this time. [color=B0B4B0]"On line,"[/color] he repeated, more or less indicating that that attempt was over and it was time for them to try again. He was in his steel form and he stomped, breaking the ice that was immediately beneath him. There was still plenty on the ground which could be used to their advantage. 

	[color=E33B19]"If you guys don't start trying, he might shoot you in the back with an arrow,"[/color] Negasonic quipped, noticing that a few of them seemed to have doubts. Doubts like that would get them killed out in the field. And even if they weren't all suited for combat from their powers, there was no reason they shouldn't be able to fight. If Hawkeye could defend New York from Loki and an alien invasion with a bow and arrow, then these mutants should be able to ring a bell.