[hr][hr][center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/FKJKRczH/the-gifted-591b350cc9ba7.png[/img][hr][img]https://i.postimg.cc/NLh6qHzb/89fd15c0a88db8037203224c3533652dbf660aa5-hq.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 - 8:00 PM[/b][/color][/h3][/center][hr][hr][center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/WpKJC0mt/image.png[/img][/center][hr][hider=Battle Map][img]https://i.postimg.cc/HxdpbrtZ/hellfire.png[/img][/hider][hider=Control Notes]Glimpse - out from Requiem's control Sapphire - out from Requiem's control Havok - under Anastasia's influence Jinx - mentally bound by Glimpse Requiem - mentally bound by Glimpse[/hider] There was complete chaos in the Hellfire Club. The fire at the bar raged on, growing rapidly in temperature. On the [i]bright[/i] side, no massive explosion had happened yet, but it was only a matter of time. Alcohols are extremely volatile and flammable substances, after all. The circle of fire that Max had set was spreading inwards, resulting in first degree burns for Requiem and Glimpse on their arms, with Jinx suffering from second degree burns on his hands. The three of them are going to want to find a way [i]out[/i] of the circle of fire quickly, otherwise they could be burned alive like the witches of old. Havok really did [i]not[/i] like how often he was being hit on by guys lately. He glared at Jinx's words, contemplating attacking him but seeing the fiery mess he was stuck inside of, the universe seemed to have taken care of that for him. The mutant's annoying companion tried to shoot him as well and then in the strangest follow up ever, Sapphire came over and [i]kissed[/i] him. Havok's first thought? [color=FAFD95][i]Lorna is gonna kill me.[/i][/color] He stumbled backwards, trying his very best to get Sapphire's lips off of his, but he never had a chance. She started to freeze him and he got a sudden headache, as everything he knew was turned upside down. [color=FAFD95]"Get off of me, bitch!"[/color] he snapped, sending Sapphire backwards with a blast of energy. She flew into the filing cabinets, knocking them over and causing papers to go flying in the process. His normally blue eyes were now a solid black. [color=E0F6FD]"Well, we know that these [i]cannot[/i] be the X-Men, as this is child's play,"[/color] Emma mused. Since Anastasia had a handle on Havok, Sapphire, and Max, while Requiem and Jinx should be more than enough for Glimpse, the White Queen calmly walked back through the chaos to where Veil had fallen in the elevator. [color=E0F6FD]"Now you can tell me what your business is with the Hellfire Club the easy way or we can do things the hard way, dear."[/color] [color=935DB8]"Oh, the hard way. Always,"[/color] Veil quipped. Her best chance would be to keep Emma in her diamond form, as she didn't seem to have access to her psychic powers like that. Sapphire and Havok were already attacking each other, Max had been thrown almost off the balcony, and Glimpse was surrounded by fire. To say things had gone horribly was an understatement - but they knew this wasn't going to be easy going in. [color=E0F6FD]"Very well,"[/color] Emma said. She shifted from her diamond form. Veil was quick on the draw and she sent a force field slamming down against Emma's head before the telepath could do much. She tried to send another one down into Emma, but her foe had shifted back into diamond form in a manner of seconds. [color=E0F6FD]"Diamonds are formed under pressure, you know."[/color] Veil shoved Emma back with a force field, allowing her to come out of the elevator. If it would have done her any good, she would have turned invisible but there wasn't really much room to maneuver here anyways. Her eyes darted around the room quickly, trying to come up with a way to get the upper hand, but nothing came to her. There had to be a way to salvage this failure though, right? [color=935DB8]"Glimpse, can you fix Havok?"[/color] Veil shouted out. It was a start.[hr][center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/tgt3H7qw/image.png[/img][/center][hr] So many people had died in the tunnels, but fate had decided to claim just one more. Johnny Ward, the Purifier leader, would never wake up again. Maybe if they hurried, they could get him onto life support but he would essentially be in a coma for the rest of his life, so what was the point? And why waste resources on someone so filled with hate that he would attack innocents? It would be a good idea for someone to, for lack of a better word, loot the corpses - maybe then they'd be able to figure out just how and why the Purifiers had gone down into the Morlock tunnels. [color=D48FFF]"I got everyone out who I could,"[/color] Blink told Jack quietly. She didn't want to say much more beyond that - she had no desire to go into detail on everyone they had lost to senseless violence. Even more so, telling Jack about the Purifiers she had brutally killed by [i]accident[/i] was certainly not going to happen. Some secrets would have to stay secrets. [color=D48FFF]"They're in Maryland with another Morlock community... Are you sure you want to take your brother to a hospital? Most of them refuse to treat mutants and even if they do, they usually end up calling the police as well..."[/color] Casper's bleeding had stopped, thanks to Sunshine applying pressure on the wound. He didn't seem to be returning to consciousness anytime soon - it was likely a bad sign, given his head injury. The sooner they got him medical attention, the better the chance that he wouldn't have long lasting trauma from the injury. Of course, should Jack decide to [i]not[/i] take him to a hospital, there was a mutant they knew with healing powers that might just be able to help. And in the final stroke of irony, Casper's phone started to vibrate and buzz as messages came in. Sunshine pulled the phone from his pocket and squinted her eyes, tilting her head but she just couldn't read what the texts said. Deciding that they couldn't be that important, she put his phone in her pocket. [color=#DAF7A6]"... What are we going to do about Erg?"[/color] Sunshine asked them quietly, sniffling a little bit. [color=#DAF7A6]"We can't just leave him!"[/color] They honestly would really have to do just that. Unlike the rest of the Morlocks who died, there wasn't really anything left of Erg to recover. If they did decide to recover the Morlock bodies, where would they bury them? The Morlocks didn't have money to pay for burial plots and most of them hardly looked human, meaning that no one would want to allow for their burial in a pauper's field anyways. [color=D48FFF]"... I'll try to find a field where we can bury our friends,"[/color] Blink then promised. Maybe they'd be able to find some open area in Virginia or Maryland where they could lay the Morlocks to rest. They could make little markers for them, even throw in one for Erg even though his would be an empty plot. [color=#DAF7A6]"...Are you fucking kidding me?! A field?! That's the best we can do?!"[/color] Sunshine snapped. [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/XYHgmPq4/mutant-undergrounds.png[/img][/hider] Although it may not feel like it to the participants in this battle, but the Mutant Underground currently had the upper hand in the fight. Magik was unconscious and Vulcan had a broken rib, broken nose, and some crushed family jewels down there. Negasonic was not frozen for long as well. Thanks to her more explosive powers, she was able to heat herself up rapidly and [i]explode[/i]. The ice shattered and went flying, somehow not hitting ANYONE and just harmlessly hitting the walls of the attic space. Maybe Domino is a secret member of the Mutant Underground... [color=B0B4B0]"No, we stay,"[/color] Colossus argued. He didn't want to abandon the Mutant Underground Station, at least not until the others were back from their mission. They also didn't really have access to another conveniently abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. Where were they supposed to go? The steel mutant ran up to Cayden, picking up Magik carefully and holding her tightly. [color=B0B4B0]"Теперь ты в безопасности, сестра ... Это я, Петр,"[/color] he whispered, smoothing the girl's blonde hair gently. Those who had been with the Mutant Underground for a while would know just exactly why Colossus was so focused on Magik: she was his missing sister. [color=E33B19]"Not bad, Cheerleader,"[/color] Negasonic complimented Leighton, smirking slightly as she saw Vulcan doubled over in pain. [color=E33B19]"I honestly didn't think you guys had it in you, no offense."[/color] Vulcan didn't stay down long though. He was the self proclaimed strongest of the Summers brothers, though it helped that Scott and Alex didn't know he existed, making it difficult for them to argue that point with him. [color=#fffb12]"You'll know who we are soon enough,"[/color] he said ominously, before firing off a blast and he destroyed the pillar nearest to them. The structural support was not entirely compromised yet, but all it would take would be one more pillar going down for the building to collapse in on itself. The ceiling was dipping in above them and Colossus reached upwards, acting as a living pillar with one hand as he cradled his sister with his other hand.