[hr][hr][center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/FKJKRczH/the-gifted-591b350cc9ba7.png[/img][hr][img]https://i.postimg.cc/Jz4kdvr3/5e1404cdcffb3995779684.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 10th, 2020 - 11:50 AM[/b][/color][/h3][/center][hr][hr][center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/WpKJC0mt/image.png[/img][/center][hr][color=f7941d][b]The Amtrak Station...[/b][/color]

	To recap, the Three in One, Jinx, and Hawkeye were all unconscious - with the latter two still being on fire as well. The downpour Cass had caused was beginning to wane, allowing the flames to persist even with the water. And of course, Legion was currently manifesting the personality of a small boy named Tommy and there was no indication yet as to what power that personality wielded either. Luckily though, the X-Men hadn't showed up or anything like that, even though Valentine and Legion were Professor X's children - he really wasn't going to win father of the year. Lastly, Maria and Flynn both had been turned villainous, the two mutants now siding with the Hellfire Club in this conflict. 

	Valentine smiled slightly at Anastasia. "That's a fair point," she agreed. "After this, I'll be needing my violin." Offering no explanation beyond that, Valentine whistled once more, trying to send another sonic blast to knock the S.H.I.E.L.D. team down but she hardly produced a strong wind. Her eyes narrowed slightly in frustration. "I need my violin," she muttered. Legion/Tommy was being equally useless, just crying on the ground. 

	Bonnie's eyes widened slightly at Flynn's words - and if she hadn't been drunk, she might have been able to keep her mouth shut. She tended to get really chatty when inebriated. [color=f6989d]"That is so gross and cheesy, also I don't know if I'm ready for someone to hit on me like that! Since you know the last guy to really be into me died and all and I really should shut up and stop talking and--"[/color] she was cut off as Maria's arrow hit her, sending an electric current throughout Bonnie's system. The psychic inhibitor didn't fry however, something that Bonnie thanked her lucky stars for as she gritted her teeth and struggled to pull herself together. 

	Flynn had taken out Barton and Bonnie knew she couldn't beat him physically, and as much as she didn't want to do this, she needed a way to remove Flynn from the playing field at the very least - or to try to get him back to normal. People had had success in the pass with removing mind control or whatever this magic was through whacking people over the head - so it was worth a shot. [color=f6989d]"Hey, uh, hot stuff? Why don't you come give me a kiss?"[/color] Bonnie asked awkwardly, hoping he would fall for it. 

	The Russian agent narrowed her eyes, though no one would be able to tell behind her shades. This should have been an easy fight for them, but the tides had turned and now it seemed that they were about to lose to some [i]mental patients and a pre-teen.[/i] [color=add3ff]"Hey Princess, why don't you get your hands dirty and stop asking others to do the work for you?"[/color] Novikova shouted, stumbling slightly forward. She managed to tear up some pieces of rock from the ground and she chucked them at Anastasia, almost hitting her but Novikova's aim was poor. 

	[color=add3ff]"That is what we call in Russia a warning shot!"[/color][hr][center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/5yqyXQGW/image.png[/img][/center][hr][color=f7941d][b]The Mutant Underground HQ...[/b][/color]

	Casper didn't seem to hear Feedback's words, just shaking as he curled into James. He felt more secure than he cared to admit in his arms, despite knowing James for less than a week. He didn't have the emotional energy to even consider how thankful he was that James didn't press further about what he was seeing, but Sapphire's snapping from the front seat about being quiet and the continued screaming of the ghost of Feedback's mother was making it hard for him to think. His brain felt like it was bouncing around in his skull and he just wanted a moment's peace, something to make it all go away. [color=DBA1DE]"Drugs make it stop..."[/color] he whispered to James. [color=DBA1DE]"My pocket..."[/color]

	He knew that Jack would have killed him for it and Casper didn't really want to use in a car like this, but he needed them. He couldn't deal with this. Even as he was curled into James for comfort, he was crying hot and sticky tears. It wasn't at all the sort of liquid he wanted to be producing around this man. 

	[color=B0B4B0]"Illyana, how are you feeling?"[/color] Colossus asked his baby sister, as Sapphire would be able to reach the Mutant Underground HQ at last. Negasonic was leaning up against the wall outside, with Blink sitting down on a crate nearby. Neither of them seemed to be injured, so perhaps their mission had at the very least gone better. There was no sign of those who went to the bar however. 

	[color=6B576F]"I'm fine, Piotr,"[/color] Illyana muttered. Her eyes flashed over towards Waverley, as if daring her to try the sedative on her now. The medication they had stolen from the hospital had repressed the withdrawal symptoms in Magik for the time being, allowing her to be closer to her normal self. The Soulsword vanished from her hand. 

	[color=B0B4B0]"If you need to talk..."[/color] Colossus began to offer gently. 

	Magik shook her head. [color=6B576F]"I said I'm [i]fine[/i]. But I would like to get out of this cramped car."[/color] She nudged Vulcan slightly, but the third Summers brother didn't respond. He was unconscious - for now. 

	[color=E33B19]"We found a lair,"[/color] Negasonic shouted at the car, texting away on her phone. 

	[color=D48FFF]"It's not... Yeah, it's a lair,"[/color] Blink admitted, hurrying over to the car. [color=D48FFF]"Have you heard from the others? They're not here and they're obviously not with you."[/color]

[color=f7941d][b]Sinister's Lair - Sabretooth's Hallway...[/b][/color]

	Restraints on Arclight were apparently unneeded, as she vanished much in the same way as Nightcrawler and Sabretooth had done before her. Given that Sinister had appeared out of thin air and then left the same way, was he transporting his hounds and his Marauders away to safety after they were defeated? And were even the villains truly safe with the master geneticist and manipulator? 

	Once Spark Plug pulled the choker off of Havok, the necklace seemingly turned into dust, the particles blowing away right in front of her. Havok blinked slightly, coming back to his senses - and sadly, entirely missing Spark Plug's comment about his sexuality. [color=FAFD95]"What..."[/color] he muttered, before seeing Riptide and he sent off a blast of energy, narrowly missing Sinister's fiend. [color=FAFD95]"Bad guy?"[/color] he asked hopefully. 

	[color=935DB8]"Yeah, real bad, Havok,"[/color] Veil agreed, barely throwing up a new force field in time to stop Riptide's shurikens. [color=935DB8]"Okay here's a conundrum - we can't knock him out without getting to him, and I can't let these shields down without letting him potentially fatally hurt us."[/color]

	[color=FAFD95]"...Hit him over the head with one, you can do more than just block with those!"[/color] Havok reminded her. 

	[color=935DB8]"...Right,"[/color] Veil agreed, shaking her head slightly as she then slammed her force fields down on Riptide's head. The Marauder crumpled to the ground, unconscious, and then vanished from sight seconds later. [color=935DB8]"...Okay then. Glimpse, point us in the direction of the kid, please? And or Jack... Wait Havok, where's Max and Leighton? I thought you were with them?"[/color]

	Havok shook his head slightly. [color=FAFD95]"They ran into Emma freaking Frost, asked me to leave so they could talk to her. I couldn't exactly force them to come with me and right after I left, I... Actually, I have no idea what happened then. Next thing I knew, I was right here."[/color]
	
[color=f7941d][b]Sinister's Lair - the Laboratory...[/b][/color]

	Sunshine didn't really like Jack's repeated theme of [i]you don't seem to realize this[/i], crossing her arms as he talked. She did however commit the rule about having an escape plan to memory. [color=#DAF7A6]"My plan is to make him really, really sick - sick enough that he dies - if he comes in here,"[/color] Sunshine informed Jack. It was hard for someone to fight her when they were too busy fighting off polio (not that she had ever managed to successfully give someone polio, but she wasn't about to tell Jack that). As Jack was poking around, she decided the best way to mess with this guy would be to start smashing his stuff. She went around knocking over all of the vials that she could see like a maniac, only stopping when Jack called her attention over to the freezer.

	[color=#DAF7A6]"...If he wants to make the perfect mutant, why'd Erg have to die?"[/color] Sunshine asked. Shaw and Sinister, while different people, had the same goals and motives in her mind. Both of them were horrible, horrible people and they had cost Erg his life. She did take a lot of satisfaction in the fact that Sinister's weird DNA freezer was thawing out, especially since she had destroyed a lot of random vials. As Jack dragged her to the exit, she didn't fight him on it, though she did have another question. [color=#DAF7A6]"...And what's DNA?"[/color]

[color=f7941d][b]Sinister's Lair - the Wardrobe Suite...[/b][/color]

	Emma smiled, glad to hear that Leighton had decided to at least come speak with her. [color=E0F6FD][i]"Of course, darling - I wouldn't even dream of holding you against your will. I am a firm believer in allowing everyone to make their own choice, especially strong young women such as yourself."[/i][/color] The astral projection of Emma Frost flickered slightly, as she paused for a moment and even smiled slightly at Max. [color=E0F6FD][i]"I can see why my niece is so taken with you. Now it is very important that the two of you exit the way you came as quickly as possible - I am almost back in D.C., but I have a driver on route to your location presently. She'll meet you outside this establishment. If you have any other friends you wish to bring with you, Leighton darling, please do not even hesitate. All mutants need to work together, after all."[/i][/color]