[hr][hr][center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/FKJKRczH/the-gifted-591b350cc9ba7.png[/img][hr][img]https://i.postimg.cc/vTYLXJqK/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 10th, 2020 - 1:00 PM[/b][/color][/h3][/center][hr][hr]	Every channel in Washington D.C. is talking about one thing - Reverend William Stryker's anti-mutant rally. Dubbed "Stryker's Crusade" and largely driven by members of his Church, the Hope of Humanity, the rally has about 30,000 participants. The angry crowd, carrying picket signs as they protest the mutant population is made up primarily out of citizens - especially those who identify as Purifiers. 

	Outside the White House, the Purifiers have plastered images of those who died due to mutant violence. One image is repeated more than any other - Johnny Ward, their fallen leader, slain by the mutant menace not too long ago. Other images are shown - those lost on 7/15, as well as dozens upon dozens more who the Purifiers claim to have been killed by those with an X-gene. The famous and influential across the country were all giving their soundbites - 

	[i][color=2d5eb9]"Everyone needs to remain calm during the march. If it turns violent in anyway, the police need to be prepared to defend innocents, both human and mutant as is there duty to do so. No rioting of any kind will be tolerated since it is within their rights of assembly to do this,"[/color][/i] said presidential candidate and ex-O.M.E.N. director Alexander Jakobsen. 

	[i]"They're a menace! It's about damn time that we've started to wake up and realized that we have let the enemy surround us!"[/i] said J. Jonah Jameson. 

	[color=4C52FF][i]"This country was founded on freedom - freedom for everyone, human or mutant,"[/i][/color] said Captain America. 

	[i]"I don't see what the problem is - I don't! And believe me, I'm a smart guy, everyone says so, and I think that it's great seeing the crowd out there! Disgusting mutants need to learn they can't just go around killing people!"[/i] said the President of the United States, the Cheeto in Chief. 
	
	[color=00aeef][i]"They are within their rights to participate in the march. However only together can we strive for a truly peaceful coexistence between everyone. They can do what they will, but I ask that the mutants of DC... Do not attack them, as you will only cause more strife between humans and mutants of the area,"[/i][/color] said Professor Charles Xavier. 

	[i]"This march is a tremendous success - a tribute to what we as the human race can accomplish. I'm looking forward to similar events planned across the country soon!"[/i] said Benedict Ryan.[hr][center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/WpKJC0mt/image.png[/img][/center][hr][color=f7941d][b]The Penthouse - Shaw Industries...[/b][/color]

	The elevator opened up to reveal the penthouse for the very first time to Max and Leighton. Emma was seated on the couch, with a dark skinned woman by her side. [color=E0F6FD]"I apologize for the traffic, dears, but it can't be helped - that dreadful Reverend Stryker has stirred up the Purifiers in the city,"[/color] Emma explained, standing up and walking on over to the pair. [color=E0F6FD]"I would like to introduce you to my associate, Reeva Payge."[/color]

	Reeva got up from the couch as well and walked on over, smiling as she extended a hand to both Leighton and Max. [color=B1C1EB]"It's a pleasure to meet you both,"[/color] she said earnestly. There wasn't anyone else in the room at the moment, but it was positively immaculate. The bar had been repaired and it was fully stocked. There were light snacks set out at the low table by the sofas. And from the windows, they would be able to see the massive crowds in the streets, carrying those hateful signs. 

[color=f7941d][b]The Training Room - Shaw Industries...[/b][/color]

	As soon as Anastasia had returned with Legion, Emma had placed the omega level mutant into a psychic coma and placed him in his room in bed. She had explained to Anastasia that due to his large number of personalities, she wanted to make sure she could study his mind and prepare some precautions first before they began working with him. However, the arrival of Emma's niece and her friend had changed some plans for that day. Polaris, Magneto, and the rest had left Genosha early to return to D.C. Emma and Reeva were handling their guests, with the rest asked to stay out of sight until they had settled in comfortably. 

	Magneto decided this was the perfect time for a training session. The training room of the Hellfire Club didn't possess the Shi'ar technology of the X-Men, but it did have various pieces of equipment set up. Sage was at the control panel, whereas Magneto, Polaris, and the White Queen were on the training room floor. [color=FF5733]"Which would you two prefer - spar each other or spar me?"[/color] Magneto mused.

	[color=A9F8C7]"I didn't come here to fight children, Father."[/color]

[color=f7941d][b]The Raft - Location Classified...[/b][/color]

	After Anastasia abandoned Valentine, the Three in One, Jinx, and the other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, it hadn't been too long for back up to arrive. They took Valentine into custody and took her to the Triskelion, in order to find a family member who could come pick out a new institution to house her in. The Three in One and Jinx had been shipped off by helicopter to the Raft, an underwater prison populated by the worst of the worst. 

	The Three in One were placed in a single cell, outfitted with collars (as was Jinx). [color=3D5DC3]"Jinxy, when we're out of here, want to kill the little blonde slut with us?"[/color] the Three in One jeered, speaking in perfect unison even with the collars dampening their powers. 

	[color=silver]"How cute,"[/color] Luminous muttered from her cell, directly adjacent to Jinx. She had an uncanny resemblance to the Scarlet Witch, yet her coloring was far more reminiscent of Quicksilver. Was their yet [i]another[/i] child of Magneto running around? [color=silver]"Blonde hair, blue eyes - you certainly have that going for you, though the brains seem to be lacking..."[/color]

	[color=377E4B]"Would you please [i]shut up[/i]?!"[/color] Doctor Doom snapped. His cell was right next to Jinx's. [color=377E4B]"Some of us would appreciate being able to think without hearing Nazi propaganda and the ideals of the Aryan race."[/color]

	[color=silver]"Says the disfigured failure,"[/color] Luminous taunted with a smirk. 

	[color=red]"I agree with Doom - [i]shut up![/i]"[/color] the Scarlet Witch snapped, meditating in the back of her cell - or at the very least, trying to. [hr][center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/5yqyXQGW/image.png[/img][/center][hr][color=f7941d][b]New Mutant Underground Hideout...[/b][/color]

	With the combined abilities of Blink and Magik, the possessions of the Mutant Underground had been relocated to their new hideout. [url=https://i.postimg.cc/zfH9c1xJ/image.png]An underground, abandoned mansion[/url], it consisted of two levels. The upper level consisted of ten bedrooms of sorts, though some of them evidently had been used as studies or parlor rooms long, long ago. On the first floor, there was a dining room and a large open area that could be a nice training room. The entranceway took up most of the space on the first floor, with a staircase to the south going up to the land of the living. 

[hider=Room Assignments]Room 1: N/A (supply storage)
Room 2: Veil & Sapphire
Room 3: Spark Plug & Glimpse
Room 4: Sunshine & Feedback
Room 5: Jack & Casper
Room 6: James & Moonwalker
Room 7: Magik & Negasonic
Room 8: Blink 
Room 9: Havok & Colossus
Room 10: Medical [/hider]
	Vulcan was currently tied to a post in the dining room. Everything was in a state of major disrepair, with vast amounts of graffiti on the walls and floors. Rats and bugs were running by constantly. There were some cool little treasures, but for the most part everything of value had already been taken. Only a few of the vehicles had been in good enough shape to move from the old location to the new, and they were left above ground, hidden under tarps in hopes that they wouldn't be stolen. 

	Veil wasn't ready yet to be a leader, even though she knew it was urgent. Sinister could easily pack up his entire lab and take his captive mutants away, especially since he [i]knew[/i] they were there. Leighton and Max had left, gone off to join one of the most manipulative and twisted mutants out there - Emma Frost. She imagined that they'd be dead or completely wicked within weeks. All of these people at the Mutant Underground were counting on her to guide them, yet also to protect them. Colossus had gotten his baby sister back, that was a win at least. Havok was quiet, staring at Vulcan and tilting his head slightly, as if trying to figure out if they could really be related.

	[color=935DB8]"What do we do next?"[/color] Veil mumbled to her best friend, before wrapping Sapphire into a hug. She knew that Sapphire was the ice queen in everything but official alias, but Veil needed someone to lean on. [color=935DB8]"I mean, fuck... We have to stop Sinister. But we're not a team - we're not the X-Men,"[/color] she added in whispers, not wanting to freak everyone else out here. Feedback in her opinion was especially fragile at the moment, after everything with her mother. That was at least one situation Max leaving helped - Feedback didn't have to look him in the eye anymore. 

	Lounged on a moth eaten couch, Casper had a smile on his face and the buzz of morphine in his brain. His fingers were twitching slightly and he reached into his pocket to take another pill, only to notice that his medicine wasn't there. [color=DBA1DE]"Hey, uh, James? Jimmy Jimbo? Can you give me back my meds, please?"[/color] Casper asked, assuming that James still had them after he had given him a pill. The ghosts had vanished from his line of vision, not even Ben appearing. His powers didn't work until he was sober and Ben always was the first ghost to appear. 

	Yes, Casper missed Ben - but Ben would understand. He didn't fade out of existence just because Casper couldn't see him at the moment. Feedback's mom wasn't in his line of sight now, screaming about wanting her death avenged and begging for one more minute to speak with her children. Casper wasn't some great philanthropist - some miracle worker like his father. He was a drug addict and he liked his life just the way it was. 

	Sunshine was sitting on one of the steps of the staircase that lead up to the bedrooms, sullenly playing with her Yo-Yo. Her stomach was growling and she wanted food, but there wasn't anything here to eat. They were at an all time low supplies wise. Her brain kept going over the knowledge that Erg's killer was immortal - or at least one of them was. Shaw hadn't been there, but Sinister had. And her best disease bomb hadn't even stopped him. Then, Leighton and Max had betrayed them, going to join Emma Frost. 

	[color=6B576F]"Can I give that a try?"[/color] Magik asked Sunshine, avoiding her brother if she could help it. Colossus kept on following her around and fussing over her, acting like she was still the little girl back in Russia and not a young adult. 

	[color=#DAF7A6]"No, it's mine. Get your own,"[/color] Sunshine snapped, not even turning to look at her. Negasonic was sitting on the stairs a few steps back, listening to music on her phone and texting cute pictures to her girlfriend. The stairs had more or less become the young kid hang out spot, especially since the other new mutants had left. 

	[color=6B576F]"What if I trade you for it?"[/color] Magik bargained. 

	Sunshine held her Yo-Yo tightly in her hand, looking up at the other blonde. [color=#DAF7A6]"You don't have anything to trade."[/color]

	[color=E33B19]"Sell your body for a Yo-Yo,"[/color] Negasonic chimed in from behind. [color=E33B19]"It's how Yukio and I met."[/color]