FantasyChic

🦄 Machiavellian Masquerade - Chapter 1

@Lady Amalthea Posting as soon as I get home. I worked all day yesterday. Nonstop.

X-Men: Cosmic Crusades 👽

---

---

Allison Andrews and Ayita Dyrkin

---

---

There was no more deadly foe, Ayita Dyrkin thought while hiding a grimace as she stared down the dreaded foe of the most frilly dress she had ever seen. "No frills." Ayita recommended as she quickly dropped the hanger back onto the rack before brushing her hand on her pant leg in disgust. Her amber eyes looking at the blonde head she knew as Allison only because only the telekinetic glass cannon of the X-Men had dragged her into this strange world of female fashion.

If she had ears Ayita would have pinned them back, tucked her tail and ran for the hills quite literally. But she was here for Allison, and because well... She had her own reasons, and these dresses were desirable to humans, right? "You're human too. Despite the fact you don't understand them, you are human and he sees you as such." Ayita thought quietly to herself, shrugging off the uncomfortable feeling of being a bull in a china shop. Fingering the golden studs in her ears, a gift from Richard and a ploy the man used to squeeze through the crowd and hide in some store or other that caught his fancy. She thought for sure that Victoria Secret would, but he had turned a delicious shade of red when walking by it. Smirking slightly, Ayita's eyes took on a dreamy look as she considered how he would react to such a store. Probably blaze right by it as was the male thing to do, the shifter concluded. Eyeing a black dress she gave a discouraged sigh at the short length. "If people want to show so much skin, they might as well go without their clothes." Ayita noted with good humor.

To be frank, Allison dragged Ayita with her for two reasons. 1: She needed a shopping friend. She hated shopping alone and the amount of girls at the mansion to go with dwindled. Her relationship with Mary was tentative, at best. Quin wouldn't be caught dead shopping (especially after OMEN). Sara didn't do girl shopping trips. She didn't really want to be around Carolina at the moment. And she didn't know Bethany all to well, nor the other girls. Ayita was her closest girl friend. So she chose her.

And 2: She knew Ayita would hate it. But she had often tried to get the woman to open up her human side more. "Fine, no frills. But at least check out more colors. I think you'd look good in green or purple, really. And showing skin is a subtle way to get cute guys, or girls for that matter, to check you out. And you run around in animal form, arguably more naked than that, even with fur and such." She had been checking out other dresses and she had her eye on the pink one with the open back, but she wanted to make sure Ayita was all right first.

Ayita paused, standing stock still, a slightly nervous look appearing in her eyes. As she gave a delicate, startled cough. "Green." She muttered quickly busying herself with several dresses. More to cover the slight lapse of behavior than looking at the gowns. "Green works well. Purple's not my color." She stated slowly. Though she gave Allison a long look when the other mutant mentioned she ran about basically naked in her animal form. "At least my forms have taste." She retorts with a raised eyebrow and a slight smile that spoke of it being more than slight. Plucking a high necked gown she studied it speculatively before putting it back and moving onto ones with a more open neckline.

Allison stifled a chuckle. She still thought Ayita could pull off a dark purple dress, but if she wanted green, it was her choice. "Green it is then. And I see you want a more...shall we say..plunging neckline? Good choice, you have the body for it. Anyone in particular, you are trying to impress? Maybe someone whose name rhymes with Caymon?" Allison knew, or at least had strong suspicions, about Ayita's feelings for the boy, but she had never openly discussed them. Perhaps now was the time.

The shifter paused and looked over sharply at Allison. An amber gaze that was looking over a potential rival or threat, before she relaxed slightly, realizing Allison was none of those things. "I don't know what you're talking about." Ayita said with a quickness and pitch which wasn't like her as her cheeks turned a delightful crimson. Allison knowing wasn't a problem. It was Richard knowing, which was the problem. The fewer who knew? The fewer ways for the old snake to find out.

Allison shook her head with a light smile as she looked over another rack of dresses, holding up a light blue number. "Yeah, what am I thinking? Because it's not obvious by the looks you give him, the subtle tells you let off. Nope, I must be imagining things." She set the dress back, unsure if she liked it or not. She picked up a light pink dress now, and hung it over her arm to try on later. "This prom would be a good chance to let him know."

Ayita shifted restlessly. "Well, it's no so much letting him know..." The shifter muttered as she gripped the green dress and mimicked Allison by draping it over her arm. "He knows... quite a bit. But what tells?" Heat rising into her cheeks. It wasn't this awkward when Guin had mentioned something- though she hadn't been direct! Ayita tried to be discrete with people. That she would be so very closed mouth about her romantic life wasn't all to out of the ordinary.

Allison looked over at her friend, unsure if Ayita really was clueless about this. Then she remembered where Ayita spent most of her life. "I mean, right now is a pretty big tell. That warmth on your cheeks isn't from how cold it is in this store. It's the little things mainly. A glance, a subtle gesture. Our bodies can betray what we feel. Liars have tells sometimes. And I know because I had similar instances with Oshea."

Ayita shifted slightly, her amber eyes glancing away. Odd as she was often direct. "It's a bit more akin to the level of Pietro and Guin... A bit more than that." She admitted shyly, as she sniffed delicately. "Let's move away from the perfume, before I get a migraine." The woman suggested herding Allison towards the dressing rooms.

As she was herded away, she called out "But I want Brittney Spears' new scent!" But she went along willingly. She would let the comment slide. "How do you figure? Pietro and Guin are pretty much all over each other at any given time and I don't recall you making smoochy faces with Damon at all."

Ayita clapped a hand over Allison's mouth. "I don't need to." She stated simply with a shrug. "A well... Guin said sex was an excellent stress reliever... We keep it on the down low- low." She stressed, her face looking a odd mixture of frightened, nervous, embarrassed and utterly beet red. "Plus I can speak to his mind. Richard would not be..." She muttered softly, slouching slightly.

Allison mumbled a response against Ayita's hand. Though it was closed, it sounded an awful lot like "You had sex?!?" Once she was released, Allison took a deep breath. "As your best friend, I take offense that I am just now finding out about it. But I will forgive you because secrets. And why shouldn't Richard know? I get he's protective of you, but he can't prevent you from growing up and doing things on your own. Seems one-sided to me."

The shifter shrugs. "I don't want to have to risk it if Richard did know. He can be testy at times." She points out and rubs the back of her neck. "And I just... Didn't think it was something you'd be interested in knowing?" Then again, Guin was rather outspoken about it in some ways. "And he- Damon that is- is very interesting." Ayita was feeling like a treed coon with how this talk was going.

"Of course I wanna know about it! That is literally what girls talk about with each other. Well one of many, but I can't talk about most of that with you. If he makes you happy, that's what's most important. Still, this isn't something you should hide from Richard. He'll find out some time and it will hurt a lot more knowing you kept it from him for so long. But that's my take on it." She entered one of the changing rooms and began to put one of the dresses on.

"I'm not keeping it from him. I'm just not putting up a sign saying 'Hey, I've been courting Damon. Please eviscerate him.'." Ayita noted with a sarcastic twinge, slipping into her own dress. "He's a former assassin, spy, what have you. He's not stupid." She shifted the neckline of the dress slightly ans pulled her hair free. "I won't lie. I think he has an idea that something is up at least. He's been... not mentioning a few things he would jump on otherwise."

"Not telling him is keeping it from him. Even if he figures it out, it should come from your mouth. That is, unless you don't want a future with Damon. In that case, I understand, but if you did it would be hard to not say anything. And Richard is a big part of your life. If he can't get over it then you will have to choose between the two." Allison stepped out of the room to get to the mirror. The dress was a long, pink number with subtle diamonds that sparkled when the light hit. Allison approved.

Ayita stretched and stepped out from behind the curtain looking rather like one of her cat forms. Tall and lean with the subtle grace of a predator. The slit in the leg went up to her thigh before it stopped and the neckline was low and tempting. "I'll talk with him." The shifter agreed reluctantly, but Ayita's word was good especially to a friend. Looking over Allison she nodded slightly. "You look good."

Allison stared at Ayita's form. For all her talk, Ayita could pull off being a woman. "As do you. I think we have winners here. And yes, I think a talk will be good. I can be there for support if you want, but I think it would mean more to him if it was just you and him. Now shall we pay for these dresses and go get some food?"

Ayita nodded studying herself in the mirror. "I think Damon would like it and Brother will be driven crazy." There was a sly twist to her lips. "And yes, I will speak to him alone. We aren't civilized folk." She smirked at Allison with cat eyes as she stepped back into the changing room. "I suppose you want what Brother calls salacious details?"

Allison stepped back inside and changed back into her regular clothes. "I want all the deets. I'm probably going to be forever alone by the looks of things so I need to live vicariously through you." Allison was joking, but a hint of truth let itself in her words.

"Forever alone? I think not. You've been turning heads, Allison." Ayita pointed out, having noticed a few glances that were drawn to the paler girl before Ayita's or Richard's presence deterred them. But being forever alone? Ayita knew the pain that could lie in that fate. She had been looking forwards to that fate herself before Allison, or Richard. Damon especially! Slipping clothed in her own outfit again, the woman smiled softly at Allison. "Stick out for the man who wants you for you. I found one, you'll find one. I'm sure of it. Just as I am sure the sun will rise in the East and the Winter will be hard."

"I was mainly kidding. I am sure there will be someone for me eventually. Just need to stop saving the world for longer than 5 minutes." Once she changed, she stepped out and held the dress on the hanger. "All right, I'm thinking tapas for lunch. Or sushi. Up to you, but its my treat."

---

---

Sara Grey and Ayita Dyrkin

---

---

Sara had come to the realization that, while her power was badass, it often came with many issues. Such as not knowing how to control or use said powers. Most of the time she got by using common sense, but it would be cool to know how to use the powers she copies. She had already practiced with speed, telekinesis, astral projection, and plant control with mixed results.

She noticed Ayita using her powers and copied them. Outside in the backyard, she was playing around with the idea of transforming. So concentrated as much as she could. Think dog. Be a dog. However, the results were not pretty. She had a tail. That was it.

The said mutant was stretching out dark limbs, shaking her mane of fur. Standing a quarter higher than the average grey wolf, the dire wolf studied the hapless tailed human. A rolling growl that mimicked laughter slightly as she stalked towards Sarah. "What was one trying to do?" Or that was the idea behind the primal thoughts that rolled from her mind to the younger mutant. Sniffing at the tail she figured it was that of a mutt's. Her teeth were bared in a eerie smile as she considered the tail. "One thinks too much like a human." The one being talked about had a distinctive feel that it applied to Sarah.

Sara rolled her eyes. "First off, use proper pronouns. Second, I am a human so duh. Gonna think like one. And third, it's pretty obvious what I was trying to do. I wanna turn into a dog. Or a wolf. You make it look easy. How?"

The ancient wolf gave another rolling, growling laugh. Her form breaking apart to reform as a woman with interest and a bit of pain flickering across her face. "This is what happens when I speak with your human 'proper' tongue." Her steps still traced the prints of the wolf. There was no difference after all. She was the wolf, and the wolf was her. "I thank you for saying I make it look easy, it is a compliment no?" Ayita tilted her head, her eyes still wolf like in their appearance.

"If you wish to remain human, then you must think like a human. To become the beast, you must think like the beast. But always remember, always know who you are. When you have that, does the what really matter?" The woman chuckled and brushed past Sarah, her skin turning to slick blood then fur as the large dire wolf looked at Sarah, her ears pricked as she gave a slight wag of her tail. "Run with the pack a ways. Think upon the creature one are closest to. Worry not about becoming it, just consider the characteristics and the thoughts that go beyond their eyes. Worry not about loosing onesself. The pack is stronger and faster than any form one could muster." From anyone else that boast would be insulting but Ayita's mental link held no boast. It wasn't even meant to be insulting, but to reassure that little was at risk.

Sara was confused. Was Ayita not human? Mutant or not, they were still people, right? "If it wasn't a compliment, you'd know." She watched the woman, trying to understand what she was saying. Think like the beast? Beasts didn't think, did they? Wasn't it all primal knowledge? Survival? Instinct? She turned into a wolf easily before her eyes and began to run. Sara followed suit, trying to keep up, all the while thinking in her head "Be the wolf. Be the wolf. We're both strong. Both part of a pack. Both willing to defend that pack by any means." Slowly, Sara began to turn. Skin to fur. Teeth to fangs. Eventually, her body had shifted into the wolf she had been aiming. It wasn't as quick as Ayita, and she wasn't used to the body yet. She stumbled after her paws formed, trying to continue to run after the woman-wolf.

She wasn't a dire wolf and for that Ayita was grateful. The form was punishing and she could devour her own weight in meat while wearing that form and after she still ate more than was healthy. "Beasts do think. They love the young, the hunt. They sadden when a member dies. They feel pain and fight battles of lust. Each has their own thought. Their own beat to the drum." The voice within Sarah's mind pushed down on the smaller wolf, reminding her of who the alpha of their small pack was. Guess? It wasn't Sarah. There was a wolfish chuckle. "Now pack-sister knows why one stays apart from the others." She had spent seasons in these forms. Could she be ever fully human again? The answer was no, yet she was accepted despite this. Stretching out her long legs, Ayita increased her stride. Inviting Sarah to run and nevermind the vast stretch that was passing beneath them. Taking a sharp turn, she deftly used her tail as a rudder, heading back to their starting location. "Dig in claws!" The older she-wolf advised.

SO Ayita had mind speaking powers too? That wasn't fair! And her words made some sense. But again, Sara chalked it up to instinct. But someone who regularly becomes animals may actually have better insight into them than humans. Maybe. She could feel Ayita pushing down on her mind and all it did was anger Sara more. So she did as instructed. She used her claws to spring forward, faster than she had before. She followed through with the turn, albeit not as clean as Ayita's, and kept up with the woman, letting the trees and foliage pass by her without so much as a glance. If this was what animals went through, she could see the appeal.

Ayita slowed, her form shifting and blurring into that of her human form. Jogging to a slow stop as she turned with a sharp easy grace to face Sarah. "Forget the appeal. Remember the human. My powers give me the instincts of the creatures. You seem to lack that constant buzz." She advised, interest blazing in her eyes. "There is another form you should take."

Sara changed back as well, meeting Ayita's gaze. "So what? You're not supposed to enjoy yourself in those moments? Frankly, I'd rather be an animal than a human most days. What's this other form?"

Ayita tilted her head, looking amused. "Enjoy yourself, yes. But do not loose yourself. I lost myself several times and barely remembered who I was. What my form should be. The constant motion of life. It can consume you." The shifter sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "You are lucky to not be doubled over in pain, or to have the constant badgering of instinct dodging you. You gained my benefits without my curse." As much as she tried to keep the bitterness out of her voice it was there. How could it not be? Sarah lacked the very thing that made Ayita so deadly. The instinct of a wild animal, and the pain of the shifting. Things Ayita had learned to deal with. Taking a bit of a breather the woman played with the earrings, absently twirling them in her ear.

"You talk that way all the time. What gives? If I had your mindset, I don't know if I'd go out of the house at all. Why X-men? Why here and now? You could go into your animal form an be free if you truly wanted to, but I see you as a human more often than not, even though you complain about not understanding human things. There's more to it than that. Something happened."

Why had she chosen to fight? Why would she still fight? More than that, did Ayita want to answer those questions? Yes... Yes she did, to explain to this girl why she was as she was. "I joined the X-Men to stop the fighting from coming into my territory in the North. I was sent here when my mother gave me a choice. This- come to this school or go to jail. Then again, it wouldn't surprise me if she was going to hand me over to one of the mutant hating groups or take me out back and shoot me." It was a harsh truth and one she had never told Richard. If the man found out he would go north, find and kill their mother. A hard fact, but she was grateful knowing he would act such in her defense.

Hooking her hair back to reveal the notched ear, she narrowed her eyes. "What do you humans do to animals? You hunt them. I was a deer when a hunter saw me and nearly took my life." She let the hair back over her wound and pulled up her shirt up by one side revealing a body battered and covered in scars of old bites and claw marks. Wounds from fighting for the kill or defending that kill. "This is why I try to learn of human ways. The wilds are harsh and unforgiving. If you are weak, you die." She stated softly as she pulled the shirt back down. "My mother cast me from her house to live or die. My powers became how I survived. My brother seeks to return to me the humanity I lost. I agree." Her eyes didn't meet Sarah's as she backed away a step. "I know how the animals and hunter work, but humans and the groups that hunt mutants are more sophisticated. They are not mere primal predators that I can deal with by displays of strength and cunning. I must learn to adapt." She wasn't about to tell Sarah the more private reasons, but the fact she didn't want to be hunted would be enough.

Sara merely smirked, because she had a feeling Ayita was more in common with the others than she thought. "You speak with conviction and that is admirable. And you are right, sad to say. Humans hunt animals and humans hunt mutants. Kind of ironic, given the context. We all come from somewhere though and I think you'll find your story, give or take some pieces of information, very similar to the others. We're all here for different reasons but the end goal is the same. To protect us and others like us as well as save the world on occasion. Perhaps if you opened up more, you'd find that the strength you need, but this is the pot calling the kettle black. I'm definitely not one about opening myself up to others. Too much baggage to deal with."

Ayita let a sigh out looking for all the world like a bird with ruffled feathers. "I am not saying my story is special. But my powers, the mentality... You- mutants, humans- are all humans- Man- in my eyes. I can walk and talk and be a Man, but I am still within a beast. A combination few can accept without fear." Rubbing a thumb over the single bit of jewelry she wore regularly, Ayita shook her head. "I'm not here to save the world. I never was. I was, and remain here, to stop trouble from reaching my territory in the North. Now I have more reason than ever." Her amber gaze lingered past Sarah as she smiled softly. "I open up. I say what is needed when it is needed, otherwise... Does it need to be said?"

Sara shook her head and laughed. "You are a lot more like humans than you realize. I can respect your reasons, but I think there's more to it than that and far be it from me to knock down your mysterious exterior you like to keep up. I know you have let people into your life. Allison. Damon. So you are capable of more than the animal instinct. See it as weakness or not, I dunno. Anyway, thanks for the lesson, unless there's more deep material you wish to discuss?"

Ayita let the words roll off her. They were of little interest to her in the long run. Her exterior wasn't meant to be mysterious, but she did keep most people at arms length. It was her nature. "Only if you wish to content yourself with the ground, and never hear the song of wind and sky." She noted with a slight amusement. The woman's form breaking and reforming to a gyr-falcon as she swept up and into the sky. Weaving patterns few pilots could hope to match, for Ayita loved the sky and ocean like nothing else save for a few exceptions.

Sara shrugged and, having still maintained the power, turned into a hawk, signaling she would enjoy more lessons. Perhaps less talk, since the woman didn't want to hear of it. Sara knew she had a point, but she also knew that it would take more than one person's words to get through.

---

---

Allison Andrews and Marygold Isley

---

---

After OMEN, Allison had done some thinking. She came to the realization that, while she was right on many parts, she was also wrong. And that conflict made her a stronger person. She still held some steadfast beliefs about humanity, but she wasn't out of it yet. Plus, that spirit she talked to before hadn't returned. She imagined she still had that decision to make, whether to use the power for good or not. She hoped she would make the right choice.

In the meantime, she was helping to rebuild the mansion. Using her powers she was able to lift heavier things and place them with ease. Up until today, she hadn't really talked to many people about everything.

Mary saw Allison, and let out a slight sigh. She had been putting off talking to her, but she knew that they had to talk about their issues. It was getting to the point where it kind of effected the entire team, and she knew that talking to her was the right thing to do. Walking over to her, Mary took a deep breath, before she spoke, "...Hey there Allison..."

It was a moment Allison knew would come, but had done whatever she could to prevent it. It took a lot to admit wrongdoing and eat crow. She turned to face Mary and gave a small smile. "Mary, hello. How are you doing?"

"...I'm doing alright... How are you doing?" she said, returning Allison's smile with a small one of her own. This was going to be awkward, that much was obvious, but it was unavoidable.

Allison nodded. "Good, good. Just helping to rebuild. I think we are doing all right. Makes it easier having powers and such. Can't imagine rebuilding this as an average person." Allison laughed a bit, but one could tell she wasn't fully invested in what she was saying.

"...That's good...Um... We need to talk... About things... Everything um..." she said rubbing the back of her head slightly. Mary was nervous about this conversation, even though they hadn't even really started talking about the difficult things.

Allison nodded her understanding. "Yeah, I expected this. Not sure how to start it off though. I mean, we both said and did stupid things. So I guess I'll start by apologizing." Even though Allison still felt she was right, it isn't the same as knowing you are right but still supporting others anyway. Plus, doing so in full view of others? Not a good idea.

"...Actually, I should be the one apologizing Allison... For everything... I was freaking out, stressed, everyone started yelling at me all at once, and I kind of just exploded... I should have listened to others suggestions, even yours... I was just so focused on one thing, on trying to fix everything, I just kind of lost track of working with others as a team... I don't blame you for anything, so you don't really need to apologize..."

"No, see, that's where you're wrong. I do need to apologize. Regardless if I was right or not, you needed people backing you up, not pulling you down. I just...I can't get over the virus mission. We did so much good, and then we were hunted. People hated us. Still do, even after OMEN. And Oshea. He died helping to save them. It's my fault. I can see the future and I couldn't predict that. Or Future Pietro's death and now Guin is suffering. What good are my powers if they don't do anything. I was useless last time. My vision is what got us captured in the first place."

"...It's my fault he's gone... I blame myself every day for that, had I just not switched places in the team lineup like that, he might still be here... I still blame myself for the future speedster too... I was standing right there, and didn't do anything to help him... Both of their deaths are on me, and you aren't useless Allison... No one really is... Everyone is useful in their own way..."

Allison shook her head. "We are a team and doubting that made me useless. You doubted it too when you doubted yourself. We all messed up, but we lived and got through it. Their deaths are not on you. You can't save anyone." Then Allison remembered the spirit woman or whoever she was. "I want to share something with you. I haven't told anyone else this for fear of being considered crazy. Remember when I was unconcious after our second mission? Well, during that time I had a dream. Or a vision. Or something. Either way, I met this...woman. She went on about my destiny and about how my powers could turn the tides of the future for good or ill. And that I had a choice. So that's when I decided you were at fault and that humanity needed to be taught a lesson. But now I know better. We do what we do because of humanity. If we stopped, then everyone would suffer, mutants and humans. And she also told me that Oshea's death had to happen. It was already told. So no, it's not on you. It's on all of us. And we have to continue to rebuild and fight."

"That is an interesting thing... Though of course the person would be vague, it is a bit of a dangerous thing to know too much about your future... Any of us, our powers, could be used for good or evil, it just depends on the person who has them. To be honest Allison, I don't really know too much about what I'm doing... The others, the group before, they all kind of left suddenly and I was left with the job of working with Xavier to build an entirely new team... I had no idea, and still don't really know, how everyone would be able to work together in a group, as a team. We all still have our problems, make mistakes just like you said... We just have to try and work through them..."

Allison nodded her agreement because it was what she had been thinking ever since OMEN. "MY biggest worry has always been turning into a darker version of myself. We saw what happened to Jean. I could feel it stirring inside of me when I let my emotions get the best of me. It's scary because it felt good to feel useful, but the cost was too much. Now I have better control and its in large part thanks to you and everyone else. I think we could all work together."

Mary thought for a moment, looking at Allison. She remembered what had happened with Jean, or at least being told about it. It was not something to mess around with, that's for sure, and she was thinking of how best to respond to Allison. "...Any of us could turn out like that... Being pushed over the edge, all it takes is one thing, just one thing to happen that would cause us to lose it like that... Sometimes trying to get away from the darkness isn't necessarily the right answer... At least coming to an understanding about it, well... More an understanding with it... Sometimes that is the best course of action. We all are capable of evil, however, those who we call our enemies are also capable of good. Pietro actually is a good example of that one, and even though the two groups don't get along, when we needed help his father and sister showed up. It just depends on your perspective whether something is dark or not, and if you try to push it away it rather than accept it as a part of you... Well it could end badly..."

Allison had never thought of that. Not really. "It's always the choice. It's why there are some humans that believe in us while others fear us. It has been the case since...forever really. People fearing differences rather than accepting them. I think that's why I am still here. I want to show everyone, even myself, that bringing people together trumps pulling others apart. It's also why I'm glad we got to talk. We are stronger together. All of us. Say the word, Mary, and I'll have your back."

Mary gave her a smile, "...Thank you for that Allison, I do appreciate it... I know that I tend to screw up a lot, I know that... But maybe learning from our past mistakes will make us better people... You say that there is always a choice between the dark and the light, but that isn't entirely true though... Some people walk the thin line between the two, and all it takes is a gentle breeze to send them in any one direction... Did I ever tell you about my first encounter with Pietro? Let's just say it was enough for more than a few people to question my sanity about letting him join the team..."

"...He ended up pushing me out a four story window onto pavement below. Wouldn't have been so bad had it been onto grass, but this was already after he had already pounded me a little bit... Hank told me I was actually really lucky, had I fallen just about any other way, I likely would have died the instant I hit the ground. My point is that not everyone we meet is what they appear to be. Enemies can become friends, allies, however the exact same can be said about friends becoming enemies... It all depends on which way the wind blows."

"No you didn't, but even if that were the case, he was still a member of the Brotherhood, Magneto's son and Scarlet Witch's brother. So that was all it took to question it, but he did end up saving our lives during that mission, so I figured you knew what you were doing. Call it blind optimism. I'ld still like to believe that there is good in the world to overcome the dark, but I am not so blind anymore to realize there's a lot of gray in the black and white. I'll just have to paint them pink."

"I'm glad we had this talk Mary, if for no other reason than to patch things up, but you gave me a lot to think about, more than I already had on my plate. I hope you know that I think you're a strong leader and fully capable of leading the team. But don't be afraid to ask for help."

"...I'm glad we talked about things too... And thank you... You are right, asking for help isn't necessarily a bad thing, you've given me a few things to think about too."

The two of them parted to finish helping with the repairs. Allison felt better now. She felt more confident in herself and in the team. Perhaps it was for the best that some questions were not answered. At least, not yet.

Rise of the Evos

Q U I N N P E T E R S O N:

---

^{Wednesday, August 18th - New York City, New York}

Quinn could only shrug. She didn't know if the man there was the killer or not. He could be, but then again so could any number of people. There was no way to tell really. Man or woman. Young or old. If they possessed powers, enough to use to kill people like them, then it could be anyone, anywhere.

"I don't know, but it's worth looking into. I was going to go get some work done, but I think all of this is going to distract me too much and I won't be able to get anything done. Instead, I may look into past cases online. Find some more connections."

Avatar: Out of the Ashes 🔥

---

---

Yumiko

---

---

Not concerned about the others, Yumiko looked over on the other side of the wall to plan for her escape. She hadn't realized the guards got up there too and began to attack her. She stumbled backwards, falling to the ground. She wasn't hurt severely. She stood up and brushed herself off. "Really guys. I love the attention, but you need to cool down a bit." She moved her hands in a quick side motion, summoning a torrent of water that splashed the guards, sending them careening off the wall.

Yumiko shook her head. Amateurs. It was then she noted that the others seemed to follow her lead and climbed up the wall. She would be annoyed, but it was the smartest thing the lot of them had done since getting outside. "Great, more people to draw further attention. Well we are nearly out of here. Who wants to leap first?"

X-Men: Cosmic Crusades 👽

---

---

Allison Andrews and Sara Grey

---

Location: Outside OMEN Facility

---

---

It had been a hell of a journey, but Allison had accomplished what she set out to do. Jakobsen found out the truth about his future daughter and it seems Jade was none too pleased to hear he had been targeting them. Everyone, for the most part, seemed all right. The deaths hurt, especially for Guin. She was also surprised to see Mary back her up. She would have to talk to the girl. Later.

Sara, meanwhile, approached Dean. "Sure we can, Ken Doll. Seems there's a Starbucks run about to go down so I'm sure we can pick up some Big Macs too." His injuries appeared all right for the most part, but everyone was more or less banged up. A trip to a doctor or healer was definitely in store.

Allison accepted the gratitude from the others, unsure what to make of it. She barely did anything apart from use her powers. Was this what that spectral woman meant? Deciding when to use her gifts for good or evil? She couldn't save Oshea or Nina or Future Pietro, but she could save others. "Thanks guys, but for reals, I need a frappe stat. Can we get going now?" It was good to be back.

Sara walked from Dean to the others Guin and Lance were joking around, so all seemed fine, but she was concerned about Mary. The girl had a lot on her shoulders. "You doing okay Mary? For what its worth, I think you did a fine job as a leader. We're all human...well you know what I mean, so mistakes happen. It's how you overcome those mistakes that make you great."

Agents of SHIELD - Concluded

---

---

Tinley Abercrombie and Tempest Renroir

---

---

Location: Castle Doomstadt - Getting the F#&$ Out Of There
Skills: N/A

---

Tempest watched as Raynor freaked out upon hearing Agent Sparks being sucked into the tunnel. What she had not considered was him flying off, speaking in a language she didn't know. Before she knew it, he was up and running. "Wait! What about me?" She sighed. She got what she needed from the computer. She eyed Tinker man's body, wondering if she should pull him away, but there was no way she'd be able to lug. So she got out and made her way outside.

Tinley stood by Nikolai, eyeing the man to make sure he didn't charge in there. Soon, Raynor was up the steps. She could feel his thoughts. The anger behind them. While she didn't understand the words, she could feel the meaning. Before she could react, he was out into the portal and gone. "Agent Raynor! Fuck! Stupid idiot! Agent Nikolai, we are leaving and we are leaving now!" She all but pulled on him to drag him down the stairs.

She was out of the bedroom quickly, hopping over the bannister below, where she ran into Tempest. "Agent Abercrombie, I tried to stop Raynor, but he moved too quickly. I got stuff from their computers though." Tinley nodded as she broke into a sprint, Tempest following. Soon, they were outside.

They took it all in. Hawkeye there, the corpse of Agent Rhodes, Agents Smith and Bautista looking exhausted. Tinley shook her head. She had done all she could. This was partially her fault and she would accept the blame for it, but it was not all her fault. Whoever betrayed them is the one at fault and she would soon find them and hurt them. Slowly. "Agent Sparks and Raynor are in the Quantum Realm. Agent Rhodes appears to be dead. We were betrayed and walked right into a trap. I, for one, am pissed and will do all I can to bring whoever did it to justice and get our team back." She looked up to Novikova. "On that, you have my word. But we need to get out of here now, before it gets worse. We have data from their computers, plus blueprints and schematics that I think will prove useful for tackling this Quantum Realm business."

Darke Magyk - Concluded

---

---

Myth the Muse

---

Location: Number 40 Alchemie Way

---

Myth soon felt the weight of Tate's anger unleashed. She knew the boy to be emotional, especially where his sisters were concerned, but she had never seen him this angry. Well, she couldn't see much of anything really. She could only feel herself being pulled down by the mass of it all. Her head was pounding. And all her thoughts went towards the child inside of her. Would they be okay?

Soon though, she heard a voice tell her to breathe. So she did. It helped to an extent. However, Runa spellcasted something that made everything feel better. Myth opened her eyes, a bit dizzy, but otherwise, she was all right. She stood up carefully, holding her stomach. "Yeah, that would be fine." First, she stared at Bruce, wondering why he hadn't tried helping either Tate or herself. She had his child inside of her. She also looked at Tate, wondering why he got so intense so quickly. There was hurt there, she would have to explore it later.

"I just want to make sure the baby is okay."

---

---

Fleur La Mallificum

---

Location: Port Witch Coven Safe House

---

Fleur drummed her fingers on the chair as she listened and spoke. "My home is your home. It's no castle, but it should suffice in protection from the elements. As for what I desire? I think it could all be summarized in one word: revenge. You see, someone I cared for was taken from me. And I want nothing more than to see those responsible on bended knee, with their life in my hands. Queen Valda is but one of many, but she is the head. The others would quickly fall with her gone."

"There is also the matter of just wanting power. I want my enemies to fall and I want them to know it was me that did it." She closed her eyes in thought for a second. "I hope that suffices as an answer. I will do all in my power to see Queen Valda destroyed and all she holds dear lay burning in front of her."

Rise of the Evos

Q U I N N P E T E R S O N:

---

^{Wednesday, August 18th - New York City, New York}

Straight to business it seemed. "Well, I visited Seattle again and met twins. They are like us and have powers, but the weird thing was...someone else was there. Someone talking to them, but he didn't see me. Or hear me for that matter. It was like I was invisible to everyone except the twins."

"Not only that, but there are more of us out there. Across the country. Probably across the world and we are somehow connected. When I came back, my body was in the same place, like it never moved. Everyone around me continued as if I had been sitting there. So our bodies don't teleport. Only our minds do. I think that is how the killer or killers are targeting us. Which means he/she/they may be like us."

X-Men: Cosmic Crusades 👽

---

---

Allison Andrews and Sara Grey

---

Location: Stairway -> Outside

---

---

Allison soon found herself amongst the others. She didn't show it, but she was grateful that everyone was safe and alive. Guin seemed emotional and she would delve into that issue later, but for now Mary had it right. They needed to get out of there and soon. "you heard her people, let's go. I've seen the inside of this stupid facility for too long. I need a Starbucks run ASAP."

Sara was thankful to see everyone. So much so she ignored Wanda's attempt to explain herself, because quite frankly, she didn't care enough. The team was assembled for better or worse. Though Sara was a bit worried about the after effects of all the in-fighting. But that was a bridge to be crossed.

Soon Allison followed the others outside where they came face to face with none other than Jakobsen. Dean decided to greet him and Carolina put him in his place, kind of. Allison raised the gun she had been holding at Jakobsen, should he try to do anything. A thought raced through her mind to point it at Jade, but Allison knew she was pregnant. She wouldn't do that to her or to the little girl she was holding. Sara watched, unable to decide what to do. Was he there to stop them?

"Jakobsen, OMEN has fallen. If there is anyone left, they are scrambling to escape with their lives. Let us go. We have done nothing wrong but save ourselves from your trap. Oh, but forgive me, we haven't officially met. Name's Allison and I can see into the future. Fun fact: I know you are having a little girl. Alcie, I believe her name is going to be, right Jade? Well maybe you aren't aware of it, but she's going to be like us. A mutant. Saw a vision of her myself and it made me sick. Laying on a slab, being poked and prodded by strangers while she cried. Oh you comforted her, but you still let it happen. Is that the future you want for her? To be locked up like an experiment rather than live life like a normal girl? That's all we want to. To be recognize and respected. We aren't monsters. We are people. And we saved the lives of everyone on more than one occasion, but I digress. And now all we want is to go home and rebuild. Are you going to stop us?"

Avatar: Out of the Ashes 🔥

---

---

Yumiko

---

---

Yumiko merely shrugged her shoulders. She didn't particularly care if the bouncing air bender girl made it out safely or not. She wanted out so she was getting out. The firebender traitor could come if she wanted, but she would not hold her breath. "Look, I don't care about the rest of you. If she wants to bounce around, that's on her. I'm using the chaos to escape. Come if you want to."

Yumiko ran to the side wall, noticing the guards to busy with the others fighting back. She summoned water around her, circling her feet until a pond formed around her ankles. She began to lift herself up towards the top. Soon, she was moving quickly. What she did not count on was that, even with all the rain, there was not enough water to reach the full height. Soon, the water dispelled.

Yumiko grabbed for the wall, yanking herself up over the top. She took a moment to breathe. She was out of it, soon. Did she try to help the others? The firebender? Or did she just escape?