Epic M&M: Issue 3 (IC)

[Calinon]

September 16, 2120
Mega-city of New York
EPIC Institute
Sometime in the morning...

Morning comes too early. The sun shines brightly and somehow, no matter how you move the blinds, it shines right on your head. Birds chirp happily in the yard and a gentle breeze stirs the trees outside. Unable to do battle with the noises of the outside world, the noises of the institute and the bright sunlight, you drag your sore, very sore in fact, bodies out of bed. Every move reminds you of what happened yesterday. A shower wakes you up and eases those pains, reminding you that it’s Saturday. Awake now, and famished, you get dressed and head for the door. You get to the door and grab the handle.

Locked.

You hear a beep behind you, and turn to see a data pad on the table and a flat screen monitor in the wall that wasn’t there before. The monitor activates and you see Mrs. Desrochers face appear on it.

“Good morning, sleepyhead. Now that you are finally awake, get yourself some food and read that datapad. Make any notes if you think there is anything else important that we should know about yesterday night, and bring it to the war room by noon.

Raisa
On Raisa’s screen, the message is different. “Now that you are up, feel free to read the pad left for you. Remain in your room until I come to talk to you.” It’s only a few minutes later when there is a knock at the door, and Empath walk ins, closing the door behind her.

“Good morning, Raisa," she says with a smile. "Coffee?" she asks, holding out a tall cup of steaming coffee for you. "I'd like to hear what happened yesterday after you left the mall, if you are up to it."

Johan
On Johan’s screen, the message is different. “Good morning, Johan. You’ll be happy to know that despite your extreme slip in judgement, none of your school-mates are dead. While Kevin certainly bears a lot of the blame for how the entire event in the Crystal Palace went down, you bear an equal portion for letting him go off on his own.

“Read your pad, and commit their injuries to memory.” The list is frighteningly long. “Perhaps it will serve as a reminder to share all relevant information with us in the future. Also, make any notes you feel are important to the events of last night. I trust we will not have to pry such information from you, or wait until you feel it is an appropriate time to disclose it. Have that pad and yourself in the war room by noon.

Everyone
Reading the pad, you find an exceptionally detailed report of the happenings in the mall, in G-Spot after the main group arrived, the happenings in the foyer and on the roof. What occurred in the Penthouse is somewhat sketchy, and nearly no mention is made of Raisa and Carl.

The door unlocks with a faint click.

The Mess Hall
Everyone is here, except Carl and Raisa, watching the TV. Instead of cartoons or other shows, the news is on, playing in detail every bit of footage they could get of the combat that took place. It is surprisingly good coverage, with very little in the way of negativitity (OOC: You are seeing the same footage as in the epilogue pretty much).

Anna is wheeling around, a huge pink stuffed bunny strapped to the back of her wheelchair. Cosmo and Jackal sit near the TV, arguing about something.

Noticeably missing are X12, Michelle, Tara and Kevin.

Meanwhile, at Bush Memorial Hospital
Michelle wakes up with a doctor hovering over her, who looks very much like Thunder.

"Good morning," he says, and you realize it's the same doctor that treated you after your train ride.

You see Tara, Kevin and X12 stirring in nearby beds. You all feel surprisingly whole, but definitely not fully healed (OOC: read as you are still disabled). Your obvious wounds are gone, leaving little in the way of scarring, but you still feel wrecked a bit within. A TV in your room is playing footage of the incidents yesterday, both within the Foyer and Car Park, and the G-Spot, along with some negative footage of Michelle on the roof.

"It looks like you finally got some positive coverage," the doctor says.

 

[Velmont]

Kevin open his eyes and look at the walls. He is no more in the Crystl Palace Penthouse for sure, and doesn't seems like hells or heaven.

"Good morning,"

He turns his head and see the doctor talking to Michelle. What have happen he wonders.

Then he listen to the news, seeing the report of what had happen to the Crystal Palace and the G-Spot.

Thanks to the action of one of the mutants with healing powers, most other injuries were treated on scene.

He truns and take a look at X12, but his eyes are filled with some anger. He listen to the remaining of the report.

"It looks like you finally got some positive coverage,"

"Yeah, what a hero I make!" say Kevin with his most ironic tone of voice.

 

[Mordane76]

X12 hasn't said a word since regaining consciousness. Lately, he's spent time with a pen and a piece of paper, doodling something over and over again... a little mark, or at least what he can remember of it.

 

[Deva]

She could have spent the day in bed, but between the pounding headache and relentless sunlight she crawls out of bed and into the shower. When done, she wraps her hair in a towel to dry and dresses quickly in a loose t-shirt and pair of sweat pants. She has barely swallowed two asprin when Mrs. Desrochers enters the room too cheerful for her own good.

“Good morning, Raisa," she says with a smile. "Coffee?" she asks, holding out a tall cup of steaming coffee for you. "I'd like to hear what happened yesterday after you left the mall, if you are up to it."

Raisa shakes her head at the coffee and sits cross legged on her bed. Her skin crawls involuntarily at the thought of being in the same room as a telepath, even if Mrs. Desrochers is an empath and not technically telepathic. It still wigs her out and even more so when she realizes the woman will sense that.

She hesitates speaking, picking at her fingernails absently as her mind tries to piece together everything. She had told Carl she wouldn't turn on him, and she was going to keep to that, but she had already decided the night before she wouldn't lie for him again... not after the elevator thing.

"It wasn't suppose to turn out the way it did," She finally says after a moment, keeping her eyes away from Empath's gaze. "I don't have to tell you that things at the mall were nuts, but it started before everything else happened." Still without look at Empath, Raisa tells her everything that happened at the mall. About seeing Carl with the two guys, about his brother in trouble, and refusing to let Carl go off on his own. "When the ruckus with the gang quietted down, Carl and I left to take care of this favour for... whoever it was, to help out his brother. I just thought we were going to talk to a few people, how was I suppose to know I was going to end up in an alleyway threatening to castrate some guy for information.

"Don't ask..." she mutters, wishing she could crawl under a rock and die. "Things went from bad, to really bad. I got freaked out and that's when I activate the pager. I wanted out, but I wasn't about to leave Carl on his own there. When we got to the club, we split up, thinking it would be easier for us at least one of us to get inside that way. Okay, I thought it was a better idea, but so not! They - I'm still not entirely clued in here on who they were - but they were waiting for us, like they expected us to show up or something. I was escorted upstairs where the mind bitch was controlling Carl's friend, and where they were demanding I co-operate and give them a blood sample. Like that was going to happen! That's when I saw Carl and he was hurt and I was in way over my head. I freaked, everything goes a little fuzzy after that but I think the others can fill you in on pretty much everything that happened. All I know is in the end, they got my blood and I get a migraine that I've been told is going to last for a few days."

Raisa finally lifts her gaze from the spot on the floor she'd been staring at and looks at Mrs. Desrochers. "I'm no angel, and I use to take pride in that. But I never wanted anyone to get hurt because of something I did. I get that I should have told someone, could have done a number of things differently, but I screwed up. Everything considered though, there's still no way I was letting Carl go off on his own and I wasn't about to break a promise I made to him - friend or not."

 

[Mule]

After some sleep and a hot shower, Randall is feeling much better and back to his usual chipper self. He can't think of anything to add to the report on the data pad, so he heads down for some grub.

The news is on, playing in detail every bit of footage they could get of the combat that took place.

"If it weren’t for the actions of those young students from EPIC, I’m certain I would have been killed."

"You hear that? We're heroes!" Randall starts slapping backs, and congratulating his schoolmates.

Many mentionings of giant spiders is heard, and the general consensus is that without the timely arrival of Titan, things would have been much worse.

Randall takes a bow "Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week, and don't forget to try the salad bar!" He is getting quite cocky, obviously pleased with being on the news.

 

[Elementor]

"You hear that? We're heroes!" Randall starts slapping backs, and congratulating his schoolmates.

"Dude, we arent all here. I want to know how the others are doing. Especially X. He soaked a massive amount of damage out of me and I think, of the people he healed, I was the least injured. We were dead in the water without him there. Some more literally than others."

Watching the TV just keeps bringing back the horrible feeling of hitting and killing those youths accidently. Vince goes very quiet and just concentrates on his food.

 

[Agamon]

Sanjay looks over the pad as he brushes his teeth. "Huh, busy day yesterday. I'm sure getting tired of the homicidal maniacs though," he thinks, spitting toothpaste into the sink and wiping his mouth with a towel. He looks the pad over a bit more. "Doesn't mention what Raisa and Carl were up to. They must have missed all the excitement. Mendez didn't look to happy when he wanted to talk with them, though. Huh. And what was the deal with Kev...oh, yeah, I'm supposed to forget that," he thinks with a grin.

He heads down to the mess, joining the others. He watches the newscast with some interest.

Randall takes a bow "Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week, and don't forget to try the salad bar!" He is getting quite cocky, obviously pleased with being on the news.

"That was you with the spiders?" he says, sitting down next to Randall, grinning. "Heheh, that'd make an awesome girls dorm room prank, man."

He looks over at Anna and says in mock horror, "Anna! Look out, you're being chased by a large pink bunny!!"

"Dude, we arent all here. I want to know how the others are doing. Especially X. He soaked a massive amount of damage out of me and I think, of the people he healed, I was the least injured. We were dead in the water without him there. Some more literally than others."

Watching the TV just keeps bringing back the horrible feeling of hitting and killing those youths accidently. Vince goes very quiet and just concentrates on his food.

Sanjay's grin lessens as he looks around, noticing the absentees. Then it disappears when he remembers the carnage in the penthouse and X12 'forced' feat of healing. He also begins to concentrate more closely on the plate full of food in front of him.

 

[Calinon]

"Yeah, what a hero I make!" say Kevin with his most ironic tone of voice.

"Indeed," a stern voice says from the hall. "Not only are you lucky to be alive, you're lucky nobody else died because of what you did." It's Thunder. Though he's casually leaning against the door, the look he is giving Kevin could melt steel.

"Not here Kyle," the doctor says.

"Why the hell not. He can hear it here or when he leaves. At least here he ca..."

"Because you aren't in charge here. I am. You aren't at EPIC. You're at my hospital."

"Alright, alright. Don't blow a gasket, bro. I'll be good," he says with a wry grin. "So are they going to live or what, Aaron?"

X12 hasn't said a word since regaining consciousness. Lately, he's spent time with a pen and a piece of paper, doodling something over and over again... a little mark, or at least what he can remember of it.

"Yes, they're nearly fine. X12 right? Lets put that aside a second so I can get you back on your feet," he says, taking the pad and pen away. He glances at it. "Seven your lucky number or something?" he asks as he presses his hand against your chest. You can see that what you were drawing does look like a 7 when you turn it on its side. "Now take deep breaths and tell me when it stops hurting."

His hands glow softly and your body feels very warm as he uses his powers to heal you.

It will be successful.

"It wasn't suppose to turn out the way it did," She finally says after a moment, keeping her eyes away from Empath's gaze. "I don't have to tell you that things at the mall were nuts, but it started before everything else happened." Still without look at Empath, Raisa tells her everything that happened at the mall. About seeing Carl with the two guys, about his brother in trouble, and refusing to let Carl go off on his own. "When the ruckus with the gang quietted down, Carl and I left to take care of this favour for... whoever it was, to help out his brother. I just thought we were going to talk to a few people, how was I suppose to know I was going to end up in an alleyway threatening to castrate some guy for information.

"Don't ask..." she mutters, wishing she could crawl under a rock and die. "Things went from bad, to really bad. I got freaked out and that's when I activate the pager. I wanted out, but I wasn't about to leave Carl on his own there. When we got to the club, we split up, thinking it would be easier for us at least one of us to get inside that way. Okay, I thought it was a better idea, but so not! They - I'm still not entirely clued in here on who they were - but they were waiting for us, like they expected us to show up or something. I was escorted upstairs where the mind bitch was controlling Carl's friend, and where they were demanding I co-operate and give them a blood sample. Like that was going to happen! That's when I saw Carl and he was hurt and I was in way over my head. I freaked, everything goes a little fuzzy after that but I think the others can fill you in on pretty much everything that happened. All I know is in the end, they got my blood and I get a migraine that I've been told is going to last for a few days."

Raisa finally lifts her gaze from the spot on the floor she'd been staring at and looks at Mrs. Desrochers. "I'm no angel, and I use to take pride in that. But I never wanted anyone to get hurt because of something I did. I get that I should have told someone, could have done a number of things differently, but I screwed up. Everything considered though, there's still no way I was letting Carl go off on his own and I wasn't about to break a promise I made to him - friend or not."

Empath listens without saying anything. When Raisa finishes, she says, "Mon Dieu! I never imagined any of you could find yourself in such a situation!

"There is nothing wrong with making mistakes Raisa, but you did not make a bad choice when you went with Carl. Just a bad choice when you didn't page us immediately when you left the mall. Perhaps your method of convincing that one particular man leaves a little to be desired, but I have had the urge to do that to more than a few vile men in my time," she says with a smile.

That smile is short-lived though as she becomes very serious again. "What troubles me most is you lying to Raul. 'Brazenly defiant' he says. So much trust has been broken today by Kevin and Johan, to have you and Carl both lie to him was very disappointing. He does not believe he can trust you." She watches your reaction carefully before adding, "I told him he was mistaken."

She sighs and takes a sip of her coffee. "Carl is not exactly the brightest firefly in the forest. You are his first friend, even if he wants you to believe he is not your friend. He has had a violent life; not hard like yourself or others by any mean, but very violent. He has been unable to truly trust anyone, and when he finally had opportunity to do that, he managed to drag you into a dangerous situation that could have had you see jail time or worse. He couldn't bear that, and can't understand why you would try to protect him." She shakes her head. "Many here have had difficult lives, but few have had one filled with the bloodshed Carl has seen. I pity him for that, and it is why I invited him here; to try to help him. It is why I am so saddened by his actions, especially towards you in the elevator."

She sets her coffee down and kneels down in front of you, bringing her hand up to your face. She stops short of touching you. "I can help you with your headache, like Dara helped you in the club. Only I am far more skilled than Dara." The last is said to your mind directly, in the same uninvasive method Dara uses. "Just don't tell anyone I can do that," she says with a secretive smile.

"You hear that? We're heroes!" Randall starts slapping backs, and congratulating his schoolmates.

"Who is this we, Amigo?" Titan says from behind Randall. "The news clearly said 'If it were not for Titan.' Even when I am in Europe, I can save the day in New York," he says with a laugh. "Though I do not believe you got my hair just right."

"Dude, we arent all here. I want to know how the others are doing. Especially X. He soaked a massive amount of damage out of me and I think, of the people he healed, I was the least injured. We were dead in the water without him there. Some more literally than others."

"You need not worry about the others, Vincent," Titan says reassuringly. "They are going to be quite fine. In fact, unless Thunder's brother has lost his touch, they should be back today." He sits down next to Vincent and says quietly, while looking at the screen, "I am glad you are so troubled by the incident at the mall. I have taken the lives of 41 men and women." You hear some students who overheard talking in whispered tones about it in shock.

"I remember each of them. It is what makes me better than those we fight. They don't care who they hurt, like the mother and child who were shot in the mall." He gives your shoulder a comforting squeeze and goes to get his own breakfast.

"Anna! Look out, you're being chased by a large pink bunny!!"

Jackal starts suddenly choking on his pancakes.

Dara wheels over to Neutron. "Someone snuck this in my room without even leaving a note," she says in her rich Russian accent. "Was it you?" she asks with a blush. "I love bunnies. I didn't get to bring mine from home."

Jackal, who was in the process of drinking orange juice to stop his choking, sprays it out suddenly upon hearing the question.

 

[buzzard]

"Dude, we arent all here. I want to know how the others are doing. Especially X. He soaked a massive amount of damage out of me and I think, of the people he healed, I was the least injured. We were dead in the water without him there. Some more literally than others."

Watching the TV just keeps bringing back the horrible feeling of hitting and killing those youths accidently. Vince goes very quiet and just concentrates on his food.

"Yeah, I'd have been toast if X12 hadn't saved my butt when that axe wielding psycho kept trying to chop me up. Yeah, we got the job done, but I wouldn't say we came out in one piece." replies John as he moves over to the buffet for more grub "Always a growing boy you know."

buzzard

 

[Velmont]

"Indeed," a stern voice says from the hall. "Not only are you lucky to be alive, you're lucky nobody else died because of what you did." It's Thunder. Though he's casually leaning against the door, the look he is giving Kevin could melt steel.

"Not here Kyle," the doctor says.

"Why the hell not. He can hear it here or when he leaves. At least here he ca..."

"Because you aren't in charge here. I am. You aren't at EPIC. You're at my hospital."

"No, let him speak, I prefer to know now what he have to say." Kevin looks at thunder right in the eyes.