X-Mansion - Cerebro
Professor X uses the device to concentrate on a specific location.
After several minutes, he ceases his search.
Ororo is there to meet him in the hallway outside.
Xavier: "The field which has been restricting my telepathy still exists, though the size is now reduced. I had thought Scott and Jean would be on their way back by now or if not, that having Jean at the location might allow me to at least reach through to her mind. . . In any case, I'm going to take this development as a sign things are going alright. . . Remind me though, Ororo, to finally look into obtaining a secondary aircraft. I am reminded at times like these how prudent that would be."
"Not a problem. I will join Hank and Warren in getting the mutant detainees settled."
As we now do, with a bus driven by Hank heading for a NYC Police Station.
"Nearly there."
Ororo is seated in one of the front-most seats, and they're about to be joined by someone else, who presently gets out from beneath a back seat.
"Am I ever glad to hear you say that!"
Hank nearly misses the traffic light: "Egads! The sudden announcement of a girl stowed away." He turns his head as Ororo exclaims: "Jubilee!"
"Sorry! I didn't want to delay the trip explaining why I thought I should come along-"
Ororo: "-and didn't want to hear a 'no' following a request of permission."
Hank: "With an appearance timed at the perfect juncture to negate turning back."
Jubilee's expression says it all: guilty-as-charged.
"I'll stay out of the way, and in the bus while you guys are collecting everyone, I promise!"
Ororo: "You will be held to that." Though her disposition is forgiving.
Hank: "Light's about to turn. No standing passengers in a moving motor vehicle."
Jubilee takes the seat behind Ororo's.
Upon pulling up at the station, Ororo goes in to get the process going while Jubilee, true to her word so far, stays back in the bus, with Hank.
Now leaning over the seatback in front of her, Jubilee questions: "What've all these mutants we're picking up been arrested for, anyway?"
"In three words? Trying to live."
Jubilee's face reflects disconcertion.
Inside the station
Ororo (firm): "It is time those collars came off."
The escorting officers comply, getting the keys to the Power-Dampener collars outfitted to them by Trask Industries, albeit with looks of skepticism and/or eyes of 'I just dare you to try something'.
While at least one of the detainees seem spurred by that, none break form; recognizing the chance the ABMC* is giving them.
*Association for the Betterment of Mutant Citizens --by any other name, the X-Men! -Acronym-Decryptor-Tra
Escorting Officer # 1: "The cuffs will be removed at the destination."
"They, too, will be removed now."
Escorting Officer # 2: "Listen, ma'am. We won't tell you how to do your job over there. The cuffs stay."
Ororo concedes, though is sure to meet each of the detainee's eyes who will raise them to hers; in them they are people.
Just as Ororo is about to head out to the bus with everyone, a careworn woman approaches her: "You're the ones giving the mutants a second chance?"
"We are."
"Please, can you arrange to take my son, too? They're trying to charge him with arson!"
An officer has strode over to join the conversation.
1st Arresting Officer: "Now listen, the agreement with your association was to give you the supposed hard luck cases, but this one isn't." He gestures with a flat hand towards the mother, "they're a well-enough off family whose kid nearly burned down their condo complex."
Mother: "I've been trying to explain! His X-Gene just turned on! We never knew--" she turns back to Ororo, "he didn't know what he was doing or how to stop it!"
1st Arresting Officer: "So they say."
Ororo addresses the officer: "We cannot know how any one X-Gene will manifest
until it does, but in all cases control comes with time. What makes you think the
fire was on purpose?"
1st Arresting Officer: "Because fake news comes from both sides, and you can't convince me being a mutant is natural then tell me they need to work at controlling themselves. Pick a lane."
Ororo looks over to where a young teen is seated, clearly the boy in question by the collar he wears if not the singed sleeves. Foil can be seen sticking out of the pocket of his pants. "He is of the average age mutantcy first makes itself known, and I see no malcontent in his face."
A 2nd Arresting Officer scoffs: "Walk our beat for a week, lady. You'll see all kinds of crocodile tears."
Mother: "Please!"
Ororo looks squarely back at the officers: "If I must pick a lane, I choose the one our bus is in. Remove the collar as you did with the others, and we will take him."
The Mother breathes with relief.
The 2nd Arresting Officer folds his arms, unconvinced.
The 1st Arresting Officer concedes: "If you're so sure you can handle 'em, be my guest. But I've gotta' clear this first."
Afterward.
1st Arresting Officer: "Alright kid, you got lucky. Let's go-" he practically pulls the boy out of the chair. The mother is quick to place her hands protectively on her son, waiting to be rid of these officers while this one goes about removing the collar.
1st Arresting Officer (to Ororo): "That Worthington can stay a lawsuit if the kid proves you wrong, huh?"
"We will be fine."
Collar removed, the officer smirks at how the mother is now taking the foil from her son's pockets and replacing it on his hands; their makeshift protective gear, it seems.
Ororo and the small family then leave to join the bus.
Outside the boy, looking actually more nervous, holds his cuffed and covered hands together,
Ororo gently touches them: "You can breathe easier. I have powers of my own that can quench any wayward flames."
The boy looks into her eyes, finding some relief in the truth he sees there, though he doesn't remove his foil gloves. Ororo lets that be, making only an ushering gesture towards the bus.
Hank: "Oh, salutations young man. Welcome aboard the mutant express." He gives an 'and you' nod and smile towards the mother, who takes in his beastly appearance before turning to question Ororo: "Have you been to this facility already? Can it help my son?"
Hank closes the doors of the bus but waits to pull away from the curb until everyone is seated.
Ororo: "Actually, what would fit better is a school I know of for youngsters like him. You will have to ride with us to the other facility first, but then he can come back with me."
Jubilee has come to meet them in the aisle: "With us, actually! I go there myself and it's great! Of course you'll fit in!"
The boy seems happy to see another young mutant face, and his Mother seems like a large load she's been carrying has been lightened. "Oh- thank you!"
She turns back to her son as he asks in a low voice: "Don't you have to get back to work?"
"Do you think you'll be alright with them?"
He rubs his foiled hands together a little, looks into Storm's eyes again, then at Jubilee -who gives a fresh smile- and answers: "Yeah, I think so."
Storm: "If he has a phone he can call as he likes. We'll at least make sure he does when we arrive."
The family of two hug ahead of the Mother's departure.
Jubilee takes over after that: "Sit with me, if you want. What's your name, anyway?"
Boy: "Branden."
"I'm Jubilee."
Over at the Halfway House
Warren: "Thanks for these contacts, Jacilon*," he indicates the piece of paper in his hand.
Jacilon: "As I understand, something like this had been in the plans for a while. Or plan purgatory, given the Outreach Centre's limited resources."
*Jacilon is another of Envisionings' original characters, and the older sister of Holo. She works at a Mutant Outreach Centre erected by a certain other mutant's sibling. You'll be seeing more of both, soon! -Tra
Warren: "Trust a Summers to have a plan."
A sympathetic silence precedes a light comment: "Or an Angel to answer a need?"
Warren laughs. "I'll keep doing what I can." He places the paper in his pocket before movement out a window catches his eye.
Warren sighs, "and looks like I better get on that if Hank is going to be able to park."
Jacilon follows his eye, mildly surprised: "Downside of up-to-the-minute news."
They head outside to where a news crew is gathered, though that isn't what they're referring to; the crew has permission to be here.
The anti-mutant protesters don't.
Warren: "This is private property. Removes yourselves or I will have you removed."
"Yeah right-
"-show us the deed, mutie!"
"No one would sell to the likes of you!"
"He's a criminal about to house more!"
"Not in our neighborhood!"
Warren spreads his wings, standing for an intimidating second before he takes to the skies, coming to meet the approaching bus at the end of the block instead of by the front entrance.
"There's another door we can use," he explains to Hank and company, while the officers that were on board disembark to deal with the crowd.
Hank: "Indeed, let the rest of us circumvent this unpleasantness."
Mutant Detainee # 1: "No way! We should fight back against it!"
Mutant Detainee # 2: "You want to get collared again? They're just waiting for us to mess up."
Mutant Detainee # 3: "They're provoking us!"
Mutant Detainee # 4: "Probably for that reason! I bet it's all staged!"
Ororo raises her hands and, just enough, her voice: "Let's not let our emotions grow as heated as theirs. Focus on the purpose you are here, and leave the rest to us."
They're pressed to maintain this focus as they're ushered out, able to hear more jeers:
"We don't want you here!"
"Let them stay in jail!"
With the detainees in the background of their shot, the news crew captures what else the detracting crowd has to say: "I'm not hirin' no mutant!" one individual states to the camera. "Their plan's to assimilate them into society-" he turns to where Warren is just touching back down next to Jacilon "-You can't get this to work!"
"This is a waste!"
"I'm not paying taxes for this!"
Apparently this protestor's grapevine was lacking in the financial details department.
Several of the detainees haven't moved towards the other door, causing the others to pause as well. "Is his how it's gonna' be everyday, here?"
"I thought we were getting a break!"
Then more trouble comes down.
"Have they actually lead you to expect one with this little. . .cooperation project of theirs?"
Ororo: "Magneto!"
Maintaining a certain distance from the ground -for a statement, not from fear- the levitating master of magnetism turns his head as though he's taking in the look of the building. "Not a bad facility, despite its representation of the problem with Xavier's teachings: they only ever take you half way."
Branden: "Who's he?"
Jubilee: "Bad news!" She brings up her sparking fists.
Magneto smiles: "I suppose that's something we can let them be the judges of," he nods to the news crew down below before growing serious, attention back on the X-Men as he launches into a speech: "You try to engender sympathy from them by saying what choice did we have? They made us this way. No- we came this way. And we have all the choices."
He reverts focus to the camera, the crowd: "To you inferior humans the first solution to a problem is always to remove it. Now across the globe you're dealing with the consequences as ecosystems crash from having had key species removed. Oh yes, you have learned you must live with us, but unsurprisingly you have learned the wrong lesson, creating those collars." He nearly spits the word.
Magneto's attention then shifts to Ororo: "Surely you must see how this projects? When else in history have people been looked at as animals? Lesser beings to be owned."
Back to his audience at large: "The intent is transparent! Contain the mutants' powers and you contain the mutant! Instill what is and what isn't acceptable behaviour, remove what makes us what we are. Next comes dictation on where we can be. 'Mutant reserves'."
He gives that a moment, meeting the eyes of Jacilon who is of First Nations descent.
Magneto continues: "I'm pleased to see you X-Men have it right in one respect: we will not be collared. Nor will we have our freedoms restricted in any way!"
All of the detainees' handcuffs suddenly snap open.
"We will not become society's domesticated pets; house cats to be declawed. We are tigers! And what they must learn is to respect the power we hold in our hands!"
And Magneto raises his--
--causing all cars in sight to become airborne. parking metres to be ripped from the pavement--
--Storm is ready with her wind against the cars, though their bodies are merely a distraction as, with one hand, Magneto is tearing pieces from them, bringing them where the parking metres have been held aloft, bending and soon welding pieces onto each other as another of Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants, Pyro, wearing a flame-throwing suit, makes his appearance.
Branden: "What's he doing?!"
Jubilee: "I don't know and it's too far for me to reach- but if he throws it!" She takes up a protective stance in front of Branden,
while Angel takes to the wing again to face their foes--but comes only to face himself! A tell-tale flicker of the eyes reveals his doppelganger to be Mystique!
Hank is trying to usher everyone inside when chain link fencing is suddenly thrown and held against the doors. At the same time the objects Magneto has been crafting with Pyro are sent the way of the non-mutants --becoming makeshift shackles and, yes, collars.
Then the bus can be seen rising a few inches off the ground.
While Storm -and Jubilee- seem ready for it to be thrown, Magneto's only interested in using it for what it is; a vehicle: "Anyone who prefers a full mutant life over compromise, climb back on." He adds to his associate, "I believe you'll find a friend in the boy over there, Pyro."
Pyro turns his attention to Branden, who Magneto presently addresses: "The fire in your hands is outside of your control. I'm sure they've told you of a school that can help? Pyro here is something of a graduate."
Jubilee: "Try drop-out!"
Magneto smiles, unperturbed: "He found the environment lacking after a while, which is when I approached him with an alternative. I now offer the same to you. I happen to know no other at the school is exactly like you, where as you and Pyro would compliment each other. You see, though he doesn't create his own fire, he has full control over any in his vicinity."
Branden seems intrigued by this.
Storm: "Your mother entrusted you to us."
Magneto: "She didn't have all the facts."
Jubilee (to Branden): "Look at these facts!" She gestures to the bound non-mutants. "You don't wanna' go with the type of guys who do that, do you?"
Magneto counters: "On the contrary, that represents the level of precise control you may attain with your own gift, lad."
Branden seems uncertain -but more about how the others will react than about his own decision; he steps back towards the bus.
Magneto smiles.
Storm places her hand on Branden's shoulder, on the cusp of talking sense back into him when Magneto's voice rings out again: "I'm afraid you won't have time to argue with the capriciousness of youth."
Pyro makes quick work creating a literal fire wall around the metal-bound captives, igniting what's left of the cars before starting to set fire to the buildings when Storm's powers rain down-- --though soon her it's her winds that are needed again, forced to redirect the course of Magneto's latest metal projectiles --ripping them from the halfway house's very structure.
Jubilee tries to balance the match-up by getting in on it, but- "the X-Men can also throw fire!" -she doesn't get her trajectory right the first time, and now that Magneto is alerted to her, he deflects her following sparks with another piece of chainlink fence he promptly sends her way.
Aware of how his audience may be figuratively on the fence if he goes too far, he aims not to hurt Jubilee --the fence being met by a rod of metal from behind her, which Magneto bends through the fence in front of her to "tie" her in place; which is now on the ground as Jubilee loses balance.
Magneto then recalls previously thrown chunks of metal to use again against Storm, launching a multi-directional attack. With Pyro still doing his part --at his best as he shows off in front of Braden-- Storm, despite a skillful dual-execution of deflecting and extinguishing, is essentially restrained by the fight itself.
Angel is still occupied with Mystique.
Hank: "There are times when a pacifist must engage in ceasing others' fire-" -turning his attention from the half dozen detainees who seem poised to do something themselves, the X-Man known as The Beast launches himself onto the top of the bus, then towards the floating leader of the Brotherhood. But Magneto is ready for this as well --meeting Beast with another section of fence that he uses to push and then bind the X-Man back against the building.
A growl escapes the now caged Beast: "You expound the fact we're human beings, then subject me to this?!"
Magneto corrects: "Superior to humans," smirking, "some more than others."
Jacilon A.K.A. OfAll has gotten in on the action, seemingly trying to counteract Magneto's powers with her own display of ferrokinesis --concentrating on freeing Beast, Jubilee and the others.
Magneto: "Keep trying, novice."
He needs only exert a touch of influence to completely negate hers.
And whether it be from his words, his show, or some other factor, Magneto gets what he came for: new recruits. Though not all of the detainees file back onto the bus, many do -including Brenden.
And in the latest smokescreen caused by the meeting of water and a final, awesome display of fire, the Brotherhood make their departure.
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