2013-01-20 1000 Mutant March

The 1000 Mutant March is much closer to the 1,000,000 mutant march. Perhaps there are not a million mutants, but there are a substantial number. They range from some very powerful and nationally recognized mutants to street level metahumans, with barely noticeable abilities. Families, children, teenagers- they're all there, with signs and banners and posters.

 The parade has been going for a few minutes, and now the Mutant Action Center float reaches Main and 1st. A few poster boys and girls for the MAC are waving from the float, and occasionally someone drags a dignified, elderly man from his seat and makes him stand and accept a few waves and offer a bow or two. The parade is going swimmingly- people are eating hot dogs and celebrating, and the overwhelming police presence keeps hostile parties and vandals to a minimum.

  It is a good day to show that he can be the bigger man... okay, Cain is probably the biggest man present, and he isn't even a mutant, but that doesn't preclude his intentions. For too long in his life he beat up on teenage mutants, and he has come to regret that. Sure, teaching his step-brother some humility and about personal privacy especially of ones own thoughts were not the worst goals in the world to have, but he'd gone about it the wrong way. Today he has come to make another step in his attempts to make some reparations and be supportive of mutants... after all, despite his many mutant pounding acts in the past, his closest friends and everyone alive he considers family, as well as some he doesn't consider family but technically are, are all mutants.

 Holding up his phone, Victor 'Anole' Barokowski was openly and clearly a mutant at this rally, his green skin and spiked head more than enough to give him away. He wore a hoody, a pair of jeans and had a messenger bag slung around one shoulder. He was eating a hotdog before he took a picture of himself eating the tubed meat.

But then music! And adventure! People in a more 'peace and love and dance' atmosphere had Vic chewing down that hotdog quickly, stuffing phone in his pocket and finally licking lips clean before hoping to join on in with a happy laugh, Of course- the song that had brought him 'All You Need Is Love', "Love, Love is all your need!" he sang, as he disappeared into the rolling mass of humanity.

 You know what they say about omelettes and breaking eggs... It took a lot of work, a lot of manipulation, a lot of underhanded dealings. Exactly the sort of stuff that Mystique can do without giving it much thought. In a crowd this large it's beyond trivial to disappear amongst the numbers, a city-wide ghost that can be whomever she feels the need to be without warning.

She's out there. Amongst all of these people. Somewhere. In fact, she might be several people. There's a network working for her, completely at her disposal. She's got eyes and ears in all of the critical places, waiting. Today is a day for making history.

 As she gets information of the parade, Marvel Girl decides that it is best she takes a look into the event. She is dressed in her full X-Men uniform flying high above the parade. As she floats her way down to one of the ledges over the parade, she crosses her arms over her chest with a look of concern over her face at the amount of mutants present. This can not end good.

 If one were to ask why one of the mutants in this crowd is there, they wouldn't be able to tell you exactly why they're there.

<p class="MsoNormal">Could it be that they're there to offer support? Possibly.

<p class="MsoNormal">But it also could be possible that they're there for other reasons. After all, this many mutants together... Well... Laura Kinney a.k.a X-23 knows all about hiding. And the girl in black cover alls, a black hoodie, and a black winter jacket, knows very well in a crowd like this, she can at least for a little while blend in, in plain sight as well, and not raise too many questions. Even as she just stands there and watches the parade.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">Oliver Queen is no stranger to marches and signs written in magic marker. He has carried a few of them himself in his time, but for now is sticking to the crowds. He is dressed simply to brace from teh January cold in a bomber jacket, silk scarf, and jeans. He has a knit cap pulled over his head as he watches the parade go along past him. He smiles watching the peaceful gathering. He also does a bit of pure people watching, seeing how folks react to the parade. He keeps his hands in his pockets and moves along in the crowd to keep up with the parade as it gets to the Mutant Action Center.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">Owen isn't part of the parade itself but he's come to watch and if need be, help out. In a new set of clothes snagged from good will, he's got hands in his sweatshirt pocket as he slowly walks among the crowd. Walking in the same direction the float is going but staying among the people, Owen's just casually borrowing some life force from people. Not a lot, just a couple seconds of contact worth. It helps add up. He's tempted to lighten the loads of some wallets and purses but he's yet to actually do it.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">Tommy is part of the marching crowd. He came here with a bunch of his rather radical and politically active buddies. But he is the only real mutant among them, and they are... walking, sloooooow. He tends to leave them behind for long (relatively long) periods of time to check search for known faces, meet other mutants and look for suspicious people. He does not trust the police much.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">There are speeches. Children running under parental eyes. Despite the general concerns and mistrust about the scope of this march, there haven't been any major acts of crime or vandalism. A few Humanity First protestors showed up and hurled racial epithets, but the police quickly corraled them off.

<p class="MsoNormal">Atop the Mutant Center boat, an elderly, grey-haired man with a thunderous voice is giving a spech about rights and equality. "We are your brothers and sisters!" he cries. "Friends and neighbors! We will not suffer the slings and arrows of their hate! But we must stand together, as one, as one voice- one family- and show them that we are not afraid!"

<p class="MsoNormal">Just as the approving roar of the crowd validates his words, a thundering explosion goes off.

<p class="MsoNormal">One long roar of sound washes over the parade. A float up ahead for the Leage of Mutant Veterans simply evaporates in a fireball. To the rear of the parade, a heavy truck simply plows through a barricade and into a marching band. Men with guns emerge, and start firing wildly into the air. The Mutant Action Center float is rocked jukes abruptly to the side as a huge explosion shatters the midpoint of the parade, knocking everyone atop the float to the deck. Screams and cries of fear go up as several truckloads of masked men wearing Humanity First colors attack the paradegoers, swarming onto floats and attacking anyone wearing Free Mutants colors.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">Walking around among the crowd, Cain actually tries to be nice and not push too much, but the guy selling stuffed pretzels and 1 litre real sugar cokes tempts the giant of a man, and he shoves a few people not in line away so he can get into the line, digging through his jean pocket to pull out some cash. He is so glad yesterday was payday, he even knows his budget well enough that he knows he can splurge a little and pick up several bottles and a half dozen of the jumbo jalapeno chedder stuffed pretzels, and actually enjoy the day instead of just phoning in his support.

<p class="MsoNormal">Getting to the front of the line, Cain slaps down his cash and gets his bag of pretzels and a second bag to hold his drinks, then takes his change, leaving a small tip for the quality food. He then lumbers toward someone taking donations for the cause, and while snacking on his first pretzel, practically eating half of the jumbo thing in a single bite, slips the rest of the change into the donation box. It is at this moment that the explosion occurs.

<p class="MsoNormal">Cain snarls, finishing his pretzel in a second bite, chugging on of his bottles of soda, and then flexes just a bit as the air shimmers around him, his form seeming to grow even larger, as where stood a massive red haired man in flannel and denim, now stands 'The Juggernaut', and then he begins to plod forward, slowly at first, but with each thunderous step he gets faster and faster until he is in a full out run, the energy of Cyttorak actually creating a wedge that seems to force people out of his way as he rushes toward the gun wielding guys, or more specifically there truck...

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">"All you need is love!" *KABLOOM!*

<p class="MsoNormal">Victor dropped to the ground, eyes widening in sudden terror as he skittered along the ground at amazing speed, before rolling to his feet and starting in a breakneck run /away/ from the shit that was blowing up and the truckloads of armed men, rounding a convenient tree along the street. He kneels, opening his bag and grabbing a ski-mask before hastily putting it on, he's cut it into a sort of 3/4ths mask, the quarter for his chin and mouth left free. He flipped up into the tree, stripping down into his Training Uniform (having had the foresight to think it just /might/ be needed), stashing his clothes and other things into his bag before the bag was tucked high in the tree. Anole, then, disappeared somewhere in that tree, fading seemingly away.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">It's ugly business, truly. For one that believes in the power of actions over words, protests are only worthwhile when the right spark is triggered at the right moment. One of the souls within that crowd has their finger on the button for that remote trigger, watching dispassionately as the destruction comes to pass. A silent moment is allowed for those of her kind whom have sacrificed themselves today in the name of mutant supremacy. They will be thought of once the ascension of the species is complete.

<p class="MsoNormal">Disruption, disorder, dissent. In response to the armed threat, police are on the move. Finding the 'good' people from the 'bad' people is impossible. There's simply too many people, and the cops are prepared for a riot, not a massacre. Teargas grenades and rubber bullets are amongst their arsenal. The grenades go in first. Disperse the crowd, get everyone out of here. The less people, the fewer casualties.

<p class="MsoNormal">The less everyone will be able to see. The more panic it will cause. When the order is given, one of the officers launching teargas is a metamorph.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">As the explosion begin, Jean's eyes widen and she walks to the edge of the ledge and allows herself to free fall towards the ground. Her telekinetic powers granting her the flight she needs as she begins to fly towards the front of the parade the appearance of The Jauggernaut causes her to kick her legs down and stop her flight. She floats a good 150 feet above the crowds her eyes even wider. She mutters, "If it couldn't get any worse."

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">As the grenades are launched, Jean extends her arms out for leverage and she expands her senses. She does her best to lock on the ones she can see and avoid some death. As half of the grenades begin to fly towards Jean, she raises her hands above her encasing them into a telekinetic bubble to try and encase the explosion!

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">Half the grenades explode in *pufts* of smoke, captured by bubbles of thought and will. The rest scatter among the crowds, spreading tear gas to both the paradegoers and the attacking Humanity First terrorists.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">Explosions are never good. Or fun. Or...

<p class="MsoNormal">Well... As one of the explosions happens, Laura is close enough to hear one. Close enough to feel the heat, and force, and debris of an explosion, while still being far enough away to avoid it being deadly. For her anyways. Odds are there are others here who can't claim that.

<p class="MsoNormal">And then, over the sounds of the chaos, before her enhanced hearing and vision can truly adjust to the sudden chaos, there's The Juggernaut, guys with guns, and a flying redhead...?

<p class="MsoNormal">To be honest, she reacts purely by instinct, and tries to recover from the /temporary/ overload of her senses. But when she does, who ever is nearby that she even thinks might be trouble, better worry.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">Ollie is deep in the crowd as the explosions begin to go off. He is also deep in the middle of the panic. He is shoved this way and that as people try to flee in coming explosions ans then the teargas comes in. Ollie grabs hold of a light post to steady himself in the sea of people. Someone is knocked over and about to be trampled by the crowd of people. Ollie pushes himself away from the lamp post and covers the young lady with his body to protect her. Knees and boots strike his body as he tries to stand and get the young woman to safety at the side of the panicing crowd.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">Owen was just relieving a pickpocket he caught of his spoils...because it's somehow not as bad to steal from a thief... when things started exploding. He stumbles and crashes into the nearest person and ends up being jostled more as the panic sets in. Grenades being launched, guns being fired, people jostling him about...Owen has to fight back the initial instictive reaction to start clawing and draining his way to safety. Instead he teleports himself away from where he is and into a tree. Hood falling back and claws poking through his gloves, he takes a few moments to catch his breath and try to calm down. "The hell...what...the hell is goin' on?!"

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">Tommy has been telling his friends that the police wouldnt really help if anti-mutant militias attacked the demonstration. They didnt take him too seriously. Admittedly, he wasnt saying it too seriously. Well, he wouldnt have been surprised by a couple hundred or so thugs armed with bricks that strangely managed to avoid police detection.

<p class="MsoNormal">Explosives and truckloads of heavily armed murderers? Not so much.

<p class="MsoNormal">Quick as lightning, his hand goes for his belt pouch where... he /doesnt/ have the Young Allies communicator, because he /left/ it with his cool new uniform, on the bed, back in his apartment. Craptastic! I bet this would never happen to Spider-Man.

<p class="MsoNormal">So he is going to be alone, but he is fast. He slips into the hyper-fast zone, that place where people seem frozen and bullets fly lazily across the air at the speed of leisure walking. Then moves, carefully, which means keeping himself under the speed or sound not to make things worse. The street is crowded, but the walls of the buildings are free, so he runs up, then parallel to the streets, defying the Laws of Gravity, reaching the trucks in seconds.

<p class="MsoNormal">Tommy is not unused to violence, mostly in the form of gang fights, he considers himself a pretty jaded guy at his old age of 17. But seeing a small army of armed racists shooting unarmed people gives him pause, a tenth of second pause. Then he zooms down, breaks the speed of sound (and most windows in a hundred yards) and starts grabbing the firearms of the masked men, throwing them out of the way. So quickly, he is probably breaking many fingers, and maybe even ripping off some, but they deserve it.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">The fast responses of the mutants against the armed men contribute greatly to quelling the violence. What could have been a slaughter is checked with few injuries and fatalities, and the reflexive fire of the police is halted by Jean's quick thinking. The crowds disperse in a disorganized mob, fleeing to the side streets and escaping the immediate crush of the parade itself.

<p class="MsoNormal">Atop the Mutant Center float, the elderly speaker struggles to his feet, brow creased with blood. He holds a young girl in one arm, his suit torn and in disarray. "Help! They hurt us! We have injured people!" he cries out, appealing to the rescuers as they try to impose order over the panic.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">The Heavy truck is little match for the unstoppable power of the Juggernaut. He reaches out to grab some weapons from the Humanity First dressed men, but ends up just crushing their hands as a woosh absconds with the weapons. It doesn't stop Juggernaut though, nothing can when he gets going, and so he continues his own tactics, grabbing the men, flicking them in the temples, and piling them on his other shoulder, rather quickly collecting a pile of unconscious guys, which he happily deposits at the feet of the cops as he lumbers by them, moving to disable more assailant vehicles and men as he goes, ignoring the pathetic pinging and tickling thumping of weapons that are brought to bare on him.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">From the top of the tree, Anole could get a better view of just what was happening. The Chaos was spreading, and he watched as Jean flew by. Well. She looked familiar! Then, the grenades. "I don't think that'll be helping anyone." The River of people flowed around his tree- chased by Masked men with guns. Anole remembered his home. HIs friends. They would have stood up for him- so Anole drops like a sack of rocks on one of the men, two feet kicked hard down into where his shoulders met his neck before using all that force to rocket forward into another man who's risen gun butt was about to fall on some young man right ahead. His shoulder struck the man in the middle of his back, leaving Anole crouched on over him.

<p class="MsoNormal">Gauging the distance towards the the cries of the 'injured' that's the direction Vic hurried in next, unsure how he could help but wanting to try all the same.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">Manipulation is something of an artform. Individuals can be twisted, bent to the will of another. So can large groups. Moments like this? One helpful nudge can topple the tedious sense of balance, bringing down the proverbial house of cards. Panic needs but an instant to take root within so many minds, triggering the fight or flight response within. Smoke adds to the confusion. Pain and death adds to the fear.

<p class="MsoNormal">What does one suppose might happen with so many mutants present, so many barely understanding their own powers and suddenly finding themselves within the organic confines of such danger? The most delicate are going to break down first. The results cannot possibly be predicted, but they will draw attention to themselves. To the mutants as a whole.

<p class="MsoNormal">That matter is left within the hands of time. Mystique's work is not yet complete. No one notices the change that takes place within those billowing white clouds of smoke, taking the form of a man with large, bony spines jutting out of his body. "The cops are attacking us!"

<p class="MsoNormal">The mutant attacks back, a flash of motion that leaves one of the officers impaled with shards of bone. Just as quickly as he had emerged, he disappears.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">The next stage is underway. Police are going for their guns. Rubber pellets sting something awful, and with so many of them flying into the crowd? Some of those more unstable mutants are going to get caught within the fire. After that, just wait and see how many of them are still loading rubber pellets into their shotguns. Would the heroes fight an armed law enforcement like they do the thugs?

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">As the parties continue to flee, the cry of the old man catches her attention. Jean allows the bubbles to fade away as she begins to fly in the injured man's direction. She is moving her hands left and right in a controlled manner to fan away the tear gas her telekinetic push touching various people who most likely wonder what the hell? She catches sight of Anole and her telepathic link sets into his mind instantly, ((Now you being here concerns me but we will discuss that after...be careful while I help the hurt.))

<p class="MsoNormal">As she lands next to the hurt man and his child she says in a calm voice, "I am a doctor. Do not be alarmed. I am here to help you." However...she turns her attention towards the voice of the cops are attacking. She frowns deeply, "We need to get you out of the way."

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">Having been shopping a few blocks away, the gunshots and screams are clearly heard by the older irishman called Banshee by some. His bags hit the floor and he's running, arms pumping, nearly flying down the sidewalk. "Move! Get out the bloody way!" He is calling, his voice booming, but he's not using his powers just yet. He spins around an older couple with a murmured apology as he scared the old woman. Turning the corner he skids to a stop, seeing the scene unfold beneath him. His shirt comes undone with a pulling at the buttons down the front and the green and yellow striping of his uniform can be seen. Yep, he's pulling a Superman.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">It only takes a little bit. But as things just continue to become more chaotic, and as things continue to spiral downwards and get worse, every second counts.

<p class="MsoNormal">Thus by the time Laura fully has a chance to recover, there's the cry that the police are attacking mutants, as well as the bit from the elderly speaker. And despite what her training, and her instincts tell her, X-23 moves to try and help that speaker and the girl. Only she arrives a moment or two after Jean does. Thus, as she hears a certain comment, there's a *SKNIT* as the younger woman's claws pop out. /Metal/ claws.

<p class="MsoNormal">"They do not need to get out of the way. Others will need to get out of /their/ way."

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">Ollie sees the violence beginning to escalate as police fire on mutants and mutants start to fight back. He curses under his breath as he tries to make his way towards the violence as the scared folks have mostly gotten out of the way. The old hippie has a choice as he gets closer though. Which side to interfer with? He has no clue who fired first and then he is hearing the old man up on the float. "Alright. Lets help the wounded first and then try to figure out what is going on." He is trying to make it to the float when a young mutant who is brick red and built like a....well, as solid building comes at him.

<p class="MsoNormal">"You trying to hurt us are you, man?" Brick says in a threatening voice with a think Bronx accent. "Trying to hurt the old man up there." Brick grabs Ollie before the older man can get up onto the float. He is thrown and goes crashing across the street and into a couple of the police officers.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">His little 'safe' spot among the leaves helps Owen calm down enough so that going wild doesn't seem like such a good idea. Pulling his hood back up helps, giving him a little extra safe feeling. Glowing eyes scan the goings on as he pulls off ruined gloves and stuffs them into his pockets. They might be repairable later after all. When he sees the man on the float and hears the call for help, Owen curses and springs into action. Teleporting, he arrives on the float seconds after Jean and Laura do. "Ah can help get people outta the line of fire, Miss," the fuzzy mutant offers as the wisps of Darkforce fade from his body. "Jus' hold on and tell me where," he says, offering a furry hand to the elderly man with the girl.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">Tommy tries to disarm as many attackers as possible, because the bullets are causing most of the injuries and deaths, so when Juggernaut arrives and starts knocking them around like rag dolls and smashing the trucks, many are already disarmed. Tommy himself is coughing due to the tear gas, which affects him very quickly. He needs some distance to clear his lungs and runs up the closest building to the roof. It is from there he can see how the police going nuts and attacking the crowd. A couple seconds earlier and he would have seen the bunny mutant attacking, but his eyes are blurry because of the gas.

<p class="MsoNormal">So yeah, this confirms all his opinions about the police of New York. They are a bunch of thugs in uniform. Racists. Cowards. Bullies. He runs down to the street, to join with the mutants fighting back.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">"Take her!" the elderly man cries. "Get the children to safety!" He points dramatically behind him- there is not one injured child, but a dozen, screaming and pleading for help. A few larger forms lay unmoving behind them. It appears the explosive debris cut a swathe through their parents and escorts.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Protect Erik!" someone shouts. Mutants link up and form a living wall between the Center float and the cops, just as someone gets thrown into the advancing blue line. Mutants scream in anguish and respond with their own powers in reply to the spray of rubber bullets, one of which clips Erik, the old man, and sends him tumbling to the deck. This ignites screams of rage and the mutants assault the police position in an all-out brawl, their overwhelming numbers pushing against the surge of riot cops attempting to break up the demonstration turned riot.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">There is a grumble as Juggernaut finishes off a second pile of goons and drops them at the cops feet, but instead of moving on, he spreads himself as wide as he can, putting his armored back to the cops as he positions himself between them and where Jean, Erik... and several others are collecting. He looks at the cops over his shoulder and shouts, "Stop shooting, there are too many non-combatants and civilains, you could hurt a little kid or a senior citizen... or worse, multiple of each." he tries to flex as much as he can to create a bigger barrier for as many people, not caring about who is shooting at whom, just that people are shooting.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">Anole came to a stop rather close to Jean, having had a similar idea to help the injured. "What, I just thought it be neat to come to a rally, it was really a lot of fun until someone blew up the float!" Victor complains over towards Jean, outloud as he keeps an eye out for more trouble.

<p class="MsoNormal">And there trouble comes, Anole's eyes opening wide, "Shit, what do we do?" The young mutant wondered over towards JEan- only to find Laura arriving. "Holy crap, you? Hey, why do you keep showing up when people are about to beat on me?" he asked, with a little wiggle of fingers before setting himself, and looking back again at Jean for a clue when three police bullets strike him in the back, causing the young Mutant to rock forward and fall from the float and towards the ground before landing with a heavy thud, writhing in pain. "Ah, I've been shot, the hell?!" Anole closed his eyes. He didn't yet have the training for full out chaos, and fear was quickly overwhelming the teen who's breath was coming in near terrified pants. That pain reminded him this was /not/ a game. His eyes are closed. He wants his Mother and Father. He wants to be back, safe in Illinois where he could be normal again.

<p class="MsoNormal">Erik's shout brings him out of it: But those kids! Anole crawled back up, "Kids! COme on!" A flying tear gas grenade gets the unusual treatment of being struck (rather stupidily) with his tongue, a flick sending it flying back towards the way it came. It explodes near the attacking cops. Anole's face turning an odd color a momet before he started to cough on the tongue-touch of nasty hot gas- both hands going to his mouth. IT hurt! That thing was hot!

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">There it is, the second round of detonations. This one needs no chemicals, no use of explosives. Emotions are the fuel, weapons and powers their catalyst. Mystique helped to trigger all of this and even she cannot keep track of what's happening any longer. Erik is in his place, his part being played with absolute precision. The police, bent so far and so quickly that they've outright snapped, have become a riot in their own sense. Where they may see their acts as purely that of pacification, many more see them as a large sum of the problem. A careful series of events has birthed something terrible and all-consuming. Some careful, selective 'trimming' to keep things in order aside, she's played her part. This momentum is going to take a very long time to run its course. All that's left is to not get caught in the middle of it unprepared.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">As Jean frowns deeply, she looks at Anole, and then jumps slightly at the arrival of Laura. She knows that sound and those claws so well but she decides to handle that another time. Jean simply says to the mutants closest to her, "I need you to protect me. I am going to try something...drastic. I will be...distracted." Jean takes a deep breath as she clears her mind and prepares herself. Her hands coming to her temples, she begins to expand her senses outward in an attempt to touch everyone's mind and find all those who are not mutants. As the noise begins to flow into her mind Jean begins to sweat.

<p class="MsoNormal">She is clearly uncomfortable as she expands her hands outward, "Too many...I can't do them all." A small dripple of blood falling from her nose. "You feel tired...you feel exhausted...sleep." Jean begins to chant softly.

<p class="MsoNormal">With a sigh, dozens of the non-mutants fall to sleep in their tracks. Some collapse, while others simply lay down. The most violent and aggressive ones, though, fight on, ignoring the mental imperative to relax and disengage from the fight.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">There's a movement like Laura is going to do something as 'Erik' cries out and points out those others. She even opens her mouth say something to Anole.

<p class="MsoNormal">But what ever the young woman in all black was going to say... What ever she was going to do... It's meaningless as Jean speaks up, and then starts to do what she does.

<p class="MsoNormal">Thus the young clone just shoots Anole a look as he falls and then gets up. That is before she moves to try and get inbetween him and those that might still be shooting. In fact she even is shot a few times as Jeans 'suggestion' starts to take effect, but Laura doesn't flinch. Instead she just stands there, playing 'guard' as her wounds quickly start to heal up.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">Ollie is among the cops now as he slowly gets up off the deck. He is suddenly being pulled along with the advancing cops as they begin to open fire at the mutants that have lined up to protect Erik and the float. Then the cops around him begin to fall asleep. They drop to their knees and keel over one, two, three folks at a time. He is starting to get his feet under him when he feels the same need for sleep in his head. He shakes his head as he tries to fight it off but finds himself on his knees. He is almost asleep when Brick reappears laughing.

<p class="MsoNormal">"You just gonna lie there and let me beat on you, huh?" Brick cracks Ollie across the side of his head with a massive fist. Ollie flies to one side, but he is also woken up by the hit.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Not so fast, Big Boy." Ollie is pulling a night stick from one of the sleeping cops and comes towards Brick. As the young mutant swings at the older man, Ollie ducks and cracks Brick at the back of the knee. The young man cries in pain and drops.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">Owen nods to Erik and moves to the kids. "Howdy, kids. Gather 'round and Ah'll get ya somewhere safe. Just stick close and close your eyes," he tries to keep the kids under control. If he's able to get them huddled around him, he'll teleport them all away from the chaos and into a building where he hopes they'll be safe. "Stay put kids. Someone'll come get ya'll, okay. Ah gotta get back tah help out that nice old man and the rest," he says, speaking to the kids like he's got experience speaking to kids. He really does, Owen coming from a big family.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">Banshee see's all this, shedding his button up polo and jeans quickly. His 'wings' are still bound up behind him, ready at the flip of a small clip. But he's seen enough. He cannot see Jean behind Anole, he see's Cain, but recognizes few others. He inhales deeply, filling his lungs and letting loose an incredibly loud scream from the end of the block, beyond the range of the tear gas. The few windows left intact by Tommy spiderweb and shatter, buildings and vehicles alike. His tone shifts and he hits that peircing keen that most people hate, the one that forces shivers up the spine and blasts eardrums. Paralyzing level volume.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">Tommy is not as effective against the police as he was with the Humanity First thugs, too much tear gas around, and the crowd is interfering with his ability to move quick. After this he is going to add some goggles to his outfit. When he can get close to some cop, though, he charges the weapons with kinetic energy and shatters them. Then he gets hit with Banshee scream, deafened and stunned. He recovers very quickly, of course, but he is probably among the few rioters (or policemen) that stand up.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">The scream cancels it all out. The gunfire, the screams, the combat. It all stops. The cops not wearing ear protection, the mutants who aren't hardened against sonic attacks. Children. Adults. Everyone in the area goes down with agonized cries, clapping their hands to their ears.

<p class="MsoNormal">It hurts, tremendously. And it clearly comes from Banshee. More than one mutant, already swelling with anger, enraged beyond reason, grabs whatever is handy- rocks, signposts, their own raw power- and counterattacks, hurling improvised weapons at the shrieking mutant despite the overwhelming pain. Even a few cops, spotting the 'greater' threat, start shooting at Banshee's position with rubber bullets.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">On the float, Erik is cradling the young girl, protecting her ears with his hands. Blood trickles from his ears at the shrieking, but he continues to hold the girl close and cover her head.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">Anole, at first, reached towards one of the kids. Then it was as if his world went /bright/. It felt like someone was tearing his ears off, or ringing something very loud. IT hurt. Victor curled into a tight ball, trying to protect his ears. "AAAH! SHUT UP!" he cried, blood spilling from ruptured ear-drums, and the young mutant rocking back and forth as he tries to deal with the pain.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">There's a psychic out there, the softest caress brushing against the back of Mystique's mind. It's enough for her to know that it's out there, that something is happening. With so many minds being reached out to at once and with her own natural means of blocking such interactions, the metamorph slips right beneath that radar.

<p class="MsoNormal">The wail of the Banshee, that she's not so good at avoiding. With a startled grunt she stumbles and drops to a knee, hands clasped over the sides of her head as she reflexively morphs the very inside of her ears, trying to block out as much of that awful sound as possible. It helps, but it can still only do so much. The people she had been engaged with in another momentary skirmish are even worse off, never having a chance to retaliate. Never standing a chance. For bringing a crowd to its knees, it's shockingly effective. What about all of the broken glass that has nowhere to fall but down toward the people, though? She's going to make sure that she's not one of the ones caught within the rain of debris.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">As she pushes herself to the limit, Jean finally lets out a deep breath. However, when Banshee's wail hits her, Jean's hands come to her ear and she falls to her knees. Due to the exhaustion and the on slaught of Banshee's attack, Jean's eyes roll in the back of her head and she falls down to the ground. Jean has fainted.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">Maybe it's the adrenaline. Maybe she's still recovering from her senses being overloaded from the explosions earlier. Maybe it's any number of reasons. But...

<p class="MsoNormal">Just an instant before Banshee cries 'Enough', Laura falls. She doesn't get up right away. But eventually she will. And odds are by the time she does, she'll be more than pissed.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">Banshee grunts in pain, taking a rubber bullet to the left shoulder, shoving him back a step. One hand clasps the injury even as a second bullet clips his ear. He winces and cringes but he inhales again and lets out a single deafening word. He got their attention with his initial scream, but this riot will end. Now. "EEEEENNOUUUUUGGHHH!!" His voice booms out at the mass of people before him. Not as loud as before, nor as damaging.. but everyone will hear him, whether they like it or not.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">Narrowing his eyes at the onslaught coming his way, one hand slips up his back and unsnaps his 'wings' ready to escape. He scream again, but this time it's not offensive, but a wall of close range concussive force, deflecting the rocks, the posterboard and even most of the mutant powers, spikes diverted and a flame blast dispersed against his sonic wall. But as he starts to run low on breath, his wall starts to fall apart, letting an energy pulse through, burning through the wingsuit and searing his ribs. His hand shifts from bullet bruise to burn, and his eyes go wider. Looks like he bit off more than he can chew.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">Owen teleports back in time to be caught in the scream. It's enough to send him tumbling instead of landing on his feed. His hood falls back again and his clutches his hands over his ears as he suffers the same ruptured ear drums as the others. "The hell?!" he yelps, not even hearing himself. Darkforce energy pours out around him without him controlling it and it's spreading slowly, hiding all that it engulfs from view. It makes things pretty cold too.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">Tommy tries to keep away from Banshee. Usually this wouldn't be difficult, but he is still mostly deaf and seeing poorly. At least the riot has ended. 'Enough' hits him hard enough to make him cringe and hurry up to leave the area. He will return in a few minutes to help with the wounded, but for now he flees.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">Chaos. Bedlam. Disorder. The parade has disintegrated into a mindless mob, galloping in all directions. People are trampled, injured, arrested, detained. It doesn't take long for the Anti-terrorist units to arrive, and SHIELD personnel long after that. Many mutants are detained, and many humans are injured. The newscast for the day features images of Erik Lehnsherr, director of the MAC, was injured by a terrorist attack. Other bystanders and mutants are similarly featured. It's a day of chaos and bedlam in New York.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">