Justice Avengers: Dawn over New York

Rogue, Outside Rocket Raccoon's Place

"Hey, Rocket!" Rogue yelled outside of his place, waiting to start the investigation. "When will ya be finished gettin' ready?!"

Rocket had just holstered his pistols as his ship closed up and went into cloaking. The raccoon was fully dressed in his normal uniform like outfit. "Just about finished, lass," he said to Rogue, walking out of the building. "So, are we walking over to Access, Question, and Sandman, or is Access picking us up?"

As X-23 lodged a complaint, the class did look up for a moment. Noticing this, and not wanting to stir up any awkward conversations, Ms Grey discreetly shut the door and lead the two back through the library and into the formal sitting room. "Those children are a year or two below the both of you, so rest assured, your lessons will be more geared towards your age group. As for why of the math, well...that's the other important function of Xavier's institute. Back home, pupils at this school might not have been able to learn math. They might've been put at the back of the class, orrr excluded from that class or even school entirely. They might've been ostracised, discriminated, beaten and bullied by fellow kids and teachers alike, just for the crime of being too different for everyone else to handle."

Ms Grey lead the two over to the west wing, into a cosy looking room with leather armchairs, coffee tables, curtained windows, a fireplace, a chandelier, a large mirror, a portrait of some stately individual, and a cabinet full of fine china. It was here that Ms Grey stopped and turned to face Laura. "The point being," she said, "A lot of mutant kids in the world are denied the opportunity to live a normal life, and that's exactly what we're giving here. Yes, we're training people to master being mutants, but we're also teaching them to master being everyday kids as well."

She turned to gesture around the room. "Anyway, this is the, ah, parlour room. Somewhere for everyone to relax in a little more of a grown-up way. Through that door is the dining room. We'll have a look through that and the kitchen and then, if you're feeling up to it..." She smiled mischievously, "I'll show you were most of the powers training is done. Maybe even let you have a little try at it, what do you say?"

On Superman's comment, Power Girl glanced back at the open door behind her with a solemn look. "...Well, I'd be lying if I didn't say I was worried about the others..." The blonde then looked back at Superman, a knowing smile on her lips. "...But they've held down the Apple-fort while I was in my three-month 'retirement'. They'll be fine." A gloved hand made its way to the back of her neck. "Besides, this is just going to bug me until I get your second opinion and all... might as well do it now than later, right?" She glanced back at the still-open door. "Take care of Stark and the others, will you JARVIS?"

"Of course, Miss Power Girl," the AI's disembodied voice replied. A moment later, the door shut of its own accord, quietly locking^* which both metahumans outside would easily hear.

"So......" Power Girl trailed off as something came to mind. "...crap, Marsha took her ship somewhere else. Your... your 'home' - it's not cross-continent, is it? I can only jump so far, and even I get tired after a while..."

Ms. Guthrie was seized by a strange mixture of excitement and a slight sense of discombobulation. Getting here, seeing her brother, and meeting the Professor had kept her going, but now she was getting the chance to actually learn more about being a mutant. She'd been more concerned about how Sam was doing than what it really meant for her to be a mutant; she'd only been aware of it for less than a week!

However, she wanted to learn more about her gift and what it could do. Even if it wasn't anything as amazing as being able to fly or read minds, it was hers, and she would be the best at it. A delayed realization hit her: she'd grabbed a SHIELD agent! Yes, she definitely had to learn more. Who knew what might happen next? Paige found her hand shooting up to volunteer almost without her mind being aware of it.

-*Pop*

Access appeared next to Rocket and the others.

"So, umm... do you guys need a ride anywhere? Remember, it must be a place I've seen before. Pictures work though"

He really hoped they would help him with the Hellfire Club business. Though honestly, he wasn't expecting much of them. Even Rocket, the much-vaunted bounty hunter, had never impressed him so far with his skills.

Rogue, Outside Rocket Raccoon's Place

"Yeah, we want to help ya with this Hellfire Club business," Rogue said to Access, crossing her arms. "Rocket just needed to get his stuff first including that jetpack he left back at the hotel."

"Actually, I already got my jetpack and I'm in my work clothes," Rocket said to Rogue, in his uniform and wearing said jetpack. "Also, while I changed I head Pyko pull up a picture of this building here," he said to Access he he typed on his computer and pulled up a building, showing it to the teleporter. "This is a picture of the building where the Outer Circle of the Hellfire Club meets here in New York. Best place to start, I'd say."

Access scratched his head. "Yeah, OK, that helps" he mumbled, then added, "but what is, you know, the plan? Are we going to sneak around looking for evidence? Is Rogue going to temporarily, ahem, borrow someone's memories? Also do you think we'll find any evidence in the Outer Circle's mansion? Because I'd hate if we end end up embarrassing the Justice Avengers. Lord knows people like Godfrey would pounce on that."

"Question and Sandman are the detectives... I mean I could just borrow someone's memories, but it would be a crapshoot on if I'd get useful information, especially if we want to get to the Inner Circle."

"If this whole Hellfire Club thing is to go smoothly, I need a target for my powers who knows about the Inner Circle," Rogue stated matter-of-factly. "I know you're used to getting to things quickly, but I do need more information here."

Rocket scratched the back of his head. "Well......the only thing really suspicious about the mansion is the seemingly random shipments it receives with no discernible pattern over the years," the raccoon admitted to Access. "There's the usual stuff, like food, wine, and cleaning supplies, but there's also really odd ones, like a shipment of folding chairs, decorative lamps, plushies, exotic fish, owl sculptures.......an inordinately large shipment of toys from a company called......"Bad Dragon?"

"Anyway, if the Inner Circle is dealing with anything illegal and using the place as a storage center of sorts, they're hiding it under all that random rubbish and playing up the eccentric social club angle as a cover," Rocket continued. "Or it could be an orchestrated open invitation in case anyone like us try to look into it, but really, it could be anything considering how well they covered their tracks."

edited 2nd Nov '16 12:58:25 PM by UdtheImp

Access threw up his hands and sighed. "Fine. You people choose where to go and I drop you there (as usual.) Umm, assuming I can of course."

Rogue then grabbed Axel and hugged him. He seemed to need a friend at the moment.

"Look, I know you are worried about your girlfriend's parents, but the Hellfire Club requires a more... subtle approach," Rogue let go of Access and held up a duffel bag. "I do have a plan, and you are an important part of it, Access."

Then Rogue turned her attention to Rocket, "You are some sort of security expert on Halfworld, right? Do you have any sort of advanced spying system with you?"

"My plan is simply to walk into the Outer Circle's Building while disguised as a mere student doing research," Rogue began to explain to the two of them. "However, I want you and especially Access to see what I see... If things go out of control, I want Access to get me out of there!"

"The Hellfire Club has a public face and the Inner Circle is supposedly interested in mutants... so we give them a mutant and see what happens," Rogue continued detailing her plan. "Worst case is I get shown the door and we try Sandman's plan, but relying on Sandman is liable to get us stuck in the Outer Circle."

"A mutant might appeal to the Inner Circle," Rogue noted to the two. "How does that plan sound?"

SHIELD HQ

"That would probably work," Coulson agreed. "Booster's been saying we need to expand our numbers for some time now. And having a mutant on the team would probably help convince the mutant population that we're on their side. Who do you have in mind?"

"Hm.......sounds a bit risky....." Rocket said to Rogue. "But it is the best option we have right now. I'll find my own inside the mansion as well in case something happens to you. In fact, give me a moment." Rocket quickly went back into the building, reopening his ship, grabbed a box, and came back out.

"Almost forgot about these, considering we've been relying on Megan so much," Rocket said, opening up the box and revealing several oddly colored ear bud like devices. "These earbuds are directly connected to the same encryption channel I use to speak with Pyko. Just tap it after putting it in yer ear to directly communicate with anyone else on the channel, otherwise it will record any sound with a 500 yard radius, even through walls. Don't worry, Pyko will easily sort through it all, we have the tech.

"I have enough for everyone," the raccoon added. "They may feel a little weird, as they were originally designed for Kree ears, but humans are close enough that all you'll have is slight disocmfort."

A beat.

"I think."

Access wasn't terribly thrilled by Rogue's plan. Still, he supposed they still were at the 'need further evidence' step, so that was all they could for the moment.

Then he gingerly took one of the alien earpieces from Rocket. When he heard it might not hurt, his (silent) reaction was darned space raccoon...

He still put in, however.

"OK. So, who's coming?" he asked.

"It is risky, and if anyone has a better plan, I'm all ears," Rogue put one of the alien earpieces in her ear as well, but picked up the duffel bag. "Just let me get into more normal clothes, okay?"

"I hoped some of the others would join us," Rogue replied to Access when he asked who else was coming.

If there is no objections, we can go on and jump to the Hellfire Club scene!

"Well... Ok. I guess we must change clothes first. For me that's easy enough"

-*POP*

And his costume traded places with his regular clothes, faster than the eye could see.

"...And I assume he sneaks in through the cat door, or something?" he then asked, pointing at Rocket.

-*ahem* In any case, anyone who's coming, stand next to me when ready."

(once that was the case)

-*POP*

They would appear in an alley next to the Hellfire Club mansion.

edited 9th Nov '16 3:36:28 PM by Sijo

"He'll... be a raccoon?" Rogue looked over at Rocket when Access asked about him.

Once Rogue had was dressed in more normal clothes and they were teleported into an alley near the Hellfire Club Mansion, she checked over her outfit and checked her earpiece.

"How do I look?" Rogue asked the other two. "Are we all ready?"

"What, we're bringing him inside with us?" Access asked, raising an eyebrow. "Most people don't welcome raccoons into their houses. Much less into fancy mansions."

(after teleporting)

When Rogue asked them how she looked, Access responded. "You look fine." Real fine...

Wowzers, but he had not realized how- pretty she was. Not in a 'sexy bombshell' way like Power Girl, but there was something undeniably cute about the southern belle. Even the stripe in her hair only added to it.

He had to shake his head to snap himself out of it. Had he been staring? Oh God I hope not! "Umm, so, let's move, people" he hastily said.

Rogue, Hellfire Club

"No, I meant he'll likely sneak in like an Earth raccoon, if anything," Rogue corrected Access, looking at Rocket. "He's not coming in with us, Access."

After this, Rogue then walked into the Hellfire Club Mansion, alongside Access. She hoped Rocket would find his own way in.

edited 9th Nov '16 7:49:09 PM by GameGuruGG

"Your correct on that, lass," Rocket said to Rogue. "Hopefully I'll see you two later, contact me if you find either Question or Sandman." With that, the raccoon ran off to find his own way into the mansion. "Pyko, make sure to scramble any security cameras in my way once I'm in," he told his tech guy on the other side of his comms.

A ship slowly entered New York harbour. It passed by the Statue of Liberty, her torch held high for all to see.

Save the scared little boy in the cargo hold. He was clutching a rosary bead with all six fingers, praying the Fifth Sorrowful Mystery. His eyes were closed as he carefully passed the rosary bead from one pair of fingers to another. Once he finished, he opened his eyes, exhaling deeply. He had made it. After days of hiding on this ship, he was finally here.

America. The land of hope and dreams. Kurt Wagner felt tears run down his face. He wasn't sobbing out loud, like a child throwing a temper tantrum. He was just glad to be alive. With a deep breath, he teleported to a porthole. He gazed out across New York. He could see so much. The Empire State Building, Lady Liberty....with a sigh, he smiled, and teleported off the ship. It took a few 'bamfs' but eventually, he arrived in a quiet, dark alley. He quickly tucked himself in against the shadows, and tried to think. He had to get to the Xavier School for Mutants. He had to....

Superman rubbed his hands with a sheepish expression. "I'm afraid it's, erm...very cross continent." He coughed. "If it helps, I could try and carry you in a way that won't sacrifice as much of your dignity."

The trio found themselves outside a handsome estate on fifth avenue. It didn't seem too different from the surrounding blocks, save for the archway around the bronze door with pitchfork shapes engraved into the stone, and the stocky, nigh identical men in black suits standing with their hands behind their back on either side of the door. As Rogue came up to the entrance, her way was immediately barred by a big meaty arm. "State your business," said the man on the left.

Kurt continued to teleport around New York. He couldn't help smiling. This was freedom. The most free he had ever been in his life, at least, since the angelic mutants had attacked. He teleported about everywhere, watching everything he could see. The busy streets, people eating hot dogs, walking about like ants......

Kurt eventually teleported to the top of the Empire State Building. He gazed across the city in wonder and awe. "New York city....my new home....."