2014-01-19 - SDR: Young Avengers to the Rescue!

A portal opens in the prison, a bright star against the drab metal walls. It shatters and through it steps Speed, dressed in his white and green body suit, yellow goggles over his eyes. "Okay that was freaking cool," he says looking over his shoulder. "Totally the right spot. Come on in, I'll scout this place out real quick." Then, zoom, he becomes a green and white blur zipping away.

Adam is the next through the portal, his hand crossbow out and loaded, one trenchcoat sleeve rolled up displaying an arm bandoleer of bolts, a quiver on his back with several colorfully tagged arrows.

He glances around. "Clear, for now."

"Julian. Keep an eye on Adam," Finesse instructs her teammate, even as she is extracting her escrima sticks from her belt. "Be prepared to shield him, and prioritize him over me." She watches Speed 'zoom' off, and sets into a waiting position, her mind going into a comatitive calculations, plotting and planning out multitude methods of attack, no attack, and other scenarios.

Julian simply nods without looking directly at Jeanne. He glances both ways, expression unmoving as he waits for Speed to return and make his report. He'd like to see this go off without a hitch. He's just not naive enough to believe it will, as the pale green glow that already surrounds him can attest to.

America steps through after a moment having held the gate open for the others. She could do it even if she were first through but this time she pulls up the rear allowing it to fall shut behind her. With her hair pulled back into a ponytail and a serious scowl it was clear she meant business though, so far, there wasn't anything to walk in on it appeared. "Good to know my sense of aim is still good."

Speed is back with a gust of wind and a cloud of dust kicking up at his feet. "So, prisoners are up one level looks like they're legit about letting some go, or at least some are all in one big room the rest are in individual cells. We've got a couple of Acolytes up there, though, one at each end of the hall, another probably watching the cameras. Don't recognize them, so don't know their power sets."

Adam looks considering for a moment, then takes charge. "All right. So, let's think. If the ones in the big room are the ones being let go..." he hmms. "We have two schools of thought on where Clint... and Widow, I guess... would be. They aren't mutant-haters, so they could be in the set free zone. But they are dangerous, so, if I were Magneto..."

He nods slightly, his train of thought complete. "If I were a villain, and I had them, they'd be in private lock-down. Putting them in a room full of people just gives them too much ability to cause distractions and escape."

"We have already established they are not here," Jeanne prompts to Adam, in her cold-truth, matter-of-fact manner. She looks to America, pointedly, waiting for the one whom, at least, Jeanne sees as the most capable to lead the rag-tag group. "I would reccommend having Speed knock out the one watching the camera, while we take out the two guards, as a silmultaneous attack. Free the individual cells, as that will take longest. Then move up and free the group, and leave. We should move, whatever the choice, quickly."

"Sounds like a good plan to me." Julian notes to the rest of the group after Jeanne makes her assessment. "We get to the top of the stairs, America or Jeanne takes the guard closest and I'll blast the one on the far side." He suggests, starting to move in the direction of the stairway, "Or I can hit them both."

America smacks her fist into her hand as she states, "I'm the door opener but if the guys don't go down easy I'll take them, too. If they're Acolytes they're probably strong some how or another." Either physicall or... shit she hoped not psionics. "Ready when you guys are."

"Sure, I got camera guy, and the video equipment," Speed says with a quick nod. Then he zooms off again leaving the others to sort things out. Speedsters right?

"No, let me take point," Adam says, tapping his crossbow lightly. "They're Acolytes, right? That means, what, mutants working for Magneto?" He checks the bolt in his crossbow, thumping the glass ampoule filled with sticky, thick red liquid firmly, but not quite enough to break it. "...I think I can nuetralize them pretty hard." His expression is determined. "Just let me have a chance to snipe them." With the bow, he's still learning... but with the crossbow, he never misses his mark.

Finesse looks to Adam, "You have the choice to either disarm that, now, or I will spiral fracture your arm so you can not fire it at all for several months." She does not appear to be bluffing. Finesse - doesn't bluff. Not that anyone has ever seen, at any rate. "Magneto already is intending to kill those who have used it before. If you use that, he will try and do to us what he is now doing to them. Nor will I risk, even by accident, Hellion or Tommy, or America's abilities by proxy. Use other arrows." She, too, is determined. She looks to America, "He is far too reckless." Then, she moves to exit the door, expecting Adam to follow her directions, even if she's not quite the leader.

Julian scowls, and rather deeply, opening his mouth to say something, but Jeanne pretty much says it for him, and probably nicer than he would have. He shakes his head, then positions himself to follow America up the stairs so they can get this show on the road.

America lifts a hand to clap over her face. "Adam. Let's leave that as a Plan B. Bringing something that is specifically targeted to only the individuals we're up against is a super bad idea. Could start a war," she points out as her hand drops again only to shake her head as she steps off striding to the stairs. "I could use the cover fire though. I do good unless I have too many people to deal with at once." It wasn't easy to admit a shortcoming, but ... She does.

Another rush of air and dust and Speed's back. "Gawd, you guys are still here? Do you want me to do this whole thing on my own?" he asks crossing his arms and looking down at the group from the stairs. "Anyhow, guard on the cameras is down for the count. Didn't blow up the camera stuff though, figured it would just get everyone's attention. Subtle, right?" he says smirking and leaning on the wall.

"I don't take orders from you, Jeanne," Adam says coolly. "And this is an effective weapon. If one of those guys of there is some sort of TP freak who can make us all kill each other, then isn't it better to just knock him out of power for a few days? I'm not going to miss." He looks at America. "Everyone has weaknesses. To win, you aim," he lifts the crossbow, "for those." He lets the crossbow drop, hanging from the loop he has around his wrist.

"But if you prefer--" he reaches back into the quiver, flipping out the collapsible bow and opening it with a snap of the wrist, and nocking an arrow with a yellow tag. "We'll just play this way. I've got your back, Rica." And he follows her.

Finesse, seeing Adam has put the 'newt' bolt away, moves out of the door, heading down the hallway. She moves to the side, to make room for America to take the 'lead', and begins to head towards the area Speed had previously described; time to engage, and fight.

With the small issue resolved, and Speed urging them on, America doesn't waste anymore time--She was already chomping at the bit to get into this as it was. Taking the stairs two at a time even though she could just as easily fly up, she heads after Speed into the upstairs hallway barreling down it at a full-speed run. The clock was ticking since the camera was down. Without a word or battle cry or anything else she heads straight for whatever guard is there with fist pulled back to punch.

Speed is right there behind America. When she rushes past the first guard to take on the second guard, he swings for the first guard. "Meep, meep," he grins and swings a fist. That little shout may have been a bad idea the guard's skin shifts into stone and Speed yelps "Ow!" before the stone skinned mutant lifts him off the ground one handed and slams him into the wall. "Traitor," he growls staring daggers at Tommy.

Breathe in. Draw. See the target. Aim. Adam hears his foster father's voice in his head as he moves down the hallway, seeing the stone guy grab up Tommy. It's almost as if he can count the individual cracks on the guys hand. He sees every line, every detail.

Breathe out. Release. Hit the target.

The arrow flies down the hallway and hits the man's hand with a resounding *TWHACK*. Acid oozes out across his hand-- and acid and stone do not mix.

Howling in pain, he drops the speedster.

Raptor and Finesse -can- make a good team. If they work together. Or at least, in a battle. Finesse is, by now, at the point of attack, and leaping against one wall she pushes off in a mannerism only an Olympian could, and utilizes the full force of her body's forward momentum by using that, as well as her defined strength to slam the cap of her escrima stick into the back of StoneSkin. It won't do any damage, no. But, it -should-, combined with the blow from Raptor, put the fellow off balance, for America to finish off and take care of, or leave him open for Julian. She lands, near Speed, grabs the Speedster, and pulls him back, under Stoneskin's legs to protect him while he's getting breath again.

Julian comes through the doorway, and throws up a hand almost the instant Tommy drops and Finesse is out of the way, sending a powerful bolt of telekinetic force right into Stoneskin. It's kept "broad" so that it hopefully doesn't do -too- much damage, but it's still hopefully powerful enough with the conjunction of everything else to take him out of the fight for now. Though Julian -does- keep an eye out to see if he might need to hit him again.

America had barreled past stone skin to let the others deal with him in an effort to get to the far side. She hadn't known who had what powers so it seemed the most expedient. The tall, lanky man snaps his attention toward them only to throw his hands up sending flames licking down the hall. No wonder they put him and stoney together--Stoney could probably not MELT. The flames don't make it all the way down the hall though as his main target was America.

As the flames engulf her America lunges toward the man punching through the flame without issue to send him cracking back into the wall where he crumples into a rather knocked-out heap. "Huh. Easy," she mutters as she turns back to the others alread clapping a hand on the edge of her jacket to put out the remaining flames as she calls out, "Jules--Cut his air supply if that doesn't work," she offers helpfully. "Speed - Which door?"

Speed gasps for breath as Jeanne pulls him out of the line of fire. "Thanks hot-and-scary," he rasps up at her with a smirk before he pushes up to his feet again and sets his goggles back properly over his eyes. "Third on the left, er, your right," he calls to America before looking down at Stoneskin. "Yeah totally cut off his air, fair play, right?"

Adam's already nocked and drawn a second arrow-- blue flagged. He holds his fire, as both the targets are down for the count. "Let's keep moving," he states calmly, moving towards the door Speed had indicated, booting it open firmly. "We're here to rescue you," he says, sweeping the room, arrow still ready to fire--just in case. The people inside huddle, frightened. "Who are you?" a voice calls from the back of the room, shakily.

How they must look-- A goth kid with purple spiked hair with a bow and arrow; a floating, green-glowing guy; a latina cracking her knuckles wearing a red-white-and-blue jacket; a short-haired girl in a skin-tight black and white suit; and a white-haired teen in green skintights and goggles-- had to be disconcerting after having their labs stormed by secret agents and X-men, then kidnapped by mutants.

Adam lifts his gaze to meet the prisoners'. "We're the Young Avengers," he says with a nod. "And we're here to take you home."

It's been thirty seconds, and Raptor and Finesse haven't grated on each other. It might be the start of a new understading; or perhaps proof of just how focused they both are at being a Young Avenger, and the mission, at hand. Finesse looks to Julian, "Hellion, get the locks," she suggests. Then, she looks to the prisoners. "If you do not come with us, you will be executed. I suggest you take your chances with us." Finesse might have no social skills, but she is excellent at putting things in black and white terms. She looks at each of them in turn, and then she heads a few paces down the hall of the opposite end from which they came, and stands guard, and watch.

"I don't like going Darth Vader on folks unless it's life-or-death." Julian notes towards America. "Too much risk of permanent damage." When they make their grand entrance into the "not guilty" prisoners' rooms, he glances to America, "Let's start getting these folks out of here." He looks to Adam and tilts his head towards America, "You watch her back and help keep the folks calm on the other side." He glances to Finesse and Speed, "We'll get the rest of them. We can move the fastest."

America just shrugs to Julian's response but she accepts it easily and without complaint. "Doesn't seem necessary any way," she has to admit with a look to the felled rock-skin guy. Another glance is made down the hall just regarding him to ensure that there wasn't any movement from his end other than breathing. Good. Moving to the side she steps into the room itself rolling her sleeves up to show off a pair of glowing star tattoos. Abruptly a lighted star appears behind her on the wall. "Going to give you guys a choice because I know you haven't had one lately. You can come with us, or you can wait and see if Magneto's honest about letting you go. I'm not going to force anyone. But if you want out..." She turns then and punches the star causing a shattering of light before she glances over her shoulder smiling with amusement. "I'm your ticket."

Speed glances back over his shoulder at the other cells. "Yeeeah, can't do it. Those guys are mutant hater Keller, better to let them get what's coming to 'em," he says with a shake of his head. "Heck, I'm not all that happy about these guys getting out of here," he jerks his head at the group retreating through the star.

"Then I'll go," Adam says evenly. "They may deserve what Magneto plans to do with them--" As the last of the 'innocent' prisoners dash through the star, a voice interrupts him from the back of the room.

"Oh, my child, they /do/ deserve it. Julian, Julian, Julian..." the voice is calm, measured.

No wonder the prisoners had been so frightened. The wolf had been among the sheep.

Adam whirls, his arrowhead focused on the voice, and he releases, the arrow whipping through the air-- only to slow to a stop, and turn in midair.

Magneto slides his helmet on. "How very interesting. Your companions would be welcome here as well, Julian. This would be a good home for all of you." Though his gaze flits over Finesse somewhat dismissively.

Finesse does not look scared; she might be intimated, but if so, she does not show it. She grips either of her escrima sticks, and she tells Magneto, "We came to speak to Julian. To bring him home." Odd, that she says nothing about the large group of people they're set to free. "We neither came to stay. Or to fight." Which is quite true, if Magneto is having any of his telepahts scan Jeanne's mind. At least, that is, it's true in -her- mind.

Let's see, who's voted "most likely to do something to really screw this up?" Give us a moment. Yep, you've got it.

Before much of any protest can be made, or even before he fully realizes what's happening, Adam will suddenly find himself engulfed in that telltale telekinetic glow and rather rapidly lifted and carried into America's portal. "Flung" even, though certainly not hard enough that any damage beyond perhaps a couple bruises are likely to occur on the other side.

"It -is- a nice place, Magneto. But it's not home. As much as I appreciate your hospitality, it's time for me to leave." He takes a deep breath, and glances between America and Tommy, "Going after the rest of the prisoners might be the right thing to do...but I honestly don't give enough of a damn about them to push the issue. He gestures, indicating the three remaining besides himself, "These people though, I -do- give a damn about...and they gave enough of a damn about me to risk coming here uninvited." He shrugs, smiling a bit, "So I figure it's only fair I go with them. I kind of doubt they want to stay."

America crosses her arms over her chest as she turns to lean against the wall with her shoulders pressed against it. The star remains open beside her, a clear portal out which had yet to be closed. "Not interested. We've still got some people to find as it is. Some SHIELD agents you tangled with at the raft," she states, pointedly, giving Magneto a none-too-pleased glare. It's all she says though while Julian continues to talk. It's not really Magneto she's looking at though--not directly. It's the arrow that still hovers held in his control watching very carefully for any sign he might let it go at one of them so she can spring into the path if need be. "Honestly not going to lose any sleep over the serial killer puta. Have at."

Speed's mouth shuts up tight when Magneto appears. He stands still, makes no sudden moves, and does his best not to draw any attention to himself. He turns ever so slightly towards the portal, just in case.

Magneto gives Julian a knowing nod.

"You'll be back." He looks very assured of this fact.

And a blast of force combined with tugs on whatever metal is on them from the man knocks the remaining Young Avengers back through America's portal.