xmutanthigh | [OPEN POST] NEW BRO'HOOD

[Team Secret is following protocols like any other effective and well-behaved secret co-op. They've landed the jet and left its cloak on, with plenty of trekking ahead of them. That was about an hour ago - they've taken to the trees and are avoiding any trails at all, sticking to the thick growth for necessary cover.

They are bundled up out of necessity and shivering; it's cold and getting dark and they still have ground to cover. Exactly how much, none of them are entirely sure. All the have is a direction: up.

Every one in awhile Julian flies up past the impossibly tall trees to take a gander at their surroundings, check for smoke or any indication of life in the distance. He's floating back down from another scouting surveillance; he avoids a branch and lands easily on his feet.]

Campfire. Several miles. To the north.

[Bobby acknowledges this intel with a nod. He pauses to consider their options.]

They've got a mutant-detector; we can't get too close too soon.

[He glances up at the darkening sky, then over at Julian again.]

Any movement?

Just the smoke.

[Julian frowns thoughtfully, rubs his nose and cold mouth, peering into the distance.]

Think we should go another few miles until dark, set up camp? We need to scout, figure out a plan.

Edited 2011-02-22 06:50 (UTC)

[Bobby closes his eyes and concentrates on their surroundings, feeling out the thermal energy, sensing the moisture in the snow, the air, the trees. Far off, he thinks he senses the flicker of energy that must be the campfire, and maybe a few heat signatures that could be people - or it could be the wildlife.

He opens his eyes again and sets his jaw, nodding.]

We keep going until dark, cover as much ground as possible. We won't be able to set up good surveillance until we're closer; I'm not near enough to sense people.

[That makes Julian pause: he was nodding at first, but now he peers back at Bobby.]

You can sense people? What the hell does that mean?

[Gah. It's always so hard to explain this. But Bobby resists the urge to groan, because of course Julian wouldn't know. Nobody knows, because in the past it's never been useful.]

I can sense moisture and thermal energy - it's how I can do what I do. So if I'm nearby, up to a few miles away, I can sense the moisture and thermal energy that make up people. It's not a perfect science, but it's probably going to come in handy here.

Oh. [Julian raises his brows, almost impressed by the information, then shrugs. He turns in the direction they are heading, holding out a hand to help Kitty up a particularly muddy slope.]

That's going to come in handy. [Kitty gives Bobby an impressed grin before reaching for Julian's offered hand. The landscape is a tough thing to push through, but they trek on a few more miles. Kitty's spent the time mostly quiet in concentration, trying her best to maintain balance in the tough terrain and snow. She pauses only when the scent of smoke reaches her attention.] Close enough to sense, Bobby?

[Julian is just as quiet: out of necessity and a lack of anything to say. They haven't exactly been trained to weather rough terrain uphill like this; they are all panting a bit as they stop. Julian smells the smoke too; immediately turns his head to Bobby for an answer - but something catches his eye several yards away: a small clearing of trees.

But it's not the clearing that beckons his attention, it's the familiar, grotesquely mangled figure strapped to a trunk. Julian's eyes widen and he immediately sets off - horror taking hold of his features. He remembers Rogue, and his promise to her.]

Logan?!

Edited 2011-02-23 06:49 (UTC)

[There he is, the man they call Logan, bound to a tree with his own limbs, snarling like an animal, struggling to free himself. He doesn't respond to Julian calling his name, mainly becuase the part of him that would recognize it isn't there. Not right now.

James "Logan" Howlett has recessed into the fathoms of his mind. The Wolverine, the Weapon, they too are gone. All the remains, left in this wilderness alone is the feral beast within.

The Berserker.]

[Bobby spots Logan a second after Julian, but he can feel the heat of the fire somewhere nearby, sense the warmth of other bodies, people moving. They're close - he can't tell exactly how close or how many people there are, but the thermal energy is definitely close enough for him to start manipulating, and if it belongs to the Brotherhood, then that's definitely too damn close when they have no plan.]

Hellion.

[It's hissed low over their communicators, but the warning is clear. He pulls Kitty back; she automatically phases them behind the cover of some trees.

He speaks quietly into his communicator, every word laced with authority.]

Hellion, pull back. There are people nearby; I can't tell how many.

[If Logan's animalistic snarling and Bobby's hiss over the communicator didn't stop Julian, the realization of potential nearby danger does as well. He stops yards away from breaking out into the open, his eyes wide at the sight in front of him. He does as ordered, his breath puffing out white as he steps back and rejoins Kitty and Bobby.]

[Hellion stops just in time, too, because just as he falls back into the shadows, as couple of Madroxes pop into the clearing. They're talking to themselves. It's weird, but sometimes these dupes are short on company.]

What the hell was that? [One skirts the edge of the clearing, coming close to Julian, but not seeing him.]

What the hell was what? [Another asks, rolling his eyes and going through the motions. He's clearly not thrilled with being perpetually stuck on patrol.] He's been snarling like that for a day and a half already, guy.

No, man, he was quite for hours until just now. [The two dupes look at Logan, rabid, frothing at the mouth.] Quieter, anyway. Something must've spooked him.

Maybe he just caught a whiff of your cologne. [A little smirk from the second dupe who dares to inch slightly closer to peer at the growling Wolverine.]

It's your cologne, too. [And then, under his breath:] Idiot.

Not by choice...

[And so they continue, arguing with themselves, scouting the clearing half-heartedly, not really believing there's anything or anyone there.]

[Crap. This certainly makes things difficult. Kitty lets out the breath she's been holding when the dupes continue arguing. There's no telling how long they can stay unnoticed, but they can't wait just to find out. She crouches down a bit lower, tugging both Julian and Bobby with her so they can hear her lwhisper.] This might not be the brightest idea, but if I can sneak up behind that tree, I could free Logan. [And after that? Kitty has no idea, but looks to her teammates for feedback.]

[Julian sets his jaw at the idea, watching the many, many Madroxes from between the foliage, and turns to Kitty. There's a pause; Julian licks his lips and shifts slightly, glancing to Bobby.]

I'd say why waste time like that when I can do from right here, but- [Julian stops, swallows.] His claws- there's no way. I say go for it.

Edited 2011-02-23 16:51 (UTC)

[Bobby takes a moment to calculate, counting the number of Madrox duplicates, figuring out how they can get Kitty close enough without being detected.]

Okay. Shadowcat, go, stay low. Hellion, you and I need to try and provide some kind of remote distraction so she can get to Logan without being seen...

[He casts his gaze over their surroundings, peering at a group of trees just beyond the Madroxes, on the opposite side of the tree Logan is strung up on. He points it out to Julian; whispers his orders.]

I'll freeze some ice to smash on the ground just over there. Break some of the tree branches. Should be enough noise to distract them for a minute.

[He turns to Kitty.] It won't give you much time - you're going to have to move fast.

Give me something challenging to do. [Julian says this with his usual devil-may-care tone, but his smirk is missing in the equation. His eyes glow faintly green as he turns in the direction Bobby's pointing, stretching out a hand and at the ready. He waits for Bobby to start his freezing gig, aware of Kitty slipping quietly away.

A moment later, two heavy branches break off a tall, towering tree, heavy and deadly sheets of ice following with errant snow. The commotion is enough to beckon all the Jamies' attention; Kitty slips behind Logan.]

[Bobby creates another sheet of ice and glances over towards Logan to check Kitty's progress. But the duplicates have caught on that the falling tree branches and crashing ice aren't the work of Mother Nature, and a few of them are turning around...

And one of them spots her.

Bobby's orders are delivered rapid-fire even before the duplicate has alerted the rest of the Madroxes. His body swiftly changes into his organic ice form, preparing for the fight he knows is coming.]

Shadowcat, you've been spotted. Get moving. We'll deal with the dupes.

[One of the Madroxes opens his mouth, making motions to alert the not so distant hordes of brotherhood mutants. This is a moment when things are looking pretty rough for Team Secret, but lucky for them, the hollering Madrox has lost his voice. What unusual is Logan seems to as well, and in fact the entire clearing has gone deathly silent.

A slender figure drops out of the boughs of a tree without a sound, catching one Madrox under the chin with a steel-toed boot. From out of nowhere, a spike of fire-like psionic energy strikes the other Madrox square in the chest. Both are felled surprisingly easily.

The sound returns to the clearing with a soft whoosh as the Dazzler releases her hold on the sonic vibrations, dusting herself off and smiling over at Bobby and Julian.]

Man, you guys are loud.

Ali? Jon?

[Julian's voice is the first to break the shocked silence of Team Secret, his expression one of utter surprise and confusion. But it soon morphs into something else, something more. His lips part, ceasing the white puffs of air escaping his mouth; his jaw sets. He looks cautiously around and glances gloweringly at Bobby before stalking towards his best friend, hands in fists still surrounded by telekinetic power.]

What the hell do you think you're doing here, Blaire?

[Ali rolls her eyes, indicated to the two, still unconscious Madroxes. She's so not intimidated.]

Saving your ass. What's it look like, Keller?

TEAM SNEAKY OVER HERE

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TEAM STUPID FTW!

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MADROX - Kayt

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IRIS!! I'm borrowing Jonoface, I hope that's okay!

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IRIS COME OVER HERE AND PLAY WITH ME

I AM HEEERE CAUSE I LOVE YOU AND BOBBY

TEAGAN MY LOVE OVER HERE! THERE IS ACTION HERE FOR YOU!

:D <333