xmutanthigh | [OPEN POST] NEW BRO'HOOD

Yeah. Tell master. [Kevin says this in a soft, almost absent-minded voice, a blank expression on his face. He allows Caliban to turn and shuffle off back towards their headquarters to relay this information to Magneto. Then, from behind him, Kevin's expression turns to a snarl and he rips off both gloves, letting them drop to the snow, and grabs Caliban by the head. As soon as Caliban begins to scream, Kevin brings around one of his hands to cover his mouth. The scream immediately falls silent as Caliban's entire head is crumbling, and withering away, until he's nothing more than a pile of dust.

Kevin stares down at the ground, breathing heavily. His breath is coming out in big white puffs as he calms himself down. He allows himself a moment to compose himself, then kicks around the snow with his boots, covering up some of the dust. The rest will get taken by the wind.

Now how is he going to explain this? Whatever, he can just blame it on some nameless backup of Logan's or something. He'll think of something. He got ambushed. Or separated. Or something. Doesn't matter right now. What matters is finding Ali and Jono.

He dashes off in the direction that Caliban had pointed.]

Come on, guys. Be there. Be alive. Be okay.

Edited 2011-02-22 08:53 (UTC)

[What Kevin finds is a huddled mass of foil emergency blankets and limbs. At first, it's hard to recognize anything save for Jono's enormity: whether the two are alive, frozen, dispatched by another patrol that got to them first.

They are alive, just foolishly both sound asleep at the same time. The last watch was Jono's, but in the wee hours of the morning, he had dozed off, his head dropped to rest against Ali's. He's snoring lightly, and with every rumbling exhale of his, Ali's sleeping body lets of a flurry of rainbow coloured sparkles around them.

Not exactly the most inspiring operation anyone ever saw, but at least nobody's tied them to any trees with their own limbs...yet.]

[Kevin's actually really freaked out by this sight. Did they come here alone? It sure as hell is starting to look like it. They are a mess, completely unprepared for trekking through the woods in this weather, and are asleep with no one to keep watch. Kevin knows from Caliban that they were the only two mutants in the area, and this is what he stumbled upon. Two sleeping, completely unguarded idiots. What were they thinking?

Kevin's sure they could've gotten themselves killed. Maybe they need to be taught a lesson.

He scales a nearby tree and pelts a snowball at them.

Jono jolts awake and instinctively throws Ali down behind him, and emits bursts of energy from his palms.]

[Ali crouches behind Jono, resting her palm against his leg to get his attention. She raises a finger to her lips as her eyes brighten to a blinding white.

The area for miles around grows absolutely still, not even a rustle of wind in the trees is heard. The Dazzler's glowing orbs scan the area, eventually flicking up to fix on the tree Kevin's in. She raises a finger, directing Jono's gaze, unleashing three quick photon bursts into the lower branches.]

[Fortunately for Kevin, he's prepared, since he's had his eyes trained on the two of them from the beginning. As soon as Ali's lights hit the trees, he propels himself up, grabs some higher branches, and keeps himself suspended instead of crashing down through the branches like Ali probably intended. He keeps himself hidden for a moment before deciding to reveal himself. They don't look like much of a threat, after all. Even if they decided to come here to kill him, neither Ali or Jono look like they're in much shape right now to do so. He might as well get some answers out of them.

He drops down to the ground - making sure they know it's on his own terms, landing surely on his feet and bending his knees to absorb the impact. He looks at the two other mutants confidently, a hard gaze in his eyes.]

You guys are a mess. Some backup you are.

[Still under the assumption that they were to provide backup for Logan and John, Kevin scoffs at the state they're in. Relief settles in that they're still alive, but suspicion and anger will probably overtake that soon enough, now knowing that they're safe.]

[Backup? What--?

It takes Ali a moment, frozen in time and space, before it feels like she can even breathe. She blinks few times, her mouth going dry upon seeing him. Him. Finally, safe, alive and...throwing snowballs at them?

Some things, thankfully, never change.

She glances up at Jono for a split second before launching herself past him to catch Kevin in a fierce, desperate embrace that almost knock the two of the backward into the snow.

She squeezes him tight, recklessly, either forgetting or ignoring the caution required for such a hug with Kevin involved, and a few stray hairs that brush against his cheek turn to dust and flutter away, unnoticed on the cool breeze.]

Kevin! [She squeezes him tighter, smelling the leather of his jacket, the mix of old cigarettes and campfire smoke. She smiles, doesn't let go.] I missed you so much...

[Kevin's thoroughly freaked, of course -- he wriggles out of Ali's grasp as carefully as he can, and holds his hands out defensively, an instinctive "don't come any closer" pose he frequently holds.]

Whoa, come on, no touching!!

[There's a faint trace of hurt on Jono's face that Kevin doesn't look happier to see them. Jono says, "Hey, it's us..." weakly.

Kevin is having a hard time deciding how he feels. For all he knows, they could simply be feigning friendliness til more backup arrives to take out the Brotherhood, himself included. Or maybe it's just a private mission between Ali and Jono, who want some kind of revenge or payback for Kevin abandoning the X-Men.

Well, they're alone now. Caliban was sure of it, and the rest of the Brotherhood are occupied. So Kevin has some bit of freedom to ask his questions.]

What exactly are you guys doing here? Are there others coming?

Kev...

[Ali reaches for Kevin, but stops herself, looking up to Jono for some sort of direction. Her mouth turns into a frown and her jaw works for a moment, trying to find something to say that will make everything...better.

She can't think of anything, so she lets her hand drop and feels the space between them widen impossibly.]

It's just us. [She glances again at Jono, then continues.] We think. Rumors were going around like crazy, John vanished, so did Logan. We...Jono thought we needed to come find you, we... [She bites her lip, her hand twitching, wanting to reach out for him again. She finishes softly, her eyes dropping to the gound. It's a hard confession for her to make.] I've been a mess since you've been gone.

[Kevin's not sure if he's ready to let his guard down yet. Maybe it's from the months of being with the Brotherhood, each member always watching their own back, ready at any moment to be turned on. Suspicion and doubt fill Kevin's mind.

Ali's words manage to break apart some of that doubt, and the look on her face, but Kevin just doesn't know what to make of it. They'd be fine without him; he really feels that way. No fishing for compliments, no feeling sorry for himself -- everyone at the mansion is safer without him there. Surely they'd come to realize that in time. Surely his being gone would ease the fear they must've had when he, a dealer of death, was walking around amongst them everyday.

So for now he decides to tackle that bundle of emotions later. Convinces himself the tears brimming in Ali's eyes are all an act and Jono's just there to reinforce it. He turns businesslike once again and addresses the most pertinent matter because he does feel one thing for sure -- they know Logan's here, and Kevin knows that Ali and Jono wouldn't ever betray Logan. And right now he's a big concern. So he lets himself breach that topic first.]

I don't know how much you know, but I'll share with you that Logan's in trouble. Guys -- I don't know what your mission is here, but whatever it is, it needs to be put on hold. You have to believe me. I don't want him hurt, or - killed. [It's hard for him to say this last word. Saying it fills him with guilt. And he's filled with the horror of knowing that he has the capability of putting down the nearly unkillable Wolverine for good. All he'd need is Polaris's control of metal, and then he could reduce Logan's brain and spinal cord to dust.]

They could do it. [He settles for it putting it that way, instead of admission of the extent of his destructive powers.]

You have to help him.

Edited 2011-02-23 10:37 (UTC)

Logan? [Ali looks at Jono, confused, hoping for some backup here. Their plan never involved this, never really got this far. Helping liberate the Wolverine would mean taking on the Brotherhood, not just spirit Kevin away from them in secret. The thought terrifies her.

She wants to reach out to him again, but the tone in his voice and the way he's all but shoved her back to Jono know she shouldn't. She wants to protest, tell him that they've come to help him. Take him home. Instead she swallows, grits her teeth, looks up at Jono again, maybe inadvertently leaning back against him, taking small comfort in his enormity.]

Of course we'll help him.

[Jono nods, passing a private telepathic message to Ali, saying Okay. Let him explain.]

The Brotherhood has him captured. And has you guys completely outnumbered - if you came alone, that is. As things are I know you are alone now, so you need to lay low, got it? There's an abandoned cabin east of here. We cleaned it out, it's close enough that Caliban could detect any other mutants hiding out there. But he - you won't have to worry about him finding you. Just stay there, okay? Keep a look out if you can manage it, but goddammit - stay away from our headquarters, all right? They'll kill you.

[Kevin speaks in a detached, clipped tone. No need to give away any emotions. No need to get too friendly with them if they're just here on a mission. He wishes he could trust them, but knows he just can't take that chance - at least not yet.]

Then let them!

[Ali can't contain herself at hearing Kevin say "our headquarters". Not after everything. She won't go through the same betrayal she did with her sister.]

Why bother hiding us from Caliban if you're one of them, Wither? Why not just waste us yourself? That's what Brotherhood mutants do, right?

[Kevin lets out a quick sigh and really restrains himself from rolling his eyes at her. He doesn't feel like he has time for this. He wants to get them to safety now.]

Yes, yes, it is what they do, which is exactly why you guys need to get out of here. Here. Take this. [He pulls out a water bottle from the pack he's carrying and tosses it to Jono.]

Not poisoned. Now get yourselves that cabin, okay? You'll either freeze or be killed by them out here.

[Not even Kevin seems to know what kind of a front to put up. First it was our headquarters, and now he's referring to the Brotherhood as them. Then again, that makes sense. Kevin's never really quite fit in anywhere anyway.

He softens his tone a little, and holds out his hands palms up as a show of peace.]

Really. Go. I don't want you guys hurt.

[OPEN POST] NEW BRO'HOOD

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