Beyond Evolution

bolshoy
beyond_evo

Mikhail was feeling a strange sense of deja vu. He stood here before, looking upon the walls of the citadel knowing victory was in their grasp. Usually fearless, without worry, Mikhail could not shake the idea that he might fail again. And then what? Who would that make him? Would he ever be able to recover? He had been through the vicious ministrations of the Worldly Avatar and survived. But he would unravel if he did not triumph for his people once more.

"You have your orders," Mikhail said, loud enough for those situated around him could hear. He had made a promise to his people years ago to never allow the same thing to happen again. And while there was a lapse in this promise, he could not see it unfulfilled.

"We take the citadel through the sewers. Once inside, Taxxu and the guards will pose the biggest threat. Tailiv's standing army is dispersed around the city because they expect us but they do not expect what we have to bring." This was said to the other mutants, wanted and accidental, who were brought with him. One day his thanks for their participation, though forced, would be known. But right now? ( Mikhail had nothing to thank them for yet. )

[ Open to ALL DIMENSION TRAVELLERS. Power inhibitors are off, jail cells are unlocked. Mikhail has some known friends and unknown friends in high places. Injuries allowed! Look under subthreads for your exit!]

beyond_npcs
beyond_evo

There was a reason that attempts on the Raft weren't made. Delta had tried, long ago -- the bravest among them or the most foolhardy, depending on who was telling the story. With all their powers and training they hadn't been able to free the people inside. Or survive themselves. Their deaths had closed the door on any future attempts, and the people in the Rafts were given up as lost.

But now it was happening again.

It was regrettable that there were children on this mission, but they were as necessary as the others. The same with Alani, having to get into that machine and be thrown into Drifting with Renai. But it was because of that that they were able to get the Raft at all, the Gen II going to the bottom of the ocean and breaking the chain that held it suspended in the middle of the water. The same with Christian, needed to freeze the water around the Raft once it had surfaced so that the Sentinels couldn't sink it again. All needed. All enhanced with Kick.

There were securities in place to stop this from going any further than it had. Dampening safeguards that turned mutants to baselines. Helena came in there, manipulating the timestream from the outside so that there was enough room for others to maneuver in, even as humans, to disable that feature. For Vic to then safely crawl on the ceiling above, headed over the laser grid and to the panels that governed the cells, using Riley's knowledge to pinpoint Michael Nowlan's and the extra precautions around it. Taking those down. Taking down the grid itself so that Abby could come in and fry the rest of it with her powers.

There was fighting, meanwhile. Rogue and Robbie clearing a room of Sentinels they'd been trapped in -- a fool's errand for anyone else, but the Sentinels couldn't copy the extra powers Rogue had, only her own. And even with Robbie's powers copied they couldn't defend against his propulsion enhanced by Kick. Lilli was moving through the prison, telling the captives what was happening, who was coming, as Evan used his gun built by Rory to make impossible shots, some literally from around corners.

They were all necessary. It was all needed. Layla knew it as she knew most everything. Including the heavy toll this would take as far as lives went. But as much as those hurt, it would all be worth it in the end.

It would have to be.