War On Crime

*Kylie hits ignore, but texts him back*

Can't talk but can text. Aren't you in class?
===
*Cameron stares at the wall, but leans up to whisper in Jin's ear*

<...Mutant busters...>

Jin gasped and let go of his shoulders, then grabbed them all over again. She looked like she was about to yell, but then whispered desperately back into his ear, "They're not taking you away are they?!"

Another set of security doors later and they came into the intensive care ward. There were fewer cells than the rest of the establishment each different than the last.

Jack: "Time to get ready."

One of the physicians prepared their gear, Clover looking uneasy.

Jack: "It's up to you to overpower Ms. Isley's plant physiology. Perhaps you can sedate her with your own abilities while Jammer tries to control her."

Jeremiah: "Do you think this will even work? If you fail, we're all going to die."

Jack: "Then we won't fail."

One cell they pass features a large steel windowless door with elaborate runes and sigils etched into it and nameplate that reads Dagon hangs above the door.

Jack: "Grimm and The General will restrain the patiant while the physicians do their part and if we all survive, that'll conclude our little field trip."

===================================

Iron Duke: "Still quick to jump to conclusions."

The hanged woman tilts her head, looking at Luna like "Who is this chump?"

As a matter of fact, Luna hears a voice in the back of her head belonging to a female she does not recognize asking "Who are you?"

*Luna looks around. Not noticing anyone else, she concludes that the voice belongs to the bound woman & looks up at her.*

"I took the name Spectre recently. Don't worry, I'm going to rescue you."

Cameron:<No, but they injected something in me. I think it's a tracker.>

*He looks around, then back to Jin*

<You can't tell anyone! They'll do things...>

Grimm rolled his neck and began clicking the fingers of his left hand, making sparks, "Am I allowed the full extent of my power?"

Jin paused and furrowed her brow, new thoughts passing into Cameron's head, Okay then. Not even Eve?

Jack: "We need her alive. Unless you are Clover or Jammer, you are to restrain her using the instruments God gave you."

They pass another set of heavy steel doors, a small barred window present, but the inside is not visible in the darkness of the cell. The nameplate above the door reads Panthera.

There is a third cell featuring a steel door with electronic locks that require a keycode and key flanking it with the nameplate Croc and lastly Rosebud's cell.

Jeremiah enters the combination on the keypad outside the cell, the steel door rising followed by a plexi glass door parting. Inside in full restraints of leather and steel is a woman with an unnaturally green complexion and orange hair.

Jack: "Ms. Isley-"

Rosebud: "Do not call me by that name!"

Jack: "My apologies. Rosebud, you've been chosen to join the Lightning Bolts. You'll be moved to a different facility and if you behave, we may just shave some time off your sentence."

Rosebud: "And if I don't behave?"

Jack: "We'll drag you back here and the only way you'll ever leave is when the ocean reclaims the earth."

===================================

I am in no need to be rescued.

Iron Duke looks up at the hanged woman.

Iron Duke: "I can't say for sure."

*Alvero's heart sinks when he notices he got ignored, but then lightens again once he gets the text. He quickly opens his phone's text messager to reply to Kylie.*

Uhh, yeah. But it's about to get let out. Teacher's being a bit boring, so yeah. Where have you been?

"What are you talking about?"

*She casts a suspicious glare at Iron Duce.*

"Either of you."

We should tell her. I think they meant more of me going public, but I'm not sure. What if this thing records sound and they use it to find more mutants?!
===
Family emergence. I should be back at school tomorrow.

I don't know... we should use a code. We'll call mutants 'joggers', yeah?

Grimm's excitement was now visible, and he appeared on the edge of losing his shit on everything between him and Rosebud. He stopped clicking and balled his fists tightly.

Jammer sets to doing her thing which being a telepathic ability, is not visible to them. The General moves to secure Rosebud so Jeremiah can release her once the physician is finished with their part.

Clover looks nervous as fuck as she isn't entirely sure how her part is to play out in this scenario. She's probably creeped out by Grimm as well. I wouldn't blame her for that.

Rosebud promptly begins thrashing about when The General grabs her arms. The scene looks like a brick house of a man grabbing hold of a martian in a straitjacket.

Crimson: "Can't you sedate her?!"

Jack: "Not in the traditional sense, no."

===================================

Iron Duke: "Private conversation. Are you just about finished here?"

"Of course not. For all I know, you've threatened or coerced her into covering for you. You may even have the power to control minds. The real question is how I'm going to interrogate you. Maybe Grapevine can create a truth serum."

Grimm continued to be rooted to the spot, though the others might notice the temperature rising very quickly, to the point that their mouths were dried out. He took slow steps towards Rosebud.

Eve's in trouble but I don't know how much. I'm in a lot of trouble, and I kind of ran away to come here, so I might be in even more trouble now. Sucks.

The temperature begins returning to normal almost right away and an electrical shock runs through Grimm's body.

Jack: "When I said the instruments God gave you, I meant the appendages you were born with. I even said the names of those authorized to use their abilities for this operation. Next time you disobey an order, I'm going to ask Dr. Arclight very nicely if I can have you fed to one of the other patiants in this ward."

Crimson & Clover are visibly unnerved by Jack's words and the mystery surrounding the other three patiants in this ward.

Rosebud bites down on her lip, a dark green fluid begins to pool out. Jeremiah's deadpan expression falters slightly before she shares the same fate as Grimm and is promptly shocked.

===================================

Iron Duke: "I'm just as human as I assume you are."

Iron Duke puts his hands on his waist, specifically his belt buckle.

Iron Duke: "What reason could I have for coercing her into doing anything? Also coming in without a plan is not a good way to play this game."

Iron Duke looks up at the hanged woman.

Iron Duke: "That's out of concern. This is not a suitable place to live."

===================================

Mook: "If you don't mind me asking, sir, how do you intend on dealing with the attacks on the labs?"

Kyle: "There isn't a problem in the world that can't be solved with a little bit of money."

Sun-Hi: "Who should be contacted?"

Kyle: "The Furious Five, Momba, Straight Shot, Kali, Pyrox, all of them, I don't care. Whichever brings me the heads of those two will walk away with a lot of money."

Sun-Hi: "Understood."

Grimm went rigid and stood in place for a moment, eyes squeezed closed, then snapped them open again and continued walking towards Rosebud without a word. As soon as close enough he cocked back a fist and threw a mighty punch into the side of her head where the jaw meets the skull.

"Given your penchant for talking to yourself, I was guessing that your motivation is insanity. Okay, so you're not a telepath. That doesn't rule out the possibility of blackmail."

*Of course she has Grapevine on speed dial, so after a couple of thumb presses, Thiera answers.*

"Uh, hello?"

Rosebud: "Bastard!"

Jack: "Jammer, put him down. Make sure it hurts."

While The General hauls Rosebud out, Jammer moves in on Grimm, tripping him with a sliding kick.

Jack: "Not the best first impression of this team."

Jeremiah: "I will ensure not only do you never come near my facility again, but also that Waller hears every detail."

Jack: "Understandable."

===================================

Iron Duke: "There is nothing insane about talking verbally to a telepath. I have nothing to hide to not do so."

"Spineless! As though a concussion wouldn't expedite the process," Grimm complained, avoiding Jammer if he hadn't already been shocked, or otherwise complaining from the floor. "Spineless and vague, no leader at all."

I have no idea. Can we do even anything at all now that the Busters are onto you? Seems like we have no options, not that we had much before.

L"Hey, could you meet me down at the docks? In the abandoned warehouse?"

T"What, right now?"

L"What, you have a day job, or something?"

T"Well...if you're sure it can't wait, I guess I can take a sick day."

*Eve looks up from her food, watching Thiera*
===
They threatened to use me as an example, so I think our options are squat, unless they don't involve me.

Jammer digs her knee into Grimm's back amd twists the arm he had used to slig Rosebud behind his back.

Jack: "But it would. Had we met on different terms, would you have been willing to join if I spat blasphemies at you? Building trust between her and the rest of the group just got more difficult now that she has a woman beater in the same facility as her to fear. On top of that, what relationship that could have been formed between the Lightning Bolts and Arclight Asylum has been shot to Hell and our reputation is now tarnished before the group has been officially created.

My instructions were quite clear. I said restrain her, not smack her around nor were you given authorization to use your abilities. Remember Jammer, make it hurt."

Jammer bends Grimm's arm in a way it should not be bent until it snaps.

===================================

It's going to be awhile before Thiera can get on the scene. Luna should be fortunate enough that she's not against some bad people as anyone else would have torn her open awhile ago.

You're making a mistake.

[So you ARE a telepath. Well, what mistake am I making?]

T"I'll see you as soon as I can, but it will probably be a few hours."

L"Okay. If the situation improves, I'll let you know."

T"Thanks for that."
===============================
*Thiera stands & hangs up, whispering something to Aroma. She then picks up her backpack & heads to the bathroom.*