X-Champions Issues

Double Issue #47-48 - Sowing the Seeds

[play-by-mail part]

Shortly after the incident in New York, full page advertisements appear in all the major New York Newspapers announcing the formation of a new Organization, "The Benevolent Organization Of Mutants." Days later, similar advertisements appear in major newspapers around the world.  Nexus/Dr. Sihn has fashioned BOOM in a manner similar to the Doctors Without Borders.  The group is run by a "Constitution" that sets out that the point of the organization is to provide humanitarian aid wherever aid is needed. BOOM will help with rebuilding after disasters, keeping famines in check, and easing suffering wherever it has been wrought. If possible, BOOM will seek to avert some natural disasters before they happen, but they will never engage in any sort of combat, unless they must defend themselves during a mission.

BOOM has a secondary aim of providing a degree of political leverage for mutants. BOOM will actively pursue gaining rights for mutants, lobbying for or against laws that affect mutants, and supporting candidates who are friendly to this agenda. In pursuit of this, BOOM will sponsor events that will give the public a greater exposure to the good that mutants can do.  One of the first examples of this is a Mutant-oriented traveling show ("circus" has a slightly negative connotation for a group that is already looked upon as freaks), allowing people around the world to witness incredible feats firsthand. The show, of course, treats mutants in a very respectful manner, and is quite successful, already established and touring by February.

Disaster Response is always the first priority of the organization, though. BOOM quickly assembles lists of volunteers and their specialties in order to be able to quickly assemble strike teams to deal with problems. BOOM provides small stipends for mutants on extended missions, and keeps a few certain mutants on as permanent on-call staff (healers, agricultural specialists, etc.).

The acting executive officer is Bob Rogers. As the group gets going, Sihn and Rogers hope that BOOM will be able to put together an elected board and choose its own officers.  Sihn is providing the initial funding, and he volunteers his time in helping out with emergencies.

Sihn calls Nightcrawler and asks him if he would accept a position as "Head of Entertainment Services" for BOOM. This would entail planning and running a traveling show in which mutants display their powers in an entertaining and educational manner. It would probably also entail planning other special events from time to time.  He is concerned, though, about Nightcrawler's intentions, and approaches Suzanne about checking him out.  She says she will, with his permission, and when she asks Kurt to go thru a mind scan, she finds he is glad to. He's disgusted with Magneto's organization and wants to get out of it. Some of the radical fringe have threatened him and while he claims to the contrary, he's obviously a bit nervous about that. Any mental investigation indicates his sincerity, and doesn't reveal anything too bad but he has broken many laws as part of that organization.  Spectrum notes that the Detroit Magneto base is apparently very close to the Justice Squad one, confirming something she thought she once heard by accident in Hamlet's mind.  So she thinks to herself sarcastically, "won't he be surprised," and "reveals" to Hamlet about the nearness of Magneto's base.

Additionally, Sihn contacts The Ugly Thespian (he's a Thespian, after all) to see if he's interested/suited for a supporting role in the entertainment department. Sihn also thinks audiences would be interested in seeing Pterodactyl (since she's on parole under Xavier's care now) as an educational experience, given her resemblance to a dinosaur.

He'd like a representative or two from the major super-groups so he asks the X-Men and Outsiders to "volunteer" someone. He expects a bit higher level of participation from The Justice Squad, of course, and asks Sammy to be the headliner of the show. He expects the rest of the team to put in performances from time to time (especially when the show comes to Detroit), although Suzanne is hesitant - as she has stage fright.

Besides Sammy's singing, and various feats of acrobatics and entertainment, Sihn would like to stage some demonstrations of what it looks like when heroes use their powers. He plans to recruit some well-known local crime-fighters from each city the show visits and stage a mock combat.  Sihn thinks that people really want to see things "blow up", but gives Nightcrawler the final say in all of this.

Sammy gets not only into the idea of entertainment but even the BOOM principles.  He writes a "Sub-Mission Statement" (the Sammy version -- crying towels provided):  "To provide an opening for all sentient organisms to express love and friendship through the giving and receiving of a HUG. As these possibilities open, an opportunity for transforming one's self, community, nation and world become possible, beginning from one's contribution to another." (reference http://www.hugsforlife.com/therapy.htm http://www.geocities.com/pathways2eden/hug.html).

Sammy wonders if Eliot is trying to make friends in the Magneto camp.  He doesn't want to be the head, but he would think Rogers would be best. He helped Sammy get a start on his first Elvis tour, so Sammy thinks highly of him.  Sihn relates that Rogers is busy running BOOM and he will essentially be Nightcrawler's boss, but the work he is doing is a lot different, and more of a match for Rogers' business/public relations background.  

Sammy thinks he would make a good contribution doing his singing/music/blowing up thing.  As Nightcrawler is in charge of that though, Sammy asks if he could be in charge of the food preparation for the shows.  He asks Sihn about this, pointing out that he can make sure there is enough food, make sure all the food is compliant to health codes, and of course make sure everything tastes good.

Sihn explains to Sammy that the people who actually run the show will need to do this as their main job. Sammy's main job is being a hero, though he should be able to appear in the show from time to time. He asks, "What would happen if there was a show while the Justice Squad was fighting a bunch of villains? People might go hungry."

Sammy would definitely not want anyone going hungry if there was an emergency... so he accepts NOT being food director.  He ponders for a moment, then offers up, "Can I be the Food Director's Assistant (FDA?) and taste tester? At least when its convenient, and I'm doing a show anyways?"  Sihn defers that this is really Rogers' or Nightcrawler's decision but promises to put in a word, and of course they are glad to have Sammy's help, though they explain later to him that food tasting normally involves very small quantities of food - though they are prepared to make an exception.

As the organization gets off the ground, New York City seems like the best place for headquarters, so Rogers has moved there, at least for a few months, possibly longer.  He is looking for recruiters and screeners, and continuing to build a staff that can run a large non-profit. He's quite busy with the media, booking appearances on various TV shows in order to get the word out about the organization and to explain its goals and motives.  He receives help from the Laughton Agency for some background checks, and from Suzanne to help in screening some of the more important staff members.

Most reactions are of course positive. Still, some see it as a cheap ploy, predictably the likes of J. Jonah Jameson.  Jameson rails against BOOM, decrying it as a "front".  Nexus is pleased, as is Rogers; if J. Jonah Jameson wasn't against BOOM, no one would believe it was sincere.

Magneto issues a statement calling BOOM "a positive development" and lending his emotional support even if "for obvious reasons" he cannot directly contribute. His statement, however, is seen as a sort of lame duck comment, a sort of "me-too" ism by a leader in question, because...

...one of the bigger stories post "the incident", as it continues to be called, is that Magneto is washed up. The general spin on the events are that a rebellious, more extreme, faction in his loose organization took over and he was either captive or going along for the ride. He's seen as having lost his grip, and voices are being heard, not just in the regular media but the pro-mutant one, that he's "irrelevant", a vestige of older days, representing a militancy that has since polarized into terrorism and more-mainstream mutant factions, he inhabiting a space no longer meaningful or with a following. How much this is a "du jour" interpretation and really representative remains to be seen, of course. But what is being heard is that even though Lizard King, the purported (and gladly accepting of the title) ring-leader of the internal revolt, has been imprisoned, a hardcore faction is officially splitting from Magneto, donning the name "January Victory". 

Meanwhile NYC is being seen as becoming what Origin was intended to be, as mutants from around the country have begun to flock there. Magneto has praised the results and seems to be attempting to gain a following in NYC, often sighted there, apparently hoping to rebuild his credibility from the very ashes of where it was lost. In any event, NYC has become a strange city indeed. Many of the more pitiable mutant cases have been rectified by direct gene therapy with the help of Nexus, Dr. Strange, and others, but this requires the hands-on abilities of these people and/or extremely expensive and slow medical processes. The population of NYC is estimated to be entirely mutated to one degree or another aside from those rescued, with the mutations varying from trivial (wiggling ears or such) to massive (there's the new being crossed between Hulk and a lizard being called Grond after an obscure character in an RPG, and a new hero modeling himself after the pre-superhero comic book on Captain America). But mostly, within NYC, it's quite notable. Mostly those indoors felt less of the brunt, while anyone exposed outdoors felt it more greatly, thus the homeless population was most acutely affected, making some's lot far worse while for others actually affording abilities that are commercially viable. 

But in fact it's not just NYC. Stretching across state lines, for just over 60 km from the center of the Incident, people were mutated. The degree of mutation around 40-60 km is very slight, with around half the people unaffected entirely and most of the remainder not greatly affected. But the degree expands greatly within the 40 km radius. The outer  zone is the weak mutation area, the inner zone has pronounced/significant mutation occurrence, and the large inner circle inside that is where the major mutations occurred, and most people are mutated to one degree or another in that zone. As stated, NYC has become a mutant magnet, and the city is struggling to cope. Famous for its ethnic diversity, this new diversity is not coming easily. While Giuliani had hoped to redesign his city's relations with mutants to mirror Detroit's, this proves to be overwhelming as medical and emergency services are stretched to the limit, as is law enforcement as crime bloats. The National Guard has been called in to maintain order and a curfew has been imposed on the "city that never sleeps". Some mutants and sympathizers maintain a defiant vigil in Times Square and are allowed to peacefully encamp there, but the situation is explosive. The Outsiders seem to be a fixed feature in Manhattan as they struggle to keep an uneasy peace, keeping the Guard from making mistakes as they are the more lawless and/or desperate mutants. The economy, already struggling, has collapsed essentially in NYC and the repercussions are being felt nationally as the recession deepens. The federal government has set up an emergency registration system in NYC and surrounding areas, but it's widely criticized as ineffective - there isn't much the government can do, though, as the mere size of the job makes the task impossible in any short order. The Census Bureau is being consulted with the OMB to determine a way to mass canvass and register. Meanwhile, the little-understood attack has prompted a wave of national hysteria and curfews in many areas of the US. Flights are barely moving as security has become extreme, and even roadblocks have been set up in seemingly random stops on the highways. Throughout the nation, "suspect locations" are being hastily searched with sweeping "regional" warrants issued, as both local and federal law enforcement gets tough on finding anyplace that might be housing the kind of activity preceding the Incident in NYC. During this sweep, several mutant underground clubs have been discovered and closed, while even a few legitimate supers' hideouts have been discovered. Daredevil's lair in Chicago has been found, as has the Comet's in Miami. In Detroit, there is talk of sweeping the salt mines, long suspected as a hideout. There is also talk of sending teams onto Belle Isle to sweep the more isolated parts of the island. While the Patriot Act is already being revised with more sweeping search-and-seizure powers, there is little direct action regarding mutants in general. The strange event has highlighted that anyone can be a mutant, so bigoted reactions are more muted than might be expected. A few more extreme politicians and groups have called for the incarceration of all mutants to prevent such an event, but the very fact that most of NYC and the surrounding area is mutated makes that both impractical and generally unsupported. However, the ranks of NME, the vigilante anti-mutant organization, have swelled and they're suspected of ramping up their paramilitary organization. The government seems to be less active in pursuing this and accusations are bandied about on both sides.

Europe is on pins and needles but nothing really overt has changed.  Security has certainly heightened, as indicated, but otherwise the mutant underground is not terribly different there.  As to the general feeling, there's a fear what is happening in America is going to happen in Europe, in one form or another.  There's some similar polarization but much more marginalized.  Laughton finds from conversing with other supers that Liberty has put out a call to create a "new Justice League".

The Bush Administration calls in the major supers of the nation, including the Justice Squad, for a special consultation. Condoleeza Rice meets with them, the president being kept away for unstated but obvious security reasons. She makes a brief statement, and answers questions. 

It goes as: "We'd like to thank you for coming. We're gratified by the solid response and interest you've all shown. And we understand you have connections to some who have refused to cooperate; you are encouraged to spread what we have to say to them. 

"These are...trying times. We are all concerned about the possibility of violence, particularly in the New York area, and we want to impress upon everyone here that the government is doing everything it can to maintain a balanced and fair atmosphere, not just with appropriate laws and actions, but by encouraging an openness in discussion, and a tolerance for all. 

"You who are here are among those who have wisely chosen to help the government, you are the ones who understand that we're all in this together, mutant and non-mutant alike. We applaud your actions - and we respect that you have put an enormous trust in us, one that is of your own volition and that we cannot simply coerce, even if we so attempted. Now we come to you to ask you for the greatest task that we can - in the spirit of "ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country," we ask that you endeavor to set a sterling example of mutant and non-mutant cooperation. We ask that you further talk to those who are not so trusting as you are and that you do everything you can to convince them that we MUST work together. Ladies and gentlemen, we have seen the disruption that radical action creates. I think we all know there has to be a better way. Ask your friends, 'is this really how you want things to change?' Ask them - what kind of future do they want for their children? Yes, mistakes have been made in the past. Mistakes will probably be made again. But I stand here as an African-American woman holding the chief security job in this nation and I tell you that things WILL change and things WILL be different - IF WE WORK TOGETHER. 

"This administration has the greatest record of any of working proactively with gifted people of all stripes. We have recognized your talents, and given you the kind of access to the White House that none of your community have had. In fact, we had a personal counsel with the Justice Squad just a few months ago here, the President himself meeting with them. 

"So we come to you with credibility. And we ask that you help not just the administration, but the United States of America - the great bastion of democracy and the world's shining hope to a better future. We need you, ladies and gentlemen, so that we can take these recent tragedies and turn them into a positive turning point. Join us, not just with your muscles and energy beams, but your hearts and minds. Thank you."

As she finishes her prepared speech, her body language becomes less rigid, less formal, and she looks around the room, asking "Any questions?" From Detroit, the Justice Squad are joined by Buffy, who has finally relented and met with Weed, Wilting Rose, the Flaming Carrot, and the Metal Men. From Boston Nite Owl is there, as well as the nearby entire X-Men group (without the auxiliary members Colossus and Wolverine, and of course without Phoenix). The Outsiders are not directly present as they are staying in NYC, but are videoconferenced in. Dr. Strange is there, though. The LA supers Red Tornado, the Human Flame, and the Great and Powerful Turtle (for whom special accommodations had to be made as he never leaves his large shell) are there. Spiderman, the Fly, and Daredevil are there from Chicago. Jaguar, from New Mexico, is also there, taking a break from hunting the Hulk. The Archer from Seattle stands passively by. Terminator Jones from the Atlanta area is also present, looking dapper if in a bit of an '80s way with his white suit and scarf. Luke Cage, rarely allowed into the "better parts" of DC is present, looking menacing. The Comet from Miami is present as well, rounding out the group. 

Luke Cage is the first to ask a question, loudly speaking up as he says, "Yeah, Condi, I got a question. When you gonna let the mutants in prison for no other reason than bein' mutants out? I play ball with you people - like these other folks here - and I always hear "later, later." Well I think "later" is getting to be pretty soon. And I think you want us to step it up - well maybe the US better step it up, too." His question is met by a few enthusiastic mutters, most noticeably from Desperado, the Human Flame, and the Fly. Terminator Jones scowls dismissively. 

Rice answers, "Luke," making it clear they're truly on a first name basis, "you know this moment that's a lot trickier an issue than it normally even is. And I will restate the government does not house any mutants in detention who should not be there. We recognize that registration reform and threat assessment reform are necessary, and I assure you this administration will make that a higher priority as we address the situation in New York. Anyone else?"

Laughton speaks up, "What is the current plan for dealing with new mutants of "acceptable" power?"

Rice answers, ""As always, they'll be free to live their lives, just keeping in touch with the government. Naturally they may be asked to perform service if they're so willing, and encouraged to do so, as the public defense constitutes.""

Laughton continues his querying, "What can be done to meter the influence of the Homeland Security office, specifically, Weed and those of his ilk?"  Hamlet supposes that Terwilliger isn't so bad a liaison given the history with Sihn and all, but in principal he is against having a 'nanny'.   

Rice answers, ""As the chief security officer of the nation, you may come to me personally with any concerns.  I have an open door to all of you who've served with us."  Laughton notes this is her second reference to leading security; technically, her position is not so preeminent as she makes it out to be, but her references as such mean she's either "taking" such a position or perceives herself to have it.

Laughton continues, "Power and responsibility go hand in hand, given the changes in public opinion and public makeup, perhaps having a group of "government sanctioned" helpers isn't such a bad thing. As long as there is no discernment between people with power through political influence, power through financial leverage, or power through meta-level abilities. What are the feelings towards a creation of a self regulating benevolence board? Representatives could be nominated and elected similar to how the UN is structured."

Rice responds, "An interesting idea, we'll take it under advisement."

Nexus speaks up, "It would be a lot easier to convince mutants to work for the government if the government weren't working so hard against them. We'd like to see these mass "fishing expedition" search warrants stop.

"Mutant Registration is making a tough situation tougher in New York. It is time to see this go, and it is time to see all those records expunged."

Rice responds, "Thank you, Nexus, for your suggestions. I don't think now is the time we can convince the public to end registration, nor am I at liberty to express the administration's evolving viewpoint on this matter. As to the search warrants, I think we all recognize that we're living in a warlike environment. However, I will carry back your comments - obviously supported by many of your peers - with Luke's and we will further consider the matter." Nexus thinks he posts some discomfort on her part though he doesn't know why. Laughton, on the other hand, is sure as to why she seems a bit uncomfortable...

Nexus replies, "I understand the current political climate, but the anxiety cuts both ways. If you want greater cooperation, you will need to show some good faith to get things moving."

She then says, "If there are any specific questions as opposed to recommendations, I'd be glad to entertain them, but our time is limited. I hope you understand that change doesn't happen overnight, and I hear what most of you are saying. We will continue to evolve our thinking on these matters. If there are no questions, thank you, and good day. I'd like to especially thank you all for your efforts in these trying times."

Sihn takes her aside and asks "What about space? Having access to orbital platforms could help the Justice Squad, and probably the Outsiders, a great deal." 

She looks taken aback. She then says, "Nexus, what about being part of the anti-missile program? I mean..." and she smiles, "...officially speaking?"

He nods, and she says it will take considerable time, the way government programs work, and she'll get back to him.

There is later a follow-up note to the Justice Squad for what they think this benevolence board's scope should be, what it should really do.  Laughton communicates back his notions that where BOOM is mostly immediate and tactical with respect to public opinion and aid provision, the Benevolence Board would be more strategic and long planning, working to set up situations and opportunities to make the world a "safer place."  "Better living through manipulation," Laughton thinks but does not pen, of course.

Hamlet wants to reassert his views on mutants - that there should not be a stigmata nor beneficial aura surrounding the "being a mutant", that registration is an unnecessary evil, that those with power should recognize that there is no Black and White, clearly Magneto falling out with some of his own Brotherhood should be sign of that.  To get his point across to the government, he gathers some statistics of the current situation in New York City, numbers of
mutants times minutes to process time man power needed for processing equals the amount of money and funding that could be used for greater goals.  He has prepared a "Reader's Digest version" of his 3400 page mutant manifesto--it's only 16 pages, and doesn't use any words with more than two syllables, and is in a large font. 

A couple days later, on a bright but blisteringly cold day in Detroit, Sihn and Laughton are both over at Laughton Agency, discussing some matters related to BOOM.  Both men are working on other things at the same time, each using a computer station, using their great minds to multi-task.  Sihn looks up and inquires, "Rice?"

Laughton responds, looking up from the screen where he has 15 simultaneous feeds of text scrolling past at near impossible speeds, "Yes, she's really Mystique. Deep undercover, struggling with her own identity and playing both sides of all the coins. When I found out, I didn't think it would be in your best interest to know, in case Erik came around during the New York Incident. She seems torn between actually doing her job in Homeland Security and following through with the original intent to be a mole for the Brotherhood. I suspect that as Rice, she has progressed a lot further politically than originally planned - -she was just supposed to be a working drone with access to the hidden meeting spots in the White House and Capitol Hill. We need to work out a plan to help her remain in position, under cover, and in our good graces. I was thinking that orchestrating a hidden coup of some sort involving political puppet-mastered congress drones to create a supra-orbital watch tower and relay station under the guise of keeping the US safe, but in actuality our hidden base."

Sihn glances, and says, "No, I meant rice as opposed to noodles, I have Pho Lum Chee on the phone, and was going to order your usual stir fried baloney."

Laughton, nodding, answers "Noodles."

Sihn, over the phone, "And a number 6 with noodles."

Later, when he has time to discuss it, Sihn comes back to Laughton on the matter, asking, "So, the question is... What happened to the real Rice? It is nice to have a friendly so well placed, but we do have a duty to find out exactly what happened here."

Laughton is able to relate that it's pretty clear that there was no other Rice.  She adopted the identity early on and infiltrated as her own person. Obviously, there's more to it, but that is the true part as far as Laughton believes (and due checks will show signs of an invented identity back in college, though it takes the mind of Laughton to deduce that where the government couldn't). 

With Magneto's power undermined, Nexus sees an opportunity to re-open talks with Magneto, perhaps with the possibility of bringing him around. Nexus tells Sammy that he is taking Sammy's advice and giving Magneto another chance.  He reaches out and arranges a meeting.  

Magneto speaks with Nexus in sober, grave tones. "Nexus...although the hubris in me leads me to believe that in some ways, what happened in New York was good...I know better. I do know that there are positive ASPECTS, but I realize just how...screwed up...things are.

"For the first time I am starting to feel like an old man. I see the younger, brasher mutants taking over and...well, that's just that, really. They are implacable, angry, resentful. As was I. I suppose in some ways I still am. I think it's justified - we have a right to OUR anger, Eliot. Or do you prefer Nexus even in private conversation?"

Nexus answers, "You may refer to me using whichever name you are most comfortable with."

Magneto continues, "But I have seen the effects of such anger, of such rage. I suppose what they say is true - in some ways I've gone soft. As a younger man, I would have hesitated less in bringing you to task. But I know you, your family, at least to some degree. Do not think our mutual attachment to Xavier is meaningless to me.

"Still...I do not think that a pure appeasement policy, which I think you ask for, is the path to justice for our people. Someone must push - and push hard. Someone must do as you do, as well, and I have never disrespected the more peaceful movements. Well, perhaps not "never"..." and he smiles. "I am not willing to go to jail, if that's what you ask of me. I am also not willing to lay down and pretend that the struggle is now adequately addressed by holding hands and singing "Give Peace a Chance." So when you ask me about rapprochement, when you ask me about changing my ways - what do you really ask, Eliot

"There are plenty of crime fighters about. I feel I need to address the government, the military-industrial complex, as it continues to register us like dogs and cats. I do not feel I need to 'play ball' while they insult us and treat us like servants - I do not wish to come running when the government feels the rare need of our services.

"Yes, I am questioning my ways. But I still feel that, like the Punisher, Wrath, and the Wombat, someone has to stand up in a way others will not. They kill the criminals society dare not. Frankly, I applaud them. And while I feel I must...change my ways...I still think someone has to stand up against the military, and not just with words. Someone has to go into the black ops centers and free illegally - or at least immorally - detained mutants. Someone has to go into the government building and stop a railroaded trial of one who has done no wrong." 

He stands before Nexus, his body deadly still, his eyes piercing but with slight, almost undetectable, tearing with emotion, as he says, "Someone has to save the world."

Nexus says, "I am not in favor of appeasement. I am in favor of aggressively moving through peaceful means to produce a system in which sentient beings are separated not by the power of their dead-lift, but by the content of their character. Where mutant children walk hand in hand with non-mutant black, white, and Chinese children. Where people like J. Jonah Jameson can sit at the same table with The Flaming Carrot and come to an agreement about how to handle the problems that beset all of humanity. Where we can put aside the differences of our DNA and work on the problems that affect us as caretakers of this planet. That's my dream. I cannot make progress towards this goal by fighting humanity. That's a battle that cannot be won. Humanity has tasted the sweetness of freedom, and they will never go to a situation in which they are the slaves of mutant masters. That genie cannot be put back in the bottle, and, they very act of making the attempt would suck out the very essence of any goodness in one who chose such a course of action.

"The mutants who fight against humanity began as a group driven by idealism. Now they are a group driven by resentment. Soon they will be driven by greed. This is the natural progression of outlaw idealism. If you cannot keep the idealistic high ground, you will eventually dwell in the gutters.

"I admire your principles, Erik. I admire the fact that you have been a principled enemy. I see a great dedication in you to win the fight, but not to lose your should at the same time. Why is that? Is it that the fight is not important enough to you as to use every means at your disposal? Or is it that you realize that a battle won in an underhanded way is no victory at all?

"I'm not asking you to go to jail. I'm asking you to think about the future of mutants on this planet, and to envision a time in which mutants can live in peace with non mutants. I'm asking you to accept this vision as part of your own vision. And, if you can do this, I'm asking you to talk to the legions of mutants who look up to you and respect you as a leader, and ask them to work towards a peaceful future. I think BOOM can deliver that peace, but it will take time and dedication."

Magneto responds, "I...am afraid I share your concerns about 'outlaw idealism'. As to your question, I do know that battling with monsters can make you become one, and I am trying not to do that.

"Eliot, if I may use the name you've grown with - I suppose that's why I resort to human names, they are what we first responded to with our parents, no matter who or what we are - I must say, I do not trust them. They don't trust us, and it's likely as I have said, they realize we are the future. And I don't know that we can coexist so long as they are able to exercise legal, authorized power against us.

"But I - I know. I know that war is not a noble thing, whether necessary. I know that just because we can't trust them it gives us no license to treat them as brute animals - and you know I have not advocated that. Yes, I still want them in their place, a place from which they cannot hurt or impede us. You know, you KNOW, as well as I do, what they do to us and while they are not all like that, too many of them that are run the governments. Even now you see them run scared to their weapons and law books to find ways to stop our suddenly-increased numbers in New York from even being free.

"But I know, Eliot, I know that we won't win by murdering each other. I can't let them do what they do to us. And I will not go to their jails to prove a point that I think is not valid to begin with. But I know things have to change. Give me a little time, Eliot. We'll fashion - something. Something better. I will encourage participation in BOOM, at the least. Otherwise, let me reflect and come back to you and the others.

"I thank you for approaching me. Times change. I suppose sometimes - not always, but sometimes - we must change with them. Perhaps Hamlet and you are more correct than I have admitted."

He concludes, "Thank you for hearing me out. I will let the other members of the team know that we are back under a truce with you. Unless they object, of course, but there's little chance of that given the current state of things."

Much later, Rice calls Nexus on a very secure channel.  She says, "Do you understand how difficult my position is? I mean have you and Laughton talked - really talked? Because we have a mutual friend who thinks it's time to start putting all the cards on the table."

He says, "I think Laughton and I have talked, if you're referring to a certain quality I admire in a woman such as yourself.  So who is your friend, and tell me about these cards that are on the table. If you like, I can meet you anywhere."

They meet in a secure site under the auspices of a national security briefing.  She frankly indicates her role, and she stresses that one of the things she found most "odd" was that as she worked her way up the government, she actually began to care about her role in national security. This led to some extreme tensions between her and Magneto, as the two masters are at times opposed. She (seemingly accidentally) refers to him as "my husband," confusing Eliot a bit, much in the same way as she confused and amused the press when she did that with Bush (and leading Eliot to wonder if it's just a common issue in her head with males she's very close to). She's been walking a tight rope for a long time, and she hopes that there's a way to meld their various views into real progress for all mutants. She tells Nexus her power is rather limited, of course, and worse yet, she CANNOT blow her cover, so she can't advocate too much for mutant rights within the administration. But she carries the supers' ideas forwards and will try to find those who can so advocate.  It's apparent this is a direct follow-up from the Magneto meeting and she's trusting Nexus, establishing candid contact between them.  She does indicate that the satellite for the anti-missile research program should be online late in the year.

Spectrum is busy these days.  She visits Mover Shaker in jail, explaining to him that once he gets out he better fly straight or next time it will be worse.  He swears he will, as he's shaking badly from his encounters with Spectrum.  It seems his nerves are shot...which is actually the effect of a spell she cast at the same time as she mentally blasted him last.  It will wear off...over a few seasons.  He seems contrite, though he's always been a bit cowardly, so it's hard for her to say how much is sincere and how much is momentary reaction, unless she gets in his mind.   She doesn't bother, giving him to think about it and feeling no need to invade.

She also talks to Dr. Strange about Kietersling and his involvement in the Incident and why he engineered the distraction that Strange had to respond to.  He's appreciative. At this point things seem under control.  Strange is concerned that Phoenix' drawing connections among various nefarious forces may have created new alliances and contacts.

She spends a lot of time perusing New York and watching out against the mutant slave trade, fearing it could be very active given what's happened.  She spends a lot of time with Desperado and Nightshade in this effort.  

She rounds out her time doing more magic studies with Willow and of course her boyfriend Nightshade, as well as assisting with Vision investigations with Laughton and Sihn as needed.

On the subject of BOOM, Laughton pitches in as well.  He pens an "ultra-condensed dumbed down" version of a credo for rights for mutants and humans alike - which Sammy pledges to make into a song to the tune... "It's A Small World After All," though legal considerations quickly change the tune idea.  The Justice Squad are annoyed (as in fact are most people) but grin and bear it (as in fact do most people when it's a children's best seller).  As soon as Sammy mentions the idea, Laughton mentally earmarks where the money will go!  Laughton's poem goes:

We are free, you and he and she, human and mutie.
Rights are good, all need shelter, food, all want happy mood.
Earth is home none want dome, or life as drone.
Justice is first, peace through thirst, mankind is diverse.
Not might for might, but might for right, the weak too can fight.
Rights not earned, all have learned, we get what was yearned.
Reason be the guide, not be crushed by tide false laws we not abide.
Power not means, means not control, control not power.

Hamlet seems to think that by using simple words, the meaning will be easier to understand. Perhaps he underestimates the common mental capacity.  Second, Hamlet puts together a separate declaration for Eliot to use for BOOM.

Regarding this, Nexus finds the second version a bit far reaching and creating some odd ties between BOOM and the United Nations.  Sihn is also a tad concerned about whether it covers the rights of Elementals and other summoned creatures - he'd be in a quandary of he summoned up a bunch of Pumpkin Eaters and they started talking about forming a union, or seeking refugee status on this plane.  He offers up that perhaps "sentient beings" and "everyone" could be replaced by "sentient inhabitants of this plane of existence."  He also suggests striking Article 12 (somewhat contrary to the function of a free press), Articles 13, 15, 16, 19, 22, 24, 25, 28, 29 (a bit far reaching for BOOM), Article 18 - "Except where the practice of that religion brings danger to the person or possessions of others."  Article 23 goes a bit against Sihn's grain as an industrialist. Article 26 subpart 2 is important, but subparts 1 and 3 are a bit far-reaching, he finds.  He adds, "All mutants have the right to live their lives without being subject to government registration of their mutations."  Laughton and he work out the details, and in the end BOOM has a "vision code".

In response to the worsening economic conditions, Sihn begins to work on convening a gathering of the heads of major global companies, hoping that there is something these people can do to help head this off.  If America falls into depression, it will ripple across the world, he is concerned. But, if enough foreign capital can be driven into the system quickly, the trend might be reversed, he muses, thinking of JP Morgan heading off the panic of 1907.  Sihn finds an already-receptive and already-engaged audience. They appreciate Sihn-Tek's founder's input. Familiar face Stark is there as well, at one of the major meetings sponsored by the WTO. One of the requested forms of assistance is help in lobbying the government to allow for faster innovation, opening up the Internet to more people, and a subtle but clear request for cheaper licensing from Stark, ABC, and Sihn-tek (among other small but pivotal technology players) on some technologies.  Sihn meets with representatives from the concerned tech companies to discuss licensing issues. He asks Rogers to find a lobbyist to represent Sihn-Tek to congress members.

Nexus spends his time gaining familiarity with the layout of New York City.  He also works on finding out about the Mutant Underground there, getting to know the players amid the rapidly-inspired scene there.  Also, for now, Sihn asks BOOM to work quietly to help protect mutants against harassment. They'll be fighting it, but not issuing statements to the press, and will be working to keep things silent. This will all come out when trials start, but that is a long way off and hopefully most of the heat will have does down by then, Nexus figures.  Suzanne is working to stop sweeps into the salt mines by authorities trying to find secret bases and mutant hideouts.  Sihn asks Big Ugly Bug to head out to Belle Isle to get a sense of what could be done about the mutants living there.  The BUB does so gladly, establishing contact with the Ugly Thespian and company with the Justice Squad's good name. Without too much trouble, as word spreads about the "mainland" potential intrusion, other mutants come out of hiding and via the BUB pass word back that they know how to hide and can coordinate that activity - with a little help.  Sammy assists in communicating with the Belle islanders, as he knows the area and is an experienced hider himself.

At first, with the authorities abounding, the mutant underground is very underground indeed, aside from a Giuliani-sponsored "club" mirroring Berry's, newly-created and generally frequented by the Surrealist and Bitch, the Outsiders (except for Desperado who isn't into social affairs), and Pieces, the hero who comes apart.  The truly underground part has receded for the moment but not so far that Nexus can't uncover and frequent it. These are still generally "pre-newbie" clubs, not wanting to let the new mutants in as there's considerable suspicion as to their motivations and "authenticity."  There's tremendous bitterness as to the whole situation and a lot of recruiting going on for January Victory, as well as other organizations, some strictly criminal.  Of course, BOOM can also recruit and Nexus does find fertile ground.  A social gadfly called - well, the Gadfly - a winged mutant with little offensive powers but considerable charm and persuasion, quickly befriends Nexus and soon they set about finding ways to attract older mutants.  Gadfly is also building a new network of underground clubs for the newbies, bit by bit.  Nexus notes though that Gadfly very carefully ensures that those he helps establish the same ground rules as the traditional clubs - extreme secrecy and demonstration of powers on entrance.  A few newbies start their own above-ground clubs but those are mostly disrupted by authorities, or, sadly, other "old school" mutants.  Sihn talks to Rogers about hooking The Gadlfy up with a consultant to make sure his club strategies are well in line with success.  Gradually, Gadfly becomes a recruiter for BOOM and a source of information.  

Sihn would like to see Sammy spending some time at this, so encourages him to start going to these clubs and talking to people, though he warns Sammy to be very careful about who he befriends. He asks Suzanne (Sammy will be likely to listen to Suzanne, otherwise he'd do it himself.) to sit down with Sammy and run through the basics about who can be counted on as a friend, and who is likely to be pretending to be a friend in order to gain something.

And the Justice Squad starts to look into January Victory as time allows!  Nexus begins hitting his contacts hard, working closely with Laughton, to find out who the leaders of the new faction are.  Sihn/Nexus spends his time in the pre-newbie mutant clubs, the ones that existed prior to the Incident, looking for opportunities to dig deeper as appropriate.  Laughton spends more time in the newer clubs, in his guise as a different mutant, Pineal Glance (whom he's posed as earlier).  Pineal Glance spends time in NYC making inroads in the underground scene. Leads and leaders of the newly mutated are be followed up on. Pineal Glance bolsters his own image, pointing out that he's been to Origin, the Flaming Carrot once bought him a drink, and other obvious name dropping to improve his "worth".  Phone lines are tapped, hidden cameras placed, and computers searched for transactions and other interesting logs.  Both he and Sihn finds the hotbed of recruiting activity. A woman is seen time and again, even though she uses varying disguises, cultivating relations and alluding to January Victory connections. 

They find that the leadership/core of January Victory! includes some familiar faces.  During the Incident, several prison break-ins and break-outs occurred; increased Federal security went more to the populated areas and such, given the horrors of 9/11. Thankfully, the quick actions of many alerted supers stopped almost all the escaping mutants. However, Octal Fist orchestrated one of the more serious break-outs and while most of his party escaped, he got out. With his history, and the vacuum created with Lizard King's absence, he immediately has ascended to one of the leadership positions. 

A little-known mutant called Black Diamond plays some sort of key role now. He is reputed to have come from NYC and the recent Incident. Basically, he's sort of like an all-black Silver Surfer though you don't really know his powers yet.

The Beholder from Mexico has ascended the ranks. He was involved in the Ryker's Island attempted break out and escaped from the Outsiders, the sole member of Magneto's team to do so. Nexus is familiar with him. He was a conceptual avant-guard artist, real name Humberto Agualdo, who went mad, carving up several models into a ghastly display called "Mobile Models" and in that process his powers manifested, allowing him to escape the police. He is a supernatural sort, who inflicts pain and suffering on others, some of it psychic and some of it real, though in either case it can manifest in very real injury and death. He's both cold-blooded in his total disregard for human life and passionate in his zeal and reverence for his "craft". Along with his, he uses a large dagger and various poisons and devices, making him a master and dangerous criminal Regardless of the body count, Beholder's crimes always contain an ironic element, or some declaration of political or social agenda. He's a mutant anarchist.

Another NYC mutant, Choke Chain, joined the movement in its fleeing moments and while not a leader is a clear heavy-hitter already. She's a punk-looking girl, identity unknown, who is a brutal hand-to-hand opponent. As another newbie, she's little known otherwise.

Death has joined the movement and already assumed a leadership role among January Victory.

Spasm has come up the ranks and is among the January Victory leading mutants, though probably not himself a leader per se. Nexus is aware of Spasm as well; Spasm has been gradually building up his power over the last decade, at first in and out of jail and finally smart enough to stay out. He's another of the more unstable members of the new cabal, prone to psychotic rages. He's been in the organization for a while as a foot soldier and gradually worked his way up, ascending as many have in the disappearance of so many at the top upon their arrest or the splitting of the organization. Spasm is a gifted fighter, but moreso has the ability to extend his body as his muscles stretch and deform; in fact his body does this on a small scale even without him trying, and he has to exert a lot of control for it not to naturally arc and boil and occasionally erupt in open sores. Nexus suspects he's related to the Purple Gang mutants they uncovered. It is known among a few (including Nexus) that he was formerly a minor star in the '70s, as Charlie Bigg (real name Alfred Jorgenstein), doing a few movies (the Gumball Rally types) and starring in a major action-adventure show called Riot Cops that lasted for 5 years. It's unknown just how he became Spasm, but some of the transformation took place in his waning years as a star and naturally that disqualified him from acting.

Finally, there's a suspected "thinking man" who may have ascended as well. A shadowy figure, it's unclear who this is, but rumors have circulated that someone quite sane and quite intelligent is calling the shots or at least having strong influence on the shots behind the scenes. The rumors are just word-of-mouth that someone gave the Lizard King some ideas and now is working with the new leadership to help build their new extremist organization. 

Laughton interviews Magneto regarding January Victory! and those who splintered from  his group, the still-running-but-barely Brotherhood.  Magneto is pretty open with information, particularly as he views a number of mutants as having betrayed the cause.  

As they follow up, they find that Black Diamond is a strange case indeed.  While he showed up at the time of the Incident, there's nothing clearly linking him to that event or a particular past. Laughton finds that Black Diamond honed directly in on the Long Island site just before it was gutted, and followed up the scattered splinters of the mutants who fought with Magneto, catching up with Death. Black Diamond has never shown his face or skin, wears all black covering with a helmet and goggles, and rides a black sort of surfboard-thing. He speaks in a Darth Vader sort of voice, though not quite so exaggerated, and seems to never eat or sleep or have other needs. He is among the smarter/saner part of the set, and seems driven to achieve a military-like discipline among the group - probably a doomed desire! His personal stake/motivations are entirely unclear. 

Following up on Beholder, in the interview with Magneto, Laughton confirms he was part of the organization before. Magneto remembers him as a rather startling nutcase but one who can be entrusted to do a job and do it well, at least from what he heard, he only met him twice.  He gives Laughton considerable background contact info, including info on mutual acquaintances.  Beholder rose through a combination of loyalty and treachery as Laughton digs; it becomes apparent that he would ensure to always do the best possible job to those a couple levels up, but that in one case he must have killed his direct leader in the field, and in another case buried them with embarrassments not linked to him.  Unlike some of the others, his motivations for the mutant cause seem quite sincere, though.  Laughton compiles the names of those he likely murdered for later use.  Laughton is quite sure re the
leader he had killed, a character known as El Bandito.  Otherwise within the org there's two others, one was a guy who failed on a mission with him and everyone knows he killed him, a small-time mutant rebel called Camel Kid, the other is more suspected/rumored and is another confederate, this one over seemingly personal/romantic reasons (jealousy), called Pipe Dream.

On researching Death, they find, unsurprisingly, he just seems to just want to kill people...and not much to add to that! He was brought in as Dark Phoenix and Lizard King worked in the background, and has since appreciated the range of killing he can do with the extreme part of the Brotherhood. And he's stated more than once he intends to get his vengeance on the Justice Squad. Magneto and Phoenix kept him on other duties during the Incident as they didn't trust him to carefully keep other priorities in mind.

In disguise, through the mutant clubs, Laughton gets a sample of Spasm.  Nexus is able to confirm he is related to the other Purple Hat Gang mutants.  Further research, checking with Purple Hat Gang members in jail, indicates that some strains were sold, and they don't know where they went!

Upon closer examination, with additional leads by Sihn, Laughton finds that the woman often seen is Alice, Queen of Hearts, a long-time thief, English-person working mainly in the third world and especially where supers are not. Now she seems interestingly more plugged in and engaged.  Laughton realizes after some study and observation that Alice is in fact the "thinking man" behind January Victory, keeping herself very much in the background at the moment. It's unclear what motivation she has, never having been politically connected.  Laughton traces her activities recently to Africa and Pakistan, before coming to the US.  He finds no specific linkage to DEXTER or government activities.  

Laughton notes one club seems a bit more active in recruiting newbies. As he digs further, he finds it's an NME front...attracting mutants possibly for slaughter or information-gathering...  He lays plan to infiltrate the organization, setting up a fake identity as a newbie mutant.   He finds it takes a while to get anywhere as the organization seems to be not doing anything aside providing a social club.  Further attempts are frustrated in terms of finding why this is going on, but he notes it and keeps tabs on the organization.

But their priority remains Vision.  When he's not working on the trap for Vision, Sihn takes some time to make some attempts at designing an AI like "The Vision" using his own computer programming skills. He uses a standalone workstation, of course - not wanting something like that to get loose.  He also takes a day off to do some intensive possibility checking on what actually happened to Dr. Magnus, and whether there's any connection to Vision.  He finds some leads to Magnus' post-life existence in another plane, a loose end he follows up on later.

Sihn also goes out and buys some simple devices consisting of one button that, when pushed, will immediately alert the Justice Squad and tell them where the button push occurred. He does his best to distribute these devices to Detroit-area mutants, and tells them they they should push the button if they run into Vision. He hopes the Justice Squad can head off another murder and, at the same time, catch Vision in the act.

From in-depth discussions with the Mysterymen, who at first didn't have much to say in the aftermath and guilt of how it worked out (what with Magnus' unintended death), plus some time travel, it appears now, with the pieces together, that Magnus, in the same madness that informed Vision's anti-mutant programming, attempted a device to do sort of the opposite of what the Rogue device Phoenix attempted to build (in fact, she got part of the idea from Magnus' brilliant brain, synthesizing that with some of Sihn's ideas and research), kill off all mutants in a wide, wide radius. The Mysterymen interceded, and through a bit of a screw-up triggered his death while he set the device off. They managed to contain the device, although an explosion destroyed a lot of the complex and grounds. Further study and a closer examination of radioactive signatures, with Neumann's help, makes it clear that Vision turned around and finished off the complex, totally leveling it, to bury any information on how he was built, presuming it was contained among the remains of the estate. It was done just barely in advance of an EU team arriving, the motivation largely clearing the Metal Men, against whom the case was weak to begin with. 

As a top priority, Sihn then starts sifting through Magnus' journal articles over the last several years, looking for clues to the programming of Vision. He contacts the Metal Men and asks them if they would accommodate him in checking their programming for other possible clues.  The Metal Men consent. It gives Nexus some ideas, but... Sihn finds there's not much published from Magneto over the last few years, but from some letters and notes from other sources, it's clear his views were radically changing and growing. He calls the Metal Men's emotional and AI device "obsolete, and an embarrassment" It's clear from various diagrams and notes that he deliberately didn't update the Metal Men very much, in part because of limitations on the basic design from the late '60s which couldn't be overcome without scrapping and starting over. It's clear Magnus held a certain sentimentality towards the robots as he never did anything like this, even though notes to friends indicate he feels he "should" time and again. In any case, it's clear he favored self-learning devices and the obliteration of personality, something he considered a mistake with the Metal Men (despite, as noted, not rectifying it). But he writes constantly on how the perfect AI would develop a personality no matter what, and he writes several formula on socially-driven values and how embedding even the most basic (such as "thou shalt not kill") leads to a new value system in a sophisticated AI. He seems to view the exercise of playing this out as intrinsically valuable. Out of this, of course, Nexus does gain several insights as to Magnus' programming style and some ideas on how computer interfacing with a "device" such as Vision might work.

Sihn goes to the location of Magnus' estate and searches but there is nothing left at the site. The destruction was utter and exacting, successful in obliterating anything and everything to dust. Vision was thorough and ingenious; it's clear his knowledge of demolitions and technology is extreme.

Nexus incorporates all he's learned about Magnus programming style, and, once he has something substantial, he  starts running scenarios based on what is known about The Vision's attacks.

However, Vision is varying his routines greatly, looking for ways to NOT establish a pattern. He seems aware his actions will be studied, as a few days later a break-in at an establishment near where Laughton examined was executed with the clear purpose of stealing observational tapes - he's trying, at least on this occasion, to watch the watchers.  Nexus takes the opportunity to set a trap. Sihn works with Laughton to make a particularly big ruckus over one of the investigations (they act like they have found a significant lead), while sending Sammy to secretly put some sort of tracking device on the media that is hooked to a camera that would be very hard to notice.  A false story is simultaneously planted with local police that says that a certain part of the police file on the incident is extremely suggestive of where to find Vision. The file is watched, and a tracking device is be planted on it.  However, at this point apparently Vision is spooked or such.  He disappears for over a month, reemerging only once in a random mutant slaying in Singapore, then disappearing another month before repeating the same in Mongolia.

In mid-February, one day when Sammy returns home, to the Sihn residence, he sees an odd sight. A crew is demolishing Eliot and Ayla's house and loading the debris into a large truck. All of Sammy's belongings have been neatly assembled into a pile on the front lawn.

Ayla is outside holding the baby. when she sees Sammy, she glares at him for a second, then goes back to watching the demolition. A tear rolls down her face, then, as she gains control of herself, it rolls back up her face and fades back into her eye.

"We're moving Sammy, and you aren't coming with us."

"When I was a baby, I was found on the shore, and eventually taken to Dr. X's school. He raised me like a father, and I still love him as the only real father I ever had. The other kids there were my family. I still love that family, and I would still do anything for them. Now, Magneto is trying to kill them. Every strike he takes at Prof X's team is a strike taken at me and my family. He has gone out of his way to let Eliot know that he intends to kill him as well."

The air suddenly feels devoid of moisture. She turns to Sammy, and, with real, seething anger, she says, slowly and clearly, "I cannot have one of Magneto's friends living in the basement of the house where I am raising my baby. Eliot didn't tell me until last night that you were re-digging the tunnel between the house and the old base. You repay our love and kindness by exposing our baby to danger, even after Eliot explained the danger to you and asked you to stop. You prefer the company of our enemies."

"The baby and I are going away. We won't be telling you where. We can't trust you anymore. We can't discipline you in any way, and you refuse to listen to anything we say. You refuse to be a member of this family."

Ayla lets Namor know that because of the risk Sammy poses to the baby, Sammy is no longer a member of the family. If Sammy contacts Namor to find out their whereabouts, Namor is not to let Sammy know.

The debris from the house is loaded into several trucks (it was a small house). The trucks are driven into a large incinerator (with a few Gear-Luce alterations) and vaporized.

Sammy is stunned..... for a long moment, he mumbles a little, but cant really form his thoughts into words (a first for Sammy).  After sitting in front of the house demolition site for a couple hours, Sammy jumps up to his feet and runs to the base looking for Spectrum franticly, quickly finding her. He tells her that he thinks Ayla might be mind controlled. And asks her to check Eliot too... " something is wrong",  he exclaims, as he explains what's happened. 

Spectrum pauses and thinks about this.  She wonders he might be raising his intelligence too far off the scale to deal with " mere mortals".  She's actually a bit at a loss concerning this latest dealing.  She never got to know Ayla and Ayla didn't seem friendly at all to her.  After getting Sammy's version of the demolition she extends an offer of housing to Sammy.  She thinks, " Good thing I bought a large house. I suppose she'll need to go over the no tunneling policy."

Sammy gives Spectrum a big squishy hug! "Thanks for your kindness and invitation to share your home. I may take you up on that offer later if everything works out OK. I am feeling a bit depressed and need to find a new family where I wont be a bother. My foundation is crumbling underneath me."

Then she finds Eliot mentally, notes that he's still himself as far as she can tell, and arranges to meet him shortly.  She doesn't think mind control is the issue.  As she communicates to Sihn telepathically, she sounds a bit annoyed at the quick and drastic way in which Eliot and Ayla came to do this, but especially considering what happened to Eliot's mom she won't even bring up the topic of them reconsidering.  She just wants to hear Eliot's side before figuring out next steps. 

Sammy waxes, "Suzanne.. you are the best person I know of to find out what is wrong with Ayla, and perhaps Eliot....I am concerned that their recent change in behavior could be an attack against the Justice Squad to break us apart. Ayla was boiling in anger when I last saw her -- I think someone is manipulating her emotions. I believe she would most likely try to kill me if I saw her again, so I do not wish to approach her. So, I am asking you to investigate -- you have skills that make you a keen judge of character.  Ayla thinks I am exposing her baby to danger, and apparently Eliot has been feeding this belief. She was extremely upset about me rebuilding the tunnel that had collapsed between our base and the Sihn family house. It is true I started rebuilding it, but then I didn't realize it had been filled in on purpose and I did stop, once Eliot explained it was crucial to do so -- I was just trying to help as I'm really good at rebuilding tunnels. Eliot seems to be using this to turn feelings against me in a dramatic way....I don't get it, how could they turn against me like this so suddenly. They must be under some sinister influence. You know me as well as anyone, probably better, and you know I would never endanger an innocent person, particularly a defenseless baby! And my friends are the most important things in my life." 

He wanders off while Spectrum looks into this, spending some time next to the chimney of a 24 hour restaurant/grill type place.  Sammy is angry as well as sad.  He feels unjustly persecuted; he had stopped digging the tunnel, there was just a misunderstanding, and some carelessly chosen words had given the wrong impression.  He thought about vengeance, even, about the kind of justice his heroes like Magneto would get!  But finally he wanders back to Laughton Agency.

Meanwhile, back at Laughton Agency, Nexus pops in for his meeting with Suzanne.  He waves his hands a few times and summons up an extremely large whiteboard seemingly full of random numbers and symbols. "I think, if you examine this equation closely, my reasoning will become apparent, but I'll go ahead and explain in case you aren't really inclined towards mathematics this morning. I know I feel that way from time time."

"Yes, lets hear it via the non-math way." she dryly comments.

He continues.  "This essentially explains that Sammy's behavior is not subject to any conventional modification. That is to say that, barring a valid threat to his life, no matter what stimulus he is exposed to, Sammy will follow an agenda that may or may not be related to it. In adults with mature experiences to draw upon, this might be seen as admirable. In developmentally disabled children (not bad for a mold, really) with super powers, it is very problematic, especially when they are surrounded by other beings with significantly less power. Ultimately, Sammy is nearly physically unable to function in a way that will not bring severe danger to my child. I realized that this was not a mere academic exercise after our last fight. Magneto had agreed not to subject my family to danger, but we found that Magneto cannot fully guarantee his own actions despite his dedication to being an honorable combatant. Dark Phoenix could have easily reached out against my family, and there's nothing Magneto could have done to stop her. This realization brought me to the conclusion that my family must be more secure. When combined with the equations on this board, it became clear that Sammy could no longer be a part of that. If he was moved with Ayla and the baby, he would compromise security as soon as he got a chance. Ultimately, I'm no longer sure if Sammy really is a sentient being, or merely a mold that reacts cleverly enough to fool people into thinking otherwise. I can't prove this scientifically due to the reasons I mentioned earlier. A sentient being should have shown some manner of intellectual development by now, but Sammy seems to have regressed rather than advanced. At the same time, his physical mutation powers have grown enormously. This suggests to me that before he joined to Justice Squad he was driven to develop his wits to survive. As soon as he was taken in, he no longer needed his wits and all intellectual development stopped. If Sammy truly is sentient, the best thing to do for him would be to put him in more challenging situation in which he must use his intellect to succeed. You are welcome to take him into your house, but I suspect that this will do more harm than good for Sammy. If Sammy is treated like a child, he will remain a child forever, and, in his case, that could be potentially very dangerous. I also find Sammy's fascination with Magneto and my old Troll form to be a bit troubling. He seems to resent me for putting my murderous ways behind me, and the more he is around me, the more his resentment seems to grow. One way or another this will need to be dealt with - getting him out of my house might be the first step towards setting things right."

Suzanne is disturbed.  She responds, "Eliot, I fear you're looking upon Sammy from a rather critical view. And this tactic of justifying being cruel via equations is deplorable. Sammy has grown so much in the short time he's been with us. I don't think Sammy will ever be an intellectual equal to yourself or Hamlet, but that's not his strength. While he has done some things that can be deemed foolhardy to his and our safety, he doesn't do this out of bad intent. If anything his fault is he trusts in the good of everyone. And of course much of this is due to him being essentially a child in a powerful body. Yes, he's developed quickly, but he's essentially at a teenagers stage of development. We should be teaching and showing him more of the world outside of the superhero area perhaps. Tossing him to the street is not the proper action. ---- Hmm, still needs polish. I need something about Nexus' one sided nature concerning Magneto."

Nexus is a bit taken aback at her emotional response.  He certainly intended no insults, he intended only to deal in facts.  He flatly responds, "Excuse me. All I suggested was that Sammy could benefit from becoming a bit more independent. I did not suggest abandoning him. There's nothing cruel about this.

"Some people look at math and automatically assume something sinister is going on. I'll restate what I said just a moment ago. The equations are a proof that explains why Laughton and I are unable to influence Sammy, and why Sammy is beyond my ability to predict. The equations are just a way of explaining that my thoughts on Sammy are just thoughts and do not have the backing of my scientific analysis."  To Sihn, otherwise his statements would carry a far more determinative quality - the things he would say would be right. The "equation" gives Sihn license to be wrong.

He continues, "I'm merely suggesting that raising him in a protected environment is wrong, and, by your own terminology, perhaps "cruel." I'm open to discussion on the issue, but I'd appreciate it if we could discuss this rationally."

Sammy grows into the room at this point.  He had come in, silently, and heard them talking.  As he often does, he grew small and lurked in the shadows, listening, just in time to catch Nexus questioning his sentience.  Sammy turns to Suzanne and asks, "is it him?"  As she confirms, he begins to let loose.  "That equation is not me, if you think my behavior can be summed up on a little white board like that, you have truly been lead astray. You might be sharp and witty, but you do not understand me at all: despite being so close to me over the last couple years.  I would protect Sam with my life... you should know this, and how could you believe otherwise? You have been my family: my closest friends. The only threat I present to Sam is that I fight with you in the Justice Squad. We regularly fight people who would use any tactic to defeat us. You should realize this threat well; after all, your mother was killed as a direct effect of your superheroic activities. You need to recognize your real enemies, and not alienate your closest friend. I understand you wanting to move Ayla and Sam to safety, and I think it could be a good idea, but to turn so much anger towards me is a sign of a much more serious threat. It is true I have limited life experiences, but I am proud of the knowledge I have gained in my short life. I do not deserve this hostile treatment you are showing me, and I resent your judgment of my sentience; When we first met, I didn't really understand freedom and didn't know myself, but today I do. Laughton and Suzanne fought in court for my sentience when I did not know how important it was; today I enjoy the freedom they have given me, and you will not take that away with these wrongful issues. I have learned many things in the last year and a half... As part of your family, I learned about family cultures and history, learned your native tongue, and always tried to make everyone happy by bringing flowers home to Ayla. On my own, I have become a successful music performer and composer, as well as the worlds greatest Elvis impersonator. As for my fascination with Magneto.... He is an awesome man with a dedication to protect the innocent (including your family) which is a sure sign of inner goodness. I always choose peace and friendship, rather then violence and anger. For your family's safety safe, we should offer him the flag of truce. A friend is always preferable to an enemy. Don't use anger and destruction on your friends.  Sammy turns back to Suzanne wondering if she has detected any malevolent forces at work in Eliot.  She hasn't.  He's just trying his best to do what he thinks is right.

And at this point, during Sammy's lecture, Laughton wanders into the picture.  He looks at the white board and in mere moments, as everyone sits in silence, the air thick with tension, he absorbs what Sihn has done and what Sammy is responding to.  Hamlet then nods in approval at Sammy's outburst and actions.  He starts by saying, "Perhaps a better plan would be to have Sammy declared an emancipated minor, the paper work was actually completed by me before the holidays, but things came up, we got busy, and they weren't filed.

"Once done, Sammy becomes his own man. He is responsible for his actions and welfare--certainly something he is fully capable of now. I also think that Sammy has enough funds from his Elvis performances to buy a place of his own. He and Jane can move out of the base and into someplace nice.

"This will both create a more private abode for Sammy and Jane, and allow me to crank up the security at the agency and the base. Given the rash of movements in NME and the likely responses from the city and state governments, we are going to have to make some concessions and changes around here."

Laughton pulls out a brown expandable folder and extracts some legal papers and dumps the rest across the conference table so they spill out for Sammy to view easily.

"Those are some prospective houses for sale in suitable neighborhoods: places with a low crime rate but near by to restaurants and food oriented establishments (bakeries, fast food joint). As well any of these houses sits far enough off the street and away from neighbors that making the place secure will be of non consequence."

Laughton flips through the printouts, singling out one place.

"This place here is about 1/2 mile from Suzanne's place, the backyard is next to a golf course where a snack bar and restaurant are close by. I did a title search on the property and found nothing suspicious in the past history of ownership. Oh, it also has a nice view of the lake if you're in to that kind of thing.

"Home ownership is a very serious thing Sammy. It ties you to the community and the big paper work machine that is the government. It's a lot of responsibility--you have to remember to take care of the yard, maintain the building, buy furniture appropriate to each room (no you can't just put in big urns in all the rooms), pay taxes and utilities....these things can't be shirked. I'm certain you are ready for a move like this, heck, you even have your own cell phone now." 

Hamlet casually places the emancipation papers to one side, right under Sammy's elbow and puts a Monte Blanc pen on top (the pen has "Property of Detroit First Savings and Loan" engraved on the side).

Suzanne is relieved by Hamlet's suggestion and approach.  She also cools off as she realizes that Eliot's intent was to push Sammy to independence, not merely to get rid of him.  For his part, Sihn was confused at her initial reaction, but not angry in any way. He's used to being misunderstood.  Given the tension in their relationship in the past, this was particularly unsettling for the two.

No one talks, with Laughton's deliberate and useful diversion, about Ayla's role in this, nor at this point does anyone need to.  But as to her background and motivations, Ayla keeps mostly in touch with friends from the New School and isn't really friends with the Justice Squad, despite having adventured with them for a brief time. She's got a certain clannishness to her that makes it hard to make new friends and hard to let go of old ones (and makes her very susceptible to looking on Sammy as a "traitor" - especially when she's been in a fairly isolated state for a while). She also has a fairly sizeable resentment of the amount of time Eliot pours into The Justice Squad and Sihn-Tek.  And Nexus just feels that the baby is safer if there is the very minimum of contact between Ayla (and the baby) and the Justice Squad.  Nexus is moving the family to a place near the New School, where she can be in closer touch with old friends (friends are very important to her since she doesn't get much support from her loony, to Nexus' way of thinking, parents).  Eliot has talked to Professor X about providing shielding against mentalists and that's well-provided for.  SIhn has pulled together a disguise and new identity for her.  To all, Sihn will be pretending as if Ayla has been moved to another plane (which would have been more secure, but which would have probably been too isolated for Ayla).

Nexus says, "Thanks for helping out Hamlet."

He goes on to mention, focusing more on Laughton who understands the mathematics, "I'm sure you noticed that the equation actually applies to all five of us - we all display some type of quantum anomaly, almost as it is a "disease," but the symptoms seem to be the ability to project behaviors and changes that are unpredictable by any sort of macro-science. In your case, that explains a lot.  My current hypothesis is that it has to do with some type of interaction between your and my mutation. since it started with you, Marty, Ayla, and me. It stopped affecting Marty and Ayla when they left, but it affected Sammy, Suzanne, and Newman when they joined. Curious."

Sihn says to Sammy, with events having rapidly unfolded, "Sorry, Sammy, I didn't see you there. The equation was really written for Hamlet, and perhaps I made a mistake in showing it to Suzanne. If you had listened to me when I was explaining the equation, all that it proves is that I do not and cannot understand you.

"Sammy, ever since we met, your enemies have been my enemies. I've never hesitated, never had a second thought. I would risk my life to do whatever it takes to keep you from harm. I've always felt that way, and I continue to feel that way.

"But, at some point, other things have changed. After I found you had re-dug the tunnel, I explained to you why it was dangerous, and, immediately after hearing this, you re-dug it. I know you mean no harm in doing this - it was merely a stunt to show me that I have no real control over you. That is true. But, I do need to have some sort of rules concerning the safety of my family, and you don't seem to understand that this is what drives a lot of my actions, and this is not negotiable.

"I have no anger towards you Sammy. Ayla is currently a bit worked up over the business with the X-Men - Jean Grey was one of her childhood friends, and Magneto is a direct threat to the family she grew up with. You see Magneto as someone who talks kindly to you. She sees Magneto in the same way most of the rest of the team saw Kingpin - a direct and murderous threat.  Magneto has made it clear that he wants me dead. That affects my opinion of him and makes me consider him an enemy. I find it problematic that this is not enough for you to reconsider how you view him. This means that I cannot fully trust you Sammy. I'd still risk my life for you with no hesitation, but I cannot trust you to do the same for me. And that is a decision you have chosen to make. I'd be more than happy to discuss Magneto further with you if there was any chance that it might alter your opinion.

"As to questions about your sentience, your outburst right now has assured me that I was wrong on that count. I'm sorry I said that, and doubly sorry you heard it. But I'm not sorry about the result, as it has raised my respect for you considerably.

"And, just to set things straight, the move had to happen now, since part of what happened a few days ago is that I realized that Magneto had been compromised. Information about my family could have gotten out while Dark Phoenix was in control - it could have easily come from someone besides Magneto, but, in any event, the threat level was escalated since that information could be in anyone's hands now. That's what drove the timing of this.

"Now, Sammy, I ask you directly. Don't you feel that it is time to move into your own place? It seems to me like you are more than ready, and, as I said to Suzanne, I think it would be a stimulating experience for you."

As Sammy responds, he considers Eliot's questions rhetorical, and looks away, towards Suzanne and Laughton, those, he thinks, "who know me better" and he mentally harrumphs.  He agrees to the idea of a new house, although he had been quite satisfied staying at the base as Sammy doesn't feel any need for modesty or privacy from friends he trusts (Sammy doesn't tend to go half way on his feelings of trust).  But Sammy is vulnerable to Laughton's influence, particularly since Laughton had prepared so much paperwork for him, so Sammy is now going for the new house.  Jane will go along with it too since she isn't so attached to the the Sihn family and the rest of the Justice Squad.  She will miss Gere-Luce, Neumann, and all the regulars in the base though as she has spent so much time with them.

Sammy protests that he did not re-dig it, explaining there was a misunderstanding.  It's not clear to either party exactly what happened as their recollections are different, but their mutual concerns are illustrated, in any case.  Eliot feels the tunnel is merely a symptom, anyway, and not itself the real issue.  To him, the issue would still remain even without the tunnel incident. Sammy is overly trusting, and Eliot wants rigid security for Ayla and the baby. Nexus is over-compensating for the loss of his mother, and he's still not entirely over the nightmare of Lefty being kidnapped. Ayla, on the other hand, is cooped up in the house, and increasingly feeling cut off from things. She's trying to be a "Stay at Home" mom, but she's not realistically a good fit for that role. Yet she can't ever admit this to herself, and she'd internalize her anxieties, looking hard at other people's foibles. Sammy, with his naturally ingratiating nature, is caught in the crossfire.  Nexus is fairly certain that her relationship with him would be degenerating as she looked on him as her only real source of adult companionship, but his work leaves him limited time for that. At some point in the near future, he muses she'll need to go back to work, either as a biologist or as a hero.  So the problem isn't really being driven by Sammy - but some of his actions do exacerbate things a bit and make him a target.

Regardless, the fact that this was a misunderstanding causes Sammy to at least tolerate the situation better than he otherwise would.  He just has to express his happiness that Spectrum and Laughton stood up for him. His worries are calmed down now... and Laughton has redirected his concerns towards a new house on the lake and golf course. Given Laughton promoted it as a good investment, Sammy is eager to go buy it.

As all are calming down, Sammy suggests that he thinks she should move to Prince Namor's domain, as he is family, and traveling time really isn't an issue anymore.  But as Sammy chats, Sihn isn't sure he wants Sammy to warm up to him for a while. He wants Sammy to start seeing him as a teammate instead of as a sometime father-figure. He'd rather work with Sammy as an equal, but he's not sure how to make this happen (Personal relations are not his forte). He does think that having Sammy move out is a step in this direction.

Eliot does take Sammy out for ice cream, and they discuss all the good things that could come from Sammy moving out on his own. He tells Sammy not to hold Ayla's comments against her, that she was very upset by a lot of things, and that she'll calm down at some point.  He tells Sammy that he still likes him, but that he needs Sammy to show more independence - that he wants Sammy to start looking upon him as an equal rather than a father-figure.  He assures Sammy that the only thing the equation showed was that his relationship to Sammy is the same as any relationship between friends.

He also talks to Sammy about becoming more active in the various on-going investigations - Sammy could help out a lot by infiltrating the Mutant scene in New York. He talks to Sammy about being careful in doing this - Sammy will run across a lot of people who will pretend to be Sammy's friends in order to get Sammy to do things that he shouldn't.  Sammy responds, "Yeah, I know a lot about pretenders!"

Sammy is happy but not getting warmed up immediately to Sihn, really.  He was very upset with Sihn (mainly from Ayla's encounter, but also because of his degrading comments), and  needs a reason to warm up to him again in order just to work with him, else Sammy feels he might crack.  He's very close to a very destructive emotional state, and he hopes Sihn realizes he doesn't need to be shown a cold shoulder.  Or if not, he hopes Laughton or Suzanne explain it to him.

Finally, Sihn discusess the traveling show that BOOM will be sponsoring and ask Sammy to be the headliner. He agrees to work out a tune to go with Laughton's lyrics for the mutant-rights song.

Sammy chills, and thinks Eliot is O. K. by the end of their talk, 5 sundaes, and 3 banana splits later.  By the end of the conversation, Sammy's rump begins to crystallize, and he is seems to be talking a bit slow. Sammy orders a giant steaming hot chocolate to go, as soon as he can get out of his seat.

Later on, a while after the separation, Nexus starts asking Sammy out to lunch on a fairly regular basis, to make sure they stay in touch, and to be available to provide real-world advice if Sammy wants any.

The subject of Sammy's BOOM performances comes up one day and Sammy begins to theoretically assign parts, discussing how Laughton and Suzanne could do background vocals, and if either has any skill in guitar that would be good, else someone also needs to have the tambourine.  Laughton pushes back explaining tambourines and miscellaneous "oohs" or "ahhs" are the about the extent of his musical prowess.  Sammy exclaims, "Hey, that's an important role.... just think of all the songs out there that would be totally uninspiring without all those "oohs" and "ahhs!"  Sammy coaches a begrudging Laughton how to be a superstar "ooher and ahher!"  "And what would all those christmas songs be like without the rattle of those tambourines!" Sammy enthuses.  Suzanne says "no way" to any performance, as she has terrible stage fright.  Sammy explains further... "You can do lights and special effects --- perhaps some telekinetic effects too."  Sammy also offers to just turn into an amazing likeness of Suzanne and receive feeds from her telling him what to say.  He muses, "The hidden side of Suzanne can come out in public," and says how she seems to be so much more intimidating when she gets into court.  Sammy thinks, it turns out Nexus is a great keyboard player, but originally he wanted Jane n keyboards.  He determines she can do something else, such as play guitar opposite of Sammy and do vocals as well.  He says to Nexus, "Being on keyboard, you are in a perfect place for background vocals!"  And he assigns Neumann to rhythm and/or control of the lighting/special effects.  Sammy is jazzed as one of his dreams takes form!  The Justice Squad rock group is a GO!  (GM note - this sounds so much like a bad '70s spin-off...)

As discussion goes on, it turns to their neighbors, the Magneto cell in Detroit.  Nexus offers up, "I guess we should pop over with a fruit basket or some-such."  He hopes he can extract a few interesting DNA samples.  He make some preparations.  

A couple days later, Sammy, inattentive to the comments Sihn made about visiting, gets wind of all this visitation preparation activity.  "Sorry... I kinda figured those fruit baskets lying around in boxes labeled office supplies were for anyone who wanted them."  He gets a box of Grandma's Apple Pie Kit from Detroit Grocers across the street, and cooks it up as a replacement gift, along with a second one for himself.

When they make the trip, Sammy turns into his traditional salt mine tracking form, an uber-sniffing attack bunny, with a big white cotton tail.  In a squeaky voice says, "Lets go visit Magneto!"

Troll chimes in, singing, "Follow the Tunnel of Salt, Follow the Tunnel of Salt...."

Sammy gawks at Eliot's wonderful singing!  "I need you for background vocals! and you can have a tambourine to keep the beat!"  

Sammy gawks at Eliot's wonderful singing! "I need you for background vocals! and you can have a tambourine to keep the beat!"

Eliot says, "Sorry, Sammy, I'm strictly keyboards!"  Then he sings away:

Follow the Tunnel of Salt. Follow the Tunnel of Salt
Follow, Follow, Follow, Follow
Follow the Tunnel of Salt!
Follow the Tunnel, Follow the Tunnel
Follow the Tunnel of Salt
We're off to see Magneto, that friendly ol' villain of ours
You'll find he is a lug of a thug, if ever a thug there was!
If ever oh ever a thug there was, Magneto oh well, he's one because
because, because, because, because, of the evilest things he does!

Sihn starts whistling and skipping down the center of the tunnel. He's been under a lot of pressure lately.

When they get to the Magneto base, a surprised figure, the Hellcat Hellion (a black furry mutant with cat-like features), "greets" them, looking startled and for a brief moment rising up like a halloween-style hunched cat, looking menacing, before he deflates with shock as he realizes the Justice Squad is visiting.  It's at a drop in the mine where a hatch protects the top of the Brotherhood Detroit base.  He is uncertain as to what to do as he says, "Uh - hi! I mean HI!"  After a long pause, "So...how are you guys?  Uh, we didn't know you were coming."  After the greetings/comments, he says, "Uh - would you mind waiting here?" He leaves a bit, and then comes back, looking a bit relieved, and says, "Uh, just security stuff, like I said, we didn't expect you! Honestly, though I know you guys aren't a worry, except that I wanted to make sure the boss was okay, he was surprised, y'know? Anyway he was okay with it. But the real concern here is that other group, January Victory!, we don't know what they're up to, necessarily."  

Hellcat Hellion lets them in. Lounging in a plaid earth-toned frayed cloth-covered reclining chair is none other than the Artless Dodger, who looks up quite surprised! He is hesitant and says, in his contrived British accent, "Ummmmm - neutral territory right, eh, wot? No hard feelings, cheers and all, right, fellows?"  

Otherwise it's fairly bare. It looks like something happened, as some rooms look vacated and the gear looks ill-kempt. It doesn't take the super-sleuths long to realize that the fragmenting of Magneto's organization has hit the Detroit base with defections and some looting on the way out. And with both Detroit-based leaders gone, Nightcrawler and the Lizard King, the remaining "staff" is uncertain and green, Hellcat Hellion seems to be doing both security and running the show. He's a surprisingly nice guy, rather meek, and someone they've only seen in passing, both in mutant underground clubs and among the Magneto group; Eliot though is better aware of him, having briefly treated him for a "brawling" wound and catalogued his DNA 3 or 4 years prior. Although Hellcat is a credible soldier, as it were, nobody really seems him as the bad-ass his name intends to represent him as. In fact, he suffers from a rep of being a bit of a creampuff, even if that also isn't entirely deserved. 

Half a dozen mutants are hanging out, some clearly busily engaged and others just lounging. Most of them are known at least by sight, some are known well to Eliot  Sihn is rather surprised to see Big Ugly Bug, though he knows that BUB had some sort of relation to the Brotherhood.  BUB is embarrassed and says, "Uh, visiting friends, y'know? Just got back from a trip to New York and checking in to see if everybody is okay."  Sihn knows that BUB has always had sort of a foot in each "camp", but never was and doesn't seem to be a member of Magneto's organization, perhaps a sort of "fellow traveler".  

Hellcat Hellion continues on, "Geez, you brought us pie? That's so nice! It's like you're dropping in as if you were neighbors or something!"

Nexus surveys the room to determine which of these inhabitants are currently wanted by the law?  He knows Artless belongs in jail.  He notes there are others wanted on lesser charges, from what Eliot recalls with his great knowledge, from robbery (biggest is the Sour Lemon who has a grand theft charge for an alleged jewelry heist, others are sub-grand) to assault (this being quite common and one of the leading relatively arbitrary anti-mutant charges, in that regular humans who get into fights are often of course let go if no charges are pressed whereas mutants are not).  Nexus challenges Artless Dodger, pointing out he "shouldn't be here."  Artless Dodger rises, and the two look ready to square off.

[beginning of face-to-face session]

As the situation grows tense, Nexus is momentarily distracted.  He indicates there's problems, serious ones, back at the Dreamlands pumpkin patch, and disappears in a foggy mist which envelopes him.  

Artless Dodger offers to go get something from the kitchen, hoping to flee, and Laughton points out there's a warrant out for his arrest.  Hellcat Hellion becomes nervous, and timidly requests that they go outside if they're going to fight.  Suddenly Artless Dodger tips his cane, catching Laughton's tinfoil hat and plopping it onto his head just as Spectrum is about to mind blast him - the uncanny Dodger has an amazing sense of timing and luck.  But her blast takes the smirk away from his face.

Hellcat Hellion ineffectually insists everyone "try to get along."  Laughton points out this was intended as a social visit and lets the situation cool down, going on to humorously blame Nexus, "Master of Dimensions-ons-ons" (to which an inter-dimensional flick of a finger taps Laughton on the head).  The parties aren't quite at fighting mode as Sammy tries to grab Laughton's hat back but the Artless Dodger manages to pull it out of his grasp.

Hellcat Hellion arrives from the kitchen with a piece of pie but even more importantly Pie Man (a mutant resembling a giant pie and with the power to produce such, as well as do some marginally more useful things), holding Sammy's rapt attention.  

Spectrum points out to Artless Dodger that they won't hunt him down like a dog unless he was involved in the manslaughter charges he's accused of.  He claims they were accidents and he'll do his very best to avoid such in the future.  He hands the hat back to Laughton as Spectrum reminds Artless Dodger of her recent arrest of Mover Shaker.  She doesn't really expect he'll change but she hopes so given the changes going on in general, and more over wants to not disrupt this meeting and the cultivation of their goals and aims towards something more useful, as she is aware Laughton is scheming towards that.

Spectrum eats the extra pie she had already brought, knowing Sammy would devour the one intended for them.  Nexus, before leaving, had summoned a "perfect" pie which Laughton is glad to partake of.  Pie Man produces a large pie cutter for all, but refuses Sammy's offer to cut the pie with his hand shaped like a slicer (remember, Sammy's body still has a slight gooey funk to it!).  

Then they get down to business.  Artless Dodger slinks away, exiting the base entirely, as Hellcat Hellion asks everyone besides he and the Justice Squad to leave the room.   The Hellcat proudly announces his newly-appointed leadership of the group, at first showing clear over-enthusiasm but then restraining himself.  Laughton lets him know what printer he uses to make business cards while Spectrum thinks, "you poor schmoe."

Then Laughton says, "I want to explain my perspective..." and Neumann slumps down, audibly gearing down and going to rest, but before he falls fully into a catatonic state Laughton advises "keep that recorder going!"  Hellcat Hellion sighs and mutters quietly, Magneto having explained Laughton's tendency to cerebrally muse and go on at length.  But Laughton pays no mind to the initial reception as he waxes on his vision of a new world and explains there is "unfinished business that will draw my attention away."  He goes on to mention, "I'm a magnanimous fellow," spurring out-loud laughter from Sammy, who then hushes up at his glance, while Spectrum slightly grins.  Continuing, Laughton goes on to point out that he would be upset if he had to squelch nefarious Brotherhood activity "seeing as we're neighbors" and making a comparison of "you wouldn't want my snow blower filling your driveway."   He points out that as mutants they are in danger as even those unorganized mutants, with the new threat of Vision, which he explains.  Hellcat confirms Magneto has mentioned the entity, and says that Magneto gave him a 900 number (one of Laughton's) to contact if they find anything, and a phone card to cover the cost.  Laughton points out that he will give this cell "some leeway," and that the Justice Squad's priority is Vision, but they need to be careful as well.  

Laughton also points out that it was fortuitous for Artless Dodger that Nexus was around Spectrum and Nexus, whom he makes an allusion to as a "goody two-shoes."  Spectrum pipes up "from your point of view, yes," and points out the Justice Squad's (more recent) orderly approach to things.  Hellcat Hellion asks if it's true that Nexus used to be the Troll, and Laughton indicates he can neither confirm nor deny, but that he saw the Troll die.  Spectrum suggests they don't bring it up with Sammy there, given  how the even traumatized him, and Laughton covers Sammy's (apparent) ears as he explains a little bit about the situation that killed the Troll.

Laughton asks how Hellcat became the leader, and is told that Magneto selected him.  Laughton probes as to funding, Hellcat explaining that their basic needs are taken care of and doesn't know where the money comes from.  He also points out they have a coffee fund which everyone shares, and that the base is only occupied on a part-time basis by any of the people there to limit cost, although they do allow some down-and-out types to stay on a charitable basis.

They discuss funding at more length, Laughton also discussing how less powerful groups like the Mysterymen can be self-sufficient, with insurance companies funding preventative patrolling and possibly the mayor agreeing to a stipend.  Spectrum also addresses additional sources of funding for law-abiding vigilantes.

Turning towards philosophy, Hellcat Hellion points out Magneto's viewpoint on staying independent.  Spectrum explains how participating more with humans would build a better reputation, while Laughton picks at Magneto's views, saying that humans are a valuable resource as mutants are.  Hellcat defers that he'd "really have to talk to the boss" about that.

Laughton then begins his manipulation in earnest, asking, "Aren't you in charge of the Detroit cell?"  Of course the proud and eager Hellcat says, "Good point," and Laughton begins to carefully push at what boundaries Magneto had set.  He finds that there is no direct prohibition against them being helpful to humans or performing more traditional vigilantism (as opposed to the "mutants-assistance only" view of Magneto), and gets Hellcat to agree that he could easily lead the team to another level of respect while also serving Magneto.  Laughton finds out they have 33 mutants on call in the area, and Hellcat Hellion is quick to point out that Pie Man is not in the core group of 15!  Laughton then goes on to quickly pull out a legal pad, already half full of notes, and give it to Hellcat Hellion as his standard plan for vigilante groups, including contingency plans, contacts, hints, tips, and so on.  Laughton also hands him another card with a 900 number on it, this one a direct line to the mayor that he's set up.  Then he hands him another card which explains how to quickly get through the elaborate (and money-making) menu system, and indicates he can contact the mayor directly.

Hellcat Hellion offers to come by the Justice Squad base, in whatever sort of secrecy needed.  Laughton spins a yarn about it being made of plywood and cement, the entrance covered with refrigerator cardboard and plastic bags from stores (which is essentially his own place to bed down - except without the plywood or cement), and he explains how the plastic (and paper) bags can be recycled, and where homeless people or anyone can go at the Laughton Agency to get them redeemed at a fair rate (a thankless task Velda performs).  Talk of life at the Justice Squad base goes on, Laughton saying, "I don't need food," and Spectrum saying blankly, "I eat out."

As they talk of food, Hellcat looks at Sammy, and notes that he looks hungry.  He offers up to eat whatever he wants from the kitchen.  Laughton says to drop in a quarter in the coffee fund for Neumann for some motor oil, and also warns him, "If you see anything with legs, don't eat it, they might have the Amazing Ketchup Man or something."

At the mention of his name, Neumann's eye grows slowly red and his gears start to work again.  But he explains he has no current requirement for motor oil.  Laughton and Sammy argue over which Neumann likes better, 10 WD-40 or a cheaper brand, while Neumann sits idly by.

As their private talk has ended, Pie Man reappears, enjoying serving and coming out with coffee which Suzanne has.  Nobody says anything as Sammy busies himself eats more than half of what's in the refrigerator...saving the last piece of each thing so as not to be rude.  Spectrum takes note, though, of the general type of food they stocked, and politely has their frig restocked, arranging a delivery to a drop-off point and explaining Hellcat Hellion's mistake to him, for which he is quite appreciative.  Before they leave, Neumann has cleaned up the place, steam cleaning and vacuuming.

As the Justice Squad makes it's way back, they're pleased to find that the metallic "dragon" they defeated has become quite popular with the kids in the playground it's been put in.  Being late January, it's snow-covered and makes for great fun.

Later, Spectrum gets a call from the mayor, unable to immediately reach Laughton, asking about Hellcat Hellion and why he says he's a "friend of the Justice Squad" and calling him.  She confirms and summons Laughton.  As they talk, Mayor Berry mentions that he's heard that Giuliani will be pushing to have the Justice Squad go work for New York City, and goes on to pressure as to why the Justice Squad should be an official Detroit vigilante force, a unique offer he's been trying to get them to accept for some time.  She explains there's a whole set of complexities, what with the Federal relationship and all, but that she would not work for New York City without talking to him first.  She says "at least for me," referring unknown to him to her relationship with Nightshade, it would be awkward.

When Hamlet gets to the mayor he goes through a lengthy explanation aimed at somewhat confusing and boring the mayor into acceptance, which is at least somewhat successful as he agrees to discuss the matter more with Hellcat Hellion and may be able to help out.

Meanwhile, Neumann is out and about, looking for people to help.  He runs across a man who speaks to Neumann but cannot understand him - as Neumann has no lips that move!  The man cannot hear, he explains, saying "my hearing can't be corrected," and  he reads lips to understand.  Neumann makes lips appear next to him, using his holographic projection, and "says" flatly, with them in sync, "Perhaps you are deaf."  The man is taken aback at the robot's "explanation," and then confirms it, saying he wants to see Dr. Sihn.  Neumann agrees to assist him but the doctor is not available.  The man actually ends up helping Neumann out, applying oil at his request.

Back at the base, Neumann receives a phone call - from Mayor Giuliani.  The mayor explains that "it's very important" that he and the Justice Squad come to New York City, and that he's got a limo in Detroit ready to take them to the airport.  Neumann asks, "Are you in need?" which Giuliani confirms.  Sammy is nearby and eager to help Neumann.  And upon hanging up, Neumann sets off his whooping alarm and breaks in on the intercom in the Laughton Agency, declaring, "Attention!  This is Neumann!  We are heading to New York, people are in need!"

With Sihn again out of town, the four discuss what's going on, Spectrum realizing this is what Berry tipped her off about.  She tells Velda to tell the limo driver, already outside, that they have faster arrangements.  Somehow Laughton parts with a tip but insists that Velda be sure they don't think he's attached to it.  She says, "Don't worry, they won't."

They quickly head to NYC.  Spectrum catches up briefly with Nightshade to see what he knows, meeting him on a rooftop.   He explains, which she relays, that Giuliani has been searching for a symbolic team to muster in a new era of mutant cooperation, especially given of course the recent mutation of much of the city, and that he's offering the Justice Squad the same deal as the Outsiders rejected, as far as he knows.

So, prepared, the Justice Squad visits the mayor, along with Jane (who, per Sammy's influence, is gradually becoming a virtual member anyway) who poses as Nexus, not saying much.  Laughton looks ruffled, like Columbo (just for the occasion), while Neumann squeaks loudly.   Spectrum goes in her private wear, in scary attorney garb, a power suit.  Sammy holds the mayor's meeting table as Laughton lets down a heavy briefcase, suitcase-sized with legal documents. 

But first the mayor attempts to chit-chat, pointing out he's now one of the mutants, due to the recent event, apparently possessing an ability to pick up radio sounds.  Jane/Nexus says, "oh, you've got a bit of lunch on your lip," and does him the "favor" of reaching forward to wipe it off with a handkerchief - collecting a sample of his saliva for the real Nexus' later study.

As Giuliani discusses the broad strokes of a deputization deal for the Justice Squad, he breaks out specially made holographic badges, quickly handing one to Sammy first, who's quite taken with it.   Neumann's head lowers, de-powers a bit as none of this interests him and he's now unsure of just how critical the "need" was.  Laughton breaks in to ask Giuliani which hold music he preferred when trying to reach him (as Laughton wants to capitalize on what works best on his 900 line), and Giuliani points out that he didn't call, an assistant did, handing over the line when they finally got through to Neumann.  As Laughton promises to have the contract reviewed in a quiet period mode, he asks if Rice is aware of this.  Giuliani points out that Bush has sanctioned the move.  Neumann tilts his head at the badge as he's given one, but does not respond.  Spectrum gladly takes a badge - for Nightshade to have a good laugh over!

Neumann picks up the radio sounds that Giuliani is relaying, and stands up announcing, "Excuse me, I must go people are in need," and opens the window and steps out, his "legs" stretching eight stories as he simply walks down to the street.  Spectrum calls after him, asking if he needs help, and he simply says "unknown," so Spectrum keeps mental contact with him.  He proceeds to what he overheard, a police dispatch call regarding a disturbance.  Just a few blocks away, he comes across a human-bird blasting some sort of energy through its eyes at a twelve foot tall man slugging away at it.  Neumann entangles the big man, barely containing him, as the bird-man then fires, laughing, at the big bruiser.  Neumann then vents steam at the bird, damaging one of his wings and stopping him.  Then the big guy almost breaks out, but Neumann produces a cattle prod-like object from his mess of wires and zaps the man, dropping him.

Spectrum takes the moment, as the TV in Giuliani's office shows the action, to demonstrate this is what they do wherever they go, help people, and they don't wish to be beholden to any sort of agency.  The mayor emphasizes this would be official, and she retorts that's the point, they don't want to be official and limited.

Desperate to work the Justice Squad, Giuliani begins talking to Sammy about how New York is a 24 by 7 town, with restaurants and bakeries open all day and all night.  Suzanne explains they're working on more important things, that they've started BOOM and Laughton points out "that's not just pizza and doughnuts."

Giuliani turns to the phone to call Neumann, on TV, and congratulate him.  

Returning to more talk of working for the city, the Justice Squad indicates it will review the offer, and Laughton and Suzanne point out to Giuliani they have power of attorney for Sammy (which Sammy makes a note to undo when he can, though he respects Suzanne's judgment even as he has grown to be a bit resentful of Laughton's sheltering).  Giuliani hints that the Troll trial could be resolved, and Nexus/Jane just whistles and looks down.  Spectrum agrees to come back with a counter-offer in two weeks, though all (except Sammy and Neumann) know that it will be unacceptable and is nothing more than a delicate delay tactic.

As there is quite a spread brought in for the Justice Squad, including a mound of boxes of Twinkies, Sammy says he's trying to restrain himself and only stuffs in 3 or 4 boxes of Twinkies.  Giuliani insists that he "dig in," so Sammy indeed does, finishing two dozen boxes in mere minutes.  Giuliani looks a bit pale.  Laughton notices that they were all old boxes, one day from expiry.  A whole raft of gifts is given to the Justice Squad, even with something for Velda.

Back in Detroit, Laughton follows up on Medusa.  He received a note from her complaining that she's been trying to call but keeps getting disconnected after 30 minutes on hold (he breathes a sigh of relief, his plan is working).  He considers replacing the muzak version of "Muskrat Love" with "Honey Come Love Me".  He has Velda jot down a few words on a card, and ensures that Medusa continues to get her secret methadone supply.  Then he drafts a letter to her psychiatrist, who has continued to pester him and seems to have unrealistic expectations supporting Medusa's delusional love affair with Rodin/Laughton.  He emphasizes to the doctor she's not moving ahead and is too dependent, and his care isn't helping.  In return, the psychiatrist writes back that she believes she deserves silence and "isn't good enough" for Rodin, and that he needs to get engaged to help her.  Laughton discusses with Spectrum and Sammy about how to get this psychiatrist away from Medusa and get a decent one for her.  Sammy points out that Laughton is a super-genius and certainly he can help her and should see her.  Laughton indicates the problem si the way her powers work and his lack of desire to get involved.  Sammy proclaims, "Love will find a way!" and Spectrum tells Sammy to stop listening to Laughton's hold music.

Later, well into March, Sammy receives an opportunity to visit Carnegie Hall, as Elvis and himself, with proceeds donated to BOOM.  Suzanne, Laughton, Jane, and Sammy all pop over to New York City for the show when the time comes.  

But disaster strikes as Sammy is ambushed while Jane has gone out to get some food!  He's surrounded in his dressing room by Omega gents, told that Jane has been captured!  He shrinks, trying to get out, then a blast of cold stings him, though he barely misses being drained of his abilities by Gene-cide, the villain who steals powers from others.  Then Bad Apple attacks, laying seeds all around to hinder Sammy's movement.  Sammy makes a quick gesture, holding his cell phone up with the red button and concentrating on Suzanne.  Bad Apple sneers and gives his cheesy, "You ain't goin' nowhere, no-how, now give up!" speech; his face is like the type of crones' faces made out of apples, and it's huge compared to his body, much like a Mr. Potatohead.  From the cold attack, Sammy is shut down, unable to change form or summon most of his powers.  Neumann is dismantled while Nexus is in another dimension, unreachable.  Laughton is nearby at MOMA and gets word from Suzanne as she picks up Sammy's signal; they rush to save him.

Sammy is then badly hurt as the Bad Apple showers him with a stinging array of seeds.   But Sammy stands, barely, ensnared in the apple seed storm and shivering cold.  He does naturally sponge out to normal size, though, from the various effects.  

Laughton, in his "normal" form of T'suara, bursts onto the scene at this point, and begins blasting the Bad Apple with his transformational attack, not entirely changing him but having some gradual impact.  Then Sammy hears Gene-cide muttering - a terrible mutter as somehow it unleashes a cold field which completely knocks Sammy out and imparts a "strange feeling" to T'suara, who is feeling a field which inhibits natural change.  Spectrum is reaching the door to backstage as the Bad Apple tries to intimidate T'suara with his infamous grimacing sneer, but T'suara is able to just ignore him.  Meanwhile T'suara gets in two more attacks on the Bad Apple, just barely then starting to see him really begin the transformation into dust, as the Bad Apple breaks open a wall for Gene-cide to escape with Sammy.  Just then Spectrum flies in, striking at Gene-cide, who in turn is unable to stop T'suara or strike her as he tries.  Gene-cide begins sputtering in anger.  The cold zone around Sammy drops as one of the Omega agents picks him up and the Bad Apple attempts to escort them out.  Then T'suara finally transforms Bad Apple as Gene-cide tries to rescue him, but Spectrum pains Gene-cide greatly with a massive mental blast.  And before the Omega agent can get away, Spectrum telekinetically pushes him back, ripping up the carpet at the same time with the force of her mind. 

The Bad Apple now transformed into the strange dust cloud, Gene-cide and the Omega agents left standing are trapped inside that cloud.  The Omega agents are helpless, surrendering to delusions of their greatest fears, although Gene-cide manages to escape.  Unfortunately poor Sammy is trapped in the cloud, too, and, though out, has horrifying nightmares reminding him of his time in the nexus region where Troll turned to Nexus.  Spectrum knocks Gene-cide one last time into the cloud and he's out.  Laughton collects the cloud that was Bad Apple.  Two of the Omega agents have killed themselves by the time the Justice Squad can stop the third one from so doing.  Spectrum works carefully on bringing Sammy to without him feeling completely wrecked from his nightmares.

And they have to find Jane... 

[Game Mechanics - Points Awarded...

BOOM formation - Reputation award to Nexus, Originators of BOOM, Large Group, 14-, 3 XP
    Rogers, for Reputation and misc. extra, +1 XP for Nexus to add to Rogers Follower sheet

General work to grow BOOM and other mutant assistance, enemy is taken care of this time and it was the BIG BAD! (the whole mutant issue itself) - +37.5 RP for Laughton, Nexus, Sammy, Spectrum, +2.5 XP for Laughton, Nexus, Sammy, Spectrum

For a new era in human/mutant relations, from the results of all this - enemy is taken care of once and for all (not that you did it alone, but it's worth this as we turn the corner) and it was the BIG BAD! - +75 RP for Laughton, Nexus, Sammy, Spectrum, +5 XP for Laughton, Nexus, Sammy, Spectrum; +100 RP for Neumann, +10 XP for Neumann

For the same, enduring heroism - +60 RP for Laughton, Nexus, Sammy, Spectrum; +80 RP for Neumann

Act of great publicity/heroism for establishing BOOM - +22.5 RP for Nexus

Underground cultivation for Laughton - KS:  New Mutants NYC, INT-based, +3, +6 XP Laughton
            Contact Pool:  General mutants, NYC (choose SFX/specifics), Limited by Identity, Pineal Glance's choice, Contact has extremely useful skills/resources, Contact has access to major institutions, Organization Contact, 14-, +18 XP Laughton

Underground cultivation for Nexus - Contact Pool:  Old-time mutants of NYC, Contact has extremely useful skills/resources, Contact has access to major institutions, Organization Contact, 11-, +12 XP Nexus
            KS:  Old-time Mutants, NYC, INT-based, +2, +5 XP Nexus

Dealing with Magneto and his declined Brotherhood, enemy is taken care of "once and for all" (for our purposes) and it is about even, but not enough color, as it is "clean-up" on the end of this arc - +11.25 RP for Laughton, Nexus; +.75 XP for Laughton, Nexus; partial for Suzanne's role, counts as interesting but not that powerful, +3.75 RP for Spectrum, +.25 XP for Spectrum

Further Vision/Magneto research - KS:  Magnus Science, INT-based, +5, 8 XP Nexus

January Victory! work - enemy handled but it isn't over against an about even situation but not very colorful, +3.75 RP for Laughton, +.25 XP for Laughton; partial for Nexus as interesting but not that powerful in terms of his involvement on this specifically, +.75 RP for Nexus, +.05 XP for Nexus

Working with the government - situation handled though it isn't over against an about even but not very colorful situation - +.75 RP, +.05 XP for Laughton, Nexus

Artless Dodger confrontation, situation handled but he got away, interesting but not that powerful - +.75 RP for Laughton, Sammy, Spectrum, +.05 XP for Laughton, Sammy, Spectrum; +1 RP for Neumann, +.1 XP for Neumann

Managing the Hellcat Hellion brigade - situation taken care of this time and it is interesting but not that powerful - +1.875 RP for Laughton, Sammy, Spectrum, +.125 XP for Laughton, Sammy, Spectrum; +2.5 RP for Neumann, +.25 XP for Neumann

Dealing with Sammy/Sihn Conflict - take care of this time, and the enemy was the BIG BAD! (yourselves!!!) - +37.5 RP for Laughton, Nexus, Sammy, Spectrum, +2.5 XP for Laughton, Nexus, Sammy, Spectrum (nice stuff, guys)

Neumann against the brawling mutants - taken care of this time, and it is interesting but not that powerful - +2.5 RP for Neumann, +.25 XP for Neumann

Fighting against Bad Apple, Gene-cide,Omega agents - taken care of this time, tough - +13.125 RP for Laughton, Sammy, Spectrum, +.875 XP for Laughton, Sammy, Spectrum

Sammy personal growth - +6 XP he can put into any social or practical skills

Witchcraft Learning - To appropriate KSes, +6 XP for Spectrum

Knowledge of ex-Magneto Cells - Contact, 11-, extremely useful skills or resources, access to major institutions, organization contact - +12 XP for Laughton, Neumann

PBEM:  10 hours Laughton, Nexus, +7.5 RP and +2.5 XP; 5 hours Sammy, +3.75 RP and +1.25 XP, 2.5 hours Spectrum, +1.875 RP and +.625 XP

F2F:  4 hours Neumann +4 RP and +2 XP, 5 hours Laughton, Sammy, Spectrum, +3.75 RP and +1.25 XP

Totals:

Laughton  252.75 RP, 51.85 XP
Neumann  190 RP, 24.6 XP
Nexus  252.75 RP, 42.35 XP
Sammy 233.25 RP, 19.55 XP
Spectrum 235.125 RP, 19.175 XP

Totals to Date:

Dice 188.5 RPs, 14.95 XPs
Laughton 2250.625 RPs, 222.725 XPs (with Rep level, 50 for base, 25 for minion, 50 for reorg (note, did not use for agency or life-saving)
Neumann 899.5 RPs, 107.4 XPs  (with Rep level, 50 for base, 25 for minion)
Nexus 2302.875 RPs, 218.125 XPs  (with Rep level, 50 for base, 25 for minion, 50 for reorg (note, did not use for agency or life-saving)
Sammy the Slime 2116.5 RPs, 198.8125 XPs  (with Rep level, 50 for base, 25 for minion, 50 for reorg (note, did not use for agency or life-saving)
Spectrum 2037.5 RPs, 184.25 XPs  (with Rep level, 50 for base, 25 for minion, 50 for reorg (note, did not use for agency or life-saving)
Steely Danelle 86 RPs, 10.75 XPs]]