Damn it, he was right. But Tank didn't just want to let him go, either. It would be too easy for him to fall back into the Brotherhood's ways.

"I think we'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it," he said after a few moments' thought. There really wasn't any way around it. "As long as they don't try to shoot you on sight, we ought to be okay. And since you'd be standing right next to me, they probably wouldn't try anything that stupid."

"So you're saying my life depends on Police officers not being very stupid?  That's not very reassuring!" with a sigh, he started walking again, only this time, a step behind Tank.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:41, Sun 12 Sept 2021.

"Yeah, I get that." Legion having a low opinion of the Police was no surprise at all. It might not even be far from wrong, some days. But they needed to try something. "Don't fall behind."

A few police stops later, Tank and the Legion finally made it to the Avengers tower.  Or at least, what was left of it.  The top most floors have been completely obliterated, having sustained a barrage of dozens of high explosive rockets all launched simultaneously.  Even Stark's defenses couldn't hold against a firepower of that magnitude, particularly considering that the rockets in question where of his own design.

Huge slabs of concrete were scattered on the streets below - over the wreckage of pulverized cars and cratered roads.  The sounds of dozen of car alarms wailed in a loud cacophony, interrupted by an occasional high-pitched sonic burst from one of Iron-Man's repulsors as he stepped between the dead clones, looking for any survivors from his counterattack.

Making sure 'his' Legion clone was behind him, Tank waved to Iron Man, hoping to catch his attention. As he waved, he kept one eye out for Spider-Man or Captain America, but neither of them were immediately in evidence. Distracted along the way, most likely, by additional attacks.

"I realize that you treat your own clones as disposable," he said to Legion, "but I never thought I'd see Iron Man kill. You guys really pissed him off."

"Frank, right?" Iron-Man pushed a smashed car out of his way, as easily as Tank would have done it.

"Well, as it happens, we were just thinking of redecorating the place.  Never cared for that carpet.." as he talked, he lifted his hand and blasted a clone struggling to get up, instantly turning him into red mist.  It wasn't vengeance, or anger -  the Legion simply didn't have the decency to just lie there after they've been defeated. He made the mistake of sparing them a few minutes back, only for his benevolence to be repaid with a fresh swarm of rocket-armed clones.

"Cap is delayed by the way.  Stopped by to check what's going on at the UN headquarters.  As you can see - we have things under control here"

As Iron-Man got closer, the semi-cooperative Legion clone pressed against Tank's body.  He wasn't quite ready to die for the cause, else he wouldn't have broken with the others.

"They don't make for very good pets, you know"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:54, Tue 14 Sept 2021.

"Frank Guberman, yeah," Tank confirmed. "I also answer to 'Tank' while I'm working. And he's not so much a pet as he's a... um, yeah, I don't know. Spider-Man would have had a quip. But the guy is willing to help, while his other clones are ready to cause nothing but chaos.

"We passed the U.N. on the way up here. I guess we should have stopped there."

Because of course.

"I don't suppose you've got a faster way for us to get back there than to jog it again...? At this point, I'd take those rocket skates you used to wear^*."

---

* = Truth!

"I could shoot you from a canon, I guess.  As fun as this could be to try it out, there's no need to; Cap reported they got the situation at the UN under control, and they're on their way here now"

Iron man looked over Tank's shoulder at the Legion clone

"So what's his story?  Why the sudden change of heart?"

It took Frank an hour to get to Avengers tower.  the scene at the UN would be concluded by then, one way or another.

"Captain America pledged to support Mutant Rights," Tank said to Iron Man. "It resonated with a few of him. Not all."

Legion was the poster child for Dissociative Identity Disorder. Nothing was ever going to work for or with all of him.

"What about you? Can we count on you to voice some support?"

"For mutant rights? After all of this?!"
The Iron Man stretched his arm out and pointed at the demolished street behind him

"Cap is a sucker for a damsel in distress, but he got this one wrong.  An entire neighborhood in Manhattan was melted down only a few months ago.  Now this.  At the rate we're going, there won't be much left of New York city by New Years"
This message was last edited by the player at 18:43, Wed 15 Sept 2021.

"Yes, for mutant rights," Tank snapped. Apparently Iron Man was not the best person to look to for civil rights. "What you're seeing now is the result of denying mutant rights for years. There's a lot of mutants who want to be heard, any way possible.

"That incident a few months ago was an accident. I was there.

"Don't you find it just a bit hypocritical to deny basic civil liberties to people who were born with their powers, but people who get them through other means are just fine by you? The Hulk has trashed this city more often than I can count, but you're not looking to lock him up without due process. Hell, you're not trying to lock him up at all."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:16, Wed 15 Sept 2021.

"I don't know if an analogy to a giant, uncontrollable, rampaging monster is the one you want to go for here, buddy" Tony, for that matter, didn't have such a high opinion of the Hulk either.  He didn't want to argue the issue with Tank any further, however; there was still much to do before they would sit down to discuss it

"Cap" he brought the man over the shared comms "We can't meet at Avengers tower right now. Or anytime soon.   I'll send you an address - its old storage facility not far from here.  Bring everyone else with you"
This message was last edited by the player at 04:22, Thu 16 Sept 2021.

(( GM says that I am here now, whooo~! ))

Zoey had made for the United Nations headquarters building shortly after Kate's failure to answer her phone. She had at some point acquired a used red pickup truck simply because her new lifestyle required her to have some kind of cargo transport, but she had to abandon it on her way into New York City. The streets were in chaos and it wasn't difficult to understand why. Instead she now sat astride her red 21-speed bike on a street corner, staring up at the rising column of smoke from Stark Tower. "Earth's mightiest heroes," Zoey mutters to herself. "Great. Cracker-jack job. Is the Brotherhood out of their fucking minds?"

Before she can go much further down that line of thought she sees a familiar face nearby. Maybe he knows where Kate is. With a heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach she pedals towards Frank, coming to a stop some ten feet away.

"Tank," she greets him bluntly. "I am looking for Kate. Have you seen her?"

No 'hello' for an old friend? Tank was disappointed, but somehow not surprised that this was how Zoey opted to greet him. Especially not if she was looking for Kate. She was worried; it was hardly surprising that she was more brusque than usual.

"Sorry. I haven't seen her." It wasn't that much of a shocker to find out that they were involved in this mess, either. So unsurprising, in fact, that he played the long odds and added, "Have you tried the U.N.?"

Zoey watches Frank's expression, but it doesn't track in her mind. After what had happened the last time they worked with each other, surely he wouldn't be happy to see her. She decides that vaguely disappointed look in his eyes was directed at her darkening his world again.

"I was heading that way, but then I saw, well, that." She glances again at the smoking Stark Tower. She looks back, taking in more of the ground level situations. Her eyes narrow and she raises a hand, fingers poised to snap. "I don't mean to alarm, but you have a Legion right behind you. Shall I melt his skin off for you?"

"What? No! This one's on our side!" Tank put himself as in-between Zoey and Legion as he could get. Same old Zoey. Melt skin first, ask questions later. Still, Legion (most of him) deserved a bit of skin-melting today. "I know. They're impossible to tell apart. It we had time, I'd get him a tattoo or something."

He sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"It's really good to see you," he said. He flat-out missed Zoey, and Kate. "I've really missed you guys."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:13, Thu 16 Sept 2021.

Zoey sighs and lets her hand fall, accepting the explanation pretty swiftly. "When I build my sentient Von Neumann machines to colonize the universe away from the madness of this world, remind me to proof against replication errors."

She sticks her hands in the pockets of her hoodie as well. Like Frank standing in front of the Legion as if that would actually offer any protection, it's more about announcing intent through appearance than for any practical reason.

"I'm... kind of surprised to hear that. I mean, I believe that you missed Tabby, she's a fuzzy bundle of joy. But my loud, obnoxious ass? After what I've done? I thought you'd never want to see me again. You could have called, you know." She offers the slightest of sly grins, but quickly returns to neutral. "Since you're here I assume Windtalker is too. Where's the rest of..." She pauses. "That's Iron Man. That's freaking Iron Man. I didn't know he was genedivergent."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:15, Thu 16 Sept 2021.

"Actually, Windtalker and the rest of my team are all at the U.N. I came here to help with—" he waved a hand at the missing top to Avengers Tower "—this... but it was all over by the time we made it here from Brooklyn.

"Yeah, that's Iron Man. You know how they say 'Never meet your heroes'? Well..." he waved a hand again, this time indicating Iron Man. The man was a huge disappointment, and he disappointed quickly.

"And of course I missed your loud, obnoxious ass. If I didn't make this clear the last time we talked, let me say it now: I can disagree with your actions and still like you as a person. I'm sorry if I let you think otherwise."

Hopefully the conversation wouldn't move too far into what that action was. Legion would not stay on their side if Zoey started talking about killing all those mutant prisoners.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:38, Thu 16 Sept 2021.

(( MHRP corebook says Tony Stark's name is public, so I'm assuming that's true here. Will edit if GM says otherwise. ))

Zoey shrugs a little at Iron Man being a disappointment. She doesn't even need an explanation as to how he is a disappointment; it just seems a self-evident fact to her. "He's a CEO. What do you expect?"

"Careful there Tank-Top; if you make me blush then how will anyone take me seriously when I threaten to explodinate their hearts?" She openly grins at that. "But... yeah, thanks. Anyways, you in touch with Windy right now? Think you can ask her about Tabs? I bet she knows, and if she doesn't she'll find out quick."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:07, Thu 16 Sept 2021.

"I'm probably out of Comms range and telepathy range," Tank advised Zoey, "but the Sat-phone is probably still working."

He brought out his phone and hit the button for Windtalker.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:03, Thu 16 Sept 2021.

"I'm standing right here, you know" between all the talk about melting his skin off, branding him like cattle, and the Iron-Man disposing of his brothers, he was starting to have second thoughts about helping Freedom Force.

"And they call me a villain. You're ten times worse than any of me" he walked out of Tank's shadow and squared off, looking sharply at Zoey "And don't you believe for a second that what you did on Nomans land is going to endear you with the government.  When the times comes, they'll exterminate you, just like the rest of us"

"Satellite phones are cool, I should get some."

Zoey cocks her head at Legion. "Well fortunately I don't give a god damn what a bunch of bureaucrats and corporate thralls care about me," she states as a simple matter of fact. "Besides, I tried to negotiate. I thought I was offering very reasonable terms. Tank over there was very nearly on your side too. It was you and yours that escalated the situation and made the very people you were trying to save into valid targets, so don't you dare blame me for successfully carrying out my orders." She takes a few steps towards the One Man Legion. "You were staring down the barrel of a cannon and said 'nah, she'd never do it.' You fucked up. Made a bad call. Failed. Lost. Good day, sir. Shut the fuck up and damn you for forcing me into that position!"

Zoey thinks back. Their actual orders had been fairly nebulous. Go there, fight Brotherhood, they're threatening to do something worse than a nuclear meltdown. Zoey had drawn the sensible conclusion that meant their mission was to prevent the something-worse-than-a-nuclear-meltdown. She did it. She fucking won. Why was everyone so mad at her over that? They were criminals and bad guys and rampants. She feels bad about the rampants, they had done nothing wrong, but given what the staff of that facility were doing to their inmates she considered it a mercy killing.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:45, Fri 17 Sept 2021.

Okay, so Zoey was losing it. Or maybe she'd already lost it. It hadn't taken much button-pushing on Legion's part to send her into a screaming fit.

"Can we not do this now?" Tank asked. "It's just... I mean... don't?"

Zoey takes a breath and turns away from the Legion. "Right. Sorry, Tank. I wasn't prepared to deal with any of this crap when I woke up this morning." Had she even ever been prepared? She couldn't imagine the stress Frank lived under knowing that any day he could get a phone call asking him to wade into some shit. "How do you do it? The Freedom Force thing? Is that still the name they're going with?"
This message was last edited by the player at 15:30, Fri 17 Sept 2021.

"Yeah, that's the name we're going with." 'Freedom Force' did sound kind of dumb to Tank's ears, too, like a low-budget Saturday-morning cartoon or something. But the idea was solid, so he went with it. "And so far we haven't been asked to do anything too morally ambiguous, so it's been a bit easier than... you know.

"I mean, today it was 'Stop terrorists from killing a lot of people.' It's pretty easy to get behind that. I just wish I'd done a better job of it."

I, not we. In typical Tank fashion, he was taking everything on himself.

"Most of the bad guys got away," he added. "Although one of them might be dead. I'm not happy about any of that."