driftfleet | [ Video, Action ] Deuce of Clubs

Who: Rogue and you! Yes, you.
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Marsiva
When: Saturday afternoon

[A is for Unintentional Broadcasting (or action, if anyone's there)]
[When Rogue wakes on the Marvisa, the video picks up on her suddenly convulsing. It has been months since she has experienced her powers in full, and her mind is thrown into sudden, loud, throbbing pain. She is surprised that the internal chaos is not as bad as it has been, and after a moment she realizes why: she only has three psyches left, and they are all more or less friendly. After taking a few moments to settle down, Rogue sits up. She is woozy, distracted and disoriented. She goes to stand and overbalances, the missing appendages on her back throwing her off enough that she trips on a sheet and falls gracelessly to the floor.]

Oh for the love of -[she can hardly believe it, she reaches to her back to confirm: her wings are gone.]- what in the Sam Hill--

[At this point, the Network decides that further following Rogue Walking Around to Get her Bearings will be boring, and shifts to something else. Later, she comes back to the communicator not only to answer any return comments that her embarrassing swan dive might have drawn, but to address the fleet as a whole.]

[B is for Delibrate Broadcasting]
[While the communicators aren't set up like Luceti journals, Rogue gets the general idea. She sends out a video post.]

Uh - hi. My name's Rogue, an' I guess I'd like ta speak to the Welcoming Committee. I'm hopin' to get a little bit more than the 'Lost in Space' vibe up here. Speakin' of... anyone have any idea how to turn this music off? I swear it's killin' brain cells.

[A pause. Her gaze shifts downward, and she seems to be bracing herself before she looks back up and addresses the camera with a small smile and a wry, if slightly hopeful light in her eyes.]

Guess I should throw some names out there, just to see if anythin' will stick. Anyone ever hear of... a group called X-Men, say? [A gloved hand reaches up to wrap around a deep green crystal pendent hanging from her neck.] Or a place called 'Luceti'?

[Another awkward pause. She's got a LOT OF EMOTIONS right now, okay, and she's not sure what else to say or do. She kind of hates throwing her hopes out to space like this, but what other choice did she have, really? She gives the camera another quick, small smile.]

Thanks.

[Rogue stretched. She was standing on a narrow railing in the Hospitality Deck - just standing. She hadn’t tried walking yet. She was still not used to this strange feeling of being without her wings. Her balance was off when she moved, when she stood… it would take her a few days to get used to it, maybe longer. She’d get used to it, though. If there was one thing all her experiences had taught her, it was that you could adapt to anything.

Her wings. Her wings were gone. She'd been left with two narrow scars running a lurid red down her back. She could access Logan and heal them, easy, she thought. But right now they were a physical reminder that she hadn't lost her mind completely. She could use that. She felt… oddly adrift (ha ha, and she couldn’t even blame Kurt for that). Even when she’d come into Luceti, Kurt and Kitty had been there. She didn't know what to do. She was alone and afraid... and already lonely.

She took her first step forward and wobbled, much to her frustration, and then another step. She didn’t fall - not yet - but it would be all right if she did. Rogue knew how to fall. She’d just take it one step at a time.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ACTUALLY IT WAS PRETTY TERRIBLE but it could have been so much worse.]

There was danger, and in the end it was not what any of us had suspected in the beginning. But we contained the threat, and what we learned was enough to help those left on the planet. They won't have to live in fear of this threat again.

Edited (html my nemesis) 2015-08-15 21:52 (UTC)

[That's pretty vague, Vision. Rogue takes a moment and sorts through it to then try and focus on the most relevant part:]

So... what was the threat, exactly?

[PR is a delicate, finicky beast at the best of times.]

A city was ripped from the ground and raised thousands of feet into the air, with the intent of dropping it and causing an extinction-level event.

[Rogue took a moment to process that. It was almost a ludicrously simple weapon, although it was an incredible demonstration of power.

Honestly, it sounded like the kind of fit Magneto would throw on really bad days. Terrifying, but ironic, with a flash of poignant statement and... shit, when she thought of it that way, it kind of reminded her of someone else, too.

One hand came up to loosely grasp the green pendent she wore.]

Oh. I see. An' just, uh, who exactly, was gonna drop that city?

[It didn't sound like what he really wanted, he'd likely find it...wasteful, but at the same time... she had to know.]

He was named Ultron. [Slight emphasis on the "was".] I don't suppose you'd be familiar with him?

[She does seem to know of the Avengers, after all. But then, so do a lot of people.]

[Ohgoodit'snotLoki.]

No - I've never heard of him.

[It take's a moment's replay to pick up on the 'was.' And frankly... she's not that grieved about it. Anyone trying to drop a city on the world and kill everyone was probably better off dead.]

Guess I won't have the displeasure.

[...unless he shows up here. In which case, hey, at least she's got a name.]

[If Ultron shows up here, Vision is going to sit on him until he behaves.]

With any luck, you most certainly won't--and I advise caution if you do.

Though I must ask, did you have a suspect in mind?

[No, Vision, she does not want to answer this question. Why would you even ask this question? Just -- ugh, ugh, no.]

Just... y'know, the usual list of suspects. People who've tried this whole 'obey me or die' thing before. But it seems like you guys got a new one, so... congrats?

[Or... something?]

[Curiosity? Because sometimes a timely warning can redirect a tragedy? But if she doesn't want to be specific, he'll just shrug lightly - and he hopes that if one of "the usual suspects" she's familiar with does show up, she'll be kind enough to toss him a word of caution.]

Perhaps it is ironic considering the abilities of the Mind Stone, but I do not believe that imposing one's own will over others leads to positive results. People should be free to make their own choices - even when those choices are unwise.

[Look, it's complicated! /sob. Except even without the interpersonal complications, Rogue is really terrible at sharing her own stories, let alone someone else's.

On the other hand, what he says next so completely and totally resonates with the core of who she is that her entire posture changes.]

Yeah. I think that's true. [True is often synonymous with right.]

Though from what you were sayin', Ultron was less interested in control and more in... what, killin' everyone? So... he was basically crazy. [Right? Because what do you do with a dead world?]

[Often, but not always. There are such things as partial truths, after all. Doing his best to understand the difference is part of why he likes to be among humanity.]

He intended for most to die, not all. He intended to survive because he believed himself superior; that the only way to truly protect the Earth would be to eliminate all threats to it, including humanity.

...you ever wonder why people who think themselves superior are so plain stupid?

[JUST. SAYING.

Of course, let's destroy an entire world and all the people on it, but I'll survive because I am awesome.]

I mean, there is some serious logical disconnect there.

[Again. Just saying! And-- wait, hold up--] Wait-- his stated goal was to protect Earth?

[That gets a smile, although it falls a little short of an actual laugh. There is a reason that kind of person can't lift Mjolnir - not that it's something he brags about, because it's precisely that humility that gives him his strength.]

In this case, the logical disconnect was between protecting the physical planet and nurturing the diverse, beautiful landscape made by its inhabitants. Less damage would be done to the land if the people were gone--but a barren world allows no flowers to bloom.

You mean, less damage would be done to the land if the people were gone after damagin' the land and killin' all its people. Because that was how he was plannin' on protecting it, right? By destroyin' everything?

[She is so done with that logic. She shakes her head. How did people get these crazy ideas in their heads?]

Something to that effect, yes. And so the Avengers took action.

[Poor, misguided Ultron. He regrets the loss of a unique life--but regrets nothing about saving billions of them in exchange.]

[Well, good. That's what they were there for, after all.

There's something about this that's bothering her, though. Maybe it's that 'Ultron' sounds a lot like it could be a good battery name.]

So... Ultron. Was that like his code name or somethin'?

[He tilts his head to one side.]

No, it was his designation. Ultron was an AI inhabiting several robotic bodies simultaneously.

...I ...see.

[Who would be crazy enough to build an evil robot? Did nobody on Tony's world ever watch science fiction? Hello! I, Robot, anybody?]

Well. Sounds like ya came around at the right time.

[C'mon, Rogue. You probably know exactly who.]

I certainly like to think so, and I'm glad I was able to help. I hope to help here, too, should it be necessary.

[No, no she refuses to even think it. Her Tony Stark is not that dumb. And doesn't build robots! (yet)]

That's good ta know. [A brief smile.] I'll know just who ta call if I run into an AI situation, that's for sure.

[Uh huh. Give him time (and the Mind Stone to use as a template).]

I would most certainly appreciate that.

[ Video, Action ] Deuce of Clubs

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