maskormenacelogs | Gonna burst into flame, go ahead

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Gonna burst into flame, go ahead

WHO: Anyone assisting in the Civil War Museum rescue thanks Lucifer
WHERE: the Civil War Museum, I hope
WHEN: 3/10, afternoon? correct me if I'm wrong
WHAT: BIG DAMN HEROES and/or screwups
WARNINGS: arson, civilians trapped in a burning building, will edit further warnings if necessary

Emma was more of a natural second-in-command, but she didn't see a leader emerging anywhere--civilian fire fighters or police officers hardly counted--and lord knew she had experience with getting a crowd of independent sorts to work together...by fair means or foul. Standing in front of the building, very visible in her impractical X-Men uniform, Emma reached out to the imPort minds she could feel nearby, the exertion of using her telepathic talent to do so many things at once starting cause the pink-white aura that was the visible signature of her power to dance in and around her eyes.

I'm Emma Frost. I'll be coordinating rescue efforts. Her telepathic voice came through strong and assured, along with a mental image of herself, tall, blond, and dressed in revealing white, with the encircled X of her team logo located rather questionably directly over her cleavage. For those of you who don't know me, I'm a telepath, and the joint leader of the X-Men, a superhero team in my home universe. For the moment you've been deputized, and given that I have high standards, congratulations are in order.

The speed of thought was fast enough for Emma's brand of dry wit not to use up too much time, but she switched to practical matters without more than a passing delay for banter. Our priorities are lives and keeping the fire from spreading, but after that we can let the local talent feel useful and put it out. Apprehending our arsonist can wait. If you need to talk to someone else on the team, just think it and I'll pass it on. This is functionally a mental conference call.

...All right, darlings, let's get started.

OOC: Right, so, this is a group log, and the threads don't have to include Emma. She's going to be a Useful Plot Device the way telepaths always are and make sure everyone has an excuse to thread with whoever they want and know things they might not otherwise not be able to find out. If your character is immune to psi or you otherwise don't want Emma in their heads, that's fine, too. Just specify so that no one assumes. And now I have to go cook dinner so I won't even be the first thread in my own log. ;___;

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OPTION A: DURING THE RESCUE

[When it comes to rushing into blazing fires and pulling people out of burning buildings, Light feels relatively useless. He wasn't fortunate enough to be granted with any sort of extraordinary endurance or fire resistance, and although he thought nothing of it initially, he's mentally cursing that aspect right now. It isn't a matter of pride, not this time; it's a matter of effectiveness, of getting innocents out of there faster. He's frustrated, the feeling only escalated by the stress and frenzy everything happening around him -- but, adaptable as he is, he funnels all of this anxiety into action.

He's helping those he can around the perimeter, keeping an eye on anyone who might need immediate assistance, coordinating with police and medical alike. If anyone requests something of him within his abilities, he'll openly cooperate. And if he snaps at you, just a little, it's nothing personal -- he's just trying to keep everyone safe, the best he can. Case in point:]

Keep the exits clear. We need to evacuate everyone as quickly as possible -- if you're not looking for anyone still trapped inside, tend to the injured. Get them to the paramedics. No one has a reason to just stand around.

OPTION B: AFTER (OR NEAR THE END OF) THE RESCUE

[After the flames have been put out and the turmoil of the rescue effort draws to a close, Light isn't consciously aware of how much time has passed. Adrenaline has slowly given way to physical exhaustion, and he's detached himself from the immediate area -- close enough to keep an eye on the situation, but giving the emergency crews a wide enough berth as to not get in their way, as he has little else to provide in terms of assistance. He's found a seat in the form of a nearby street curb; elbows on his knees, he smells of thick smoke and his hair, usually neat and well-groomed, has the look of someone who's been rushing about urgently for a fair amount of time. Because he has been.

His body is tired but his mind is still frustratingly active, replaying the events of the rescue like a video on loop. In his experience, such a thing never boded well for the unavoidable feeling of restlessness that followed.

But for now, he just watches, and allows himself a deep, tired sigh.]

[He'd been far away from the scene of this crime - and next to everyone else, these invulnerable telekinetics, these casters of magic, these people with power over ice, with super-strength, Edgeworth is...useless. Or near enough to useless as to make no difference. By the time he makes it out to the scene of the crime, the fire crews have contained the blaze, rescue efforts have ceased - and he is glad to see that, even as he feels guilty, useless.

But there's a little he can do. Someone has set up a water station, and many still are not up to walking. So Edgeworth goes to fill a few cups - hands them out, slowly, steadily, methodically.

His third trip, it's Light he passes the cup of water to, hardly even registering who it is.]

[Light can hear the footsteps of someone approaching, but before it registers in his mind to turn his head to look, a plastic cup filled with water slides into his peripheral vision. He focuses on it, hand reaching out to take it, muttering a-]

Thank you.

[-before glancing up fully, and recognizing the man as Edgeworth. He blinks a little in surprise, then:] Edgeworth? [He shouldn't be surprised to see him here; he did have a hand in organizing the rescue, after all. Even so, it catches Light off-guard a little.]]

Ah -

[And Edgeworth is slightly startled in return. He blinks down at the boy a moment. But then he recovers, remembers himself - and lowers himself into a bow.]

Thank you for your efforts in the rescue, Yagami.

during

Having someone coordinate it is quite all right with Lightning. While she's good at leading a pack of people into something, her plans are usually not that complicated. Rushing on ahead, doing what needs to be done—hell, she's been using some of Snow's tactics since day one, even if she's loath to admit that, it's probably good to have someone leading them. Even if it's someone with "high standards."

Whatever that means.

Her tactics on her end are simple, at least going with what Emma recommends. She does what Edgeworth said first: she casts blizzard near the entrances, ensuring that they remain well and frozen (at least for the moment for some of them to get in. Nothing stronger is used lest it ends up creating a wall, and Lightning figures that would be a bad plan.

Otherwise, she's focused on saving civilians, on doing what needs to be done. If she needs to coordinate further, she'll slip into it.

... Though working with someone is still something she's not used to much, at least—not someone she hasn't worked with before.

after

Once it's over with and she has a healthy helping of black soot on her face, she stands apart from everything and looks over the scene. Something tells her that it isn't normal that heroes like them happened to intervene, but then again, she wonders if they could've worked as efficiently otherwise. Whatever the reason, Lightning doesn't mind helping. She finds the whole hero thing to be ridiculous. Sure, she respects Snow, she even acts like him a lot, but she's no hero.

In fact, the thought of her makes her huff in disbelief and turn away, wondering what she should do now. The one thing she does know is that this is nothing like the Guardian Corps. The procedure is likely completely different.

But she's not taking off yet.

( I / inside the building )

[ It's Power Girl's first and only warning, motioning for the half dozen civilians trapped inside to back as far away as possible. She hovers a few feet back and then flies forward, punching herself through the glass so she can enter the burning room. She shakes off broken bits of glass and quickly moves toward the group huddled together, who inform her they found themselves locked in here. ]

[ The smoke is growing thicker and the fire hotter. It doesn't burn her, so she doesn't worry for herself. She heads toward the door, breaking it down with a single punch and motions for them to get moving as fast as they can. ]

( II / post-rescue & outside )

[ Several times she had caught parts of large lighting, electrical wires, and of course, weakened floors that crumbled and plummeted below, threatening to crush civilians escaping from the building. Her costume is torn in several areas, the ends of her cape singed, and parts of those and her face covered in soot.

She exits the building from the cleared entrance, exhaling loudly when she turns back to see the damage done to the exterior. However, the civilians are safe, and most of the building is intact. Although the psycho who started the fire is at large, she considers this a half-victory. ]

in.

[ kanaya tries to block out the thoughts invading her head, she doesn't need to be told what to do, but it's futile. she's never had much resistance to psychics. all she can try to do is try to ignore it, focus on the space around her and what she can read from it.

from the moment she drops from her portal into the museum, she hits the ground running, darting from room to room, following her threads to where the captives are. you might catch her talking into her tattoo every now and then, running right into the flames like an idiot, or opening portals to skip around the building, but she always seems to have a specific direction in mind.

this isn't her first time in a burning building. she knows how to get this sorted. ]

out.

[ if watching from outside seems quieter by comparison, it only needs to wait until the chaos breaks into it suddenly in a three-yard square, bringing all the cacophony and heat with it as kanaya leaps through it, a man who seems a bit heavy for such a thin girl to carry hoisted on her shoulders, coughing. but she doesn't exactly look human, and you really can never tell with aliens. ]

I need medical support!

A: DURING

[Hope can do more than just keep the fire from spreading. He can put it out, or at least some of it. It's this information that he sends to this Emma Frost. "I have water and ice spells. I'll be heading towards the heavily affected areas to put out the worst of the fire, and others may come with me if they want."

It's crazy and reckless, he knows, but he also knows that if it's within his power to make things better, then he shouldn't hesitate or run away. Lightning is probably going to get angry at him for this but... It's not in his nature to stand around doing nothing. He's not being a hero-- he's just being himself.

He's directing any civilians he passes by to the nearest exits, but for the most part he's putting fires out with water balls he keeps generating in his hands, and covering any doorways he comes across with ice so the fire wont reach them for a while. He also ices over parts of the building that seem dangerously close to falling, especially if they're right on top of someone.]

Please move quickly but in an orderly fashion. I can put out any flames on you but please leave the building immediately-- don't worry, there are others waiting for you out there. There will be medical help as well.

B: AFTERMATH

[Covered in soot, ash and sporting some burns on his clothes here and there (not to mention actual burns and scratches on his skin but he doesn't mind those), Hope is physically tired, but his magic energy is steadily replenishing itself, and that's a good sign. He's not done yet. There are medics around, but more people than they can handle-- plus his fellow heroes probably need help too.

He cups his hands over his mouth and calls:]

If anyone needs medical attention, I can help.

Edited 2014-03-11 05:13 (UTC)

option 1. [during rescue]

[ It's surprising to her, to sense someone reaching into her mind, but it's not the first time it's happened, and despite the flurry of activity in the vicinity, she's fairly calm. She's aware of her physical limits, and lets other heroes take point on physically evacuating civilians and securing exits. Instead, she focuses on those who've already been evacuated, moving from one group of shaken civilians to the next to calm them down as best as she can and direct them to help as they need it. Despite the harried expressions most of them have, they listen to her, something in her earnestness catching their attention. It's like she knows just the right thing to say.

In some cases, the help is more than just emotional. From time to time, she'll touch a hand, or an arm, and someone who was looking exhausted or dead on their feet will suddenly straighten, like they've suddenly regained their strength.

Across the mental channel, all she says is If you start to feel tired or your powers are getting weaker, I can help. ]

option 2. [post-rescue]

[ Despite not being in the conflagration herself, Yako's been in the area long enough that the smell of smoke has thoroughly gotten into her clothes, and her hair's even more of a mess than usual. She's also looking visibly tired from the strength she's been lending other people all afternoon, and once everyone's out and things are calmer, she can finally have a moment to herself, rubbing a hand against her grimy face as her stomach rumbles. ]

So much for my birthday dinner...

[ ooc; yako's power allows her to temporarily enhance/boost someone else's powers (or, if inapplicable to a specific power, she can revitalize their physical endurance). ]

Edited 2014-03-11 11:48 (UTC)

[ Just because they had a disagreement didn't mean Tony Stark was going to let other people suffer for that. Fires were dangerous things, and he was wearing a suit of metal that easily mitigated that heat. Which meant that he could do what the civilians couldn't and attempt to bring up the rear. He'd gotten in from another doorway, not through glass, but instead another security door.

He's mostly looking to find stragglers, but she'd found a large grouping of them, and he wasn't about to let the long line of war outfits keep these people from safety.

He got in between them and the fire, which was going for some of the gray uniforms all standing in a row. ]

You heard the lady, let's get moving.

[ She's ushering out the last of the group, a tall, young man who tries to keep his head as low as possible, who is already having difficulty breathing as more smoke pours from the other hallways.

Peej stops for a half second in her tracks, Tony's voice registering through all the yelling and the roar of the flames and splitting of wood and shattering of glass. Her focus is split between the group and Tony before she composes herself and continues to move forward through the burning halls with caution, glaring at Tony. ]

Sure you aren't going to melt in that?

[ No hellos or thank yous. Tony's not the only one guilty of pride. ]

[He pauses, once again feeling surprised, this time by the bow itself. Light is simply quiet for a moment before he hoists himself off the curb, standing and straightening, cup of water still in one hand.]

You don't... you don't have to thank me, not really. [There's something in his voice that sounds exasperated, despite his relief at this being a relatively successful rescue effort.] The heroes pulling civilians out of the fire were the ones that really made a difference.

[But he does appreciate the gesture, never mind his words.]

[Edgeworth gives a very slight frown.]

Don't be modest. You put yourself at risk to help those trapped inside. No matter that you weren't plunging into fire yourself, your efforts still helped save lives.

[There's always a heavy sort of guilt that comes with only coming to observe the aftermath. It is the lot of a prosecutor, of course: only once the damage is done do you step in and act, trying to tie up loose ends, trying to ensure things like this never happen again. And there is nothing wrong with that; it is a valuable job; but sometimes it is an embittering one, too, as you watch others' efforts and ache with the desire to help.

But here, now, he simply couldn't have helped. He was on the other side of town. And he tried to coordinate as best he could, but he doesn't know whether he was simply shouting orders into his phone and having no one listen to him, whether he was useless, whether he in fact hindered rather than helped...

And then the culprit escaped. And that truly is his fault. He was face-to-face with the man but couldn't hold him there - watched him leave when he was within reach. He's given his statement in full to the police, and he hopes the information will assist in Lucifer's capture, but at the moment...God, he cannot help but feel like he's bungled things irretrievably.

But no matter. Preliminary reports seem to indicate that everyone made it out all right. No one has come forth with missing-persons reports, no bodies have been found. So long as indeed this status doesn't change, that's all that matters: everyone is safe.

He rolls up his sleeves when he remains on the site. Eventually, investigations will begin; in the meantime, he will help as best he's able, by passing out water to the ill and the injured. Hydration, surely, will help in the recovery process.]

[Jesse does exactly as Edgeworth instructed, reporting to the paramedics as soon as he arrives on the scene. But from there, things are a lot less clear. He's never done this before. And, yeah, maybe he should have practiced like everyone told him to, because now people actually need him and he has no idea how this is supposed to work.

Hell, he never even wanted to use this power. Ever. But how's he supposed to walk away from a bunch of schoolkids with third-degree burns and lungs full of smoke?

He can't.

So he sets to work. He starts small, with a kid who's only got a burn on his arm and isn't in mortal danger, just in case Jesse somehow makes things worse instead of better. He finds out very quickly that the power's intuitive. As soon as he lays his hand on the kid and focused his intention, he feels a searing pain erupt on his own arm. He hisses and jerks back, fighting clumsily to get his jacket off because he's an idiot and didn't think to take it off before.

But it worked. Completely healed, kid jumps up and hugs Jesse around the shoulders before running back into the arms of his mother, and that's enough. That's enough to keep Jesse going even though he can't believe how much it hurts already, when he's barely begun.

A half hour and five burn victims later, Jesse's body is a patchwork of raw skin and he's having trouble breathing. Nevertheless, he carries on, casting around for the next person who needs tending to. He's hit a point where the pain is so severe, his mind can't even process it. Or much of anything else.

Someone really ought to stop him.]

[His response to that is almost immediate.]

I'm not being modest. That's how I feel about it. I did what I could, but in a world where people are running around with superpowers and criminals who won't hesitate to kill innocents, it's difficult to not feel a little useless in this kind of situation.

[Which is as frustrating as ever. But his tone relaxes a bit; his criticisms aren't directed at Edgeworth, obviously.]

Sorry. I do appreciate what you said, though. How are you doing?

[After they've emptied the building and all that's left is firefighting, Emma leaves that to the fire department and the ice mages and focuses on the injured. Beyond dulling pain, she's more useful for the gravely injured, keeping their autonomous functions going by sheer telepathic skill until the paramedics can intervene. Once the worst cases are all on their way to the hospital or miraculously cured, Emma gets Jesse's attention by taking his hand where she can see he isn't manifesting any burns. Ordinarily she'd lay a hand on his shoulder in a less familiar gesture, but given the seemingly pyrrhic nature of his power, she doesn't want to take the chance his shirt is hiding more wounds.]

That's enough for now.

[Jesse raises his eyes to her when she takes his hand. He doesn't immediately register what she's saying, which is why he looks for a moment like he's been scolded. When he realizes she's telling him he can take a break, his expression settles into relief.]

...Oh. Okay.

[He's been following her all day and, truth be told, this isn't what he expected. The game plan had been to tail her; see what she knew and cut out before anyone noticed. But as soon as the network's lit up, it's all hands-on-deck.]

[Unfortunately, hers were included.]

[Greed had lost her sometime between the first wave and the second drag-out of survivors. A few didn't make it past the outer-edge of the building that was still burning bright by the time they arrived. Charred and mangled, gasping with lungs that had been pushed past the expiration point. It wasn't something he had missed. Certainly not.]

[And it had been a bit too easy to get caught up in it all.]

[But when he finds her again, she looks just as run-down as she probably feels. Greed's soaked in ash and soot as he slips up behind her. Once the flames have calmed and it's only smoke hanging where a burnt-out section remains as a husky reminder.]

Oi, oi, oi - [His hand goes to her shoulder first. Nudging her.] - you still with me? [The touch doesn't last and Greed's just not the sort. He pries his fingers away, gently shaking the spikes of his hair clean of the gray-white smear.]

[He stops next to her, just watching. Again, this isn't his problem. It shouldn't be.]

C'mon - no use staying here. [The frown on his face is quick, brief. Before he offers his hand mindlessly, holding it out.]

[He supposes he owes her the favor, at least.]

[He looks down at his feet in response to that last question; he struggles to allow no hint of weakness to show. Just an hour prior, Lucifer had come to his office, and shown him how utterly pointless his efforts were. He'd held Edgeworth's life in his hands and given it back - mockingly, contemptuously. And Edgeworth -

Edgeworth is not going to think about it. He is not going to spare a thought for anything except the rescue efforts here. Nothing else is worthwhile; certainly not that.]

Quite well. What else needs to be done? You have been on the ground.

A. During

[Kenzi doesn't like the sound of someone else in her head telling her what to do. Her own voice in her head is a enough, thank you. Of course, no matter what she does she can't block Emma out.

And then she realizes why the name is familiar.]

Jules' teacher. [She doesn't mean to broadcast that back but it happens.

She's positioned herself at one of the windows, for the moment, where she's trying to push the flames and other debris away from it so people can easily pass through. She'd go in herself and carry people out if she thought that'd help, not that she really wants to, but she knows her shields won't protect her from the heat and she'd rather not catch her hair or anything else on fire.]

I'm doing my best with keeping things clear but I'm not sure how long I can keep this up. [The force of her will might be part of what powers her abilities but how much she's had to eat does as well.]

B. After

[By the end of it all Kenzi is near exhausted and starving. Cover in soot, her outfit singed and she probably has a few minor burns on her arms. She's settled off to the side for the moment to regain some energy so she can fly her sorry butt back to the house and clean up.]

Why the hell do I get myself into these things. [She wonders out loud. She's no hero, she's said that time and again and yet here she is.]

Edited 2014-03-12 09:51 (UTC)

[Unfortunately for those who know him in his world, Light is uncannily good at reading people. Usually, he uses this talent to reflect back what people wish to see; in this case, Edgeworth simply moving on from the question to more immediate matters at hand. He doesn't acquiesce this time.

He does, however, pause long enough to finish his water, reaching out to toss the cup away in a public trash-bin nearby. He then looks squarely at Edgeworth, ignoring his question completely. "Quite well" didn't fly.]

Something's bothering you? [Beyond the obvious.]

[There's a brief surge of panic; he turns his head away at once until it dissipates, furious at himself for feeling something so idiotic as that. He's furious, too, at his own reluctance to talk about it. Lucifer has compounded crime upon crime with all of this, and Edgeworth isn't about to help to conceal any of it. By rights, he ought to be trumpeting this across the network for all to hear of.

But he hasn't the fortitude for that. He is too weak for that. Instead, he just stares off to the side, at the smoldering building, and answers:]

That the man hasn't yet been apprehended.

[Light watches him carefully, and upon hearing his response, he frowns a little.]

That's not surprising. For someone to commit that kind of crime so openly... Well. It's obvious they were confident that they were going to get away with it.

[He doesn't sound much happier about it than Edgeworth does, though his statement seems to spike a level of grim enthusiasm in Light that was lacking just minutes before, feeling worn and tired.] That doesn't mean he won't be taken in eventually, however. Did any other information on him crop up while I was here? I caught his moniker -- "Lucifer" -- but that was about it.

[Edgeworth doesn't look back at Light; his expression just grows a little bit more pinched, a little bit more unhappy.]

Indeed. We know a bit more about his abilities than we did before.

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Gonna burst into flame, go ahead

choose your scenario!

Post-rescue!

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open

open!

open!

open!

I

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[post-rescue, open]

OPEN

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➥ option 2

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OPEN

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