Nix

Luca happily clapped her hands together when the stranger took the glasses and put them on his face. They looked horrible, definitely, but they stood out as well. “No, they aren’t, but you wouldn’t have known that without trying!” Though, technically both of them would, but it was fun to put them on your face and see for yourself. 

“I always want to barf when strangers say that, as if you’ve been checking me out,” she said with a teasing grin. Then took the glasses, they were clearly her style, and plopped them instead of the other one, checking herself in the mirror, blowing her mirror image a kiss. “I think you might be right though,” she said. “It does suit my face.” 

“Luca, nice to meet you Luke,” she said, finding the sounds of their names pretty funny since they were really similar. “Now we just gotta find one for you.” She took a sporty one with a dynamic look, and handed it to Luke. 

“Oh hell no!” Luke almost lept back as if he was afraid to touch the sport sunglasses. “Do I look like a 40-year-old dad who was once a professional cyclist?” He asked, a hint of faux-offense on his tone. He let off a grin and picked up a pair of aviators. “I think I suit fighter-pilot better” He took them off and checked the price tag before deciding that he could actually do with a new pair of glasses and that he actually like the pair he had on his face. 

Ciara smiled. She wished her trip had gone by as quickly. “Wow that does sound like a good time.” She lowered her hand and let it sit at her side. “Mine wasn’t really anything to talk about. Boring and kind of long. I slept for most of the way there. I was just too frazzled to really be doing anything else.”

At his next sentence she shrugged. “I don’t know what’s going on either. You’re one of the first people I’ve seen since everything happened. Outside of all that I’ve just been on my own.” Ciara kicked a rock by her foot of the pier and into the water. Taking the trip alone just reminded her of how easy it was to be all alone again and she hated it.

Luke sighed before turning to face the ocean. “You know, when I joined the Blackburn Syndicate, the only family I had was Isabel. Before her, the only other family I had was my mom, and I haven’t seen her since I was six.” He turned to face Ciara again. “I’m sorry you were on your own. It shouldn’t be like that, the Syndicate should be more like a family than anything else.” 

“If you want, we’ve just moved into a massive house. It’s really run down, but we’re fixing it up. You’re more than welcome to swing by if you’re feeling lonely.” He shoved his hands into his pockets, snuffing out the dim light. He allowed his eyes to adjust to the darkness. “Even if you just want to have a drink or a place to crash. Mi casa es tu casa” 

This was awkward. Yes, Jordan could admit that, at least, and it didn’t help that Luke didn’t make it any better by seeming unable to meet his eyes. It seemed like it was his curse to run into Blackburn members on the street and deal with their… feelings about his presence when all he really wanted to do was go home. At least this time, he wasn’t tipsy. 

It was amusing, in a way, because Jordan didn’t care about Benjamin. He had no fond feelings for him. He was simply the man who paid his bills and lent him protection for his help. When he died, Jordan was almost relieved, because in this way, Neve wouldn’t be the one guilty of it. So the nervousness the other was showing wasn’t necessary, but yes, mildly hilarious at the same time.

Jordan blinked slowly at him for a moment. “Lustfully?” he asked slowly, smirking more out of confusion and disbelief than anything else. Jordan was glad that when he got nervous, he got quiet, instead of blurting whatever came to mind. “I’m not sure if I should thank you or not.” he said honestly, before shrugging and giving him a break.

“You shouldn’t worry so much. Most Kings weren’t fond of him anyways. Some would say you did us a favor,” he said cryptically, carefully keeping his opinion out of it. “I believe it has made us stronger,” he finished, if only to give the impression that the Kings were not as rattled as Alma most likely wanted them to be. If the other decided to run off and give what he said back to Blackburn, he wanted to make sure no more Kings were targeted. Then it would be personal.

After Luke had finished cringing at his own words, he finally tried to calm his emotions further. ‘Get your shit together’ he told himself. He was a weapon, it was time he acted like on instead of being so cautious about everything. “It would be a compliment.” He said quickly. “So you’re welcome.” 

He wasn’t sure how to respond to what the other had just said. Finally, he realized it was a good thing, it meant that they weren’t about to break into a fight in the middle of the street. “I guess I’m glad that you are stronger than before, we’re both mutants, and we shouldn’t be wishing harm upon each other.” He paused, “Sometimes politics gets in the way which is a shame, but it’s always for the greater good.” His words sounded patriotic, but more so to promote the Syndicate’s agenda than the mutant kind agenda. 

“I also guess that since we all moved to Miami at the same time, the universe has a greater plan that includes us all, and there’s no escaping that.” 

Ana decided that it was time to test out her powers so she did what she always did, she went to a cafe. It took a while as she walked by and scoped out different cafes. Finally she settled on one that had a sign was a special raspberry frappachino nonsense that had enough sugar and looked good enough for an instagram post. After taking a picture and pulling a book from her purse, she got to work. Softly pulling people to her, not enough to make them do anything but just to get their attention. It was a lot of fun, to her at least. Then she heard the approaching footsteps and put down her copy of The Opposite of Loneliness. An easy and charming smile on her face as she looked up at the stranger. For a moment her eyebrow raised and the smile slipped a bit from her face. She had seen him before but where? Why did he remind her of tequila? It was too early for drink, by society standards at least.

Instead she tilted her head with a smile. He must just be another mutant. “I have. It’s not my favorite. I think she’s a little over hyped but she does have a lot of good work.” Ana set her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her up turned palms. “I’m Anastasia. I haven’t met many men that would dare say they read poetry. Which is your favorite?”

Luke simply shrugged, he was sure there were many other guys that liked poetry, but he guessed it must not have been as common as he thought. He smiled and looked up absently at the cafe ceiling, trying to remember the words of the poem. 

“I am water -- soft enough -- to offer life -- hard enough -- to drown it away”

He paused as he looked back to the other. “I don’t know, I like it. It shows how temperamental everything and everyone is. I also resonate with it because people in my life tend to try and take advantage because I seem like a nice guy, which I am, but I’m a force to reckon with if you get on my bad side.” He smiled, flashing his teeth. “Which poet would you suggest then?” 

Ciara’s phone lit up beside her and she set down the book she had been reading. It didn’t surprise her, everyone seemed to be in disarray and she was no different. She was just able to push it down and hide it beneath a smile and some kind words. The person the text was from however wasn’t the first person she would have though of. Never the less, she was going to go out to the pier. Some human interaction would be good for her. After a quick, ‘Okay see you there!’ She grabbed a light jacket, better to have it and then tie around her waist than to need one and not have it after all, and her keys and headed down to the meeting point.

She shielded her eyes a little as the bit of light from his hands took a second to get used to. Though there was a friendly smile on her face. “Of course Luke. I’d never turn down a friend. How was your trip?”

“It went by quickly.” He replied with a chuckle. “Isabel is amazing, she even organized snacks for the trip.” He dimmed his light down to just a dim glow as the moon was full and really lit up the pier despite the lack of street lamps. “How was your trip?”

He sighed before continuing, “I just wanted to see how everyone else was settling in. We moved quite abruptly and I’m not even sure if we have an HQ just yet.” 

Let’s go to the beach, beach! || Luke & Luca

Luca grinned, letting the glasses slide off her nose for a little, so she could look over the silver rims to judge whether or not the glasses fitted the handsome man in front of her. “Well thank you,” she began, pushing it back up. She wholeheartedly enjoyed that he didn’t give a second thought to repeating back her tone to her. People were funny like that, he didn’t seem to be confused for a moment, just made the decision to return the fun. Which was good, great even.

She took a step closer to the stranger, though, she wasn’t sure if he as a stranger at all. He looked familiar. Which was a little worrying, because anyone who was familiar to her was in Chicago, not in beachy Miami. She scanned through the collection of sunglasses and produced a campy looking one with red glasses. “I think this one would suit you,” she said and handed it to the stranger. 

Luke pulled a face that was a mix of a smile and disinterest. “I doubt it, but I’ll try them on just to entertain you.” He took the glasses and put them on, turned to look in the mirror before doing a spin for the other. He then quickly took them off and replaced them where the other had got them from. “They are definitely not for me.” He said with a laugh. 

Tierney scoffs, the hint of an actual smile on his lips before it vanishes as quickly as it arrived. “If it makes you feel any better, the reason there’s a dent in the door was from me.” He shrugs. He was younger and had less control over his powers when he was angry. He’s better now, but he’s pretty sure Alma left the dent as a reminder to him. He doesn’t mind. it’s like his own personal touch to home base that some of the other mutants don’t have. And it’s a fun story. For those he likes enough to share it with.

Luke’s question isn’t one Tierney has a good answer to. Personally? He’s never been okay. He’d been fucked up from the beginning. He shrugs and shakes his head. “We’re mutants. By definition we’re never okay.” He pauses. “But that doesn’t make it right.” He watches him, carefully considering his next words. There’s a certain sort of irony in this conversation, considering Tierney’s occupation. “Rule one for killing someone. Stop thinking of them as someone.” It’s a harsh lesson, and one Tierney struggles with still, but that doesn’t make it any easier. “They are a target. Nothing more. Nothing less.” He sighs and shoves his hands in his pockets. “People are only people if you let them be. Remember that.”

‘By definition, we’re never okay.’ is the sentence that really hit Luke hard. The last time he had really felt normal was as a kid. The rest of his life had been a whirlwind on events that wouldn’t be classified as ‘normal’ or ‘okay’. 

The second was ‘People are only people if you let them be. Remember that.’. This is true. Most people he had hurt weren’t people, they were monsters. But with that thought, came another one. “If we justify that people are only people if you let them be, what stops us from becoming not human. Surely our humanity stops us from seeing people as just targets?” He sighed and gently rubbed the sides of his temples. 

Luke just wasn’t expecting it to be honest. He was completely caught off guard and he screamed internally. He fought every urge to turn around and run. But he wasn’t going to do that, no. Maybe if he just walked straight past, they wouldn’t even recognize him? ‘Yes. Do nothing and pretend like you didn’t see them.’ His eyes darted from the pavement up to the other's face, back to the pavement, back to their face. ‘FUCK! Did he see me look at him?! I’m sure he saw me, do I greet? Maybe it would make it worse if I don’t say hello to gang members of the kings considering I just helped kill their leader?’ Luke took a deep breath and lifted his head. ‘Come on man, you don’t owe them shit.’ He said to himself trying to get some confidence and look tough. Of course, tripping and stumbling into them definitely didn’t help with the whole ‘looking tough’ part.

“Shit. Sorry. I didn’t mean too, I just tripped. I mean, why would I want to throw myself at you on purpose? Who’d do that?” He paused, “In this specific context I mean, I’m sure many people throw themselves lustfully at you.”  

Luke had been sat at the indie cafe all morning, watching as people entered and exited the cafe. He really enjoyed the fact that he wasn’t at the beach for once and the cafe had a bookshop section to it. He was browsing the book selection from his seat when he heard the cafe door open, causing a small copper bell to ring. His eyes darted over instinctively as they had done all morning when he saw her. There was a quality about her that he just couldn’t explain as if they had sat at a bar and got to know each other in another life. Or more likely, he had just seen her before in Chicago. He watched as she ordered a drink and sat down before pulling a book of the shelf and casually walking up to her table. 

“Hey. Have you read Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur?” He asked placing the book down on the table. “I think it’s great, to be honest but I know a few people that think she’s overrated.” He paused, “Oh, and I’m Luke by the way.” 

Luke had no idea what the syndicate had planned next or whether or not they even had a new headquarters just yet. Regardless, getting in touch with another syndicate member that he didn’t live with was probably best. He scrolled through his contacts list and landed on a name he decided to text. 

“Meet me at that the abandoned pier on South Beach asap, just want to catch up.” is what the text said. He grabbed his jacket from off the bed next to him and head out. He arrived at the pier first and waited, watching and listening to the ocean below. When he heard footsteps behind him he swung round and let a little bit of solar energy escape from his hands like a flashlight. “Hey. Thanks for coming.” 

Tierney isn’t a social person. He doesn’t like big crowds of strangers, doesn’t like loud and drunk groups of people. He’s always been a loner, more comfortable on the fringe than in the thick of it. So he doesn’t hear about Alma’s grand plans until well after they’ve been over and done with. Which is both a blessing and a curse. Mostly blessing. Knowing Alma she didn’t give a lot of details to those involved and Tierney…never liked killing with little details. So when he finds Luke alone in the training room, punching the shit out of a training dummy, he lets him go. At least, until he tries to cook it. He waits until he sinks to the ground before he comes closer. He trusts him, but it’s better safe than sorry. Especially if Luke’s anger does things to his powers like Tierney’s. 

“Hey.” It feels….inadequate, and maybe it is. But he’s not the greatest at comforting people. He waggles hi fingers at the steady stream of falling sand and holds it there, keeping it from making an even bigger mess. It’s a small matter of pulling over a nearby bin and putting it under it, lifting as much of the bottom half into the bin as he can. There’s still sand on the floor but it’ll be gone after a few more people walk through. “Can’t think of a good fix for the scorch mark on the wall.” He shoots Luke a tight smile. “You okay?”

Luke watched as the man cleaned up his mess, a small twinge of guilt pulled at him and he rose to his feet. “You really don’t --” But it was too late. The other had already taken care of his impromptu single-use hourglass. He sighed as he looked over at the wall. “It adds character to the place anyway.” 

‘Are you okay?’ was the question and his automatic response would have been ‘yeah sure, why?’ but it didn’t feel right to be fake in this situation. “Are any of us okay?” He responded, avoiding the question. “I mean, I will be fine.” He lifted his arms up and let them rest on his head, one hand holding tight to the wrist of the other arm. “I mean, I didn’t kill anyone, not yet at least.” He started, “It’s what I can do and will inevitably do that’s worrying.”

Isaac had no idea, and that should come as no surprise. Isaac was never clued in on anything, and they were probably right to never keep him in the know, because he was most likely out of everyone to screw things up, so the lest he knew, the better. As a distraction, he didn’t need to know much, other than his target and some light context. And here, well he hadn’t been involved at all, so today was like any other day – well, today was like any other day that also happened to be St. Patrick’s Day.

He was only up early (and by early, it was early for Isaac) because he couldn’t sleep, and also because he was following the wise words of Drake, which is why he wandered into the kitchen in search of something to pre-game with. Usually, he either found the place empty, Isabel and Luke already having started their days, or full with his roommates eating lunch or whatever normal adults did at that hour, but today, he was awake at a more productive time. Isaac eyed Luke’s toast as he made his way to the fridge, breaking eye contact with his friend and his breakfast to search for something to drink. “Didn’t get much sleep last night,” Isaac replied, looking over his shoulder as he answered Luke. “Yeah, I was gonna head out in a couple of hours. What about you guys?”

Luke half-listened whilst the other half of his mind spaced-out to prevent himself from overthinking. “mmh.” He mumbled before taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. “Want some toast?” He offered. shoving the plate slightly towards Isaac. “Or I’m sure we have Eggo’s in the freezer if you feel like breakfast food. I bet that’s something you’re not used to since you go straight to lunch most days.” He smirked and looked over at the younger guy. 

“Yeah. Isabel and I just have some business to take care of, but we’ll be at the parade later.” He wasn’t lying, they’d be at the parade, just being accomplices to murder instead of whatever you actually do at parades. “Do you need some cash?” Was the next question he asked and he called himself out in his mind, how much more dad like could he be? 

Luke knew. Before long they’d have to head over to the Syndicate Headquarters to meet Alma. He had barely slept last night, thinking about the previous times he was asked to be a weapon. Sure. Being a weapon to protect the Syndicate, fine. That’s an actual fight, that’s different. Being used as protection whilst your boss kills someone, that’s different. 

He stood behind the kitchen counter in their apartment, staring at his plate of toast, whilst a cup of coffee steamed next to him. He wasn’t hungry but ritual had caused him to make the toast anyway. How could he not do as he was asked? All this, the apartment, his family, all safe and partly due to the Syndicate. How could he be anything but blindly loyal? It wasn’t until someone else entered the open plan lounge/kitchen area, and it wasn’t Isabel. 

“You’re up early.” he managed with half a smile. “Going to today’s parade?” 

Date: March 17th Time: Night Event: 4. The Fall Status: OPEN

Damien: Benjamin Granger is dead. Alma Rosario assassinated him.

Cain: 🤩 🤣 😩 💦 💦 🍆 🍑 😳

He’s sure Damien’s going to be mad at him for this later. Damien’s a good guy and even if Benji wasn’t a good guy, Damien’s probably already thinking about stupid shit like respect for the dead and piety in the face of the massive power vaccuum that will no doubt sweep through Chicago at the loss of one of it’s most powerful mutants.

In the back of his mind, Cain knows he’s right. Somebody doesn’t just kill a gang lord without repercussions, especially not someone as visible and, frankly, reckless as Alma Rosario. The city is hoovering on the edge of a violent abyss and very soon, people are going to start dying. It will be all Cain can manage to make sure that it’s not his people that do. But that won’t happen tonight. The news still needs to spread and the Kings will need to regroup and lick their wounds before they make a move. The Syndicate is bound to retreat as well. They’ll need to fortify their defenses. Even if there was no love lost between Benjamin Granger and most of his stupid little brood, they’re bound to want revenge anyway. Tonight, the streets of Chicago belong the the Jem Family and Cain- Cain intends to fucking lose it out there tonight. He’s always hated Benjamin Granger and his little gang, the way he really only saw mutants as pawns in his little game of theft and wealth. The mutants of this city are better now that he’s gone and Cain is going to celebrate. He buys a round for the first bar he enters and he spends the rest of the night getting well and truly wasted while dropping his ass all over the dance floor. He’s a good 80% of the way to the falling down kind of a drunk when he bumps into someone near the bar. “Heeeeey yoouuu,” he drawls, slinging an arm around them because he recognizes them, vaguely, even if he’s not certain from where right now. “Want me to buy you a uh…some drink? Big night today.” 

Luke was battling with himself, like always after he was used as the syndicates weapon. Sometimes he really wonders what he had got himself into but at the same time, the syndicate had given him a life when he had none, how could he not be loyal. And yes, sure, he didn’t kill Benjamin Granger, Alma did, but he was complicit, he cornered the man, the hunted him. 

The only thing that could really change his mood now was a good couple of drinks. He snuck out, knowing that Isaac would probably have wanted to join him and headed to a bar nobody would think he’d go too. He had already acquired a collection of glasses in front of him when a man flung his arm around his shoulders. His first reaction was to push the other off of him, and when he noticed who the other was, he continued to do so. This surely couldn’t go well...

“Yeah. It’s Nix.” He said, his fingers twitching, old bruises and wounds caused by the other tingling. The man looked way too drunk to fight him, but he was sure he could still throw a few punches. Who wouldn't want to throw a few at someone that aided in the assassination of your boss? “Before you get yourself hurt, fighting here wouldn’t be a great idea!” 

Luke hated it. Yes, he was used to it, but that didn’t mean he didn’t like it. Killing someone, hunting them down like an animal, a fellow mutant, there’s just something not so right about that. At least feeling guilty meant he still had some humanity left in him, and part of him dreaded the day that he didn’t feel this way anymore. 

But, for now, the best way to handle this was by punching a bag filled with sand in the gym. Luke had already worked up a sweat, and due to his lack of boxing gloves, he’s knuckles had already started to show how hard he was hitting the boxing bag. Frustrated he sent a rally of hits at the bag before losing control and manifesting a solar beam that seared through the bag. He let out a frustrated yell of anger and dropped to his haunches. The sound of sand leaking from the bag was soon joined by the sound of footsteps. He stood up to face the other. 

“Hey.” The word barely left his mouth. He didn’t even want to try and explain what had just happened. He cleared his throat, and tried again. “Hey.” 

Isaac was new to a lot of things, and it showed in just about everything around him. He wasn’t sure how other olympians greeted each other, or how he was supposed to behave around someone from technically a rival country (not that he ever much cared for what he was supposed to do, anyway). He wasn’t sure what people who weren’t underaged drinkers who were trying to get fucked up as quickly as possible ordered. Again, he didn’t care, happily accepting his drink and taking a big sip while Luke answered. “Australia? Cool! Do they really have giant spiders and shit there?” Again, probably not the first question someone would ask.

“America,” Isaac answered. “Yeah - skateboarding’s new and so am I,” he replied with a proud grin. “Is it yours?” A lot of people might have felt insecure being such an obvious newcomer, but not Isaac. He was often looked down upon for his young age and immaturity, but when he was underestimated was when he would shine the most.

Luke shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah, but it’s the small spiders you should be more worried about.” Like most arachnids, the smaller the more venomous. 

“Well, I hope it’s a good one mate.” He said with a grin. “Uh no, this would be my second Olympics and probably my last one.” He paused to take a sip of his drink. “Skateboarding huh? Do you surf as well? I know a bunch of surfers that are skaters and the other way around too.”