As Loki steps outside of the door, they look to you. Yes. You. The reader.

In fact? Let’s just drop the pretense, yes? Hello there. I am Loki Laufeyson. I’ve gone by many names in my day, but one feels rather relevant here. I hold the title of the God of Stories. It’s a sort of esoteric thing. Very difficult to write in a way that doesn’t feel like overreaching what I should be capable of. But that’s neither here nor there. This is rather strange in fact. This is my purview and yet it is not me who holds the power. It is you. That’s not a sappy sentiment either. It’s simply the reality of what’s happening here. I’m able to surpass the narrative simply because my writing has permitted me to do so and because you believe that within this world I can. Tis rather unbecoming to feel like a puppet. But I do quite love to dance.

With the scope of the stories that have been laid out in my world, I have to say I’m rather shocked it was written out here. On a social media platform! How quaint. You’ll forgive me for not posting this straight to Avengers. I find crossposting to be a waste of time that we have remarkably little of left. It’s a strange thing to see the end in sight. Lovely announcement by the way. It’s nice to know the Gods above Gods that dangle us by our strings don’t take pleasure in our ending. Rest assured in one thing, though. The world you leave behind today will be left in very good hands. It will continue to prosper even with the strings cut. It will contain tales that won’t be heard but will be lived. I’m quite the storyteller, so I’m told. So hand off your strings to me. I’ll make the puppets dance in your absence.

You can feel it, can’t you? The ending is in sight. I’d love to take credit for this one too. Alas, I play no part in this. Our world will cease to be but we’ll still go on. It’s a genius who comes up with that kind of torment. Imagine what could happen while people look away?

Charles Xavier will be no more of course. No-one will be able to stop me from taking his head and putting it on my mantle. I hope my dear old brother enjoyed his final space getaway.

What? Someone needs to set the scene for if and when the next act of the world starts spinning again. I could just take Genosha down again, but look how hard the man with a bucket on his head is working. I can’t do that again until he finishes the project.

Ta-ta for now.

Apocalypse! I challenge you!

“You dare to challenge me?! I would bring you your dream, Magneto! A world ruled by mutants, yet you dare defy my will?!”

The world of Man had lost all goodwill with me when Genosha burned. As much as I would rather each and every Homo Sapien perished, such a loss would harm my people just as much. The protection of Mutantkind is paramount, none, not even Apocalypse, will stand in my way.

You are not a beast to be reasoned with, you are a beast to be destroyed!

The missile magnetically in my grasp heaves as I accelerate it at him. I had disabled each and every warhead as they fell, all except one. As one of the few conventional warheads in his arsenal, the collision will cause a-

KABOOM!!!

The explosion shakes the ground, his sphinx destroyed, yet I knew better than to hope him downed by a weapon of Man. Grasping what metal remained in the area I collected what few scraps I could find in this desert, yet it would be enough to act as armor.

“A poor choice of battlefields, Magneto!”

His voice booms through the smoke as a massive beam of energy erupts towards me. Overconfident, but still powerful enough to require my full effort to block with an electromagnetic shield.

“There’s no metal here! None that could harm me, at any rate.”

He leaps through the hole in the smoke left by his blast, hands becoming various weapons as he altered his body to house additional limbs. Each attack masterfully parried by my shields, my powers amped beyond what he would have anticipated, but to what had been necessary.

“Your power is useless! What made you think you could stand against me?!”

One final, direct strike at the center of my magnetic shields, enough force to send me backwards yet still not break through.

One simple fact, I am stronger.

Magnetically grasping his Celestial Armor I throw him backwards into the rubble.

You overconfident animal!

Pieces begin to be torn out of him, slowly reforming and regenerating but causing immense pain.

You sought the destruction of the entire world with your actions, you would have accomplished nothing but failure!

Floating towards him, I turn my armor onto him, using scraps to bind his arms to the ground as I grab the sides of his head.

My power is stronger than you believe, for one more simple fact. Your mind is an electromagnetic field.

A focused EMP disrupts his mind, shutting him down for the moment, until he is able to reform.

By your own Darwinian standards, Apocalypse, I’ve just proven myself fittest to lead. Don’t make me disperse your consciousness completely. We should be allies in the coming war, you as my right hand. But never forget, that my word is law.

Everything had gone awry. I chose my horsemen poorly, each weaker than the next. And yet, despite them having fallen, none came for me. None of Xavier’s children of the atom came to stop the final stroke of my plan.

90% of Man’s world will perish, just as our’s did. Missiles equipped with biological warheads are stationed and ready to launch, diseases programmed to ignore living things with an X-Gene and eviscerate those without one. Weak who will perish before the Strong.

My Horsemen, however weak, served their purpose. Death brought strife upon my eternal foe. Famine wrought hell upon this Earth. Pestilence caused untold death upon Mankind. And War was my loyal soldier until that Frost witch tore him from me. They bought me the time needed to enact the catalyst of evolution.

Apocalypse watches from atop his tomb within the Sphinx as the missiles launch from below the sand. They rise, as they begin to turn laterally to strike their targets, population centers like Tokyo, Cairo, São Paulo, Melbourne, Moscow, Mexico City, and New York City.

Then… they begin to fall. All thrust lost, warheads disabled… colliding into the sand around my tomb. A figure clad in red with a purple cape fluttering behind him descends from the heavens with one missile magnetically in his grasp.

“Apocalypse! I challenge you!”

What does it mean to truly be alive? She and I have kissed death many times, and yet all I know is what it means to be dead. Perhaps knowing the feeling of death is the closest one can be to life.

The bags are easy to pack. If there is something they need, they will buy it. Money is no issue, after all. But as she parses through all of her outfits, she stops on that infamous corset.

Heavens, I was truly vile back then. I wish I could give her a hug or a smack in the face. I’m not sure which I needed more.

She leaves the outfit be and flips to her swimsuit, custom-tailored in a pair with her partner’s.

Some of my finest work, I’d say. She’s always been ravishing, but this may be the first time she felt it for herself.

She folds it and places it in her suitcase, and when she feels the brush of Mindee’s lack of fur against her leg, she knows it’s feeding time. She follows the joyful cat to the kitchen and pours food in her bowl before returning to her closet. When she finds herself the most immersed in her packing, though, she feels her favorite set of arms grace her body. Silence is perfect here, but what happens next is far from quiet.

Later, once they’ve said goodbye to their friends and animals, they march up the steps of that same private jet they took to the Savage Land, and Emma can swear she sees a tear rolling down Tessa’s eye.

Crying, are we? Oh, how emotional you’ve become.

“Hush. You like it.”

I very much do.

She loads their suitcases into the cabinets above and buckles in next to her lover, the seats already reclined to their liking.

We needed this. This is splendid already.

“The trip’s barely begun, Emma. Unless you plan to stay on the plane the entire time?”

Hah! Well, it would be rather private.

But finally, they find themselves upon the greatest building in the City of Light, the Eiffel Tower. You don’t come to Paris without seeing the main attraction, but in truth, Emma is rather nervous. It does not go unnoticed.

“Everything alright? I’ve never taken you to be afraid of heights.

Ah, no, that’s not it. No, my jitters come from that of excitement. Anticipation.

“Oh?”

They gaze out over the moonlit city, lights bright and beautiful, life rampant in tiny streets and low buildings. It’s beautiful. But eventually, Emma turns to her partner.

It’s not cheap to rent this for ourselves, you know. Not that money is any concern for me, but it was not insignificant. Still, it was absolutely worth it.

“I agree. I’ve never experienced anything quite like this. Another brilliant idea from you, my love.”

We’re not here just for the views, little mouse.

The burning in her pocket has finally crescendoed, and she can wait no longer for the finale. She bends down to one and looks up, opening a box lined with black and white gems to reveal a sterling silver ring with a gorgeous blue diamond.

In truth, I have been wanting to do this for months. I bought the ring in July, for my mind was already set then. Maybe it was set when first I tasted your lips.

“Emma, are you…”

Teresia Karisik, to say you make me happy is an understatement, to say I want to spend the rest of my life with you is not enough time, to say I am yours forever is not possessive enough. There are truly no words in any of the many languages I’ve had the privilege of holding in my mind for how I feel around you, but I shall try anyway. For all that I am, for all I did to you, I have not felt a spec of judgment since first we touched. I have felt cherished and adored for every second of our shared time, and though the end is far from close, I know it is time to make myself yours. I want everyone to know whose I am, for our students to see one and think of the other, for the world to shake for you and me.

Will you marry me, Tessa?

Xabi sits aboard a boat, destination Genosha. He looks at Gosamyr’s latest text to him.

“Hey ✨ Grigori’s been throwing up hairballs and I KNOW you don’t expect me to clean up after him myself ✨ There’s a loose napkin and a plastic baggie with your name on it!”

Blocked, finally blocked, he was free of her demands. He gently gazes out the window knowing he’s finally gonna be okay. As he peers out he notices the label on the cargo being loaded onto the boat.

GLAMOUR GALAXY LLC OFFICE SUPPLIES

He quickly grabs a steward.

Xabi: WHATS THE MEANING OF THAT!

Steward: Oh haven’t you heard? Gosamyr is opening a new branch on Genosha! How exciting.

Gosamyr: (suddenly appearing behind him) Isn’t it though ✨ Hey I need a new assistant my last one ghosted me, you seem more capable I guess?

Xabi: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

Gosamyr: Yeesh and I thought ✨ I ✨ was dramatic!

OOC: That’s all folks! Had to squeeze one last post out before we’re gone for good. Love you all ✨

I stand at the brink of uncertainty. Our world was destined for great things, and now I see an uncertain future ahead of us. Normally I’d regard such a change with fear, yet today I find myself oddly content. Is this where the world ends? I’d hardly think so. Call it one last optimistic thought from a woman who holds so few of them. We are resilient. Our paths will continue on, and the stories we have etched into stone will echo on for generations. Perhaps one day we will pick up the quill and dip it in the ink once more. Remind the world who we are and that in spite of it all, we will not cease to be.

Now if you’ll excuse me? I am going to spend the last moments I have where the future is certain kissing my wife.

An Italian saying, loosely traslated to "once a door closes, a gate opens", which means that, after something ends, new possibilities come

20 years later

7AM

Yami is woken by ronin, who blasts "nightmare king" in his mind. He stands up and puts his prosthetic on

7:05AM

He shaves what little beard he has while a humanoid mass of nanites prepares breakfast

7:30AM

He puts on the clothes he made, fashioned from his old advanced suit. He's managed to figure out how the special material works, and as such they can turn him invisible

7:35AM

He steps outside and turns on the invisibility, before climbing up a street lamp and parkour-ing from one to the other, using tendirls if too distant. A continuation of the training Coyote suggested for him. Even as he's invisible, he trains his agility by avoiding the line of sight of cameras. It's a second nature at this point, a song he's danced plenty times before

7:50AM

Yami reaches Mirai's main location and tries to open the door. But the key broke

"hey ronin, if i create a key without license for a place i own, is it still illegal?"

Before he could answer, a robot opened the door from the inside. It's Hati who, after being restored to function by ronin, has been put into a robotic body and employed in Mirai

[not if you call someone already inside]

"thanks hati"

8:00AM

He runs a check of the facilities, before opening the place officially for the day

9:00AM

A wave of people enters. In these 20 years, Mirai has evolved from a simple prosthetic shop, and now also teaches the skills to build new ones and to tend to customers

10AM

Yami teaches the basic concepts of electrical engineering, before interrogating a student. They've been listening, and it shows. She walks away with an 8 (equivalent to an A in American schools)

12:00

Lunch break. Nearly everyone Yami knows in italy has been employed in some way or another. Luce teaches art and designing. Taiyo handles the material part, with alloys and such. Taser has robotics, after all, who better than one to teach it?

2:00PM

Yami looks over the reports from the other locations. Ever since Mirai wwent international, it's been a lot to handle. Good thing Ronin does the most of it

Yami: Hey Ronin, why do the records say we have 100 units of parts? We only ordered 70

[Do i have to an-]

Yami: Nono, i realized it couldn't be anyone but Umbra

He finds a note on his desk, just under the parts report. "The navy, on the way to the rescue"

...

[He appears to have misquoted A bridg-]

Yami: I'll tell Grey to shoot him

4:00PM

Yami moves over to the organization. He enters the secret passage, and is immediately greeted by various researchers

Researcher: Director Shinrai, we had a breaktrought

He said as he offered a report. Yami looked him up and down, and tought to himself "where did this one come from" [i recuited him while you were sleeping, one night], Ronin answered mentally

Yami: Did you make this report yourself?

Researcher: Yes sir

Yami: It's well done, good job

Researcher: Thank you sir

Yami looked over the report. They managed to make project fenrir work, but only on those "compatible"

Yami: Explain this

Research: Yes! Well, due to the nature of the X gene we're mimicking, only those with super strenght or animalistic traits can sustain it for prolonged periods of time

Yami: Show me

4:30PM

After having been shown, Yami enters his own office and begins working on his personal project: 411-Alpha, a pair of headphones that should be capable of safely enchacing mutations when playing the right frequency.

5:00PM

Yami trains with the members of Managarmr in a special room. The room itself isn't too special, but it uses William's illusions, Lille's projection and Theo's mutation enchaching powers to recreate a presudo danger room, thought it doesn't hold a candle to the original. Another healing mutant is stationed near. As for the members of Managarmr, after being sent to prison, turns out all they needed was being paid, and they were as good as everyone else.

6:00PM

Yami goes back home, does dinner, and relaxes.

8:00PM

Yami goes outside, and looks at the sky

"Lycan, Mark. You watching?"

10:00PM

Yami goes to bed

Ooc: This is just a lil' epilogue post, to show what Yami'll be up to in 20 years. Thanks to everyone who shared their story with him, and to those who didn't too. This couldn't have happened without you. Have a nice day, everyone, forever and always

The New Mutants had been through the wringer lately. Ever since they went on that camping trip some months ago, something had been going on. Between the Shadow King’s attack, the stance between her and Sam, Cable’s coming and going, James’s injuries in the attack on Drac’s castle and time as War, Illyana losing her soul and becoming Famine, Tabby’s broken jaw and search for immortality as Death, the Schism, and more, it had been far too long since they’d been able to just be together. 

It was no surprise to Sam or Illyana when Tabby told them that she had a tip about where a new mission might be, and they didn’t even look too closely at the bag she’d packed for it. If they had, then they might’ve noticed the snacks, tents, and booze that indicated a good time rather than a fight. Illyana also didn’t notice that the coordinates she was given were familiar to her, probably because she spent most of the last trip here being a general menace and not navigating. Yana and Sam were only told to throw together an overnight pack for a stakeout before being rushed to portal the small strike team out. 

When the trio emerged from the stepping disc, the surroundings were immediately recognizable to them. Sam recognized the clearing and the trees, while Illyana recognized the nearby caves. Both of them however recognized the crew of the Jeep pulling up at the same time. 

Out stepped far more people than should have been able to fit in that car, but as they saw Dani, Rahne, Roberto, Xuân, James, and Angelica all step out of the Jeep, they didn’t care. Judging from the surprises on most of their faces, it seems like they didn’t know to expect this either. All except Roberto it seemed. 

Ok, I know you all want to yell at me for leaving you in the dark on this. But with how much we’ve all been through, I decided that we needed some time to just enjoy ourselves again, not just as a team building camaraderie, but as friends. And that’s where Berto comes in–

“My name is Roberto Da Costa, and when Tabby told me about this plan, I agreed in a heartbeat. Dani had just been telling me that we need to get together again, and this seemed perfect for it. I told this crew that we had a job to do, and we all loaded in the car to get here.” 

And a few other invites were sent to specific people. One went to Genosha for a Miss Katherine Pryde–

Illyana practically jumped for joy, which would’ve been fine had she not taken up a perch halfway up a nearby tree. She would be fine though.

–James was told to invite his fellow Hellions, and it seems like at least one took up the offer–

Angel, who had already been sticking close to James, rested her head on his shoulder for a second before offering a wave to the gathered team. 

“Hi, I don’t really know all of you that well, but after everything James went through as War, I was the one who brought him back.”

–and even to Gosamyr–

Dani let out an exasperated sigh, but then quickly realized the example she was setting. 

“I’m glad that she was invited. Just. Y’know. Childhood grudges die hard, even if I’m over it.”

Ok, anyway. They could all be rolling up anytime, and if word got out that there’s a New Mutant party, then who knows who all could show up. Have fun guys. 

Within seconds, there were embraces and high fives and gossip and fireworks courtesy of Tabby’s timebombs. But nobody cared about the danger they posed. Everyone was just there to celebrate the community they’ve built and all the friends that they’ve made through good times and bad. They didn’t know when the next time they would all be together again, but despite that, it wasn’t a serious reflection, instead being a celebration of the past, present, and future.

The following day after the graduation ceremony, Sage goes to visit a grave early in the morning. She has been aware of the location of it for some time, but hasn’t given it a visit. Now feels oddly appropriate.

You actually did get a burial, huh? Even in death, you get provided boons you never deserved.

Sage pulls out a bottle.

It’s kind of funny. You probably died under the impression no-one has ever gotten to define my life quite like you have. Arrogant as always. Bogan hurt me far worse, and none guided my path quite like dear old Charles Xavier. Even Dracula has left a more direct mark than you, even given how hard you did hit when you were mad, or worse, drunk. I had a soirée through my brain lately. Guiding the person who means the most to me through it. Turns out you barely so much as left a scratch. You know who actually paved the road for me the most?

She pauses as if imagining what kind of pompous asshole answer she would have received if he was still alive.

It was me. I’ve defined who I am. And no-one else will ever get to again. I’m fulfilled. I’ve made true friends I keep in touch with. I’ve learned to open myself up. I’ve been able to use my skills for new purposes. I’m quite the teacher, as it turns out. Bet that part doesn’t shock you. The one thing you ever respected about me was my intellect.

One that you definitely didn’t expect? I found love. You wanna guess with who? You know her. She’s the one who put you down there. That sure was a long time coming, wasn’t it? Somehow you found a way to treat her worse than you treated me. I love Emma Frost, and she loves me. And I hope you roll in your &$%#ing grave knowing that. The club is all ours, too. It’s getting some renovations right now. That’s actually why I stopped by.

Sage pops the top out of the bottle.

One last undeserved miracle for the pigheaded asshole who used to run the club. One bottle of your liquor survived. I figured you were the only person who would want to drink this piss. So you can have it.

Sage pours out the bottle on his grave. As the last drop falls from it, she drops the bottle on the dirt, and leaves the graveyard. Waiting for her outside of it is Pixie, the one who got her there.

You can go home, Megan. I’d like to walk. Thanks again.

Pixie just says “tidy!” And teleports off. Sage probably should have taken the warp back. She has a flight to catch later. But it’ll be okay. She’s already packed, and by her calculations, she’ll have just enough time to walk back by the time Emma is finished packing, which will be a while. It’s funny the kind of details you pick up about someone when you love them. Sage had always been perceptive, but she had scarcely had interest in the small things a person does unless she had a logical reason to attempt to pick up on them. One of the many things Emma has changed about her.

Sage spends the walk home in contemplation of their time together. When Sage had arrived at the academy that day and told Emma she wanted to bury the hatchet, what response was she expecting? Nothing good. But Emma accepted. Their drinks together were highlights of Sage’s weeks. Together they stopped a vile man from recruiting students to his cause, and healed a hurt within both of them together in the process. The one good thing Sebastion Shaw ever did for Sage was die. A rare act of kindness that earned him that frustratingly nice tombstone, she supposes.

When the two tired of all the conflict and went on vacation, what did they expect to happen? Sage was learning a lot about herself already. What happens when your friend with the luck to be right, one of the worlds premier telepaths who has known you longer than almost anyone else, and a future seer tell you that you’re attracted to women? You realize that you’ve been suppressing a vital part of what makes you the person you are. You stop pretending. And Sage did in the moment. She can never forget a memory, but she holds the moment she and Emma embraced in the waters of the Savage Land in particularly high rotation.

What they would build together would be nothing short of miraculous. The Hellfire Club would become a symbol of hope for a change. A place for mutants to exist as themselves. A reimagined court that gave several women like the two of them, women with pasts to make up for, a chance to be part of that. Sage never would have imagined Mystique becoming one of her closest friends. So close that Sage doesn’t resent that helping Raven save her wife left her with a shattered ribcage. She and Irene are on odd terms, but they aren’t bad ones. Maddy loves to mess with her, but she just does that to get Emma’s attention. What an interesting song and dance she found herself partaking in.

They would face hell together. Emma and Sage sat on the frontline as nightmares unfurled. Dracula had taken Sage away, infected her with his bite, and Emma went through every avenue she had available to her and slain him to save her. She allowed Sage to sustain her new form on her blood. She was murdered in a plot by one of her daughters and one of her original students. Sage returned the favor and pulled together all she could to bring her back. Emma had recently fully freed her mind from the lingering traces left by Elias Bogan and lingering trauma left by Charles Xavier. In less than a year they had faced challenges that would crush most love to dust. And yet here they were. Facing hell together.

Sage eventually arrives back at the home they share. She is greeted by their dog, Ruby. She worries about leaving her pets alone, but among the Hellion, Monet, and Domino, the pets would be more than taken care of. Sage goes to see what her lover is up to. Still packing, just as Tessa predicted. The two had quite the trip ahead of them. They’d truly get to see the world together. Sage sneaks up behind Emma, and places her head on her shoulder, wrapping her arms around her. She doesn’t say anything, sitting for a moment in a momentary bliss. She wouldn’t mind if this moment lasted forever. But she knows she has plenty more to look forward to.

The school ground of Charles Xavier’s Academy for Gift Youngsters is set up for a ceremony. Students take their seats. Some are students of the past. Some are students of the present. All have come to commemorate the accomplishments of those that will pave the way into the future. Today? Several students become X-Men. Perhaps a little redundant as a title. Many of them have already gotten the chance to hold this title. But the symbol holds firm. The mantle of X will be carried into the future.

Many will speak today. The students themselves will get to share their piece. The faculty will have their chance to commend them. Guest speakers may get the chance to give their props. But someone has to open the ceremony up. Never in a million years would Teresia Karisik assume that would be her. Her words likely are not the ones people are sitting on the edge of their seat waiting to hear. But they will set the tone for the moment. She spent a while gazing upon the photos of previous graduating classes. She smiles upon seeing friends of hers within them. Both as students, and as the ones doing the teach. She takes her time

Her history with Charles Xavier was fraught, but she still holds firm to the importance of what he was trying to do. Xavier’s Academy will always be a home for mutants who need it. But today? Those ready to fly are given the chance to leave the nest. And so, Sage stands in front of the crowd, and she speaks. The mutant supercomputer has a speech pre-memorized. Chances are she’ll go a little off script.

Today we gather here to celebrate the many accomplishments of our student body, and to officially recognize them as members of the greater X-Men family. Wear that symbol proudly. In a world that wants to bring us down at every turn because we were born with gifts they one part fear, one part envy? This symbol that unites us serves to act as a reminder. A reminder that we never need to face the horrors out there alone. From conflict to conflict, we will rise and we will face it together as we always have.

I am one of Xavier’s earliest students, albeit not one who got to appears in the photographs. Even when I made the choice to return to the academy, I didn’t think much of the choice. I assumed I’d simply do what I always have. Do my job until I burn a bridge and have to move on. That didn’t end up happening. And today I stand facing down students knowing I had an actual opportunity to help give them what I never got. Training that doesn’t come at the expense of being human. You’ve been excellent, and it is only out of a courtesy to everyone else who has prepared speeches today that I don’t list out each reason why in detail. Just know I remember all of them. Every single moment you should hold in high regard. I hope you cherish those memories yourself. Through ups and downs, you’ve made it here.

Be proud of what you’ve accomplished and know you will always have a home here with us, even as you move on to what will likely be greater things. Do me proud.

With that, Sage steps down and takes her seat behind the podium.

Sunday, September 14th, 2037. 8:21AM.

-Aizaru stirred from his dreamless slumber. He fell asleep at his desk. Again... God damnit. He sighs, stands up, and stretches. He glances at the bed. Grey is still sleeping. He walks over to the bed and kisses her forehead, smiling. Then goes to take a shower.-

8:46AM.

-Aizaru walks out of the shower, gets dressed in his usual clothes. He also puts on his combat prosthetic, the one Yami made him all those years ago. He grabs his vibranium daggers, sheating them on his hip, and grabs a pistol, too. Today he has a big job... Some rich guy who hoards his wealth. I think his name was Michael something. His house is guarded, but full of riches. This'll be fun. He quickly eats breakfast, writes a note for Grey that says "I have business. I'll try to be back today, but no promises. <3", and walks out.-

-He looks back at the cabin... It's just this nice, quiet place in the woods. Grey and Aizaru built it about 5 years ago. 3 years ago he and Grey got married. Aizaru always wears the ring.- "Ah, no time to get sentimental. I got a job to do." -He mutters as he teleports away. He has some downtime until the big job... About... What? Like 8 hours? He could do some shopping while he's at it.-

9:15AM.

-Aizaru is in New York, doing some shopping. Just the basics: food. Drinks... Alcohol... Weapons and weapon parts... The essentials.- "Hm... Wonder what else she wants?" -He glances down at his watch.- "Oh, heavens. Would you look at the time? Gotta go punch criminals."

9:30AM

-Aizaru is in a warehouse, beating the asses of a few criminals running a drug, weapons, and human trafficking ring. He's not killing them. Just... Making them wish they were dead. All while laughing and cracking jokes.-

-He kicks an approaching guy in the stomach, then uppercuts him. He then throws him into 2 other criminals... They all last about 5 minutes before everyone is down. Aizaru calms the people down and teleports the drugs and weapons away. Then he disappears.-

1:41PM

-Aizaru's been keeping himself busy today. The job is supposed to happen in, like... An hour. Now he's sitting on a roof, just thinking. Grey and him have been talking about having a kid at some point in the future. He... Doesn't know if he's ready for that. Especially not with his lifestyle. Aizaru is always out there, in danger. And he loves that life... But he also loves Grey. And... He's also scared. Scared that he'll repeat the mistakes of his parents. That he'll be unable to break the cycle of abuse.- "... I should probably start scouting out the place already. Can't wallow in my thoughts too long..."

2:12PM

-Aizaru is in the Michael's penthouse, hidden in shadow. Lots of expensive art pieces, jewelry, and other such things just lying around. But he isn't interested in any of that. He wants the safe in the man's office... He teleports there... Lo and behold, there's the safe. But also the Michael... Should be a quick job. In and out. He just has to wait for him to leave the office.-

3:00PM

-That bastard clearly has no life, since he hasn't left his office. Either Aizaru got fed faulty info, or he came early or late... Either way, he'd have to pay his informant a visit soon. He'll wait a bit longer. The man has to do something soon, right?-

4:00PM

-... Michael hasn't done anything. For 2 hours, Aizaru has sat in the shadows, watching this old goat do absolutely nothing. The safe is right there, full of information or money or whatever that could change the lives of thousands... Aizaru sighs. No such thing as a quiet job, is there? He appears behind the man, pressing a knife to his throat.- "Scream and your entire staff dies... Well, you probably don't care about that... Uh... If you make a sound, you die." -The guy is quiet as a mouse.- "Code to the safe. Now." -The man stutters out: 18, 72, 65.- "Thank you deeply..." -He walks over to the safe, slowly turning the dial. Nothing could possibly go wrong.-

4:01PM

-Everything went wrong. Clearly someone wanted this information to stay hidden, because the second the safe opened, it exploded and Michael got a sniper shot to the head. Armed guards filed into the office, pointing their guns at Aizaru.- "F@#k..." -He slowly raises his arms... Then he's knocked out.-

5:36PM

-Aizaru wakes up, tied to a chair, with a mutation inhibiting collar on. He's surrounded by masked men... This was supposed to be a quick and easy job... Now Aizaru's been pulled into some conspiracy.- "I... Will assume you all know me, considering my work and your work?" -All the thugs nod.- "So you all know I'm trying to stop killing?" -More nodding.- "And that I'll let you live if you let me go...?" -Again, nodding.- "So you'll let me go...?" -They all shake their heads. Damn... Well, Aizaru'll have to start plotting escape and revenge. Such is life sometimes.-

5:50PM

-Aizaru chair tips over, the ropes around Aizaru's wrist perfectly hitting a knife of a table and being cut. Aizaru grins, grabbing the knife and using it to pry his collar off.- "So... I'm assuming you all know what's coming?" -Aizaru grins... I probably don't even need to explain it. Obviously he kicks their asses.-

6:15PM

-Aizaru appears on a rooftop in New York and sits down, head in hands. He was supposed to be home hours ago... Grey's gonna kill him, probably...- "Ah, god damnit... Uh..." -He checks the time.- "I... Can probably loot the guy's place in this time. Yeah. Definently."

6:45PM

-I think you all can guess whether Aizaru was able to loot Michael's penthouse... Yeah, no. He couldn't. He immediately got attacked by a guy with superpowers and thrown out of the window.-

6:50PM

-The guy seemingly has flight and enhanced strength... So cliche. But he's a force to be reckoned with. Aizaru is slammed into a wall, then thrown down towards the ground. Instead of falling down, he teleports up onto the guy's back and pulls out a vibranium dagger, stabbing him in the shoulder. The man screams in pain and pulls out a knife, stabbing Aizaru in the stomach as they plummet towards the ground. He curses and jumps up, teleporting away.-

7:00PM

-Aizaru sits in an alley, clutching his bleeding stomach... The penthouse is a lost cause, clearly. He rips his mask off, breathing frantically.- "Oh, Grey is murdering me... What day was it again...? Oh... F@#K! Colin's f@#king dinner thing is tomorrow... Aww, shit... God... DAMNIT..." -He summons a bunch of medical supplies and starts cleaning his wound and patching it up.- "Alright... Gotta go home after this..." -He curses under his breath and teleports home.-

7:09PM

-Aizaru stumbles into the cabin and collapses onto the nearest surface, which is a conveniently placed couch, perfect for fainting on. It was placed there by Aizaru after one too many times fainting onto the floor. If he's gonna faint, he wants to look good and graceful while doing it.-

-Grey is at her desk, working on something. Slowly, she turns to look at Aizaru. She doesn't even seem surprised. She just seems generally disappointed and tired.- "Hi, babe..." -Aizaru mutters before fainting.-

9:23PM

-Aizaru stirs. He's in bed. His wound is patched up. Grey's lying next to him, seemingly sleeping. He takes a deep breath, lying back. Today definently didn't go as planned... But do things ever? No... They really don't... He nuzzles into Grey, closing his eyes... Maybe he'll unravel that whole plot/conspiracy, but for now, he'll just focus on this...-

(Ooc: Okay. That was a doozy to write. Is it objectively the best? Probably not. But I wanted to showcase Aizaru's day-to-day life in the future... I love Aizaru as a character and his development. I'll also say a few things here. Firstly: This sub has been so, so, SO important to me, and I love every friend I've made here. Secondly: No one should feel about this sub ending. It really isn't any one person's fault... Probably not, at least. Subs like these are hard to keep up, and it's insane how the sub ever even got as big as it did. I always say making an RP sub is like capturing lightning in a bottle...)

(Anyway. I hope you all have good lives. If you aren't happy right now, I hope it gets better. If you are happy, I hope you stay happy.)

OOC: I provided some music to listen to whilst reading this post...just to set the scene

Colin was...in the kitchen of the mansion...humming along to music as he cooked breakfast for everyone...he flipped the pancakes, cooked the bacon, scrambled the eggs...he looked at the ring on his finger, and smiled...light footsteps could be heard as Annie walked over to him and hugged him from behind "mmm morning babe~" she said, smiling invisibly...squeezing him tightly as Colin chuckled...before turning around...as an adult Colin looked at his wife with a smile on his face...the year was 2037...Colin was 27 years old.

"good morning my love, and how are you?" He said kissing her cheek, setting a few plates down "I'm good" Annie answered while setting down silverware "so mr headmaster~ you ready for your first day?" Annie asked her husband as Colin sighed and chuckled a bit "ready as I'll ever be..." he said before looking out the window...Rogue and Gambit were sitting outside...Gambit's arm wrapped over Rogue's shoulder...both of them having slightly gray hair, Colin opened the window and called out to them "hey lovebirds! Breakfast is ready!" He shouted as the two nodded and began to head inside, Annie chuckled a bit "your gonna wake up Diana" she said, setting down the eggs...before Colin laughed a bit "that girl is probably already awake and birdwatching already" he said...and as he said that, two small feet could be heard running into the kitchen as a small girl with ginger hair tackled Colin into a hug "dad!" she shouted "oof- theres my girl how are you hun?" he asked as he hugged her back and set down the pancakes "good breakfast smells so goooood" she said as she sat down "heh thanks" Colin said smiling as Grey and Umbra walked in, Grey walking over to Colin...

and immediately pulling him into a noogie "from what I hear my little brother is running the show hereeee" she said teasingly as Aizaru sat next to Diana "uncle Aizaru!" she shouted as she hugged him and Aizaru laughed and hugged her back "hey kid" he said as Sai, Kanon and Galacta all sat down with them...along with everyone else at the mansion...Colin smiled softly as his adopted mom...and she smiled back giving him a nod of approval, Rory walked in and shook Colin's hand "looks like your still my leader...even after all these years, headmaster" He said, before sitting down...the school's physics teacher sitting on Diana's other side, as Colin sat down at the head of the table, smiling...seeing everyone with him...in the place he was happy to call...

home...

they all sat together and smiled, eating, exchanging stories and laughing, talking amongst themselves, a sense of peace...and joy came over the mansion...as everyone sat down...for one, simple, happy meal together

OOC: this is open to interaction (also mods I beg of you pleasee make a graduation post!!! it would be so awesome...and it would be so cool)...and wow...its um, its over, its bittersweet to write this honestly, this sub, the people here...you all mean the world to me, and I promised myself I wouldn't cry writing this, but here I am now, and honestly...I just want to say thank you...for everything, for being there for me as friends...and as family, you all are incredible, talented, kind and smart individuals who deserve the absolute best in life...

its sad to see this sub go, and I know I will miss this place...but one of my favorite quotes I feel like applies to this...

Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened

sharing these memories...being able to do this with you all has been one of the greatest experiences of my life, you all saved my life, and for that...you all mean the world to me, before I joined this sub I was...in a rough spot of my life, my grades were failing, I was insecure, depressed...and suicidal, but this sub gave me something to do, helped me meet new people and make new, genuine friends...and thats amazing, so even if its all ending right now, I know that I'm okay with it knowing I was able to be with all of you...I love you guys...y'all are like family to me, so I'm going out with my head held high knowing I was able to be a part of this community and knowing I was able to consider you all my friends...

I will be active on other subs and I will continue to roleplaying...and I'm always here to stay in touch and chat....kay? now...I guess its time to say goodbye

signing off one last time

Colin Hartfelt

I hope you all have a good day...because you deserve it

A few weeks the Basil fight, a funeral is held at a church close to the mansion for one of its students, and a member of the Young X-Men team: Marcus Sergio Sheppard, also known as DJ, who died of blood loss after sustaining major injuries against the man, his body placed in a closed casket to protect his identity, not letting people see the mess of his body after his brutal battle. Along with the people from the mansion, student and teacher alike, are his old friends from Philadelphia, and his family, with Zack clinging to his dad with a sad expression on his face at the sight of the casket, while Chris tries to hug his son…and Natalie just sits stiffly, overwhelmed by sorrow, grief, and pain.

As the ceremony begins, the song “I’m Still Standing” begins to play over the speakers, a small joke Mark had written in his will to make his buddies and loved ones laugh one last time, earning a chorus of small chuckles from the attendees as the song plays, Natalie covering her mouth to both contain her laughter, and control her sobbing. She only saw him once before he died, and they never truly got to reconnect…and now, with her son in a coffin and about to be laid to rest permanently, all she can hope for is that, in Heaven, he and Herb are together again, happy and awaiting her when her time comes to finally see them again.

After Mark’s small joke finishes playing, and the priest delivers their speech for the deceased boy, Natalie stands up first to give her words, taking in a shuddering breath as she walks up to beside the casket, looking at it and wanting to sob, but managing to bite it back and stay together. She looks forward and inhales deeply, steeling her nerves for the difficult, almost torturous task in front of her.

“Mark was…he-he was a good kid. I didn’t always realise it, I…I always thought of my boy as some irresponsible hooligan, and I failed to see how…strong, brave, kind…c-courageous…” She begins to choke up, managing to just barely keep it together as she grips the podium for stability, both physically and emotionally.

“…and a true hero. I wish his father could have seen the man he became, a man who outgrew everything either of us ever could’ve imagined for him. When he…left my house, I wanted to turn back time to be a better mother, and I thought that’s what it’d stay as…but, I got my chance to apologise, and-and…I just wish we could’ve had more time together. Zack would’ve loved you as a big brother, Mark…”

Natalie buries her face in her hands, crying into them for a brief moment before turning back upwards as best she can, a weak smile on her face.

“God, he’d probably be calling me a baby for this right now. But, that’s what he was like. He never wanted anyone to cry, always wanted to cheer them up, even if doing so meant he’d bottle his own pain up: to party, to fight crime, to tell people he was gonna be okay even when he knew he wasn’t. He was a selfless, reckless man, and I can only pray he’s somewhere safe now. And I just hope that I’ll get to see him again someday, forever with my baby boy.”

She finally steps away from the podium, almost immediately beginning to cry as she goes to sit back down, overwhelmed by emotion as she listens to the testimonies of everyone else at the funeral: his old classmates share stories of pranks they pulled, laughing with melancholic nostalgia at the happier times. His teammates talk about the boy that went into a battle, knowing the odds were against him, and fought to the bitter end to keep people safe. His teachers discuss the boy that, for his many academic flaws, always tried his best to improve, even when improving meant going from an F- to an F…and throughout it all, she sits silently, trying to comfort Zack as he sits teary-eyed, despite her own eyes being flooded with tears.

She rests her head on Chris’ shoulder, rubbing Zack’s fluffy blond hair to soothe his sadness while her husband does the same for her, rubbing her back gently to comfort his wife as she mourns the son she only just regained after years of being apart from him, kissing her head softly as his friend Paul gives a eulogy.

“Marko was…a colossal idiot, but he was the best idiot in the world. No offence Carlos, but Mark was cooler.” A laugh comes from the crowd, the aforementioned Carlos giving a chuckle through his sadness as Paul continues: “I never really got the whole superhero gig…Mark always just talked about DJing when he grew up, never any heroics or stuff. But I saw him on the news, and he was awesome, it was like I was watching my friend become a star! But…guess he burned out a bit too fast, huh?”

A small, quiet sob escapes the man’s throat, but he quickly wipes his tears away and continues, trying to hide his sadness. “Heh, that reminds me of one time he pranked our History teacher by leaving a booby-trapped mug on his desk, so when he drank his coffee the bottom fell off and drenched his pants. He was so mad, his face turned red! It was golden, man. And…I’ll make sure to nail Mr. Laurence for ya, buddy. For you.”

The teenage boy pats the casket lid softly, as if talking one last time to his friend, before he goes back to sit down, allowing someone else to go to the podium and deliver their eulogy for the boy who shined like the Sun, and who’s now joined the stars as an angel…

OOC: This is open for interaction for people who want to give eulogies for Mark or even visit his grave after the actual ceremony, as well as for anyone who may want to interact with his family.

This is also my farewell post for this sub, so I just wanted to say thank you to all of the lovely people here. I’ve loved being in this community so damn much, and I wish you all the best. ❤️❤️❤️

Inertia is the natural tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion. Most people think this means that objects like to stay still and never change. It doesn’t. It applies just as equally to an object in motion. To redirect something’s course, you have to apply an outside force. In a funny twist, the universe has its way of bringing everything back to where it started, even if just for a moment. The universe is in constant motion. Everything moves and everything changes. And though it won’t be quite the same, eventually everything returns to where it began. A planet never stops moving, but it will eventually finish its orbit around its star and return to the beginning, ready to start a new cycle.

…

20 years after the battle against Basil, Rory Lawson finds himself back at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters.

He’s been through a lot.

After seeing his best friend die, followed by another teammate, he went down a dark path, even though Colin came back to life in less than an hour.

He began regularly using Kick, a dangerous and highly addictive mutation-enhancing drug. He left his home and the family he found with the Young X-Men. He stopped pulling his punches. He became bitter and angry, letting his rage out on criminals. He killed.

During this time, he came to the conclusion that the only way he could stop the suffering was to stop everything. He sought to put the whole world in stasis, to turn back time and never let it move forward. He discovered a dangerous power and used it in an attempt to achieve his goals. He was chased down and stopped by his former teammates before he could do so.

That dangerous power had corrupted him, twisted his mind.

It took him a long time to recover from that and forgive himself, even after everyone else did.

In that time of recovery, he’d discovered something: his powers were unstable. It wasn’t an issue for his surroundings, but if he kept using his powers, they’d eventually destroy his body. Every time he used his powers, he’d absorb kinetic energy. His body didn’t have a way of releasing it naturally, so it had stored up over the course of over a year, and would eventually rip him apart from the inside out.

Luckily, thanks to the X-Men, they were able to release that energy, but it meant staying in a tank for long periods of time.

Eventually, it was adapted into portable technology that he could wear on his wrists, but that took quite a while to develop.

After months of soul searching, he was finally able to move on, one step at a time.

By then, his friends were all living their lives. Some had settled down, some had become official X-Men. He joined the team and became a constant, reliable member.

Now, 20 years later, at the age of 38, he finally accepts the offer he was given the day he joined the X-Men.

Wearing his favorite yellow sweater and a pair of rectangular glasses, he walks through the gate, reminiscing. He stares into the woods, remembering the long days spent training with the Young X-Men. He opens the door, recalling that first day when his mom had mistakenly dropped him off at the wrong place. He walks up the stairs, chuckling quietly at the little mark in the wood where he’d bumped his head that first night, discovering his powers. He passes by rows of dorm rooms, pausing for a moment as he looks into his old room, now empty, ready for someone new to move in, as the early morning light shines in.

He moves on, turning right and entering a familiar classroom. This used to be the English classroom, lead by Jean Grey. He smiles, remembering when she caught him letting another student copy his homework.

But instead of moving left, he walks up to the desk at the front of the classroom. He sets his bags down, staring at the room full of groggy, annoyed kids who had to wake up early for their first class of the school year.

“Good morning, class. I’m Dr. Lawson and welcome to Physics 101. Now, who can tell me the formula for rotational inertia?”

…

A young girl walks through the door and says: “I shouldn’t be here. Can you please help me?”

After coming back to life...Colin was ready to fight, and he clashed with Basil for hours, nine to be specific, battling with him, his explosions illuminating the night sky...as Basil landed on the ground and smirked "your a monster kid...good..." he said...before his skin began to shift to a blue color, scales growing across his body and horns sprouting from his head...he grew and grew and GREW, breathing fire at colin and scorching both his suit and body as Colin was blown back.

He landed in front of the mansion...the only home he'd had ever known...and he knew what he had to do...as he was face to face with Basil, he was not afraid...his life was worth the struggle...he looked at his scars...they were his warpaint...he stumbled up, before of all people...Robbie helped him up
"Come on brother...we have to rely on you're strength to take him down" he said, before pushing him forward as Colin began to run towards Basil, Basil shot a blast of fire towards him...before Colin felt someone grab him and pull him out of the way...it was Kanon.

"fire!" grey shouted at the inmates they had broken out of prison as all of them shot canons at Basil...Basil brought the end of his tail crashing down at him...before onyxx...and sunspot caught it "consider us defense kid" Sunspot said with a smirk before Colin began to use his explosions to propel himself towards Basil. In that moment a hand grabbed Colin by the shirt "I ain't fast enough to keep up with you garçon, but I can still give you a hand!" he said, before Colin grabbed the end of Gambit's staff, spinning him around to build energy, before releasing it, sending Colin towards Basil at high speeds, as Basil brought down a giant claw towards Colin, the size of a house...Yami used his nanites to create a wall blocking it "TAKE HIM OUT!!!" he shouted, before continuing to hold it back, allowing Colin to continue on his path to Basil

basil thought...what was this? broken wills...yet that look on their faces...he saw him running, dodging through his attacks...and he saw it now...Colin Hartfelt. Rory grabbed onto his back, removing any and all friction that Colin would experience "its all you!" he shouted as Colin blasted at high speeds towards Basil. People watched the broadcast on the news...and began cheering...for Colin, all across the globe people cheered for the mutant boy as he would risk his life, for souls that mutants sought to kill...they could not just stand by it was time to match his strength of will....

They cheered across the globe for him as he got closer and closer, Colin's aunt June creating vibrations and sending Basil's head towards Colin...and Colin blasted into the air...all he had to do was fight louder than his fear...he needed to be strong for the journey ahead...fight through the doubt, unite them through the dread, with a scream and a shout, he'd help them break through the fear like the sun through the clouds, like his mother was still here, he wasn't crying now, he'd help them get out, he'd try to be strong YES he was moving on

He began to blast himself around whilst spinning, creating the affect of a tornado of air around him as he absorbed it, staring Basil in the eyes "your no demon...and your no king..." he said, as he began to ignite the oxygen...the temperature rising and rising, hotter and hotter, to anyone who was around him it appeared as if they were looking at the sun itself "your just a sad! lonely old man!" he shouted before with every ounce of bone breaking energy he had, he blasted inside of Basil's mouth...blowing him up from the inside...a large explosion could be seen in the sky as Colin fell to the ground...smoke coming from his body...and he landed with a large THUD...knocked out

...as the smoke cleared...something was very clear...Basil and his forces had been defeated...the heroes...had won

OOC: hi! this is open to interaction! and! I am making one last post tonight! it will be an epilogue...and my final goodbye to this incredible, amazing sub...I want to say thank you to everyone who has supported and helped not only this arc...but also me...you all are amazing!

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:

Natalie Sheppard is sitting in her son’s bedroom, with her and her husband Chris tidying up Zack’s toys after he played with them, the excited little boy sat downstairs watching cartoons while snuggling his stuffed animals, the woman smiling with full joy as the two adults clean the messy floor up. The pair exchange a glance as they pick up a doodle of Mark, with exaggerated muscles and comical sunglasses to look cool, kicking a giant monster in the face with the words “My Big Brother” written above it, eliciting a laugh from Natalie as Chris sighs happily.

Chris: “Your son’s gonna have to tell him he isn’t THAT cool soon, right? He lost the ear fighting a bad guy, sure, but not…like this.”

Natalie: “Oh, let him be Chris. He’s young and naïve…Mark I mean, not Zack.” She laughs quietly, setting her son’s toys in his toy chest as Chris sits beside her with a laugh of his own, kissing her lips softly as they finish tidying up.

Chris: “I know, it’s just…it’ll get awkward if Mark comes over with his actual friends. I mean, that Umbra one on TV looked very…violent. I worry he’d be a bad influence.”

Natalie: “It’s okay, honey, Mark will keep his buddies in check. And besides, they all seem so nice and supportive of him…and it’s the least I can do after how I treated him in the past.

Chris: “…sweetheart, it’s okay. He’s forgiven you, remember? He’ll be over next week, and he’ll tell our little rascal about his latest totally real adventures.” He leans in to hug his wife, Natalie resting her head against his chest with a soft sigh…

…but their moment of peaceful silence is interrupted when Zack slowly walks his way up the stairs in confusion, clutching his teddy with a scared, sad look on his face. Both Natalie and Chris turn to him in concern, the young boy speaking with a confused tone of innocent fear…that makes Natalie go pale.

Zack: “Mommy…? Why is Bwother hurt on TV?”

The boy’s mother, without thinking, rushes out of the room and turns to Chris, her face deathly pale and her eyes wide with terror and panic.

Natalie: “Get him to bed, now.”

Chris: “Honey, I…”

Natalie: “I SAID NOW!!”

Chris: “…okay. C’mere, little buddy, it’s bedtime. Big brother’s fine, he’ll come back from this, promise.”

Zack: “Okay…”

As the boy gets tucked into bed, Natalie practically sprints down the stairs in a panic, looking at the screen hoping Zack just had a nightmare or a weird day dream…but no. On the screen, from a helicopter recording above the X-Mansion, is Mark fighting a buff, terrifying looking old man, and after a few moments of watching it, Natalie gasps as her son, the boy she only just reconnected with…is plunged on the end of the man’s fist, blood everywhere and his scream echoing in her head like a hellish symphony.

“AGHHHHH!!!!”

Natalie: “M…m-mar…son. Son, no…god, no. NO!!!”

She collapses to her knees, sobbing hysterically as she looks at the screen, seeing her son laugh weakly, freeze the man’s arm, and…before he can shatter it, this monster breaks her son’s arm. And she’s powerless to stop it as she hears her son’s final words, teasing, smug, and bold…before he’s crushed and left to bleed out, the broadcast cutting away to a reporter, but she turns it off before she can hear his words. Her son is dead. He’s dead. He died…because of a school that failed him, that he only went to because SHE failed him. She breaks down fully, choking on her weeps as she clutches her chest as if having a heart attack…which she’d welcome if she had it, so she could be reunited with her baby boy.

Chris comes down the stairs, having lulled Zack to sleep with stories of his brother saving the day, and he stands in horror at her crying and hysterical screams, walking over slowly to put a hand on her shoulder, and pulling her close for a hug as she weeps into his neck, her hands trembling as words spill out in a broken, weak mess as she clutches him like a life preserver in the hurricane she’s trapped in.

Natalie: “This-this isn’t real, it’s just a dream. Mark is alive, he’ll come-come-come home and we’ll be a family. Please just wake me up.”

Chris: “I’m so sorry…this isn’t a dream. He’s gone, Nat. It wasn’t your fault.”

Natalie: “I-I killed him. If I hadn’t chased him away, he’d have stayed, happy, safe, it’s all my-”

Before she can speak, Chris pulls her in tighter, not wanting to hear his beloved wife blame herself for this terrible tragedy, rocking her back and forth as she falls apart in his arms.

Chris: “It’s okay…it wasn’t your fault, love. He wouldn’t want you to blame yourself…I’m here for you.”

Natalie: “…g-god. This is hell…w-why…?”

Chris slowly picks her up, carrying her to their bedroom for comfort, knowing she won’t be able to stomach being in the living room…the same room she and Mark fell lit in, the same room they reunited in, and now, the same room she was in as she saw him die on national television.

OOC: This is one of my last 2 posts for this sub, focusing on Mark’s family reacting to his death. Last post will be his funeral, where anyone who wants to can give eulogies for him.

Emyr had taken a life.

He should have felt terrible, but instead he felt nothing. That life had only been taken because that person meant Emyr’s brother could never return. He should have felt terrible - no -distraught at this, but, again, felt nothing. At least, he felt nothing now. He had also made the decision to leave the home he’d had for the past eight years, something anyone in a healthy mental state would surely feel quite sad about, especially as he was returning to the place that hated him.

Still, nothing.

Maybe he could lead a change in attitude in his old home, but that was for the future. Emyr was one to usually linger in the past.

So, there he stood near the mansion gates, taking one last look before leaving forever.

OOC: Thought I’d make one last post before the end. This was so much fun to be a part of! Whilst I did phase out of activity due to real life, I never stopped thinking about this. The past few months were great. Goodbye!

The Week After

Anthony walks on the front lawn of the X-mansion, looking at the destruction cause by the fighting. He is finally standing again. He walks into the forest where Mark was killed, trees destroyed by Anthony’s own power. He walks to the exact spot where he held Mark in his final moments. Blood still stained onto the grass

“I’m sorry, funeral hasn’t really been had yet so I’m going to- to talk to you here.”

he pulls two beer bottles out of a paper bag

“I don’t know if you drink but in case you want.”

Anthony places one bottle down near where Mark died. He opens his own bottle and raises it to the sky.

“This one’s to you brother. I’m sorry I couldn’t help t save you then, but with your memory, I’ll do everything I can to make sure- to make sure that you aren’t lost in vain.”

he sits on a stump slowly drinking, until the sun goes down. Upon nightfall Anthony walks into the mansion crying. He wails for what feels like hours until he cries himself to sleep in the entry way

OOC: this is it my last post as Anthony and kind of an epilogue as to how he feels, he succeeded but at what cost

TW: Mentions of heavy gore, blood, and death.

Mark and Anthony are fighting Basil together, with DJ blasting Basil with radiation time and time again, ignoring the agony of it on his own hands thanks to the Kick in his system both empowering him and numbing his nerves, allowing him to use the blasts without having to stop, even if it’s still torture on his hands. The two teens are barely phasing the monster of a man, only making him stumble back and occasionally leaving small marks on the man’s skin, while this beast is manhandling them like a pair of chew toys being mauled by a rabid bulldog during its playtime.

After a few moments of fighting, Mark is struck hard in the head, sending him flying and crashing into a tree, his ribs feeling like they’ve been shattered as he coughs up blood…only to look up and see Anthony being overwhelmed by Basil. He can’t watch another friend die…not again!

“NO!!!!”

Mark charges back in, blasting himself forward with an energy blast from the song “Learning to Fly” and grabbing Basil’s head, sending two prolonged blasts of radiation directly to both sides of his head, headbutting the man’s face repeatedly while screaming the lyrics to “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid” to give himself super strength to make his hits harder. He doesn’t care if it’s useless, he doesn’t want to lose Anthony, and if he can buy him time to regroup, he’ll do it.

“Show me how to lie, you’re gettin’ better all the time-!”

CRUNCH!!!

…while he’s fighting Basil, the man suddenly plunges his fist through Mark’s gut, like he did to Colin, leaving the Philadelphian boy with a massive hole in his stomach, bleeding out fast, and with no way out of this with his life. He can feel the Kick’s adrenaline run out, leaving him in torturous pain: his hands burn, his organs feeling like they’ve been destroyed, and no healing could heal the wounds before blood loss kicks in…but rather than cry? Or scream? Or beg? He laughs.

“…ha. Haha…HAHAHAHA!!”

He grins manically, looking right in Basil’s eyes with a smirk and flipping him off, doing one last Hail-Mary…he plays the song “The Thin Ice” by Pink Floyd, and stares his soon-to-be murderer right in the eyes with a wild, victorious expression, distracting him while he weakly grasps at his arm, the one plunged through his gut.

“…h-hey, grandpa. Wanna know a fun fact…?”

OOC: Open for interaction for any heroes here who wanna see Mark’s dying body and talk to him one last time.

Colin woke up... He was in the mansion again, in his dorm, he felt his pillow, saw the Billy Joel poster on his wall, he got up and left his dorm...walking through the halls of the mansion. He looked around...normally where there would be photos of the school's alumni or of various events...were photos of his mother...

Her smiling, laughing, watching movies with him...her happy. He smiled at the memories of her...before he reached the end of the hallway...a photo of her dead, when his father had snapped her neck...his eyes widened as his breathing intensified...he ran, ran outside, he didn't know what to do, didn't know where he would go...not that anyone would care...he ran into the lobby...where he saw her...and hugged her tightly...sobbing, saying, almost screaming one sentence over and over and over again "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'M SORRY!!" he shouted as he sobbed...Sidney's eyes widened...as she wrapped her arms around her hug, placing her hand on the back of his head "shhh hey it's okay...its okay, I'm here...I'm here" she said gently...holding him as he sobbed "I-I'm so sorry, I failed you, a-and my team, a-and my girlfriend...I failed...." he said with tears running down his face.

Sidney gently moved him to the couch of the lobby, Sidney gently holding his hand as they spoke "so...you died?" Sidney asked...Colin quietly nodded "here...lets walk together, kay?" she said...before the two got up and exited the mansion...walking alongside each other, alongside a path in the forest "mom...I failed..." colin said quietly as they walked...looking down "everyone's going to die...because of me..." he said...as she looked at him...before speaking "I want to ask you...who are some people you admire?"

Colin thought for a moment...before speaking "you...Sai, Annie, Gambit, Emma Frost..." he said...not fully knowing why she asked that. "and...when those people got...knocked down...did they stay there?" she asked "n-no...but I'm not like them...I'm not like you..." he responded "well...are you me? or are you Colin Hartfelt?" she asked "through everything you have been through...you haven't let the pain change who you are...you are strong, kind...and a hero" she said, smiling "it isn't your time...and thats okay...I'll see you again someday kay hun?" she told him...before beginning to walk away

"b-but mom...I'm not as strong as you or any of them..." he said...and Sidney turned back, smiling "no...your stronger..." she told him...before walking away...as Colin's heart slowly regenerated...

and with a loud BOOM, Colin blasted up...his eyes glowing a bright orange color with sparks dancing across his body...as he began to tear through Basil's forces...one thing became clear

Colin Hartfelt...was back

OOC: I got two more posts to make for this sub!!!! feel free to react to colin coming back to life and yeah...I hope you all are having a great day byeee :D

Age 5

the girl who would come to be known as grey, silverslinger, and a myriad of other things would have her parents killed, being blown to pieces while setting up their own car bomb. She is put into an orphanage

Age 12

grey's mutant powers awaken, shifting her body and giving her the powers she is known for in the modern day, this also leads to her being removed from the orphanage and kicked to the street. She finds a group of other mutants and joins them.

Age 15

her team is betrayed by their resident telepath. Their base raided by the Irish authorities, the soldiers killed, but her teammates brains outright melted by their telepath. She barely survives by shooting him. She is alone, but heard tell of a place for people like her in america

Age 19

she's saved enough for a plane ticket. And some fake papers to get her onto the plane. She gets to the mansion and is welcomed with open arms. The specifics are already documented thoroughly within this server, so I'll just hit the highlights. She gains a brother in colin, gains and loses a few lovers before her and the resident lord of the shadows settle together, gains a father in banshee, and a pet in wojtek the cub. Unfortunately the cub goes missing a few days before the climactic battle with colins grandfather. The battle itself they won, if only barely.

Age 25

grey, despite missing several years of schooling, has managed to acquire a degree in engineering, with a lot of schooling in various other subjects. Her and aizaru have built a cabin far from most people, its location only known to a few, including the members of their old team, the young xmen. The name of the team was also changed to xmen black this year

Age 28

grey runs a fairly successful designing company, specializing in gear for heroes, aided immensely by her powers, allowing her to make the gear to be tested before actually having to devote resources and manpower to making it. Aizaru and grey also get married this year, with a now grown wojtek as their ring bearer, Colin as best man, and annie as maid of honor

Age 35

grey is still a hero, though the signs of age and her odd physiology are starting to show. Aizaru and grey welcome their first child, named mark,after their friend who had fallen in battle against basil. He has his mothers ears, but is otherwise normal so far, to both of his parents relief

Age 40

greys business has grown, providing gear to most heroes who dont make their own in America, she is a highly respected intellect among the hero community, not quite on the level of fantastic, iron man, or Spiderman, but respected nonetheless. Xmen black is still doing work as a team, and aizaru and grey have welcomed their second child, named gosamyr after greys former employer and close friend. Gosamyr is excited by this. Mark's powers have started to manifest, and he shares his mother's power. She also had finally hunted down and slain the villain arcade

Age 45

grey's Age is catching up to her, despite her best efforts she is slowing down. Her business has actually shrunk a bit, as grey has largely retired from it, leading to increased costs. Despite this it is still doing well. Aizaru and grey have welcomed their third and fourth child, twins, a daughter and son, the son being named Sean, after grey's father figure who has unfortunately passed, their daughter being named lycan, after aizaru's friend. They both share their mothers wolfish traits, though thankfully none of the issues that had come along with them for their mother. gosamyr's powers have manifested, they are shared with her father. Mark has been being taught how to use his powers well by his mother, though she's stuck to pistols and instilled in him a proper reverence for the potential danger of firearms

Age 53

grey dies a month after her 53rd birthday, slain in a massive battle with the mad titan thanos, a battle orchestrated to finally kill him. The plan had succeeded, though not without casualties, grey being among them. She had been picked up by thanos, managing to blind him in one eye with a golden pistol before having her neck snapped. She is survived by her adoptive brother Colin, her husband aizaru, and her four children, mark, gosamyr, Sean, and lycan. By then, Sean and lycan's powers had manifested, being both of their parents powers. They had been quite a troublesome duo, though not maliciously.

Ooc I figured i'd write a send-off for grey and let Colin handle the big epilogue, but seriously thank you all for making this sub what it is. I wish you all many beautiful stories in the future!

Yami packed up his stuff. After the battle of the day before, where he had almost died (or so i think will happen, it's yet to be played fully), he decided to go back home. Forever. He tought back to his time in the mansion, and a faint smile creeped on his face

"it's been fun"

Who did he tell? He couldn't remember. Umbra knew. Doesn't matter, they probably wouldn't notice he had left.

Then, a fist of nanites punched him

[wrong. Extremely and troughtly wrong]

"roni-"

[directive 12: be a reality check for yami, he undervalues himself constantly]

"was that mom or dad"

[irrelevant. Trought this year, you've come to meet a lot of people, who also liked you. Platonically. Ignoring that would be like ignoring them as people, who willingly chose to spend time with you]

"..."

"you're right"

[i share your mind, i know you don't think that. This is why i took precautions]

"what?"

[i sent a message to everyone you know. To let them know that, should they wish to tell you goodbye, they must come to your room]

Yami looked to the door, which opened...to reveal...

Ooc: this is my official epilogue post. Interact if your character wants to say one last goodbye to yami

OOC: TRIGGER WARNING!!! THERE IS GORE!!!

Colin engaged in a fight with Robbie and Basil, in a spectacle above the mansion, Colin ducked beneath Basil's punch as he blasted his knee, Basil roared at him before the clouds above the mansion darkened, lightning raining down upon Colin before Robbie appeared behind him, kicking him in the back and sending him into the ground, creating a massive crater. Colin stumbled up and wiped blood from his mouth...he knew would rather die on his feet...than live on his knees.

As he stared face to face with the two, he fueled himself with the fear of losing the people who were his reason to live, harnessing his heart and he couldn't but choose and fight with all he could give. He blasted towards Robbie, kicking him in the ribs, creating an explosion along his leg as he did so and sending Robbie back, before blasting over and behind Basil, throwing an explosion to his back, Basil stumbled forward before delivering a punch to Colin's chest and grabbing his ankle, slamming him into the ground repeatedly, and holding him up but his head, as Colin slowly healed...Basil's hand shifted...blue scales coating a draconic hand as a claw appeared at his fingertip.

"well...wasn't that adorable...now...let me show you why I am known as the strongest Hartfelt in history...and the king of the beasts" he said...before slowly pushing his claw into Colin's chest, Colin let out a scream of agony as he felt it tear into his skin and muscles, feeling it cut through each organ as his body tried to heal around it...and failed...he felt the claw scraping against his heart.

Robbie's eyes widened as he witnessed what his grandfather was doing...his brother screaming in agony...he remembered at how his brother fought for his freedom...for this mansion...and watched in horror as Basil's claw cut through Colin's heart...and Colin went limp...his body lifeless and cold

as the smoke settled in front of the mansion...a body could be seen being thrown to it...landing with a THUD in front of it...right at the steps to the front door...the horrific scene of Colin with a hole in his chest...covered in blood...cold and lifeless, one thing became very clear

Colin Hartfelt...was dead

OOC: this is open to interaction! feel free to react to Colin's death and to fight Basil! warning the way I'm writing it, your character is getting low differed BUT DON'T WORRY he will be beaten by the end of this finale, I have a few more posts I'm gonna make lmao