Confessions: Trust and Compromise, open

Susan Storm

The hiss and click of a soda can being opened filled the studio, followed by a dull squeak of a rotating chair as Susan Storm fidgeted to get her sweater jacket on. It had been a pretty warm day outdoors, and she'd even chosen to come into work in a nice white summer dress even though she knew the air condition was always on at full blast. Her colleagues had teased that she wouldn't be able to go without putting on her jacket and they were right. She now owed five bucks to three people and they were going to collect. However, she figured she would just buy them lunch.

She took a quick sip of the caffeinated beverage and crossed her legs as she scrolled through her text messages from her husband, Reed. He was busy at work on a project, as usual, so his responses were greatly delayed. Unfortunately. She really loved the man but sometimes she ironically felt invisible to him. That was a reason why she jumped at the opportunity for a career. She wouldn't be a simple housewife who waited desperately to be noticed, but an equally hardworking, bread winner. Who occasionally desperately wanted her husbands attention.

Sue turned the phone off, watching the bright screen fade to black before dumping it back into her hand bag which sat in the opposite chair. Michael, who worked in the adjacent studio screening calls and so on, tapped against the glass and signaled to her that they'd be back on air shortly. She gave him a thumbs up before putting on her headphones.

The last ad played out, then Sue took her mic off of mute and spoke with a controlled, smooth and clear voice. Her silky tones poured into the mic and into the spaces and rooms of all those who listened to the show. "It's a quarter past and you're tuning into Midnight Confessions with Susan Richards. A very quick run through for those who are only just tuning in...tonight we've been talking about trust and compromise in relationships and I'm interested in hearing what you have to say."

Susan continued to speak about previous calls made, briefly touching on the woman who had confessed that although she'd been married to her husband for twenty years, she didn't trust him and why, followed by a man who spoke theoretically about compromise and ultimately that women were incapable of it. Sue's gaze shifted to Michael who raised two fingers. She smiled and nodded. "So, how has trust affected your relationships with a friend or significant other, or how much should a person compromise for their relationship? Next caller...you're on the air."

Active Characters -

Open and easy going thread, basically anyone can jump in with character who is "calling in" to the show to share whatever they want. You'll basically post once, I will post again and then a new caller will post and so on!

Sometimes the goal of a terrorist attack, at least in Magneto's mind, was not simply a high body count. Granted, some of his minions enjoyed doing that, which was no surprise, because not everyone in the Brotherhood was concerned with Magneto's ideals. Some of them were just raging psychopaths. But they were his raging psychopaths.

The one thing more important than a high body count was getting your message across. And there was nothing better for accomplishing that then capturing a radio station, or any other form of mass communication. Jian had targeted this one at random, unaware that this radio station possessed a broadcaster who was formidable in more than just her personality.

As he entered the radio studio, a young, blonde female receptionist with a friendly smile and glasses looked up towards him.

"Hello, do you have an appointment?" she asked. In response, he lifted his hand and a metal lamp raised itself into the air. It smashed her over the head and she fell out of her chair, blood dripping from her temple. He donned the metal helmet that made him instantly recognizable and strode through the building. The radio station workers who saw him began to run in panic. Magneto used his powers to tear off the door to Susan Storm's studio and strode inside.

"Hello, my dear. You're going to play a role in the first radio broadcast of the Brotherhood of Mutants. Be a dear and make sure all these dials keep functioning appropriately, would you?" He smiled pleasantly.

Susan Storm

"Hello...hello...caller?" Sue lifted the headphones from her ears as a loud screeching interference blared into them. She let the head set rest around her neck and looked to Michael in the adjacent studio, who shrugged his shoulders. His expression mirrored her bewilderment. What was going on? Sue was sure she hadn't accidentally hit anything on the panel. When you lived with a man like Reed Richards, there wasn't any room for clumsiness. It had to be something else that was causing this interference. Sue quickly placed the left ear piece to her ear. Then, as abruptly as it had started, the awful static sound stopped. The caller had hung up.

Wheeling her chair closer to the desk and the mic, Sue announced that the station was experiencing technical difficulties and she apologized for it. "It's thirty past the hour and you're still tuning into Midnight Confessions with Susan Richards. We'll take more calls right after this." Muting the mic, Sue pushed a button and turned a dial to raise the volume of an advertisement. After lining up a song to play after the ads, Sue took the headset off and stood up just as the door to the studio was ripped off.

Personally, Sue had no interest in heroics, in the business of vigilantes and mutant issues. She was concerned with normalcy, being a good wife and having a career but even with her desire to not pay attention to these things, as a media person she still had to be informed. Her eyes widened in recognition.

"Magneto..." she murmured. Her voice caught in her throat when she said his name. This man, standing before her, was behind some of the most heinous acts in the name of mutant kind. She stepped away, the back of her legs pressed against the hard edge of the desk. Terrified, she turned her head to the adjacent screen that divided the neighbouring studio. Michael was frozen and as afraid as she was.

Sue was conflicted, whether to do as he wanted or stand her ground. It made sense to simply follow his instructions but it was not a simple action. She didn't condone what this tyrant did. A part of her craved to not give him the satisfaction but at what cost, was the greater issue. Could she hold her own against this mutant menace?

"...what...what role...what if I don't want to play a role in whatever this is," she stammered. Her gaze shifted from Magneto to Michael. Mike had gotten over his shock, apparently. He picked up a telephone to call the police. Sue was glad that he was calling for help but she wasn't sure that it was a good move.

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Jian wasn't a terrorist for the infamy it brought him, but because it was the only way he knew to fight for justice for his fellow mutants. Still, part of him did like to hear the way they said his name, the name he had taken for himself. It was with a mixture of awe and fear that they said it....and sometimes even disgust, but the last of those didn't really bother him.

Susan Storm's defiant words didn't really alarm him- they lacked conviction, as if she were trying to put on a brave front. He gave her a confused look, as if he was surprised she would ask such a silly question. "Why, then I start killing people in this radio station, of course," he said bluntly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a man reaching for a telephone. He pulled out several steel ball bearings from a pocket in his jacket and set them to spinning rapidly in the air. He flicked his finger and one of the ball bearings smashed into the palm of Michael's hand, shattering the telephone and a large part of Michael's palm. The man screamed in pain as he was suddenly afflicted with an injury as painful and deadly as a large caliber bullet. Blood splattered on the wall, and suddenly there was a small part of Michael's hand that was transparent, as the ball bearing had cut through the bones in the palm of Michael's hands.

"Please don't bother the police," Magneto said calmly. "That man will live...granted, he may pass out from shock at some point and won't be able to fully use that hand for the rest of his life...but he will indeed live. The next person I get irritated with may not be so fortunate."

Susan Storm

Was this really happening? Despite her effort, her decision to stay unknown as a meta, and to live a normal as possible life, Sue found herself in the middle of a growing war declared upon humankind and all those who would stand in the way of the Brotherhood. The very blunt, very cold, very real threat from Magneto sent a shiver up her spine. It was unnerving how easily he could think to snuff out a life to get what he wanted, all in the name of furthering his extremist cause. Was no-one above being instruments or fodder in his crusade?

Magneto proved that there were indeed no exceptions when he took from his pocket a handful of silver balls. With just a subtle flick, he sent one crashing through the studio glass and into Michael's hand. The telephone broke apart and blood sprayed the nearest wall. Sue covered her mouth, muffling her scream. Had the desk not been right behind of her she would've moved further away, but there was no where to go.

Michael's cries were enough to make Susan tear up as well. She couldn't imagine what pain he might be feeling at the moment, but by the looks of his injury she knew it was a lot. Magneto, in the most serene voice, proceeded to inform her of what would likely happen to the next person who agitated him. Sue looked over at Michael, then to Magneto. Her colleagues were in danger and it was up to her to prevent anyone else from being harmed or killed. All he wanted from her was to announce his message. Simple.

So, why wasn't she budging? Sue's heart drummed harder in her chest. She wished Reed was there with her, or Johnny, or Ben but they were back at the Baxter Building, in the place where they hid whilst Reed worked day and night on curing them - for her, for her dreams. They'd made peace with what they'd become and what they could do but she did not. She was the selfish one, holding them back from outing themselves, holding them back from actually doing something about menaces like Magneto...in the name of victims like Michael. She'd turned her back on the incident that occurred when Atlantis was found, she ignored the news when the UN was attacked, and now...now she was faced with doing the same thing again. Perhaps she was tired of ignoring what was obviously a calling. Death didn't claim her or Reed, or John and Ben in space. The experience gave them a means to join a purpose. The topic of the night should have been reflection and epiphanies.

Sue swallowed then pulled her grey jacket closer to her as she took a step forward. The hem of her white dress swayed around her knees. "You walk in here...you hurt people, you threaten me, just so you can threaten more over the air. You want to use me to get your message of fear into the homes of my listener's." She shook her head, her expression that of sadness and disgust. "That helps no-one. You're not a man of honor, or a man of peace." Sue's hands slowly curled into tight fists as she allowed her courage to grow despite her qualms. A shield, unseen, wrapped around her and Michael. "You're no Martin Luther King, you're not a messiah. The things you do will not be great but horrible and remembered as such. All you are, Magneto, is yet another man with too much power and too much spare time."

She raised an arm, her hand still curled. "I'm not your secretary, and I'm not your messenger, get out!" Susan's fist unfurled, with her fingers splayed wide she created another force field which she sent at Magneto as a concussive blast.

Magneto didn't know who Susan Storm was, other than a rather unfortunate radio show host. If he had, he probably would have been a bit more cautious around her. Instead, all he saw in front of him was a frightened woman who was trying to act brave- an act that would only get people hurt. He was just fine with leaving everyone in this radio station alive- he wasn't trying to send THAT sort of message at the moment, and Magneto was an honest man whenever possible.

He was caught off-guard by the invisible blow. He stumbled backwards, his arms windmilling as he tried to regain his balance. He thought he heard something crunch- was that a rib breaking, or simply the impact of whatever she had hit him with? He wasn't a mutant who relished close-quarters combat- that wasn't where his powers lay- and he honestly didn't know. On some instinctual level, though, he was sure that yes, that was the sound of a rib or two breaking. He was just lucky the rib hadn't broken and hit a lung in the process or anything.

He summoned his forcefield. That of course, meant he couldn't throw the ball bearings without dropping his forcefield- while it was up, they would just impact against the field of energy. He would have to find something else in his environment to use to attack- and he couldn't mess with the radio equipment. He moved his hands about, searching for exposed metal to use.

"You're a mutant, too? Why do you hide your powers? Is it out of fear? Join with me, and you will no longer have to be afraid," he told her, stalling.

Susan Storm

Magneto stumbled and Susan couldn't believe she'd gotten him that good. A part of her thought that she wouldn't have made him flinch, but that part of her was proven dead wrong. The line was crossed. There was no turning back, Susan had just attacked the terrorist, Magneto, and she expected him to give it right back ten fold. She lowered her chin, her gaze becoming more keen, more alert for the moment he would teach her why many referred to him as a master of magnetism. His reputation preceded him, and the frightened, grasping to bravery, skinny blonde had an inkling of an idea as to what he was capable of. He could rip the entire studio apart, pull all metal from its place and give them new homes within the supple, vulnerable flesh of all those around. However, he had no clue what she was capable of.

Her blue eyes shifted quickly to Michael who was sitting in a chair, sweating profusely. His head lolled as he fought to keep conscious. Had she made a mistake? Sue was worried that she'd started something that she wouldn't be likely to finish. Her defiance put her colleagues at a great risk, and the fact that Michael needed medical attention weighed heavily on her. If this was what it felt like to be a hero, then more power to them for doing what they did. She looked back to Magneto. Claiming temporary madness probably wouldn't be enough now. Powerful men had big egos, or at least that's what was always said. Those with big egos almost always had a need to get even.

She swallowed hard, then licked her dry lips.

"What I am isn't of any importance to you, or anyone else for that matter. And I'm afraid right now, right here, and you know what...you're the reason, not those you've waged a war against." Sue glanced at Michael again, still safely shielded but losing blood. Staring at the gaping hole in his hand, she created another shield, pliable like a cloth but tight enough to apply pressure to the wound.

"You're not using me tonight, so you should leave. Mike didn't call the police but someone else must have by now." Sue tried to knock him back again but there was resistance. It didn't take her very long to understand why. He can shield himself too...

Again, Sue raised her hand. If she made it home in one piece, she'd have to show Reed how much she now appreciated the time they spent testing and practicing their powers. If not in her heroics, she had confidence in the use of her powers. She formed another shield, visualizing it folding over the resistance until it was a shield within her shield. "Leave now, without further injury...." she said softly but with some authority. This had to be over with quickly, Magneto needed to go, and Michael needed to hold on.

"Or else..." she added, as she turned her hand then slowly begun to curl her fingers in. The shield enveloping the resistance contracted and squeezed. Sue gasped sharply as she felt both forces fight against each other, like magnets trying to push apart.

"It's funny you should mention Mr. King. I myself was more of a fan of Malcolm X. That's the world we live in, Susan Storm...two men pursue the same dream, one through violence, the other through civil disobedience. Both of them end up shot."

He gazed at Susan. No doubt she was wondering why he didn't just tear the place apart...he wasn't completely familiar with the structure of the building, but it probably had metal supports within it. Of course, trying to bring down the building while he was inside it was dangerous, not to mention counterproductive to his visit. And he couldn't duplicate the attack with metal spheres while his own forcefield was up...that limited his options severely, considering the force blast she had hit him with was quite powerful.

He sighed. "You're just prolonging the inevitable. Do you really think calling the police, who utilize metal weapons, metal cars, metal helicopters, and metal badges, is a good idea? Call the National Guard if you so desire. All you will be doing is increasing the amount of bloodshed that happens here."

Secure within his forcefield, Magneto gave Susan a bored expression and took out a phone, dialing a number. Raising it to his ear, he spoke. "Jamie, It's Magneto. We've encountered a slight inconvenience. A wannabe heroine. Why don't you head over, or send me someone with a tendency for high body counts? I need some muscle." He put away the phone.

"I won't say this body count will be on you...but I want you to remember what happens here over the next couple minutes," Magneto told her.

Then she decided to let him stop stalling. She walked forward, and sparks glanced off empty space, as if she had surrounded her body with a forcefield of her own, though not as visible as Magneto's. He didn't how strong her own forcefield was, or what exactly would happen if hers overpowered his, but he didn't think he'd like the outcome.

He stepped back, dropping his forcefield to fling several more metal spheres at Sue. As soon as the spheres left his hand, he began to re-establish his forcefield.

Susan Storm

Susan didn't know who or what Jamie was but she didn't like the idea of Magneto summoning his murderous band of misfits to the radio station. Immediately she thought about the UN situation and the people who had lost their lives, even with the X-men and authorities at the scene. It was just her, on her own, the situation for her could be a lot worse. Sue didn't think she could hold off Magneto, his pawns, and protect any one who hadn't the good sense to get out of the station and get as far away from what the tyrant threatened to be a blood bath - because of her. He didn't have to say it, but Susan knew it was implied.

With a shield still around her, one protecting Michael and another shield surrounding Magneto's, Susan continued her struggle to shatter his. So far, she had no luck as the two forces wrestled and resisted. She felt that strain on her body but didn't want to give up. There was distortion, sparks in the studio space and then suddenly the resistance was gone. In that brief moment of surprise and relief, Sue dropped the shield she'd been trying to crush Magneto with.

Without hesitation, he sent several metal spheres at her. The same tiny balls that he'd used to wound Michael's hand. Her eyes widened as they came at her like bullets. Though her personal shield prevented them from striking her directly, Sue still felt each impact.

"Maybe you're the one who should remember what happens," she retorted distractedly as she looked at Michael and then around the studio as though she'd somehow magically find the solution to ending the fight. She glanced over her shoulder at the control panel - the very thing Magneto wanted her to use for his cause, she could use for hers. Two can play that game. Creating a shield in the shape of a disc, she used it to push the button that turned on the mic.

"My name is Susan Richards, Magneto's at my radio station and we're in danger. We need help. Reed, I need help...and not the NYPD kind."

"Uh, sorry Ms. Storm." came a voice over the speakers. It was male, Caucasian and slightly wavering. It was also coming from inside the building. Bedlam had come in support of Magneto, trailing a little behind to watch the leader's back, make sure no-one was coming up behind him with a wooden club or anything like that. He didn't exactly cut an intimidating figure and probably looked like he worked here or was visiting, with a scrawny build and woodsman beard. He put away his cell phone as he entered the room where Magneto and Sue Storm were having their stand-off.

"Here to help, boss." He said, glancing at his leader, before looking back at Storm. The woman had some type of power, probably a mutant, and the boss was having some kind of trouble subduing her. Bedlam sighed and leaned against the doorframe.

Then he let out everything that was in his head, aimed at her. This would not be pleasant. But whatever her shields were like, they'd offer no protection against what Bedlam was doing. He didn't quite control how things would turn out for her, but he knew it wouldn't be pleasant. People he used his powers on like this could turn into gibbering, hallucinating maniacs or withdraw completely into themselves and become catatonic. Temporary insanity was the effect, but he couldn't tailor-make the experience.