Sentinel Shenanigans (Open)

Participants: Laura Kinney/Open
Open/Closed: Open to mutants!
Location(s): Shenzen, China
Time of Day: Early evening
Weather: Humid twilight, fairly clear skies.
Summary: The Sentinels have returned to wreak havoc upon Shenzen. With a population of over ten million, hundreds of mutants are in danger. It has fallen to the X-Men to deal with the threat the oppressive robots cause once again.

No matter how many times the mutant populace believed they had dealt with the threat of Sentinels, they were constantly proved wrong. Since Bolivar Trask had first designed the giant, mechanised hunters, they had gone through numerous iterations, but one thing remained engrained in their programming; the suppression and elimination of all those that bore the mutant gene. For decades, those mutants in the X-Men, the Brotherhood, the Morlocks and the Hellfire Club – no matter their differing opinions – had been able to put their differences aside to combat the threat Trask’s machines posed. Their survival, and indeed the survival of countless innocents baring a similar genetic abnormality, depended on it.

It was with a strange mix of anger, frustration and mild acceptance that Laura Kinney drove her adamantium claws into the metallic skull of one of the Sentinels’ latest models: not acceptance of their existence or ultimate goal, but in knowing, until the end of her mortal life, she would be pitted against such constructs. That much had already been proven. No matter the defeats the X-Men dealt those in control of the Sentinel program, they inevitably returned with newer, more advanced technology – all the better for killing mutants. And inevitably, she and those that came before her had been there to stand in their way.

It was a seemingly never-ending cycle: a grim acceptance was the only healthy way X-23 could cope with being constancy disappointed at their reappearance.

Twisting her wrist sharply, the hole she’d pierced in the robot’s head grew, yawning wide to expose cut wires and sparking circuitry. The light in its eyes flickered a little, and its voice box groaned and grated, asking her to ‘stand down’ one last time before it fell limp, collapsing to the floor in an unceremonious clanging of metal parts.

Laura didn’t even spare it a second glance. The moment it had fallen, her dark eyes roamed her surroundings, taking in the scene about her. The sprawling South Asian city was in chaos. Black market Sentinels – in a range of heights, sizes and builds – had been unleashed upon the populace by a corrupt Government official, desperate to ‘weed out’ and ‘extinguish’ the threat mutant kind posed to their leadership. Of course, no such threat existed, but it was a convincing enough tale that no-one had taken up arms against the oppressors.

No-one locally, at least. The X-Men, from across the globe, had quickly mobilised in order to intervene. Their appearance had been met in much the same way as it always was: with violence. Luckily, they had been prepared. Indeed, they had arrived with a simple plan: eliminate the Sentinel threat, and offer sanctuary to those mutants that needed it.

Setting off at a quick run, headed toward a much larger Sentinel than the first, Laura hurled herself forward as she closed in, using her momentum and a damaged street bench to leap feet into the air, digging her claws – both hands and both feet – into the back of the machine’s leg. Unable to feel pain, it didn’t immediately notice her presence, intent on terrorising a fleeing family – far too focused on its initial objective. Latched on, X-23’s jaw set in grim determination, and she began to climb the Sentinel, headed toward its head, where she hoped to dispatch it in much the same way as she had its smaller relative.

Mankind have always had their differences on the subject of equal rights for mutantkind. Politics presented to the world in the matter were just a facade, most people in the world would never know the cruelty and injustice experienced by his kind. There was some good that came from it, but it was always mostly bad.

There was a time Erik would’ve crashed through the ceiling of the building where the conference had taken place. He would have torn the office from its structure and taken them all hostage with the purpose of opening their eyes to the truth. This was a different Magneto, one that served no purpose. Erik didn’t waste any other thoughts on what he was, instead he focused on what was before him. The result of the conference was made possible through the proper means, it was important to meet with advisors and representatives of businesses from respected companies and other markets.

In the sleek office building rising above Shenzhen’s skyline, the meeting had come to an end. Erik exchanged handshakes with key figures that attended the conference. A few words were said, a smile here and there and before he knew it the office was empty. Erik walked out of the office, made his way about the quiet hallway and into the elevator. Within a matter of seconds he was at ground level, and found more than dozen suits in a panic. The lobby had been quiet and all business just hours ago. Although he couldn’t understand the frantic conversations, the tone in their voices and body language suggested there was chaos unfolding nearby.

Erik exited the luxurious building, and found more citizens running away from the chaos. He had spent an entire day in conferences that the sight of the evening was a fresh and welcoming sight despite what was taking place just straight ahead. Erik’s business trip was more than building relationships with foreign governments. It’s also extremely important to educate them of the dangers of weapons designed to annihilate mutants. These weapons were making their way into black markets across the globe. While there are men and women fighting the good fight, there are also bad men and women fighting for evil. Erik wouldn’t ignore the evil in the hearts of these humans. He knew them too well, but he’d found other ways to fight them. Erik had come to see things in the same light as the X-Men.

As these thoughts rushed through his mind, it would take him but a few minutes to find the epicenter of this chaos. It wasn’t difficult to make his way about the city while flying from one point to another. Erik’s eyes fixed on the machines causing panic and destruction, and just as he scanned the area, he’d found a young mutant by the code name of X-23 ripping through the sentinel. Erik smiled at the sight, he was sure the X-Men weren’t that far away.

Erik hovered in the air as he watched the young mutant dash in a full on attack, all the while he reached out with his left hand. He appreciated her quick disposal of a sentinel whose metallic cranium had been clawed open. The metal skeleton was raised to its feet, metal twisting and creaking as he began to take it apart, shaping the pieces into three thick spears. His blue eyes fixing on the sentinel below like a hawk locked onto its prey. He unleashed the spears in three different directions, like homing missiles crushing through the metal chest plates of three separate sentinel. His actions attracted the attention of the sentinel, quickly forming squads as they demanded he surrendered.

”That’s enough,” Erik scoffed, manipulating the spears like a puppeteer as he sent one flying across the air and through the head of one the sentinels. He shot a quick glance in the area where the young mutant would be. The other two spears orbited him, while he recovered the third one.

Laura Kinney

It was half-way up the towering sentinel’s thigh that Laura noted the smaller machine she’d previously dispatched twitching and rising from the ground, lifted from the sparking heap she’d left it in. The mutant froze, hanging from her prey’s metallic chassis, brow furrowed and eyes narrowed. For a moment, it looked to be repairing itself, limbs twisting and arching as if possessed by some form of mechanical afterlife. A younger X-23, full of rage and frustration, would have snarled and leapt from her perch, rushing to re-engage.

However, her time with the X-Men had taught her how to better control the animalistic fury that bubbled beneath her skin, and one deep breath was all it took to calm the rising anger that clawed at her throat, allowing her to choose her own actions rather than having them dictated by an all-consuming rage. Rather than re-position, she waited, watching the formerly downed sentinel with wide, unblinking brown eyes. Her gaze followed it as it juddered one way and then another, swaying awkwardly from side-to-side – before being torn apart by invisible hands, arms and legs ripped unceremoniously from its torso.

It wasn’t repairing itself afterall.

Laura tilted her head as the body dropped, and the freed limbs began shift and warp – becoming wicked shards of bladed metal. Once honed into fine points, they were hurled outward, piercing the bodies of three separate sentinels, tearing through their chest plates with ease.
‘That’s enough.’
The nearby voice, full of gravitas, drew X-23’s attention, and her eyes came to rest on an aging male, floating some feet off the ground. Even though he was dressed in a suit, and there was no cloak billowing about his shoulders or helm covering his face, she almost instantly recognised him as Magneto – The Master of Magnetism, and one of the most frustrating complex individuals upon the planet.

Both an enemy and an ally to the X-Men, Laura had worked out early on in her career that she could never be certain the fortunes his appearance heralded: he was as likely to turn upon mankind and their X-Men protectors as he was to aid them. However, surrounded by mutant-suppressing robots and with the risk to lives great, she didn’t have to long to consider or weigh up the possibilities surrounding his most recent emergence. He was aiding her, and had begun dispatching the sentinels with as much fervour as she had.

For now, that was all she needed to know.

Turning her attention back to the sentinel she clung to, she looked up just in time to see a large, metallic hand swing toward her. Swatting at her like a human might swat at a fly, the giant machine batted at her with an open palm – and caught almost unawares – Laura was knocked from its leg, and she tumbled back to the Shenzen ground below.

Max Eisenhardt

Erik wondered, and before he collected any reasonable answer he was snapped away back into the matter at hand. Whomever unleashed the sentinel must’ve more than terrorism in mind. Erik’s curiosity on the matter was pushed aside, the sentinel had to be dealt with before any more show up. His current attire as comfortable as it was, it wasn’t appropriate for battle. Erik removed his jacket, letting the wind take it and rolled up his sleeves.

The metal spears circled around his body, and he could feel every metallic skeleton within distance. Yet he felt a flaw in the chain of links, the thread of magnetism wasn’t quite as powerful just yet. The breeze that came and went, and the sudden silence that followed for a brief of a second. For an instant, Erik felt the surge of magnetism. He could easily pull them all apart but it would cost him. He knew it. The Sentinels are considered to be their biggest threat, their programs were designed to do one thing. Erik maintained his altitude all the while he studied his next course of action. Erik ignored their demands, and before the artificial intelligence squad could end their vocal threats, Erik dispatched two more. Dismantling the pair in the back of the squad, tearing and twisting the bodies of metal legs and arms. With a single motion of his hand into a closed fist, Erik shattered the remaining pieces of metal into nothing.

The remaining sentinel of different shapes and sizes raised their arms, their forearms forming into cannons. Their aim, like their gaze was focused on him. The red spark in their eyes beaming, their target was now clear. The bursts of shots were coordinated, like a wave of attacks. No longer announcing their course of actions, the metal beings discharged several blasts in Erik’s direction. Some missed, but a few blasts slammed into the buildings nearby. Magneto easily avoided the blasts, and in the process descended. The spears remained in a trance, one so easily orchestrated by Erik. The mutant hunting robots were now in sync, their programs had been improvised. The black market had done their homework.

Magneto’s chance to play with the remaining sentinel amused him, his attention on them contributing to his counter attack. He took but a second to inspect the young mutant that had been knocked to the ground. ”This isn’t a matter for one X-Men to handle, let alone a child.” Erik’s sharp words came out like a bolt of lightning. Certain that the young mutant wouldn’t stay down, his old and wise gaze fixed on the mutant assassins across him. The sentinel were more than ready to fire at him from a close distance, Erik quickly paralyzed them without sparing a second thought. His powers of magnetism holding four sentinel against their will, he could see them straining, trying their hardest to shoot. Their programming doing its best to advance with the mission, to control the skeletons. Their vocal chords were slowly being crushed, soon their bodies began to contort. Their insides were instantly crushed from the outside force, Erik added the slightest pressure and broke them. The crackling of wires and metals hissing, and mechanical fluids leaking and squirting until the light in their eyes faded.

One spear broke away from the trance, Erik’s link to the metal allowed him to do more with his abilities. The spear went off like a missile looking for the next sentinel, the monster looking down at the young mutant was halted in its tracks. The long metal shard breaking through the robot’s right leg, tearing and destroying its mechanical functions. It was quick and precise, the sentinel’s leg would snap in two if it moved. Erik embedded a second spear through the sentinel’s left foot, penetrating metal and concrete. ”If you want to live to fight another day,” he said, looking in X-23’s direction. His suggestion needn’t add more, if she wanted to run away now was her chance.

The next wave of sentinel arrived by air, another dozen of robots. Erik noticed their entrance. The set of sentinels unlike the previous batch was slightly advanced. Their cores and bodies almost identical to recent Marks, Erik noticed the small details, tweaks here and there. The designs of these sentinels appeared modern and more organic. The money spent to acquire these weapons were over the billions. These thoughts distracted him but for a split second, making his best effort to move away from the landing zone. All the while avoiding the incoming barrage of blasts, each and every one of the attacks breaking ground. Magneto took to the sky, while using the third spear to crush the abdominal metal plates of the first sentinel to set foot on the ground. The spear shattered inside the robot, tearing and ripping through wire and metal with ease.

Magneto was once again floating in the air, and instantly formed a bubble of energy to protect himself from the cannon blasts. His calm and cool demeanor took it all in, studying the sentinel. The impacts forming a thick gray cloud of smoke all around him, slowly increasing in size as the attacks continued. All Erik had to do was motion either hand in such a way, and the sentinel would be crushed. But he didn’t have them all in his grip, not yet. He could feel the magnetic energy weakening and closing in on him. All he had to do was destroy them, turn them all into a pile of junk. He could feel the eyes on him, every single person witnessing the events were drawn in awe and shock at the sight.

Laura Kinney

A colossal shadow loomed over Laura, the sentinel that had knocked her to the ground analysing her prone form, checking to see if she’d survived her sudden descent. She had, of course, and with little more than a few scrapes – scrapes that were already beginning to heal. Tilting its great, metallic head, the sentinel’s eyes began to glow, the machine preparing to burn Kinney to ash – or at least attempt to. She’d survived much hotter temperatures than the ones it could muster, though the searing of her flesh would be agony. Snarling at its robotic visage, she roared in defiance as it leant over to begin incineration.

However, no heat ray was ever fired. Instead, one of the make-shift metallic spears, formed at Magneto’s command, was driven through its knee. Though sentinels couldn’t register pain, it quickly averted its attention away from Laura, re-focused on the more immediate threat - an error on its part. She might not have been able to bend magnetic fields to her will, but she was as deadly as her father in close quarters: a lethal, indestructible dervish of adamantium claws. ”If you want to live to fight another day…” Another spear followed the old man’s unfinished proposition - suggesting Laura run - this time pinning the robot’s foot.

Rolling onto her front and pushing herself back into a standing position, she instantly re-engaged, hurling herself at the pinned sentinel – severing wiring and joints on the unpinned leg with a renewed ferocity. Unable to withstand her onslaught, it collapsed soon enough – falling prone as she had. Quickly scaling its chest, Laura leapt onto the machine’s chin, and glared down at it, as it had at her.

Metal shrieked beneath her claws as she tore through its face plate. She didn’t stop until she’d buried a way into its skull, gouged out the robotic eyes and systems that allowed for its super-heated vision and buried two claws into its processing chips – which fizzed pathetically as its chassis went limp. Then, she took a few moments to focus on her breathing, calming herself with deep, full breaths, before re-emerging from the sentinel’s head, looking up at Magneto with as much defiance as she’d shown the killer robot.

Her steel gaze answered his unspoken suggestion – Laura wasn’t going anywhere, even as long shadows fell over Shenzen, announcing another wave of mutant hunting machines.

Max Eisenhardt

The band of sentinel moved in precise fashion, following commands to eliminate the mutant. Their repetitive demands broke through the deserted area, surely grabbing the attention of spectators. A variation of hunters landed on the ground in a loose formation, while the others shifted about in the air. The barrage of attacks against Magneto came to a halt, as if the machines were changing their plan of attack. He was certain the young mutant was easily dispatching the other giants. The cloud of smoke swelling outward, dancing in the wind before disappearing into the air. The magnetic field dissolved with a thought, Erik observed the chaos as his thoughts raced back to the meeting a few minutes ago.

He wasn’t dwelling on what could’ve been done or said differently. He thought about the time wasted going through the proper channels. That was Xavier’s way, Erik scoffed. What intrigued Erik was finding out the individuals behind this attack, and by the looks of the sentinel, he wondered what other weapons could they have in their possession. Fighting in cities presented a list of problems, some of which he couldn’t do much about. Erik’s mind worked through thoughts, analyzing the situation before him, using the smoke screen.

The evening for most citizens nearby had been ruined, as apparent by the damages all around them. Vehicles along the stretch of road had been flipped upside down, some were wrecked by cannons blasts. Many citizens steered clear away from the explosions and destruction, leaving the long stretch of neighborhood deserted. Some watched as the events unfolded from indoors, high above in the buildings. As the battlefield became clear, Erik reached to undo the tie and remove the jacket. He had gone through the trouble of dry cleaning a suit. Tossing both dirty items into the wind, he now felt comfortable. His cold grey eyes scanned the sentinel around him, before briefly shifting his attention to Laura with a smile. As if intuiting her thoughts, he nodded. These events were certain to make the late night news, and by tomorrow it would perhaps be common knowledge.

Magneto clenched his fist, and the body of a sentinel pressed inward, as if it had suddenly been grip by a giant hand. Slowly pulverizing the machine into a pile of junk. A subtle warning to the others for what’s to come. He then proceeded to lift a pair of sentinel off the ground. Their reactions were as expected, the machines struggled to free themselves from his grip. Their systems alerting the pack, the shape-shifting metal frames around their forearms took the form of cannons. Their voice boxes cracking under the pressure. Magneto ignored their commands, promptly tearing and bending the metal duo from the inside out with a motion of his hands. The rest lit up, their cold dead glowing eyes now locked on their targets. The enemy before him was equipped with more than just guns, their arsenal was built to kill mutants no matter their power level.

Erik now faced the others, and applied a proper amount of force to crush the rockets installed in their heels, short-circuiting their flight system. Temporarily incapacitating their next course of action, resulting in yet another formation. The sentinel quickly began to self-repair, not taking their glowing eyes from their prey. The pack of robots were quick to counter his move, they’d all activate their boosters located in their palms. Three of the eight remaining hunters dashed in his direction with incredible speed, canons aimed at the master of magnetism. The pack were communicating with one another, as if they too had trained for this. Intelligent models, Erik gave them that much credit. The flow of their movements appeared in sync, shooting burst energy through their eyes in his direction, which he side-stepped, using the space around him. Erik moved about with certain ease, keeping his distance from them.

The sentinel in his magnetic grip were slammed into the pavement, as he turned swiftly to face the oncoming attack. It was easier to fight in the air, it provided him with an strategic advantage. Quickly exploiting their weakness, turning one sentinel against another. Magneto held out his hand, summoning his ability, he’d take full control of the pair. He watched the sentinel for perhaps thirty seconds, contemplating ways to dispose of them without any further destruction. The rag dolls in his possession would become either a sword or shield. Erik looked down on them, and he liked the feeling.

The second wave of sentinels touched down among the towering skyscrapers of Shenzhen, and from her perch atop their fallen kin, she eyed them scornfully. More numerous than the first wave, their great domed heads shifted left, then right, large lamp-light eyes scanning for tell-tale mutant DNA. A number fixated on Magneto, hung in the air, conducting salvaged robotic parts to do his bidding as if they were part of a grand, destructive orchestra. Others noted Laura, while some seemed distracted by something else all-together.

Turning their back to the fray, they shifted focus onto the wider city, toward fleeing crowds – fleeing crowds and other mutants.

Launching herself forward, X-23 took off at a sprint, hurtling toward the sentinels that tracked her. However, they were not her target. Those beyond, that stalked those rushing to safety, needed to have their attention drawn back toward someone that could better defend themselves: in this case, her. She could take any pain they wished to inflict, survive the wounds they hoped to cause. So long as she could give the innocents time to escape the conflict, she was certain the X-Men could deal with the killer machines, especially when supported by the master of magnetism.

Indeed, those sentinels that had made their way toward him had already begun being dissembled, bodies and heads crushed with the slightest flex of his fingers, arms and legs torn asunder with a flick of his wrist. Given the time, he alone could no doubt vanquish the threat; however, time was not on their side. She took it upon herself to make it.

Speeding up, she darted over and around obstacles that lay in her path with a near inhuman athleticism. Beams of burning hot light scorched the air near her face and shoulders, only narrowly avoiding contact, the sentinels taking aim at her rapidly approaching form. Those beyond, however, still had not turned toward her, and they had begun moving, putting distance between her and them.

Glancing up to the floating figure of Max Eisenhardt, Laura raised her voice, shouting as loud as she could, hoping that she could be heard over the din. “Throw me!” It was a simple instruction, and she gestured with outstretched claws toward the robots that inched away from the battle. Her intent was clear. The admantium that coated her skeleton was metal, something Mageto could easily manipulate. He could lift her small form and hurl her toward her intended destination – rapidly decreasing the time it would take her to get there.

Max Eisenhardt

There was something about the sound of metal twisting, being easily manipulated in his grasp, that made Magneto keep a sharp focus. The machines were playing Magneto’s game, a game of chess. His eyes followed the young mutant, watching her dash past the sentinel. Magneto smiled proudly, and even Laura had to admit he had reason. Erik proceeded to dismantle one of the two sentinel in his possession, tearing off the limbs, flattening the torso and tossing it aside. “Take no chances,” he uttered the words, all the while keeping his eyes fixed on the sentinel. Erik could feel the adamantium, he could easily distinguish it. He’d then swiftly guided a hand, and assisted her, matching her speed. Erik lifted the young mutant as she suggested, with a quick and precise flick of his wrist, he’d launched her in the right direction. Erik immediately planned his next course of counterattack, making his away to the last sentinel standing before him.

Erik would rarely admit it, but what the X-Men lacked in ideas or how to execute them, they made up for it with a multitude of talented mutants.

The sentinel, which continued to struggle to break free, even as Magneto toyed with it, was crushed under pressure. He’d use every part of this robot, aiming them like misiles, targeting one sentinel at full force. Crumpling another sentinel, as if it were a sheet of paper in his magnetic grip. Using the dismembered pieces of metal shards, as they went flying across into the plated metal skeletons of the remaining machines. The group which the young mutant, X-23, darted past with ease. Detaching the head from the twitching metal skeleton, and summoning it towards him.

”Your determination is impressive, but a foolish task.” He spoke with determination, and pride. Erik could continue his streak, destroying these robots as they would come, but he also wanted answers. ”I’m speaking on behalf of all of my kind,” Erik’s voice would eventually reach the sentinel chasing after mutants fleeing to safety. ”I suggest that you send us your message now, before I decide your fate.” His threats now in the wind, he could only hope that he’d get answers. Magneto aligned his focused on the sentinel head in his grasp. Slowly crushing it, watching its eyes flicker before releasing the piece of crunched metal cranium.

Laura Kinney