nextgen_parent:

Charles Xavier, head of the Xavier Institute of Higher Learning and mentor of the X-Men, had been busy in the recent days. Together with an old friend, Erik Lehnsherr, the two of them pushed the anti-human groups into action. Attacks on humans started happening all around New York City.

In Times Square the MLF appeared and started attacking the sea of people in the "Crossroads of the World". They also targeted the nearby Police and fire stations to hinder efforts to control the chaos they were creating.

Down on Wall Street the Brotherhood started attacking the bankers and investment brokers.

Leading the attacks on humans were Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr.

Mutants attacking humans prompted responses from anti-mutant groups such as the Friends of Humanity, the Church of Purity and other pro-human groups.

The streets of New York quickly became a battleground between humans and mutants.

ng_purifiers:

The Reverend's voice was choked with genuine emotion as he spoke. It was a rare opportunity, an invitation to speak at a political rally hosted by Senator Sloane regarding the registration issue being brought before Congress. He had a massive, cheering crowd, composed not only of his church's own faithful, but a much wider audience, including a national one through the host of television cameras.

"My friends, I cannot tell you how honored I am to be here today. I understand there are questions about my position at a political event, hosted by the kind Senator Sloane and such generous donors as Ms. Maggie Donovan." He paused for more applause and cheers. "But I'm not here today as a religious figure. I'm not here on behalf of a movement... I'm here today as a grieving father and husband. I'm here as a concerned human being. For those of you out there who do not know me... my name is Philip Butler. And when I come before an audience who doesn't know me, with protestors and the rest, what everyone always wonders is why I hate mutants. And the answer is that I don't. I love all my brothers and sisters under God. When I was a younger man, I belonged to the mutant rights league. I marched for mutant rights in Dallas. I spoke on behalf of freedom and fairness. But there is a deeper concern. After those days, I lost my family - my wife of twenty-three years was killed by terrorists calling themselves the Mutant Liberation Front. My eldest son, a decorated veteran of overseas campaigns was killed defending Magneto at trial! And then my two little girls..." he holds up a photo, which the cameras zoom in on, "Were killed when they couldn't run fast enough, casualties caught in a crossfire between the so-called X-Men and Magneto's Acolyte movement in the pre-Genosha days. Even the mutants who call themselves heroes can't guarantee our safety. They still fight like vigilantes, and innocents still get caught in the crossfire. If they really wanted to help, let them sign with law enforcement, let them join the national guard! Let them serve like my son did before his tragic and senseless death."

"I am not asking for some new Holocaust. I don't want to see anyone suffering or dying. But these people possess dangerous abilities, and they need our help! And we need to know we're safe from the crossfire of whatever secret mutant wars are raging on all around us.  For the mutants out there, I'm not asking you to go to prison for being born... but if you're going to use these powers, especially in a way that puts lives at risk, you have to understand - you /are/ part of the problem, whether you want to be or not. Hiding breeds suspicion and fear. The only way to come together is cooperation. Beginning with registering in the same way anyone who wishes to own a gun should register that weapon. This is not some shadowy government agency trying to bring you in. This is a father who has had to attend the funerals of all three of his children, two of whom never had a chance to grow up at all, a family man, a devout man, and a scared man... please, give us a chance to defend ourselves, to know who our friends are and who our enemies are. Registration does not have to be some great evil. But it is the first step, a necessary first step, to reconciliation."

"When far worse programs were proposed, when hatred was at its height, I stepped forward to do what my conscience demanded, and stepped forward for the fair treatment of mutants in Dallas. Now I'm asking you to do the right thing, and support registration, so that maybe other husbands won't have only a picture of their wife to remember them by. Other proud fathers of soldiers won't see their children cut down by strange powers while trying to protect a rightful trial of a terrorist. And other fathers won't have nothing but a few pictures and kidnergarten projects to remember two beautiful little girls by"

"For everyone else - the time is coming for a vote in Congress. Call your congressman and demand they support registration when it comes. It is the right thing to do, for all of us."

nextgen_media:

“We interrupt this regularly scheduled program to bring you breaking news from Times Square. An apparent bank robbery gone wrong has resulted in the deaths of at least eleven people at the 1515 Broadway branch of Bank of America. Witnesses report that a masked man entered the bank and held the patrons at gunpoint. The details of what happened next aren’t clear, but it appears the robbery was stopped when a mutant teenage boy lost control of his powers and killed everyone in the bank. The boy fled the scene and remains at large. If you see this boy please contact your local authorities immediately and do not approach him. He is considered extremely dangerous. “

“As you can see behind me, crews are still cleaning up the site and authorities have the area cordoned off and are prohibiting anyone from approaching the bank. Traffic is at a crawl through Times Square and police are suggesting that commuters seek alternate routes.”

“Anti-mutant demonstrators and pro-mutant demonstrators are already on the scene. Police are trying to keep the demonstrations peaceful, but tension is running high.”

ng_purifiers:

Its all neatly organized and legal, they have the permits to speak, donors and supporters lined up to help legitimize the event, and plenty of television coverage. There's no direct association with any movement or politics - that would be improper, but the Church of Purity is high enough profile to get plenty of guests and coverage of their own, and the Reverand Butler is a rather sympathetic figure in many eyes, having spoken passionately on his cause ever since the deaths of his family. When the noise dies down, he begins to speak. His voice is quiet - he's not a fire and brimstone type, always noted for his soothing voice and long temper. The power of his words comes more through true conviction and personal charisma.

"First, I want to welcome you all here today. As a religious figure, politics is always something of a tricky subject to address appropriately, but I assure you, I am not speaking for or endorsing any candidate. Instead, friends, I am endorsing responsibility and accountability. The topic of registration for the parahuman, and especially mutant population has arisen again in the halls of power. Now I know, many people have pointed to the heroics of some of America's 'super beings' before, and noted that these events helped to table talk of a comprehensive registration act. I want to tell you about another hero. My oldest son served his country. He served overseas, putting his life on the line daily for God and country. He was a decorated veteran, specializing in urban security. As such, he was one of the brave soldiers asked to take on a dangerous assignment - providing peacekeeping services during the trial of Magneto as part of multi-national forces. Indeed, sworn statements from half a dozen attendees, including two of the court officers will attest that it was due to Jason Butler and his unit's services that day that their lives were spared when the trial came under attack by mutants identified only as Fenris. My son's services... my son's sacrifice. You see, he, and a dozen other peacekeepers, brave men and women all, died that day, caught in a conflict between forces they could not comprehend or hope to confront. And while he was credited with saving lives that day, as well all know,Magneto also fled the building afterwards. Its a story we've seen again and again... I am not asking you to unduly punish those born with these strange abilities... but to require them to be held accountable for their actions. Our brave policemen are given more and more restrictive rules in how they do their jobs. And many 'bad men' are freed each day for some lapse in procedure. Our soldiers and security overseas have been questioned and put on trial. And yet time and again, these X-Men, and Brotherhood, and whatever else these secret socieities call themselves defy authority, refuse to be held accountable for their actions, and hide behind code names and secrecy. And yet we hear time and again, they feel they're persecuted and put down... and maybe they are. But the road goes both ways, my friends. If America's mutant population truly wants equal rights... then let them come forth and say they are no better than the rest of us. That they are willing to accept that they are part of something greater... America, including its laws and restrictions. If they wish to style themselves heroes, people... I do not denigrate that noble intent... but let them act like heroes! Shadow vigilantes that we cannot discern from terrorists are not heroes. Those of noble intent... truly, I will stand beside. But so long as no one knows their names, they hold no one but themselves accountable for their actions, they hold themselves as a higher force than our soldiers and police... and so long as we cannot even know who among them was responsible for the deaths of many of our real heroes... how can they ask us to accept them?"

He pauses for a drink of water, nodding thanks to the stage hand, then turns back, the murmuring silenced. "Today, ladies and gentlemen, I stand behind and with the mutant population of America... let us give them equal rights. Let us make them a part of the society we hear so often they claim holds them apart. Let us support mutant registration, not to separate and destroy, but so that we have a means to make them a part of the process... so we can tell the heroes from the villains, so we can punish the guilty and thank the virtuous. People fear what they do not understand. Let mutants come forth from the shadows, and let us know them, not as Magneto, Brotherhood, Fenris, X-Men... but by names. Not merely to punish the guilty... so that perhaps before I die, I can know and confront my son's murderer... but so too that we can thank those who truly have the best for humanity in their hearts, and know them, and strive for true equality. If they truly wish equality with all other men and women, then first, friends, they must submit to the same authority the rest of us live under, that our police and soldiers account to. We cannot allow them to both claim they wish to be equals, be known as just another person, and allow them their cloak of mystery, letting them act without regard to law or accountability. Yes, my friends... today, I stand with what mutantkind has so long claimed they wished... I plead with you to support the registration act as is grows... that we can truly be equals."

nextgen_misc:

The Bowery Mission on Bowery and Delancey was a mutant friendly shelter near Little Italy. It housed men, women and children from all walks of life including mutants. Evening was coming to the city and a few homeless people were starting to filter in. The shelters in the city saw less occupancy during the summer, but there was enough this evening that most of the beds would be full.

The explosion came without warning and the place was engulfed in flames in seconds.