nextgen_citizen:

"If we do this... there's no going back. This is going to burn through every favor you and I have above my pay grade." Police Captain Erica Strauss poured herself and her associate a shot of whiskey. The strongest she had.

"And yet you will do it. District X's time is over, and this is the way to do it." The gentleman raised the glass, before downing it. He pushed a dossier across the table to her. "This file does not exist. There is no file which contains this exhaustive a cataloging of the District's residents, and their... unique qualities. Just make sure you don't get anyone with wings involved. The media loves them, almost as a rule."

"Nobody's going to love anything about that hellhole after this, not until it's torn down and rebuilt as high-rises." Strauss flips through the files, downing her own drink. "This... if this existed--" she humors him. "--it would be perfect. Let's see those brats try to derail this now."

-----


"The public was shocked today as, in an historic announcement, the governor signed an act to grant emergency powers to the 11th Precinct. Martial law and standing search warrants for the entire District X area have been put into effect. Policymakers are still reeling, as this is the first act of it's kind within the city. Captain Erica Strauss was available for comment earlier today."

"I want everyone in the five boroughs and beyond to understand that no-one involved in this is looking to make any kind of history. These are unfortunate measures to have to be implemented, but it's been determined there is no other appropriate response to the still surging crime wave from District X, and the continuing allegations of disappearances. I'd like to thank my fellow captains of the neighboring precincts for helping to pool emergency funds, as, in an effort to protect taxpayers from the cost of bringing in the National Guard, as well as keeping public safety our first priority, we will be bringing in the brave men and women of Castleton Security Holdings to support our own men and women as we deploy into the District." Every syllable was crisp, except for the parts where the public would respond better to signs of stress or remorse.

Strauss locked her gaze on a camera. "I want those people hiding within this district of our fair city to know that we will not stop. We will put everything as it should be. To the law-abiding citizens of District X, I promise you this, we will be among you."

----

The searches started the next day at dawn. Doors were pounded on. Homes were turned upside down. Residents were subject to 'mandatory relocation' to hotels and shelters in other parts of the city. Every 'successfully' searched building had security stationed nearby afterwards. By nightfall, and the enactment of the district-wide curfew, over five hundred residents had been moved, with well-crafted gentle assurances they would be back in their homes soon.

The efficiency alone was something of wondrous terror.

nextgen_citizen:

"And we're back. If you're just joining us, we're talking today about what local voices have been calling the 'Exodus of Mutant Town', along with the current wave of mutant crime sweeping the five boroughs. With us are Julian Howard, the man behind the modern sensation of X-Factor, and Police Captain Erica Strauss, of the 11th Precinct, which oversees District X.

Before we had to go to break, Mister Howard had brought up the reports of disappearances of transients and the alleged sewer-dwellers of the district. Captain Strauss, your thoughts?"

Strauss gave a practiced smile and tilted her head with a modest shrug. "Well, to be honest, we're at a bit of a loss for the situation. Strictly speaking, we're not even sure that people like that can be classified as 'missing'."

anyastark:

Word about certain things spread fast in the cape community and Anya learned that Vernique and Svalin were getting married, in Asgard, and Svalin was expecting a baby. This of course meant one thing. There had to be a party to celebrate both things and Anya was the perfect one to throw it. Anya had known Vernique since forever and there had been many marathon shopping trips.

She sent invitations out to the female members of the X-Men, Champions, Avengers, West Coast Avengers, Defenders, X-Force, Alpha Flight, Excalibur, Fantastic Four, Sammy and Alice in SHIELD, Kelly and Melissa. It was also the first get together the Thunderbolts would be hosting.

The renovated firehouse in Cambridge was cleaned from top to bottom and supplies were laid in. Stephanie was given cart blanch on the menu and snacks. Anya and Molly went shopping for the drinks and for gifts for Vernique and Svalin. Since the crowd was very varied they got a wide selection of sodas, juices, beer and also picked up a lot of water. Anya even booked rooms at a nearby hotel just in case people didn't want to make the trip home that night. Anya had spoken to Irina and arranged for pick up of the various team members around the world.

Saturday rolled around and Anya was up at the crack of dawn double checking everything. Then she headed down to the lab until the first ladies arrived.

hellfireprince:

Each member of X-Factor receives word of the meeting at X-Factor Plaza's Boardroom with instructions to attend as soon as possible on a matter of urgency. Julian has some minor refreshments set up, but doesn't have the usual feast ready; they may need to move quickly regarding this matter.

Julian waits in the boardroom for the team to arrive.

They'll all notice immediately that there are no cameras in sight.

nextgen_citizen:

A pair of uniformed officers arrive at the Whedon residence around noon, knocking sharply at the door.

"This is the police!" The older of the two officers hollers.

your_talents:

Lisa got out of the town car and told the driver to put it on her usual tab. She was fresh off another modeling gig to pay off the date she'd lined up from the auction. She told herself it was a good cause, even though she knew she'd be telling herself that even more intently if she didn't get a 'taste' of her date. She also needed to have a 'talk' with Julian to further figure out what the two of them were.

Plenty of time for that, and freshening up for her date. The shoot had let her borrow a simply stunning black number that she'd be treating her date's eyes to. Possibly hands as well. She smirked as the car pulled away.

She had taken five steps when the rushing air was all the warning she got. Hands grabbed her from behind and the block blurred past. She was shoved into the front of a building and dragged across it for several yards, before being thrown to the ground.

The damage to the building itself showed that if not for the super-strength she'd helped herself to earlier in the day, there would be plenty of herself embedded in it. As it was, her clothes were all but destroyed and her belongings were thrown across the street. Her breath had been pulled out of her by the shock and the velocity.

Her attacker was silent, dressed all in black. They seemed to hesitate before speaking. "You need to shut your mouth and stop asking questions Stick to being pretty on tv." Their voice is muffled by the mask. They take off again, leaving car alarms screaming in their wake.

Lisa's eyes are wide with disgust, rage, and panic. She slams a fist into the ground, letting out a scream of frustration as the pavement cracks. She pulls her clothes, what's left of them, around her. Mercifully, her phone had survived.

She calls Julian.

hellfireprince:

"Thank you, Shawn and please tell your wife I appreciate both of you helping out with relief concerts in Fargo. Roc Nation is has been really good to me, and I'm glad for it. We still on for the Super Bowl? Good, I can't wait. See you both tonight." Julian says, then hangs up the phone. He's still smiling when he does so, looking at the table full of gifts he's already received, like some kind of tribute.

Despite what his mother always says about aging, birthdays have yet to lose their mystique for him. Then again, his mother is also seventeen millennia old, so that /may/ color her views on life and aging somewhat. Besides, her gift to him each year is the gift of life and someone new to taste it through, so Julian won't gainsay his mother on something as small as a matter of opinion.

After finishing his mother's gift (and asking Paulo to sweep up her remains), Julian is feeling much more animated . He takes one  more look at the preparations for this evening's parties and goes over the guest list, which reads like a who's-who of the entertainment industry from actors to musicians. There are also a few businessmen and women among the names, and even a politician or two. Even on his birthday, he's still working to get Andrew's message heard by those who most need to hear it.

The text messaged invitation and location info goes out at 2 p.m. to those that are twenty and under, inviting them to come out and see him at Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House at 6p.m.

At 6 p.m. the second set of messages goes out to the twenty-one and over crowd, providing only an address, a password and a time: 11 p.m. - ????

With that,  Julian started getting ready for the party, readying himself to enjoy the night.

your_talents:

Sirens went off for the fifth time of the night, less than two blocks from Lisa's apartment in Mutant Town. Not that this was anything new. The recent crime wave, the drug traffic, and just the fact that it was District X meant that something was always going on. Or going down. Deals, hookups, people looking for fixes, college kids looking to dash in and out of the wrong side of town, everything that made the district come alive, and was slowly killing it.

Lately though, it seemed like the death of the area was approaching faster than ever. It was time to start taking action.

She called up her female co-star.

nextgen_holiday:

The beginning of a New Year, a time for new hopes, new experiences to come. A time to reflect on times past, remembering fond memories happily and trying to put less pleasant thoughts and experiences in the past.

It is a time of renewal, a time of rebirth. And for much of the world, it is a time of celebration. This is no less true for the super hero set as anyone else. If anything, they just have that much bigger of things to look forward to.

nextgen_holiday:

There's a piece of paper and a pen attached to a bulletin board. Across the top is written:

New Year's Resolutions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
+

Anonymous entries accepted.

nextgen_holiday:

Christmas. Yule. Saturnalia. Dies Natalis Solis Invicti. Many cultures have celebrated and still celebrate a winter festival. There have been many names for it over the millennia. No matter the name it is a time to come together and celebrate with feasts and gifts with friends and loved ones.

Each culture has a legendary figure who would deliver gifts to children during this time. In Russia and some Slavic cultures he is known as Ded Moroz, Grandfather Frost, and comes not on Christmas but on New Year’s along with his granddaughter Snegurochka, or ‘”Snow Maiden”. In the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe he is known as Father Christmas. In the Netherlands and Belgium he is known as Saint Nicholas or “Sinterklaas” and in France he is known as Père Noël. In the United States we know him as Santa Claus.

No matter the name or who is delivering gifts, it is the season of peace, joy and togetherness. It is the season for thinking about loved ones, friends and those less fortunate. It is a time to witness the goodness and generosity the human race is capable of. It is a time for peace on Earth and goodwill toward man.

nextgen_holiday:

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." JFK

In America today is a day for being thankful for the things in people's lives. Today was a day to celebrate family, friends, prosperity and health with food, family and friends. It is a time to reflect on what is important us and to recognize the gratitude we hold for having those things in our lives.

clothesline:

X-Factor was a team, right?  Jason didn't know much about teams, but he was aware that MOST teams actually sat down and got to know each other.  He didn't rightfully give a damn, but the press did.  So, like a good boy int he public eye, Jason set up a dinner with his team at Masa.  If somebody was unable to find something appropriate to wear in their current wardrobe, they were set up with information to contact Jason's people and get something appropriate.  As for Jason?  He was looking fancy and dashing in a custom suit.  He was always overdressed.

Jason, of course, was at the restaurant to make sure everything was in order.  The menus were already on the table, including the all-important drink menu.  They were seated near a window so the press could see them having a great time.  And by God, they were all going to smile-even if Jason would have to force them by the hairs on their lips.

hellfireprince:

As much as Julian wanted to settle the issue with X-Factor's secret admirer (or detractor), life had to go on. Business was booming, and the Outcast was still making a killing on the club circuit, as the rich and famous were now patronizing the place. X-Factor, along with N.I.C.H Machinegun, made the Popular Outcast the place to be, and Julian had finally traded the loft above the club or his own penthouse apartment inside X-Factor Plaza.

He packed his suitcase, and readied his garment bag with three days worth of suits, wanting to make an impression on the new partners in Atlantic City. Next, he'd be off to New Orleans to make an offer to another partner, and then California. If he could get all of the clubs open by the end of the year, he'd consider most of the work done. For now, though, he thought it prudent to focus on Atlantic City and put the rest of out of his mind. One goal at a time.

Anyone asking after him would hear that he was preparing for a trip, and couldn't be disturbed unless it was important.

ng_independent:

After she had seen them on television, she'd gone into her bedroom for a long heart to heart with Daddy. He was so happy, so proud. They'd laid down the ground rules -- lots and lots of rules, or it wouldn't be any good, after all.

Now for the opening move. She had a meeting with some of the Foundation for a Finer Life's best and brigh--- well, they were good boys, anyway. Nice boys. They tried hard; and that's all Phoebe was asking for.

Starting that night and continuing throughout the week, there was a surge in break-ins, burglaries, and vandalism in the area of town surrounding X-Factor's new home/studio.
Three churches -- all coincidentally connected by their contributions to such things as 'sexuality rehabilitation' centers -- ransacked with 'Glass Houses!' spray-painted in bright yellow on the inner walls. Numerous stores robbed only of their entire supply of cigarettes, with 'Nasty Habit!' painted across the empty storage display cases in the same bright shade.
Scores of cars stolen from a parking lot that had been made just a few months before by paving over greenspace, with 'Ride a Bike!' in yellow.

Every single security camera anywhere near any scene of the crime had been taken as well.

By the end of the week, letter with no fingerprints or return address will be delivered to the plaza which reads simply,
'Welcome to the neighborhood. And nobody hurt yet. Ain't we sweet?'

hellfireprince:

The results are in: Everyone wants a piece of X-Factor.

He's gotten offers from Letterman and Leno. Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein want to speak to Jason about joint projects.  Slash and Gene Simmons thinks DJ and Pauline are the future of music. Harry is morphing into a young heartthrob; between the ladies from The View and Oprah, the young man might never know another day of obscurity in his life.

And Julian's thinking he may need to get another phone if the Owner of Suicide Girls doesn't stop trying to blow his up about having Lisa do a shoot for them.  Besides, Maxim wants first dibs.

As for Julian, bumping into Jay-Z at a recent after-party (he can't remember where) landed him a spot in Rihanna's newest video.

X-Factor's star was rising higher with each passing day, and he still hadn't had time to tell the team about X-Factor Plaza yet. He'd have to get them all together, but time was conspiring against them. And there was still the World Tour, actions figures and everyone's solo ventures to discuss. Not to mention his trip to New Orleans to open up another nightclub. 

Julian asks Paulo to call the rest of the team to the Outcast to discuss the next step in their adventure together and set down some rules. This is probably also a good time to give anyone who wants out the chance to get out clean.

your_talents:

[Before the events of Watching It All Play Out]

Lisa didn't have an appointment, but mentioning the 'special project' of Howards' got her to his office. She knocked sharply at the door.

This whole thing was interesting enough to catch Lisa's attention, particularly with the implied chance of meeting other mutants, but she had particular plans to put in motion. She didn't trust this guy further than she could throw him, unpowered.

He did, however, interest her.

hellfireprince:

Julian was still counting the money and good press from the Battle of the Bands a few days later, when the Battle of New York began. People were calling the club at all hours, wanting to know when N.I.C.H Machinegun was performing again, and that put Julian in a good mood.

That all ended the moment Paulo came in and turned on the television.

"Sir, there is...something you must see." Paulo says, rewinding the newscast. TiVo was a wonderful invention.

Julian, for a moment, did not understand what--or who-- he was looking at. Over the space of a few more seconds, his recognition of the young man became clear.

"Andrew...?" Julian said, his eyes widening. "Paulo, bring the car around. I need to get to Ellis Island."

"Sir, may I suggest that you call in aid? The...terrorists have hostages, and you don't know their numbers. It would be unwise to walk into a situation like this without a plan and back up." Paulo said.

Julian considered it for a moment. "Very well. The X-Men can handle themselves. Call Lisa and the others and ask them to come here. If they aren't interested, fine, but anyone I want to talk to anyone who is. We need a plan and someone needs to get to those children." he says, keeping his eyes on the television.

Andrew, it would be unwise for you die right now. It might get us all killed.  Julian thought to himself.

hellfireprince:

( Read more... )</div>

hellfireprince:

The orange-and-black posters are put up at various locations around the city, though they are concentrated most heavily near the clubs and bars that advertise live entertainment, or 20 and under nights.

The fliers read simply: 



WHAT: SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST- BATTLE OF THE BANDS

WHEN: 2-7-10

WHERE: The Popular Outcast

WHO: YOU


1st Place- $20, 000

2nd Place- $10, 000

3rd Place- $5,000



BRING YOUR A-GAME AND ROCK THE HOUSE!

(Note: No alcohol served during this event as minors may attend.)



Julian supposed the idea wasn't terrible, but he was skeptical when Paulo brought it up. Then again, how else was he going to find who he was looking for?