2013.05.30 - The worst is yet to come

Scott exhales after a long day of his other life. The end of the year field trip, grading, and everything else that comes with the end of the school year has been taking up the lion share of his time lately. He's behind, and he hates being behind.

He looks out of place as he walks down the metallic corridors of the Xavier Institute Basement in plainclothes. He's wearing a lightweight black dress shirt, untucked, with a pair of blue jeans. He takes a left and a pair of doors open, revealing the War Room. He stops abruptly.

"Haven't seen you all day. How are you, Jean?"

Jean is also dressed in plain clothes. And she's not even sporting the ubiquitous lab-coat she usually does when in the Base (as the lab is only a couple of doors down). She is, however, stood in the middle of the room, telekinetically operating various pieces of telecommunications technology. Most of the screens are lit up, many of them tuned to different news channels, including some international ones. Those few that aren't television feeds display websites with other news and information feeds and photo galleries, and similar media files. On the main screen, however, is a partial map of the world, showing the distance between New York City and the island nation of Genosha. There are red and green geometric glyphs displayed on it, dashed red lines indicating flight paths between the two regions and a large yellow circle around an area of Genosha itself.

As Scott enters, the telepath turns. "Scott..." she says. Her eyes and expression is tight. "I'm okay. Which is more than I can say for others."

Scott comes closer, up to her side now, and takes a look at some of the monitors. "I guess it was a bad day to get burdened with work. What are we looking at?"

As the reports begin to come in, or as Scott's able to make sense of what's going on, at least, he sighs and shakes his head, nonplussed. "Oh my heavens."

Jean gives him a wry smile. "Yeah," she says, feeling that sigh right along with him. She gestures lightly to the displays. On the main screen, the view adjusts to Staten Island. "We know the Sentinels took out the Mutant Action Center in Mutant Town on the weekend," she says, bringing up the accompanying news reports and images on the smaller screens. "And the reports of Magneto's capture by the things are pretty consistent."

Again, her telekinesis flares, and the main screen image zooms out to follow the red flight path across the sea to Genosha. "I've managed to confirm that the Sentinels went off-shore and there's every reason to believe they went to Genosha."

She looks at her long-time friend, now, clearly unsettled. "Two hours ago, various news outlets began reporting rumours of a nuclear detonation over Genosha. A massive electro-magnetic pulse disrupted communications throughout Europe and, depending on where satellite feeds were coming from, around the world. But no one has yet to detect residual radiological material."

The image on screen zooms in on that yellow circle. "An EM pulse, Scott. In Genosha. Where they took Magneto. The timing of which coincides with a psychic shockwave that smacked me across the back of the head. I felt hundreds of people cry out in terror and die." And he knows better than most how much feeling minds die upsets her. "Most of them were human."

Scott spends a long moment staring at screens and processing. It might almost seem as if he did not hear Jean's report or analysis. There's a snort as he looks away from the screens and then back towards her. He reaches a hand above his glasses and rubs at his forehead slowly. "What are the United Nations and our government saying? Is there any word coming from anywhere? What about the people in Genosha who weren't killed?"

He pauses, realizing he's being rude. "Are you okay?"

Jean knows what Scott gets like when he's presented with a Situation. And this certainly qualifies. Still, she gives a small smile and a non-committal shrug at his last question. "I'm shaken," she says, rolling her head a little. "But, I'll be fine."

To his other questions, however, she sighs. "The government is denying they had anything to do with it, presently. But you and I both know that doesn't mean anything. They only like super abilities they can control -- like that JLA outfit. The MAC's always been a bone of contention, and Magneto public enemy number one. They don't need to be behind it to appreciate its outcome."

Although, if Genosha's become a ideological battleground turned into a real war, they might change their minds on that. Jean isn't counting on it, however. "As far as I can tell," she says sardonically, "the fact US citizens were killed on US soil by apparently foreign war machines is only a going concern if those citizens don't carry the x-gene." Same old story, that.

"As for the UN? They're withholding comment, at this time. They condemn the open use of a nuclear device if that's what it was, but reiterate that details from the affected area are still being confirmed." Translation: They don't have a frickin' clue what's going on.

Scott shakes his head, "I must admit I'm confused. Genosha was founded by mutants for mutants. Since the air strike a few years ago, it's been the major hub of pro-mutant sentiment throughout the world. In fact, the bombing those years ago probably changed more for our people than anything that we have done. I'm confused as to why there was a large contingent of humans there, since there hadn't been-at least to my knowledge-and why, if this is Magneto, would he risk hurting people in what is the worldwide haven for mutants. It makes no sense whatsoever." Scott shakes his head, "I'm wondering if the whole thing was made up."

Jean shrugs, clearly possessed of no greater information. "I know. It doesn't make sense to me, either," she admits. "All I know is that I felt hundreds of people die and that Genosha's its epicenter."

She scans the screens again, rubbing the back of her neck. "And that Magneto is somehow involved," she adds. She turns, now, and moves to a chair, sitting down in it. "I've spent the last two hours trying to make sense of what I felt. That's all I can tell you."

Scott shakes his head and folds his arms over his chest as he looks back at the screen. "To believe what we're seeing here, we'd have to believe that in retaliation for the Sentinel attacks, Magneto got mad and killed a bunch of mutants. I frankly don't buy that there was a large Humans First contingent on Genosha. To believe that, we'd have to believe that a large group of anti-mutant mongers emigrated there after the attacks years ago, uprooting themselves to an island, just to be a thorn in the sides of the mutants who already lived there. That just doesn't seem realistic. I don't mean to question what you felt, but none of this makes any sense. It makes more sense to me that Magneto would be using this as a way to take control of Genosha. Why he'd kill, if he killed anyone, mutants would seem to go against his plan, but I can't testify to the man's sanity."

"Who can?" Jean replies. She lets out a dry chuckle. "I'm not even sure the Professor would." Though if anyone could... She shrugs again, massaging her temples. "I just know what I felt and that the pieces fit." A sigh. "At least, the broad strokes do."

She glances up at him, her expression serious. "I could try using Cerebro... but you know my control isn't nearly as good as the Professor's." She inhales a tight breath. "It's not something I'd want to try alone."

"Well, though I have my apprehensions about you using Cerebro after everything you've been through, it's your decision at the end of the day. You know that if you need me, I'm here for you. Regardless of what's happened in the past." Scott's eyes appear to go from the monitors back to Jean. "That's part of being a team and part of being friends."

Jean nods to that. Her smile is a brief flicker. "I'm glad," she says. Although she meets his eyes, sincere in what she says, her eyes show subtle strain and frustration.

Scott nods, "Well, you know yourself best. When and if you decide you want to try it, let me know. I'll be there." Once Scott notices the look in her eyes, his lips purse a bit. He doesn't say anything, though, letting her strain and frustration be her own. If she wants to share, she will.

Jean knows Scott's micro expressions almost as well as he may still know hers. And she has the advantage of at least a sense of surface thoughts, even if she's as careful as she can be not to pry or intrude. To that end, her eyes fixed on the screen, she silently reinforces her shields, closing off even the vague sense of his surface thoughts to her perceptions. Her hand rises and she telekinetically hits the key sequences needed to collect the open files and feeds into a research folder. As swiftly as the system can process her commands, the files disappear into the folder and she scrolls a track wheel to drag them to a vault where they'll be available for perusal by any of the team that cares to look later.

"Thanks," she says, now, finally replying to him. She offers the small smile that is, unfortunately, her usual one these days -- not the full one she used to wear in the early days. "I'll call you, when I'm ready."

Scott nods, rocking a bit on his heels and toes and looking down towards the ground for a moment with his arms still folded across his chest. "Sounds good, Jean. I'm sorry for what you had to go through today."

"It's okay," Jean replies, pushing herself up out of the chair and sliding it in under the console nearest it. "Not the first time. Won't likely be the last. I can handle it." Again, that smile, and a hand rakes through her red hair. "I'm just tired, now. I was in the middle of... working with a patient when it happened." Well, technically, she is the Institute's and team's resident medic. "But, they're fine, so it's all good."

Scott tilts his head with raised eyebrows, "Well it's good they're okay. I can understand how you'd be tired after the day you've had. I imagine you're heading to bed. It's probably a good idea."

Jean nods, her fingers slipping into the back pockets of her jeans. "Soon," she agrees. "I may talk a walk along the lake, first, though. It's quiet, there." Actually, she spends quite a bit of time out that way, these days, when she's not teaching or in the lab. That may change, though, as the summer ramps up and more people start using the waterfront.

Scott opens his mouth as if he's about to say something, but closes it quickly before he starts again. "It's the perfect night for it. Don't forget the bug spray." Scott's faint smile is similar to the ones she's been given and are an attempt to reassure her in what has probably been a very traumatic experience for the young woman. Add another one to the list, right?

Indeed. What's one more? And, as horrific as it is, compared to her memories of the D'Bari massacre? Not the worst. As hazy as those memories are, the supernova was billions to Magneto's hundreds. Actually, truth be told, the longer she's away from the cocoon in the bay, the greater her dislike for her cosmic doppleganger becomes. But, that's not yet up as a topic for conversation between them.

"I won't," Jean assures him. Though, really, a TK shield would probably take care of the worst of that. "The bugs aren't horrible yet, at least." Given them another couple of weeks.

"Yeah, you're right. The worst is yet to come," Scott says, rocking on his heels again, trying to make smalltalk, before eventually abandoning it. "Well, I suppose I should let you get out there. As tired as you are, I shouldn't keep you."

He never was very good at small talk and, truthfully, Jean is tired of small talk. So, she doesn't push for more. "Thanks," she says, moving past him, toward the door. "I'll keep you posted, if there are any more developments." Pausing at the door as the X parts, she lays her hand on the edge and glances back at him, inhaling as if to say something. She pauses however, an odd expression on her brow for just a moment before she expels her breath lightly. "I have no idea what I was just about to say." Shaking her head, she smiles. "I guess I really do need some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow, Scott." And thus, she's out into the hallway and on her way back upstairs.