2013.10.17 - Volatile Situations

It is a nice autumn's evening in Genosha. Which means it is not excessively warm, and the afternoon rain has cleared the air, leaving behind the scent of ozone to mix with the ocean breeze. One could almost forget the county seems permanently at the edge of a civil war. A few days ago, Nate came and took Hope back to New York and her fancy school. Now he is back because of business. Old business, involving genetics, ancient evil genius and stuff like that. For Rachel, he is easy to sense coming. His telepathy is as 'bright' as always. Even more than normal, since as he is knocking at the door, he is also scanning far-range, looking for his 'older twin', the man called Cable.

From where he's perched in the open window of the X-Men safe house, there are any number of thoughts running through Shift's mind, but he keeps them to himself for the time being. He's shed the traditional African garb that he wore while traveling back to the island in favor of something a bit more comfortable. Jeans, t-shirt, boots. Nothing more.

Armed with a plastic fork, he's stabbing casually at a large piece of grilled, bone-in fish, set upon a bed of cous cous and garnished with plantain. However, when there is a knock at the door, he turns his head about sharply, and is quick to set the container down. Looking across the way to Rachel, he perks an eyebrow and asks in a hushed voice, "Friendly?"

~ Keep your head down, and take the first corridor, ~

It's early afternoon in New York City. Not too far after lunch, even, and the sun is brightly shinging in the fair Metropolis. Not always the best thing, mind, when one requires stealth, but one takes what one can get!

Nathan Dayspring, born a Summers, is in his tunneled lab, his monitors dancing before him with the news of the world. Commentary is silenced, though on some of the lingering pictures, Graymalkin does make a comment, or a suggestion if only to point out little bits here and there. As he watches, he's relaxed enough that he is capable of multitasking, remarkably.

~ No, not-- ~ that way... sigh.

It's the familiar touch, a tingling feeling of the other Grey, Summers.. that Cable responds to.

~ Dialing up on the brain phone? ~ is asked of Nate. ~ I still can't always understand the need for cell. ~

Rachel was fairly sure that any fish as cheap as the one Shift's tucking into had to have been hanging around on the vendor's stall for that little bit too long. So she's quite happy to let him have it all to himself, and for him to eat it on the other side of the room.

That he's hanging halfway out the window while he does it is just an added bonus.

Leaning against the far wall, Rachel looks rather different than she did on her recent trip to the US. Certainly you wouldn't have found her in a long, loose brown skirt in any situation where she /wasn't/ undercover, while the black tank top she wears leaves enough of her upper back on display to reveal the spreading wings of the Phoenix-brand. She'll worry about covering that up if she needs to go out. The Hound marks, though, are psionically obscured as always.

Rachel smirks a bit at Shift's tense reaction to the knock on the door. She hadn't been able to miss Nate's approach, after all. "Usually." She replies to him, and an image of Nate suddenly appears in his forebrain, while at the same time she reaches out to Nate himself.

<< Come on up. >>


 * "Old man,"| greets Nate, somewhat guardedly, and testing the link. Seems solid, good. It is solid, but more because he is strong than because it is well-built. Rachel, and particularly Cable, could tell him about a hundred ways to do it better. |"I am in Genosha. With Rachel."| He nudges the redhead to join the link, then he steps into the apartment. "Friend, hello, Shift." Nate looks a bit distracted, making it to the closest seat to flop down on it. "Good to see you, man. Although I came here for Ray." His talk in the physical world is leaking to the psi-link, but that is not important. |"You two know each other? He is shorta me, only not quite. Nathan/Cable. She is Rachel, also child of the same parents, different timeline."|

A fresh breeze blows through the window mere moments before Kwabena reaches up to pull it down. The cold wind is a stern reminder of where they are, and it's something that helps to keep him focused, which is precisely why he doesn't go for his jacket. Besides, once that window is closed? This cheap tenement is bound to get awfully hot.

The African pauses before latching the window, for at that precise moment, there's an image of Nate Grey appearing in his mind's eye. He blinks twice--it had been a few days since he's been around these telepaths--but soon enough, the discomfort is replaced with a wry smirk. "Anything else you care to flash into my mind, Red?" he cants her way, before turning and walking toward the door to greet Nate. "Hey dere," he quips, finding a touch of amusement in the way Nate's just flopping down onto one of the sofas. "Long day? Don't worry, I won't take it personally."

Once assured that the door to their safe house is locked and secured, Kwabena walks back over to snatch up his fish. As he comes over to join them, he's giving Rachel one of those looks.

You know the kind. Don't knock it 'til you try it.

"You guys need me to step out?" he asks, looking between the two curiously. "God knows I could use a cigarette, and every time I try to light up, she just flicks it right out de window."

Cable seems a touch distracted at the moment, but that passes. He's got good enough shields that whatever may be taking his attention doesn't bleed into the 'conversation' he's got going now. It's when Rachel joins the link that 'older' Nate gets that -shock- through the line. He pauses for a long moment, unmoving, and not willing. The hint of that telepathic touch- it's so familiar, and yet not quite right. But it's filled with such memories of his life. His older sister, forging that link, that unbreakable bond as she swore she'd always protect him.

And then the words, 'different timeline' creeps in. That is where it's off, and there's that flicker of ... disappointment.

~ Got it covered, Nate. Family will out, as they say. ~

Now, Cable turns in his wheelie chair and flings himself across the room on the wheels, his hand flicking off a switch. ~ Now, I can be patient and not try to pry it out of you. What's up? ~ He's got a dry sense of humour, to say the least. Teep humour!

Rachel's eyes go a bit distant, and her brows pull together a bit as she feels Nate tug at her psi-presence. He'll feel her curiosity as she wonders what he's up to, but she doesn't pull away, simply hesitates for a moment.

Her eyes sharpening again, Rachel still seems a little distracted as she shakes her head at Shift, shivering just a bit as her body belatedly reacts to the chill breeze. "Not right now." She tells him, though there's a touch of amusement in her tone. Shift's move to greet Nate gives her the opening to accept the other telepath's invitation, and then there's a third presence in the psi-link. Not at strong as Nate - after all, who is? - but powerful enough, and more controlled.

And skillful enough to pick up on Cable's reaction to her arrival. Maybe she's still a little bit keyed up from her telepathic encounters with the Darkness and Sinister's unpleasantly alive bio-lab, but at the first flicker of alarm from Cable, she reacts. Reflexively, her attention focuses closely upon his mental presence - and then it's her turn to pull back. The images were no more than incomplete flashes, but they were still utterly impossible.

After all, she's never had a little brother.

Has she?

As Cable's formidable shields cut off any further openings for Rachel's suddenly keen curiosity, she eases back and replies, her mental tone studiously light. << I was about to say no, but now I'm not so sure. >> Curiosity suppressed, but far from eliminated. << But I've heard of you, at least. From Nate. And Hope. >> The younger redhead's name is clearly a question, Rachel's curiosity bleeding past her own shields as she asks-without-asking it.

She lets Nate field Cable's own question, though, while she shoots a look at Shift that's half mock-glare, and half smug satisfaction. "And I can keep it up all day." She tells him, before giving him a small shake of her head. "You might want to step 'inside' soon." Depending on where this unexpected meeting goes...

"Not really tired, just chatting long distance," Nate taps his temple, so Kwa knows what he is talking about. He is not as good multi-tasking as the others. |"You two know each... wait. No?"| He blinks confused. |"Uh, alright. Regardless, I wanted to talk with you about this... person: mental image of Sinister from his timeline. He is loose here. Perhaps even in Genosha. Or this world equivalent is here. He is..."| raw, sheeting hatred |"... a monster. Very dangerous."|

Now, it's Cable's turn to physically quirk his head as he works out the minds in the link. This is as natural as breathing to him; locate a mind, and once there's a familiar path, attach himself. He can track almost anyone by their signature alone.

Which reminds him,

~ How're you doing out-- oh. ~

And it's back to the party line that Cable brings his attention. What can he say that would even begin to explain his knowing her but not.. but her not.. but..? He could try and explain the one time stream with all the branches, and all those alternate paths of the road not taken. But that would be more than a little time consuming. Even for a multiple PhD from 2,000 years in the future of -this- timeline.

~ It's a 'time thing', Nate. ~ Cable gently reminds. ~ But, ~ and it's back to the matter at hand.

~ Who-- oh. That isn't good. ~ How's that for an obvious statement. Captain Obvious! ~ Loose. In Genosha? Here? New York? Do you have any idea where a 'home' base might be? ~

Curiosity flashes across Kwabena's face when he notices her tensing, but he speaks nothing of it. Instead, he fires off a flash of ire, and is damned near close to lighting up to spite her. But, that would be rude. He has manners, sometimes.

"Step inside?" he asks, before the gestures of both Nate and Rachel key him in on what's really going on. With a slight groan, he sets the fish down on a coffee table and finds his own cushion upon which to plant his ass. "My favorite time of day," quips the Ghanaian, and pinches his nose as if to ward off the impending headache. Then, he gestures toward Nate, as if giving him permission to weave him into the mental conversation.

"Beam me up, Scotty."

If Rachel was linked to Cable, alone, she probably wouldn't let this go so easily. Her own memories are shot, untrustworthy, so someone who seems to somehow recognise her? It's hard to keep her curiosity suppressed.

Particularly when Cable doesn't answer her not-quite-asked question about Hope. Rachel's probably going to have a lot of questions for Nate about his - their? - big brother later. The restlessness of her mind is betrayed by her body, as she pushes away from the wall and moves to snag a bottle of water for herself and, after a moment, one for Nate as well. Unlike Nate, she can multitask...

Though not well enough that she doesn't freeze in place when Nate feeds her the mental image of the Pale Man. First Jean, then her own near encounter, and now this. It's an unpleasant enough surprise that Rachel feels Nate's hatred as if it's her own for a moment. Hardening her shields and pushing the foreign emotion away takes a moment or two.

It's a good thing she didn't follow through on throwing that water bottle to Nate, really.

Rachel's mental voice is tightly controlled. << Snap. >> The word is spoken sardonically, and accompanied by the image Jean shared with her. A pale face, the same as the image Nate provided and yet not. << He's here. He has a lab in Bastion. I know. I spoke to it. >> Well. Not really.But close enough. Rachel hesitates. << We shouldn't leave Shift out of this. He needs to know what's going on. >>

Nate glances to Kwa, and unless one of the others objects, adds him to the mind-link, quickly downloading in his mind the conversation thus far. he explains, in case Cable doesn't know the man. He hesitates, unsure if Cable knows about the X-Men.

Nate glances to Kwa, and unless one of the others objects, adds him to the mind-link, quickly downloading in his mind the conversation thus far. |"Shift is an ally, Jean sent him here,"| he explains, in case Cable doesn't know the man. |"Seems Sinister is also the one that attacked Monet in Hammer Bay. That girl showed up in... Westchester."| He hesitates, unsure if Cable knows about the X-Men. |"He was responsible of uncountable atrocities in my world. What do you know about him, Cable?"|

Nope, Cable doesn't know Shift. And when the comparitively weak, obviously not telepathic mind enters the fray, as it were, the eldest Summers/Grey in the group has to boost the gain, as it were. It's the meeting of a new mind that brings Nate's attention back around, and there is a touch on Rachel's mind, the tendril gentle.

~ Hope. I'm not yet to her yet, just as I may not be to you. I seem to be somewhere in the middle. ~ Cryptic? Welcome to the mind of Nathan Christopher Summers. Askanison. Nate Dayspring.

Now, however, Cable brings his thoughts around to the whole, a general sending, but easily controlled such that the man can place thoughts into the Ghanian's head without Nate or Rachel needing to. ~ Monet. I met her in Jean's office. She'd alluded to a Pale Man, but there was nothing more about it. ~ Not only does Cable know about the Xers, he'd helped the Professor set up the computer system in what seems so long ago. After all, has anyone wondered why they have a system that needs almost no upgrades to its core?

~ I'll have to check with Ship to get a full readout on the man. Now that I have something to go by. I could do that now and have a complete data dump for you, or I could spare you the headache and give you some pertinent facts along the way. Assuming Ship's got it. ~

Well. Kwabena was trying to clear his mind so as to keep stray thoughts from 'leaking' into the psionic link, but noticing the way Rachel is reacting to something invisible catches him off guard. Thus, when he is brought in and the conversation is downloaded, it has the effect of suddenly appearing in the forefront of his memory, eliciting a jump and a sharp, "Fuck!"

Almost immediately, he gestures toward Rachel and Nate, his already dark skin turning a darker tone even still. "Sorry, sorry. I'm alright. Just..."

Words trail off as he begins to actually dissect that which has been telepathically shared. The blush drains from his face, as do all traces of humor and any touch of relaxation. With that sudden segue and the information dumped into his mind? He's gone all business. Professional. Playing the role of team leader that he was placed into.

Drawing a deep breath, Kwabena leans forward, simply listening for the time being. A question forms at the back of his mind... |"Who is 'Cable'?"| It's not the kind of question that demands an identification card, but rather, an explanation for why he's here. Jean hadn't said a word, and it has him feeling discomforted. That being said? It's a question that stays at the back of his mind, rather than being brought to the forefront and willingly thrust into the conversation. He's come to trust Nate (which is certainly saying something!) and won't make an issue of it.

At least not now.

One can't be faulted for caring about security, after all. Especially with the risks they've taken in even coming to Genosha.


 * "Jocelyn gave me a run down on this person,"| he allows, focusing his thoughts and directing them at the others, trusting that they'll 'pick them up' as they always seem to do. His mental voice lacks the heaviness of his Ghanaian accent, and it comes with a surprising matter-of-factness when compared to his earlier, casual demeanor. |"Any information we can get on him will be useful. We need to gauge just what kind of a threat he is."|

Rachel's pleased when Nate extends the link to Shift. She'd only have to brief him later, otherwise, and sharing information this way is just so much easier. The benefits of being a telepath, and perhaps part of the reason why Shift doesn't entirely trust them. Talking with their minds behind his back - or in this case, right in front of him - as they do.

What Rachel should have expected was Nate's less-than-subtle means of bringing Shift up to speed. But she didn't, and can't save him - or any of them - from the results. She winces a bit, and shakes her head quickly when Shift apologises. At the same time that a private message arrives in the back of his brain. << We're going to have to work on that. >> It's said in good humour, not mockingly, though there is a serious undercurrent to it as well, not to mention a bit of tension. Rachel's held off making any kind of attempt to tutor Shift in dealing with telepaths due to the unease he's shown, but considering how many he's managed to surround himself with that's something that should probably change. Particularly as things seem to be getting very serious indeed. She skims the question from the back of Shift's mind without even thinking about it. << As much my brother as Nate is. >> Rachel's tone doesn't really betray what she thinks of that, though it does hint at her consternation.

Rachel's neatly distracted from pursuing her private conversation with Shift when Cable reaches out directly to her. Somehow she has a feeling he really enjoyed phrasing his reply like that. She doesn't make any attempt to respond in kind, though she keeps her own message private. << Most days I don't know who I am to myself. Remind me to catch up with you another time so we can draw the family tree out. >> The curiosity is clearly still there, though subordinated to the subject at hand.

<< I'd take the headache. >> Rachel offers tensely, though she's a little relieved that Jocelyn has clearly gotten the message to the right people already. << But I can trade you? >> A moment of concentration from Rachel, as she arranges the memories of her link with the bio-lab at the forefront of her mind. She only hesitates a moment. << I'm not sure how much time we have. >>

Rachel feeds her memories of the experience into the link.

But of course, that is Nate's pet obsession.
 * "Joce? What does this has to do with her?"| Nate is still wondering when Rachel gives them all the memory download. Ack. And he needs a minute to digest it all. Now, he can't understand it all, but... |"So he is Milton. Again I have to wonder what does Magneto know about him."| He thinks a few more seconds. |"Marauders? I think I met one of them a year ago. Riptide? What is this about an army? Who is he talking about? Who is the slee...?"| But then he knows the answer, instinctively. |"APOCALYPSE!"|

She does her best to edit out what she was feeling at the time, the tension and apprehension of knowing that their presence had been betrayed and that their time was running out. In some ways the flow of information that she passes on is cleaner now than when she first absorbed it from the lab's datalog. What she can't hide is how alien the feel of the bio-lab's mind is, as the parade of images begins. It might be a little overwhelming for the non-telepath...

...Patients, coming in. Leaving. Blood samples. Test results. Conversations trivial and mundane...

"Scalphunter, the next step is ready to progress. I have the first candidate, but I need you and your team to hunt down the rest. I have a plan..."

...Pain. Fear. Death...

"We lost Blockbuster and Vanisher, boss."

"No matter, I have what I need. The candidates all performed as I expected. I'll need you and the remaining Marauders to round them up. The clones won't be ready in time."

Success! Tests positive. Project: Hive Mind plausible. Backburner with Project: Extinction. More time needed.

"We've located them all, boss. We're ready to move in on your say so."

"Excellent. We'll begin immediately..."

Project: Armageddon in motion.

Some more flashes of Milton. Speaking with someone as he performs a few tests...

"Evolution, Scalphunter. That's what this is about. The time is drawing near when Earth can no longer afford to be weak. The mutants... They are the key. With their power, we could raise a fighting force to oppose... Him."

"Isn't He after the mutants, too?"

"He is, but He's been asleep far too long. Imagine the pool of candidates to choose from for my Marauders when the entire world has evolved. You could be a general with an army unlike anything the universe has seen before. It will be His end."

And what about Summers and Grey?"

"What of them? Do not worry, Scalphunter... The strong will survive, and I have no doubt they will come out on top."

There is something amazing about being a telepath. With it, there is complete understanding. Emotions, beliefs, memories, thoughts, and ideas are all expressed, and there is no question. 'They' also say that one can never lie to a telepath, and that in a link, there is truth.

Then, the question comes up as to who he is?

~ Cable. I am that which keeps the future attached to the present." How's that for a self-important Summers statement?~ And yes, to keep it simple, brother to Nate and Rachel. I'm Nate's big brother, and Rachel's kid brother. ~ And Jean's clone's son. But right now, even Jean doesn't know it.

As Rachel begins the info dump (which he's half listening to; thank you Ship that the AI can download from his head!), Nate's words come into play, and the normally even, controlled telepathic send gets a touch of stress into those 'tones' when he repeats that one word,

~ Apocalypse. ~ Not happy. Nope.

His send becomes more gentle, though it is showing a touch of strain. The information, the data to and from Ship, the keeping up of the link on his end and helping his siblings with the non-telepath, and of course, he's in the middle of a mission in New York, and has to keep his partner safe. This one is for Rachel, ~ Over pizza? ~

Rachel's private telepathy earns a response from Shift that comes in the form of a direct look, a wry smirk, and a nod of acknowledgement. Nothing more than that; it's taking too much of his focus to consider the myriad of voices and expressions being delivered to him.

Nate is the next who gets Kwabeba's attention. He's focused visibly on the man while his voice speaks in his mind, and at the mention of Apocalypse, his brow curls. An unknown, but based on the way Nate seems to exclaim that name--yes, definitely a name rather than a word--it means serious implications.

About halfway through Rachel's info dump, Kwabeba closes his eyes. His body hunches over just so, and his forehead gradually scrunches up in consternation.

By the time it's over, Shift has a half-smoked soft pack of cigarettes in his hand, fingers curled about the Arabic writing on the pack while the other clenches his beat up, old zippo. Cable's revelation is taken in stride. He's long since given up on scoffing over implications of time travel; he knew Rachel well enough to believe her, and Nate's stalwart conviction to the implications of his own future was enough to engender faith in the young man's mission.

The way Cable speaks of this mysterious Apocalypse figure? It finally brings Kwabena's eyes open again. Looking down, he notices that his hands are trembling, but all it takes is a force of will to stop them dead.


 * "I must ask."| Shift's mental voice is strained, but surprisingly unbroken. |"What does this mean to the mission, here and now? The resistance cells are in place. Elections are going to happen. All we are supposed to do is see to it that they are fair and not tampered with. Does our presence here create a risk that outweighs the value of our potential intervention? Will we, by being here, force a much more volatile situation?"| There is a break in the message, as Kwabena considers just what call to make. |"Do we need to make this call now, or leave it in the hands of Jean and Charles?"|

He settles his gaze upon Rachel and Nate, though a part of his mind lingers upon the unfamiliar voice of Cable. And still, he's clutching the cigarette pack as if it were a thing upon which to center himself.

If you ask Nate... Well, you don't need to be a telepath to know what he wants to do. Find Sinister, find Apocalypse, and kill them with excessive violence. But Sinister's labs is just under Magneto's city. And Apocalypse? Bare a rumor. He found no information about him. Halo computers had nothing. Only Heslpont, the Daemonite warlord, recognized the name. He is another ancient monster, and they weren't having a friendly conversation.

Urgent? Someone is asking if it is critical? Ugh. YES. No. |"Doubt it is an immediate danger. No. He said he was preparing, recruiting. Dunno. If Magneto is on it, it might be too late. Sinister has all the mutants he needs to start a world war."|

Rachel inadvertently runs right over Nate's question with her brain-dump. At least she includes enough context for him to know that she wasn't alone in her invasion of Sinister's bio-lab. Besides, given the amount of effort it was, even for a telepath of her power, to maintain the link to the mind she drew along with her, there really was only one person it could be.

Again, Nate's anger buffets her, and she shields herself from. Her own temper can be an uncertain thing, but set against the sudden blaze of Nate's fury when something sets him off she feels positively level-headed. That amused thought is a small ray of light into the dark matters they're considering, but it helps her keep her perspective. << Apocalypse? >> Rachel's question is sharply asked, and she glances toward Nate, only to be distracted by the state that Shift has been left in. She crosses the room with swift steps and reaches out a hand to silently squeeze his shoulder, even as she diverts a portion of her attention to make sure he's come through the mental info-dump unscathed. Apocalypse, ominous though the name might be, will have to wait for a few seconds.

As it becomes clear that Shift's all right, Rachel gives him a quick nod, releases her touch, and steps back. << Pull out? That'll only put us too far away to take action if it's needed. >> Rachel speaks confidently, but doesn't sound completely happy with what she's saying. << The Pale Man - Sinister. He knows someone got to his lab. But he doesn't know who. /WE/ know who we're dealing with, now. We're in no worse a position than we were before. Maybe a better one. >> The trouble is, their potential enemies do seem to be multiplying...

But Rachel still manages to make time for Cable. << It'll have to be your place. >> It's not much of a quip, but under the circumstances it'll have to do.

~ Time. Nate and Rachel will tell you that the time to act will come. Sometimes we can't act until things are well underway. ~ Which frustrates the hell out of people that work with Cable for any length of time, he knows. He hears it ALL the time. But timing is everything.

~ Your presence in Genosha may be a problem, Shift. If he is voted out, SHIELD and the UN will take him for Crimes against Humanity, and he will unleash, levelling everything. And if they manage to take him out, there are no other strong mutants that the non-mutants will respect enough. No more lines in the sand. ~ And there's the hint where Cable is going with this particular little island out on the coast of East Africa. ~ We are never too far, Rachel. I have Ship, and I have teleporting to any coordinate on this planet. ~ And, while he doesn't say as much, Nate does have the ability for time travel. Actively. Up and down the main timestream. He just doesn't do it often. Too gauche!

~ As for Apocalypse? ~ That name is spit out, the anger welling up and under the calm and even telepathic send, it's obvious that he agrees with his brother. But he's more cold, calculating. A soldier. ~ I think we need to focus on Magneto, and Sinister. Track him. I'll find Monet, speak to Jean some more. And if need be, grab a few good people and see what's going on up close and personal. If Sinister has enough mutants to start a war, we may find an ally in Erik and use mad dog against mad dog. ~

Falling silent once again, the New York city bound mutant wheels back to the screens, and turns one of the monitors so he can see it. "Show me, Ship.."

It was a question posed frankly, and Shift is more than appreciative of his counterparts’ candid answers. That being said, the residual feedback of emotion from all of them has an effect on the mutant, in spite of Rachel's effort to set him at ease.

A crackling sound, and the visible hardening of Kwabena's skin into something resembling an exoskeleton of dark black.

Once again he closes his eyes, taking a few moments to ground himself. The altered state of his body remains as is for now, but there is no argument in his soul. |"Agreed,"| comes a terse response. And then, there is an ironic grin that forms on his face. He was deep undercover in Magneto's camp. If the time comes, he could be the one who helps to turn one mad dog against the other. It's a fleeting sense that something good may have come from that stupid, reckless mission, but it's enough to keep his head level and clear.


 * "Time's up,"| he thinks, the words lifting from his voice as well when he recalls Rachel's earlier warning. |"Cable, keep an open line on us."| Beat. |"And well met."|

That said, Shift abruptly stands, feeling the need to move about. He glances at Nate and Rachel for a brief moment, before moving that window and reaching for the latch.

Some fresh air sounds nice.

Nate seems to agree with Cable and Kwabena. There is much he wants to ask his siblings. But not with the shadow of Apocalypse hovering over them. |"See you soon, old man,"| he says to Cable, not unkindly. Then he allows the mind-link to fade, leaning back on the couch. "Apocalypse. Let me tell you about Apocalypse. But first, do you have anything to drink?" He has much to say about Apocalypse, and nothing of it is pleasant to hear.

A flask of whiskey is promptly flung across the room in Nate's direction. The culprit? Shift. "Here."